ABIODUN AKALA- CV 2015 rev2

Abiodun Akala: email: aakala28@gmail.com, Mob: +234-708-999-6950, +234-803-237-2245
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ABIODUN AKALA
3A Hillview Drive, Eliada Layout
Rumuogba Port Harcourt Nigeria
Home Tel: +234-803-237-2245 email: aakala28@gmail.com, Mob: +234-708-999-6950,
Summary
Accomplished, versatile and results-oriented engineering professional with over 20 years of
international experience spanning Oil & Gas, Construction and Business Consulting. Biodun’s broad
international career has included overseeing business management (P&L, Growth, HR, Operations,
Marketing); projects management, drilling, completions and work-over operations, rig contracting,
business consulting, recruitment and personnel development in several countries working with
leading international oil companies like SHELL, EXXONMOBIL, TOTAL, CHEVRON, AGIP, etc.
Well versed in all aspects of drilling engineering and well delivery services (drilling fluids, cementing
operations, casing design, drill string design, formation evaluation; coring, completions and fishing).
Among other achievements, I successfully setup Oando’s drilling contracting business as pioneer
operations manager in charge of 5 rigs, with start-up operations and project management expenses
in excess of $50m. Executed $34m life-enhancement shipyard of Trident 8 (jack-up rig) as the Rig
Manager and the receipt of highest and most coveted Transocean’s “First Excellence Award” for
the performance of the rig in HSE & profitability.
Areas of expertise include
 Marketing & Sales  Drilling Engineering  Project Management
 Business Development  Consultancy Services  Operations Management
 Budgeting & Forecasting  Recruitment & Employee
Development
 Contracting & Negotiating
Projects and Achievements:
 Cameron Subsea BOP Modification and Upgrade Study on Schlumberger Semi-submersible
rig – Congo 1996
 Construction and Upgrading of Geological and Drilling Monitoring Unit for Schlumberger’s
premier SIMPLER-type Land rig - Gabon 1997
 Development and Implementation of Crane Condition Evaluation System on all Schlumberger
Sedco Forex Rigs– UK 1998
 Development and Implementation of Spare Assets Management System at all regions in
Schlumberger Sedco Forex – UK 1998
 Development and Implementation of Inventory Control System and Maintenance Management
Systems on all Schlumberger Sedco Forex Rigs– UK 1999
 Developed Rig Sharing Concept for Deepwater Rigs Contracting – Nigeria 2000
 USD$10 million Refurbishment and Upgrade of Transocean’s Searex 6 Swamp Rig at Nissco
Shipyard, Nigeria 2001
 Revamping and Restructuring of Transocean Personnel Development and Training Program –
Nigeria 2004
 Nationalization of Transocean’s Offshore Rigs including Floaters in Equatorial Guinea, Ivory
Coast and Nigeria - 2005

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 USD$34 million Refurbishment and Upgrade of Transocean’s Trident 8 Jack-up Rig at Lamperell
Shipyard, Sharjah UAE 2006
 Transocean’s Deepwater Pathfinder Rig depth capability enhancement including Riser inspection,
upgrade and retrofitting, Onne 2008
 Successful in-situ 5-yearly SPS survey and completion of remedial actions on Deepwater
Pathfinder by ABS offshore Nigeria in 2008 which saved Transocean over $23m
 USD$50 million Refurbishment, Upgrade and Contract Start-up of Oando Rigs for AGIP at
Krisoil Apapa, 2009 - 2010
 $1.2 million BOP upgrade and substructure modification on Oando’s Integrity rig for AGIP’s for
15K HPHT work, offshore Nigeria 2011
 In-situ successful completion of ABS 5-yearly SPS survey remedial actions and 5-yearly cyclical
major equipment overhaul on Oando’s Teamwork rig working for AGIP offshore Nigeria in 2011.
Saved Oando over $12m
 Consultancy for restructuring, operation and maintenance of Lonestar drilling rigs under new
management 2012 making the rigs achieve more than 95% operations efficiency thus leading to
revenue increase.
 Competency improvement GAP analysis for International Association of Drilling Contractor
(IADC), Nigeria – 2014
 Reclamation of Shell facility for construction of flow station at Obehie, Abia State - 2014
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Summary:
Senior/Executive Management (8 years)
Years Company Role
Mar 2012 till Date Maxell International Consultant
Nov 2008 - Oct 2011 Oando Energy Services Operations Manager
Jan 2008 - Oct 2008 Transocean Asset Manager
Feb 2004 – Feb 2005 Transocean Recruitment &
Development Manager
Management (6 years)
Years Company Role
Feb 2005 – Jan 2008 Transocean Rig Manager/Drlg Supt
Feb 2001 – Feb 2004 Transocean Rig Manager/Drlg Supt
MAXELL INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES LTD Mar 2012 till Date
Consultant (Drilling Supt/Rig Manager/Operations Manager/Project Manager)
Providing executive management, consultancy, operations and project management services to clients
in diverse business areas, especially in the oil and gas, energy and construction industries. Some of
the projects highlighted below:

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 Accomplished targeted operational excellence for Lonestar rigs working for Shell
 Delivered on time and budget the consultancy service for International Association of Drilling
Contractors (IADC), Nigeria Chapter to improve competency of drilling contractor’s personnel.
IADC members comprise IOC’s, oil services companies and drilling contractors
 Integrated project management for re-entry and deepening of 3 offshore wells to improve
production. This includes rig selection, drilling engineering, rig operations management and
service companies management
 Rigs inspection, evaluation and selection to achieve intended drilling project objectives for 3
marginal field operators.
 Setting up of land rig contracting business for two companies including business plans, visits to
overseas rig manufacturers, market strategies, business processes and systems and operations
management etc.
 Business strategies developed resulted in contract awards for projects in construction, dredging,
energy and oil & gas.
 Managed P &L to achieve organizational and business goals
OANDO ENERGY SERVICES Nov 2008 till Oct 2011
An arm of OANDO Plc, Nigeria’s largest energy company
Operations Manager
In charge of this business unit of Oando Plc as pioneer Operations Manager, thus responsible for over
500 staff strength to achieve safe (no LTI for 3 years), efficient and profitable operations of 5 swamp
drilling rigs which include HPHT, 15K cyber rigs with drilling depth up to 30,000 ft working for
SHELL and AGIP. In addition to the similar duties carried out as Trident 8 Rig manager for
Transocean (please see below), I also discharged the following duties
 Developed and implemented the infrastructure and management systems for the management of
the rigs which include the HSE, Maintenance, Training, Supply Chain, Marine and Operations
systems. Hence the rigs achieved 99.5% operations efficiency and no LTI (loss time injury) for 3
years
 Assisted in the formulation and setup of the financial reporting system for the business
 Recruited all the operations (rig managers, tool pushers, OIMs, etc) and technical personnel
(expats and nationals) which deliver on the company’s safety, operations and financial goals year
on year.
 Executed the reactivation and upgrades for the rigs at shipyard with no LTI and within budget,
leading to acceptance by the clients (AGIP, Conoco Phillips and SHELL)
 Developed the OJT (on the job training) programs for the training and development of drilling
crews of the rigs.
 Supervised, developed and appraised all rig managers, drilling superintendent, operations support
team and offshore installation managers (OIM)
 In charge of the overall profitability of the business, achieving consistent cost control while
improving operations efficiency and bottom line annually.
 Demonstrated strong leadership in HSE (willingness to shut down operations when conditions
warrant) and as a result all the rigs operated from start-up without a Lost Time Injury.
 Ensure that all the rigs remain in class and have valid certification and flag at all times.
 Run the business from start-up and recorded zero TRIR and consistently operated at operations
efficiency of up to 99.5% working for ENI (Agip) and Shell (SPDC)
 Involved in the drilling engineering, well planning and delivery of HPHT, work-over, exploration,
appraisal and development wells.
 Attended pre-spud and DWOP (drilling well on paper) meetings to review proposed well
programs, providing suggestions and solutions to achieving targets safely and timely.

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 Contracted and managed some service providers as per contract to deliver the wells which include
work-overs, exploration and development (well deviated, HPHT, etc)
 Ran the business profitably achieving targeted yearly EBITDA and P&L
 Ensured all Rig reporting requirements were fulfilled accurately and on a timely basis
TRANSOCEAN (formerly Schlumberger Sedco Forex) Sept 1993 till Oct 2008
World’s largest drilling contractor
Career with Transocean has been in various countries including Gabon, Congo, Angola, Nigeria, UK.
Asset Manager, Deepwater Pathfinder (5th Generation Drillship Deepwater Rig)
Jan 2008 till Oct 2008
In charge of 5th generation drillship rated for 10,000 ft water depth and responsible for over 200
personnel (expat and national) working for Chevron, Conoco Phillips, ENI (Agip) and KNOC
(Korea National Oil Company).Performed similar duties as described below for Trident 8 (Jack-up
Rig) but with specific and more focus on asset preservation, maintenance, rig projects execution,
budgeting and forecasting to achieve safe and efficient operations of the Deepwater Pathfinder.
 Successfully carried out in-situ 5-yearly SPS survey and completed all remedial actions for ABS
(American Bureau of Shipping) with no disruptions to operations thereby saving Transocean over
$23m
 Ensured rig remain in Class and Flag thus prevent revenue loss due to shut down by Classification
Society and Flag Administration.
 Executed the rig’s annual maintenance budget in excess of $10m and achieved set target timely
and within budget.
 Rig was used to carry out drilling of exploration and appraisal wells and also completions for
Chevron, Conoco Phillips, ENI (Agip) and KNOC
Rig Manager, Trident 8 (Jack-up Rig) Feb 2005 till Jan 2008
Executed integrated project management for Conoil Producing Nigeria drilling campaign at Obra
field, OML 59 in Bayelsa offshore Nigeria, involving well design, planning and execution
(exploration and appraisal wells) safely and efficiently in accordance with the client’s objectives.
Also carried out life-enhancement shipyard of the rig in Sharjah UAE that involved SPS workscope,
addition of one more engine and mud pump, accommodation upgrade, hull, jacking unit, mooring and
all drilling equipment refurbishment and upgrade
 In charge of daily safe and efficient operations of Trident 8 in line with Transocean’s Policies and
Procedures and Client’s expectations.
 Provided suggestions and solutions at client’s pre-spud and DWOP (drilling well on paper)
meetings leading to modification of drilling programs in a number of cases. This saved clients
money and improved safety records.
 Applied experience in drilling engineering, drilling technology and practices to follow up with
client, third-party service providers, tool-pushers and OIM to ensure delivery of the wells as per
program while addressing drilling and well related issues as they occurred.
 Defined and executed $34m Life-enhancement shipyard project of Trident 8 in Sharjah UAE
between Oct 2005 & Feb 2006 on time and on budget.
 Managed the manpower and resources of the rig to achieve optimum performance ensuring that
well programs are carried out in a safe, efficient and productive manner.

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 Ensured rig was in compliance with Flag State and certifying Regulatory Bodies.
 Promoted and maintained a good working relationship with Client and its third party service
companies.
 Ensured rig moves, stability and jacking operations are operated in accordance with the rig’s
Marine Operations Manual and Transocean policies and procedures.
 Achieved and surpassed company’s yearly financial, operational (operations efficiency of 99.8%,)
and safety (Zero LTI) targets thereby winning the coveted on Transocean FIRST Excellence
Award
 Demonstrated strong leadership in HSE (willingness to shut down operations when conditions
warrant) thus ensure rig had no Lost Time Injury, a qualification for the Transocean FIRST
Excellence Award
 Managed well delivery, rig operations and maintenance effectively for rig to achieve operations
efficiency of 99.8%, a qualification for Transocean FIRST Excellence Award
 Crewed, trained and developed all rig crews (expats and nationals) from roustabout to tool
pushers and OIMs thus able to achieve company’s yearly financial, operational (operations
efficiency of 99.8%,) and safety (Zero LTI) year on year.
 Being an integrated project management contract, was responsible for contracting, managing
some service providers as per contract to deliver the wells which include work-overs, exploration
and development.
 Ensured all Rig reporting requirements were fulfilled accurately and on a timely basis
 Followed up and closed-out well delivery remedial actions with client improving timing and cost
reduction on well by well basis.
 Performed safely a number SIMOPS operations (simultaneous drilling and production operations)
on Conoil wells saving client a lot of money
 Coordinated Field Support team on projects, maintenance issues and well delivery etc., to prevent
or limit rig’s downtime and improve well delivery performance.
Recruitment and Personnel Development Manager Feb 2004 - Feb 2005
In charge of recruitment, development and training of all company personnel including rig crews
(expats and nationals) assigned to GGA Division (Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast) using
various Human Resources tools (Appraisal, Ranking Tool, Succession Planning, Training Matrix, etc)
 Revamped the recruitment and development programs and achieved replacement of expats with
nationals of Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast on all types of rigs operated by
Transocean (land, swamp barge, jack-up, semi-submersibles and drillships.
 Achieved cost savings of more than $2m per year while delivering on Nationalization objective of
the Company on all rigs operating within GGA Division (Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast,
Nigeria)
 Defined and implemented structured strategy for continuous successful recruitment of “mid
career” professional Nationals from within and outside the oil and gas industry.
 Organized competency assurance program for key supervisory and management personnel on rig
including but not limited to tool pushers, offshore installation managers, captains, maintenance
supervisors, chief mechanic, subsea supervisors, etc., making GGA achieve Transocean FIRST
Excellence Award among all the divisions in EUA (Europe and Africa) Business.
 Restructured and upgraded the Company’s Nigerian Training Center to be more profitable and to
deliver more in-house courses which included but not limited Well Control, HSE Induction, Fire
Fighting, Drilling Technology, and Drilling Practices, etc., for Transocean personnel, and third
party personnel (drilling contractors and operators)
 Identified quality oil and gas training centers within and outside GGA division to train and
develop all personnel in GGA

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 Recruited, mentored and managed trainees who were developed into rig supervisors and managers
through the company’s Accelerated Rig Training (ART) and Rig Engineering Program (REP).
Rig Manager, Searex 6 (Swamp Barge) Apr 2001 - Feb 2004
Managed the rig to work in the swamp fields of Niger Delta for AGIP and Chevron, performing
similar role as Rig Manager of Trident 8. Drilling campaign activities included work-over,
completions, and drilling of appraisal and development wells. Additional duties included
 Executed $10m shipyard (upgrades and life enhancement) of Searex 6 swamp drilling barge for
Chevron Contract which involved upgrade to the living quarters, mud equipment system and
drilling instrumentation among others
 Achieved targeted profitability following reactivation (from cold stacking status) and
mobilization of the rig for Agip’s Contract which was executed ahead of curve.
 Oversee Company's idle and stacked rigs and developed marketing strategy leading to contracts
for Searex 4 swamp (TOTAL Indonesia) and Searex 6 (CHEVRON Nigeria).
 Performed a number of SIMOPS operations (simultaneous drilling and production operations) on
Chevron wells safely, saving Chevron over $5m.
Sales & Marketing Executive Apr 1999 - Apr 2001
Assigned the responsibility of securing contracts in Nigeria for Company fleet worldwide following
client’s bidding requirements and government regulations.
 Business development and marketing strategy for securing contracts in Nigeria for all Company
worldwide rig fleet covering all stages from pre-qualification, through negotiation to award.
 Prepared bid documents (technical, legal and commercial) for various contract opportunities
working with Rig managers, Country Managers and other internal staff to meet customer needs.
 Developed rig enhancement projects to meet contractual obligations for new contracts.
 Developed long-term organizational strategic goals for identifying and marketing world-wide
pool of Company’s rigs
 Created and implemented business development plans and strategies to boost revenue from
existing rig contracts. Company made in excess of $3m through this effort.
 Identified, negotiated and closed-out business opportunities for the operating rigs by developing
proposals that meet the client's needs, concerns and objectives.
 Developed and maintained key contacts within NAPIMS (Nigerian Government arm in charge of
upstream oil & gas investments) and prospective clients for deepwater rigs, thus able to secure
contracts for deep-water rigs worth over of $200m
 Attended industry functions such as association events and conferences, and provide feedback and
information on market and creative trends
 Maintained extensive knowledge and database of current market conditions.
 Using knowledge of the market and competitors, identified and developed the Company's unique
selling propositions and differentiators.
 Submitted weekly progress report with rig utilization forecast to District and Region HQ
 Facilitated the formation of alliances or joint ventures that help overall sales objectives in view of
proposed local content development by government
 Maintained and enhance relationship with all the key Client contacts (Chevron, ExxonMobil,
Addax, Agip, Shell, Total, Conoil, etc) to ensure maintenance and growth of revenue streams
 Represented Company at Business and Performance Review meetings with clients. Achieved
contract extension of Searex 12 instead of termination as a result.
 Managed the selection, contractual control, QHSE management and on-going relationship with all
Subcontractors/suppliers providing equipment or services to working rigs as per contract

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 Liaise with the appropriate rig management team on key operational issues to allow close out of
issues in a timely manner.
Project & Operations Support Engineer, Europe & Africa (EUA) Region Jan 1997- Apr 1999
Responsible for technical and operational support for Europe and Africa rigs in the area of
maintenance, rig equipment/parts sourcing and selection, rig projects, etc.
 Supervised and coordinated preparation and execution of solutions proposed to rigs to resolve
technical issues, improve well delivery performance, etc.
 Coordinated technical and financial information inputs for the contract awards of rig construction,
equipment improvement, shipyard & rig life enhancement projects
 Supervised and coordinated overall planning, control and appraisal (technical and financial) of
inputs into management database for evaluation of requests for engineering support (Request for
Engineering Action –REA) by the rigs.
 Monitored and tracked maintenance and downtime performance of all key equipment of rigs
operating in Europe and Africa division thus eliminating or limiting downtime.
 Performed technical evaluation and selection of drilling rigs for Schlumberger IPM’s bids for new
projects or tenders.
 Some other projects handled included:
-Conversion of Company Inventory Control System and Maintenance Management systems from
DOS operating software to Year 2000 compliant, Access based software.
- Spare Assets Management” system for the rigs in Europe and Africa Region for better
protection, strategic location and utilization company assets resulting in significant savings.
- Developed and implemented Annual Crane Condition program for the Company worldwide rig
fleet which effectively replaced the costlier and ineffective ABS Cargo Gear Inspection program.
Drilling Engineer Oct 1995 - Jan 1997
Worked on turnkey (integrated project management) project for Shell Gabon in the Rabi Field with
Sedco Forex’s SIMPLER 101 (Cyber rig) and Rig 60 land rigs equipped with Varco top drive and
capable of drilling to 20,000 ft. This involved total delivery of a well right from rig move, well design
and planning, logistics management, drilling operations to well delivery on agreed time target.
 Worked with client and turnkey project team members on well design, planning and execution to
meet agreed time target. Delivered more than 35 wells in this field.
 Developed well programs after reviewing all existing documentation related to appraisal, work-
over and development wells.
 Initiated and closed-out well delivery remedial actions to improve timing and cost on well by well
basis thereby surpassing depth-time curves after 3rd well with SIMPLER 101 rig, a brand new
cyber-rig..
 Assisted in the development of a SAFETY CASE for the SIMPLER 101 rig operation
 Recommended and executed projects to enhance rig capabilities and well delivery to meet client’s
requirements, one of such was the construction and upgrading of geological and drilling
monitoring equipment & systems unit.
 Drive rig safety, operations and well delivery performance
 Generate daily well and tour reports and approving field tickets.
 Ensure compliance with all applicable Company’s and Shell’s Health, Safety and Environmental
policies, standards and procedures at the well-site.
 Assisted Rig Manager in daily safe and efficient operation of rigs in line with Company policies
and procedures.

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 Coordinated Field Support team on projects, maintenance issues and well delivery etc., to prevent
or limit rig’s downtime and improve well delivery performance.
 Supported Rig management on technical issues required for new bids and opportunities
Drilling Engineer Trainee Sept 1993 - Oct 1995
 Followed Schlumberger Drilling Engineer Trainee Program working on various types of rigs
(Land rig, swamp, jack-up and semi-submersibles) in Nigeria, Congo, Equatorial Guinea &
Angola.
 Attended various courses within and outside Nigeria including but not limited to drilling
engineering, well construction, rig operations management, drilling technology and practices, rig
selection and sizing, well design and planning, drilling operations management, mud engineering,
casing design, cementing, mud logging, surveying & directional drilling, formation evaluation
and logging (wireline, MWD, coring, etc.), completions, work-over & well servicing, subsea
systems, etc.
 Gained onshore and offshore rig operational experience on various aspects of drilling,
completions, work-over and well services, with rigs working for TOTAL in Nigeria and Gabon,
EXXONMOBIL in Equatorial Guinea, AGIP in Congo, SHELL in Nigeria on exploration,
appraisal and development wells.
 Assisted Rig Manager with day-to-day safe operations of the rig, ensuring rig equipment
downtime is limited by following up and closing out maintenance and technical issues.
 Attended pre-spud and DWOP (drilling well on paper) meeting to review proposed well
programs, providing suggestions and solutions to achieving targets safely and timely.
 Worked with clients’ drilling engineers and supervisors on well construction and solving drilling
and well delivery problems.
TRAINING COURSES & SEMINARS
Project Management Professional, (PMI-PMP), Nigeria
Combined Subsea/Surface IWCF (Supv level), Nigeria
IADC Well Control Conference, San Antonio, USA
Management Seminar - Turning Strategy into Action, Lagos Business School
Competency Based Interview for Managers Training, Nigeria
BOSIET (Basic Offshore Safety Induction & Emergency Training) Nigeria
Moduspec Rig Inspection Workshop, Netherlands
Oracle ERP Training and Implementation for Oando Rigs
Competency Based Interview for Managers Training
3rd Annual Drilling Interactive Technology Workshop, Egypt
BOP Downtime Prevention School, Aberdeen UK
Karrass Effective Negotiating Course, Aberdeen UK
Peoplesoft ERP Project and Budgeting Course, Nigeria
Empac ERP Maintenance & Procurement Course, Aberdeen UK
Management of Major Emergency Course, Aberdeen UK
Well Construction Course, Pau France

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Combined Subsea/Surface IWCF (Supv level), Pau France
Schlumberger Sales Training & Seminar, Houston
Advanced Firefighting and First Aid Course, Montrose Aberdeen
Offshore Survival Course, RGIT Aberdeen
MAPS Safety Offshore Course, Aberdeen
Management I Seminar, Paris France
IT Seminar, Paris France
MD Totco Drilling Monitoring Systems Course, Houston
Drilling Technology II Course, Pau France
Geoservices Drilling Monitoring Systems & Mud Logging Courses, France
Jack-Up Seminar, Aberdeen UK
Drilling Rig Stability II & Ballast operations, Pau France
Subsea Equipment Seminar, Pau France
Surface EWCF (Driller level) Well Control, Nigeria
Drilling Rig Stability I, Nigeria
Drilling Technology I Course, Nigeria
EDUCATION
-Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, 1991 (First Class Honours)
Best Graduating Mechanical Engineering Student.
-Got full scholarship for university education as best graduating college student
-Advanced Computer literacy with knowledge of MS office suite and Project management software
including Word, Excel, MS Project, Access, Oracle, Peoplesoft, EMPAC
PROFESSIONAL AFFLIATIONS
Member, Society of Petroleum Engineer
Member, PMI-PMP (Project Management Professional)
PERSONAL DETAILS
Date of Birth Nationality Marital Status
28 December, 1969 Nigerian Married

ABIODUN AKALA- CV 2015 rev2

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