Operations Lead

Job Description

Job Description

Through its merger with Oil Search, Santos has acquired and assumed operatorship over a world-class portfolio of oil leases on the Alaskan North Slope, USA.

Our focus in Alaska is advancement of our Pikka Phase 1 project, which includes a single drill site, an oil processing facility, and other infrastructure to support production of 80,000 barrels of oil per day.

Pikka has been identified as being among the top quartile of oil and gas development projects for greenhouse gas emissions performance. Pikka is poised to play an important role in the energy transition and is aligned with our company goal of managing climate change risk. Santos and its partner Repsol has committed the funding for Pikka Phase 1 and is on track to deliver first oil by 2026.

The Pikka Unit is one of the largest conventional oil discoveries made in the United States in the last 30 years, and the Pikka Phase 1 Project is the most significant development on Alaska's North Slope in more than 20 years.

The permitted Pikka development project includes two additional drill sites. The Alaska assets also include discoveries made from both the Mitquq and Stirrup exploration wells drilled in 2020. These opportunities combine to offer a clear path to long-term growth in Alaska.

Plan, lead, and execute handover to Operations including commissioning of new wells and process facilities. Direct operators on handover activities needed from commissioning technicians.

Lead and manage the maintenance planning, plant reliability, and turnaround activities for the production and support facilities. This includes directing the work of the operators; managing the schedules and workloads.

Responsible for performance management of the operators and ensuring timecard submission is completed and approved per company requirements for all operators.

Trains and Mentors Operations team personnel in activities and processes. This includes proper onboarding of operators and ensuring ongoing training is completed. Incentivize all operator to work towards becoming board/panel certified.

Lead Santos oversight of contractor work, ensuring compliance with Santos and regulatory requirements

Lead and participate in safe, effective, and cost-efficient operations in the alignment of the Region's annual budgets.

Oversee incident and operational upset investigations, working with operations and maintenance functions.

Ensures that all SOPs are followed, including all regulatory governance (PHMSA/DOT, OSHA, SOA) are met by operators, technicians, and contractors.

Achieve and maintain qualifications in operating all areas, including the facility control room board/panel

Fills in for Operator tasks when additional labor resources are needed due to illness or heavy workload.

Ensure that their areas of responsibility comply with all federal, state, and local regulations.

Makes recommendations for improving SOPs

Seek and implement opportunities to reduce area costs and optimize performance

Lead facility/drill site modifications and special projects, and support work activities of all crafts.

Balances competing priorities, scheduling issues & deadlines

Delivers effective feedback, both up and down the chain of command, and takes accountability for own performance.

Process Safety Management (PSM) program knowledge and compliance

SAP / Prometheus Work Order schedule compliance through our Integrated Activity Planning System (IAPS)

Assist vendor representatives and site operations in commissioning and start up activities and

conduct walkdowns as required representing the Operations commissioning discipline.

Key Performance Indicator (KPI) understanding, communicating, and reporting process

Formal Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in engineering preferred
• Required: educational background normally acquired through a High School degree or GED or an equivalent combination of relevant education and/or experience.
• Must be able to pass a pre-employment DOT drug screen, fit for duty assessment and background check.
• Valid Alaska state motor vehicle license

Experience

• Minimum of 10 years operations experience in oil and gas is required.
• Willing and able to work a 12-hour day/night shift with a 2/2 weeks on/off rotational schedule on the North Slope of Alaska.

Skills / Technical Competencies

• A strong operations foundation with a strong understanding of upstream surface facilities.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills (written and oral)
• Read, understand PFD's and P&ID's and communicate direction based on process flow
• Ability to manage contractors
• Exceptional productivity skills. Can be relied upon to get the job done accurately and on time.
• Exhibits a strong work ethic, and a reputation for the highest degree of integrity.
• Strong understanding of operations competencies:
  • Instrumentation & Control
  • Chemistry/Physics
  • Process Equipment Basics (Production Heaters, Heat Exchangers, Motors, Compressors, Pumps, Turbines, Valves)
  • Operator Duties/Tasks
  • Utilities and Services
  • Metallurgy/Corrosion/Fouling
  • Advanced Equipment Reliability/Optimization
  • Advanced Control Principles
  • Pressure Vessels
  • Tanks