Starting of as a copper and hydrocarbon geologist in various places across the globe, he finished with a 31-years spell in oil and gas intelligence for the Dutch E&P sector.
This year, Bert Manders who was an E&P analyst for Geo-Logic, Fugro and CGG, and Oasis Group, decided to retire and enjoy life as a pensionado.
A three-page PDF
“There is still some attraction in a PDF, isn’t it?” asks Bert when we speak to him about his career. The lay-out in which he reported his news about drilling, licensing and company moves did not change much over all those years. Three monthly pages dedicated to onshore activities, and the equivalent three pages on the offshore.
People in the Dutch E&P sector really appreciated this format though. As an Exploration Manager said: “Every month we looked forward to reading Bert’s newsletter, and especially his occasional critical comments on current developments delivered in a characteristic Bert Manders style.”
The seven sisters
Bert started in the 1990s, when the Dutch E&P sector was on the way to its peak output. As he recalls, the Seven Sisters (Amoco, BP, Chevron, Shell/Esso, Mobil, Phillips, Texaco) had dominated the scene since the 1980’s. These companies explored, developed and produced most of the gas fields that are currently nearing the end of their lives.
The situation is quite different nowadays, with private equity-backed companies coming in and also selling on. Therefore, almost the entire offshore E&P business, including more traditional operators such as Total, Wintershall and NAM, are either for sale or are preparing to do so.
A good moment to go?
It looks like it is a good moment to leave the business. “True,” says Bert, “but at the same time we still need gas, and there are still some opportunities out there.” “Also, if you look at the decommissioning, there is a lot to do,” he adds. “The Dutch E&P sector is lagging behind with plugging and abandoning wells and removing platforms. They should get their acts together in that regard,” Bert emphasises.
Besides oil and gas, Bert also reported on geothermal drilling, which he has sometimes been critical about. For instance, the plan to drill a multi-lateral geothermal well near Zwolle was met with some scepticism. “Smart well engineers stay away from complicated multi-laterals,” Bert argued last year.
So, people may not always have agreed with Bert. However, even though he considered himself an outsider, he did represent a voice in the industry. With his retirement at the age of 71 and the in the absence of a successor, Bert clearly leaves a gap behind and his newsletters will be missed by many.
HENK KOMBRINK
