With over 20 years of experience in reservoir engineering, covering production operations, reservoir simulation and production surveillance, Faeez Rahmat has a wealth of knowledge to bring to his role as Subsurface Director – Asia at THREE60 Energy. We caught up with Faeez to learn more about his role, what he predicts for the subsurface industry in the energy transition, and more…

Q: What are your main responsibilities in your role and how have you found working in your position during a global pandemic?

A: I have a dual role within the company, with one foot in technical work and the other in management. I love advising and growing my team, getting the best out of their skillsets and making sure they enjoy and are challenged by the projects they work on. I’m also grateful that I can continue to deliver on technical services too, as well as regularly develop my own skillset – whether that’s in the role of project manager or as a peer reviewer.

With over 20 years of experience in the industry, I usually act as technical lead on projects, and head up a lot of due diligence work. With the challenges of the global pandemic and the fluctuating oil prices – we’ve had to adapt and learn various ways of managing our teams and business. I love working in the office and bouncing ideas around with my team – I missed that during lockdown!

I’m a perfectionist and so balancing the role of management and delivering project work to clients is a challenge I enjoy and thrive on.

Q: What are the key lessons you’ve learnt in your career so far?

I’m a perfectionist and so balancing the role of management and delivering

When I worked for an operator, I was in charge of a greenfield development. The lessons about project management this taught me have been invaluable in my career, as the many moving parts and negotiations have been put to great use in my position now!

Because THREE60 Energy is crucial to the supply chain, and not an operator, I’m lucky to have experienced all sides of operations, across the subsurface sector. I’ve been mentored by very knowledgeable people in the industry, and learnt how to identify the significant learnings for developing not only projects, but myself.

Q: Why do you feel it is important to act as a mentor to the next generation of reservoir engineers?

A: Mentoring the next generation of engineers is key for the adaptability and transition to alternative solutions for the energy industry. Guiding engineers at the start of their careers so that they know best practice and understand the industry is important to me and THREE60 Energy. Instilling the habit of asking ‘why’ things are done in a certain way, and questioning the process, is key to improving and continually learning.

I have mentored many engineers over the years and seeing them progress and gain skills and confidence is so rewarding. I hope that taking the time to educate and guide others is something that continues to thrive throughout and across the energy transition, as the transfer of knowledge is paramount to a successful energy industry.

Q: You’ve been with the company for a couple of years now, what makes THREE60 Energy a great place to work?

A: It sounds cliché, but it’s the people. The incredible dedication that I’ve witnessed throughout the past years has been inspiring. The overall enthusiasm and ownership of work is something that drives THREE60 Energy’s reputation across all our operating regions.

Q: What do you predict the future of the subsurface sector will be, as we move towards a net zero future?

A: The subsurface sector will continue to be extremely relevant for the energy transition. Demand for hydrocarbon energy will be steady across the world as we move towards a balanced transition to renewable energy sources. The vital question is how to produce and store energy responsibly and effectively. Finding the middle ground to achieve net zero targets will be crucial, across the world. In Malaysia, the economy is currently dependent on traditional energy sources and so moving from coal fire plants to gas fire plants is an important transition for our country’s economy and of course, our carbon emissions.

Q: THREE60 Energy delivers in-depth insight across the full field life cycle – which elements of this cycle do you see as growth areas for the company and the sector?

A: The growth area in this region would be mid-life to late-life decommissioning. We are leveraging brownfields and using innovative engineering to make sure the circular economy and sustainability is at the heart of our operations. Of course, the question of how to capture hydrocarbons and transform that stream of activity into net zero-friendly operations is vitally important, too. We need to make this process the best it can be, before we move completely to renewable energy – it will take time and dedication from all in the industry to achieve full transition.

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?

A: I love to spend time with my wife and two children. Activities like going out to the cinema, dining out and getting to play 18 holes on the golf course are things we’re definitely not taking for granted now, but during the pandemic we also played a lot of board games! I also have a large extended family so we enjoy visiting them, too.

You can learn more about THREE60 Energy’s service lines here.