Digital Innovations in Oil and Gas with Geoffrey Cann

Geoffrey Cann

This is a weekly podcast of how #digital innovations will impact the global #oil and #gas sector, hosted by Geoffrey Cann, international author, professional speaker, and corporate trainer. read less
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Episodes

Propelling Procurement
2d ago
Propelling Procurement
Marketplace Launched! The upstream oil and gas supply chain is about to get a much needed boost in procurement efficiency with the launch of a new e-commerce marketplace. Such marketplaces are very common in the consumer industry (Amazon being an example), but rare to non-existent in oil and gas. Despite years of investment in big enterprise systems, buyers of goods for the upstream industry still have to wrestle with supplier-specific ordering portals and search, complex and out of date company product catalogues, which hampers price discovery, procurement efficiency, and price discovery. Time-pressured oil and gas project managers just bypass the agreed procedures, and order directly using procurement cards, which erodes the value of strategic sourcing agreements.  Imagine the possibilities of a marketplace specific to Canadian upstream oil and gas. Oilfield Marketplace Canada (or OFMP.ca) is a descendent of the very successful Oilfield Marketplace solution in the US but specific for the Canadian marketplace, with items that are certified for use in Canada and with Canadian prices and availability.  Check out this conversation with Steve Copeland, the general manager of the new Canadian Oil Field Marketplace. Steve spent 12 years with Cameron, and later with SLB after their acquisition of Cameron in 2015. Steve is from Calgary, and had an early career in field service gradually progressing to the role of National Sales Manager at Cameron. Additional Tools & Resources:  🎓 Take my one day digital strategy training course for oil and gas: 👉 https://www.udemy.com/course/digital-oil-and-gas/?referralCode=0161D4D49AB75735A185 Connect with Me! 🖥️ Blog series: https://digitaloilgas.substack.com/ 🎧 Podcast: https://geoffreycann.com/broadcast/ 📇 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/training-digital-oil-gas/ 🤬 X: https://twitter.com/geoffreycann Contacts for Lectures and Keynotes:  I speak regularly on these and other topics. Contact me to book a brief call about your upcoming event needs. Click here 👉 https://geoffreycann.com/contact/ Disclaimer:  The views expressed in this video are my own and do not constitute professional advice. Contacting the Guest Steve Copeland 📧email : SCopeland2@theofmp.com 📇 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-copeland-5031b41b/ 📇 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ofmp-canada/ 👨‍💻https://theofmp.ca/
Gas, Growth, and Green: Australia's Energy Transition Dilemma
03-04-2024
Gas, Growth, and Green: Australia's Energy Transition Dilemma
Australia is the lucky country when it comes to energy transition. The country is blessed with ample non-renewable energy resources, including gas, coal, uranium, lithium, and oil. In addition, the country is bathed in sunshine, surrounded by coastlines and tides, and is largely empty, suitable for wind farms. The LNG sector is now incredibly important to the national economy. Australia is 20-25% of global LNG production, one of the top 3 largest producers, and operates 10 gigantic plants serving mostly Asian markets. However, the country's energy resources are struggling with energy transition challenges. The historic basins that provided the populous southeast with natural gas are drying up and the country hasn't been able to mobilise a suitable replacement. The demand for Australia's energy products is creating upward price pressure on the domestic market. The country is at risk of not growing its LNG trade past its current size. In this interview, I speak with Jody Rowe, a commercially-focused specialist who has a strategic view of the broader Australian market. Jody has worked in agriculture, mining, and oil and gas industries in roles that span commercial, contracts and procurement at a number of multinationals including Barrick Gold and Rio Tinto, in both Gold and Uranium commodities. Her work has included executive roles on one of Australia's pioneering coal seam gas to LNG projects. Additional Tools & Resources: 🎓 Take my one day digital strategy training course for oil and gas: 👉 https://www.udemy.com/course/digital-oil-and-gas/?referralCode=0161D4D49AB75735A185 You might find these related  articles of interest! 👉 https://digitaloilgas.substack.com/p/is-canada-a-competitive-lng-supplier-for-europe/ 👉 https://digitaloilgas.substack.com/p/canadas-lng-projects-another-year-another-delay/ 👉 https://digitaloilgas.substack.com/p/digital-is-finally-impacting-the/ Connect with Me! 🖥️ Blog series: https://digitaloilgas.substack.com/ 🎧 Podcast: https://geoffreycann.com/broadcast/ 📇 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/training-digital-oil-gas/ 🤬 X: https://twitter.com/geoffreycann Contacts for Lectures and Keynotes: I speak regularly on these and other topics. Contact me to book a brief call about your upcoming event needs. Click here 👉 https://geoffreycann.com/contact/ Disclaimer: The views expressed in this video are my own and do not constitute professional advice. Contacting the Guest Jody Rowe 📧email : jody@roweadvisory.com.au 📇 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/tough-talk-with-jody-rowe/ 👨‍💻http://www.roweadvisory.com.au/
How Satellites Expose Hidden Dangers
19-03-2024
How Satellites Expose Hidden Dangers
About the Episode The world of geospatial analytics is transforming how we manage industrial infrastructure. In this interview with Sean Donegan, the CEO of Satelytics, we discuss the use of satellite data to tackle major challenges like methane leaks, water contamination, and infrastructure damage with cutting-edge AI technology.  The traditional methods of inspecting linear infrastructure (pipelines, roads, forestry operations, power lines) by driving around or flying are outdated, costly, and harmful to the environment. Satellite data is a modern solution to quickly and accurately detect problems before they escalate. This not only saves money and prevents environmental damage but also protects companies from regulatory and reputational risks. Algorithms look at satellite images and the sun's reflectance on various surfaces to identify and quantify issues with incredible accuracy and speed (as in 3 hour turn around). This ultra rapid detection and quantification capability allows for near immediate (same day) action, reducing potential fallout from incidents like oil spills, subsurface leaks, and vegetation encroachment. We also discuss the importance of early adoption and the transformative potential of satellite data in managing infrastructure and environmental challenges. For energy and infrastructure companies who are struggling to maintain a daily grasp on their operations and their risks, satellite data and the algorithms that interpret that data present a huge cost saving and a step change in responsiveness. Additional Tools & Resources:  🎓 Take my one day digital strategy training course for oil and gas: 👉 https://www.udemy.com/course/digital-oil-and-gas/?referralCode=0161D4D49AB75735A185 You might find these related articles of interest! 👉 https://digitaloilgas.substack.com/p/the-latest-digital-bludgeon-with/ Connect with Me! 🖥️ Blog series: https://digitaloilgas.substack.com/ 🎧 Podcast: https://geoffreycann.com/broadcast/ 📇 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/training-digital-oil-gas/ 🤬 X: https://twitter.com/geoffreycann Contacts for Lectures and Keynotes I speak regularly on these and other topics. Contact me to book a brief call about your upcoming event needs. Click here 👉 https://geoffreycann.com/contact/ Disclaimer  The views expressed in this show are my own and do not constitute professional advice. Contacting the Guest Sean Donegan 📧 email: sdonegan@satelytics.com 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/satelytics  📇 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/satelytics  😡X: https://twitter.com/satelytics 👨‍💻https://www.satelytics.com/ 📺 Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/satelytics
Winning Your Pipeline Tariff Negotiations with Regulatory Analytics
15-03-2024
Winning Your Pipeline Tariff Negotiations with Regulatory Analytics
In this interview with David Khani, we discuss pipeline tariff negotiations and how regulatory analytics can help shippers win big. Policies such as the Inflation Reduction Act are reshaping energy infrastructure, along with global events, such as the Ukrainian conflict. Natural gas market dynamics are changing rapidly, and systemically. Dave and EQT leaned heavily on Arbo to help with complex negotiations and understanding the growing demand for natural gas. Dave also covers how the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regulations influence pipeline operations. Another key factor is decarbonization, which has an impact on pipeline throughput. Companies like EQT Corporation navigate tariff increases and negotiations with shippers, with outside specialized help. The future of energy includes coal and nuclear power within our evolving energy mix, and to succeed, companies have an indispensable need for data science in regulatory negotiations. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for anyone involved or interested in the energy industry. Listen to the end to stay informed about the shifts shaping our energy future. About Dave: Until recently, Dave was the CFO at EQT Corporation, a big US independent gas producer. Prior to joining EQT Corp., Dave served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of CONSOL Energy and as CFO and as a board member of its affiliates, including CNX Midstream Partners LLC and a joint venture with Noble Energy. Dave developed a deep understanding of the commodity markets through almost 2 decades as a financial analyst on Wall Street. He holds a B.A. in biological sciences from State University of New York—Binghamton and an M.B.A. in corporate accounting and finance from the University of Rochester and has been a chartered financial analyst (CFA) for 25 years.
Where Are Oil and Gas Prices Going in 2024, with Andrew Botterill
06-03-2024
Where Are Oil and Gas Prices Going in 2024, with Andrew Botterill
Where are oil and gas prices going, and why. That’s the focus of this wide-ranging interview I had with Andrew Botterill, head of Deloitte’s chemicals and oil and gas industry vertical. Deloitte produces a regular price forecast for oil and gas, and we provide the context, covering the turmoil and volatility in global markets, heavily influenced by geopolitical conflicts and policy shifts.  We touch on the adoption of sustainable practices, including hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuels. Policy moves, such as the Inflation Reduction Act, create both challenges and opportunities in the U.S., but with ramifications globally, particularly from major consuming geographies, incuding the EU and Asia.  We also discuss the future of energy demand in growth economies like India and continental Africa, highlighting the complex relationship between advancing technology and addressing energy poverty. Digital technology plays a key role in enhancing cost efficiency, resilience, and safety within the industry, setting the stage for a more sustainable and flexible energy landscape. Additional Tools & Resources: 🎬 Go behind the scenes of my studio to see how it works: 👉https://geoffreycann.com/resources/  🎓 Take my one day digital strategy training course for oil and gas: 👉 https://www.udemy.com/course/digital-oil-and-gas/?referralCode=0161D4D49AB75735A185 You might find this related article of interest! 👉    https://digitaloilgas.substack.com/p/my-digital-oil-and-gas-outlook-for Connect with Me! 🖥️ Blog series: https://digitaloilgas.substack.com/ 🎧 Podcast: https://geoffreycann.com/broadcast/ 📇 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/training-digital-oil-gas/ 🤬 X: https://twitter.com/geoffreycann Contacts for Lectures and Keynotes:  I speak regularly on these and other topics. Contact me to book a brief call about your upcoming event needs. Click here 👉 https://geoffreycann.com/contact/ Disclaimer:  The views expressed in this video are those of the speakers and do not constitute professional advice.  Contacting the Guest Andrew Botterill 📧email : abotterill@deloitte.ca
How AI Tools Capture Hidden Regulatory Value
28-02-2024
How AI Tools Capture Hidden Regulatory Value
AI innovations are helping transform regulatory processes by providing access to data that has been beyond analytical reach. AI tools such as ChatGPT, Bard, and CoPilot are revolutionizing how energy firms and professionals tackle complex regulatory data, especially in sectors like energy infrastructure. These generative AI tools ingest the huge volume of documents and commentary associated with energy infrastructure submissions to regulators (briefs, complaints, dockets, applications), providing fresh insight into what makes for a successful application, and why some fail to gain acceptance. These tools also transform the way experts prepare regulatory documents, analyze dynamic regulatory environments, and address energy transition policies like those outlined in the Inflation Reduction Act. In this podcast, I help you understand the business value from AI gained from analyzing regulatory content and creating new, efficient pathways for submissions and compliance. If you're an energy industry professional, regulator, or advocate interested in understanding how AI can be used in regulatory areas, this podcast will be very helpful. Additional Tools & Resources: 🎬 Check out my studio and how it works 👉 https://geoffreycann.com/resources/ 🎓 Take my one day digital strategy training course for oil and gas: 👉 https://www.udemy.com/course/digital-oil-and-gas/?referralCode=0161D4D49AB75735A185 You might find my various articles on AI of interest! 👉 https://digitaloilgas.substack.com/p/how-to-successfully-introduce-ai-into-oil-and-gas 👉 https://digitaloilgas.substack.com/p/oil-and-gas-wises-up-to-artificial-intelligence 👉 https://digitaloilgas.substack.com/p/learning-to-live-with-generative Connect with Me 🖥️ Blog series: https://digitaloilgas.substack.com/ 🎧 Podcast: https://geoffreycann.com/broadcast/ 📇 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/training-digital-oil-gas/ 🤬 X: https://twitter.com/geoffreycann Contact for Lectures and Keynotes: I speak regularly on these and other topics. Contact me to book a brief call about your upcoming event needs. Click here 👉 https://geoffreycann.com/contact/ Disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast are my own and do not constitute professional advice. Download the Transcript! Want the actual script that this podcast is based on? You can download the transcript for this podcast here: 👉 https://digitaloilgas.substack.com/p/how-ai-tools-help-capture-hidden
A New Vision for the Oil and Gas Supply Chain
21-02-2024
A New Vision for the Oil and Gas Supply Chain
In the US lower 48 states, between $200 billion and $400 billion are spent in the supply chain every year and are still run with practices designed decades ago. The energy sector's supply chain is broken and needs a new vision to take it to the next level. In this interview podcast with Joshua Trott from WorkRise, we’ll look at the outdated practices of supply chain management in oil and gas, explaining why many projects go over budget and schedule. Josh is the Chief Revenue Officer of WorkRise, an industry-leading labor business and a leading supply chain platform used by many of the biggest energy companies in the world. WorkRise's innovative solution is aimed at completely overhauling the industry’s supply chain model rather than just tinkering with point solutions or with narrow scope. This concept emphasizes the power of data-driven decisions and efficiency to revolutionize project management and execution. We uncover the major issues impacting the current supply chain system, and how WorkRise plans to mitigate these challenges by putting in place a streamlined, cost-effective approach to project lifecycles. Modern technology and methods play a huge role in helping overcoming the obstacles in the industry. If you are responsible for overseeing end to end operations of an oil and gas company, you have the potential to capture very significant benefits through a rethink of your supply chain management. Josh is a lifelong soccer player and fan, he lives in Austin, Texas. Additional Tools & Resources:  🎓 Take my one day digital strategy training course for oil and gas: 👉 https://www.udemy.com/course/digital-oil-and-gas/?referralCode=0161D4D49AB75735A185 Connect with Me! 🖥️ Blog series: https://digitaloilgas.substack.com/ 🎧 Podcast: https://geoffreycann.com/broadcast/ 📇 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/training-digital-oil-gas/ 🤬 X: https://twitter.com/geoffreycann Contacts for Lectures and Keynotes:  I speak regularly on these and other topics. Contact me to book a brief call about your upcoming event needs. Click here 👉 https://geoffreycann.com/contact/ Disclaimer:  The views expressed in this video are my own and do not constitute professional advice. Contacting the Guest   Joshua Trott   📧email : joshua.trott@workrise.com 📇 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuatrott/ 📇 LinkedIn biz: https://www.linkedin.com/company/workrise/ 👨‍💻website: www.workrise.com
Top 4 Digital Oil and Gas Projections for 2024
25-01-2024
Top 4 Digital Oil and Gas Projections for 2024
Every year at this time I put forth my outlook for the coming year, with a focus on the digital trends that I believe will have the greatest impact on the fortunes of the industry. These are not so much as predictions, as they are speculations on the trends that I see marching along, and how those trend lines will play out over the next 12 months or so. If you’re working in industry, you might keep these in mind as you consider your projects and investments in the coming year. If you are in technology, you might want to reflect on strategies to pursue that will accelerate your success or help you avoid some of the problems that I foresee. Timestamps: 0:10 - Introduction 1:04 - Short Term Issues - inflation, emissions, markets, capital 2:54 - Longer Stride Challenges - energy transition, assets, talent, M&A 5:18 - Artificial Intelligence Tools 7:14 - Digital Twin Technology 9:05 - Mobility and networks 10:46 - Data 12:06 - Conclusions Additional Tools & Resources: 🎓 Take my one day digital strategy training course for oil and gas:  👉 https://www.udemy.com/course/digital-oil-and-gas/?referralCode=0161D4D49AB75735A185 You might find my previous annual predictions articles of interest!  👉 2023 (part 1) https://open.substack.com/pub/digitaloilgas/p/the-trends-to-watch-in-2023-and-beyond-part-1 👉 2023 (part 2) https://open.substack.com/pub/digitaloilgas/p/what-are-the-relevant-macro-trends-for-2023-and-why-part-2 👉 2022 https://open.substack.com/pub/digitaloilgas/p/digital-oil-and-gas-trends-for-2022 Connect with Me: 🖥️ Blog series: https://digitaloilgas.substack.com/ 🎧 Podcast: https://geoffreycann.com/broadcast/  📇 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/training-digital-oil-gas/ 🤬 X: https://twitter.com/geoffreycann Contact for Lectures and Keynotes: I speak regularly on these and other topics. Contact me to book a brief call about your upcoming event needs. Click here 👉 https://geoffreycann.com/contact/ Disclaimer: The views expressed in this video are my own and do not constitute professional advice.  Download the Transcript!  Want the actual script that this podcast is based on? You can download the transcript for this podcast here:  👉 https://open.substack.com/pub/digitaloilgas/p/my-digital-oil-and-gas-outlook-for
Ammar Sabbagh on Private 5G Networks
19-12-2023
Ammar Sabbagh on Private 5G Networks
"First thing you need to connect the assets first and get the data. So that's we call it like static digital twin, and then you can use it for simulation. Then you move to the second version, which having like a shadow, digital twin, which you have an image of what's happening, but you can monitor. But the truly digital twin is monitor and control." In this episode, I’m in conversation with Ammar Sabbagh who is the Vice President Industry and Partnership for Private Networks for Oil and Gas at Ericsson. 5G networks are a huge step forward for telecommunications, offering a step change performance boost over 4G. If you want to run an industrial-grade, resilient, and secure network for your digital devices, you need to be on 5G.  Here are some of the key questions addressed in the episode:  What is 5G, and why is it better than 4G? What is a private network?  What kinds of problems does a private network solve? What kinds of innovations are enabled by 5G? What are some of the use cases that 5G unlocks? How do you deliver 5G networks where there are no towers? Ammar Sabbagh is a technology professional specializing in 5G private cellular networks, cloud, decentralized cloud, and IOT solutions for business and industry. Currently, Ammar serves as vice president of industry & partnership at Ericsson for energy and ports, where he leads business development and global partners management. Ammar holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Portland State University and an MBA in Management, and has completed various executive leadership training courses, including Design Thinking for Innovation from the London Business School. AMMAR's QUOTABLE QUOTES  With 4g, you're getting 100 megabits per second. With 5G you are getting one gigabit per second and even 20 gigabits pers second planned for next year or after. So 20 gig per user device. A single 5G radio station can connect over a million connected devices at one radio station.  With WiFi 6, you can stream one gig, but the reliability of the Wi Fi is a concern, because Wi FI struggles to penetrate metallic structure [common] in the industry, for indoor. You can trust 5G for robotics, for autonomous gantry vehicles, for assets moving. With 5G we are not planning to replace any [SCADA] wiring. 5G [latency] operation, we are talking about 20 millisecond max. We are dropping it to one millisecond in the next version updates… But the requirements from our Oceaneering partner is only 100 millisecond. The first question we ask what are the use cases or application you want to use? And then it's a journey. It's like you start today with one thing, and later, you move to other applications as needed. If you have a worker with a mobile phone or connected, you know, worker, you will know exactly where they are. And you can communicate with them and support them during that session. We like to call it dynamic  digital twin. We believe the 5g will be you know, hugely valuable, because you don't want to run all these cables connecting all these sensors to the main data center, you're just wirelessly spread them. And they're connected, and sit and analyze and collect all the data and take actions from there. Wind turbines are virtually autonomous. I mean, we connect them with cellular network, we have several references. With a cellular network, they connect the operator connect cameras and control functionality. And they remotely see what's happening on the outside and inside and adjust accordingly. first thing you need to connect the assets first and get the data. So that's we call it like static digital twin, and then you can use it for simulation. Then you move to the second version, which having like a shadow, digital twin, which you have an image of what's happening, but you can monitor. But the truly digital twin is monitor and control CONTACTING AMMAR ammar.sabbagh@ericsson.com
Pacesetters Run on Private 5G Networks. You Should Too
14-12-2023
Pacesetters Run on Private 5G Networks. You Should Too
To break free of the limitations of yesterday’s technologies, the oil and gas industry is accelerating its adoption of private 5G networks. Some time ago, I helped an oil field logistics company respond to customer feedback that its services were “in the Stone Age”. Its systems were entirely manual, inaccurate, slow, and error prone. Virtually every invoice was disputed, causing cash flow problems. Worse, its multi-year contracts were coming up for renegotiation, and there was a real risk that the contracts would not be renewed, stranding an enormous fleet of 750 vehicles. We decided to create a fundamentally new business model that would upend the prevailing customer service standards in the industry, dramatically improve the utilization of the fleet of assets, staff, and facilities, and transform for the better its overall competitive position. Market-leading companies in oil and gas recognize that the status quo industrial network (SCADA) and public networks are simply not fit for the purposes of responding to the pressures. Private 5G networks offer a highly appealing alternative. As private networks, they eliminate the problem of contention for third party access or bandwidth. Solutions are free to run as designed delivering continuous near real time service. 5G networks run at much lower levels of latency compared to other network technologies such as 4G, and private 5G networks lower the latency further. Private 5G networks offer dramatically improved bandwidth compared to 4G, operating at gigabits per second, versus megabits per second. Private networks are far more secure as network access is under much tighter control. 5G networks can be deployed far more quickly than wired networks, and offer improved future-proofing for assets intended to run for years.
Clark Lai on How Generative AI is Transforming Oil and Gas
06-12-2023
Clark Lai on How Generative AI is Transforming Oil and Gas
"We really kind of focus on the data and analytics side, really helping identify challenges where innovative data solutions, machine learning and AI technologies can be leveraged to drive more data driven insights." In this episode, I’m in conversation with Clark Lai, the CEO of Motiv Innovation Group. Clark’s team helps businesses apply data analytics, machine learning and AI tools to some of their more intractable problems. A great example is letting generative AI models feast on proprietary company data, such as engineering content, and using those models to create first drafts of new engineered assets. They won’t be perfect, but the speed to get to an editable first draft is the real prize.  "Our client is able to simply search through unstructured text and the AI will be able to retrieve and reference the associated documents within their workspace." Clark Lai is the CEO of Motiv Innovation Group—an internationally recognized, award-winning digital innovation and venture building company. Since 2013, Clark has led the strategic vision, execution, and expansion of various business units within Motiv. Under his leadership, Motiv has helped its clients and partners increase shareholder value by over $2 billion. "Now that you have your documents embedded within this AI model, using generative AI, you can now generate net new content and net new value as a result." With a commitment to excellence, Motiv has been honoured with several prestigious accolades, including The Webby Awards, W3 Awards, German Design Awards, and Ember Awards. He has over 16 years of software development experience in full-stack development, system architecture, cloud computing, data science, and machine learning. Clark has also successfully launched multiple ventures across a range of verticals, including advertising and PPC, health and wellness, data analytics, e-commerce and social commerce, professional services, and AI. "We are solving the challenges for our team that actually matter. Rather than just building the next shiny toy." USEFUL LINKS LinkedIn profiles (personal, business):  Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarklai/ Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/motivdigital Website:   https://motiv.digital/
Howard Crosby on Applying New Tricks to Old Dogs to Discover Oil
29-11-2023
Howard Crosby on Applying New Tricks to Old Dogs to Discover Oil
"There's been a real reluctance on the part of operators to jump back in to some of these higher-cost opportunities. That's further constraining  exploration and development of supply." In this episode, I’m in conversation with Howard Crosby, the Founder and CEO of LGX Energy Corporation. Howard and a partner acquired an oil company in Indiana and the acquisition included some 400 miles of 2D seismic data that had been shot some 15 years earlier, but never processed. By putting this old data through new tools, LGX was able to reveal oil plays that had been overlooked. The team then shot the highly prospective locations with 3D, which helped pinpoint more precise drilling locations. What was thought to be 15 possibilities turned into 50+.  "Instead of stringing wires across farmer's cornfields to set up the geophones prior to making the recording, they’re using wireless geophones that don't need to be strung together with the wire." Howard Crosby is the Founder and Chief Executive of LGX Energy Corporation. Howard was raised in the Pacific Northwest, and is a successful entrepreneur who has founded several companies over the years.  With his background in finance and natural resources, Howard has over 40 years working with mining, gas and oil developments. "You look at the Lima Peru field where [Rockefeller] had the first 100 million barrel field in Allen County, Indiana. They recovered over 100 million barrels, but they estimate, because of poor technology in the 1890s and early 1900s, they left 100 million barrels behind, stranded." USEFUL LINKS LinkedIn profiles (personal, business):  Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-crosby/ Facebook pages: https://www.facebook.com/lgxenergycorp/ Website:   https://www.lgxenergycorp.com/
John McDougall on Accelerating Carbon Cycles Using Synthetic Biology
15-11-2023
John McDougall on Accelerating Carbon Cycles Using Synthetic Biology
"Aviation fuel because it is a big amount of emissions, roughly 2% in actual measurement, but about three and a half percent in terms of impact. It's not likely to change because you need high density fuels, so batteries aren't going to work for long haul flights. And 90% of aviation is long haul flights." In this episode, I’m in conversation with John McDougall, who is the CEO and founder of SynBioBlox Innovations, a company seeking to solve the global emissions problem by applying synthetic biology to the creation of sustainable aviation fuel. Imagine the ability to design, test, and then build, at scale, a biological microorganism that ingests a given feedstock and produces, at scale, a valuable compound. That’s the promise of SynBioBlox.    "The GHG that's being emitted and being thrown away essentially, is the opportunity to create value by turning it into products." John McDougall is the founder and CEO of SynBioBlox Innovations Ltd.  A fourth generation Albertan, he spent two decades as President of the Alberta and National Research Councils following leadership positions in real estate, engineering consulting, manufacturing, oil and gas and technology businesses.  He is a former Chair of APEGA and Engineers Canada, the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, and many other social and not-for-profit organizations.  "Rather than waiting for them to evolve on a hit or miss basis, with the tools that exist today, we can actually explicitly design them and make them." He has been an appointed member on numerous agencies and advisory committees related to trade, education, innovation, engineering, economic development and employment at the local, provincial, federal and international level.  The recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, he continues to support the community with his time and resources in education, voluntary and not-for profit agencies, advisory and philanthropic roles. "If you really want to make a difference in greenhouse gases, if you're not looking at things that are a billion tons a year or more, you're not going to make a difference." USEFUL LINKS LinkedIn profiles (personal, business):  Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-mcdougall-049280124 Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/synbioblox Website:   https://www.synbioblox.com/
Wendy Hamelin on Code Control and The Risks of Digital Adoption
08-11-2023
Wendy Hamelin on Code Control and The Risks of Digital Adoption
"Turnover and mergers are one of the biggest disruptions in companies. So when you have that factored in, if you have someone who leaves the company, then everything that they've ever done, that human brain of knowledge as well and experience within that company is gone." In this episode, I’m in conversation with Wendy Hamelin, the CEO of Astraea Energy, an advisory firm in the area of high performance organizations. Wendy notes how there is a significant loss of organizational know how when we adopt new technologies that displace human capability (think of how the lowly calculator has eroded our ability to do math by hand). Extend this to an organization scale, as we are now doing with tools like AI, and our organizations are at some risk.  "I use an iPhone, for example, an iPhone is the actual device itself. And then we add our apps to our device. So the hierarchy of information and device software, if we add a hack, or add a hacked app to our iPhone, then that violates the entire phone." Wendy Hamelin is the President and CEO of Astraea Energy, an advisory firm founded in 2014 to provide consulting and advisory service to oil and energy projects in Northern Alberta. Wendy provides safety training and performance improvement consulting services. "If we're onboarding a contractor, we need to remember to off board every single part of that contractor when they're completed." USEFUL LINKS LinkedIn profiles (personal, business):  Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyhamelin Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/astraea-energy-inc/ Facebook pages: https://www.facebook.com/astraeaenergy Website:   http://www.astraeaenergy.com/