BY GUS MORGAN

Shree Vikas grew up in India during a time of widespread power shortages, requiring him to study with a lantern when the lights would go out.

Such power outages left Shree frustrated yet motivated. He wondered: “Can anything be done?”

So, when Shree began exploring his college options, a career in petroleum engineering appealed to him as a way to invoke positive change in the energy landscape. The thrill of the mysterious subsurface caught his fancy, an underground realm containing vast amounts of hydrocarbons that could power civilization. Besides, finding and producing oil and gas seemed more challenging to him than the traditional civil and electrical engineering fields practiced by his father and sisters.

Determined to forge his own path, Shree carried forth, earning a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines). For his post graduate work, Shree continued his education at Pennsylvania State University, earning a master’s in environmental management and a doctorate in petroleum and natural gas engineering.

At Penn State, Shree’s mindset toward the oil and gas industry shifted, moving towards a more holistic view. He realized the industry needed to practice pragmatic environmental solutions and be environmental stewards, long before ESG (environmental, social and governance) became a buzzword.

When Shree started job hunting, many of his friends pursued reservoir simulation or completion optimization jobs, technical specialties in demand at the time. But Shree pivoted to a broader role with a consulting firm in Washington, D.C., where he could combine his passions for engineering, the environment and economics. He worked on projects that helped U.S. governmental agencies such as the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shape energy and environmental technology research and policy. This job introduced Shree to the world of systems thinking, business analysis and market intelligence.

“I tried it and loved it. I had great mentors, and they helped me get to where I am today as a curious, intuitive and creative problem solver who understands markets from a very unconventional way.”

‘Supply Chain is like oxygen to ConocoPhillips’

Today, Shree, who joined ConocoPhillips in 2007, is manager of Market Intelligence & Business Analysis.

“I help ensure that every dollar at ConocoPhillips is well spent,” said Shree, who supervises a multi-disciplinary team within the company’s Global Supply Chain organization. “Supply Chain is like oxygen to ConocoPhillips. We ensure equipment, materials and supplies are provided to do our projects effectively and efficiently.”

Shree and his team distill complex market movements into digestible implications and recommendations. They conduct market research, assess industry developments, perform data analytics and analyze operational results for improved planning and purchasing decisions.

“If you want to talk to me about energy markets, I can go on and on. It just comes natural to me. A lot of people have said I have an unconventional way of looking at things. Diversity of thought and mindset has propelled me to where I am today.”

Consisting of experts in finance, engineering, facilities and land, Shree’s team provides market intelligence and business analysis to ConocoPhillips’ business units and corporate groups. Such work connects them with almost everyone in the organization.

His team contributes to corporate planning, strategy development and supply chain execution. For supply chain teams, they help with data and insightful intelligence for negotiations and supplier selection. Their work helps ConocoPhillips stay ahead of the competition, with respect to spend stewardship and cost management.

We don't dwell too much on where the puck is, but rather where the puck is going to be.

“We don’t dwell too much on where the puck is, but rather where the puck is going to be. For the Chief Economist's Office, we frame expected cost trends and for strategy groups we help in budget preparations, spend outlooks and scenario planning.”

Shree’s group participates in due diligence and costing updates for capital project reviews. For example, they helped with costing and procurement strategies for the Willow project in Alaska, Australia Pacific LNG in Eastern Australia and Port Arthur LNG in Texas. They also deliver cost benchmarking for asset teams, providing market and competitor analysis for investment decisions, such as the company’s 2020 acquisition of Concho Resources .

In addition, Shree’s team routinely monitors oilfield developments, as well as low carbon and energy transition related projects, partnerships and players’ landscape. They prepare analysis and briefs for Low Carbon Technologies and Lower 48 teams, improving decision making and operational efficiency.

‘I would not have it any other way’

Reflecting on his career, Shree is pleased with his decision to pursue a job in oil and gas, albeit in a different role than originally envisioned.

“I would not have it any other way. I thought I would be a reservoir or completions engineer working on complex technical problems. You can go deep in a field of technical engineering. Or you can go broad. Both can be fulfilling, but I quickly pivoted to be broad, and it has been good for me.”

‘You need to know energy to change it’

Always looking ahead, Shree is passionate about identifying and developing new talent for the energy industry. When talking to students who are thinking of going into oil and gas, Shree reminds them that delivering solutions requires an in-depth understanding of how the industry works.

“We need the brightest of the brightest minds in the field of energy because you need to know all aspects of energy to change it.”

'It brings me joy and makes me feel connected'

In his spare time, Shree enjoys reading and playing the ukulele.

“I'm a passionate reader, mainly books on leadership, economics or energy topics. I like to ponder. And when COVID started, I started playing the ukulele. I'm not that good at it, but music gives me time to myself. Sometimes I jam with my daughters who play violin and cello. It brings me joy and makes me feel connected.”