Breaking the mould

Schlumberger plans to direct its efforts at maximising recovery from mature fields, with business shifting increasingly to areas such as the Middle East. Technology will make the difference between success and failure. Tom Nicholls talks to Chakib Sbiti, head of the group’s oilfield services division

FOR ANYONE seeking insights into the role technology plays in the upstream business, a visit to Schlumberger's engineering and product-development centre in Clamart, near Paris, is an enlightening experience. One of 19 such research and engineering centres worldwide, Clamart is a test bed for machinery capable of taking the subtlest of measurements and executing precision manoeuvres in the most inhospitable of environments. Our strategy, explains Chakib Sbiti, executive vice-president of Schlumberger Oilfield Services, is to come up with proprietary, differentiating technology that will bring returns to our clients. A minimum goal is that any segment, at any one time, must be in the process