Oil and gas Kuwaiti field engineer Noor Alenezi has always loved solving problems, ever since she fell in love with math at school. By the end of high school, she began to see that math could be used to solve engineering problems in the real world. She earned her Electrical and Computer Engineering Degree from Effat University in Saudi Arabia.
But when she joined Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE), she was surprised that the job description is not related to her educational electrical engineering background.
"But after a while, I realized that it's not about electrical or mechanical engineering. It's about the engineering mindset that's about solving problems and finding solutions. A solution provider is the mindset required," she says.
Today, Noor is very comfortable in her role as a problem solver. She loves her work because she's in charge of a team that deploys an incredibly versatile piece of technology that can help oil and gas well operators solve all types of problems.
She's a coiled tubing and acid stimulation field engineer in the Pressure Pumping Department with BHGE in Kuwait. Her team includes the coiled tubing operations, the maintenance team, and a laboratory team.
In her role, she meets with clients to understand their problems, she designs technical proposals and operational procedures, and she supervises the work onsite.
Coiled tubing can help, whether it's a new well under development or an existing well that's been producing over the years, Noor says. it could be a piece of equipment dropped down in an underdevelopment well, or a decline in production. Coiled Tubing applications are numerous and various; it can be fishing, cementing, acid stimulation, cleanout, milling and many other different interventions work scope as well.
Although Noor was one of many women studying engineering in university, there are many fewer practicing engineering in oil and gas. "For Kuwaiti woman, working in deserted areas with men for days, is something considered a shameful thing. You'd rarely find support for it," she explains. She was once asked to leave a rig by a field operator who "didn't want to take the responsibility" of having a woman onsite.
"Sometimes it's not just family or society; it can be the operator that doesn't want you there." But that hasn't stopped her, and it shouldn't stop other women, she says.
"You should do what you like, regardless of what society expects of you. What limits you in your career and your future shouldn't be that. Don't shy away from doing what you want.
Although Noor has pursued her dreams. She does have advice for her younger self and for other young women. "At the beginning of my career, I was shy to speak for myself and felt that my work would speak for itself. But my advice now is not to shy away and to speak out about what my achievements are.
"Yes, technical knowledge and operational experience are great, but self-branding and networking can take you miles ahead." BHGE has always been very supportive, she said, especially providing a great field lead program. "Through it, I got the technical and operational support I needed." As a full-stream company, BHGE gives her something else as well.
She supports women's empowerment as a member of the SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Women in Energy Committee and as a discussion leader and session chair for two Middle East SPE Women in Leadership and Excellence events.
She also is a committee member of ICOTA (Intervention & Coiled Tubing Association) Middle East Chapter. In giving back to her community, Noor is using her role with SPE to organize the first SPE magazine in Kuwait.
More broadly, her community activities include support to the Kuwait Down Syndrome Society. During Ramadan this year, she solicited BHGE's sponsorship of the Girgean festivities for children of the center. Girgean takes place in the middle of the Holy Month of Ramadan and involves children dressing in traditional clothes and carrying bags as they go from house to house in their neighborhood, collecting candy.
Read more stories here about BHGE's commitment to developing the oil and gas sector across the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey. For stories on BHGE and GE's commitment to diversity, click here.
I read this line more than five times .. At the beginning of my career, I was shy to speak for myself and felt that my work would speak for itself. But my advice now is not to shy away and to speak out. Yes i do agree to this !!!.
Noor is doing good to be essential part of the team and make a significant contribution as well, she is committed and hard working person, i believe she will have a bright future.
Good and fantastic for the women to do any kind of the job.