PHILIP BRIANDET Philip Briandet President Asia Pacific Region, Petroleum Geo-Services

Bringing Indonesia’s new production online - fast
In the race to beat declining oil production with new finds, oil services companies in Indonesia will play a pivotal role. They possess the technology to speed up the transiton from discovery to production

Petroleum Geo-Services
High-tech leaders

Norway-based geophysical company PGS has been providing a wide range of seismic and reservoir services in the Asia Pacific since 1994. Philip Briandet, president for the Asia Pacific region, says that PGS was keen to catch on to the progress of the region, both in terms of economic growth and the dynamic changes within the energy sector.

“Both have been phenomenal. Asia Pacific has the highest volume of exploration worldwide. This is mostly because India is at the forefront, but in Indonesia exploration is really picking up as well. It’s very good to see it and it’s happening because Indonesia is working to reverse declining oil production. We believe, as do a number of the companies in the industry, that the potential for discovering big fields, or elephants as they are called, is present in Indonesia,” comments Mr Briandet.

PGS has avoided the trap of being just a service provider to become a solutions provider, he adds, explaining that as both a contractor and a service company, PGS has had the opportunity to really take advantage of business growth. As a contractor, PGS provides experience, training and knowledge for large companies while governments utilise its services for the creation and development of energy in their country - a “ win-win relationship.”

Always at the forefront of technological development in the geophysical services industry, PGS is well placed to take advantage of new enhanced recovery techniques. “We are a leader in technological innovation, products and services because we need to be. Our investment in research and development is considerable, and we have high quality products to assist countries or international operators to find oil and gas,” observes Mr Briandet, adding that “advanced technology is going to significantly change exploration in the next few years.” PGS is now developing services for superior imaging, for extending acquisition windows and for constantly monitoring producing fields.

Mr Briandet concludes, “The prospect of contributing to the development of a country and its natural resources is very attractive, and if you can do it in a way that is sustainable, that’s even better. At PGS, we do that. Governments have to decide whether to choose companies that provide that sort of comprehensive service or those that are willing to take short cuts at the expense of the environment and the people. Governments need to reward responsible companies, and in Indonesia I think this is now being done.”