1. As the business began to grow,
so did the district’s team.
Completions work generally requires
only one person to run any of the jobs,
but it is important to have the right
people in place—individuals who can
learn the equipment, gain expertise
for the work, and most importantly,
meet Schlumberger’s unwavering
commitment to service quality.
“It’s technically challenging work,”
Ankur notes, “so there’re always things
that can go wrong. And we can’t just
hire people off the street and send them
to a job location—typically, employees
undergo six months of training before
they’re ready to break out.”
Of course, oilfield veterans like
Pete Sparks were already in place,
with plenty of field experience to share.
That’s a big plus for today’s greener
employees, like Dave Lopez and Stuart
Mooney, field engineers who started
slightly over a year ago. Stuart explains
that in one short year he’s already
gained a foothold on the breadth of
completions work.
“We do a bit of everything,” he says.
“We help out with QHSE issues, and
make sure the tools at the shop are
ready for the next job. And when we’re
short on staff, we actually run a few
jobs: Depending on the type of job, we
may take some of the equipment to the
site and run or install it in the well.”
“Our main goal as field engineers is
to get a feel for everything,” Dave Lopez
adds, “so that if anyone is having a
problem, we can walk them through it.”
Along the way, the team also
welcomed six-year oilfield veteran
DeMarcus Strange, whose last job was in
the wireline division of a Schlumberger
competitor. He says he could see
potential at Schlumberger.
“I could see better opportunities
to grow,” DeMarcus recalls, “and to
experience the completions side of the
oil field. There was a better career path:
If you’re not moving your career forward,
you’re getting left behind. At Schlumberger
I started off running tools and now I’m a
product line manager.”
Of course, growth requires selling.
And it’s not only Josh who handles
sales. Two field sales representatives
are also helping drive the district’s
fortunes forward. Selling is something
Josh encourages every employee to
be a part of.
Dave Lopez says he takes that
“salesman” role seriously when he’s
around client representatives, even
though they may not be the final decision
makers. “I always thank them for the
work and be as polite as I can,” he says.
“And I always tell them, ‘I’ll see you on
the next hole.’ Because I want them to
think ‘this guy did a good job, and I
could get him back out here.’”
While talented people and
dedication to service quality are
a huge part of success, the Schlumberger
drive for technical innovation is also
playing a part.
Zoubir Belaribi, an operations
support specialist, transferred to OKC
from Algeria partially because he
wanted to be closer to the development
of the tools he works with.
“I always wanted to work in
the US,” he explains, “because all the
manufacturing plants are here and the
North America Life I Fall 2012 I Page 16
Ankur Desai (left) talks with Equipment
Specialist Kasey Clark in the Completions shop.
LIFENOTEBOOK
DeMarcus Strange in the Completions shop.
continued from page 15
“Our main goal as field
engineers is to get a feel for
everything, so that if anyone is
having a problem, we can walk
them through it.”
—Dave Lopez, field engineer
technical support we get [in Algeria] comes from here.” Zoubir notes
that he’s excited to see technical advances through the newly
launched Falcon* system, which is designed for multistage fracture
stimulation in uncemented completions.
“New technologies like the Falcon system and the DiamondBack*
composite frac plug are going to become huge revenue drivers
for us,” says Ankur, noting that development of such innovative
technologies has really accelerated since the merger.
“Our portfolio of products allows us to compete with the big
boys,” he adds. “We’re not just trying to sell one thing in one size,
and we’re not just trying to find niche markets where we can excel—
we can play in the overall market.”
Ultimately, the OKC Completions district is growing because the
people there have the strong attitude that they can win. “This is a
group effort,” says Shannon Remo. “Everybody has a separate role
but we all have a commitment to growing our market.”
Stuart Mooney makes it clear you’ll be hearing more from this
segment that’s small in numbers, big in impact: “The growth potential
is huge. That’s exciting and definitely a motivator. It’s cool being
involved with helping grow the segment.”
Josh Howser sums up where the district—and the segment—
is headed: “As long as we continue to have manufacturing and
management support in operations, and continue to have great
operators, I think the sky’s the limit.”
That’s the clear sound of someone on a winning team. ■
REACHING FOR NO. 1:
View from the top
2012 marks my 19th year with Schlumberger, and after
three segments and multiple postings across the world
I can safely say Completions North America has been the
most dynamic and challenging assignment yet.
Since the merger of Smith and Schlumberger, we have
grown the NAL business by more than 25%, year over year.
In 2012, this has been achieved by entering new markets
for Completions, especially multistage stimulation, and
continuing to grow in our other core business, specifically
liner hangers. In NAL we have the full range of Completions
products—everything from fiber-optic reservoir monitoring
and control to sand screens, packers, and the latest additions
from the multistage stimulation product line—the Falcon
system, DiamondBack plugs, and KickStart* disc valves.
Today’s Completions is better for having the
combined experience and knowledge of people from
two legacy groups. We’ve also gained by working as one
unit on both sides of the US-Canada border, leading to
a diversified revenue stream in both countries. With
expansion comes many growing pains, from engineering
to manufacturing to operational capability, but the NAL
team is fixated on our goal to be No. 1 in the market and
will continue to surpass expectations to make that happen.
This includes building relationships with other Production
Group segments to bundle technology and leverage
cross-segment relationships.
While every position in my career has proved to be
challenging, there is no doubt Completions North America
provides a unique challenge. The satisfaction of beating the
odds—taking a relatively small-revenue business into a
leading position—provides all the motivation required to
overcome the challenges on our journey.
It requires focus and intent to succeed in a complex
task, but as I like to say: If you can’t ride two horses, you
shouldn’t be in the circus.
—Nick Boyle,
NAL Completions
regional manager
(recently assumed new role)
North America Life I Fall 2012 I Page 17
Completions Field Engineers Dave Lopez (left) and Stuart Mooney