This article is the second in a two-part series that examines the status of engineering companies in the oil and gas industry, where they have been, and where they are going in a time of tremendous change. The first article was published as “Another Perspective” in the March issue of E&P.

Global conditions compound the issues of generational change in engineering companies in the oil and gas industry. Those conditions are compounded by the “engineering company conundrum,” a situation that leads to cultures that, by their very nature, make it impossible to train, retain, and motivate the staff who must be in place to provide a quality product when the eventual upturn in demand occurs. This article is the first in a two-part series that examines the status of engineering companies in the oil and gas industry, where they have been, and where they are going in a time of tremendous change.

What started as a casual trend in 2008 with BP and Statoil turned into a major force in the oil and gas industry during 2009.  

The oil and gas industry has a serious problem that needs to be addressed. Words come cheap. What is needed is
a solution.

The cost of services and supplies skyrocketed through 2008, but has not dropped significantly since the onset of the global recession. Major suppliers gathered at CERA Week to talk about where the industry has been, where it is today, and where they think it is going.

Advances in technology continue to boggle the mind.