Our expertise and strength are key to who we are at Wild Well Control. As we celebrate more than 45 years in the industry, we’d like to introduce you to our team and share their insights on the oil and gas industry.
Next up in our Well Controlled series is Mohamed Amer, our Well Control Engineering Manager. Keep reading to learn more about his experience, insights on industry trends, and what he loves about working with the team at Wild Well Control.
Name: Mohamed Amer
Role: General Manager, Well Control Engineering
Location: Houston, TX
Q: How long have you been with Wild Well Control?
A: I joined in March 2010 as a well control engineer in the Middle East and North Africa region before transferring to our headquarters in Houston. I’m responsible for the well control engineering aspects of all our activities, from operational and office support through to relief well operations, simulations, technical studies, and risk assessments. A key aspect of my role is increasing industry awareness of the risks involved in well control and how to effectively mitigate them, so I often deliver presentations to operators, run seminars and workshops, and speak at conferences.
Q: Can you describe your industry experience?
A: I’ve worked in the oil and gas industry for more than 18 years. I graduated from Cairo University in Egypt with a Bachelor degree in Petroleum Engineering before achieving an Executive MBA and Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering and Energy from Texas A&M University. I began as a reservoir engineer before deciding to follow my passion for drilling. I initially joined Pathfinder as a member of their logging while drilling (LWD) and directional teams in the Middle East and North Africa before being recruited by Halliburton in Saudi Arabia. The varied operational cultures, work assignments, and job experiences I gained gave me invaluable skills, which I have built on at Wild Well Control.
Q: What trends are you seeing in the industry?
A: I’ve seen several boom and bust cycles over the years, and each one has led to greater attempts to achieve operational efficiencies. Sometimes, this focus can be at the expense of robust and safe well control practices. The most recent downturn, coupled with the pandemic, had exacerbated operational issues due to a significant reduction in well control competencies and an increased appetite for risk. There is a concern that such issues may increase potentially avoidable well control events.
Q: What differentiates Wild Well Control?
A: Our employees and how they work together to consistently deliver the same standardized level of quality. We combine operational efficiencies that utilize the latest technologies with investment in developing our people to be the best. We apply those methods to every project we work on to deliver the highest levels of service quality in the well control industry.
Q: What excites you about working for Wild Well Control?
A: We take exceptional pride in responding to every well control project with the same high degree of professionalism. The engineering team that responds to emergency jobs is the same one that implements the technology for contingency planning, risk assessment, and real-time well control emergencies in complex operations. Each one of us brings a unique skillset and experience, and when these are combined, they result in a safe and efficient resolution to complex well control problems.
Delivering a previously uncontrollable well or asset back to the operator in a functional state is a very satisfying feeling.
Learn more about our well control engineering services here.