Well Drilling and Maintenance Section Head

Confidential Government; Eastern Province; On-site; SAR 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential Government in Saudi Arabia seeks an experienced regulatory specialist to oversee well drilling and maintenance activities, ensuring compliance with global standards and minimizing hydrocarbon migration. The role leads safety and environmental reviews, monitors abandonment reports, and advises on improvements while coordinating with licensees under Hydrocarbons Law.

A Bachelor's in Engineering or Admin sciences is required, with Masters preferred, and at least 6 years of relevant

Qualifications

• Regulatory oversight of drilling and maintenance activities.
• Review of well design documents prior to drilling.
• Supervise well abandonment reporting and environmental impact assessments.
• Ensure licensee compliance with hydrocarbon migration prevention measures.
• Coordinate with licensees on upstream operations under Hydrocarbons Law.

Responsibilities

• Monitors regulation of drilling/maintenance to meet global standards.
• Provides recommendations for development within the section.
• Reviews drilling activities and well design before operations.
• Monitors surveillance programs across multiple well types.
• Ensures inspection and maintenance of wellbore/wellhead.
• Reviews quarterly abandonment reports and mitigation measures.
• Ensures compliance with migration prevention guidelines.
• Monitors adoption of drilling technologies and improvements.
• Oversees plugging/abandonment for non-productive wells.
• Handles archaeological remains in operational areas appropriately.
• Represents the organization in upstream technical matters.
• Adheres to regulations and cybersecurity policies.
• Supervises direct reports and performance plans.
• Manages HR planning for recruitment and promotions.

Skills

Regulatory compliance

Wellbore inspection

Supervisory leadership

Environmental risk assessment

Hydrocarbons law knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Administrative Sciences

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

• Monitors the regulation of well drilling and maintenance activities and operations through the supervision and monitoring of wells, including various types of wells (such as production platform wells, injection wells, subsea wells, etc.), and ensures that drilling requirements meet global industry standards and that hydrocarbon migration is minimized.
• Provides recommendations regarding areas for development and improvement within the section.
• Ensures the review of drilling activities and operations, including the well design document prior to commencing drilling operations for any field or area.
• Monitors tasks related to managing and developing the well monitoring and surveillance program, including various types of wells (such as production platform wells, injection wells, subsea wells, etc.).
• Ensures that periodic inspection and maintenance requirements for the wellbore and wellhead are met and comply with global industry standards.
• Supervises the review of quarterly well abandonment reports, including the justification for abandonment, a brief assessment of the potential environmental impacts of the proposed operations and procedures and the mitigation measures to be used to minimize such impacts.
• Ensures that licensees comply with guidelines for limiting the migration of hydrocarbons beyond the boundaries of license areas and with the measures and precautions necessary to prevent the waste and leakage of hydrocarbons and damage to water-bearing and hydrocarbon-bearing formations during well drilling, repair, deepening, abandonment, or relinquishment, and to prevent the leakage of gas and fluids from their bearing formations or other formations.
• Monitors the process of reviewing drilling technologies used by licensed companies, determining the extent of operational success, and providing opinions regarding their improvement.
• Ensures the completion of plugging and abandonment activities for wells that are incapable of production in accordance with regulations and standards.
• Monitors the mechanism for dealing with licensees regarding cases where archaeological remains are found in operational areas.
• Ensures that licensees implement all necessary standards and procedures to preserve archaeological remains located within license areas.
• Supervises participation in representing the organization in its relationship with the licensee regarding technical matters related to upstream operations associated with the Hydrocarbons Law and its regulations.
• Adheres to work regulations and behaviors, cybersecurity policies, and procedures of the organizational unit.
• Performs any other tasks assigned by direct supervisors.
• Directs direct reports regarding the implementation of their responsibilities and guides them by providing appropriate feedback and advice to contribute to achieving the overall objectives.
• Develops and manages performance plans for direct reports.
• Supervises compliance with policies and procedures by all direct reports.
• Manages the human resources requirements planning process and provides recommendations related to recruitment and promotion.
• Creates an appropriate work environment by discussing leading practices and lessons learned and encouraging employees to adopt and apply the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct when carrying out their daily responsibilities and tasks.
• Completes the training needs form and submits it to Human Resources regarding appropriate training programs and courses based on training needs, in addition to evaluating their effectiveness and outcomes for participants in the training programs.

Academic Qualification

• Bachelor’s degree in an Engineering discipline, Administrative Sciences, or any specialization related to the field of work.
• A Master’s degree in an Engineering discipline, Administrative Sciences, or any specialization related to the field of work is preferred.

Required Experience and Number of Years of Experience

• Minimum of 6 years of experience in the same field of work.