DIAL-ed In: Gerard Patterson

Our expert Q&A sessions are designed to give you insight into the people behind Silverwell and share the value they bring. Each month, one of our global experts will share information on their role and their vision for the future of the industry.

Gerry Patterson is our company President in the US as well as Vice President of Engineering. DIAL in to learn about his interests, expertise, and how he is enjoying working with us.

Tell us about yourself and your background.

I’m originally from Northern British Colombia, Canada, where I attended the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta. After graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering, I worked as a wireline engineer. Shortly after, I moved into the technical support group within the organization. I later relocated to the US and transitioned into R & D. Since 2007, I’ve worked in new product development and deployment across various engineering disciplines such as electro-mechanical design, and software engineering at numerous levels from embedded systems to cloud-based product deployments.

Outside of work, I enjoy photography, graphic design (VFX, animation, modeling, etc.), camping, and traveling.

What does your role involve?

I’ve been with Silverwell since August 2018 and my day-to-day usually starts with several calls to our overseas team and customers. By mid-day this transitions to reviewing the status of various ongoing projects in Engineering, Operations, and Manufacturing. The end of the day is typically devoted to catching up on emails, answering questions, and scheduling work for the rest of the Engineering group.

When I started at Silverwell, I was surprised at the amount that was invested in corporate governance and QHSE for the size of the company. We take it very seriously and as a result, we can attract and work with the largest operators in the industry.

I’m particularly excited about two things going on at Silverwell right now. One is our dedication to staff development programs; we’re growing in 2022 and need to ensure we add and promote people in the right places to accomplish the work. Second is the automation and integration capabilities of our product that enables our clients to take advantage of the hardware we have spent the last number of years developing and qualifying.

What does Silverwell bring to the industry?

Silverwell is different because we’re the pioneers of electric gas lift – we have a history in the market with years of run-time on our product. We are on our second and third generation of products whereas alternative technologies are just entering the market. Our goal is to be the industry leader from land to subsea.

In recent years we’ve seen a focus on reducing the number of wells drilled while also producing more from each well. Investors are rapidly looking for efficiencies and opportunities for new developments. New technology will be focused on surveillance of production; Silverwell is perfectly positioned to address these needs since our main product offering emphasizes production optimization with less intervention.

Has your perspective of the Industry changed since you entered? How do you stay up to date?

It’s a much, much larger industry than I originally appreciated when I first started. It takes a large number of people in nearly every discipline to make everything work.

I stay up to date by reading trade journals and attending conferences such as ALRDC. I’m also a member of AWES (Advanced Well Equipment Standards) and API (American Petroleum Institute) 19G2 working group.

How have things changed in the industry since the onset of the pandemic?

This period has required more up front planning and utilizing local contractors in areas where it would not be feasible to have people travel and be quarantined for extended periods. We developed an online training program for third party crews in Malaysia, which led to the successful installation of our first dual string completion. This makes our technology even more accessible and easy to implement globally.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of entering the industry?

Get hands-on experience early in your career. It will be useful. Do not “settle in” (either in position or location). Even the same position in a different region will present new challenges. The skills and experiences you develop in one job will almost always be useful in the next one or the one after that.

For more information on how we can solve your gas lift challenges contact our team.