Ogogome Ekpecham is a highly esteemed professional and distinguished leader in the oil and gas industry, with a wealth of expertise spanning drilling, field operations, production performance, development studies/projects, asset management, joint venture relations, and commercial negotiations. With over two decades of extensive experience, she has excelled in multiple roles, showcasing exceptional skills in technical, managerial, and strategic thinking.
She recently served as the Development Manager for Conventional Offshore Assets at TotalEnergies in Copenhagen, Denmark, where she led the multicultural team of petroleum architects aimed at delivering global oil and gas development studies and asset acquisitions that drive significant financial investment decisions for the company worldwide. To achieve this, her team is focused on maximizing asset value through increasing energy resources, reducing investment cost, accelerating development timelines, and proactively integrating low-carbon emissions solutions to the development project. In a very short time frame, her team delivered groundbreaking technological and innovative solutions to major development projects in Nigeria, Argentina, and Azerbaijan. In addition, her team contributed to the growth of conventional offshore assets through key acquisitions in Asia. Ogogome has a track record of excellence in the industry and actively promotes innovation, technology advancement, carbon footprint reduction, and sustainable energy solutions, and with a strong passion for people development.
With a career spanning multiple leadership roles in TotalEnergies, Ogogome previously served as Deputy General Manager for Shell Petroleum Development Company Asset (an asset operated by Shell at that time), where she championed joint venture operations, spearheaded carbon footprint reduction initiatives, and optimized cost management strategies. Prior to that, she worked in Paris, France, as a petroleum architect in charge of multiple deep offshore development studies across the globe. A key achievement in this role as a petroleum architect includes increasing asset value by pioneering innovative and technologically driven deep offshore solutions, as she led the CLOV phase 3 pre-FEED development studies, a major asset in Angola.
As a young engineer, Ogogome also held multiple technical and leadership roles in field operations, making a significant impact in measurements, hydrocarbon accounting, maintenance, production performance, and production site support.
As part of her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) experience, Ogogome worked for Schlumberger Oil Field Services (Drilling & Measurements), where she spent most of her time on offshore drilling rigs working as a field engineer. Her commitment and dedication were fully recognized by the company at the end of her service period by granting her a prestigious award for the most hard-working youth Corper.
Ogogome holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Federal University of Technology Owerri (Nigeria) and a master’s degree in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M (USA), with an enriching experience and multiple leadership roles in Nigeria and Europe.
Inspired by her father’s legacy as a former Shell engineer and driven by her passion for shaping the future of energy with purpose, Ogogome Ekpecham continues to champion innovation, sustainability, and inclusive leadership in an industry undergoing profound transformation.
Ogogome is passionate about innovation, people development, collaboration, and shaping the future of energy with purpose. She is fluent in both French and English and is also a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.
During her personal time, Ogogome enjoys relaxing with her family, traveling, and spending time in nature (walks in the park or along the beach). Ogogome is married to Engr. Onyekachi EKPECHAM and together they have two children.
What inspired your journey into the oil & gas industry, and how has your leadership evolved over the years?
My earliest introduction to the oil and gas industry came from my father, who spent his entire career working at Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria, starting up as an engineer and growing into key management roles. I was fascinated by his commitment, hard work, and dedication to the industry, and also very intrigued by listening to him discuss the complexities of energy production and distribution. His passion for innovation and solving complex problems as an engineer planted the seed for my path.
Over the years, I’ve grown significantly as a leader, from leading small, technically focused teams targeting production enhancement to heading a multicultural and technically transverse group targeting significant oil and gas development, investments, and acquisitions. In practical terms, early on in my career, I managed a team focused on production performance with common goals & deliverables. To more recent times when I managed a technically & culturally diverse team with a significant portfolio across the globe to deliver development studies & projects that drove significant investment decisions.
This transformative leadership journey has taught me the importance of striking a balance between being results-oriented and people-oriented by integrating relevant interpersonal skills such as active listening, empathy, building alliances, developing trustful relationships, the ability to inspire & motivate others, and team cohesion. Leading a diverse team and fostering a collaborative environment have been instrumental in achieving our goals in my current role. True leadership, I’ve learned, means translating big-picture strategy into clear, actionable plans and empowering every voice along the way to achieve amazing results. These are qualities that have helped me build trust and drive performance within my team.
Innovation is often seen as the engine of growth. Can you share a time when innovation helped your team or organization accelerate value?
Another crucial element of my career and leadership journey is innovation. Innovation is a cornerstone and a very powerful tool to achieve great results when effectively implemented.
Overtime, I’ve built a track record of innovation in my career journey, which includes enhancing reservoir voltage replacement and management as a young engineer by improving water injection metering accuracy through ultrasonic portable meters, enhancing economic value for CLOV phase 3 deep offshore development project as the Lead Petroleum Architect (Project Manager) by implementing innovative subsea technological solutions with bold flow assurance assumptions and also working as the Development Manager for TotalEnergies conventional offshore portfolio I led a team of Petroleum Architects to constantly think about and implement innovative technical solutions to increase the resources, reduce the cost of the development project, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and accelerate the development timelines to increase value.
What is your favourite thing to do when you’re trying to unwind?
After an intense workweek, I recharge and enjoy my days in simple ways. I’ll either catch a film with family & friends, swim laps to clear my head, or take long walks by the beach or at the park. When it comes to relaxing, I love engaging in outdoor activities as one of my favorite ways to replenish and recharge.
During long breaks from work, I take trips. I enjoy travelling with my family and exploring new places, so I only get the time to do that during long breaks from work. Travelling to a new city helps refresh my mind. I love exploring unfamiliar streets, tasting local food, and turning off the “work-mode” setting. These moments remind me that rest and curiosity are as vital to performance as discipline and focus.
If you could go back and advise your younger self, what would you say?
I’d tell her to be fearless and embrace every opportunity to learn and grow. I would encourage my younger self to be open to new experiences or challenges and not be afraid of stepping out of my comfort zone. It’s through these experiences that we gain valuable insights and feedback and develop resilience. The world rewards boldness and courage. The only risk is standing still. So, I’ll be clear on letting her know to put herself out there—be bold & courageous. I would also emphasize the importance of developing strong, trustful relationships and networking—these solid connections or relationships built over time can provide impactful support, guidance, and opportunities that may be required in the future.
