Oil and gas industry players must recruit experts who would use big data tools to improve safety, training and data security, said US-based executive recruiting firm Battalia Winston
As more and more oilfield service companies are investing in big data analytics, they’re recruiting experts — chief data architects, data scientists and data engineers, added the firm.
However, Battalia Winston noted that to be sure that these big data experts are leading them down the right path and aligning their data analytics goals with overall business objectives, the companies must select big data pioneers who would prioritise the three critical missions — improve health and safety, enhance recruitment processes and protect data assets.
Using big data to improve health and safety
Health, safety and environmental concerns continue to be the most pressing challenges in oil and gas industry. So it’s no surprise that the companies are rapidly adapting big data solutions to improve the safety and decrease the environmental impact of their operations, according to the firm.
Companies are using big data solutions for mapping of reservoir characterisation and more accurate prediction of potential reservoirs’ precise locations, enabling them to make better decisions about where to drill and minimising the total amount of exploratory wellheads.
Using big data for health and safety management not only has the potential to improve safety and decrease environmental impact, but would also naturally lead to a more effective and less expensive operation, noted the executive recruiting firm.
Improving talent recruitment and training with big data
Oil and gas companies are using talent analytics to measure employee engagement, identify skill gaps and modify their recruitment practices as necessary. They’re also using big data to improve employee productivity and determine whether to invest in training or for professional development, noted Battalia Winston.
The recruiting firm advised that big data leaders should also consider partnering with academic institutions to develop a pipeline of talented recruits for both traditional engineering roles and data science roles.
Protecting data assets
Data security would be one of the first concerns when big data becomes a dominant tool in an industry.
“Big Data pioneers in oil and gas need to establish stringent security policies from the get-go to deter hackers and minimise the risk of security breaches. They need to ensure that the physical assets (like sensors) are just as secure as digital assets,” stated Battalia Winston.
Data scientists should think about how they could use data from other players in the industry— distributors, equipment manufacturers and software developers— to inform their operations and vice-versa. Developing a mutually beneficial data sharing programme could give both partners a competitive edge, added the recruiting firm.
To register for Big Data Analytics for Oil & Gas, please visit: http://www.oilandgasbigdata.com/register
