SOUHA SHEHAB, SHJ ENGINEERING MANAGER

My 10-year-old daughter would always ask, ‘Mum, what do you do at Petrofac?’… to be able to answer her, I introduced an analogy between an oil and gas project and a Lego model, and I asked her in return what she would need to build a Lego model. She said drawings, an instruction manual, Lego pieces of specific sizes, shapes and colours, and people to put the model together. Her answer was fantastic and helped me to explain that at Petrofac, I manage a team of engineers who generate the documents and drawings required to complete a project – the Lego model; specify the equipment for procurement – the Lego pieces; and make sure all the required data is available for people onsite to install the equipment and complete the project.

I joined Petrofac as a graduate engineer in 2005… and worked in electrical engineering for nine years. The projects I was involved in included the Harweel Field Development Project in Oman, the Galkynysh Gas Field Processing Facility in Turkmenistan, and the Shetland Gas Plant Project in the North Sea. I then moved into management and was the Deputy Engineering Manager on the BP Khazzan Field Development Project in Oman before joining TurkStream.

Being my first project as an engineering manager, TurkStream has added a lot to my experience... I managed the engineering teams in Sharjah and Chennai. My role later progressed into handling more activities outside of engineering, such as project management support, construction and commissioning support, and then the final project closeout.

I would say that my most memorable moment on the project was the gas introduction into the system last October… I had a sleepless night the day before, especially as I was not able to be physically available on site. I was extremely excited to see our design come alive. It was a great moment when we received the good news from our Project Manager. I felt proud that WE had finally done it!

What I love most about my job is putting together plans and strategies for projects… looking at what works well and what needs to be improved. The challenges that come in between are also interesting and make me think out of the box to adapt to different situations. As a manager, I like to identify potential talents in the team and try to promote them, opening the door to creativity and new ideas. At the same time, I strive to look at the strengths and weaknesses of each team member, making sure that all of them get opportunities to improve for their own as well as the company’s benefit.

Meet the people behind this project