Petroleum Experts

Petroleum Experts
Name	Petroleum Experts
Type	Private
Founded	1990
Founder	Colin Sayers
Headquarters	Edinburgh, Scotland
Industry	Petroleum industry software
Products	IPM, GAP, MBAL, RECALL

Petroleum Experts is a private company specializing in integrated software solutions for the hydrocarbon production, reservoir management, and pipeline flow industries. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, it provides technical packages and consultancy that bridge reservoir engineering, production engineering, and surface network modelling. Its tools are widely used by national oil companies, international oil companies, engineering firms, and service companies involved in field development, operations, and decommissioning.

History

The company was established during a period of rapid change in the energy sector following the late 1980s oil market adjustments and the aftermath of events such as the Gulf War. Early growth was driven by demand from operators working in basins like the North Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the Persian Gulf. Through the 1990s and 2000s it expanded alongside milestones in the industry including the advent of deepwater projects championed by firms such as Shell plc, BP plc, and ExxonMobil. Strategic partnerships and licensing agreements connected the firm to engineering consultancies like Halliburton, Schlumberger, and TechnipFMC. The company’s trajectory mirrors sectoral shifts seen after the 2008 financial crisis and the 2014 oil price collapse, when integrated modelling and optimization became central to cost reduction and mature-field management.

Products and Services

The company offers a suite of software products and professional services focused on field development planning, production optimisation, and pipeline integrity. Core offerings are designed to complement workflows used by organisations such as TotalEnergies, Eni, Petrobras, and Saudi Aramco. Service lines include training, bespoke consultancy, model validation, and project delivery support for major projects like offshore platforms, subsea tiebacks, and onshore processing facilities executed by contractors such as Saipem and McDermott International. Its clients span national corporations including Petronas and Pemex as well as independent producers active in basins like the Permian Basin and the Sakhalin Shelf.

Technology and Software

Technology offerings combine numerical reservoir simulation integration, nodal analysis, and network flow solvers to enable steady-state and transient analysis. Flagship solutions integrate with third-party simulators such as ECLIPSE (software), CMG, and Schlumberger Petrel workflows used in projects by Chevron Corporation and ConocoPhillips. Products support multidisciplinary workflows involving production optimisation practices common to teams at Statoil (now Equinor), OMV, and Repsol. The software architecture emphasises interoperability with formats popularised by standards bodies and vendors like POSC and OpenSpirit, while enabling coupling with commercial packages from AspenTech and AVEVA in engineering execution.

Markets and Clients

The firm serves markets across exploration and production hubs in regions such as the North Sea, West Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. Major client categories include national oil companies (e.g., Kuwait Oil Company), international oil companies (e.g., ExxonMobil), independent operators (e.g., Tullow Oil), and engineering procurement and construction firms (e.g., Baker Hughes). Its software is used in lifecycle management for assets controlled by operators dealing with regulatory frameworks like those in Norway, Brazil, and Nigeria. Commodity-market cycles influenced by events such as the OPEC price decisions affect demand for optimisation services, while trends in decommissioning and enhanced oil recovery shape portfolio priorities for clients such as Shell plc and BP plc.

Corporate Structure and Leadership

The company remains privately held and headquartered in Edinburgh with international offices or representatives in key oil and gas centres. Leadership has included professionals with backgrounds in petroleum engineering and software development linked to institutions like the University of Aberdeen and industry organisations such as the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Governance and partnerships frequently involve collaborations with consulting firms and technology providers that operate in the same ecosystem, including alliances with major contractors and integrators such as Wood Group and Jacobs Engineering Group.

Research, Development, and Innovation

Research efforts focus on coupling physics-based models to support dynamic well-to-export-system analysis, with attention to challenges encountered in projects by Apache Corporation and Anadarko Petroleum Corporation. Innovation themes include transient multiphase flow, real-time production surveillance, and digitalisation initiatives aligned with strategies pursued by Equinor and TotalEnergies. The company engages with academic research at institutions such as the University of Edinburgh and collaborates on projects supported by industry consortia and standards bodies like IHS Markit and the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers. Continuous development aims to meet industry needs driven by regulatory changes, technological advances in subsea systems developed by companies like Aker Solutions, and evolving investment priorities after market shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Category:Petroleum industry Category:Software companies of the United Kingdom