| Description | Tape 1 Side A: SJOERD FRANCIS SCHUYLEMAN born 2 March 1943 The Hague. Background to names. Most of family had emigrated to Indonesia. Father worked for Dutch Government. Returned to Indonesia after war. Paternal grandfather farmer there, great grandfather built railways in Sumatra. Father PhD from London School of Economics. Details re family names. Mother's family Pelmore. Grandfather was in Japanese prisoner-of-war camp. Recalls holidays on his mountain farm. He was evicted from Indonesia. Mentions family history, photographs. Describes grandfather, family characteristics of stubbornness etc. Explains divorces in family. Grandfather only Dutchman in Japanese camp to survive, ate clay, leaves. Recalls own early decision re career as geologist, fascination of volcanoes. Reason for grandfather's being tight-lipped re war experience. Details re uncle's unfortunate life, numbers of divorces in family, domestic situations, family members. One of two children, has younger sister. Father, an economist for Dutch Government, became effectively Housing Minister. 1953 family forced to leave Indonesia. Details. Refugees in Australia, New Zealand. Details re former home in Indonesia. Recalls speaking Dutch at home, Indonesian etc, acting as interpreter. Helpful later in career. Went to Dutch primary school. Feeling about typical expatriate attitudes. Own ability to communicate with people derives from childhood experience. Maternal family: grandfather German, an engineer, invented mass bulk dough/bread-making machinery, still used. Details re family names. Grandmother German/Austrian background. Reference Baker Perkins, Peterborough. Grandfather changed name to Pelmore after First War. Explains. He died from TB 1915. Mentions trips back to Europe from Indonesia. Unhappy period for father in NZ because of snobbery, attitude to immigrants. Reason for return to England 1956. Mentions NZ education standards.
Tape 1 Side B: Recollections of Blockhouse Bay New Zealand. Mother religious, belonged to local church. Joined cub pack. Influence of scoutmaster, Skip Campbell. Learned fishing with him. Recalls scouting outdoor activities. Father not great influence. Started own firewood business. Details. Developed interest in gardening, created new varieties of daffodils, won prizes at flower shows. Explains. Father had demoralising work in slaughterhouse, later accountant for J. Arthur Rank. Attitude of NZ bosses to him. Comments on own experience of expatriate worker situation, local attitudes. Mentions own accent, being teased in NZ. Details re ability to adapt, relate to people. Mentions use of different languages. Describes father's personality, attitudes, reactions to New Zealanders. After leaving NZ he lived successfully from stocks and shares. He helped raise funds for Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford. Describes mother's character, interests, relationship with her. She ran guesthouses, accommodated foreign students. She had London School of Economics degree, was involved with high Church of England. She worked for BBC in Indonesia, taught English. Details. Describes her speech. Recalls guests in home. Happy memories of foreign students. Sister went to boarding school. Recalls own refusal to go, result of this. Mother's situation in NZ, sense of her position. Comments on NZ society. Recalls mother's social set when she was young. Reference to Marie Rambert. Uncles raced Bentley cars. Education: started in Polperro, Cornwall. Behind in class after return from NZ. Recalls difficulty taking 13-plus exam. Went to Liscard Grammar school - first lucky break. Coached by primary school headmaster. Later went to Godalming Grammar School. Recalls later hitchhiking to Polperro. Reference childhood smoking of Woodbines, being a rebel.
Tape 2 Side A: Went to Godalming Grammar School 1957-61, lived in Guildford. Details re progress at school, exams passed. Still aimed to be geologist, collected fossils etc. Negative attitude of teachers re prospects. Background to going to Imperial College, London. Details re interviews, impact of cup of tea. Mentions Professor John Sutton, mentor. Recalls own critical approach to study, difficulty with exams. Before starting university wrote to every oil company, got 3 replies. Details re possibility of gap year work with BP geology survey in Alaska - cancelled because of own height, size. Details re completion of degree, diploma. Reference to Janet Watson, Sutton's wife. Imperial College department oriented towards industry. Details. Recalls sporting interests at school. Ran school tuck shop. Details. Elected Head Boy two years running. Feelings about being authority figure, attitude of teachers. Had to make speeches etc. Able to be a team player - importance in professional career. Comments on leadership requirements. Describes study of geology, wide range of approaches, skills necessary, detective work, predictions etc. Specialised in micro-palaeontology, later worked in this specialism in BP. Family details. Recalls occasional trips home. Lot of practical work in geology, holiday field trips. No girls on course, only one female member of staff. Most Imperial College students men. Father continued stock market work all his life. Details. Mentions death of son of senior BP manager in Sea Gem disaster. Joined BP Sunbury Research Centre, London as micropalaeontologist 1965. Recalls first offices. First task to sort out material from Kirklington Hall. Details. Reference to D'Arcy Exploration Company. Mentions perfectionist approach to work. Worked as assistant to world-class palaeontologists. Details.
Tape 2 Side B: BP Sunbury Research Centre (cont'd). Details re Walter Blow's work on new rock-dating system, establishment of hierarchy of microfossils. Work as assistant to him. He slept 2 hours a night, had only one leg. Recalls collecting samples for him in southern France. Details. Mentions Fiat 600 car. Details re expense claim, getting into trouble for setting precedent living cheaply, working late. Started taking work home. Mentions recognisable footsteps in office. Recalls being faced with moral dilemmas at work, e.g. business entertaining costs. BP exploration area a surprisingly small company at time, dedicated, talented who became world-renowned oil-finders. Details re Sunbury staff. Helped colleagues with consulting work related to North Sea. Mentions protest over pay. Worked on Channel Tunnel project. Details. Recalls how BP staff divided re potential of oil in North Sea. Comments on scepticism, relates to situation in United States. Mentions current drilling in 5000 metres of water. Gas can be embarrassment when looking for oil. Explains. No obvious market for gas until UK infrastructural changes made it a respectable fuel. Details. Oil/gas situation in North Sea. Recalls heated debate re North Sea, Alaska. Relationship between foresight, intuition, hard data, scientific approach. BP got prize for finding oil in Alaska. Details re BP bidding for Alaskan acreage, American reaction. Own role as scientist. Relationship between geology and science. Geology becomes an art-form. Explains sequence leading to finding oil, role of oil-finders. Reference to licenses. Oil-finders still active today. Gives example of intuition in drilling, ability of driller to feel what happening. Geologist often butt of jokes. Details re their situation, others' attitude to them.
Tape 3 Side A: Later, when Operations Manager, Aberdeen 1977-9, involved in recruiting geologists, invariably prima-donnas, arrogant, who had their corners knocked off early on. Importance of early experience. Had no interest in politics, still largely immune. Appointed biostratigrapher, Benghazi, Libya 1966-8. Describes work managing commercial laboratory. Technical details re exploration, development of fields. Mentions having married earlier, living in bachelor quarters in Libya. Details re good pay. Surprise at amount of alcohol consumed, smoking - still the case. Strong friendships formed. Mentions annual Libyan reunion. Enjoyed Benghazi (Benghastly) while others complained. Hard work, hard living. Reference to King Idris. Recalls replacing David Balchin, geologist, hockey international, on rig in Sahara Desert - first time on rig. Details re inadequacy of clothing, equipment when it snowed. Beginning of getting broader responsibility as geologist. Explains. Spent more time on rigs, doing fossil analyses there rather than in laboratory. Recalls being in charge of last BP well drilled in Libya, unlikely prospect. Details impact of French crew, alcohol, good food, siesta, boules etc. Worked through night to avoid heat. Had weekly film night, barbecues, social activities with Americans etc from other rigs. Describes procedures to avoid getting lost in desert. Discovered oil against expectations. Details. Second well drilled. Reference to Libyans. Spent 6 months away from home. Details re wife's arrangements. Reasons for not wanting to find oil. Mentions later compensation payment to BP. During time in desert, alcohol prohibited. Details re alcohol allocation arrangements, colleagues' high consumption. Mentions daily radio schedules. Reference to King Idris' Learjet. Alcohol situation worse after prohibition, illegal arrangements. Explains. Mentions strictness re alcohol on American rigs.
Tape 3 Side B: Details re Landrover expedition to Chad sleeping on sand, downpour, navigation by compass. Mentions desert driving training, hazards, disorientating effect of sun. Visited Ladybegood American bomber. Details re crew, aircraft. Background to appointment as Biostratigrapher, Melbourne, Australia 1968-70. Mentions Arab-Israeli War. Established new micro-palaeontology laboratory. Mentions deteriorating quality of life in Benghazi. Worked on samples from Papua New Guinea. Wife went to Australia. Feelings about job. Details re plans to localise laboratory in PNG. Describes sudden, unexpected move to Singapore as Review Geologist 1970-74. Details re area of responsibility. Spent lot of time in Indonesia. Advantage of knowing Dutch, Indonesian languages, having micro-palaeontology skills. Domestic arrangements - left family in Australia at first. Reference to birth of child. Impact of job on family. Feelings about regular moves, 2-year postings. Details re good living conditions in Singapore, servants, wives' social life. Wives not allowed to take paid work. Mentions wife's teaching profession. Little awareness there of North Sea oil. Recalls first insight during visit to Aberdeen. Describes Aberdeen then, Americans, BP drilling offices in Bridge Street. Mentions other BP premises. Impact of discovery of Forties Field. Matt Lenning, General Manager, given blank cheque to get first Forties platform in. Recalls euphoria of time. Reference to David Jenkins. Further details re Singapore-based job, time on rigs. Details re regional review work, 5-month trek through jungles of Kalimantan etc. Learned lessons when alone with bushmen. Recalls experience with Dyak bushman, tripwire traps etc. Details re guide, amount paid to him, his skills, dangers. Did basic mapping surveys, rock sampling never done before. Used secret photographs from Royal Australian Air Force.
Tape 4 Side A: Review Geologist, Singapore (cont'd). BP got offshore concession from Indonesian Government. Did geological, seismic surveys in offshore, onshore areas. Explains significance of onshore work, procedures, use of aerial photographs. Reference to deaths of Japanese in jungle. Supposed to have armed escorts. Describes use of survey vessel as operations base, landing craft in river, sampling rocks, trips up river, walking several hundred kilometres in hills etc. Details re logistics, sleeping arrangements, hazards, use of guides, their skills, living off land in jungle, getting clean water. Learned about survival. Recalls having snake in sleeping bag. Details re trip through Brunei with Bob Tait. Feelings about snakes, leeches. Details re snakes in Indonesian jungle. Effect of leech bites, anti-coagulant. Explains rock sample collection procedure. Recalls first alligator encounter when floating out of boat in river. Recalls catching pigs, barbecuing them. Survey revealed potentially oil-bearing area but no commercial potential. Details re wells. Recalls Bob Tait in Brunei jungle reading The Times airmail edition fortnight late one-by-one daily, field assistant ironing newspaper. Mentions own other field trips, using local guide, living off land. Comments on contrast of jungle and North Sea work. Own attitude to dangers. Recalls time party leader broke leg on survey boat, communication difficulties. Importance of never being complacent, value to safety of being scared in jungle, North Sea. Background to appointment as Regional Geologist, San Francisco. First experience of being responsible for team of geologists, geophysicists. Details re work in Baltimore Canyon, East Coast, Alaska. Did two field seasons on rigs on North Slope. Family lived in San Francisco. Details re children. Explains work routine.
Tape 4 Side B: Detailed description of blowpipe, darts, poison, spear, animal-killing procedure etc in Indonesian jungle. Blowpipes very accurate. Significance of gift of blowpipe - which is made of heartwood of ebony. Describes process of treating ebony in water, drilling hole using force of flowing water. Details re coming-of-age rituals for Dyak men including survival, circumcision, making blowpipe. Mentions natural selection process of young men. Further details re making blowpipe. High mortality rate of primitive people. Impact of missionaries etc on health. Sexual relations forbidden to young men until officially classified as man. Details re customs preventing in-breeding, annual burying of hatchet between enemies. Situation of menstruating women. Details re marriage, sexual relations. Effect of Christian missionaries, changes to cultures. Examples of Western influence, e.g. stereo. Further details re Kalimantan people, their culture. Recalls staying in longhouses, involvement with Dyak people, social obligations, alcoholic drinks. Comments on primitive, stone age societies, justice system. 1977-79 Operations Manager, Aberdeen, first management role. Recalls modest BP Dyce offices, emergency operations room. Responsible for 30-40 people. On 24-hour, 7-day call. Had to ensure that decision-making process on rigs correctly implemented. Explains procedures, own contacts, networks, links with partner representatives. Job a nightmare, no sleep. Details re security necessary on some communications. Recalls complexity of work. Spent lot of time offshore. Reference to telex. Own approach to management, dealing with animosity between offshore staff and those on the beach. Difficult decision for geologist: dealing with potential reservoir, coring point. Details re coring, drilling rig hire costs. Explains choice of location of hole. Mentions changes in drilling procedures. Reference to deviated drilling, tools used.
Tape 5 Side A: 1977-79 Operations Manager, Aberdeen (cont'd). Further details re coring point. Another difficult decision for geologist: re when to stop drilling. Explains. Example of finding an unexpected reservoir in Forties field. Own role as Manager when geologists uncertain what to do. Unique aspects of North Sea environment. Explains involvement of Department of Energy. Procedures followed with joint venture partners. Logistics of transporting staff. Attitude to dealing with staff. Recruitment of women entirely on intellect, ability. BP had recruitment liaison system with universities. Details. Explains milk-round procedures, short-listing etc. Early rigs not designed to accommodate women. Details. Usually only two BP people on rig, BP representative, Drilling Superintendent. Hierarchy on rig. Crew hotbedded. Details re toilets, bathroom arrangements. Offshore workforce receptive to women. Details. Mentions atmosphere on rig, effect of women on men's behaviour, cooperative attitude of women. Recalls first experience of woman offshore, attitude of men. Few problems. Details re case of one female geologist, alleged sexual harassment. Unions were unheard of on drilling rigs, most platforms. Explains. Recalls BP allowing union representatives offshore to talk to workforce. Mentions industry liaison committee. Unions got foothold after Piper Alpha etc. Mentions illegal immigrant cooks, standby vessels. BP didn't resist unions. Own attitude. Workforce looked after. Role of contractors. Feelings about joining management. Majority of graduates sent to Aberdeen; strong training function, early hands-on experience. 1979-81 Development and Production Geologist. Reason for changing job. Worked on Annex B, Magnus Field. Explains this and other responsibilities re Ninian equity, analysis of data, company share etc. Explains calculations, compensation for rig building costs, political decisions re entitlements, requirements etc.
Tape 5 Side B: Loved Aberdeen. Explains. Recalls culture shock, arrival in blizzard, hard landing. Unsuccessful bid for ruined croft. Criticism by Aberdeen people re life of oil people, their separate culture. Mentions BP social club. Instability of oil people. Disincentive on both sides to make close friends. Aberdeen people then and now paranoid about oil bubble bursting. Explains actual situation. Impact of Aberdeen attitude on personal relationships. Joined Rotary. Made friends. Attitude there. Unreal lack of response to oil industry of Aberdeen University. Reference to Aberdeen Oil and Gas Institute. Mentions Alex Kemp, member of consulting group. Recalls standards at Aberdeen University. Comments on numbers of Americans in different parts of industry. Whole community generally slow to see business opportunities. Exceptions included Ron Ferrari, Peterhead Engineering, also diving companies. Not enough home-grown supplies for industry. Situation now reversed. Reluctance of UK companies to participate in international trade missions. Natural reticence of Scottish people to grasp change. Compares Aberdeen/Glasgow situations. Comments on fishing industry move to Peterhead. Reference to unions. Comments on Aberdeen now. BP never worried by unions. Maggie Thatcher's legacy - drive towards greater business awareness, changed attitude to profit, own reaction. 1981-2 Assistant Regional Exploration Manager NW Europe. Feelings about going to Head Office, London. Details re job, area covered. Feelings about bureaucracy. 1982-4 Exploration Manager, Indonesia. Recalls John Browne, impressions of him, his relentless working style, reputation. Details re dinner occasion in New York after opening of eastern seaboard bidding envelopes. Recalls later working for Browne on review of company in Indonesia, potential BP involvement. Sent to establish new office. Further details re Browne's working style.
Tape 6 Side A: 1982-4 Exploration Manager, Indonesia (cont'd). Family went too. Details re children's education arrangements. Own feelings about going to Indonesia, BP having base, buying asset there. BP started to increased interests there. Impact of BP purchase of Arco. Describes own forms of relaxation. Started Car Clubs in Australia, Singapore. Competed in rallying. Joined Stage Club amateur dramatics group in Singapore. Mentions being head choir boy in Auckland Cathedral, NZ, loss of interest in music. Entertainments, leisure activities in Libya, US. Explains interest in gardening, self-sufficiency, making wine, keeping bees etc, forms of relaxation. Likes to have challenges. Started car club, newsletter in Midlands. Own sense of relaxation. 1984-88 Technical Manager, Eakring. Pinnacle of career. Explains. Significance of Eakring in BP, staff training possibilities. Responsible for petroleum engineering, geology, geophysics. Developed small team approach to projects. Responsible for everything onshore UK including Wytch Farm. Details re 25-well commitment in East Midlands, production target. Mentions $40/barrel oil price. Explains innovative approach to recruitment, training, costing. In charge of 80 technical people, pool of expertise. People responded to challenge. Reason for not reaching target. Recalls complication of getting community support, planning permission, complying with regulations re drilling wells. Details re wells drilled, processes, timescales, level of profit. Recalls difficulties with staff over team leadership etc, development of organogram - organisational chart - own feelings about this. Eakring became the place to be. Explains. Eakring traditionally provided manpower, parts of rigs, testing facilities for new equipment. Example of testing TFL (through-flow-line) used for servicing satellite wells. Tested development of horizontal well technology, first in UK. Details. Reference to Italian development of system.
Tape 6 Side B: 1984-88 Technical Manager, Eakring (cont'd). Further details re horizontal drilling. Explains top drive process. Details re test well, commercial success. Mentions wells 5-10 mile long. Explains norm now using horizontal well drilling. At Eakring developed multiple drain holes technology, also small economical slimhole wells using small rigs. Explains in detail. Reference to Swedish company Microdrill. Recalls range of colleagues, experimental nature of work. Details re significance of Eakring in early water-injection scheme using PLUTO pumps in Dukes Wood. Reference to Bilsthorpe Colliery. Water-injection process developed by BP worldwide. Recalls responsibility, freedom when at Eakring. 1988-92 Manager Geoscience Career Development, London. Explains increased role in training, supplying expertise, worldwide staff placement, career development, training courses. Background to position. Changing company attitude to staff placement. Further details re own role moving staff, providing varied experience on global basis. Mergers with Britoil, Sohio resulted in too many geologists, geophysicists. Recalls involvement in rationalisation of company personnel, redundancy of over 2000 staff, identification of company core skills. Procedures followed. Process unsuccessful. Describes painful process of telling people they were redundant, assistance offered to staff. Explains negative outcome from attempts at mapping careers of many remaining staff. Several phases of redundancies. Explains why own head had to roll. Reaction of people to news of redundancy. Effect of losing people's trust. Own reaction to news. Made redundant at 48. Explains significance of timing of redundancy in context of pension. In competition for jobs with others previously made redundant. Mentions quality of ex-BP personnel. Feelings now about own redundancy. Situation of people now in BP, long working hours, fear of redundancy etc.
Tape 7 Side A: 1992 made major life-change. Left home. Details re personal situation, accommodation. Bought shop unit, set up as Riverside Consultants Ltd 1992-3. Explains difficulty getting work, getting paid for work done. Mentions golden handshake from BP. Reason for declining possible work for BP. Comments on BP's loss of corporate memory, repetition of earlier mistakes through getting rid of people. Feelings about BP. Turned down some legally dubious jobs. Details. During consultancy period rode mountain bike extensively. Details re mileage targets. Spent time evaluating life, values, ambitions, personal challenges. Now implementing part of life plan. Details. Feelings about tangible achievement. Mentions restoration of a barn, building skills - ultimate DIY (do it yourself) project. Explains current lifestyle including principles of self-sufficiency, understanding rudiments of organic food production. Feelings now about personal situation. Mentions buying motorbike, reaction of children, purchase of TVR Griffith sports car, reaction of friends. Details re reaction of partner on first meeting, significance of car in story of getting together. Background to name of car, its characteristics. 1993-2003 Technical Manager Upstream, Institute of Petroleum. Background to appointment. Mentions role of friend, former colleague Jerry Gilbert, his experience when consortium pulled out of Iran. Recalls being IP's first genuinely upstream employee. Details re IP, its role. Own challenge to bring greater focus on upstream. Carried out joint industry research projects, wrote guidelines, developed worldwide industry standards etc. Explains difficulty getting companies to act collectively on standards, specifications etc. Benefits of international standards.
Tape 7 Side B: 1993-2003 Technical Manager Upstream, Institute of Petroleum (cont'd). Memory of Piper Alpha disaster, aftermath. Reaction of industry. Lot of companies admitted privately that accident could have happened to any company. Before Cullen recommendations, industry started to implement better procedures. Details. Reference to UKOOA (UK Offshore Operators' Association). Start of new era of industry cooperation. Impact of CRINE initiative through involvement of contractors. Compares new cooperative industry attitude to own approach at IP. Attitude of industry to disasters. Impact on industry as whole of disasters. Comments on safety, environmental care, as non-competitive issues, in which industry has to unite. Current situation in North Sea. Reference to BP sale of Forties field. Comments on lack of experience of small, leaner, meaner newcomers, increasing vulnerability to disaster. Need for self-regulation, collaboration rather than imposed legislation. Problem of pride standing in way. Comments on reluctance of some companies to become members of IP (now Institute of Energy). Compares roles of UKOOA, IE. Still working on unpaid basis (since retirement) for IE. Details. Difficulty getting money from industry to fund joint industry research project. Feelings about retirement. Explains desire to help with establishment of British oil museum/educational/training facility. Current lack of understanding about oil industry, negative images. Mentions concern of industry for environment. Explains persuasiveness of knowledge, need for a serious facility to capture people's imagination. Benefit of audio archive for future researchers.
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