Biography of Jules Schoenmakers,
owner of Well P&A Expertise BV
Jules initiated Well P&A Expertise BV in November 2016, providing expertise for Oil & Gas Well Abandonment and Well Decommissioning globally for Operators, JV Partners, Authorities, Supply chain, R&D/Innovations, regarding Strategies, Regulations, Liabilities estimates/negotiations, Setting-up P&A Campaigns, Projects, Well P&A Designs, Consultancy, Training, Tool development.
Prior experience
Prior to this he was the Principal Technical Expert for well abandonments within Shell globally. That role involved:
- Being the expertise holder for well abandonment designs, campaigns, projects globally.
- Value assurance, audits, project reviews, team assist.
- Capture and spread learning;
- preparation of Guidelines and Standards for Region, Shell Group and Industry.
- Input into End-of-Field Life decisions and Asset Retirement Obligations, Securities.
- Benchmarking;
- Developing country and global strategy for decommissioning
- Assessment of technical liabilities ventures.
- Identification and promotion of technology development, innovations, research needs
Contributions to guidelines and regulations
In this role he contributed to industry workgroups on Guidelines and Regulations. Notably in Netherlands (NOGEPA) and UK (Oil & Gas UK). For the latter, he served as the chairman of the workgroup on well abandonments since 2007, clocking more than 70 meetings. Well Abandonment Guidelines were issued in 2009, 2012, 2015; the world-first cost estimation guidelines were issued in 2012, 2015; the world-first Materials Qualification Guidelines were issued in 2012 and 2015. Also the world-first benchmarking of well abandonment was established through Rushmore.
He has been involved in organising many conferences and seminars, and chaired a considerable number of these. He has written and contributed to several publications and has given numerous presentations, see his LinkedIn profile for examples.
Contributions to well designs
Prior to 2007 he was Well Planning Lead, Wells Project Manager, Business Unit Interface manager at NAM, a Shell/ExxonMobil joint venture in the Netherlands.
His teams delivered a wide range of well designs, including:
- Extended reach wells
- Multizone gravelpack completions
- Multilaterals
- Expandables as 13Cr gas tight cladding (world’s first)
- High capacity underground gas storage wells
- Low cost onshore gas wells
- Cemented completions
- Horizontal oil wells
- Injection and disposal wells
- Offshore platform
- Subsea
- Exploration wells
- Underbalanced coiled tubing drilling sour wells
- Workovers
- Well abandonments
Jules developed technical expertise in salt drilling and abatement of drilling noise in populated areas, geophysical risk assessment and stress caging. Project Lead of Pacesetter project for Low Cost Land Drilling (Shell global performance award).
This role further involved:
- Project management
- Drilling sequence management and Business Planning
- Well planning process, cost estimating/benchmarking, technology implementations, modelling, auditing
- HSE concurrent operations, jack-up drilling and land rigs (incl. automated rigs)
- Close working relationships with petroleum engineering (geoscientist, PT, Reservoir Eng, PP), appraisal and production engineering
- Stakeholder engagement (internal and external)
- Budget processes
Overseas experience
Prior to 1997, he worked for Shell overseas in a number of positions in well operations, technology, business improvement, design and planning.
Early experience
He graduated in Mechanical Engineering in 1982 from Technical University Eindhoven. After performing engineering consultancy work for the construction of the Oosterschelde Surge Barrier dam, he served as an officer in the Royal Dutch Navy, prior to joining Shell in 1984.
Personal interests
Jules’ personal interests include sailing, cycling, walking, outdoor, science & engineering, theatre, museums, and reading, in particular about the fascinating human brain.
