Name: Nick Styles
Age: 28
Where are you from? Oldmeldrum
Where do you live? Ecuador
Qualifications and where studied: Master’s Degree in Aeronautical Engineering, University of Glasgow.
What is your job? Z-Sight Engineer.
What does it involve? I’m involved in some of the development of the Z-Sight auto well surveillance system, assembling early prototypes, installations in the field, modelling oil wells and ultimately working with the customer to use the system to optimise their oil fields. The Z-Sight system provides the operator with crucial information from wells and ensures optimal oil recovery whilst reducing the HSE exposure of sending engineers to the well sites. The technology is helping operators around the globe increase production by between 5 and 50% on average.
Why did you choose your career in the oil and gas industry? I wanted to travel and also do something more hands-on.
How did your education help prepare you? I was able to apply knowledge I’d gained from university subjects such as fluid physics to the behaviour of oil wells. Some less specific things too, such as techniques/general mindset for data analysis have been very helpful, but would be equally applicable from other university courses. School subjects such as Tech. Studies (often overshadowed by more “classical” subjects like Physics) were helpful both in university and now in my engineering role with Zenith.
You travel a lot with your job. What’s that like? Good, I enjoy travelling. I think I’ve been able to see a lot of the world which I wouldn’t have visited otherwise. Since I spent the New Year of 2012 working in India, I’ve been in the Middle East as well as Ecuador and Colombia, where I’ve had to learn Spanish very quickly to communicate with the local team. It’s a fantastic part of the world and there is a growing need for artificial lift and well optimisation technology in the region.
What are the best and worst bits of your job? Best bits are seeing new places and having lots of different aspects to my job on a day to day basis, which keeps it interesting. Worst thing is probably that it can easily take over at times at the expense of your free time.
Who or what has influenced you in your career to date? Zenith has invested significant resources to support my professional and personal development and being a niche company means there are always experts close-by who I can learn from. My colleague Mark Fisher, who was a finalist in the Rising Star Business award, has developed most of the Z-Sight system himself and is such an inspiration.
Where do you see your career going? The company has provided me with a great opportunity to work with leading edge technology which might not have been possible in a larger company. The digital oilfield sector is very important to the industry, so I’ll probably stay on the technical side of the business, but there could be other opportunities in the future.
Do you think there are any misconceptions about the oil and gas industry? That all the work is in the North Sea.
What advice would you give to others looking to get into the oil and gas industry? I think the North East of Scotland is a very good place to start as there is a diverse mix of small and large companies which have operations all round the world. I think that willingness to learn and enthusiasm are often better attributes than a university degree. By broadening your job search I would hope that it’s possible to find suitable opportunities in companies which you wouldn’t have initially considered – not just in the oil and gas industry.
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