Alex Okpoudhu — Production Operations Team Lead

About

Learned the plant from the wellhead up.

Alex joined Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in 1991 as a contract Production Technician at the Olomoro/Oleh gas compressor station. Over the next fourteen years he worked six postings across the Western Division — Otumara, Escravos, Opuama, Jones Creek, the Ughelli Pumping Station Terminal and the Shell Industrial Area at Ogunu, Warri — advancing to Production Foreman.

Since 2011 he has led production teams for NPDC and a succession of oilfield service contractors, moving from Production Technician to Operation Supervisor to Team Lead. He has held the Team Lead post at the Olomoro/Oleh flow station continuously since 2017, retained each time the operating contract changed hands — five separate contractors, one team lead.

“To execute the company's production operations so that daily hydrocarbon and gas targets are met safely and efficiently — with due regard for the protection of the environment and the host communities.” Alex's own statement of purpose

The work is the fundamentals, done consistently: holding output to plan, reading process parameters and catching deviations early, running Integrated Production Plans and Operations Schedules, keeping documentation audit-ready, and leading crews to a zero-harm standard — most visibly 2.8 million man-hours without a Lost-Time Injury on the NPDC OML 30 project.

Alex Okpoudhu in Heritage coveralls and hard hat working at a wellhead on the flow station deck — On the wellhead deck at the flow station — gloves on before touching the valve gear.

Core competencies

Operations

Production operations Flow stations Gas compressor stations Wellhead operations Control room

HSE & compliance

HSE leadership Permit-to-Work Emergency response Emissions control

Planning & systems

IPP & IOS DeltaV DCS Asset integrity Documentation control

Leadership

Team leadership Operator training Contractor transitions Community relations

In the field

Where the work actually happens.

Briefings, walkthroughs and crew days at the flow station — the daily rhythm of a producing facility.

Alex briefing a group of trainee operators on the flow station stairway — Pre-job briefing
Walking an intake of trainee operators through the process area before entry — notebooks out, hazards named, permits confirmed.

Six operations staff and visiting technical partners outside the flow station control building — Operations team
With colleagues and visiting technical partners at the control building, beside the Mineral Oils Safety Regulations notice board.

Operators and trainees at the wellhead manifold during equipment familiarisation — Wellhead training
Well-head equipment and operations familiarisation at the manifold — valve positions, gauges and flow paths explained on the deck.

Full site crew and visiting engineers in coveralls at the facility gate — Site crew
The full crew and visiting engineers at the facility gate — full PPE, under the mandatory-equipment signage.

Wide view of operators and trainees along the production manifold and flowline network — The plant floor
A wider view of the same session — the manifold and flowline network the production team works across every shift.

Career record

Every facility, every posting, since 1991.

Fifteen postings across nine facilities and five contractor transitions, from technician to team lead.

2017 —
Present

Team Lead — Production Operations

Heritage Energy Operational Services Ltd · Olomoro/Oleh Flow Station

Engaged successively through Damotech (2022–present), Nagos Projects (2021–22, 2018–19), Bos Operational Services (2020–21), Caracal Technical Services (2019–20) and Abbeycourt Energy Services (2017–18).

Leads the production team accountable for daily hydrocarbon and gas output, holding volumes to target under a zero-harm standard.
Monitors and analyses operating parameters across all process equipment, troubleshooting deviations to protect performance and asset integrity.
Prepares Integrated Production Plans (IPP) and Integrated Operations Schedules (IOS), then tracks implementation through the cycle.
Controls daily emissions and waste, driving reductions while holding to legislative requirements at all times.
Owns the facility's operational documentation database, keeping a complete and auditable record.

2013 —
2017

Operation Team Lead · Operation Supervisor

IGPES on behalf of NPDC · Olomoro/Oleh Flow Station (2015–17) & Oweh Flow Station (2013–15)

Promoted from Operation Supervisor to Operation Team Lead within the NPDC OML 30 Operations & Maintenance project.
Delivered 2,800,000 man-hours without a Lost-Time Injury (Feb 2013 – Dec 2015), recognised with the IGPES HSE Performance Award.
Coordinated production and communications as control room operator; operated and maintained flow stations and wellheads.
Selected as a core team member for the PTL (Produce The Limit) production-optimisation workshop.

2011 —
2013

Production Technician

Isaiah Okpoudhu and Sons on behalf of NPDC · Ogini Compressor Station

Operated and monitored the Ogini gas compressor station, sustaining continuous, safe gas handling and managing effluent emission.

1991 —
2005

Production Foreman · Production Technician

Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Western Division · Niger Delta

Fourteen years across six postings, advancing from Contract Staff Production Technician to Production Foreman.

Production Foreman — Jones Creek Flow Station, Ughelli Pumping Station Terminal & Shell Industrial Area, Ogunu, Warri2003–2005

Production Foreman — Otumara Flow Station, CSP Staff (Direct hire)2002–2003

Production Foreman — Opuama Flow Station, Contract Staff1999–2002

Production Technician — Escravos Flow Station, Contract Staff1996–1999

Production Technician — Otumara Flow Station, Contract Staff1993–1996

Production Technician — Olomoro/Oleh Gas Compressor Station, Contract Staff1991–1993

Certifications

A record backed by paper, not just years.

Certificates and awards from three decades of industrial training — safety performance, control systems and leadership.

Award

HSE Performance Award — 2,800,000 Man-Hours LTI-Free

IGPES · NPDC OML 30 O&M Project · Feb 2013 – Dec 2015

Leadership

Effective Leadership & Supervisory Skills for Team Leaders and Superintendents

Independent Mediation Consultancy Services · Jan 2019

Emerson DeltaV operator interface certificate

Control systems

Operator Interface for Continuous Control — DeltaV System & Field Instruments (7012)

Emerson Process Management / Fisher-Rosemount · Apr 2003

Safety

SPDC Security and Safety Awareness Course

Emerald (West Africa) Ltd · Jul 2002

Safety

Fire Safety (Basic) Course

Emerald (West Africa) Ltd · Dec 2001

Security

Basic Security Course

Diamond Security Holdings, Training Centre Warri · Aug 2000

Further training & emergency response

Core Team Member, PTL (Produce The Limit) Workshop2019

Production Techniques Booster Course, P0042003

Plant Web Introduction, 71012001

Well Head Equipment and Operations1999

Industrial First Aid Course1996

Gas-Lift Operations, P0071993

Operator's Training, Gas-Lift Compressor1991–93

Fire, chemical spill & oil spill drillsOngoing

Medevac / mederescue drillOngoing

Emergency response procedures & Permit-to-WorkOngoing

Education

Formal study alongside three decades on the job.

OND, Mechanical Engineering

Ozoro Polytechnic, Delta State

2019 – 2021

Technician Certificate, Oil & Gas

Shell Training Centre, Warri

1991 – 1992

Certificate, Motor Vehicle Mechanic's Work

Agbor Technical College, Agbor

1991 – 1994

West African School Certificate

Odin Comprehensive College, Effurun

1986 – 1990

Three decades holding Niger Delta production safe, steady and on target.

Learned the plant from the wellhead up.

Core competencies

Operations

HSE & compliance

Planning & systems

Leadership

Where the work actually happens.

Every facility, every posting, since 1991.

Team Lead — Production Operations

Operation Team Lead · Operation Supervisor

Production Technician

Production Foreman · Production Technician

A record backed by paper, not just years.

HSE Performance Award — 2,800,000 Man-Hours LTI-Free

Effective Leadership & Supervisory Skills for Team Leaders and Superintendents

Operator Interface for Continuous Control — DeltaV System & Field Instruments (7012)

SPDC Security and Safety Awareness Course

Fire Safety (Basic) Course

Basic Security Course

Further training & emergency response

Formal study alongside three decades on the job.

OND, Mechanical Engineering

Technician Certificate, Oil & Gas

Certificate, Motor Vehicle Mechanic's Work

West African School Certificate

Let's talk operations.