As a company, we are very fortunate to have highly experienced professionals with a wealth of knowledge and experience within our team. A great example of this is our Senior Drilling Engineer, Zin Kyaw.
Zin joined Add Energy in 2007 and has added a huge amount to our Australia team, quickly becoming a highly valued member of Add Energy.
In this interview, Zin discusses his time with Add Energy, common problems operators face, and advice for people starting in the industry.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR TIME WITH ADD ENERGY
“Over the past 23 years, I have worked throughout the world with onshore and offshore drilling operations in Australia, Tunisia, Philippines, Sudan, Congo, Burma and Thailand.
“Now as a Senior Drilling Engineer for Add Energy, I have been fortunate enough to work across a wide range of projects – some major and some smaller projects – most notably:
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The preparation and operations engineering for an offshore exploration program in Bass Strait utilizing Seadrill’s West Telesto jack-up rig, which we finished within budget
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Subsea exploration in Tunisia which we successfully completed, overcoming the major operational challenges we faced
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Senior drilling engineer and operations engineer for two subsea ERD wells offshore Philippines (Medium – Ratio 1.5: MD 5000m, TVD 2250, Horizontal section 2300m, HD 3500m)
“Add Energy is like a family to me. We have a very close team of professionals operating in a flexible and open working environment which makes it a great place to work. Because of this, we are able to share our knowledge and technologies to help develop each other, as well as helping our clients in the most efficient, economical and safe ways.”
WHAT COMMON ISSUES HAVE YOU IDENTIFIED THAT OPERATORS FACE?
“I have found small operators to have more project challenges than bigger operators, as they don’t have the optimal amount of resources and time to prepare and execute properly. They mainly rely on the experienced employees’ decisions and there is no comprehensive studies, assessments or policies. Large operators have the ability to allow time for project planning and creating proper manuals and policies to be followed.
“I also find poor communication and the differences within company cultures to be a roadblock for progression. Because of the high risk nature of drilling and completion operations, it is imperative that when working with a client, Add Energy establishes a strong and direct line of communication to avoid any unnecessary complications or misunderstandings. In order to do this we must also understand the working culture of that area. It is important to understand and follow these different cultures, not only as a sign of respect to the values of that region, but so we can align our working styles to create the most optimum working processes.”
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE STARTING IN THE INDUSTRY?
“When encountering a problem, obstacle or task, delve deep into it. The more focus you apply the better the end result. However, you must not get lost inside it. You need to be able to manage the stress.
“Keep exploring new technologies and always try to expand your knowledge base with seminars, workshops etc.”
