DIAL-ed In: Rafael Bastardo

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.

Rafael Bastardo recently joined Silverwell as VP of Global Sales. DIAL in to learn about his interests, expertise, and how he is enjoying working with us.

Tell us about yourself and your background

I was born in Venezuela and have been in the industry for more than 22 years. I received my bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas and then earned my master’s degree from Simon Bolivar University. Later, I obtained a second master’s degree in Business Analytics and Big Data from the IE School of Human Sciences and Technology in Spain.

I began my career with a research and development role then moved to the testing division of a major service company. For the last 15 years, I’ve specialized in artificial lift operations, rising to regional and global management positions.

Away from work I enjoy reading, ancient history, podcasts, movies (I’m a big Star Wars, Lord of The Rings, and Harry Potter fan), walking, biking, and going to the beach.

What does your role involve?

I’m responsible for sourcing new opportunities, increasing our networking, analyzing customer business data, and managing Silverwell’s sales strategy.

Working at Silverwell is refreshing and energizing. I’ve only been here a short time and the team makes you feel welcome. There’s a true environment of entrepreneurship where everyone is accountable and empowered to make things happen; It’s a culture based on excellence and customer focus.

When talking to management and decision-makers, their most frequent questions are about lifting cost, NPV (net present value) and ROI (return on investment). They focus more on the financial value our technology can provide – and they’re always impressed by our results.

What trends do you think the oil and gas industry will see over the next five years?

I see three key inflection points that have driven major changes in the industry this century and will continue to shape the future.

The adoption of field digitalization and automation in the 2010s triggered the development of digital technologies to monitor and control wells as well as manage assets remotely. The 2014 oil crisis forced the industry to transform. Machine learning and big data have helped focus on improving efficiency and reliability. The COVID pandemic has shown businesses can successfully operate remotely. Looking ahead, the global focus on reducing carbon emissions means our industry is evolving continuously.

As each new challenge arises, new business opportunities are created with a greater focus on measurement and accountability.

In the next five years, the industry will evolve to all-electric operations. Achieving high levels of operational efficiencies through business analytics and big data will become an essential part of the decision-making process.

Why is faster technology adoption important for the oil and gas industry?

Oil price volatility, access to capital, CO₂ emissions reductions, and increased efficiency mean technology adoption is essential to ensure the industry’s future.

Silverwell’s technology supports these trends and brings substantially greater value compared to conventional technologies. As more operators understand the benefits of artificial lift intelligence to improve their returns, our DIAL technology becomes a must-have in every gas lifted well.

Where do you see Silverwell in five years?

Silverwell’s technology delivers reliable innovation for true life-of-well lift.

The financial benefits of DIAL for our customers, the range of onshore and offshore challenges it solves, and our exciting new technology program will make Silverwell the leader in intelligent gas lift systems globally.

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