Thomas HUBERT

I graduated as an Engineer from the French “Ponts et Chaussées” (Civil Engineering), specialising in mechanical engineering. I chose to spend a year abroad, so I did my International Voluntary Service, at Total Gabon. I found that I liked the oil environment and this experience made me decide to do my 3rd year at the French Institute of Petroleum (IFP) School. I was sponsored by Halliburton, who was my first employer. I spent seven years working at this oil services company, as a drilling-completion engineer, mainly in West Africa. In 2014, I joined an operator, Shell, on mature wells in the Netherlands, as a completion engineer. I worked there for three years. My remit was the same except that before, I used to sell the very same services that I was now buying!

At the end of my studies, I chose completion because it is a mechanical job, in perfect harmony with the way I work. When you put the material down in the well, you have little visibility. Yet, I visualise the well and because I have a good knowledge of my tools, I know the chronology to follow to put them down.
Completion is a pivotal step, the last stage of drilling before the production of a well. This step lasts anywhere between 36 hours to five days depending on the complexity of the operation.

In 2017, I was contacted by Perenco. During the Oil industry crisis, the management had maintained a high level of investment. The company needed to strengthen the drilling team with completion expertise. In my eyes, my hiring demonstrates the Perenco state of mind; even in difficult times it is important to trust people and trust your company.
I already knew about the good reputation of Perenco, having worked in Africa. It is a small world. I accepted their offer immediately, especially since I knew that the career prospects were interesting.

At Perenco, I have a lot of flexibility, with room my own personal initiative and the ability to interact with operations. On the projects that I pilot, I can interact with contractors freely, unlike a larger company where things are more restricted and where there is less freedom and responsibility. 

In addition, the company offers the opportunity to follow different career paths. Here, I will have the opportunity to work in subsidiary and in drilling. Logically my next step will surely be a posting in Africa...

My ability to structure different operations. My past experience allows me to challenge the proposals of service companies and to optimise projects.

The ease of interaction with people, especially in the subsidiary, which has allowed me to properly play my supporting role.

Perenco is an oil company which specialises in mature wells and operates at low cost to maintain the profitability of their projects. However low costs do not mean low quality. This involves thinking twice before committing budgets, being more innovative and using more efficient equipment.

Trust. For two reasons.
The first is the confidence displayed by the management, who, at a time when the sector was going badly, continued to invest, even at the height of the crisis. The second is the trust they place in their employees, to operate in a different way, at a low cost and to encourage them to succeed.
It is bold and it works. Today, this model is copied.

At Perenco, you do not get bored and you have considerable freedom with your work, to do your job in the way you best see fit. There are no unnecessary processes. In the company, at the end of the day, we talk about “making barrels”, it's healthy! We are all focused on production.