The development of the oil industry does not stand still. In order to adapt to new challenges, it is necessary to utilize global experience and advanced technologies that ensure not only the efficiency of field development but also the safety of employees. Our expert, Ruslan Mardanov, shared his extensive experience in these areas.
For over 25 years, Ruslan has been involved in Oil and Gas Field Exploration and Development. He has a wealth of experience in the oil and gas provinces of Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, and Uzbekistan, offshore fields in the Gulf of Guinea (West Africa), North Caspian (Kazakhstan), and the Gulf of Mexico. Moreover, Ruslan's skills have been appreciated by major international companies: he has worked as an engineer and manager for TNK-BP, LUKOIL, HESS, Eni, Chevron, Statoil, and Aker Energy.
Ruslan, you have been working in oil and gas production for 25 years. How did you come to work in the industry?
Personally, I have been connected with it, without exaggeration, all my life. I was born into an oilman's family—my father, a geologist, was engaged in prospecting, exploration, and development of fields in Tatarstan and Western Siberia. He often took me to work, and I watched how engineers work in the office and in the field. There, I learned all the processes of field development: how wells are drilled, repaired, and maintained and how pipelines and infrastructure are built.
That is precisely why choosing a profession in the oil industry was only natural for me. When the time came to decide on a university to enter, I did not hesitate to apply to the Industrial University of Tyumen, majoring in the development of oil and gas fields. There, I studied fundamental sciences, such as geology, reservoir physics, and chemistry, specialized in analysis and design of field development, calculated project economics, and production operations. All of the above laid a good foundation for starting my career.
How did you start your oil industry journey? What projects have you worked on?
Since my first year in university, every summer vacation, I used to work in the field, mostly as an oil production and well research operator. It was by no means a waste of my vacation, as I liked the work very much.
However, what I consider to be the real start of my career is my work at the Tyumen branch of SurgutNIPIneft, the Project and Research Institute, where I got a job in my third year of studies. First, I completed an internship, and then I became a full-fledged employee. My mentors were both true professionals and wonderful people: Vladimir Sonich, Rifkhat Bulatov, Alexander Malyshev, Alexey Cheremisin, and Yury Baturin.
Working at the Research Institute reinforced my theoretical knowledge with practice. For instance, I participated in the integrated engineering design of the oil fields of Surgutneftegaz. There, we studied the geological features of the fields, estimated oil reserves, selected locations for drilling wells, and developed new technologies.
Nevertheless, I wanted to work in the oilfield like my father. Four years later, I joined TNK-BP, where I worked as a Production Engineer at the Kalchensky field, the southernmost field in the Tyumen Region. There, I was responsible for well research and construction, workover and scheduled maintenance, selecting equipment, supervising the drilling process and production.
Surely, working in a small oilfield gave me invaluable experience, which formed the foundation of my career. The whole technological process opened up in front of me in full view: well construction, working with downhole and surface equipment, collecting, preparing, and selling oil and gas. In such an environment, you can clearly realize the importance of your role and responsibility for your work.
Your expertise is not limited to local projects. You have worked in Asia, Africa, Mexico, and the Middle East. How did you get a job abroad?
Having gained rich production experience at TNK-BP, I returned to the Research Institute and worked for several years at the Tyumen branch of LUKOIL Engineering. There, I was involved in preparing geological and technical programs and analyzing the current status of the development of Western Siberian fields.
In 2008, LUKOIL Overseas invited me to lead the field development departments of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Egypt, and Azerbaijan. In addition to producing assets, we accompanied exploration work in Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Iran, and Iraq. We evaluated many new business development projects around the world—even exotic ones such as open-pit tar sands mining in Canada and Madagascar.
My experience of working and living abroad began in 2010 when LUKOIL acquired a project in Iraq and sent me to Dubai to work for the Middle East and Africa Regional Directorate. There, I gained invaluable experience that broadened my professional horizons and allowed me to make a significant contribution to solving complex problems. I built LUKOIL's relationships with international companies and government agencies, participated in tenders, and continued to improve my knowledge of natural resource development and production.
What was the most memorable project you worked on?
I would like to point out the deepwater projects of the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa. LUKOIL acquired several projects in that region in 2011, and their implementation required unique knowledge of ultra-deepwater field development, which no one in the company had at the time.
I became part of a young and ambitious team that, in order to gain the necessary skills, went on an internship to Houston, the center of competence for offshore field development, where project teams of such oil and gas giants as Chevron, Exxon, BP, and Occidental worked.
In collaboration with HESS's leading experts in deepwater production, we developed project documentation for a deepwater offshore field in the Republic of Ghana—there was only one such project in the world before us.
Obviously, any project requires high-quality and detailed baseline data. So, the more data you have, the less likely you are to make mistakes, which in deepwater development can be extremely costly. Therefore, we have developed a methodology for modeling surveys that optimizes drilling rig operating time and reduces costs. For example, our assessment resulted in a decision not to drill a well, which saved the company more than $600 million.
This experience was invaluable to me. I not only gained deep knowledge in offshore field development but also mastered new technologies that optimize costs and speed up the development process.
In your opinion, how does the work organization in Russia and abroad differ?
First of all, the mentality is, surely, different: foreign managers at all levels are always available and completely open. Then, I would also like to point out that foreign companies have extremely transparent work processes and flexible work schedules. At the same time, they set very high requirements for results, procedures, and safety.
Abroad, working in multidisciplinary teams, where every decision is made in close cooperation with representatives of related disciplines, is very common. This way, the whole team is responsible for the final product.
Thanks to this approach, specialists from different areas work together, sharing knowledge and experience. The results are impressive: decisions are made in a more balanced and informed manner, and the quality and efficiency of work are improved.
Now you work in a Research Institute. What tasks and problems of the oil and gas industry does it help to solve?
The foundation of my successful career lies in alternating practical and analytical experience. Having field experience and working in a research institute, I constantly change my views, reaching new levels of understanding of project implementation processes.
The primary assets of oil and gas companies are the reserves beneath the earth's surface. Our task is to find optimal methods for extracting oil and gas that are safe for both people and the environment, with maximum economic benefit.
In the early stages of development, the information about a field is limited, and decisions are made considering uncertainties and assumptions. As new data becomes available, we optimize resource extraction and review previously made decisions. This process is continuous and spans the entire lifecycle of the field.
Currently, I actively participate in conferences and workshops, both corporate and international. For example, I moderated a series of multidisciplinary workshops for offshore field development in Kazakhstan. These workshops synthesized unique experiences from implementing projects in the Caspian Sea, where we proposed solutions that transformed a project considered unprofitable for over ten years into an economically viable one.
I believe that participation in such events is an excellent opportunity to broaden your horizons, network with industry experts, and continue professional development.
What challenges and prospects, in your opinion, is the oil industry facing?
The oil and gas sector is undergoing a transformation due to the urgent need to transition to more sustainable and environmentally friendly extraction methods. Key trends will include digitalization, automation, and the integration of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.
The industry's development prospects are closely linked to global trends and energy resource demand. Alternative energy sources are actively developing. The industry must successfully adapt to these new conditions—to meet market demands and preserve the environment; there is a need to consider implementing innovative technologies and sustainable development practices. Traditional and alternative energy sources can complement each other very effectively; the future lies in their synergy.
In the Russian oil and gas sector, there is a need to work on technological independence. For example, in Upstream (exploration and production), issues such as software, high-tech services, equipment, and access to international databases are critical. In Midstream/Downstream, there are challenges with shortages of components and spare parts. These issues are actively discussed at industry congresses and symposiums.
Sanctions have significantly affected the Russian oil and gas industry, jeopardizing the implementation of key projects—especially in the Arctic and on the shelf. Restrictions on access to advanced technologies and equipment are slowing down geological exploration and reducing the quality of oil and gas reserves.
The lack of domestic equipment and technologies in oil refining poses risks to the safety and the stable operation of plants. It is becoming clear that enterprises urgently need modernization and increased safety standards.
It is evident that the government needs to participate in solving these issues at the legislative level, for example, by easing tax burdens or providing financial subsidies to the industry.
Sanction-related difficulties, on one hand, hinder the implementation of many projects, but on the other hand, they provide opportunities for Russian developers and stimulate the development of domestic technologies.
