42
AUGUST 2019 oilandgasmiddleeast.com
FIVE MINUTES WITH
What is Weatherford’s focus at the moment?
Our focus remains on helping our customers deliver their targets. We have pro-
duction and efficiency-related goals, with strong HSE and service quality as key
requirements. We focus on promoting technology and our people, who are sub-
ject matter experts, to provide services and products that meet the expecta-
tions of the customer. These may be different for different customers because
we have a diverse customer base, but we have a “can-do” mentality and are one
of the main companies that provide competitive services to our customers.Weatherford is currently undergoing a
transformation, will this impact the Mid-
dle East as a focus area for the company?
It is good for our company, and many of our
customers see it that way. It means that
we will have more room to maneuver and
we will probably be more aggressive to gain
market share. The Middle East has been, for
many years, a focus for our company, and
we believe that we have the right technol-
ogy, services, and people to deliver solutions
to our customers. Our customers here are
undented by the oil and gas price shifts,
and their projects are long term. We believe
that if we continue to come up with new
technologies and align ourselves with our
customers, we can become their preferred
partners, and Weatherford recognises that
the region is an important operational area.ABOUT THE INTERVIEWEE:
Tony Azizi is the vice president for the
Arabian Sea at Weatherford International 0:014:22
FIVE
MINUTES
WITH...0:31
What are some trends that have been im-
pacting business for Weatherford?
The oil and gas sector has obviously gone
through something of a depressed period, since
2015, so the trend for our customers has been to
move from offshore to onshore projects, and as well, they have been moving
from a discrete services contracting environment to an integrated contract-
ing environment where all the services are provided under one contract.
There was a substantial decrease in activity in the past few years, but it is
starting to improve and the aim and main objectives are efficiency, reducing
costs, and increasing production.
What are the biggest op-
portunities in the region?
There is a great opportu-
nity for us to expand into
integrated projects where
many of our customers are
moving towards. We want
to engage more and more
with integrated projects.
In terms of efficiency,customers are always looking to reduce
their lifting cost, and we believe we have
the technology and services that enable
them to reduce those costs. We are also
focusing on introducing technologies
and promoting current technologies to
help our customers increase production,
not necessarily by drilling new wells, but
also by optimising production rates of
existing wells.3
7
2:16
What are the challenges associated with working in an integrat-
ed contracting environment?
There is a trend to move more risk from the customer to the services
provider in this environment. When you move to integrated projects,
you will have to assume a certain level of risk. Before, if there was
non-productive time on a project, that would mostly stay with the
customer, but with integrated projects, it would move to the services
provider, as one example of shifting risk. But we have aligned ourselves
with our customers, and we believe that we can gain market share and
closeness to them.THE MIDDLE EAST HAS BEEN,
FOR MANY YEARS, A FOCUS FOR
OUR COMPANY, AND WE BELIEVE
THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT
TECHNOLOGY, SERVICES, AND
PEOPLE TO DELIVER SOLUTIONS
TO OUR CUSTOMERS.WEATHERFORD INTERNATIONAL
This month, we put Weatherford International in the hot seat for a
quick-fire round of questions