Anna is thriving in the SLB research environment, where she finds the step-by-step process of finding solutions endlessly motivating.
Anna joined SLB in 2015 as a Research Scientist at the SLB Cambridge Research Centre, UK. As part of the Production Management team, her focus is on developing control algorithms for production systems, specifically model-based health-aware controls designed to improve equipment reliability and run life.
The transition into her first job outside of academia was an easy one for Anna. “The people in this center are dedicated to research, and there are many links with academic institutions.”
The learning certainly has not stopped. In her first four years, Anna has had the opportunity to learn about the innovations and technologies that have arisen from SLB Research. With her background in control systems, she finds her current work captivating.
“We are developing control algorithms for a production system that collects and interprets measurements from the field and fuses the data from sensors distributed throughout the system, all while predicting system behaviour to eventually find optimum controllers that will steer the system toward the desired state and avoid damaging events.” There are many technical and operational challenges to overcome, but the process of working out the components of the solution, says Anna, is endlessly motivating.
SLB prides itself on providing “borderless careers”, but crossing geographic borders is not a priority right now. “For me at this time, borderless has more to do with transitioning between different roles and different centres, working on various projects with people of diverse backgrounds, experience and knowledge.”
When it comes to being a woman in the oil and gas industry, Anna says she has not encountered gender-specific challenges. “SLB is most of all a technology innovation company, so as a woman in technology, I’ve found that women and men are treated equally. The things that matter are your knowledge, competence and attitude.“
