Top Energy Advisors Join the SBC Energy Institute

Adnan Shihab-Eldin and Claude Mandil Bring Experience and Expertise to New Organisation

PARIS, FRANCE, —Schlumberger Business Consulting, the management consulting arm of Schlumberger, is pleased to announce the appointments of Dr. Adnan Shihab-Eldin and Mr. Claude Mandil to the Board of the SBC Energy Institute, a body of expertise founded to promote a broader understanding of today’s key energy issues.

The SBC Energy Institute is a non-profit organization and a center of excellence for scientific and technological research for issues pertaining to the energy industry in the 21st century. It draws on the expertise of SBC consultants and Schlumberger technological know-how, and is overseen by a Scientific Committee comprising highly experienced individuals in the areas of natural and applied sciences, business, and petroleum engineering.

Dr. Shihab-Eldin is a former Acting Secretary General and Director of Research at the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and is currently an Advisor to and Member of Kuwait National Nuclear Energy Committee (KNNEC) and Director General of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS). Mr. Mandil served for four years from 2003 as Executive Director of the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA), an intergovernmental organization that acts as energy policy advisor to the 28 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

“I would like to extend a warm welcome and our gratitude to Dr. Shihab-Eldin and Mr. Mandil for bringing their extensive experience and expertise to the SBC Energy Institute. Based on sound scientific, technological, commercial, and industry expertise, the Institute’s mission is to produce ideas and research that will have a true impact on how to tackle the multitude of challenges in providing sustainable energy solutions for this century and beyond. The energy sector is at a critical juncture – a transition phase that will require deep technological and commercial understanding in order to unlock new sources of supply, improve energy efficiency, employ renewable energy sources, and reduce environmental impacts. The SBC Energy Institute, by leveraging Schlumberger’s technology expertise and SBC’s global network of energy leaders, is at the forefront of helping to find solutions to today’s energy transition challenges,” said Antoine Rostand, SBC’s Global Managing Director.

Dr. Shihab-Eldin commented: “There is much uncertainty in the energy markets due to the lack of informed research based on actual data. It is vital to have a clear understanding of supply and demand situations before we can set priorities and press ahead with the right investment decisions at the right time. SBC can plug some of the gaps in obtaining data both from its knowledge base and its global network. The Institute is designed to be an independent scientific body, it does not represent consumers, producers or industry, that is an important factor in getting the major stakeholders to collaborate.”

Mr. Mandil added: “The biggest challenge for the energy industry globally is investment and technology. Huge investments will be necessary if we are to supply energy to those who need it without jeopardizing the environment and climate change, and Schlumberger is a leader in energy technology issues. I am also delighted to join the SBC Energy Institute because it is aimed at sharing the views and knowledge of scientists and technicians with a wider audience. I am concerned that many of the challenges ahead are not widely understood by politicians, the media and the public, and it is imperative that the industry gets support from all corners if we are to overcome the hurdles ahead.”

Where appropriate, the SBC Energy Institute welcomes collaboration with other organizations and educational institutions to produce insightful research targeted for key decision makers. Since inception, the SBC Energy Institute has worked with Climate Interactive, a research and development network of scientists, academics and businesses, which is building computer simulations to visualize the long-term climate impact from today’s policy decisions. The simulation models were originally developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The SBC Energy Institute also has collaborated with the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies on a study exploring the potential for development of unconventional gas resources in Europe.

Dr. Shihab-Eldin and Mr. Mandil are joined by Kamel Bennaceur, Chief Economist for Schlumberger, and Antoine Rostand, SBC’s Global Managing Director, on the Board of the SBC Energy Institute.


Biographical details for Dr. Adnan Shihab-Eldin:

Dr. Shihab-Eldin, formerly Acting Secretary General and Director of Research of OPEC, is currently serving as Advisor to and Member of Kuwait National Nuclear Energy Committee (KNNEC). He is also a Board member and Director General of Kuwait Foundation for Advancement of Sciences, a Board Member to Al-Dorra Oil Services Company, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the American University of Kuwait and the Gulf Research Center Foundation (Geneva).

From 1999 to 2001, Dr. Shihab-Eldin was Director of the Division for Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Department of Technical Co-operation, at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria. Prior to joining the IAEA, he served as Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Science and Technology (Cairo) and as the UNESCO Representative in Egypt, Sudan, and Yemen. From 1976 to 1986 he was the Director General of the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, serving concurrently until 1980 as Vice Rector for Academic Affairs at Kuwait University.

Dr. Shihab-Eldin graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, a Master of Science degree, and a Doctorate in Nuclear Engineering. Prior to his career with international organizations, Dr. Shihab-Eldin held various lecturing and research appointments in the physical and engineering sciences, energy economics, and technology at universities and research centers in Kuwait, the United States and Europe, including Kuwait University, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the University of California at Berkeley, the European Nuclear Research Center in Geneva, Switzerland, and the Energy and Environment Policy Center at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Biographical details for Mr. Claude Mandil:

Mr. Mandil was elected Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) in 2003 and held the post until his retirement in August 2007. In his 40-year career, Mr. Mandil has held a number of high-profile positions in both government and industry. In 1981, he became Technical Advisor in the French Prime Minister’s cabinet responsible for industry, energy, and research until 1983 when he was named Chief Executive Officer of the investment bank Institute for Industrial Development (IDI). He subsequently became Director General of the Bureau of Mines and Geology, the French Geological Survey.

Mr. Mandil served as Director General for Energy and Raw Materials at the Ministry of Industry from 1990 until 1998 and also represented France at the Nuclear Safety Working Group of the G7 for which he held the presidency of this group in 1996. In 1998, he was appointed Managing Director of Gaz de France and in 2000 was named Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Institut Français du Pétrole where he stayed until his appointment as Executive Director at the IEA.

Mr. Mandil is a graduate of France’s École Polytechnique and École des Mines.


About SBC

SBC (Schlumberger Business Consulting) is an energy sector management consultancy, offering a unique mix of industry expertise and consulting excellence, advising oil, gas and energy companies across the globe. The management consultancy arm of Schlumberger, SBC operates from 13 offices around the world with almost 200 professionals, advising clients’ top management on a wide spectrum of issues ranging from strategy and organization to operational efficiency. For more information visit www.sbc.slb.com.