Committees
The Society of Petroleum Engineers Aberdeen Section
Energy4me Schools Career Guidance
The Energy4me Schools Career Guidance (SCG) committee aim to “Inspire the Next Generation” by providing Diverse & Inclusive information on “Energy Transition” skills, career pathways and career journeys thus guiding pupils towards positive destinations.
In collaboration with other SPE Aberdeen Committees and our STEM Ambassador Volunteers, we also support leading energy sector players and STEM Educators to provide an industry focus for primary and secondary school pupils, teachers, parents and carers, therefore, raising awareness of potential Career opportunities in the Oil, Gas and wider Energy Sector including Offshore Wind, Electrification, Geothermal, Hydrogen etc as part of our journey to Net-Zero. As “Explorers”, through our collaboration with NASA and the UK Space Sector, we also highlight transferable technologies and skills in Satellites, Robotics, Data, AI, AR, Emissions Reductions, Sustainability etc.
Energy4me SCG volunteers have supported and developed several “Energy Transition School Career Guidance” initiatives and events, including:
Guiding Pupils towards Positive Destinations
- Jobs / OGTAP, Foundation, Modern & Graduate Apprenticeships / College or University
Energy Transition Career Guidance
- School Career Fairs, Exhibition Tours and presentations
- Collaboration with OEUK, OPITO & EI AHI
CV & Interview Skills – Secondary Schools
- Supporting SDS, DYW & YMCA
- STEMNET Top 10 Employability Skills
STEM Ambassador Activities – Primary & Secondary Schools
- Maths in the Pipeline support to TechFest
- www.Energy4me.org collaboration with Aberdeen Science Centre
- NASA in Aberdeen multi-organisational collaborative project
- “Explorers – Inspiring the Next Generation”
For all enquires email aberdeen.admin@spe-uk.org
Committee Members
Soma Salavati
Chair - Energy4me Schools Career Guidance
Soma Salavati
Chair - Energy4me Schools Career Guidance
Soma is a Managed Pressure Drilling engineer at Weatherford with about 8 years industry experience in UK, Norway and ME. Soma holds a Diploma in Maths and Physic, BSc in Petroleum Engineering and MSc in Well and Drilling Engineering. She is also member of the Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers, California.
As a STEM Ambassador, Soma is passionate about inspiring the next generation, playing a role in meeting the needs of society and taking responsibility towards making tomorrow a better world to live in.
Soma believes that as part of industry we all need to stay engaged, maintain our perspective in mindset of action and work to meet climate goals.
Mark Gillard
Vice Chair - Energy4me Schools Career Guidance
Mark graduated with honours in Geology and has over 40 years of experience in the oil and gas sector as a Well Engineer, Drilling Supervisor, Drilling Superintendent and Drilling Manager for various Operators and Well Management Companies in a variety of environments in many parts of the world.
Latterly, Mark spent 5 years as Technical Manager at Aberdeen Drilling School, 2 years as Lead Well Engineer at the Oil and Gas Authority, 2 years as Technical Manager at Safe Influx Limited, before recently returning to upstream Operations as Project Manager for Fraser Well Management Limited in Aberdeen
Mark has been a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) for 33 years, is an affiliate member of the Energy Institute (EI), a member of the Intervention and Coiled Tubing Association (ICoTA) and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Colin Black
Section Director & Past Chair - Energy4me Schools Career Guidance
Colin is the Managing Director of Technology Deployment Services Company Carjon-NRG.com, UK Energy Technology Platform Partner and passionate STEM Ambassador. With over 39 years in Oil, Gas & Energy, he has deployed innovative technologies in Offshore & Onshore locations internationally, managed operations & business development in high growth companies and became Managing Director & Vice President OPTIMA, a TETRA Company. For 25 years Colin has also supported many conferences & exhibitions to share knowledge by establishing industry challenges and helping the organisers identify relevant abstracts, case studies and informative technology presentations, he is also the co-inventor of numerous patents.
He is a Contractor Advisory Council member of Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), Vice Chair of OEUK Led ETF Task Force, OAA judge, committee member of Energy Institute, AHI branch and member of CMI, SUT and chaired the NASA in Aberdeen collaborative Schools education project.
For his international voluntary work “Inspiring the Next Generation”, in 2017, Colin received a “Distinguished Service Award” & became a “Distinguished Member” of SPE, in 2018 he was appointed a www.globalscot.com by the Scottish Government and in 2020 he received an “Award of Council” from the Energy Institute. In 2022, he also created “Explorers – Inspiring the Next Generation” to further support pupils around the world reach their “Positive Destinations”.
Mark Gillard
Vice Chair - Energy4me Schools Career Guidance
Soma Salavati
Chair - Energy4me Schools Career Guidance
Soma is a Managed Pressure Drilling engineer at Weatherford with about 8 years industry experience in UK, Norway and ME. Soma holds a Diploma in Maths and Physic, BSc in Petroleum Engineering and MSc in Well and Drilling Engineering. She is also member of the Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers, California.
As a STEM Ambassador, Soma is passionate about inspiring the next generation, playing a role in meeting the needs of society and taking responsibility towards making tomorrow a better world to live in.
Soma believes that as part of industry we all need to stay engaged, maintain our perspective in mindset of action and work to meet climate goals.
Mark Gillard
Vice Chair - Energy4me Schools Career Guidance
Mark graduated with honours in Geology and has over 40 years of experience in the oil and gas sector as a Well Engineer, Drilling Supervisor, Drilling Superintendent and Drilling Manager for various Operators and Well Management Companies in a variety of environments in many parts of the world.
Latterly, Mark spent 5 years as Technical Manager at Aberdeen Drilling School, 2 years as Lead Well Engineer at the Oil and Gas Authority, 2 years as Technical Manager at Safe Influx Limited, before recently returning to upstream Operations as Project Manager for Fraser Well Management Limited in Aberdeen
Mark has been a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) for 33 years, is an affiliate member of the Energy Institute (EI), a member of the Intervention and Coiled Tubing Association (ICoTA) and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Colin Black
Section Director & Past Chair - Energy4me Schools Career Guidance
Colin is the Managing Director of Technology Deployment Services Company Carjon-NRG.com, UK Energy Technology Platform Partner and passionate STEM Ambassador. With over 39 years in Oil, Gas & Energy, he has deployed innovative technologies in Offshore & Onshore locations internationally, managed operations & business development in high growth companies and became Managing Director & Vice President OPTIMA, a TETRA Company. For 25 years Colin has also supported many conferences & exhibitions to share knowledge by establishing industry challenges and helping the organisers identify relevant abstracts, case studies and informative technology presentations, he is also the co-inventor of numerous patents.
He is a Contractor Advisory Council member of Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), Vice Chair of OEUK Led ETF Task Force, OAA judge, committee member of Energy Institute, AHI branch and member of CMI, SUT and chaired the NASA in Aberdeen collaborative Schools education project.
For his international voluntary work “Inspiring the Next Generation”, in 2017, Colin received a “Distinguished Service Award” & became a “Distinguished Member” of SPE, in 2018 he was appointed a www.globalscot.com by the Scottish Government and in 2020 he received an “Award of Council” from the Energy Institute. In 2022, he also created “Explorers – Inspiring the Next Generation” to further support pupils around the world reach their “Positive Destinations”.
Colin Black
Section Director & Past Chair - Energy4me Schools Career Guidance
Soma Salavati
Chair - Energy4me Schools Career Guidance
Soma is a Managed Pressure Drilling engineer at Weatherford with about 8 years industry experience in UK, Norway and ME. Soma holds a Diploma in Maths and Physic, BSc in Petroleum Engineering and MSc in Well and Drilling Engineering. She is also member of the Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers, California.
As a STEM Ambassador, Soma is passionate about inspiring the next generation, playing a role in meeting the needs of society and taking responsibility towards making tomorrow a better world to live in.
Soma believes that as part of industry we all need to stay engaged, maintain our perspective in mindset of action and work to meet climate goals.
Mark Gillard
Vice Chair - Energy4me Schools Career Guidance
Mark graduated with honours in Geology and has over 40 years of experience in the oil and gas sector as a Well Engineer, Drilling Supervisor, Drilling Superintendent and Drilling Manager for various Operators and Well Management Companies in a variety of environments in many parts of the world.
Latterly, Mark spent 5 years as Technical Manager at Aberdeen Drilling School, 2 years as Lead Well Engineer at the Oil and Gas Authority, 2 years as Technical Manager at Safe Influx Limited, before recently returning to upstream Operations as Project Manager for Fraser Well Management Limited in Aberdeen
Mark has been a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) for 33 years, is an affiliate member of the Energy Institute (EI), a member of the Intervention and Coiled Tubing Association (ICoTA) and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Colin Black
Section Director & Past Chair - Energy4me Schools Career Guidance
Colin is the Managing Director of Technology Deployment Services Company Carjon-NRG.com, UK Energy Technology Platform Partner and passionate STEM Ambassador. With over 39 years in Oil, Gas & Energy, he has deployed innovative technologies in Offshore & Onshore locations internationally, managed operations & business development in high growth companies and became Managing Director & Vice President OPTIMA, a TETRA Company. For 25 years Colin has also supported many conferences & exhibitions to share knowledge by establishing industry challenges and helping the organisers identify relevant abstracts, case studies and informative technology presentations, he is also the co-inventor of numerous patents.
He is a Contractor Advisory Council member of Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), Vice Chair of OEUK Led ETF Task Force, OAA judge, committee member of Energy Institute, AHI branch and member of CMI, SUT and chaired the NASA in Aberdeen collaborative Schools education project.
For his international voluntary work “Inspiring the Next Generation”, in 2017, Colin received a “Distinguished Service Award” & became a “Distinguished Member” of SPE, in 2018 he was appointed a www.globalscot.com by the Scottish Government and in 2020 he received an “Award of Council” from the Energy Institute. In 2022, he also created “Explorers – Inspiring the Next Generation” to further support pupils around the world reach their “Positive Destinations”.
