Joe Carroll began his CITGO career in 1994 as a Systems Engineer and held several IT managerial positions before being named General Manager of IT and Information Security in 2019, overseeing the applications systems of the CITGO enterprise, including the Enterprise Requirements Planning (ERP) system, specialized operational technology systems, and the pipeline control system. In February 2022 Joe was named Chief Information Officer for CITGO Petroleum Corporation. During his career, Joe has earned several professional certifications and currently serves as a director on Oklahoma State University’s Computer Science Industry Advisory Board and on the board of the University of Houston’s Gutierrez Energy Management Institute. Joe is also a member of the Society of Information Management.
What are some of the technological trends in the oil and gas industry?
The oil and gas sector has undoubtedly been affected by technology in recent years. Data analytics and data modeling technologies have increased the transparency of corporate choices and procedures and have given organizations operating in the sector access to a plethora of knowledge. This has proven crucial for the upstream, midstream, and downstream industries.
I believe that in the future, asset-intensive industries like oil and gas will place a greater emphasis on technologies like digital twins and connected worker capabilities. These innovations can boost both efficiency and the dependability of operations and maintenance. Enterprise asset management technologies can also aid in data consolidation and enhance decision-making.
“In the energy industry, cybersecurity is becoming increasingly important. Cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated, and organizations must ensure that they are secure and ready to respond in the case of a cybersecurity event.”
Another intriguing development is virtual and augmented reality, which may allow subject matter experts from different regions to participate in maintenance tasks or inspections. This might be especially helpful when a business needs a specialist in a specific area, but the expert is situated elsewhere in the world. Overall, I think the oil and gas industry will continue to be significantly affected by technology in the years to come.
What are some of CITGO Petroleum Corporation's long-term technological goals?
In order to enhance business capabilities, our organization is currently on a digital transformation journey that involves integrating cloud-based applications into its current ERP system. Long-term, the company sees a need to update its ERP system with composable architectures and concentrate on new features such as the connected worker, enterprise asset management, and digital twins to capture real-time data and updates. To enable predictive analysis and the modeling of business situations, we also strive to expand our data analytics program and utilize machine learning and AI. Companies can use these key strategies and trends to stay competitive in today’s quickly changing technological environment.
What is your advice for budding professionals in the field?
My recommendation for aspiring energy professionals is to acquire a varied skill set that aligns with their interests and strengths. It is crucial for financially-minded individuals to grasp economics, carbon trading, and logistics, as these are critical decision-making areas in the hydrocarbon supply chain sector. Data analysis is also an important ability for financial professionals in order to make informed judgments about energy operations.
It is critical for IT workers to have a broad understanding of finance, supply chain, asset management, and diverse technologies. Additionally, cloud applications, data integration and data analytics are critical skills for IT professionals. They must also be familiar with business processes, development platforms, connected worker platforms, data analytics platforms, and low/no-code environments.
Finally, in the energy industry, cybersecurity is becoming increasingly important. Cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated, and organizations must ensure that they are secure and ready to respond in the case of a cybersecurity event. As a result, building cybersecurity skills is critical for young people in the energy industry.
