Title:
Drilling Section Head
Position Details
- Position Title: Drilling Section Head
- Department: Wells
- Location: Majnoon Oil Field – Basra, Iraq
- Reports to: Wells Manager
- Direct Reports: Drilling Engineering Team Lead, Drilling Operations Team Lead
Role Purpose
Provide leadership and strategic oversight for all drilling activities in the Majnoon Field. Ensure safe, efficient and high-quality drilling of all wells. Drive operational excellence, technical assurance, contractor performance, and regulatory compliance across all Drilling functions.
Key Responsibilities
3.1 HSSE & Well Integrity Leadership
- Drive a strong safety culture within Drilling teams and contractors, complying with Zero Harm and Courage to Care.
- Ensure compliance with Life‑Saving Rules, PTW, SIMOPS, and company HSSE‑MS requirements.
- Lead high‑level incident investigations, ensuring quality root‑cause analysis and corrective actions.
- Provide visible leadership through regular rig site visits, audits, and engagements.
3.2 Strategic & Technical Leadership
- Develop and implement drilling strategies aligned with field development and company objectives and targets.
- Establish standards, procedures and assurance processes for drilling activities.
- Provide technical authority and approval for well designs.
- Set annual Drilling performance KPIs and drive continuous improvement across engineering and operations.
- Champion adoption of new technologies, enhanced drilling techniques and methods.
3.3 Drilling Engineering Oversight
- Ensure high‑quality engineering deliverables including drilling programs and procedures.
- Lead technical reviews, risk assessments, peer reviews, and engineering assurance processes.
- Approve drilling Basis of Design, well objectives, engineering calculations and drilling programs.
- Ensure consistent application of well integrity standards, barrier philosophies, and regulatory requirements.
- Review complex or high‑risk engineering designs and approve contingency plans.
- Ensure high‑quality and timely engineering reviews and end‑of‑well reports.
3.4 Cost & Schedule Control
- Lead development of budgets, forecasts, and AFE inputs.
- Monitor job efficiency, performance, and operational KPIs.
- Identify cost‑saving opportunities without compromising safety or quality.
3.5 Operations & Wellsite Execution Management
- Oversee execution of all drilling operations.
- Ensure safe delivery of drilling activities in compliance with HSSE and operational standards.
- Provide real‑time troubleshooting and operational support and decision making during complex operational activities, operational challenges, stuck pipe, lost circulation, equipment failures and well-control events.
- Coordinate with Construction, Production, Drilling, and Subsurface teams to ensure alignment of operational priorities.
- Ensure operational readiness, QA/QC of equipment, and verification of service company preparedness.
3.6 Contract & Contractor Performance Management
- Manage performance of all Drilling related contractors.
- Support contract strategy development, tendering, technical evaluations, and contractor audits.
- Ensure service delivery meets safety, quality, and performance expectations.
3.7 Organizational Leadership & Staff Development
- Lead and develop Drilling Engineering and Operations teams to ensure technical competency and readiness.
- Ensure succession planning, talent development, and structured training programs.
- Foster collaboration between engineering, operations, HSE, and field teams.
- Promote a culture of performance, accountability, and continuous learning.
3.8 Governance, Reporting & Stakeholder Engagement
- Ensure high‑quality reporting including daily summaries, KPI dashboards, and operational lookbacks.
- Represent the Drilling function in senior management meetings, partner reviews, and regulatory discussions.
- Ensure documentation accuracy in systems such as SharePoint, OpenWells, and well integrity databases.
- Maintain strong alignment with Wells Manager, Production, and Subsurface stakeholders.
Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum, Mechanical, or related Engineering discipline (MSc preferred).
- 15–25+ years of drilling experience including, including 10years in senior leadership roles.
- Valid IWCF Level 4 Well Control certification.
- Strong experience leading drilling engineering and operations teams in high‑activity onshore fields.
- Expertise in all aspects of well engineering and construction.
- Comprehensive understanding of well integrity standards (e.g., NORSOK D‑010), well control, and barrier management.
- Strong knowledge of international standards (API, ISO, IOGP) and regulatory compliance requirements.
- Experience in Iraq/Majnoon preferred.
- Fluency in English; Arabic an advantage.
Core Competencies
- Drilling Engineering Technical Mastery
- Well Integrity & Risk Management
- Operational & HSSE Leadership
- Strategic & Organizational Management
- Performance Management & Continuous Improvement
- Cross‑Functional Collaboration
- Contractor & Stakeholder Management
- Team Leadership & Talent Development
- Communication & Technical Reporting
- Decision Making Under Pressure
