Cyprus Office Expansion: 2^2
Growing an Empire
Learn, Practice, Embed, Repeat —> A never ending loop
Pontem Analytics is expanding its empire in Cyprus, marking another milestone in our journey of growth and excellence. Our collaboration with academia has been instrumental in bringing bright minds eager to learn and contribute to our projects. The growth is not coming only in quantity and the amount of people, but also with the quality that the new engineers are growing. For those who like data and algorithms, we are following methodology:
GROW
G - Guidance from a senior.
R - Research by yourself to understand the subject in depth.
O - Observe, optimise, and outreach back to senior when needed for advice.
W - Work, work and again work!
It is impressive to witness the dedication of our new team members, who often go above and beyond, staying late to ensure tasks are completed on time. We take pride in bridging the gap between academia and industry, especially here in Cyprus. Our current team has already gained sufficient experience to work independently with some guidance, fostering a culture of teamwork where we teach and learn from each other.
In the last couple of months, we are delighted to have welcomed two new additions to our team: Joseph Elia, a graduate engineer, and Grace Allam, a summer intern. Both of these talented and hardworking individuals have already made a positive impact on our team. Joseph has impressed us with his hard-working nature and practical skills, while Grace has shown remarkable dedication and critical thinking (2nd Year Student!). Below are the introductions from both Joseph and Grace, along with their first impressions of working with Pontem Analytics.
Joseph Elia - Graduate Engineer
Hey there! I’m Joseph Elia, a 25-year-old from Nicosia, Cyprus, and I come from the Catholic Maronite minority here. Growing up in this vibrant city, I learned the importance of teamwork and helping each other to achieve our goals. While I was younger, I loved playing football and handball, which taught me a lot about teamwork and discipline. I started my education at Terra Santa School and then went on to The Grammar School of Nicosia, where I dove into Chemistry, Physics, and Math for my A-levels. I got accepted to study Chemical Engineering at the University of Sheffield, but life had other plans, and I ended up back in Cyprus. That twist led me to study Oil and Gas Engineering at the University of Nicosia, where I started in September 2019 and graduated in June 2023. It’s been a wild ride full of unexpected turns, but every step has shaped who I am today and fuelled my passion for engineering.
I spent four memorable years at the University of Nicosia (UNIC), a time packed with hard work, ups and downs, and priceless learning moments. I got to learn from some awesome professors, and a big thanks goes to Dr. Ernestos Sarris for connecting me with Pontem Analytics. At UNIC, I made great friends like Markos and Ivan, who are now my work buddies and really helped me land my interview at Pontem. My classes, especially Hydrocarbon Recovery Techniques, Reservoir Engineering, and Production Engineering, were super useful for my job today. Those four years were a game-changer, giving me both the skills and the network I needed to dive into the professional world with confidence.
Throughout my studies, I worked part-time to support my family and gained valuable experience through internships at Hellenic Petroleum and CYTA. After graduating from UNIC, I landed a job at ENI Cyprus as a Material Management Supervisor, where I handled all the drilling equipment for their operations in Cyprus EEZ. I later worked in technical support for CYTA, but things really took off when I got the chance to interview with Pontem. I recently started there, diving into digital solutions for oil and gas production, using software like OLGA and Multiflash, and working on real-world scenarios from around the globe. My engineering and problem-solving skills are growing every day, and I owe a huge thanks to Kostas for his constant support and guidance, helping me become a better engineer and person.
In the oil and gas industry, keeping wells running smoothly is super important for making sure we get a steady supply of resources. That’s where a flow assurance engineer comes in. My job as Graduate (FA) Engineer is to keep the oil and gas flowing without any obstacles from the reservoir to the processing plants. I tackle issues like preventing hydrates from clogging things up, managing wax build-up, and keeping pipelines clear. By studying how the flow behaves and coming up with solutions, we make sure everything runs efficiently and safely. This helps boost production and ensures we have a reliable energy supply for everyone.
My time at Pontem has been productive. I’ve picked up valuable insights on how crucial it is to prevent wax build-up in pipelines and understand hydrate risks for smooth oil and gas flows. Working closely with my colleagues in a supportive environment, we emphasize teamwork and each person's contribution to achieve the best results. Using advanced software to collect data has been a game-changer, showing me just how much we can uncover to improve operations. I’m excited to keep learning about flow assurance and to contribute to the exciting oil and gas projects in Cyprus’ EEZ. Pontem focus on big Mediterranean and global projects is super promising, and I can’t wait to grow my skills alongside such dynamic opportunities.
Grace Allam - Summer Intern
Hello! My name is Grace and I am from Beirut, Lebanon. I’m a second-year student at the university of Nicosia, where I study Oil & Gas Engineering, and am currently interning at Pontem where I am learning a great deal. Having moved several times during my childhood (from Dubai to Lebanon, and now to Cyprus) and travelled many times, I’ve learned to keep an open mind to new opinions and diverse ideas and to adapt to any kind of situation, as difficult as it may be. I believe that great rewards come with hard work and discipline; I learned that even from my hobbies which are piano playing and dancing which I’ve been systematically practicing since I was very young, and I think both the effort I had to put in these activities and in my school life brought me to where I am now.
Why did I choose Oil & Gas?
One thing is for sure: the major I have opted to pursue a career in was barely advertised at my high school. Having reached my last two years there, I still hadn't formed a clear idea of my future career (which was quite common for other students my age). On the one hand, I liked the idea of an engineering career because I found that it coincided with my personality and my interests. Math and chemistry were my two favourite science subjects and wanted a job in which I had to solve problems of this type on a daily basis, as well as work in labs (I really enjoyed lab work). For quite a while, I was sure I wanted to major in chemical engineering, thinking that it was a perfect fit for the criteria I was looking for. Plus, I had no particular interest in other areas of this field. However, the risk was always present in my choice since I knew very little about what to expect once I started my university career.
Choosing my career path in my final year of school was a bit like throwing myself into the unknown, even with all the research I did on the topic. I knew that whatever I went for, I would make sure to do the utmost best I could. I like to challenge myself and take on more complex roads, but I wanted to make sure I could still enjoy it. Also, a new dilemma arose that year: my whole family was moving to Cyprus for good and I was going to have to continue my studies there. So, I had a narrower margin of choice, which chemical engineering was no longer part of. It was at this point that, seeking to find a similar choice, I stumbled upon oil and gas engineering. It was a completely new sector in my eyes and with which I was not at all familiar; I think curiosity might have been part of the reason why I selected this major.
My experience at Pontem
The good news is that I haven't regretted my choice. From semester to semester, my interest grows along with my knowledge. I was lucky enough to be introduced to Pontem Analytics for an internship by my Professor, Dr. Sarris. I was on the lookout for an internship because I wanted to gain as much experience as possible, as early as possible. Quickly, I found out what a great opportunity this was for me. I got to attend the STEM conference in April along with the rest of the team (Kostas, Ivan and Markos) here in Cyprus, and I enjoyed the whole two days it lasted! I had the chance to meet experienced people from the industry and to have interesting discussions with them. I also learned quite a lot about the current issues that companies are striving to overcome, and the methods they are willing to implement.
I have now almost completed my first month as an intern for the company and I am gaining a clearer perspective as time passes. I am sure the knowledge I am gaining here will serve me in my future endeavours!
Closing Remarks
As our team continues to grow, we are thrilled to see more people getting trained and busier with meaningful work. It is exciting to train our fresh talent, helping them bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world application. As our office in Cyprus has already reached it’s full capacity, we recognize the need for a larger space to accommodate our growing team… and acknowledging the rapid expansion of Cyprus’ team the time for this is not far away!
Moreover, we have some exciting news: our team is not only expanding locally but also undergoing regional growth. A new collaboration is potentially on the horizon, promising exposure to other countries and bringing in more new people. Stay tuned for more details later this month!
"The only way to do great work is to love what you do." - Steve Jobs
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