Sid

Ever so often, one goes through one's work without fully understanding or absorbing what its really offering.. then one fine day, in a seemingly esoteric conversation, you realize you know so much more about things you never thought you'd have the slightest clue about! 

Okay, heres some background first! For the past five months, I have been working on this HUGE project for an Oil and Gas Company that has operations in several parts of the world. I say huge, not just in terms of revenue or value for the client, but also because it was a huge effort to understand and bring together all aspects of the company together - right from exploration of oil to production to transportation to refining to retail and marketing!  The final goal of the project is to essentially analyze each 'business unit' of the company right down to the process level, and prepare a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Inventory for the company as a whole. We are a team of 10, spanning over 4 Trinity offices, and between the 10 of us, we cover all aspects of this company's worldwide operations.  

Now here's the interesting part.  All this while I knew I was learning a lot about GHG gases and GHG reporting - you know - understanding what processes can lead to GHG emissions, getting exposure to softwares like SANGEA, all that good stuff.  What I didn't realize, and essentially what sparked off this blog is that there is just SO MUCH MORE that I know now about how the Oil and Gas Industry works! What's 'upstream' versus 'downstream'? What's a 'working interest'? Are exploration rigs typically owned, chartered or leased?  What is a capital lease, is it different from an operational lease? How does crude travel within the US - is it pipelines, trucks or barges? What is the volume of a typical tanker truck? What are seismic vessels? Do companies actually flare natural gas cos they couldn't sell it? What in the first place is a flare?! Are contracts in Malaysia similar to those in Ecuador? What does a company's annual report contain? Aaaaaaaah!  So much 'non environmental' knowledge for no cost! And to think that this is just one of the projects that I am working on right now!!  Wait till you hear about what all I have learnt from my other ongoing projects - one takes me into the 'little known' world of Asphalt, and the other takes me right into the heart of the power industry!  I'm telling you, by the end of it all, I would know as much about the world that we live in, as I would know about the 'environmental stuff' - and thats a perk they don't list in the benefits package!