The Society of Petroleum Engineers’ 2019 president called on the oil and gas industry at large to mobilize its considerable technical resources to help meet the twin challenges of growing future energy demand and global climate change more aggressively.
“Our industry has unmatched corporate social development programs which boost local economies and create local jobs,” Sami Alnuaim, who has worked for Saudi Aramco for more than 30 years, said on Apr. 24 during a presentation at the US Energy Association.
“Yet the general public has a poor perception of oil and gas. One result is that petroleum engineering enrollment is dropping dramatically at major universities. That’s why we at SPE are trying to show the reality of the business and correct these misperceptions,” Alnuaim said.
He said it will be essential for oil and gas leaders and experts to help lead the energy transition which is under way by promoting cleaner and more efficient oil and gas resource development. “Sustainability” was the word he used most frequently.
Citing forecasts that 50% of the world’s population growth in the next 20 years will be in Africa, Alnuaim said that’s one reason he’s encouraged to see so many upstream companies discovering and producing oil and gas across that continent.
Recognize opportunities
“I think oil and gas are part of the global climate change solution,” Alnuaim said. “Despite oil production increasing 33% since 1996, gas flaring has decreased by 15%. This decline could be bigger if more people recognized the commercial opportunities here.”
Using more gas than coal to generate electricity led to a 28% decrease in power plant emissions, Alnuaim noted. “Renewable resources accounted for 24% of global power generation in 2016,” he said. The growing share of crude used for chemicals also is significant, he added.
Carbon capture and sequestration also is growing, as shown by 43 projects worldwide led to more than 50 million tons/year of carbon dioxide injection in 2017, Alnuaim said. “There’s also a multitude of technologies to reduce carbon emissions further,” he said.
Energy efficiency is another game-changer that potentially could change the entire energy paradigm, Alnuaim said. “You go to Stanford or MIT now and see graduate students forming startups so they can start making a difference immediately,” he said. “The industry’s major companies have the capital to make these startups grow.”
Alnuaim considers SPE ideal to start the process with members in 154 countries—65% of whom are under 35—and 368 active student chapters. “We want to see more petroleum engineers graduate with skills not just in the technical aspects of oil and gas, but also in sustainable environmental and social development skills,” Alnuaim said. “We’re ready to accept the responsibility as well as claim the credit. We’ll open our hands to all and be transparent.”
