Blue Sky Mining

“Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen, but thinking about what no one else has thought”

Albert Szent-Gyorgyi 

Disciplined exploration depends on good portfolio administration that relies on consistency of evaluation to be useful though use of probabilistic prospect assessment methods and employing a consistent approach for calculation of risk and volumes. None of this is consistent with a creative mindset!

Training for STEM subject graduates has a strong focus on analytical thinking and recall of knowledge but typically no formal training in creative thinking. Since the onset of Intelligence Quotient testing in the 1920s humans have progressively increased their IQ scores yet in contrast the standard measurement to assess creativity has shown a marked decline.

Creativity is a learnt skill that can be developed and enhanced with appropriate training. The lack of formal training to improve our creativity is a risk to future success but equally presents a fertile opportunity for significant improvement. Some consider that the creativity revolution will form the 4th phase of the industrial revolution.

Exploration is a repeating divergent “right brain” and convergent “left brain” exercise, firstly generating possible outcomes using a lateral thinking approach (left brain), then collapsing those options to a favoured single solution through a more analytical thought process (right brain).

In a future world where Big data and machine learning provide huge capacity to assist, enhance and perhaps even replace analytical thinking the ability to arrive at creative solutions that represent totally new ideas will likely require human input for much longer. We must learn to rage with the machine.

Ascendience is pleased to provide training to energy geoscientists to help build an enhanced creativity mindset. We call this approach “Blue Sky Mining”, a methodology that combines solid scientific research in psychology, relevant examples from the oil and gas sector and a simple play-based workflow to reinforce the gains that can be made through application of these proven creative thinking techniques.

For those looking to revitalise their lead and prospect portfolio, to refuel the exploration funnel and learn from hard won lessons of the past this course is a priceless investment in future success.

Get in touch to register interest in upcoming courses or reach out to arrange in-house training.

“I never get tired of the blue sky”

Vincent van Gogh