You are on page 1of 68

CONOCOPHILLIPS

First Quarter 2014

Bringing
safety to
life

Wells & Marine:


On the front lines
2014 SPIRIT of
Performance
Awards
Let’s talk safety:
8 rules to live by!

Ron Sfara
Manager, Jackowo 2D
Seismic Project
Northern Poland
“While managing the Jackowo 2D
seismic project, I felt it was important
to introduce the 8 Life Saving Rules to
our local contractor personnel. It is
crucial to establish a proper culture
early and emphatically. With diligent
coaching, mentoring and monitoring,
it is possible to achieve Target Zero
anywhere in the world.”

The ConocoPhillips 8 Life Saving Rules are making


their way around the globe and into the language
of the local workforce. Through orientations with
new workers, posters prominently displayed in
meeting areas and as a special topic at weekly
safety meetings, the workforce in Poland is enthusi-
astically adopting the 8 ConocoPhillips “Zasady
bezpieczenstwa.” Now we’re talking!
Sharing Insights
Q&A with Mike Ferrow
This issue of spirit Magazine features the 8 Life Saving Rules and the many ways that
Conoco­Phillips business units are bringing them to life around the world. Vice President of Health,
Safety & Environment Mike Ferrow shares his thoughts on the importance of embedding the
Life Saving Rules in the ConocoPhillips safety culture.
Q. At Conoco­Phillips, Safety is our first SPIRIT
Value. How do we ensure that everyone understands our
values and expectations?
A. I think communication and engagement are
critical elements. People have to talk about safety
– both generally and specifically – every day and at
every level. We need to talk to each other about the
risks inherent in our work. If we all did that every
day, I believe everyone would go home safe.
Q. How will the Life Saving Rules help us improve
our HSE performance?
A. Our research shows that the Life Saving Rules
address the root causes of serious incidents in our business. By bringing specific attention
and focus to these areas, we can all become more aware of simple ways to manage critical
risks on a day-to-day basis. It’s very important that businesses incorporate the minimum
requirements for each rule into their own management systems so that the Life Saving Rules
become embedded in our culture and sustainable in the business. The good news is that
we’re already seeing that happen.
Q. Speaking of good news, have you seen other benefits related to the Life Saving Rules?
A. When studying our incidents last year, it was interesting to see that many process
safety and environmental incidents could have been prevented if we had followed the new
Life Saving Rules, which were introduced to employees and contractors in September 2013.
We can get a lot of value out of these eight simple rules. Our challenge now is to make
sure that we work and live by the Life Saving Rules every day, everywhere Conoco­Phillips
does business. The real benefit will be when we see an improvement in our overall HSE
performance.
Q. What else are we doing to make sure we work safely each and every day?
A. In connection with the Life Saving Rules, we’ve been promoting the concept of
workplace verification. In a nutshell, this means checking work activity carefully to ensure
that we are working according to our procedures. The goal is to catch errors or unsafe
behaviors before they become incidents. This approach has been successful in the aviation
industry, and we see value in applying it across our operations. We’ve found that the Life
Saving Rules would have applied to a majority of our serious incidents in 2013. By verifying
that we are working safely everywhere and every time, we can absolutely prevent those
incidents in the future.

spirit Magazine 1
spirit Magazine
First Quarter 2014

Contents

10  Life Saving Rules


ConocoPhillips business
units around the world are
22  Wells & Marine
The combined organization
known as Wells & Marine performs a
bringing safety to life through the wide range of critical functions on the
Life Saving Rules. front lines of the company.
Courtney Timm Jan Hester

34  SPIRIT
Awards
Master of Ceremonies
One of Capt. Alan
Bean’s original
paintings: “First Men
– Neil Armstrong.”
Bean, who served as
Capt. Alan Bean, the master of ceremo-
fourth man to walk nies for the 2014
on the moon, added a SPIRIT Awards, was
the Lunar Module
new dimension to the pilot of Apollo 12.
2014 SPIRIT of Perfor-
mance Awards.
Ray Scippa
The Mark featured videos
ConocoPhillips featured the following videos on its new intranet, The Mark,
since the last issue of spirit Magazine.

It’s What We Do – Peter Eick This video, produced to celebrate the launch of
describes a borehole sensor test The Mark, was created using the more than 100
ConocoPhillips has long been recognized as submissions received.
a leader in vibroseis and downhole seismic
technology. In this video, Principal Acquisition Leading Edge: Exploring Deepwater
Geophysicist Peter Eick describes a test of with Larry Archibald, Glenn Schaaf
recent technology that could prove to be a and Steve Bross
valuable tool in reservoir monitoring in the Eagle

38 
Senior Vice President of Exploration Larry
What’s Cooking? Ford and other Lower 48 assets. Archibald, Vice President of Wells & Marine
In the first of a global Glenn Schaaf and Vice President of Deepwater
What is The Mark? Asset Development Steve Bross discuss
series, spirit Magazine explores the In early 2013, employees shared photos, videos the increasing role deepwater is taking in
culinary skills and shares restaurant and anecdotes that demonstrate how they ConocoPhillips business, the projected 2014-15
add value to the company each and every day. work programs and what’s next on the horizon.
recommendations of ConocoPhillips
Submitted by employees in Aberdeen, this video
employees in Europe. takes a closer look at an icon that has come to Australia’s Bayu-Undan Field: Offering
Tom Lambert symbolize the company and its new intranet, challenge and opportunity
The Mark. The Bayu-Undan field in Timor-Leste is a major
project that provides opportunities for both
Recognizing a lifetime of ConocoPhillips and the local community.
Sharing Insights 1 achievements: Khalid Soofi
Q&A with Mike Ferrow At the 2013 Technology Awards, Geoscience Leading Edge Earnings Edition
Fellow Khalid Soofi received a Lifetime with Jeff Sheets
The Big Picture 4 Achievement Award for his many contributions Finance Executive Vice President and Chief
and dedication to the advancement of
Drilling 24/7, Pemandangan yang Financial Officer Jeff Sheets took time during a
technology within ConocoPhillips. busy day of analyst and media calls to provide
hebat, Up on a rooftop insight into the company’s 2013 fourth-quarter
Drill puts Prince William Sound and full-year results.
response capabilities to the test
A recent large-scale incident management Imaging together in the Gulf
training drill conducted in Alaska’s Prince William ConocoPhillips has fostered a close
Sound lasted 48 hours and comprehensively collaboration between the Exploration and
tested the company’s response capability. Production (E&P) and Technology & Projects
(T&P) organizations in order to “take a geologic
Take a tour of the ConocoPhillips approach” to seismic imaging. And the results
Global Water Sustainability Center have been amazing.​
The ConocoPhillips Global Water Sustainability
Center in Doha’s Science & Technology Park Matt Fox congratulates the 2013
Byatriasa Linuwih (Yayas) as lead is a center of excellence for water-related Archimedes Award winners
keyboardist and vocalist of L’Alphalpha. technologies. Most notably, it is an important In a congratulatory video message to the 2013
component of the company’s corporate social Archimedes Award winners, E&P Executive
responsibility program.
Faces of Conoco­Phillips 46 Vice President Matt Fox also reveals the new
Knowledge Sharing tagline: Exploring Minds.
Aimee Scheffer: Spreading Producing Knowledge.
The future of work (without laptops)
enthusiasm, from rocks to drill bits. Mobility is an important part of the future of
Jerry Poppenhouse: The middle of computing. That’s why Chief Information Officer A closer look at the 8 Life Saving Rules:
nowhere. Byatriasa Linuwih: Work- Mike Pfister jumped in with both feet to see if Verifying isolation at Teesside
it was possible to work without a laptop. Learn Employees at the Teesside plant in the U.K.
music balance. about Mike’s experience and the surprising demonstrate how they identify the source,
possibilities available with the ConocoPhillips nature and risks of hazardous energy that may
In the News 52 mobility program. be present in equipment, machinery or systems.
A compilation of news from around The energy is verified to be isolated – or “locked
Skyonic breaks ground on first carbon out” – before work begins.
the Conoco­Phillips world
capture and mineralization plant
Skyonic Corporation, one of the company’s The Pledge
investments through Technology Ventures, The Pledge is the newest initiative from
hosted a groundbreaking event at its Capitol Canada’s Coalition for a Safer 63 and 881,
SkyMine facility in San Antonio. The facility is which works to support safety on the two major
expected to capture 300,000 tons of carbon
On the Cover | Tony Wright, a dioxide (75,000 tons direct-capture and an
highways running from the oil sands regions
near Fort McMurray.
scaffolder at Teesside, participated additional 225,000 tons offset) annually, once
in the first Life Saving Rules video fully operational later in 2014.
Snapshot: Your data is safe with us
shoot. In February, Teesside employees See what happened when the smart people
Meet The Mark in Finance, Information Technology (IT) SAP
and contractors achieved 1,000 days In 2013, ConocoPhillips Internal support and IT Infrastructure came together
without a recordable injury. Communications invited employees around to meet the challenge of improving the way
the world to submit videos and photographs of ConocoPhillips backs up large volumes of
Photography by Enrico Sacchetti their work and lives, using their own devices. critical data.
The Big Picture
Drilling 24/7  |  The stunning late December sun sets
behind the Hugo Stolte A2 well in South Texas. It’s a
fitting exclamation point for the drilling accomplishments
of a highly successful 2013, resulting in more than 160
operated wells drilled. The ongoing development of
the Eagle Ford Shale continues to be an exciting and
promising opportunity for Conoco­Phillips.
Photograph by Patrick Currey
spirit Magazine 5
The Big Picture
Pemandangan yang hebat (Malay
for spectacular view)  |  Everyone has seen
images of the exterior of the Petronas Twin
Towers in Kuala Lumpur, but the interior is
just as breathtaking. The foyer connects the
towers to Suria KL City Center Shopping
Mall. Designed by Argentine architect
Cesar Pelli, the towers were the
tallest buildings in the world
from 1998 to 2004 and remain
the tallest twin buildings at
1,483 feet with 88 floors.
Conoco­Phillips has its office
on level 58 in Tower 2.
Photograph by Garth Hannum
spirit Magazine 7
The Big Picture
Up on a rooftop  |  At APLNG’s Curtis Island facility,
a worker stands on the outer roof of the liquefied natural
gas tank. The inner roof is made of aluminium, which
has cryogenic properties that maintain the LNG at
minus 161 degrees Celsius. The roof raise is a construction
feat, with 1,050 tonnes of carbon steel, stainless steel and
aluminium lifted into place using low air volume created by
fans, not unlike blowing up an air bed. The five fans, which
are almost 80 centimeters in diameter with 75-horsepower
motors, gradually build the volume and create enough
pressure to lift the roof from the ground to the top of the
tank. The fans are so effective that no cranes are required.
Photograph courtesy of Bechtel

spirit Magazine 9
SAFETY

Life Saving
Rules:
Bringing
safety to life

K
by Courtney Timm,
photography by Enrico Sacchetti

eeping its people safe will always


come first at Conoco­
Phillips. A
56  percent improvement in the
company’s Total Recordable
Injury Rate (TRIR) over the past six
Top left: Contractor
Chris Guffick mans years reflects that commitment.
a rescue boat near
the inset dock at So how does ConocoPhillips
Teesside as a safety
precaution for per- continue to raise the bar when it
sonnel working over
the water.
comes to safety? Business units
Right: Teesside is a
crude oil stabiliza-
tion and natural gas
(BU) around the world have a
liquids processing
facility at the end of plan: they’re bringing safety to
the 220-mile Norpipe
Oil Pipeline System. life through the Life Saving Rules.

10 Conoco­
Conoco­PPhillips
hillips
Teesside Planner Adam Hiles
checks a tag on a valve to
verify that power is isolated.
Safety

The 8 Life
incidents while

Right: (from top) “Since their launch, the The International Associa-
Mike Ferrow, vice
Life Saving Rules have been tion of Oil & Gas Producers
president, HSE
and Uwe Doring, embraced by the company’s (OGP) released its 18 Life-Sav-
senior principal global workforce,” said Uwe ing Rules in an effort to miti-
consultant, HSE
Doring, senior principal gate risks and eliminate serious
consultant, Health, Safety incidents in the industry. At
& Environment (HSE). “We Conoco­Phillips, BUs had begun
heard from the BUs that they to develop and implement rules
were eager for a set of clear, at a local level.
simple rules outlining how we “We recognized the need
work safely at Conoco­Phillips. to drive a consistent level of
Judging by the response, safety performance in our
our workforce is enthusiasti- operations,” Ferrow said. “We
cally adopting the Life Saving needed to distill the knowl-
Rules.” edge of our own experience
The 8 Life Saving Rules and that of our industry into
specifically target the risk of simple, clear rules to prevent
serious incidents while work- major accidents and serious
ers are performing critical injuries.”
activities. The rules apply to In 2012, a team of HSE
Conoco­Phillips employees and experts from the central
contractors everywhere the function and the BUs began
company operates and will be customizing a set of rules for
an enduring component of Conoco­Phillips. They selected
Alaska’s 2014 Life
Saving Rules- company culture. the eight rules based on analy-
themed coins sis of industry incidents. “These are designed to
recognize work- Origin of the rules support existing safety rules, not replace them,”
ers for safe work
behaviors. “Almost all of our serious incidents have their Doring said. “In most cases, we’ve been working
roots in just a few well-known areas of activity, by these rules for years. The purpose of the Life
including isolation, managing overrides, high-volt- Saving Rules is simply to elevate awareness of
age electric work, confined space entry and work- these critical behaviors.”
ing at height or under suspended loads,” said Mike Next, the team documented minimum require-
Ferrow, vice president, HSE. “That’s true not ments for each rule. A companion Safe Work Cycle
only across Conoco­Phillips operations, but was developed to promote peer-to-peer interven-
also across the oil and gas tion and worksite monitoring, assurance and verifi-
industry.” cation to enhance compliance with the rules.

Gearing up to launch
With a solid draft in the works, the team turned
to branding and communication.
“We recognized that reaching

12 Conoco­Phillips
Safety

Saving Rules specifically target the risk of serious


workers are performing critical activities.

“This is a real opportunity for us to think


differently about safety in our everyday activi-
ties,” said Darryl Hass, Canada’s vice president
of HSE Operations. “What excites me is the
change I’ve already seen in conversations with
leaders and in our actions and reactions towards
safety. These rules are a proactive way for us
to keep each other safe and to learn from our
experiences.”
The Western Canada BU (WCBU) was
among the first to implement the Life Saving Above: Darryl Hass, vice
Rules. “We were looking for something to help president, HSE Operations,
Canada
with a step change in safety performance,” said
Deep Basin Operations Supervisor Dale Gobin. Left: Derek Meisner, chief
steam engineering supervi-
“The Life Saving Rules pilot required a lot of sor (left), and Richard Henry,
collaboration and discussion because it affected operator, work at Surmont,
one of the first locations to
all the teams.”
pilot the Life Saving Rules.

contractors and field workers could be an espe-


cially tough challenge,” Doring said. “HSE Teesside Operations
Projects Manager
professionals and global communicators provided Tony Fitzpatrick
valuable feedback indicating that face-to-face com-
munication with supervisors was the best method
for reaching this target audience.”
With this in mind, the team developed educa-
tional tools, including videos, posters and slide
decks. Other resources include a dedicated web-
site, online store and e-mailbox as well as desktop
wallpaper and spirit Magazine content.
“Communicating the rules is a significant task,”
Doring said. “The impact on Conoco­Phillips will
be enduring and global in scale. Not only did we
have to make sure everything was just right, but we
had to make sure it would stand the test of time.”

The pilot
ConocoPhillips Canada volunteered to test the
Life Saving Rules before they were introduced
companywide. The pilot provided valuable feed-
back and validated the effectiveness of the rules.
Safety

A film crew traveled


to the Teesside plant
in the U.K. to film the
first in a series of Life
Saving Rules videos.

Rather than viewing the Life Saving Rules as a emphasized during morning safety meetings.
new approach to working safely, the WCBU uses Each day, workers look ahead at their planned
the rules as an opportunity to refresh and redefine activities and discuss where and how the Life
how they approach safety in their work. Workers Saving Rules will be used. Promotional items,
are using the rules proactively to explore how inci- including posters and stickers, ensure the rules are
dents occur and how they can be prevented. highly visible wherever possible.
“The rules themselves have always applied to “The Life Saving Rules were adopted to ensure
everything we do,” Gobin said. “The reality is that that we all work safely and that everybody goes
nothing should change, but it does. I think we home safe at the end of the day,” said Surmont
now look at each job a little differently. We check Operator Leo Valk. “We have adopted the rules so
Dale Gobin, supervisor, to see what rules apply and give more consider- completely that they really have become second
Basin Operations
ation to planning for safety. The Life Saving Rules nature to us now. Those eight rules have become
offer this new opportunity for improvement.” the principles that guide us every day in every-
In Surmont, the Life Saving Rules are thing we do, not just at work, but also while we’re

New Emergency
Operations Center unveiled
T he Emergency Operations Center
(EOC) in the company’s Houston
campus has had a facelift and is open
According to Crisis Manage-
ment and Emergency Response
Manager Josh Soybel, “The
for business! Upgrades were made upgrade is a step change over the
to ensure the center remains “fit for old EOC in terms of supporting the
purpose” and capable of providing the company’s response needs and
response functionality necessary in evolving stakeholder expectations.
today’s world, both for training exercises Local functions and global emer-
and in the event of a real incident. Some gency management practitioners
of the EOC’s new features include: collaborated on the room’s design,
• Design that enhances collaboration and our IT organization delivered a
and ergonomics. cost-effective project with end-user
needs in mind. The room features
• Fully programmable, high-definition
fatigue-reduction ergonomics,
visual media.
optimum lighting, noise elimina-
• Comprehensive data visualization
tion and an overall improved,
and multiple projection capabilities.
security-monitored environment
• Audio/visual (A/V) and Information for responders. We finished the Houston members of the Global Incident Management
Technology (IT) platforms that are project on schedule, below budget Assist Team (IMAT) participate in an exercise on Oct. 9,
long-term future proofed for new and and with zero negative project simulating an incident involving a Polar Tanker off the
emerging technologies. Alaska coast. Upgraded technology allowed the Houston
impacts – that is, there were no
Crisis Management Support Team (above) to confer-
• A/V conferencing configured for full- injuries, environmental issues or ence seamlessly with the incident management team in
room participation and global reach. business interruptions.” Anchorage and Valdez (below).

14 Conoco­Phillips
Safety

Left: HSE Vice President


Mike Ferrow met with
workers in Indonesia to
Below: Spheres store
discuss the Life Saving
unstabilized crude
Rules just prior to their
prior to processing at
official launch.
Teesside.
Below left: Minimum
requirements of the Life
Saving Rules have been
translated into several
languages, and bilingual
versions of practical
field guides like this one
from the Indonesia BU
are available.
Bottom: A poster at the
Teesside plant promotes
the Life Saving Rules.

at home or out in the community.”


Conoco­Phillips Canada also developed a
process to manage and correct noncompliance,
as well as to guide the process for following up
with workers. This information, along with
results from the pilot, informed the company’s
approach to implementing the rules.

Life Saving Rules in action


With a successful pilot on the books, CEO Ryan
Lance officially launched the Life Saving Rules
on Sept. 23, 2013. Lance likened the rules to
the company’s core values. “Like our SPIRIT
Values, these Life Saving Rules will become a
core part of our company culture that will help
us attain our Target Zero goal.”
Since the launch, Conoco­Phillips personnel
from Australia to the Arctic have been spread-
ing the word about the Life Saving Rules. Busi-
nesses are developing Life Saving Rules-themed
materials, special events are highlighting com-
Work with a valid work Obtain authorization before Protect yourself against a Follow safe lifting
mitment to the rules, and workers are talking permit when required. entering a confined space. fall when working at height. operations and do not walk
under a suspended load.
about working safely every day.
The Poland BU quickly adopted the Life
Saving Rules as a target program. After translat-
ing the rules into Polish, the team distributed
posters and provided training during new-hire
orientation. Poland’s Lublewo LEP-1 well Verify isolation before Obtain authorization Obtain authorization Wear your seat belt,
work begins. before starting ground before bypassing, obey speed limits and
featured the Life Saving Rules as a special theme disturbance or disabling or inhibiting a do not use any mobile
excavation activities. safety protection device device while driving.
or equipment.

spirit Magazine 15
Safety

Right: The tanker


Lady Martine loads
pressurized natural
gas liquids at
Teesside.

during weekly safety meetings for crew mem- Conoco­Phillips Alaska also has embraced the
bers. Seismic crews in Poland also participated in Life Saving Rules, embedding them in safety
discussions about the rules. programs and institutionalizing them into daily
In the Norway BU, which includes the Teesside work activities. The BU incorporated all eight
plant in the U.K., groups are updating procedures rules into the Alaska Safety Handbook, a pocket-
to include all minimum requirements for the Life sized manual used by all company employees and
Saving Rules. Once approved, the revised proce- contract workers.
dures will be branded with icons for easy recogni- “The handbook is unique because it is used
tion. Presentation packages will accompany the throughout Alaska by other industry operators
revised procedures to ensure the information and their contractors,” said Alaska HSE Manager
is conveyed to the various disciplines and user Wesley Heinold. “So not only are the Conoco­
groups. And existing programs like Personal Phillips Life Saving Rules making a difference
Above: Tri Laksono,
senior HSE manager, Safety Involvement (PSI), Hazard Recognition and in our own operations, they are also positively
Indonesia BU 100 Pairs of Eyes will help the Norway BU moni-
Right: Teesside tor compliance with the Life Saving Rules.
Operator Mick “Our mature systems have been further
Mason verifies that
electricity has been improved by the inclusion of the Life Saving
isolated. Rules,” said Mark Robertson, occupational safety
team lead at the Teesside plant.
Conoco­Phillips Indonesia (COPI) recognizes
that training all levels of personnel is the key
to successfully implementing the Life Saving
Rules. With a wide diversity in terms of cultures,
languages, education and work experiences, the
BU developed two kinds of bilingual training
modules – one for line management and one for
the workforce.
“COPI’s diversity is apparent at our operating
locations and facilities, which are spread all over
the archipelago,” said Tri Laksono, senior HSE
manager. “To ensure that the Life Saving Rules
were introduced at all locations and facilities
within three months, we defined a strategy that
required the line management of each worksite to
take the lead on adoption by the workforce.”
Line managers were trained by COPI’s HSE
department before meeting face to face with the
workers. In all, a total of 5,877 active employees
and contractors at all COPI work sites completed
training prior to the due date of Dec. 31, 2013.

16 Conoco­Phillips
Safety

influencing Alaska’s oil and gas industry.” The Life Saving Rules have been a hot topic at Above: Teesside
Operations workers
Down under, Australia West built the Life Sav- recent Australia West contractor forums. Con- retrieve a pipeline
ing Rules into their WAVES (We All Value Each tractor leadership learns about the rules and can cleaning pig.
Other’s Safety) behavior-based safety program. then share the expectations with their workforce. Below: HSE Lead Chris
Observers are required to indicate which Life Sav- Several representatives have reported that their Hecht shares the Life
Saving Rules minimum
ing Rule applies to the work being observed, and companies have similar rules aligned with our requirements with
now each WAVES observation drives a conversa- own, which helps drive consistency in expecta- employees and con-
tion about the rules. tions and standards. tractors in Lower 48’s
Rockies BU.
“In 2013, we had more than 1,700 WAVES Lower 48 introduced the Life Saving Rules to
observations,” said Australia West HSE Team 50 operations leaders representing each of the
Leader Mark Duk. “By building Life Saving Rules four Lower 48 BUs. Additional focus sessions held
into the WAVES process, we now have an Assure- across the Lower 48 introduced all employees and
Verify-Correct cycle that gives us data on safe and many contractors to the rules.
at risk behaviors related to the rules, and we can “The rules have been incorporated into our
report that back to the business.” day-to-day work processes through innovative
Safety

2013 Lower 48
safety achievements
Lower 48 Safety Snapshots
and milestones T he Lower 48, the largest business
segment in Conoco­Phillips, has
operations that span from the Bakken,
are using new technology to track their
driving safety.
Realtime Operational Vehicle Reporting
GULF COAST BUSINESS UNIT
(Including Eagle Ford, South Texas, East Texas/ Permian and Eagle Ford to deepwater Systems (ROVR) have been installed
North Louisiana, Coastal Wetlands and Gulf of exploration in the Gulf of Mexico. In the under the dashboards in company trucks
Mexico)
midst of rapid growth and development and SUVs to monitor hard braking, rapid
• There were no recordable injuries among activities, the organization has continued starts, speeding and idling. Using cellular
64 percent of drilling rig crews,
to improve safety. and satellite networks, each ROVR device
77 percent of completions crews,
90 percent of pipeline/facility The combined TRR (total record- takes a driving behavior reading once
construction crews and 95 percent able rate) for Lower 48 employees and per minute and then feeds the data to an
of workover/wireline crews. contractors in all four
• TRR improved 17 percent and the BUs improved from
lost-workday rate improved 1.24 in 2008 to 0.36
27 percent compared to 2012. in 2013. The TRR is
• Employee recordable injuries totaled 0. OSHA’s standard for
measuring the rate of
MID-CONTINENT BUSINESS UNIT recordable incident
(Including Permian, Panhandle-Anadarko cases normalized per
and Barnett)
100 workers per year.
• Employee recordable injuries totaled 0.
“Our goal
• Hand- and finger-related recordable
throughout Lower 48
injuries declined by approximately
55 percent from 2012. is for everyone to go
home safe and sound
• The Barnett area marked its
4th consecutive year without an every workday,”
employee or contractor recordable injury. said Warren Emer-
• The Panhandle area marked its son, HSE manager,
10th consecutive year without an Lower 48. “The
employee recordable injury. paramount factor in
our business success
ROCKIES BUSINESS UNIT is protecting our
(Including Niobrara, Bakken, Corral Creek Unit, people. They are our
Lost Cabin Gas Plant and Uinta) Above: Certified Responder Tom Cloud
most valuable assets, and their families
• Recordable and lost-workday cases first became an emergency medical tech-
depend on our diligence to protect their
decreased across the BU while the nician (EMT) more than 30 years ago and
number of hours worked increased 46 loved ones.” currently serves on the MRT in Houston,
where he works as a principal geologist
percent over 2012. Communicating safety for Niobrara reservoir characterization.
• Hand- and finger-related recordable beyond the numbers
injuries in the BU declined by
Small actions make a huge impact on
approximately 50 percent from 2012. online dashboard.
safety culture, according to Sharon
• Overall, since work began in the Niobrara, After any journey greater than 10 min-
three groups have kept the number of Zubrod, HSE manager in the Lower 48’s
utes, a trip report is automatically emailed
recordable injuries or illnesses San Juan BU.
to the employee with feedback and a
at zero: Operations (546 days), Drilling “If I see someone sitting or leaning on
summary of events. That information is
& Completions (789 days) and PTRRC & a desk instead of using a chair, I’ll walk
Land (921 days). then fed into a weekly scorecard that
in and have a conversation with them,”
shows how Lower 48 drivers are trending
Zubrod said. “If we don’t address the
SAN JUAN BUSINESS UNIT over time and how they compare to their
little things, how can we expect folks to
(Including San Juan Basin, San Juan Gas Plant peers in each driving metric.
take care of the big things?”
and Wingate Fractionator) “Despite some initial reluctance and
• Employees and contractors achieved a Monitoring driver safety concerns that the scrutiny could lead to
combined TRR of 0.15. Employees behind the steering wheels increased disciplinary actions, employees
• A total of 356 days were perfect. of Lower 48 field service fleet vehicles really embrace this system now,” said

18 Conoco­Phillips
Safety

Jacob Jellesed, health and safety coordinator


for the Rockies BU.

Prioritizing office safety


When the Lower 48’s Mid-Continent BU was
reorganized and the new Rockies BU was cre-
ated in 2013, many senior management and
asset team members from Midland, Texas, and
other locations throughout the country were
relocated to offices in the Westlake, Atrium and
Park 10 buildings in Houston.
Through focused, well-coordinated efforts,
more than 400 personnel moves were com-
pleted safely. Part of the credit goes to teams
of safety leaders who are always on call to help
mitigate office health and safety risks.
For example, employee floor fire wardens
volunteer to respond to any emergency that
threatens the general safety and well-being of tools such as focused audits,” said Warren Emer-
employees, as well as the protection of com- son, Lower 48’s HSE manager. “The audits are
pany assets. recorded on a computer-based, scannable card
Also, Medical Response Team (MRT) vol- which allows us to track and trend nuances related
unteers provide basic assistance to ill or injured
to activities associated with the Life Saving Rules.”
employees. They receive 40 hours of training on
As interest in the rules mounts, orders continue
techniques in first aid, cardio-pulmonary resusci-
to roll in at the Life Saving Rules online store. The
tation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator
(AED) operations and attend quarterly continuing most popular items are Lifesavers, hard hat stick-
education sessions. ers, key chain flashlights, badge clips, notepads
and caps – most of which have had to be restocked
several times to keep up with demand. Most BUs
have also ordered custom promotional items. Above: Laurie Zotzky,
director, Operating
What’s next? Integrity
Top: Teesside’s Tony
A series of eight videos, each featuring one of the
Fitzpatrick (right),
Life Saving Rules, will be produced with help from operations project
Originally a the BUs. The Teesside plant hosted a film crew manager, reviews
member of the maintenance work
for the first video shoot in January. Workers spoke with a new contract
Conoco­Phillips
emergency re- about why the rules are important and demon- employee.
sponse team in the strated how they verify isolation at Teesside.
Farmington, N.M.,
Niobrara group,
Business units indicate that 2014 efforts will focus
Land Technician on implementation, monitoring and verification.
Kaci Tolman now The Operating Integrity Functional Excellence
volunteers as a
floor-fire warden, team is developing a guideline for conducting field
building captain verification using the Life Saving Rules.
and MRT member “Deliberate verification is a visible demonstra-
in Houston’s Atrium
office building. tion of how important it is to follow the Life
Saving Rules,” said Laurie Zotzky, director, Oper-
ating Integrity. “The verification process will also
help identify reasons rules aren’t followed so that

spirit Magazine 19
Safety

The Conoco­Phillips Safe


Work Cycle expands the Conoco­Phillips
Indonesia’s culture
Plan-Do-Assess-Adjust
continuous improve-
ment loop by adding
steps to assure, verify
and correct day-to-day
work. “It’s not enough to
of safety
S
do annual audits of work
processes,” Ferrow said.
ince 2009, COPI has maintained an HSE perfor-
“Experience shows there mance of below 0.1. The group achieved a Total
is great value in simple,
Recordable Rate (TRR) of 0.05 for 2013, a year with
daily verification of criti-
cal work practices.” the highest-exposure activities since 2003.
“We have succeeded in keeping our focus on
safety, and the collaborative efforts of our people
have resulted in our best ever TRR,” said Erec Isaac-
son, COPI president and general manager.
Nothing speaks more clearly than a leader who

we can correct the system and address behavioral “walks the walk.” COPI’s line management has sig-

causes.” nificantly increased their on-site visibility and ensured


In Canada, Hass agrees. “We need to commit to that every member of the workforce has the training
each other that we will be 100 percent consistent and resources necessary to do their jobs. Learn-
in doing things the right way, as outlined in the ing from an onshore human factors incident, COPI
rules and verification statements. If we can’t fol- launched the Mirror Card to address physical, mental,
low these points, we just won’t do it at all.” and emotional fitness to help the workforce assess
Since the pilot, Conoco­Phillips Canada has themselves and minimize risks.
focused on weaving the rules into every compo- COPI is also committed to ensuring that all
nent of its business. The business recognizes the employees and contractors understand the com-
need to align its Life Saving Rules communication pany’s HSE requirements and expectations. From
efforts with the rest of the company. 2012 to 2013, COPI trained new service contractor
“It is so important that we get these rules employees, increasing COPI’s man-course total by
right,” Hass said. “We feel they need to have 35 percent. The Life Saving Rules training for line
the same look and feel wherever you are in the
Conoco­Phillips world.”
So whether speaking English in the Canada oil
sands, Polish on a seismic shoot in Central Europe
or Bahasa in the jungles of Indonesia, workers
across Conoco­Phillips are starting to speak the
same language when it comes to safety.
“The Life Saving Rules give us one more reason
to talk about the importance of working safely
while performing these critical activities,” Ferrow
said. “These are things we already know about.
Now we just have to do them safely, each and
every time.”  ■

20 Conoco­Phillips
Safety

management and the workforce was successfully rolled organization’s compliance with Indonesian government Above: COPI
out before year’s end. legislation, company standards and procedures and President and
General Manager
COPI recently launched Contractor Target Zero international standards. Particular attention is paid to Erec Isaacson
Assurance (TARZAC) to ensure contractor HSE expecta- practices that might endanger the safety of person- conducts his
HSE two-way
tions are aligned with the BU. Since 2012 the group has nel, facilities, the environment and/or the company’s
conversation with
used a one-on-one mentoring program that pairs COPI reputation. Belanak FPSO
managers with contractor personnel to further increase “The strong commitment from management is one employees.

their HSE knowledge and skills. of the Indonesia BU’s key successes,” said Febrian Top left: Site self-
audit focusing on
Since 2008, COPI has had a campaign around Wicaksono, coordinator, HSE Performance Assurance. lifting activity at
“Approaching Others.” This message has been simpli- “It has had a great impact on reducing risk and prevent- Batam Warehouse
fied in the form of a card that states: “I am empowered ing incidents.” Below: Matak
by the Management to stop unsafe acts.” Employees The HSE Action Committee, consisting of key line Superintendent
Bonny Sri Pitoyo
management and HSE professionals, has shifted its conducts Life Saving
focus from lagging indicators – such as incident rate, Rules training at
Matak Base.
compliance to regulations and follow-up audits – to
leading indicators, with the goal of preventing accidents

Above: HSE Functional Excellence Manager Rizki


Amelia rolls out Life Saving Rules training to COPI
management.
Left: One of the HSE training sessions to new service
contractors at the Batam Warehouse

show this card prior to intervening to indicate that they by measuring each engagement program. Also, in the
are ready to have a safety discussion. This empow- past the committee monitored the number of STOP
erment approach has improved participation in the cards and frequency of submission, but now the group
campaign by 90 percent. monitors the quality of the intervention.
Rigorous site self-audits and BU audits are consis- The COPI team is committed to ensuring that every-
tently executed, tracked and monitored to verify the one goes home safe every day!

spirit Magazine 21
WELLS & MARINE

22 Conoco­Phillips
Wells &
Marine:
On the
front lines
by Jan Hester, photography by Hall Puckett

W
hen you first think about it,
the Wells and Marine orga-
nizations may seem an odd
pairing. But combined, they
form the
Conoco­Phillips’
cornerstone

The two perform a wide


operations.

range of critical functions,


of

from drilling and completing


the well to shuttling produced
oil and gas from the floating
production storage and off-
take (FPSO) vessel to shore.

The newly-christened Maersk


Valiant, a drill ship bound for
the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
photo courtesy of Maersk Drilling
Wells & Marine

“Marine now has a long overdue new


identity. There’s one central group pulling
together in the new organization.” – Glenn Schaaf

The two groups were combined during the 2012 looking at ways real-time downhole data can be
repositioning, providing the Marine function with used to improve drilling efficiency. Wired drill pipe
its first centralized corporate home. The team was will soon be tested at Eagle Ford, with the poten-
previously dispersed throughout the company in tial for providing valuable downhole information.
organizations such as Commercial, Projects and Brett Borland, manager, Drilling Engineering &
Polar Tankers. “Marine now has a long overdue Technology, works with a team of technical experts
new identity,” said Glenn Schaaf, vice president, focused on specific aspects of the well, including
Wells & Marine. “There’s one central group pull- pore pressure, cement, mud and well heads. He
ing together in the new organization.” and his group are responsible for the challenging
Schaaf also wants to clarify a point about what task of setting company standards for well design.
the other part of his organization does. “People “It’s not a perfect world,” said Borland. “Sometimes
have a misconception about what we do. Wells Mother Earth throws us curve balls. As we encoun-
is about much more than drilling. We construct ter different challenges, we are required to push the
wells and provide an interface with the reservoir engineering design envelope to achieve our objec-
that enables us to extract hydrocarbons. During tives while minimizing our risks.”
the process we also have to think about the life of
Glenn Schaaf, vice
president, Wells & the well, including the ultimate abandonment or Managed pressure drilling
Marine retirement.” Success in the deepwater will depend on the oil
and gas industry’s ability to adapt both enabling
Drilling and enhancing technology and equipment for the
Things are changing at a breakneck pace in the environment.
world of drilling technology. “Ten years ago fewer “Enablers are necessary to perform the job, while
than 10 percent of our wells were drilled horizon- enhancements improve efficiency by allowing us to
tally,” said Schaaf. “Today that number is 70 percent. drill faster and more economically,” said Borland.
Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have The company is targeting drilling enhance-
driven the unconventional revolution, and combin- ments, including managed pressure drilling
ing the two gives us the ability to create reservoirs (MPD), a technique successfully implemented
where before they were just a drilling hazard.” in 2012 by Conoco­Phillips and a consortium in
Schaaf points out that at Surmont Phases 2 and deepwater Indonesia.
3 the oil sands group is using radial pad designs and Borland notes that MPD falls into both enabler
fishbone wells to improve the project’s economics. and enhancement categories. “MPD enables closed
“Using a mother well bore and a series of laterals, loop drilling. It provides us an early indication of
we’re able to contact much more of the reservoir downhole conditions so that we can use devices
through one surface wellhead. The basis for this at the surface to maintain constant bottomhole
technology was first used by the company in Ven- pressure using a variety of mud weights. Without
ezuela and has been adapted to improve the effi- these measurements, everything is an educated
ciency of steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD). ” guess until you actually get there. It really is the
Other promising technologies are also in the latest and greatest in equipment design.”
works. The Alaska and Norway business units Handling gas once it passes a blowout preventer
(BU) are working with a steerable drilling liner, can be difficult. “With the MPD in place, we
and Norway and the Lower 48 business units are can control gas all the way back to the rig,” said

24 Conoco­Phillips
Wells & Marine

Borland. “Being able to make changes quickly to


the hydrostatic column can potentially allow us to
reduce the number of casing strings required to
drill a well because we can stay much closer to the
actual pore pressure as we’re drilling ahead.”
Installing MPD on rigs could have significant
positive impact on the cost of drilling exploration
and development wells. “We’re adamant about
pursuing this technology,” said Borland. “Pre-salt
plays in Brazil are suffering significant lost time
that could be prevented. Angola is a pre-salt play
just like Brazil, so installing MPD on our drill
ships there could be an enabler for us.”

Completions
Well completion is the process of connecting a well
with the surrounding reservoir rock to allow oil
and gas production. While drilling creates a conduit

from the surface to the reservoir, the completion Above: A hybrid rig
process connects the well to existing permeabil- drills production
wells for Australia
ity or enhances natural permeability to improve Pacific Liquefied
a well’s flow performance and recovery. A good Natural Gas (APLNG).
completion maximizes production while providing Left: Top-tensioned
high-reliability control of the flow process. riser on Magnolia
tension leg platform
Schaaf cites some interesting statistics about (TLP)
changes in the industry. “A decade ago 70 percent
of the cost of a well was drilling, and the comple-
tion cost was 30 percent. Today, in the uncon-
ventionals, it’s more like 40 percent drilling and
60 percent completions.”
Mike Mooney, manager, Completions Engineer-
ing & Technology, notes that the rapid advance
in drilling capabilities has given completions an
increasingly important role in the well construc-
tion process. “We’re drilling deeper and further
out with extended-reach wells. We’re addressing
challenges that require us to integrate production,
drilling, completions and reservoir engineering.
Our main challenge used to be equipment. Now

spirit Magazine 25
Wells & Marine

Using intelligent systems in this well is


expected to increase oil recovery from the field
by better controlling water flood injection.

the challenge is how to design equipment for reliability remains a challenge,” said Mooney.
different types of reservoirs and put that equip- “This reflects the complexity we face even with
ment in the ground to get the most flow out of the best available technology.”
complex reservoirs.”
Conoco­Phillips well and completion designs Plug and abandon
range from low-cost onshore fracturing opera- The company has more than 35,000 wells in cur-
tions, used to unlock tight reservoirs, to costly rent inventory, including many older wells that
offshore designs for wells expected to produce are no longer producing oil or gas. Preparing
more than 20,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day these wells to be permanently shut in is an area of
(BOED) from reservoirs with pressures in excess increased focus for the Wells organization. In some
of 20,000 psi. areas, such as Norway, abandoning a well to meet
Using intelligent well technology, the opera-
tions team can control and isolate zones from a
Above: A heavy-lift surface control facility or laptop. “What we put
crane installs a ship’s
in the ground is pretty exotic,” said Mooney. “In
engine.
places such as Norway and Indonesia, we’re using
Right: Well flow
testing at KBB in world-class, first-ever completions, including the
Malaysia Single-Trip Frac-Pack, a sand control system that
uses screens to hold back sand during fracturing
operations and subsequent well production. It’s a
complex completion with lots of moving parts.”
Norway’s Victor Bravo 02 subsea injection
well, installed in April 2013, featured an eight-
zone intelligent well completion, a world record.
Using intelligent systems in this well is expected
to increase oil recovery from the field by bet-
ter controlling water flood injection. “Although
the installation was a success story, equipment

Brett Borland,
manager, Drilling
government regulations can be very costly, and
Engineering & oversight bodies around the world are taking an
Technology increased interest in how wells are retired.
The offshore environment makes plugging
and abandonment (P&A) operations even more
complex. New, more intricate completion
techniques can add to that challenge. “When
you construct a well, you do so with plug and
abandon requirements in mind,” said Mooney.
“Rarely are two wells alike. Factors that can
complicate P&A include instrumentation in the

26 Conoco­Phillips
Wells & Marine

Keeping traditions alive


O
well, deformed pipe and isolation from producing n Jan. 23, Chairman and fireworks and great fanfare, and
zones. Developing technologies and best practices Chief Executive Officer the godmother is presented with a
to effectively and efficiently P&A wells will play Ryan Lance and his wife Lisa ceremonial gift from the shipyard
an important role in the future.”
joined in the ceremony to name employees.
Marine the company’s new drillship, the The Maersk Valiant is an
If it floats, it’s within the Marine team’s aegis. Maersk Valiant. The event, held ultra-deepwater, dynamically
The group provides a full range of services and at the Samsung Heavy Industries positioned drillship. Later this year,
resources to support Conoco­Phillips projects and (SHI) shipyard in Geoje-Si, South it will commence a three-year,
operations, with a focus on identifying and miti- Korea, follows an ancient tradition rig-sharing contract with Conoco­
gating risks specifically related to marine activity. of naming ships in order to bring Phillips and Marathon Oil.
The group’s mandate is broad, from support for
good fortune and safety to the
new country entry to piracy monitoring to ensur-
vessel, its crew and passengers.
ing offshore vessels meet operational and asset
integrity standards. Today, the custom of dedi-
John Dabbar, manager, Global Marine, points cating, naming and committing
out that his team is uniquely qualified to provide a vessel to the sea remains an
training and operational advice to BU personnel. important part of the maritime
“There are six maritime academies in the U.S., industry. “A naming ceremony is
and we have 135 graduates working at Conoco­
about providing a ship’s hull with
Phillips. Many members of our shoreside team
an identity,” said Kim Stewart,
have worked at sea, including merchant marine
captains with specialties in various arcane aspects manager, Global Rig Contract-
of marine operations. We have a wealth of experi- ing. “These events are filled
ence and expertise.” with a great deal of pomp and
circumstance.”
Safety
Lisa Lance was given the
First and foremost is preventing collisions and
honor of officially naming the
other unwanted contact between vessels as well
Maersk Valiant. “It’s traditional to
as between vessels and fixed structures (see
Unwanted Marine Contact). name a ‘godmother’ to ceremo-
“We provide expertise and access to applicable nially launch the vessel, generally “Maersk and Conoco­Phillips
industry standards for navigation, safety and a prominent woman with ties to have enjoyed a working relation-
training,” said Dabbar. “And our bridge team the ship.” ship dating back 25 years,” said
management at Polar Tankers ensures that pilots, For new drillships, the histori- Ryan Lance. “We have been
watch keepers and lookouts are provided all the
cal practice of breaking a bottle strategic partners in Norway since
information they need to make sound, timely
of champagne on the bow has 1990, and we look forward to
navigation decisions.”
The second major safety area of responsibility evolved to cutting a rope to expanding that relationship with
is minimizing process safety risks, including cargo reveal the name of the vessel. the Maersk Valiant in the deepwa-
handling operations and both asset and operational The moment is accompanied by ter Gulf of Mexico.”

spirit Magazine 27
Wells & Marine

integrity of cargo handling and cargo containment. association with an established process for sharing
“For activities such as using a crane on a loading inspection reports among companies. “The goal is
vessel or dynamic loading in a floating environ- to ensure a vessel’s asset and operational integrity
ment, we provide operational expertise as well as before it carries cargo for us or comes on hire to
an engineering analysis for the lift,” said Dabbar. one of our fields or projects,” said Dabbar. “Since
“Some examples include install- the support vessels used in our
ing a module, which is chal- offshore production are operated by
lenging because of its off-center UNWANTED MARINE contractors, this year we will be run-
center of gravity. We’ve also CONTACT ning a pilot program to test OCIMF
performed evaluations of lique- • Collision: contact operational excellence assurance in
fied natural gas (LNG) cargo between two floating the offshore fleet.”
handling for floating LNG, liq- vessels.
uid hoses for FPSO operations • Allision: contact Project design
and ship-to-ship oil transfer.” between a floating The Marine group’s naval archi-
vessel and fixed tects, marine engineers and ocean
Assurance structure. engineers provide a range of ser-
Above: A workover An important Marine func- • Grounding: contact vices, including writing bid speci-
rig drills in the
tion is vetting, or ensuring between a vessel and fications, evaluating work done by
Bakken shale forma-
that vessels being used in a the bed of the body contractors and providing analyses
tion in North Dakota.
of water.
Below right: A Polar Conoco­Phillips project are safe for large and small projects. “We
Tanker loads at to use and fit for purpose. The help the BUs in real time,” said
the Valdez Marine
vetting team evaluates the vessel for compliance Dabbar. “We have analytical tools to get answers
Terminal in Alaska.
with material condition and operational standards, quickly and get a solution back to them.”
including those established by Oil Companies With deepwater activity ramping up, the group
International Marine Forum (OCIMF), a voluntary has conducted studies for offshore development

28 Conoco­Phillips
Wells & Marine

Above: The Beaver 2


rig drills a well in
Polar Tankers Canada’s Northwest
A fleet of five Polar Tankers delivers crude oil Territories, on the
same latitude as
from Alaska’s North Slope to the U.S. West Coast. Fairbanks, Alaska.
“One of the key benefits of having Polar as part Left: Mike
of the Marine function is that the education and Mooney, manager,
experience are directly transferable,” said Dabbar. Completions
Engineering &
“By having our own operating company we have Technology
a pool of ship captains and engineers available to
provide current, active advice and additional field
expertise as we engage in development plans and
support operations.”

Piracy
and off-take, including rapid ramp-ups of FPSO With the increased emphasis on new country
systems. “We’ve also provided sea trials and deepwater development, the Marine group is
dynamic positioning inspections on drill ships so partnering with Global Security to launch an
that they’re ready to go when they arrive on sta- information screening and sharing program
tion,” said Dabbar. that will be invaluable to the company for new
Another team does project analysis with cargo country entry and deepwater exploration.
logistics simulations to optimize storage and ship “We’re participating in a number of industry and
size calculations. “We help determine how many government-sponsored organizations that pro-
ships we need, what size and how much cargo vide us with access to solid intelligence regarding
storage is required at each end for crude and security threats such as piracy,” said Dabbar. “The
LNG,” said Dabbar. “We can tell them how many biggest risk areas for us are Somalia/East Africa,
ships they need to move product and evaluate West Africa and the South China Sea and Straits
storage capacity to ensure the production facility of Malacca – areas where we have exploration
doesn’t run out of space before the ship arrives.” programs or ship traffic.”

spirit Magazine 29
Wells & Marine

“For Angola we have a three-year contract for


Deepwater
the Ocean Rig Athena. We plan to drill four explo-
After a hiatus, Conoco­Phillips is re-entering the
ration commitment wells back to back beginning
deepwater, with plans to drill exploration wells in
in the second quarter of 2014.”
the Gulf of Mexico and Angola. From drilling the
wells to delivering the oil and gas, Wells & Marine Challenges
Above: Drilling rig in will play a critical role in supporting the com-
Drilling and completions in the deepwater are far
operation pany’s exploration and production goals.
more complex and costly than onshore or even
Above right: John The 2010 Deepwater Horizon incident in the
Dabbar, manager, shallow offshore drilling. It takes 180 days to drill
U.S. Gulf of Mexico resulted in the company mak-
Global Marine the average deepwater well, and the added cost of
ing structural changes to the Wells organization.
poor execution has a negative impact.
“We created a center of excellence for deep-
water drilling within the global organization,” Blowout preventers
said Schaaf. “Wells now has overall operational The environment places additional constraints
accountability for day-to-day operations instead of and demands on existing drilling technology,
the individual BUs. We’re unique in the Technol- notably subsea blowout preventers (BOP). “The
ogy & Projects group and even have our own primary purpose of a BOP is to safely shut in the
safety management system.” well in the event of a well kick, an inflow of fluids
Frontier Drilling Manager Jim Bob Ferguson is from a formation downhole at a pressure greater
responsible for drilling wells around the world, than the mud weight,” said Ferguson. “If the fluid
currently in the Gulf of Mexico and Angola. “We starts flowing to the surface, we have to shut in,
now have two deepwater teams in place – one inject heavier mud into the well and circulate it to
in Luanda, and one here in Houston. For the remove the fluid and old mud.
Gulf of Mexico we have a three-year contract for “The industry in general is seeing a tremendous
the Maersk Valiant, which we share with Mara- increase in downtime associated with the BOP’s
thon. We will likely drill our first well with that ability to do what it is designed for. We have to
rig in early 2015. We also have another drillship pressure test and function test on a regular basis,
on order for the Gulf of Mexico that will begin and it takes 36 hours to do a complete pressure
operations in mid-2015. test. When a BOP fails a test, you have to bring

30 Conoco­Phillips
Wells & Marine

A conversation with You have spoken about


hiring Angolan nationals. Is
Knut Schjerverud, country manager, local content challenging?
The country was in a civil war from
Angola, Exploration and Production 1975 to 2002 that affected many

T he Angolan national oil company, Sonangol, awarded Conoco­Phillips operatorship aspects of society, including education.
and a 30 percent interest in two deepwater blocks in the Kwanza Basin, offshore Finding local talent with the ability to fill
Angola. The company’s operating interest became effective in January 2012. In June highly skilled positions is a challenge.
2013, Conoco­Phillips acquired an additional 20 percent interest in Block 36. We’re consider-
The two blocks total approximately 2.5 million acres in water depths ranging from ing incorporat-
5,600 feet to 8,200 feet. Recent discoveries adjacent to these blocks have proven the ing local talent
presence of a working petroleum system in this subsalt play. Conoco­Phillips plans to development
drill four exploration wells beginning this year. into our overall
plans. We’re
What was it like being beginning, we all had to chip in to get
talking with
the first Conoco­Phillips lunch, do the dishes and secure our first
local universi-
representative to arrive in staff and contracts. We are now begin-
ties about pro-
Luanda, Angola? ning to get more structured and are turn-
grams we could
ing into a formal office. We have recently
You come into a country like Angola potentially
brought on board Angolan nationals to
with an expectation that there will be less support that will
work with our management team with
than ordinary situations. Things such as help us develop Knut Schjerverud
the hope that, if we are successful, they
traveling to work or connecting to the a sustainable
can in time take leadership roles.
Internet can be difficult. But I was very workforce. We’ve laid a foundation that
fortunate when I arrived because I didn’t I hear the slogan, will enable us to turn up the speed if it’s
have an agenda. I had the responsibility “preparing for success” necessary to secure talent.
to build a network, which allowed me to when your team talks about What will be the team’s
sit down with Sonangol or the minister Angola. Can you explain focus leading up to the first
of petroleum without having to ask for this mantra? well being spud?
anything. Instead, I could simply listen to
In the beginning, there was little This is a true wildcat campaign. We
their concerns and slowly build trust.
thought about planning for success. In haven’t drilled here before, and these
I also had the benefit of the Conoco­
an exploration operation, you don’t do are complex and expensive wells. This
Phillips name. I found out quickly that,
that. And for most places in the world, is what we do as a company, and we
as an operator in the 1980s, Conoco
not doing so makes perfect sense. The know how to do it well. Our focus now
had a great reputation. Some of the
reason we are talking this way about is on the softer issue of turning this
veterans inside Sonangol would light up
Angola is because it is a challenging organization into a lean, mean operat-
when talking about their experience with
operating environment, where every- ing machine. And at the heart of it is
Conoco. That gave me instant capital as
thing takes more time than we are used safety. We have to work on the hearts
we continued to develop a relationship.
to. If we haven’t thought about the big and minds of all our people to ensure
Tell me about building a ticket items before potential success, that everyone understands what the
team here in Angola. we would be too late. There will be a lot person next to him or her is doing. We
One of my earliest successes was of pressure on staff, resources and real will spend a lot of time looking after one
establishing a talented and experienced estate in the event we are successful in another to deliver a safe and efficient
management team. Frankly, I didn’t our exploration campaign. We also have campaign.
know what to expect, but, in my opinion, development commitments that are out- The whole team is very excited. We
we got some of the best people for lined in the production sharing contract have a lot of staff that came to us from
the job. The majority of the group has (PSC) with the Angolan government. My other companies who wanted to be on
worked in difficult places before. But just team is working closely with the recently the ground floor of an operation. The
as important, we have a management formed Deepwater Asset Development opportunity really doesn’t get much bet-
team that is willing to lend a hand in all group in Houston. They are working on ter than that. I am proud to be working
areas of the business. When you start concept development studies and other with such a talented group and being
off an endeavor like this, you can’t be important elements in the event we part of something I’ve always wanted
worrying about job descriptions. In the have success. to do.

spirit Magazine 31
Wells & Marine

“With experienced people we get that extra


awareness and oversight to keep safety
performance where we want it.” – Jim Bob Ferguson

Right: Frontier Drilling the entire system from the sea floor to the surface
Manager Jim Bob to repair it, which can result in days and even
Ferguson
weeks of lost time. So it’s critical to plan and
Below right: Ship-to-
ship transfer from the execute as efficiently as possible.”
Liberdade floating Many BOP problems are associated with
storage and offtake quality assurance and quality control during the
vessel (FSO)
manufacturing process. To ensure the equipment
meets desired specifications, oil and gas company
customers are becoming more involved in the
front-end manufacturing process by participating
in periodic inspections.

Location and logistics


Some areas where the company currently oper-
ates or will operate in the future are fairly remote
without established infrastructure. “For example,
Bangladesh has some existing oil industry, mostly countries, especially those that lack mature
onshore and in shallow water offshore,” said Fer- systems. Obtaining visas can be slow and frustrat-
guson. “On a global comparative basis it’s almost ing, and company representatives must follow the
like going into a country that has never drilled Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
before. It’s a logistical challenge to get equipment
and supplies into the country and out to the rig.” Offtake
Other location-related challenges include As part of an integrated offtake strategy, the
global diversity and geopolitical risks, difficulties Marine group is working on rapid deploy-
and challenges that come in many developing ment FPSO development plans that meet

32 Conoco­Phillips
Wells & Marine

technical expertise in this area,” said Schaaf. “We Left: Drilling and
supply operations
are currently hiring experienced talent from our
at the Jasmine
competitors, but we need to build a near-term platform in the U.K.
bridge to the future by training and developing North Sea
the next generation of deepwater professionals.
A job-shadowing program will allow young pro-
fessionals to be mentored by more experienced
people before they leave the industry and take all
their knowledge with them.”
Ferguson seconds that opinion. “We are
critically short of drilling rig supervisors with
deepwater experience. We are actively recruiting
new employees and are also looking at retiree
consultants as a potentially viable source. It’s our
preference to have all Conoco­Phillips employees,
but we may use a mixture of current and former
country-specific requirements for production. employees and, where necessary, bring in outside
“The challenge is we don’t have enough informa- consultants we’ve worked with in the past.”
tion in advance about hydrocarbon flow and qual- Ferguson notes that the personnel resource
ity to know exactly what we need,” said Dabbar. challenge goes hand in hand with safety perfor-
“We’re looking at different ways to reduce the mance. “With experienced people we get that
conflict between rapid execution and optimum extra awareness and oversight to keep safety
design, such as reusing a design built for others or performance where we want it.”
partnering with an FPSO conversion contractor.” For the long term, Marine needs people with
Shuttle tankers are another component of the offshore operations skills. “It takes from 60 to 200
offtake solution, and the Marine group provides individuals to operate and maintain an FPSO,”
commercial studies for the deepwater team as well said Dabbar. “An oil tanker may have 25. To avoid
as a contracting strategy for shuttle tanker service. future shortages, we need experienced offshore
Dabbar notes that the Marine group also makes installation managers, maintenance managers and
sure the right mooring, risers and turret systems operations managers.”
are being used. “We’re currently fast followers, so All in all, Wells & Marine occupies center stage
we’re looking for proven technologies, things that in the company’s operations, and as activity in the
can be priced and put into strategy with a higher deepwater, unconventionals and oil sands intensi-
degree of predictability.” fies the team will continue to drive production
and profitability. But Glenn Schaaf points out that
Strategic staffing it’s not all “nose to the grindstone.”
One theme resonates throughout the Wells & “You have to have fun at work. To me that
Marine group: Conoco­Phillips needs people with means working hard but enjoying the camarade-
technical expertise and deepwater experience. rie of your workmates. It has to be an environ-
“Because we’ve been out of the deepwater for 10 ment where having fun is OK. If you can’t enjoy
or so years, our portfolio demands we grow our it, you can’t excel at it.”  ■

spirit Magazine 33
SPIRIT AWARDS

Moon-walking artist
adds a new dimension
to the SPIRIT Awards

O
by Ray Scippa, photography by Patrick Currey,
Hall Puckett and John Smallwood

n a rainy Tuesday morning in


early February, former astro-
naut Alan Bean, the fourth of
only 12 humans to walk on the
moon, arrived at Conoco­Phillips
Houston headquarters. Dressed
in a light blue flight jacket,
replete with NASA and Apollo XII
patches, Capt. Bean came pre-
pared to go on camera as mas-
ter of ceremonies for the 2014
SPIRIT of Performance Awards.

34 Conoco­Phillips
C ircumstances made it impossible for the extraordinary experiences through my art.” Above: In his artist
studio, Capt. Alan
astronaut-turned-artist to attend the event The 2014 Spirit of Performance Awards cer-
Bean is surrounded
in person, so performing his duties via emony took place on the evening of Feb. 27. In by paintings that
video was the only option. As would be expected addition to Bean, participants enjoyed “a capella” tell the story of
the Apollo space
from an Apollo Lunar Module pilot who also com- singing by The Voca People. program.
manded the record-setting 1973 SkyLab mission, In his opening remarks, Chairman and CEO Ryan
Opposite page: Bean
Bean made it seem easy. Sitting on a stool in front Lance described the 2014 award nomination pro- delivers his SPIRIT
of a green screen background, he delivered his lines cess: “By the December deadline, 117 teams, busi- Awards remarks
on camera in the
impeccably and regaled the crew with stories of ness units and projects had submitted nominations. Conoco­Phillips
space travel and his work as a painter. Those nominations named nearly 2,000 individuals, video studio.
Bean’s artwork details the Apollo space program but in fact, our 2013 accomplishments required the
and the quest for the moon that culminated in six collaboration of everyone at Conoco­Phillips.
lunar landings from 1969 to 1972. On display at the “As it is every year, the process of selecting the
Smithsonian Air & Space Museum and coveted by winning teams was an extremely difficult one. This
private collectors, his work has evolved into a mix- year’s nominations took us on a world tour through
ture of painting and sculpture, textured using lunar great work and many heroic performances. In the
tools and sprinkled with bits of Apollo spacecraft end, the Executive Leadership Team selected the
and a touch of moon dust. 26 teams we believed made the greatest relative
“I’ve been fortunate to visit worlds and see sights impact by executing projects with a high degree of
no artist has ever seen,” he said. “Now I have both difficulty that required collaboration, efficiency and
the privilege and responsibility to express those discipline.”

spirit Magazine 35
SPIRIT Awards

SPIRIT
OF PERFORMANCE AWARDS 2014

SAFETY AWARDS
APPEA Safety Excellence Awards Team
Norway Capital Projects Team
Life Saving Rules Team
PEOPLE AWARDS
Lower 48 Reorganization and Relocation Team
2
Algeria Terrorist Attack Response Team
Talent Planning & Acquisition Team
INTEGRITY AWARD
PL19-3 Oilfield Production Resumption Team
RESPONSIBILITY AWARDS
Norway Cessation Project
San Juan Vent Gas Reduction Team
INNOVATION AWARDS
Floating LNG Technology Development Team
Internet Transformation Team
Directional Drilling Performance Contract Team 3

TEAMWORK AWARDS
Eagle Ford Water Management Team
APLNG Supplier Engagement & Community Impact and
Batam Yard Teams
IT Platform Modernization Team
Onshore Multiple Project Completion and Integration Team
North American Natural Gas Team
Surmont Fouling Mitigation Team
BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS
China Rate Enhancement Initiative Team
Eagle Ford Acreage Capture and Critical Date Management Team
Strategic Transactions Team 4
Niobrara Stakeholder Engagement Team
New Resource Access Delivery Team
Bohai Bay Insurance Claim Settlement Team
Kashagan Divestiture Team
WELLNESS AWARD
Good For Alaska! Team

5
36 Conoco­Phillips
SPIRIT Awards

2014 INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

6 LIFESAVER AWARD
MICHELLE PITTENGER Gulf Coast Business Unit Staff Geologist
In late 2012, Michelle learned that her neighbor’s college-age son was in need of
a kidney transplant due to damage from a prescribed medication. Several family
members matched but did not meet the health requirements for donating, so after six
months they spread the word among their neighbors. Michelle, who lives a healthy
lifestyle and stays physically fit, didn’t hesitate. After a round of tests, in January 2013,
she learned that she was a match and told the family she would be willing to donate
her left kidney. The transplant was successful. Both Michelle and the young man have
recovered fully, and he now is able to lead a full life. In a situation where many people
would have just told the family “good luck,” Michelle stepped forward and followed
7 through on her commitment, even though it meant surgery and a long recovery period.

INDIVIDUAL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD


GLENDA ALLUMS Gulf Coast SAP Coordinator
1: The Voca People provide out-of-this- As secretary of Webster Parish Louisiana Promise Committee and a leading supporter
world musical entertainment during the of policies and programs that prepare children to learn and succeed, Glenda joined
SPIRIT Awards ceremony. forces with more than 800 community leaders from the state of Louisiana to help
2: Algeria Asset Manager Kate Easton identify and implement local solutions to a growing dropout problem. She served
speaks on behalf of the Algeria team as
for five years as co-chairman for the Webster Parish Back-to-School Program, a
Bill Buckner and Richard Wade look on.
communitywide initiative that raises money to provide school supplies and uniforms
3: Corporate Insurance Manager James
Hughes concludes his remarks on behalf for underserved students. As a volunteer for the Chamber of Commerce Total
of the Bohai Bay team. Behind him (from Resource Campaign, Glenda met with business leaders and individuals to encourage
left) are Don Wallette, Rob Walters, Laura them to join the Chamber and sponsor upcoming Chamber events. The campaign
Robertson, Allan Hueske and Jeff Sheets.
was a huge success, exceeding membership and sponsorship goals. Glenda has
4: The representatives of the Good For
Alaska! Team (from left) Jill McLeod, served as a board member of the Boys & Girls Club of Minden, chairing a committee
David Finocchio and David Todd with to build a fence at the club to provide a safe environment for children in the after-
Chief Medical Officer Paul Hodgins school program. She secured Conoco­Phillips Employee Volunteer Grant funding
5: HSE Manager Kjell Rune Skjeggestad and successfully recruited volunteers from the community. As a parent volunteer
represents his colleagues on the Norway
at Lakeside High School, Glenda headed several projects, including a campaign to
Capital Projects Team.
build covered batting cages, for which she secured another Conoco­Phillips Employee
6: Michelle Pittenger with Lower 48
President Don Hrap and HSE Vice Volunteer Grant. Glenda’s additional community service activities include:
President Mike Ferrow • Volunteering with S.I.S.T.E.R.S. International, Inc. – a nonprofit organization that
7: Individual Lifetime Achievement Award operates a crisis center for women and children.
winner Glenda Allums
• Serving on the planning committee for the Alliance for Education’s Walk for
8: One of Capt. Alan Bean’s early
paintings depicts his Apollo 12 comrades Education Initiative.
Pete Conrad and Neil Armstrong. • Helping construct two homes for victims of Hurricane Katrina.
• Chairing a committee to build a barn as part of the Farm Project, benefitting the
entire community.
• Serving on the Minden Municipal Fire & Police Civil Service Board.
Clearly, Glenda has a passion for serving her community. Her passion for service
makes her a true leader and makes the world a better place.

8
spirit Magazine 37
WHAT’S COOKING?

38 Conoco­Phillips
What’s
Coo king?
Global foodies share
their stories by Tom Lambert

T he discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than


the discovery of a new star. —Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Since it was first published in 1825, Brillat-Savarin’s book on culinary


philosophy and recipes, “The Physiology of Taste,” has never been out
of print. Today, a vast array of cookbooks, food magazines, TV chefs,
cooking game shows, culinary courses and restaurants with increasingly
diverse menus serve the modern foodie. In this first of a global series,
spirit Magazine explores the culinary skills and shares
restaurant recommendations of Conoco­Phillips
people in Europe.

spirit Magazine 39
What’s Cooking?

Ron serves up pulled


chili pork, tzatziki,
flatbread (with mint)
and a garden
fruit salad with pome-
granate dressing.

An Okie goes global


Ron Allred, portfolio manager, Stavanger, Norway

R on Allred’s interest in food began in his


native Oklahoma. “I was greatly influenced
by my grandmothers. They were fantastic cooks
courses, but I’m mostly a self-taught cook,” says
Ron. “My wife and I are always looking for new
dishes. Over the years, we’ve collected nearly
who grew or used locally produced foods to pre- 200 cookbooks and become fans of TV chef and
pare simple but great tasting meals.” author Jamie Oliver. Two years ago we traveled to
In the early ’90s, Ron and other Conoco­Phillips Italy and had professional cooks come to the villa
employees in Stavanger opened up Okies Rib where we were staying. It gave us the chance to
House, a restaurant that served American comfort enjoy great food and learn about its preparation.”
food. “At the time it was unusual cuisine in that When it comes to eating in restaurants, Ron
part of the world,” said Ron. “We reasoned our and Kirsten have certain standards. “When we go
model would draw expats to food that wasn’t out, we want to feel like we’ve eaten food made
available in Norway and give locals a chance to from fresh ingredients prepared well.”
try dishes popular in the United States.” To ensure For those dining out in Stavanger, Ron recom-
the restaurant’s authenticity, the team designed mends two of his favorites:
the venue and menu from the ground up, includ-
Renaa
ing shipping in a smoker from Ponca City, Okla.,
Breitorget 6, Stavanger 4006
for ribs, brisket and turkey.
This restaurant has excellent food served in a
While no longer in the restaurant busi-
simple but stylish bistro atmosphere. Inviting and
ness, Ron still enjoys cooking with his
complex dishes include steaks and seafood entrees
wife Kirsten. After buying a house in 1996,
prepared using fresh, local ingredients, and service
they completely renovated the kitchen.
is swift and friendly.
“I’ve taken some Thai and Italian cooking
Spiseriet
Stavanger Konserthus
“I was greatly influenced by my grandmothers. Located in the city’s new concert house, this
They were fantastic cooks who grew or used restaurant serves a variety of excellent seafood,
locally produced foods to prepare simple but soups and entrees using fresh herbs. Large win-
dows provide a view of the fjord and harbor and,
great tasting meals.” – Ron Allred in winter, the snow-covered mountains.

40 Conoco­Phillips
What’s Cooking?

A Norwegian culinary legacy


Anne Høgalmen, manager, Facilities & Property, Tananger, Norway

G rowing up on a farm in a small valley next


to Norway’s most famous glacier, Briksdals-
breen, Anne Høgalmen says she began learning
Anne’s smoked
salmon salad
is made with
about the production and preparation of food at smoked salmon,
an early age. “Cooking is part of my heritage. I crème fraiche,
watched my mom and my grandma use the meat, onion, dill, white
pepper and salt.
dairy products and vegetables from our farm to
make all our meals from scratch. Because of this, I
came to associate different foods with the seasons
in which they were produced.”
While Anne has no formal training in the
culinary arts, at age 10 she began attending school
cooking classes. “Early on we learned where food
came from and how to prepare it. These days, I
like to watch Swedish TV chef Tina Nordstrøm,
whose focus is on everyday food.”
Anne cooks a variety of food for her husband
Trond, her two boys, Kyrre and Anders, and
family and friends when they gather. But what
does she like cooking the most? “I am particularly
fond of fish, and since most Norwegians live very
close to the sea there is always an abundance of
seafood. One of my favorite dishes is made with
smoked salmon, crème fraiche, onion and dill,
served with boiled potatoes, homemade bread
and a green salad.”
Anne does all the baking for her family; when
she makes extra, a lucky friend can count on get-
ting a delivery of fresh-made rolls.
Anne’s advice to those who are considering
“Cooking is part of my heritage. I watched my
learning to cook is to be patient when developing
your skills. “Don’t be too ambitious in the begin- mom and my grandma use the meat, dairy
ning; make it simple and have fun. Remember, products and vegetables from our farm to
cooking does not have to take all day. Many flavor-
ful dishes can be made in an hour, and that’s faster
make all our meals from scratch.”
than it takes to get a pizza delivered.” – Anne Høgalmen

spirit Magazine 41
What’s Cooking?

Scandinavian
cuisine with a
continental flair
Angela Balteskard, spouse, London, U.K.

G lobal LNG Manager Birger Baltes-


lemon beurre blanc,
kard’s wife Angela, originally
filet of beef served
from Cheshire in northwest England,
with green pesto and
has been passionate about cooking for
beetroot Cumber-
as long she can remember. “Growing
land sauce, canard au
Angela Balteskard in her
up in a large Irish family, meal times
muscadet, coffee and hard-earned Cordon Bleu
were at the center of our everyday
chocolate Paris-Brest chef’s whites
life. They not only provided us with
with a warm caramel
countless favorite dishes but also with
sauce and, of course,
many happy memories. While the dainty macarons in an array of colors.” totally different. It tastes amazing and
other kids in my family were playingLiving in Norway for 10 years gave is healthy, too.”
outside, I was the one who wanted to
Angela the opportunity to experi- Like all true professionals, Angela is
help prepare dinner. After completing
ence a new cuisine. “I love the fresh, a perpetual student of her craft. “I’ve
my education and starting a career as
uncomplicated approach to Scandina- been a huge fan of cook and author Ina
an interpreter and translator, I contin-
vian food in which ingredients of the Garten for years. I really admire her
ued to enjoy cooking for my family and
highest quality impart their flavors,” genuine love of food and friends, her
friends.” says Angela. “The resulting dishes are natural approach to cooking and her
A couple years ago, that love elegant and refined, without being visually stunning yet unfussy recipes
of cooking compelled Angela to overly fussy.” that work every time.”
attend culinary school with the goalNot surprisingly, Angela used her To anyone thinking of learning to
of becoming a professional chef. professional skills to master Scandina- cook, Angela recommends just trying
She enrolled at the internationally
vian cooking and develop her favorites. to have fun with food. “There are
renowned Tante Marie Culinary “It is hard to beat Norwegian grav- recipes to suit every palate and wallet,
Academy in Woking, England, and laks, salmon marinated in fresh dill and once you start you’ll be amazed
one year later held a coveted Cordon
and sherry and served with warm rye at your progress. Food unites people,
Bleu diploma. She also holds a Level 4
bread, empanadas stuffed with fillet of and there’s no better way to show your
diploma in professional culinary arts
cod and king prawns, casserole of veni- appreciation and affection for someone
from the Confederation of Tourismson with juniper berries and creamy than to cook a meal for them. The for-
and Hospitality and has completed the
potato gratin or a dessert of passion mat can be simple or sublime, but the
Tante Marie wine certificate course.
fruit mousse, served with a fresh citrus sentiment remains the same.”
“My Cordon Bleu training is based
salad and a decadent warm chocolate For London visitors not lucky
on classical French cuisine, everything
fondant.” enough to wrangle an invitation to
from delicate fish dishes to robust Birger is quick to point out Angela’s dine at Birger and Angela’s home, Sur-
meat entrees with complex sauces,talent for Scandinavian cooking. “I am rey has a great selection of restaurants.
as well as all aspects of patisserie and
from the north of Norway and was “My favorites are Le Gavroche in May-
special occasion gateaux,” says Angela.
brought up enjoying dishes made from fair, which is extremely expensive, and
“Some of my favorite French dishes
the best quality fresh fish, but Angela’s The French Table in Surbiton. Also,
include herb-crusted trout fillets with
herb-crusted trout is just something English pubs have developed their food
and wine menus immensely. They offer
“I love the fresh, uncomplicated approach to delicious, freshly cooked food at very
affordable prices in relaxed and friendly
Scandinavian food in which ingredients of the highest venues. Sunday lunch at a local pub is
quality impart their flavors.” – Angela Balteskard one of the great British traditions.”

42 Conoco­Phillips
What’s Cooking?

Fine cuisine, fresh ingredients


Margaret Chenier, spouse, Aberdeen, U.K.

A
“ s far back as I can remember, I have enjoyed
cooking,” says Margaret Chenier. Born in
Kingston, Jamaica, she now lives in Aberdeen with
“I tend to favor Mediterranean
flavors. The dishes I cook
and enjoy now are spicy
her husband Dave Chenier, president, Conoco- and robust; I don’t always
Phillips U.K. “I come from a big family where all follow the rules and do a lot
the women cooked, so I grew up watching my of experimenting.”
mother.” Margaret’s cooking and
At age 13, Margaret was allowed to cook for her baking expertise led her to launch
family of eight in an effort that turned out to be a catering service in Aberdeen. Last September,
a real learning experience for the budding cook. her decorated cookie “Tatty Teddy” was chosen
“I decided to make fried chicken. It was seasoned “Cookie of the Week” and later “Cookie of the
beautifully and fried to golden perfection. But, on Month” on Cookie Connection (http://cookiecon-
the inside, it was completely raw; dinner was very nection.juliausher.com).
late that night.” For all those would-be cooks out there, Marga-
Undaunted, Margaret continued to hone her ret has some practical advice. “Cook every chance
culinary skills. “I’ve subscribed to Bon Appetit you get. The more you do it, the better you’ll get.
magazine since I was a teenager and have watched And, don’t worry about mistakes. Learn from
the Food Network since its beginning,” says Mar- them and try again. If you cook with as many
garet. “I have tons of cookbooks to keep me sharp fresh ingredients as possible, you’ll soon realize
and up to date on food trends.” that your dishes far surpass the prepackaged foods
While she describes herself as a self-taught cook, that are out there.”
in an effort to advance her culinary knowledge
Margaret attended the world-renowned cooking
“Cook every chance you get. The more you
school Le Cordon Bleu London. I’ve never met a
cuisine I didn’t like; I love it all,” says Margaret. do it, the better you’ll get.” – Margaret Chenier

Margaret Chenier’s
prize-winning cookie
Tatty Teddy

spirit Magazine 43
What’s Cooking?

Enjoying food, from cakes


to curries
Carol Woodhouse, Oil Operations scheduler, London, U.K.

B orn in India, Carol Woodhouse moved to


London when she was six and has always
enjoyed cooking and, in particular, baking. “I
hot milk left a sticky mess all over my son’s new
bike, which he had just received for his birthday.
Carol’s favorite TV chefs are Michel Roux,
started off making cakes with my mother when I Nigel Slater and Lorraine Pascal. And her favorite
was a child, and apart from taking home econom- cookbook author is Galton Blakiston, chef/owner
ics at school I’m mostly a self-taught cook.” of the Michelin-starred Morston Hall country
The proof of Carol’s ability to teach herself house hotel restaurant.
may not be in the pudding, but it is certainly in She points out that there is a lot of informa-
her cakes, which have won several awards in tion available for those who really want to learn
contests at her children’s school. But as cooking. “There are many good cookbooks on
everyone knows, accidents can befall even the market, with easy-to-follow recipes. My advice
the most talented cooks. “My biggest is to start with something simple and progress at
cooking disaster was when a tin of con- your own pace.”
densed milk I was boiling to make caramel Carol echoes the sentiments of others who
for a banoffee pie exploded,” says Carol. “The believe that London is home to a vast array of
good restaurants serving all types of cuisine. “I
think going out to eat should be a treat, and that
“I started off making cakes with my mother includes good quality ingredients in a pleasant
when I was a child, and apart from taking setting with excellent service. My favorite French
restaurant is Le Gavroche, although booking
home economics at school I’m mostly a self- many months in advance is advisable. My favorite
taught cook.” – Carol Woodhouse Indian restaurant is Benares.”

Carol Woodhouse
prepares a lemon tart.

44 Conoco­Phillips
What’s Cooking?

A passion for
Polish soup Matt Garner
(center) and
Matt Garner, senior operations
engineers Anna
superintendent, Health, Safety & Laba and Chase
Environment,Warsaw, Poland Colpitt enjoy a
hearty bowl of
zurek.

S ince moving to Warsaw in March 2013,


Matt Garner has become a connoisseur of
zurek (pronounced ZHOO-rrek), a Polish soup
traditionally eaten at Easter. Zurek is made by
fermenting rye flour with water in a jar or crock
for up to five days, then adding a boiled egg and
sausage.
Originally from Tulsa, Okla., Matt has enjoyed
Polish culture through its food. “I love the way
the people here keep their traditions alive. Just
about every restaurant serves traditional Polish
perogies (dumplings), golonka (pork knuckles)
and of course zurek.”
Matt discovered zurek on his first weekend
in Warsaw after being directed to a restaurant
with a reputation for the best traditional Polish
food. The soup was served in a pottery bowl with
bread, boiled egg filled with horseradish and a
kielbasa sausage on the side. “I was hooked and
started talking with my Polish co-workers to learn
more about its history.”
His love of zurek led him to sample and pho-
“I love the way the people here keep their
tograph the dish in restaurants from the North
Baltic Sea region to the South Tatra Mountains. traditions alive. Just about every restaurant
To date, he has 35 different photos from all over serves traditional Polish perogies
Poland. While staying at the Palac Godetowo
hotel near a Conoco­Phillips well site, Matt
(dumplings), golonka (pork knuckles) and
ordered his newfound favorite dish 11 days of course zurek.” – Matt Garner
in a row.
Matt has turned to promoting the dish at the can buy zurek at the store and put your own
office. “I told incoming Completion Skills Devel- twist to it. On one of my attempts, I tried to
opment Engineer Chase Colpitt, also from Tulsa, add some Oklahoma flavor by splashing in
about it, and after one taste he too was hooked.” jalapeño Tabasco sauce and beer. It didn’t turn
Matt’s infectious enthusiasm for zurek has led out well, but I still ate it all.”
to the planning of the Conoco­Phillips Poland Matt subscribes to the philosophy that cooking
2014 zurek cookoff. “It will be similar to chili should be fun. In an effort to learn more about
cook-offs held in the U.S.” other foods, he has become a big fan of one of the
Matt has started cooking his own version of the Travel Channel’s food personalities. “I love watch-
dish with somewhat mixed results. “My cooking ing ‘Man vs. Food.’ Adam Richman makes food
skills are not the sharpest; luckily in Poland you obsession acceptable.”

spirit Magazine 45
Faces of Conoco­Phillips

46 Conoco­Phillips
Aimee Scheffer
Spreading enthusiasm, from rocks to drill bits by Kristi Richardson

Faces of Conoco­Phillips

Within moments of meet- to upstream when she joined as president of the national
ing Aimee Scheffer, one Conoco­Phillips as a geologist chapter of the Association for
thing is clear – she loves geology. in the reservoir quality predic- Women Geoscientists (AWG),
Her knowledge and enthusiasm tion group of Geosciences & an organization dedicated to
for the discipline are contagious, Reservoir Engineering. She met tackling challenges for women
as is her love of the field work, her mentor, Anita Csoma, direc- in the geosciences and encour-
whether it’s sampling core, train- tor, Reservoir Quality Predic- aging young girls to pursue the
ing or utilizing the lab equipment tion, at the University of Kansas discipline. She’s an enthusiastic
and facilities in Bartlesville, Okla. while researching the impact of proponent of the organization’s
Growing up in Colorado, microbes on enhanced oil recov- Chrysalis Scholarship, which
Aimee was surrounded by beau- ery (EOR) processes. helps women whose education
tiful rock formations. She spent “I could see that Aimee has been interrupted for life
summers traveling around the enjoyed both the theoretical and reasons. AWG provides financial
United States with her parents, practical aspects of research,” support and whatever else they
entertaining herself with maps said Csoma. “She could get need to finish their degree and
and her natural curiosity for the anyone enthused about her get back to work. “I feel like this
Above: In her spare
scenery. Aimee decided to study projects.” She credits Aimee for program best represents the mis- time, Aimee enjoys
geology when she witnessed helping to integrate the compa- sion of AWG,” said Aimee. painting drill bits.
a van-load of students being ny’s EOR efforts. “She brought Aimee’s other passion is paint- Opposite page: Aimee
dropped off after a tour of the together three research groups ing drill bits. She first started examines unconven-
tional core samples
Grand Canyon. She went on to and the Kuparuk Business Unit making them for charity while at from the Eagle Ford.
receive a bachelor’s degree and to address various EOR-related school in Kansas, donating them photo by Hall Puckett
two master’s degrees in geology, problems.” for AWG fundraisers. As they
the second in carbon sequestra- Aimee recently moved to the grew more popular, she decided
tion and geochemistry from the Lower 48 Eagle Ford reservoir to take it the next level and
University of Kansas. characterization group to study started a small company called
Prior to joining Conoco­ core samples. James Howard, Bespoke Drillbits. To this day, she
Phillips in 2012, Aimee did 100 a former associate, said it best: and members of the AWG Osage
percent field work, walking more “Aimee isn’t your typical geolo- chapter in Kansas sell painted bits,
than 900 miles a year inspecting gist. She easily makes the connec- raising more than $3,000 a year.
pipelines, taking soil samples and tion between the geology and the With unmatched excitement, she
conducting soil tests to study reservoir and is more inclined to added, “Part of the fun is tracking
corrosion. “We had to outrun look outside the geoscience silo down the bits. I’ve often had to
animals, hop fences and work to find ways to collaborate across drive a couple hundred miles to
in all weather conditions. It was disciplines. I think her approach get them from a scrap pile. Then
an exciting job, and we did it all will prove very beneficial to the I sandblast and degrease them,
without one safety incident.” Eagle Ford team.” prime and then paint. It’s quite
Aimee made the transition In her spare time, Aimee serves the process, but I love drill bits!”

spirit Magazine 47
Jerry Poppenhouse
The middle of nowhere text and photography by Patrick Currey

Faces of Conoco­Phillips

“I was getting used to this Cote d’Ivoire president. While From a roll of 36 exposures I
place called the middle of there he documented a rare per- could only get four to six shots!
nowhere.” formance of the Mask Dance, a I had to advance the film slowly
From the jungles of Peru to ritual that enabled people to get or static electricity charges
West Africa and beyond, Jerry in touch with the spirit world. would create small lightning
Poppenhouse had an “Indiana “A villager has a vision during a patterns on the film.”
Jones” career, working nearly hunting trip,” Jerry explained. On one outing, moisture
three decades as a Phillips Petro- “Upon return, he finds an artist from his breath seeped up under
leum Co. staff photographer. who can create a mask in the his face mask and collected on
Growing up in the small farm- likeness of his vision.” his eyelashes. “My left eye was
ing community of Owensville, Using a wide-angle lens in frozen shut. I was about a half
Mo., radio and movies stoked the 110-degree equatorial heat, mile from camp.” He recalled
his creative Jerry got as close how a sudden unnerving realiza-
Right: The cover
of Jerry’s book, “A imagination. to the frenetic tion hit him: “What if my other
Photographer’s Life,” “As a kid I action as pos- eye froze?”
depicts the quintes-
sential cameraman was always sible, seemingly A consummate pro with a
standing at the gates drawing on any unaware that great eye, Jerry’s hard work and
of Beijing’s Forbidden white space I the dancer was perseverance captured many
City with two motor-
ized Nikon Fs draped could find.” performing with decisive moments of the com-
around his neck. “I That interest spears. A Phillips pany’s legacy. He documented
had to write it all executive later Phillips’ entry into China and
in art led him
down for my kids; oth-
erwise they’d never to the presti- exclaimed, “That witnessed early developments at
believe me.” gious Kansas was close. Did Ekofisk and the North Slope. His
Opposite page: City Art Insti- your camera work has appeared in numer-
Jerry enjoys spend- get damaged?” ous publications, from Phillips’
tute (KCAI).
ing time at the
Phillips 66 Museum Thomas Hart Caught up in the annual reports to Hasselblad
in Bartlesville, Okla., Benton, Walt Disney and Robert moment, Jerry failed to realize Magazine, and his photos illus-
with historic photos of
Frank Phillips and the
Rauschenberg are among the that a spear had glanced off his trate books about Woolaroc and
Woolaroc II, a 1929 school’s alumni. Disney, in fact, camera, just clearing his head. Philmont Ranch.
Ford Trimotor. was Jerry’s first famous portrait In the arctic, a temperature of Jerry credits his adventures for
as a KCAI staff photographer. 65 degrees below zero awaited teaching him many lessons – cre-
In 1966, Jerry landed an intern- him on Alaska’s North Slope. ative problem-solving, keeping
ship with Phillips. Ahead lay an He described the other-worldly a fluid frame of reference and,
open map, thousands of rolls of winter landscape in his memoir: above all, getting the job done.
undeveloped film, many hits and “With the slightest gust of wind One thing’s for sure: it’s a brave
a few near misses. the snow would swirl until the soul that goes out to that place
Poppenhouse recalls flying sky and the land were fused in called “nowhere” and brings
to Yamoussoukro with Phillips a blinding wall of white. I had some of it back to share with the
executives at the invitation of the four cameras inside my parka. rest of us.

48 Conoco­Phillips
Faces of Conoco­Phillips

spirit Magazine 49
Faces of Conoco­Phillips

50 Conoco­Phillips
Byatriasa Linuwih
Work-music balance by Kiky Shahab

Faces of Conoco­Phillips

She’s an enterprise an album titled “RAN for Your


resource planning opera- Life,” which was a huge hit in
tions and logistics analyst for Indonesia. In 2009, she joined
Asia Pacific and a professional L’Alphalpha, a Jakarta-based indie
musician. Not many people rock band, as lead keyboardist
have such an impressive résumé, and vocalist. They released their
and Conoco­Phillips Indonesia is first album, “When We Awake
among the privileged few to have All Dreams Are Gone,” in 2011
such an employee. and recently released a second
Byatriasa Linuwih, known as album, “Von Stufe zu Stufe,”
Yayas, joined the company as a which translates from German to
global information protection “From Stage to Stage.” “Person-
and assurance analyst in 2009. ally, this is my favorite album I’ve
Long before that, her attachment ever released,” Yayas said, “so I’m to contribute professionally
to music was already strong. hoping people will also enjoy the through her work, as well as
She was born into a family of songs on it.” personally through music. Yayas
musicians. Yayas’ father intro- Yayas’ biggest challenge is also appreciates the support
duced her to music early in life, managing her hectic schedule that she and other employees
and she began to play musical between working at Conoco­ get from the company for their
instruments at a young age. Yayas Phillips and touring as a musician activities. Conoco­Phillips Indo-
confesses its importance in her in a band. “They are two differ- nesia has sports clubs, a choir
life. “Music is something very per- ent worlds that require almost and even a band that often plays
sonal to me and a really impor- the same focus and attention. at internal events.
tant part of my life. I will try to Despite that, luckily, I have never To Yayas, priceless moments
say this without sounding so cli- had any major issues juggling the come when she is onstage and Above: Yayas as
chéd, but really, I cannot imagine two, as each supports the other people are cheering, but what lead keyboardist and
my world without music.” in some ways. I admit that some- vocalist
she also considers valuable are
times I get overwhelmed and the great friendships she has Top: Yayas with her
band L’Alphalpha
tired, but along with that established with her colleagues.
I feel a sense of fulfill- Opposite page: Yayas
“In my almost five years working and her guitar were
ment. The good thing is here, I’ve experienced a work- depicted on the 2013
that both worlds always ing environment that is far from Conoco­Phillips Indo-
nesia calendar with
present me with a vari- stiff,” she said. “And I feel that the theme “Unlocking
ety of challenges, and that each day at work offers different People Potential.”
keeps me motivated.” challenges to conquer, which
Linuwih’s music career offi- She is grateful that the com- helps me to develop my skills.
cially started when she joined pany supports her goal of main- I really enjoy working with my
a popular band called RAN as taining a balanced life, because colleagues, who have always been
lead keyboardist. They released she appreciates the opportunity fun, reliable and resourceful.”

spirit Magazine 51
In the News

Conoco­Phillips holds Supplier Sustainability Forum


C onoco­Phillips brought together
materials and service suppliers
for its second annual Supplier Sustain-
emissions and noise.
Participants from Supply Chain and
Health, Safety & Environment (HSE)
program progress, including a compila-
tion of metrics from key suppliers. The
team was created in April 2013 to support
ability Forum held in November 2013 in shared their programs with the suppli- Supply Chain’s vision that environmental
Houston. Forum participants discussed ers. Josh Soybel, crisis management stewardship and social accountability
the impact of environmental risks on the and emergency response manager, HSE,
upstream energy sector’s supply chains discussed the company’s crisis manage-
and identified common issues, such as ment and emergency response program. “We’re driving toward
water and chemical use, biodiversity The Supply Chain Sustainability team productivity and efficiency
(land use) impacts, water discharge, air provided an overview of its objectives and
through supplier
innovation and mitigation
of supply risk.” – Ginny Hart

drive value throughout the department.


“We’re driving toward productivity and
efficiency through supplier innovation and
mitigation of supply risk,” said Ginny Hart,
manager, Supply Chain Sustainability.
Forum participants were one of the

Left: Jan Dell, sustainable development


lead, explains an exercise to identify
common risks.
Above: Ginny Hart, manager, Supply Chain
Sustainability, welcomes suppliers to the
annual forum.

52 Conoco­Phillips
continued


The Mark rollout continues
A t press time, Conoco­Phillips had
launched its redesigned employee
intranet site, The Mark, in Houston,
accessible on each of the three main
pages by clicking on the page titles.
The Mark and its pages will serve as
London, Aberdeen, Bartlesville, Norway, the company’s single, global gateway
Teesside, Australia and Qatar. Remain- to employee information, materials and
ing locations were scheduled to roll out resources. Content in some areas of the
by April. The platform features three dis- site will continue to appear in the origi-
tinct sections – Our Company, My Work nal eStream format. These functional
& Collaboration and My Life & Career. pages will be updated in the coming
Key information and resources are easily months.  •

Above: Josh Soybel, manager, Crisis


Management & Emergency Response
and Sabrina Watkins, manager, Sustain-
able Development participate in a forum
activity.

first groups to receive a copy of the


Conoco­Phillips Code of Business Ethics
and Conduct: Expectations of Suppliers,
published last year on the company’s
external website for continuous improve-
ment in supply chain risk management
and transparency with the company’s
supply base.
The forum was also an opportunity to
hear participants share their success in
environmental sustainability, including
corporate commitment to environmental
performance, robust data systems to
measure and manage progress, sufficient
time for planning low-impact operations
and a willingness to seek and try innova-
tive solutions.
ConocoPhillips promotes safe driving
“The forum was a terrific day of
thoughtful key messages and open O n Feb. 20, the company promoted
its commitment to safe driving
on its corporate social media
comments and shares.
A second post the following
week featured all of the 8 Life
discussion,” said Jan Dell, sustainable
development lead, Supply Chain Sus- channels and received an over- Saving Rules. Conoco­Phillips
tainability. Ultimately, the forum was an whelmingly positive response. personnel were encouraged
effective way to further demonstrate The Facebook post reached to share these rules on
Conoco­Phillips’ commitment to sustain- nearly 9,000 people in one their personal social media
ability while promoting dialogue and week and received 495 likes, channels.  •
innovative thinking among the company’s
suppliers.•
spirit Magazine 53
In the News continued from previous page

February Town Hall replacement of 179 percent. “For a


company our size, that’s truly outstand-
in Canada’s oil sands and Australia
Pacific Liquefied Natural Gas (APLNG),
accentuates 2013 ing,” he said. where first deliveries are on target for
achievements “In addition, we made great progress
on startups that are key to delivering the
2015. And he gave a nod to the Explo-
ration organization’s successes in the

P residing over the annual Variable


Compensation Incentive Program
(VCIP) Town Hall and webcast on Feb. 20,
3 to 5 percent production and margin deepwater Gulf of Mexico at Coronado
and Shenandoah.
Turning to financial results, Ryan said
Chairman and CEO Ryan Lance had the that the company’s adjusted earnings
usual captivated audience. More than 500 “… we made great were up 5 percent while margins grew
local Houston employees filled the audi-
torium, and just shy of 10,000, a record
progress on startups that 11 percent. “When you run well opera-
tionally and deliver on your targets, you
number, tuned in to the live webcast. are key to delivering the meet your financial objectives as well.”
Employees watching from the compa- On the strategic front, Conoco­Phillips
ny’s U.K. Teesside plant were particularly 3 to 5 percent production sold more than $10 billion in assets
pleased to see themselves highlighted
during the safety moment in the first of a
and margin growth during 2013. “That was really key to the
company,” Ryan said. “It was important
planned series of Life Saving Rules videos. we’ve set as our strategic for us to core up our portfolio and put
The annual VCIP meeting focuses cash on the balance sheet so we could
primarily on the previous year’s results objective.” – Ryan Lance continue to reinvest in our high returning,
against corporate and business unit high margin capital projects.
goals. As such, it provided an ideal “In that process, we raised our divi-
platform to review 2013 performance, growth we’ve set as our strategic objec- dend, which showed the marketplace
including operational, financial and stra- tive.” Those startups included Ekofisk we’ve got confidence in our portfolio and
tegic results. Among other successes, South in Norway and Jasmine in the U.K. our ability to grow production, cash flow
Ryan highlighted the 2013 organic reserve Ryan also noted progress on Surmont 2 and margins.”  •

Tim Cornelson, director, Integrated Solutions, asks a question during the VCIP Town Hall.

54 Conoco­Phillips
continued


IT innovation facilitates collaboration, enables business success
E ach month, Information Technology
(IT) hosts its Innovation Forum to
explore new technologies. In early 2013,
“We were encouraged by the strong
response,” said Beahan. “There was a
healthy amount of collaboration, down
facilities, wells, operations, reservoir simu-
lation and Alaska. Brown hoped to walk
away with three to five “big ideas.”
forum members identified a need for voting as well as up voting, which A virtual team of moderators, judges
crowdsourcing ideas at Conoco­Phillips. showed us that the tool fosters the kind and technical experts provided essen-
Crowdsourcing is the practice of solicit- of open, honest dialogue we support in tial support. With the right tool, the right
ing services, ideas or content from an our Conoco­Phillips culture.” people and the right process, ideas
online community. One benefit is that it Energized by this initial success, the poured in – 490 employees in Alaska,
flips the traditional hierarchy, allowing for group launched two additional campaigns Canada and Houston competed for
idea generation at all levels. – one on enhancing the intern program $50,000 in R&D funding. Out of the 119

“We were encouraged by the strong response.


There was a healthy amount of collaboration, down
voting as well as up voting, which showed us that
the tool fosters the kind of open, honest dialogue
we support in our Conoco­Phillips culture.” – Pat Beahan

A Conoco­Phillips team was assembled and another based on IT’s Employee innovations generated, 18 were identified
to identify the right crowdsourcing tool. Engagement Survey results. Both cam- as “potential game changers.”
Led by Pat Beahan, senior consultant, IT paigns had high engagement and were “It is exciting to see that the spirit of
Strategy & Innovation and David Talbot, considered productive. innovation is alive and well at Conoco­
senior consultant, Enterprise Architec- The tool successfully enabled cam- Phillips,” said Brown. “The support and
ture, the team selected IdeaFlow from paigns for internal customers and fea- facilitation provided by the IT group
among several options, notably for tured a process model that worked well. throughout the campaign were outstand-
its features and cost model. The tool “We believed we had the proof of concept ing. Without it we would not have realized
enables participants to provide feedback we needed to take this method of idea such a successful outcome.”
and vote on and “like” others’ ideas generation to the business,” said Beahan.
or feedback. A leaderboard tracks the Future crowdsourcing
ideas, key collaborators, idea owners and Crowdsourcing in at Conoco­Phillips
level of engagement. the business IdeaFlow facilitates something critical to
Conoco­Phillips constantly strives to work Conoco­Phillips – idea generation, also
“There should be an more efficiently – cutting costs where referred to as ideation. Possible applica-
app for that” possible while maintaining or improv- tions are virtually unlimited and could
Before making the tool widely available, ing outcomes. When Pfister and Beahan help the company more effectively tap
IT launched its own pilot campaign, presented the tool and process to Chief into its people to overcome obstacles and
“There should be an app for that.” IT Technology Officer Ram Shenoy and his outsmart the competition.
employees were invited by Chief Infor- leadership team, they knew it could be a “The IdeaFlow tool aligns with our IT
mation Officer Mike Pfister to submit good fit. strategy to enable the business to meet
ideas for new mobile apps to be used at The Oil Sands & Heavy Oil team, led its strategic objectives through the use
Conoco­Phillips. Using IdeaFlow, employ- by Technology Program Manager David of innovative technology,” said Pfister.
ees generated more than 350 ideas, and Brown, ran a three-week campaign to “Given our SPIRIT Values of Innova-
more than 5,200 votes were cast for the uncover innovations and research and tion and Collaboration, this and other
top choices. Awards and certificates development (R&D) investments for the oil enabling technologies are a natural fit for
were offered to encourage participation sands and heavy oil portfolio, with the goal Conoco­Phillips.”
and promote engagement throughout the of lowering costs and improving efficiency. Managers who think such a campaign
three-week campaign. Five of the apps Recognition awards targeted the top ideas could be useful for their business are
have been developed for use by Conoco­ or collaborators. Employees were asked encouraged to contact a member of the
Phillips employees. to pitch ideas on select topics: recovery, team to explore opportunities.  •

spirit Magazine 55
In the News continued from previous page

Global Subsurface
Symposium: Energy
through global
collaboration
T he 2013 Global Subsurface Sympo-
sium brought together more than 850
attendees in Houston for four days of col-
laboration, networking and presentations.
“This was a valuable learning oppor-
tunity,” said Juli Hennings, manager,
Geoscience Excellence and planning
chair for the event. “It was a chance for
the subsurface community to get together
and learn how they can directly impact
the business.”
The attendees were a diverse mix of
existing staff, new hires and recent gradu-
ates. “At least a third of the people were
not at Conoco­Phillips five years ago, and selected for the poster session, 252 were Above: ConocoPhillips reservoir
a third attended from business units (BU) technical talks and nine were technical engineers, petrophysicists, geologists and
outside Houston,” said Hennings. “So the keynotes on topics such as unconven- geophysicists gather for one of the many
networking enabled them to connect with tionals, conventionals, heavy oil, deepwa- keynote speeches during the event.
global colleagues.” ter, integration, innovation and functional
Fink, supervisor, Geophysical Services,
attended along with 100 colleagues from
Canada. “We were able to showcase
“It was a chance for the subsurface community what we’re doing in our BU and capture
to get together and learn how they can directly learnings to take back. It was a very
worthwhile experience.”
impact the business.” – Juli Hennings Tricia Allwardt, a staff geologist in
Houston, felt the symposium provided
geology, geophysics and reservoir
Anticipation was high for the event and excellence. engineering staff with the opportunity to
evident in the record number of abstracts Attendees learned about new opportu- learn how various challenges are being
submitted in advance. Of 720 abstracts, nities the company is pursuing around the addressed by different BUs. “The event
40 ended up as courses, 328 were world and shared lessons learned. Tooney helped us to focus on how specific tech-
nologies can be leveraged for our own
work. It was an excellent forum for gener-
ating excitement about ongoing projects
and the path forward as a company
focused on organic growth.”
Various panel discussions with senior
leaders reiterated the important role the
subsurface community will play in extend-
ing production growth beyond 2018
by: maximizing value from base assets,
development programs and major proj-
ects; improving the reliability of forecasts;
converting existing resources to reserves;
and adding new resources through
exploration.
Over 320 projects
Symposium sponsor Ken Tubman,
were shown at the vice president, Geoscience & Reservoir
poster sessions during Engineering, couldn’t be happier with
the Global Subsurface the event’s success. “You could feel the
Symposium. energy and excitement during the breaks.
I heard very positive comments about

56 Conoco­Phillips
continued


Rich Germain: Remembering a colleague and friend
O n Jan. 3, Conoco­Phillips lost a
valued colleague and cherished
friend with the sudden passing away
of Technology Ventures Manager Rich
Germain.
A business innovator, Rich believed
that technological innovation would play a
critical role in meeting the world’s growing
energy demand. He understood that the
necessary advances could be achieved
through investment in alternative as well
as conventional energy. At Conoco­
Phillips, he demonstrated his commit-
ment to investing in and partnering with
companies developing innovative energy
technologies for the exploration and pro-
duction business.
Rich was a dedicated family man who
leaves behind his wife, Dana, and their
children Alegra, Ryker, Ellery and Davis.
No matter how busy his schedule, he
made time to lead Cub Scout Troop 806, see the significant events in his young chil- and I’m sorry that he will not be present to
attend Houston Children’s Chorus perfor- dren’s lives as they grow up,” said Chief celebrate with them.”
mances, cheer at soccer games and take Technology Officer Ram Shenoy. “He was Since his passing, many colleagues
bike rides in the neighborhood. Gifted with a special colleague, a rare combination have made generous donations to the
a quick wit and terrific sense of humor, of creativity and energy. He worked hard Germain Scholarship Fund on behalf of
Rich was a great friend and committed to build the Technology Ventures team, Rich’s children. The Shlenker School Fund
poker player who loved a glass of fine cultivating a talented group of profession- is eligible for the Conoco­Phillips Matching
pinot noir and a good cigar. als who now manage a critical mass of Gift Program.
“Rich’s untimely passing is heartbreak- projects. They are on the cusp of some Rich will be deeply missed by his family
ing, particularly as he will not be around to significant successes for Conoco­Phillips, and network of friends around the world. •

the talks and papers, and the enthusi- Conoco­Phillips geophysicist recognized by
asm was contagious. These events are
important for everyone to share what is
China University of Petroleum
going on in their world and take back the
lessons they’ve learned. That is the real D r. Xianhuai Zhu (right), principal
research geophysicist, Acquisi-
geoscience institutions of higher educa-
tion. About 100 individuals have been
value here.” tion, was recently named Distinguished named Distinguished Alumni.  •
The event closed with an awards cer- Alumnus by the China University of Petro-
emony hosted by Chief Executive Officer leum, the first overseas recipient of the
Ryan Lance. The top four awards went award. This award recognizes an individ-
to Andy Elifritz (best overall talk, primary ual who made outstanding contributions
author), Aaron Berger (best overall early to the oil and gas industry and geoscience
career talk, primary author), Hugh Beeley technologies. Dr. Ming Zha (left), vice
(best overall poster, primary author) and president, China University of Petroleum,
Quinta Warren (best overall early career presented the medal to Zhu when he
poster, primary author). In addition, five visited Houston in December 2013.
awards were presented to best-in-theme In 2012 Zhu received the Reginald
talks and posters. Fessenden Award from the Society of
But the real measure of success is Exploration Geophysicists for his pio-
from the attendees themselves. “This neering work on turning-ray tomography
was the best internal or external sym- and tomostatics.
posium that I have ever attended in four Established in 1953, China University
decades,” said Fink.  • of Petroleum is one of the nation’s leading

spirit Magazine 57
In the News continued from previous page

Houston campus jiu jitsu team shines


at first competition
T he Conoco­Phillips/Phillips 66
Brazilian jiu jitsu team came out
of the gate strong, taking home five
silver in “no gi” and bronze in “gi.” The
“gi,” the full kimono-style uniform, can be
used as a weapon and is worn in a more
hard-earned medals at the 2014 North formal style of competition. “No gi” is
American Grappling Association (NAGA) more like wrestling, with greater physical
Championships in Houston on Saturday, contact and casual attire.
Feb. 15. Three competitors earned a The team is also proud of their coach.
total of five medals. On Feb. 22, Morales battled in a close
“It was an outstanding effort by all, championship match, earning a second-
and I’m very proud,” said Luis Morales, place finish in his division at the 2014
director, Physical & Technical Security International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation
Houston speedskater and team coach. “We started the Brazilian Houston Open. He competes annually in
competes at Sochi jiu jitsu program in May of last year. These this event and only coached at the NAGA
are my most dedicated students, and competition. “It would be hard for all of us
Olympic Games now they’re champions.” to compete and for me to be there coach-

J onathan Garcia, son of Houston- Raul Lema, supervisor, Wells Integrated ing as well.”
Performance, took gold in “gi” against Morales anticipates bigger and better
based Conoco­Phillips contrac-
blue belts, a major accomplishment. things for the team at their next match,
tor Joseph Garcia, competed in Senior Reservoir Engineer Matt Parsons the Texas International Grappling Festival
the 1,000-meter long-track skate won the gold in “no gi” and bronze in in April. He’d like to say a special thanks
for Team USA in Sochi on Feb. 12. “gi.” Michael G. Andrew, director, Pricing to student Marissa Tian, senior process
Garcia finished in 28th place with
West Coast & Aviation for Phillips 66, took  •
analyst at Phillips 66, for her support.

a time of 1:10.7 seconds, behind


Dutch skater Stefan Groothuis, who
won gold with a time of 1:08.39
seconds. This is Garcia’s first time to
compete in the Olympics.
Garcia, who graduated from
Taylor High School in Katy, started
as an inline speed skater, winning
his first national title in 2004, and
represented the U.S. in three world
championships. After competing in
the 2007 Pan American Games he
transitioned to short-track speeds-
kating on ice.
In 2010 and 2011, Garcia won
national titles before moving to long-
track speedskating. He competed
in the 2012 World Cup and the
World Championships in 2013. At
the 2014 Olympic Trials, Garcia’s
qualifying time for the 500-meter
sprint was disallowed after he failed
to wear a backup timing device. The
following day he made the Olympic
team by finishing fourth in the
1,000-meter event. •
From left to right: Matt Parsons, Raul Lema, Marissa Tian, Luis Morales and
Michael G. Andrew

58 Conoco­Phillips
continued


Global Water Sustainability Center wins technical poster competition
T he Conoco­Phillips Global Water
Sustainability Center (GWSC) in
Doha – featured in the fourth quarter 2013
the GWSC team was awarded first prize
in the Energy and Environment category
for its technical poster, “Field Testing of
presented the team with a trophy and
certificate at a gala dinner. The poster,
one of 150 entries, presented highlights
spirit Magazine – recently was recognized Membrane Distillation for Desalination of of the membrane distillation field testing
by the Government of Qatar for its high Brines Discharged from Thermal Plants.” in Qatar. Posters were judged on research
quality research. At the Qatar Founda- Faisal Al Suwaidi, president, Qatar quality, originality, merit and relevance to
tion’s 2013 Annual Research Conference, Foundation Research & Development,  •
the country’s future.

From left: Samer


Adham, manager,
Water Solutions;
Faisal Al Suwaidi,
president, Qatar
Foundation
Research &
Development;
and Altaf Ahmed
Hussain, engineer,
Global Water
Sustainability
Center

Conoco­Phillips Knowledge Sharing team Network of Excellence


wins global enterprise award app drives mobile
collaboration
C onoco­Phillips has been recognized
with a 2013 Most Admired Knowl-
edge Enterprises (MAKE) award for
program con-
tinues to be
regarded as a D esigned to improve global
collaboration and accessibil-
creating long-term enterprise intellectual leader, not only ity, the new Knowledge Sharing
capital and shareholder value more than in the oil and Networks of Excellence (NoE)
twice as quickly as its competitors. gas commu- 2013 app allows employees to stay
“Conoco­Phillips’ knowledge sharing nity but across connected with their NoE when
all industries,” travelling, away from their desk or
said Chief Informa- working in the field. This real-time
tion Officer Mike Pfister. “We are proud collaboration increases productiv-
of our knowledge-driven culture that ity via smart phones and tablet
successfully uses innovation, employee devices by enabling individuals
engagement and collaborative pro- to access Ask & Discuss, Knowl-
cesses to solve business challenges edge Library, Announcements and
and enhance learning.”  • OneWiki content.  •

spirit Magazine 59
In the News continued from previous page

Eating our way participants in all during the campaign.


“I am proud to work for a company
part in future challenges. They are good
for all of us!”
to good health that focuses on healthy living both
inside and outside work,” said Nonie
Houston-based Engineering Tech
Russelle Heard said the challenge

C onoco­Phillips’ goal is to make


sure employees are healthy and
productive. The Nutrition In Action!
Heinrich, risk analyst, Conoco­Phillips
Canada. “I encourage everyone to take
was an “excellent wake-up call and
reminder. Thank you!” •
challenge that is part of the Good for
You! campaign is one company initia-
tive designed to achieve that goal.
The eight-week challenge, held
Jan. 13-March 7, focused on educat-
ing employees about good nutrition
through short videos, healthy recipes
and tracking of meals. During the first
week of the challenge, 2,600 employ-
ees registered, with more than 4,000

Berita Kita! takes gold


C onoco­Phillips Indonesia’s flag-
ship publication took home a
2014 Indonesia In-House Magazine
Excellence, by Dahlan Iskan, chair-
man of Indonesia’s Press Corporation
Association (Serikat Perusahaan Pers/
Berita Kita! was selected from more
than 200 entries, based on the quality
of graphic design, creativity, communi-
“Gold Winner” Award for Multinational SPS). Awards were presented at a cation and photojournalism. Prominent
Companies. The award was presented ceremony on Feb. 8 in Bengkulu, held figures in creative design, marketing
to Dewi Mayasari (far right), manager, in conjunction with National Press Day communications and photography
Internal Communications & Functional celebration events. judged the national competition.  •

60 Conoco­Phillips
continued


Phil Precht
recognized for
environmental
stewardship
P hil R. Precht, director, Coastal
Wetlands, was recently awarded the
Ducks Unlimited Wetlands Conservation
Achievement Award in the Conservation/
Private Entity category. Precht oversees
the largest span of privately-owned wet-
lands along the Gulf Coast.
“There are many reasons Phil deserves
this award, but most important is his lead-
ership in collaborating with other land-
owners, state and federal agencies and a
host of non-governmental organizations,
all aimed at conserving Louisiana’s Gulf
Coast,” said Scott W. Manley, director,
Ducks Unlim-
ited Conserva-
tion Innovation,
Southern
Phil Precht, director, Coastal Wetlands; Don Hrap, president, Lower 48 & Latin
Region. “His America; Chris John, president, Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association
commitment to
collaboration
and conserva-
tion results
Conoco­Phillips approximately 86,000 acres of wetlands.

is second to receives outstanding “Conoco­Phillips, with a heritage of


almost 90 years in Louisiana, is honored
none.” achievement award to receive this award,” said Don Hrap,

O
Such n Feb. 19, Louisiana Mid-Continent president, Lower 48 & Latin America.
relationships Oil and Gas Association (LMOGA) “As the largest landowner in Louisiana,
helped Precht presented Conoco­Phillips with the 2014 with 640,000 acres, we are committed
Phil R. Precht
harness tech- Pelican Award, recognizing its con- to acting responsibly to meet or exceed
nical, logistical and financial support for tributions and investment in the state environmental standards in all aspects of
a number of conservation and restoration of Louisiana. Over the past several our business. Our 57 employees around
projects during his more than 35 years at years, Conoco­Phillips has participated the state work every day to provide
Conoco­Phillips. He instituted an annual in more than 60 projects focused on energy to drive economic growth, social
workshop that engages major landowners hurricane protection, coastal restora- well-being and a stable and healthy envi-
and community leaders from Lafourche
and Terrebonne Parishes to ensure effec-
tion and wetland mitigation, enhancing ronment for future generations.” •
tive and efficient project development. A
workshop for state and federal agencies
involved in project development for the Conoco­Phillips main campus earns
Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection
and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) program prestigious design award
C
enables all entities to work together and onoco­Phillips’ main Houston Each year, the award is presented
best leverage resources. campus was recognized recently by for Houston buildings or structures that
“Phil has also demonstrated consider- the Houston Chapter have stood the test
able success in building partnerships of the American of time, for 25 to
within the corporate structure of Conoco­ Institute of Architects 35 years, and that
Phillips and has been a tireless champion (AIA). The company feature designs of
of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands, nurtur- was presented the enduring signifi-
ing an environmental ethic that includes organization’s pres- cance. Accepting the
natural resource management as a part tigious 2014 Twenty- award on behalf of
of a sound business strategy,” said five Year Award during Preservation the company was Randy McDaniel, prin-
Lafourche Parish Administrator Archie P. Houston’s 35th Annual Awards Banquet cipal architect, Real Estate & Facilities
 •
Chaisson III. on Feb. 21. Services. •
spirit Magazine 61
In the News continued from previous page

Conoco­Phillips
Rodeo Run
provides more
than $4 million in
scholarships
W ith the help of nearly 15,000
runners and 1,500 volunteers, the
Conoco­Phillips Rodeo Run once again
helped make higher education a reality
for Texas students. Runners – many
dressed in western wear – took to the
streets of Houston in early March for the

“We’re always proud


to support our local
communities.” Sheila Feldman, vice president, Human Resources & Real Estate & Facilities Services,
– Sheila Feldman conducts an on-site interview with local news media.

27th annual event to raise money for the chairperson. “And we’re fortunate to up runners to handing out water along
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo have so many dedicated employees, the route, Conoco­Phillips volunteers
Educational Fund. retirees and contractors who support help make the event possible. And they
“We’re always proud to support our this Houston event, which enables us to do it all in the spirit of giving back to
local communities,” said Sheila Feldman, donate 100 percent of the entry fees to the community. Over the past 27 years,
vice president, Human Resources & deserving Texas students.” the company has donated more than
Real Estate & Facilities and Rodeo Run From planning the course to signing  •
$4 million to the fund.

62 Conoco­Phillips
News Briefs
potential by strengthening at-risk
Sanjay Mehta named
communities through effective parent
Industrial CIO of the Year
education and support programs.”

S anjay Mehta, manager, Information


Technology (IT) for the Australia
Business Unit (BU), has been named
Conoco­Phillips volunteers have partici-
pated in several key projects, including
assembling toy-making kits used in
Industrial Chief Information Officer AVANCE parenting classes, creating a
(CIO) of the Year at the 2014 iTnews natural playground at AVANCE-Hous-
Benchmark Awards, based on a sub- ton’s flagship location and assisting
mission for the BU’s Integrated Safe teachers in setting up classrooms for
System of Work (iSSoW). The annual the new school year.
awards recognize CIOs and IT project Through the Conoco­Phillips
teams for delivering IT excellence. Employee Volunteer Grant Program
The iSSoW integrated a number of the company has donated $5,500
discrete systems to provide a single to AVANCE-Houston since 2009.
program for managing work permits at Through the donation of time, talent
Conoco­Phillips’ Darwin-based lique- and treasure, Conoco­Phillips employ-
fied natural gas operations. Judges ees have made a huge difference in
Elise Nellsch received the “most spirited” and CIO peers were impressed with the lives of some of Houston’s least
award in this year’s costume contest. the way the project integrated safety fortunate families.
objectives and productivity gains.
In his acceptance speech, Mehta Alastair Donald named
said, “This award acknowledges the Houston Minority Supplier
hard work of the entire IT organiza- Development Council
tion across multiple disciplines. The board chairman
IT organization worked across the Alastair Donald, manager, Supply
globe to deliver this solution, so this Chain Europe & Americas, has been
was a genuinely collaborative effort. appointed chairman of the Houston
The organization should be proud Minority Supplier Development Council
of its commitment to safety, innova- (HMSDC) board
tion, project execution and technical of directors.
excellence.” Donald is
Conoco­Phillips honored responsible for
for outstanding corporate setting the strat-
egy, approving
volunteerism
president and
AVANCE-Houston, Inc. has recognized staff work plans,
Conoco­Phillips as its 2014 honoree for managing the
outstanding corporate volunteerism. organization’s
“Conoco­Phillips employees have been financial health
Alastair Donald
some of our most active volunteers and ensuring board and president
for several years,” said Jose Villarreal, effectiveness. Since 2007, Donald has
executive director. “In 2013 members been an active member of HMSDC,
of the company’s Women’s Network serving in various roles, including vice
contributed more hours than any other chairman in 2012 and 2013. Conoco­
group.” Phillips is a member of HMSDC and
Each year the organization rec- is proud to support its mission of
ognizes a company that supports increasing opportunities and growth
its mission of “unlocking America’s for minority business enterprises. •

spirit Magazine 63
On Assignment spirit Magazine is published quarterly by the
Conoco­Phillips Internal Communications Department.

Kris Sava (A conversation with Knut Schjerverud, Page 31) Address mail to spirit Magazine, Conoco­Phillips, MA3132,
P.O. Box 2197, Houston, TX 77252-2197,
recently traveled to Luanda, Angola, where he sat down
or send email to the editor at
with Country Manager Knut Schjerverud to discuss the ray.scippa@conoco­phillips.com.
upcoming deepwater drilling
campaign. Kris is the senior advi- Ray Scippa, Executive Editor
sor for International External Jan Hester, Assistant Editor
Communications. He has been
with the company for just over Michelle Gunnett and Carmelo de Guzman, Designers
nine months. Joe Glyda, Photo Editor

Whitney Burton, Contributing Editor


Kiky Shahab (Byatriasa Linu-
wih, Work-music balance, Page 50) Internal Communications: David Austin, Whitney
is coordinator, Internal Com- Burton, Jan Hester, Janice Leonard, Natasha Mitchell,
munication for Conoco­Phillips Amy Munson, Kristi Richardson, Ray Scippa and
Indonesia (COPI). She graduated Andrea Urbanek
from the University of Indonesia with a major in com- Creative Services: Obi Arisukwu, Kevin Bonny, Linda
munications studies and joined COPI Boulton, Ed Burke, Carmelo de Guzman, Darcy
right after graduation in April 2007 as De Leon, Ashley Dillon, Danielle Doty, Dave Duncan,
a business apprentice. She serves as an Toni Garrett, Michelle Gunnett, Garth Hannum, John
editor for the business unit’s flagship Hart, Larry Jones, Rich Ostrem, Jim Spanos, Mara
Webster, Sara Wise and Chris Young
publication, Berita Kita!, and is respon-
sible for managing internal publica- Contributors: James Bartlett, Daren Beaudo, Jackie
tions, leaders’ communications and Bunce, Ralph Burch, Kathryn Donelson, Emma Duffin,
COPI’s environment and sustainable Sandra Duncan, Rodney Echols, Stephen Elison, Donna
Erfessoglou, Beta Fox, Beth Guidry, Romelia Hinojosa,
development internal campaigns.
Candy Leigh, Jared Leigh, Morgan Menzies, Sara Orsi,
Christine Portillo, Carolyn Reeder, Kris Sava, Kiky
Shahab, John Sousa, Bill Stephens, Dale Summerlin,
Courtney Timm, Renny Toftegaard, Sabrina Watkins
and Simon Wragg

spirit Magazine is printed at the Phillips 66


Printing Center in Bartlesville, Okla.

Business Printing and Finishing: Mike Cranor, Jack Smith,


Frank Mitchell, Jim Himes, Shane Crosthwait, Lee
Tevebaugh and Beth Foster

For requests related to the spirit Magazine mail­ing


list, please contact Beth Foster at
beth.foster@p66.com or call 918-977-4133.
This issue of spirit Magazine contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from
what is expressed or forecast in such forward-looking statements. Economic,
business, competitive and regulatory factors that may affect Conoco­Phillips’
business are generally as set forth in Conoco­Phillips’ filing with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC). Unless legally required to do so, ConocoPhillips
is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any such obligation) to update
or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.

spirit Magazine is printed entirely on Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC®) certified paper. FSC certification ensures that the paper used in this
magazine contains fiber from well-managed and responsibly harvested forests that meet strict environmental and socioeconomic standards.
We’re proud to be one of the first energy companies to make this significant move to help our environment.

CSH 14-0065
Manage Your Stress

Feel healthier, happier and more productive.


A deadline for a challenging work project lies ahead. Your teenager needs you.
And your parents are living with you for a month until their new condo is ready.
Good, bad and in between, life can be full of all types of situations that send our
stress levels through the roof.
Wouldn’t it be great to better manage stress and start feeling more revitalized,
relaxed and energetic? You can!
ConocoPhillips will be launching Stress Management Awareness Month in May,
during which you’ll learn new ways to handle the stress in your life so you can
feel healthier, happier and more productive.
Houston tradition.
Texas-sized pride.
At ConocoPhillips, we’re committed to setting the standard for excellence in all that we do. That’s why
we’re proud to support the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ through the ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run.
A Houston tradition spanning more than a quarter of a century, the Rodeo Run helps make college dreams
a reality for Texas high school students. During the past 26 years we’ve awarded more than $3.7 million in
scholarships through the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Educational Fund. For ConocoPhillips, it’s a
source of pride rivaled in size only by the state of Texas.

www.conocophillips.com

© ConocoPhillips Company. 2013. All rights reserved.

You might also like