Abraham John

About Abraham John

I lead subsurface teams through the decisions that determine whether a field gets funded, how it gets developed, and whether recovery targets are actually reached. Over 20+ years across deepwater Gulf of Mexico, pre-salt Brazil, and Permian EOR/CCS, I\'ve owned development strategy and capital decisions — directing integrated teams of 4–8, building investment cases for $10M–$150M projects, and serving as the subsurface interface to asset leadership during high-stakes moments including waterflood failures, regulatory submissions, and JV alignment across five international partners. I\'m known for leading through ambiguity in matrix environments, connecting subsurface work to business outcomes (100+ MMBOE booked at under $20/bbl; FID support for a $15B+ pre-salt development), and developing technical talent as a core part of the role — not a side task. After two decades building credibility across the industry\'s most complex assets, I\'m targeting formal line leadership — reservoir or subsurface management, asset management, or chief reservoir engineer roles — where subsurface expertise translates directly into organizational accountability and long-term asset value.

Experience

1. Senior Reservoir Engineering Advisor

   Oxy

   Feb 2023 — Present · Houston, TX, US

   Permian EOR Business UnitField development lead for Permian CO₂ EOR expansion — directing a 4-person integrated team and maturing a multi-project portfolio ($10M–$150M capital) from concept to funding approval, targeting ~6 kbopd growth and ~20 MMBOE reserves in 2026–29.Led and executed novel CO₂ sweep-improvement (polymer, foam) and WAG injectivity improvement field trials, coordinating matrix teams of 4-6 across operations, labs, and vendors to deliver scalable recovery improvements and improved expansion economics.Supported CCS development, including Permian pore space certification (200+ MMT CO₂) and Class VI injection permitting for Oxy\'s first Direct Air Capture facility — one of the first DAC-linked CCS projects of its kind.Initiated enterprise-visible AI-enabled reservoir simulation technology pilot to improve decision quality and reduce cycle time with applicability to Gulf of Mexico assets.Trusted subsurface advisor supporting cross-asset technical reviews and high-risk operational events.

Education

• Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad

  BTech, Petroleum Engineering

  1999

• The University of Texas at Austin

  Master of Science - MS, Petroleum Engineering

  2003

• The University of Texas at Austin

  Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Petroleum Engineering

  2008

Skills

• Reservoir Engineering
• Heavy Oil
• Petroleum
• Field Development
• Reservoir Simulation
• Gas Condensates
• Geostatistics
• Steam Drive, Css, Sagd
• Reservoir Characterization
• Oil Sands
• Reservoir Management
• History Matching