Petrophysics Summer Internship Review

I did a Petrophysics internship for 11 weeks at BP in Sunbury, London. I really enjoyed the internship and was very impressed with the level of thought that was put into every aspect of my internship. Both my supervisor and line manager structured my internship in the best way possible. This provided a clear overview from Day 1 as to what was expected of me and what the overall outcomes of my internship were. My project played a very important part in my team's workflow-this highly motivated me to work hard and deliver quality results. Throughout the internship, much support was provided from not only my supervisor and line manager, but also all the other colleagues, which was great.

As my project was very important and relevant to the work my team was doing, everyone was very much interested in my progress and also provided as much support and feedback as necessary. It was great to see other people's interest in the work I was doing and again, motivated me to do well. Everyone at BP is so friendly and welcoming. My team and I always grabbed lunch together, which was a great to getting to know everyone in a more casual environment. Throughout my internship, I met with lots of colleagues from different disciplines to discuss the work they are currently doing at BP and their experiences-I would definitely recommend doing this, as it allows you to hear from other people what their work incorporates. Everyone was so open to meeting with me, which was great.

My supervisor and line manager were so supportive and approachable all throughout my internship. They planned and structured my project extremely well, which meant that the workload was never too overwhelming or stressful. Clear deadlines were set, but from the very beginning they underpinned the fact that my work and deadlines are flexible depending on how quickly/slowly I am getting on. This again made me feel comfortable to spend as much time as needed on each aspect of the project, and also ensured I never felt too stressed. They provided a lot of support and feedback, which meant I could constantly improve my performance. They truly could not have done a better job at supervising me.

As mentioned earlier, my project was structured in the best way possible, allowing me to have enough time working on each aspect, but also being busy during the day. To begin with, I think it takes some getting used to as you don't just sit at your desk, but also have meetings and sessions to attend. This means that the time you have to work on your project is limited, and you need to be good at efficient time management. Regardless of this, it's great being able to get involved with the team and attending all meetings and sessions. This ensures you don't just learn from the project work, but also get an insight into the daily life at an office.

The project I was working on directly feeds into my team's workflow and performance. Throughout my internship, it was reiterated that if I hadn't done the work, someone from the team would have. This underpinned the fact that my project is important to my team and therefore I was given a lot of responsibility. Throughout my internship, I was given a lot of support as I asked for, which made sure I was comfortable and confident with every aspect of the project and the work I was doing.

In my Petrophysics internship, I learned a lot about Petrophysics. As I had never completed a Petrophysics module at university, this was all new to me. However, this was not a problem and was fully accounted for: In my first week, a range of sessions with different colleagues were set up to introduce me to various aspects of my project. This helped me develop Petrophysics/Geology/Geophysics skills. Additionally to this, attending various weekly team meetings, helped me understand all the other aspects that are important when working in a team e.g. team management, communication, organisational skills. This was very interesting to be exposed of. Furthermore, I was able to gain a lot more technical knowledge than I initially anticipated. My supervisor made sure that all things discussed in team meetings, I fully understood e.g. cementing of a well. Therefore, my understanding of oil&gas.

Great atmosphere. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, which was great. My team always invited me to have lunch with them, which was great fun. During lunch, you really got a chance to get to know everyone in a more casual environment. All interns were also really lovely, and we all became really good friends.

The project was outstandingly organised and structured-from start to finish. My supervisor showed a rough project outline on my first day. This gave me a really good idea of what exactly was expected of me and what the important deadlines were. However, he stressed that the scope of my project and the deadlines are all very flexible, depending on my workflow and progress. This helped me feel a lot more comfortable spending as much time as necessary on tasks without getting stressed. The internship could not have been planned out better.

Overall, good level of personal training and development offered. HR provided various skill sessions e.g. Microsoft Powerpoint/Presentation skills. This session was held relatively short into the internship, meaning that it helped us develop the skills prior to important presentations we had to hold. Many sessions organised by my team helped me gain technical skills and expertise, which was really beneficial and interesting.

BP is extremely transparent about job offers after completing the summer internship. From Day 1, they let you know how exactly you are being assessed and what the recruitment process involves. However, they stressed the fact that prior to a few weeks after the internship, no one will be informed about potential job offers, therefore I do not yet know of any opportunities. Having said that, the assessments are very fair and not scary at all.

My line manager organised a meal for all of the team, about ~18 colleagues attended. This was great and allowed me to socialise and get-to-know everyone in an outside-of-office environment. It was a really fun evening! All of us interns (~17 interns based in Sunbury) were really social and we became really good friends. A few of us met up various times to play tennis, at a BP sportscentre by the office, which was great. We also met up for many other social events in the evening.

As I go to Imperial College, I was able to live in my student flat in London throughout my internship-this was really convenient. I know a few interns who moved to London for the summer and rented flats close to BP (these are relatively cheap as they aren't located in central London). Obviously being based in London, means that the prices will be London-prices. Having said that, London is great for socialising, there's so much to do.

Being based in London, the nightlife here is amazing. There's so much to do and graduates at BP organised monthly drinks in a pub/bar in London-that's great and everyone usually attends these (even people who might be based relatively far outside of central London). Overall, nightlife is great and you'll never get bored!

BP has many different committees that are responsible for organising various events. This allows you to work with other interns and graduates, which is a lot of fun and helps you getting to know people you might not see on a daily basis. Also, there's many other social clubs at BP, so there are lots of opportunities to join these. As mentioned, a few interns and I met up a few times to play tennis, which is also great fun.