MODEL for others
Schlumberger Ecuador has become a reference for the corporation worldwide in terms of its sustainability efforts, digital technologies, and community programs.
How important is Ecuador in Schlumberger’s portfolio?
Ecuador is extremely important for us. We have here the best type of performance model, whereby we are paid only for what we develop or produce. This generates a high level of alignment with the country’s and Schlumberger’s objectives. In Ecuador, we bring in top technology that allows us to maintain a solid learning process thanks to the contracts we have for further application here and internationally. It is a critical place for us, and we have great resources in Ecuador because of our alignment with the country. Schlumberger Corporation has its eyes on us, and we are extremely proud of our achievements. We have been in the country for almost 90 years and have been using this performance model for the last 10 years. We have been delivering results. For example, in January, we completed 10 years of a contract that we signed in 2012. We received a field that was declining, with a rate of 43,000bpd, took it to more than 90,000bpd, and right now it stands at 60,000bpd. To do that, we have made many investments in primary and secondary recovery. We apply digital technologies that are state of the art, such that our fields here have become a laboratory whose results are shared elsewhere. We also support the communities around us. This is not necessarily a contractual requirement, but we do it because we believe in it. We are also aligned with the government not only in the short term but also for the medium and long terms. We recently signed an MoU with the Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition, the first ones to do so, to map together the transition to net-zero with the support of academics, our technological centers, and others. Ecuador gives a Punto Verde Certification for technologies that are much better at reducing CO2 emissions. We now have 10 such technologies. Schlumberger was by far the first one in the industry, and others have tried to follow, but our technologies are powered by our Transition Technologies Portfolio, so we continue to work on that in many ways.
What distinguishes Schlumberger from other top players in the game here?
First, we always look for alignment with the bigger government objectives. Second, we truly care for the communities around. We go above and beyond what the contracts require, and from a corporate perspective we are the example to be followed, especially in terms of sustainability, which is a key element worldwide. Our global efforts are looking at what we have done here to replicate it elsewhere. In education, we support more than 30 schools with computer labs, sponsoring internet and including them in a network of STEM workshops benefiting over 16,000 students and teachers. We work together with San Francisco de Quito University to develop and give children the opportunity to work in STEM subjects. In fact, together we have implemented the first School Fab Lab in Latin America to create STEM learning spaces with new technologies such as 3D printing, VR, robotics, and much more. We are working together with the university to break gender stereotypes and work with underserved schools in a diverse and inclusive environment to reduce inequality and encourage these children studying in the areas where we operate, so that we can inspire them and plant the right seeds.
What concrete steps are being taken to lead the energy industry into cleaner production?
Schlumberger was one of the first companies to really measure the impact, for stages I, II, and III. We belong to the Scientific-Based Target Organization, so we have our targets measured worldwide, and our objectives are based on that. We truly want to achieve net with little compensation. We are not talking about zero balance; our objective for 2050 is net zero. Now, we have Transition Technologies Portfolio and a Schlumberger New Energy department, so there is a clear indication that all the technologies developed by Schlumberger include an element of reducing CO2 emissions.