Employee Scholarship

What are your current responsibilities as a Junior Geoscientist?

During my probationary period, I was mentored by my seniors and learned the ins and outs of the Geology & Geophysics (G&G) Department. Before I left for school, I was supporting my seniors with digitizing using QGIS software. Besides, I read a lot of books and asked my seniors when I had questions. I am also lucky to have seniors from other departments guide me and shared their knowledge and experiences with me. With the help of all my seniors, my improvement didn’t take long as I expected.

Are there any challenges that you are currently experiencing at work?

There are no major challenges at the moment because of my educational background in this field. But I am eager to learn more about this industry and I know AIT will help me with my knowledge expansion.

I want to be able to grow with the company and contribute to developing Myanmar’s oil and gas industry. Since I still need more hands-on experience and knowledge in the engineering field, I went ahead and applied for this Master’s Degree Program. After completing this program, I will come back with a new mindset and goals.

What do you expect to get out of this whole experience?

I expect to gain more information and knowledge about engineering. Since I only learned about geology in school and being a Junior Geoscientist, this AIT program will bring a whole new chapter to my learning journey. I’m always eager to learn new things, especially in the field that I am interested in and I’m sure that I will be more skilled in petroleum engineering after graduation.

We are excited about your future endeavors. What do you think you will bring back with you after this program?

The one-year Master’s Degree Program at AIT that I am pursuing will have more engineering classes. With my geology background in education and experience combined with my new knowledge and degree from AIT, I will be ready to undertake any given task effectively and efficiently. I hope that one day I can help develop the growth of Myanmar’s oil and gas industry. I would like to encourage young employees like us with education and experiences from abroad to join forces in advancing the oil and gas sector in Myanmar. I am thankful for this opportunity which will prepare me to become more relevant in the field.

What were you working on as a Junior Geoscientist before pursuing your master’s degree?

As a Junior Geoscientist, I had to monitor daily production and spot water injection of Mann Field and report to my team. As a monthly task, I had to update Myanmar E&P Activities including Myanmar Petroleum Blocks Status after receiving the Onshore Activities Report. I also had to contribute to the team in preparing reports by creating projects and assisting seniors with Mann Field development activities.

What will you miss most about MPRL E&P while you are away?

Well, I will have to say the daily production monitoring and spot water injection of Mann Field, which was my first task of the day. I will also miss my colleagues.

What do you think about the course syllabus?

All the courses I am taking are interesting and related to my career path. I am more excited to learn levels of the project and I will learn more about setting tasks, duties, and implementation procedures during a specific time to achieve a specific target with high quality. I am going to take this opportunity to really focus on my studies and improve my skillset. This is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me and I will not take it for granted. I’d like to thank MPRL E&P and all my seniors for giving me this chance to pursue my dreams.

What are your thoughts on the oil and gas industry in Myanmar?

Myanmar has enormous economic potential based on several factors like strategic location, size, and stock of natural resources, especially in Myanmar’s deepwater shelf which remains mostly unexplored. Besides, many domestic and foreign companies are undertaking oil and gas pipeline projects and contracts to expand their production capacities and we as responsible citizens, should actively take part in the growth of the oil and gas sector in Myanmar.

What is your motto in life?

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” – Professor Albus Dumbledore (J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series)

Could you share some of your responsibilities as a Junior Engineer at MPRL E&P?

My responsibilities as a Junior Engineer at Mann Field Operations Department included monitoring flow rates of oil wells, transferring oil from tank batteries to TAC, and then, TAC to One Million Station as part of the Measurement Team. I was also involved with pulling unit operations like pump service, swabbing, and bailing operations.

Any challenges that you experienced while working at Mann Field?

One of the challenges for me was adjusting and applying my academic knowledge in my actual workplace. Also, I had a hard time communicating with my seniors at first, I tried to be in sync with them, my colleagues, and crew members, and took some time for me to get comfortable but now, I have improved a great deal during my last two years at MPRL E&P. I realized that when I am faced with difficulties, I must stay calm and carefully analyze the problem so that I can produce the best solution to overcome the hurdle with minimum error.

How did you prepare for this AIT Master’s Degree Program selection process? Do you foresee any challenges at AIT?

A big part of my preparation for AIT was the time I spent reviewing the summary of the oil and gas industry including drilling, production, and reservoir. I also went ran through some of the calculations and facts that are essential for petroleum engineers.

Pursuing a degree in a foreign country is definitely going to be a challenge. There will be language barriers, cultural differences, and different approaches to teaching and learning methods. But this change will be good for me and I look forward to finishing my course so that I can return and make use of my newly acquired knowledge and experiences. I just can’t wait!

What do you think about the syllabus?

I am really excited about reservoir engineering, petrophysics, and well log interpretations classes because these subjects will enhance my technical and software knowledge that is required to become a reservoir engineer.

Do you think MPRL E&P should continue with career development programs for their employees?

Definitely. We, young people, are always hungry for improvement and we are ready to take on any opportunities and risks and overcome any obstacles so that we become better professionals while we improve our interpersonal, and soft skills. Here, I would like to extend my gratitude to MPRL E&P for giving me this opportunity to pursue my educational goal.

How long have you been working at MPRL E&P? In which department(s)?

I have been working at MPRL E&P for about two and a half years now. Currently, I’m in Pulling Units Team. Before settling in this team, I was working in the Measurement Team (Echo-Dynamometer).

Could you share with us some of your responsibilities as a Junior Engineer?

Under the Measurement Team, I had to closely monitor the flow rates of the wells and report immediately to all Pulling Units supervisors if any irregularity of the well is found. Next, I had to identify the well behavior thoroughly by measuring the hourly rate carefully and regularly. I fully took part in 100% of produced water disposal into identified wells on a daily basis and in monitoring the disposing rate of each well.

Under the Pulling Units Department, I had to service wells as per one monthly plan and a three-month plan to optimize production. I had to make well-servicing operations to meet the minimum target of three wells per week (including swabbing, bailing operations, and pump service). Also, I closely supervised well servicing and swabbing operations and was responsible for strictly controlling the material used for minimum cost at all operations. Last but not least, as safety is key in operations, I ensured to apply all safety procedures every day at work and implement positive safety culture in all operations. Moreover, I encouraged and educated all MOGE crew about building up safety capacity on a daily basis.

What do you feel about this one-year Master’s Degree Program at AIT?

My biggest dream is to be a part of a big offshore project as I thrive on more challenging opportunities. I believe this program will not only help me enhance my technical skills and offshore knowledge but also equip me with everything I need as a Petroleum Engineer for any upcoming projects at MPRL E&P.

An accomplishment means reaching a goal that has been set. Accomplishments are important because, when achieved, they provide us with a sense of pride and motivate us to reach further goals in our lives. And I personally think that the secret behind my achievements so far is the strong desire to learn. I hope to complete my AIT Master’s Degree Program in a year so that I can return the favor our company had offered me. I am forever grateful for this opportunity that MPRL E&P has offered me and I look forward to returning to my work with new knowledge and experiences.

Philosophy has taught me to evaluate life and experiences. I hope to be a beneficial part of any offshore projects by using my knowledge and experiences from studying at AIT while bringing about constructive change and a creative path to the “good life”, not only for myself but also for MPRL E&P.

Do you have a favorite motto?

I believe in this saying: Passion + Consistency = Success. I’ve always put 100% effort into whatever I do and I experience great outcomes because of that.

What are some of your responsibilities at MPRL E&P as a Junior Engineer?

Some of my responsibilities included onsite supervision of the pulling units, workover rig operations, and drilling rig operations. I assisted with all functions and responsibilities of the Operations Engineers, and at the same time, functioned as the Lead Operations Engineer assisting to Field Operations Manager/ Assistant Field Operations Manager. Moreover, I prepared daily reporting and cost tracking for all well operations, and was responsible for planning and material equipment needs, while ensuring that the equipment arrive on site, on time as required.

What will you miss most about MPRL E&P during your study at AIT?

I have truly enjoyed working with such a fine team of strong brotherhood, whom I will surely miss. All the support, camaraderie, and help they had provided me over the past two years was really heartwarming.

What do you expect to get out of this whole experience?

I strongly believe that this Master’s Degree Program will grant me the qualifications needed to become a well-rounded engineer plus skills that I can use to polish up my professional career as well as personal growth. I also hope to gain a more global perspective and improve my interpersonal skills, foreign languages, adaptability, and problem-solving skills. I am determined to utilize the newly acquired skills and knowledge to enhance our goals and strengths as a team and extend my new-found knowledge with junior team members. I aspire to become an outstanding and inspiring female Petroleum Engineer one day and I would love to help our community in creating values together that will benefit the needs of the company and our country. AIT will prepare me for this and I would like to thank MPRL E&P for giving me this wonderful opportunity.

Any last words relating to the oil and gas industry in Myanmar as a young Petroleum Engineer?

Myanmar is one of the most attractive countries in the ASEAN region and research shows that it is also one of the world’s oldest oil producers. It is estimated to have substantial oil and gas reserves, however, only a handful of fields are currently operating and producing and most deposits remain unexplored. It is interesting to know that we can utilize the latest technologies and efforts to strive for the recovery of untapped reservoirs. Since the oil and gas industry still holds the largest shares in the world as an energy provider and is the core of the national economy, I found it fascinating with a strong growth outlook in the future. I am lucky to be working in this sector and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.