Best Practice in Exploration Management: Portfolio, Process & People

Visit WTG Corporate

• Why Attend
  • Why Attend
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Testimonials
• Course Leaders
• Attendees
• Partners
• Contact
• Course Schedule

Course Overview

Exploration is an essential growth component of the upstream oil and gas industry. Successful exploration leaders manage their business as a portfolio of activities and equip their geoscientists with effective tools, processes and technologies, so that they in turn can give appropriate attention to rigorous technical and commercial evaluation of individual projects and prospects.

The 3 day course programme will examine tried and tested practices for managing a diverse portfolio of oil and gas exploration opportunities across the exploration asset life cycle. This cycle begins with new opportunity screening, proceeds through the evaluation of high-risk play-opening wildcats into maturing plays and finally to near-field satellite drilling and appraisal. 

The course will be structured around:

• techniques for strategy definition and opportunity selection
• approaches to portfolio management,
• definition and application of technical standards and work-flows,
• the assessment of organisational and individual capability,
• methods for risk quantification and mitigation,
• application of technology 
• exploration project management.

When applied in an integrated manner and scaled appropriately for the magnitude of the risk and challenge involved, these seven areas ensure delivery of superior and sustainable business results. The course will cover concepts, processes and tools which can be used in different organisational contexts. It will include management-level primers on important technical work-flows used at the basin and prospect scales, and will also discuss how to lead, motivate and reward exploration staff. The course learning objectives will be reinforced with exercises, syndicate discussions and case studies.

Who is it for?

The course will appeal to exploration managers from oil & gas majors, independents and national oil companies who seek fresh insights into growing their business and wish to learn from best practice. The content will inspire people at all levels of exploration management, from explorationists entering their first management assignment to senior leaders wishing to broaden their repertoire of management skills and refresh their knowledge.

Workshop LevelsMid Management
Executive/ Senior exploration and  technical management,    

Senior Staff
Senior exploration staff

• Develop an exploration strategy and translate it into action
• Understand the implications of strategy for portfolio choices and decision-making
• Analyse the strengths and shortcomings of an opportunity portfolio
• Play an active and informed role in decision-making at both strategic and project levels
• Understand the strengths and weakness of my current organisation and build its technical and management capability
• Implement simple processes for portfolio management, business planning and project management
• Introduce new technical practices which impact exploration performance, across the full exploration life cycle from new venture identification and delivery, regional studies, prospect maturation and appraisal of discoveries