Oil Industry Demands: An End to Political Management, Era of Expertise

Maintaining production, managing exports and correcting imbalances are difficult missions for the oil sector, and can only be achieved through specialized leadership and full command of this field.

According to Mehr reporter, Iran's oil and gas industry, as the vital artery of the country's economy, is going through critical, responsible and decisive days. Technical dimensions, geopolitical complexities and the accumulation of structural challenges in this field have caused the guidance of this complex beyond conventional administrative mechanisms, requiring a deep mastery of the operational, process and human resources layers. Today, the specialized and expert body of this huge industry believes more than ever that a successful transition from the current situation will be possible only in the shadow of the appointment of a manager who has both high executive ability and a detailed mastery of this complex ecosystem in his portfolio.

demand of the operational body; The necessity of specialization instead of a political view

Examining the views and talking to different levels of employees, experts and engineers working in the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil industry shows that their most important concern is to avoid decisions related to political currents. The amount of challenges accumulated in technical dimensions, from the pressure drop of the fields to the issues of livelihood, welfare and motivation of human capital, is so wide that it cannot be solved by theoretical views or non-specialist approaches. Front-line workers on offshore platforms, refineries and pumphouses expect someone in the decision-making chair who understands their technical language and has first-hand experience of the rigors of work, process risks and field requirements. Experience has shown that managers who have not experienced the alphabet of this industry in the field spend a lot of time getting to know the structures; When in the current critical situation, there is no chance to burn it.

The gas imbalance crisis and the necessity of instant decisions in winter

One of the most urgent tests facing the Ministry of Oil is the stable management of the cold seasons of the year and curbing the large gas imbalance. The country's gas supply chain is an interconnected and dynamic network that any local disruption in production, processing or transmission can challenge the entire system. In such a situation, decision making cannot be based on trial and error or late consultations. A manager from the oil industry, relying on his intuitive and technical knowledge of the capacity of pipelines, pressure boosting stations, reservoir behavior and consumption bottlenecks, is able to make critical and accurate decisions in a fraction of an hour. On the other hand, managements that do not have an organic link with this ecosystem will lack the power to make brave and technical decisions in emergency situations, and this can seriously endanger the country's energy balance.

difficult years ahead; The intersection of production maintenance and comprehensive energy management

The horizon ahead of the Ministry of Oil this year and next year contains the heaviest mission packages of the last few decades. On the one hand, the fundamental priority of "maintaining production capacity" in oil and gas fields requires the accurate injection of resources, the implementation of advanced extra-recovery (EOR) plans, and specialized drilling management; Actions that are impossible to implement without reservoir engineering and supply chain details. On the other hand, the oil industry must simultaneously advance sensitive cases such as "developing and diversifying export markets under international restrictions", "quantitative and qualitative increase in the production of petroleum products to respond to the growing domestic demand" and "management of projects to optimize and modify the consumption pattern". The intersection of these strategic tasks requires a comprehensive and dominant command that has the ability to coordinate between the exploration, production, refining and commercial sectors, and this level of coordination is realized only by relying on indigenous knowledge within the industry.

The unbreakable link between the body and management; A salve for the atmosphere of shock and suspense

Field interviews with experienced personnel and experts of the oil industry indicate that recent management changes and lack of transparency in strategies have put the body of this field in a state of shock, expectation and ambiguity. The administrative history of this industry has proven that the specialized structure of oil always shows a kind of functional resistance and lack of convergence against appointments that are completely alien to this network. When the senior manager is unfamiliar with the literature, sensitivities, technical language and subculture governing the oil industry, the distance between the body and the top of the organization deepens and mutual understanding is greatly weakened. To overcome this stagnation and restore dynamism and motivation to the beating heart of the country's economy, a manager from within this family needs to take the helm; A manager who has professional acceptance and can take advantage of the capacity of internal elites to control the situation and go through the sharp turns of decision making.