Some perspective on energy would be a good thing right about now. With the industry moving into a time of transition and uncertainty, maintaining a proper perspective feels like an essential practice.
Artificial intelligence stands out among the current hot topics. What’s the most realistic perspective on AI implementation? How much should AI be used in geological interpretation? Nothing necessarily says AI will start eliminating geoscience jobs in energy. But nothing necessarily says it won’t.
Lower oil prices already indicate another round of industry cutbacks. Last year, Shell announced plans to reduce its workforce by 20 percent and cut costs by up to $3 billion. This year Chevron and BP reported additional cuts, with Chevron also planning to lay off up to 20 percent of its global workforce by the end of 2026.
And the biggest potential transition in energy today comes from the energy transition itself. “Potential,” because that transition to a broader energy mix has just started, moving more slowly than many people expected. But the trend toward greater use of alternative energy sources is obvious.
The Offshore Technology Conference offers multiple perspectives on energy in its Executive Dialogue presentations – one-hour sessions with industry executives and other thought leaders. OTC 2025 has scheduled six of the discussions on May 5-6.
Regulatory Patchwork
Allyson Anderson Book begins the series in a May 5 morning session. Anderson Book is chief sustainability officer for Baker Hughes and a former executive director of the American Geosciences Institute. She also served as associate director of strategic engagement at the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.
“The question I get asked a lot is, what happens in a world where one country goes one direction and another country goes a different direction? What happens to a company when that happens?” she said.
Large energy companies operate in multiple countries and venues, making compliance with different laws and regulations a challenge. Dealing with the real world becomes especially difficult when policies shift.
“How do you make a decision when there’s a change in policy? We owe it to our communities to deliver what we say we’re going to deliver,” Anderson Book noted.
People develop and maintain perspective in different ways. Some study every detail of an issue. Others seek out as many different viewpoints as possible. Anderson Book draws on data for support. Her reality check: “Use more data.”
“When we’re thinking about making big decisions on things that can make a difference in the world, something has happened in the past decade where we depend more and more on digital,” she observed.
“If you augment human advice and experience with data, you get a nice balance,” she said.
Diversity of Perspectives
Other speakers in the OTC Executive Dialogue sessions are:
- Megan Carr, associate director for strategic resources for the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
- Rob Cordray, managing director, Americas, for Rystad Energy
- Girish Saligram, CEO of Weatherford
- Paul Sims, vice president of marketing and strategy at Schlumberger
- Cindy Taff, CEO of Sage Geosystems
Experts for the executive discussions are drawn from a variety of operating areas and backgrounds, to provide broad insight into the energy business. As an added benefit, they offer multiple perspectives on the energy industry today.
Anderson Book, Saligram and Cordray speak in sessions at OTC on Monday, May 5. Taff, Carr and Sims present Executive Dialogue discussions on Tuesday, May 6.
“You get to hear some good insights from people who have had different career paths. Executive Dialogue is a little different from looking at technology on the (OTC) exhibit floor,” Anderson Book said.
Taff previously was vice president of Shell’s global unconventional wells operations. With more than 35 years’ experience in the energy industry, today she heads a growing energy storage and geothermal production company in Houston.
Saligram came to Weatherford after serving as chief operating officer for midstream company Exterran Corp. and, prior to that, multiple positions at General Electric. His experience includes a dozen years with GE Healthcare. Saligram holds both an MBA and a master’s degree in computer science.
Cordray, a long-time AAPG member, leads Rystad’s American operations. His background includes geophysics, finance, market strategy, process optimization and exploration, in energy sectors ranging from hydrocarbon development to heavy oil to CCUS. He’s also an avid cyclist.
Carr, a certified professional geologist, has a doctorate in geophysics from the University of Tennessee. Her career includes almost four years as a subsurface data specialist for BP and seismic-related work at other companies. At BOEM she oversees development and implementation of the National Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas leasing program, among other duties.
OTC introduced the dialogue initiative in 2021, billing it as “thoughtful discussion” about the innovations, policies and corporate positioning “needed to drive the future of offshore energy and the energy transition forward.” It also functions as a window into multiple viewpoints on the current state on the energy industry.
With attendees and exhibitors coming from more than 100 countries, OTC meetings are an excellent gathering point for differing perspectives on energy questions. Will geopolitical tensions and energy markets remain volatile? Will international companies continue to support high-risk exploration?
Today’s Hottest Topic
Will AI turn the industry upside-down?
There might be as many viewpoints as conference goers. From Anderson Book’s perspective, the benefits of artificial intelligence are clear. The question is, how to use more AI effectively?
“In using artificial intelligence to augment the way work takes place over 24 hours, how do we do more over that 24-hour period? How do we use AI?” she said.
For cases where it wouldn’t make sense to have an employee or add a person for a single type of task, AI applications provide an alternative. She refers to a dedicated AI app as a “robot.”
“Does the cost of a robot and a value-added equal the cost of one person?” she said.
As an example, she cited “a concept in sustainability called materiality. Can what you are doing cause a material impact on the environment?” At one time, the company’s approach to determining materiality involved interviews with many people and a subsequent decision process. Then AI was introduced.
“We went from having a really intensive interview process to producing an on-the-fly materiality assessment in two minutes,” Anderson Book said.
Using AI, “it’s better, a lot faster, and it allows you to focus on the areas that really matter,” she said.
Staying True through Turbulence
The future of AI in energy is just one of many issues facing the industry now. Others include the short-term outlook for energy prices and employment, and the longer-term outlook for the energy transition.
“Currently, (energy) companies are going through a cycle, if you want to call it that,” Anderson Book said.
She was still developing her Executive Dialogue presentation, but said if she could talk about any subject, “I would talk about the importance of staying true to the company through turbulent times.”
If you believe in your strategy and can communicate it, she noted, “you can make it through lean times and hold your course.”