Lead Drilling Engineer

Location Adrar-Algeria

Position summary

Provision of well design, planning, programming and operations management, promoting techniques and strategies that optimise asset value and enhance life of well performance. Targets efforts to ensure that all wells are designed and delivered in accordance with local statutory requirements and GTG corporate policies, standards and procedures, whilst driving excellence in Health, Safety and Environmental performance, technological innovation and continuous performance improvement. Mentoring of operational and drilling engineering staff as required.

Main duties & responsibilities

• Excellence in promotion of Health, Safety and Environmental performance. Engage, influence, and drive a positive safety culture in every aspect of GTG daily activities.
• Preparation of detailed well life cycle design documentation, drilling programmes and operational management of change.
• Collaborate with respective disciplines and departments such as geology, reservoir, production, stimulation and completions, in the well construction process as required.
• Develop wells to an appropriate state of readiness to facilitate rig selection and well allocation.
• Plan, develop, and support civil work operations for well pad, access road, and associated civil work activities.
• Maintenance and up-dating of well design, drilling procedure manuals, and any applicable statutory guidelines.
• Regulatory submissions in compliance with local statutory requirements and GTG corporate policies, standards and procedures.
• Prepare note de opportunities (NDO), scope of works (SOW), and appropriate specifications for procurement of GTG equipment and services. Support as required in tender evaluation process, both technical and commercial.
• Technical lead for assigned contracts. Responsible for managing the agreed relationship with service providers, and in setting the KPIs as/with the contract owner and C&P specialist
• Ensure that long lead material, personnel, and equipment are identified for procurement on time
• Scheduling of material and personnel required to meet well program objectives.
• Responsible for preparation and submission of permits, and applications to statutory bodies to conform to local governmental, and other agency requirements.
• Coordinate and liaise with other GTG disciplines on well related issues, both pre/post handover.
• Initiation of shallow hazards assessment and borehole surveys.
• Prepare scoping, budgetary, and AFE level well costs. Actively monitor well costs, and analyse variances.
• Monitor/measure performance against expectations. Analyse variances and act as focal point for lessons learned.
• Liaise with and support well-site activities as directed, together with the Drilling Superintendent and the Drilling Supervisor involved in the operations.
• Coordinate and manage service company support to GTG as required. Encourage good, open communications with contractors, promoting an inclusive culture of involvement and participation.
• Management of well construction performance improvement initiatives resulting from lessons learned.
• Implementation of lessons learned system in relation to drilling operations.
• Maintenance of end of well records, lessons learned and complete well files.
• Accurate and timely reporting of all program activities.
• Identify and implement new technology for performance optimisation.
• Mentoring relevant engineers and operational staff as required

Internal and external interfaces

• Facilitate effective interfaces between all services provided to drilling operations.
• Liaise with; Drilling & Wells team, Subsurface Team G&G, HSEQ Representatives, Contracts & Procurement (inc. Logistics), Finance and Service Coordinators.
• Contribute to the optimisation of the asset's performance.
• Participate in cross company initiatives to identify new technologies and enable GTG to benefit from completion and well operation experiences elsewhere.

Context and Environment

• Rotational position based in Oued Zine, Algeria.
• Able to work in a remote desert area, under high outside temperatures and low humidity, during summertime.

Required Competences/ Qualifications / Experience / Profile

• University Degree (Bac+5) in Petroleum Engineering or a related field.
• IWCF Well Control Certification (Level 4).
• Experience: A minimum of 10 years in well engineering and site supervision, preferably in onshore drilling operations.
• Technical Proficiency: In-depth knowledge of well engineering processes, technologies, and best practices. Proven experience in ensuring well integrity throughout the life cycle.
• Communication Skills: Ability to work effectively in English, with proficiency in French considered beneficial for enhanced collaboration.

Personal Qualities

• Collaborative: To work and communicate effectively with colleagues, partners and all other stakeholders. Respecting the knowledge and experience of others, sharing information and building effective team relationships.
• Supportive: To encourage & celebrate success, performance and diversity. Being approachable, assisting & developing others according to their needs.
• Problem Solving: Ability to analyse multiple sources of data, make connections & create high quality solutions, prioritising the key issues & consequences.
• Drive: To strive for excellence. Being energetic, passionate and resilient, taking personal accountability for performance and delivering results.

Special conditions

• Demonstrated capability of teamwork in multinational teams with a variety of cultures.
• Demonstratable analytical competences.
• Knowledgeable of respective engineering applications;Compass,Stressheck/WellCat, and WellPlan.
• Experiences with and able to understand water-based mud systems, its rheology and the ability of inhibition through the entire well bore sections.
• Understanding cement slurry design fundamentals. and understanding in evaluating USID & SBT logs.
• Potentially required to work at well site during critical operations, e.g. running casing, cementing and drilling operations, to support the drilling supervisor and superintendent.
• Will be required to achieve and maintain appropriate competence in with Petroskills competency profile