WHAT WE DO

The genesis of Production Improvement Consultants (PIC) began in 1974 with the founding of International Energy Consultants (IEC). In response to the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo, the Nixon Administration placed price controls on oil that favored older oil wells. IEC was formed to support market driven interest in improving production from these older wells. They were later acquired by a major service company. Senior members of the current PIC Technical Team spent the next 40 years advancing science and technology in the oil and gas industry.

The Valdez Oil Spill in 1989 forced major oil companies to mandate the reorganization of the oilfield service sector into giant integrated service companies. This initiative was called the “Shell Drilling in the 90s” concept. The primary purpose of this program was to create giant companies under one umbrella so that they could provide full environmental indemnification. This industry restructuring occurred simultaneously with the development of frac packing. This technology allowed for a more reliable completion technique on lower quality reservoirs, as well as, the highly-coveted Deepwater reservoirs. The evolution of Frac packing allowed a simple design software to be used with little training, skill, or experience. Major operators began informing the service industry to focus on building the “Big Box” toolkit. They would manage the advanced technology. Academic curriculums were also changed to teach engineers and scientist project management and software applications.

Therefore, a result of the “Shell Drilling in the 90s” concept, we have an entire generation of scientist and engineers who depend on expert software systems to manage billion dollar projects. When these generic software management programs fail, these companies don’t have the advanced science and engineering staff to find solutions. There are numerous technological gaps that simply cannot be resolved by software or the core services offered by the large integrated service providers. PIC was formed in 2008 to provide advanced niche technology when in-depth experience and knowledge is required to produce customized solutions. PIC’s team of Scientists and Engineers are equipped with decades of experience in the areas of Production Optimization, Flow Assurance, and New Construction.