Thomas Guillot, mechanical engineering senior, solved problems of exploration and oil production for the nation of Gourami.But Gourami does not exist. It’s a fictional country, with its own unique political and geographical features — as well as energy and economic problems — simulated by Shell Oil. Guillot participated in the 5-day Shell Business Challenge from Aug. 10 to Aug. 15 this year. The event, hosted in Orlando, Fla., challenged undergraduate engineering and business majors across the country to come up with a business strategy for Shell to operate in Gourami. For Shell, it was a way to recruit top talent for future careers.Last fall, Guillot interviewed with Shell for an internship, but there were no openings. Instead, Shell invited him to participate in the Gourami Challenge, and Guillot accepted. “It’s kind of like an internship for one week,” Guillot said.Guillot, who had several years of work experience in a chemical plant, worked with a team to solve issues of exploration and production: how to find oil, where to erect drilling platforms, how to drill for oil and where to send it to be refined. Guillot felt he was well prepared for the challenge, thanks to the rigor of the University’s engineering program.”The LSU curriculum taught me to think in a different way about problems,” Guillot said. “I learned to think outside the box.”At the end of the 5-day challenge, the various teams combined to create an integrated business plan to present to Shell board members; Guillot said the board accepted nearly all of their fictional budget of around $5 billion — success for the Gourami business team.As a personal sign of the success, Shell offered Guillot a job. But the experience offered him more than just the chance for employment. “Honestly, I didn’t know anything about exploration and production of oil before Gourami,” Guillot said. He also learned how to handle relationships with other countries and how to tackle real-world energy issues, which, as he learned from Gourami, can be extremely complex.”There are a ton of things that aren’t on the cover,” Guillot said.
 
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Contact Charles Schully at [email protected]