Majid Sajadian
Head of drilling
NIOC
Majid Sajjadian is a senior drilling engineering executive, strategic scenario architect, and future-oriented energy leader with more than two decades of distinguished experience leading high-stakes onshore and offshore oil and gas operations in complex, high-risk, and high-uncertainty environments. His professional identity uniquely integrates deep technical mastery with visionary leadership, systems thinking, and advanced human-centered capabilities—positioning him as a transformative force in modern energy development.
He currently serves as Head of Drilling Engineering and Executive Department Manager for First-of-a-Kind Production (FOAK) at Khazar Exploration and Production Company (KEPCO). In this role, Mr. Sajjadian leads multidisciplinary and multicultural teams through scenario-driven strategy, data-informed decision-making, and integrated risk and uncertainty management frameworks. His leadership consistently converts operational volatility and uncertainty into strategic advantage, accelerates time-to-first-production, and delivers complex drilling projects with a strong emphasis on safety, efficiency, resilience, and sustainability. He is widely recognized for building high-trust, high-performance teams capable of translating innovation into measurable operational, economic, and HSE outcomes.
Throughout his career within the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), Mr. Sajjadian has held several critical technical and managerial positions, including Senior Drilling Planning Expert, Drilling Operations and Drilling Fluids Supervisor, Exploration Management Specialist, and Senior Researcher in Advanced Drilling Technologies at the Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI). During his tenure at RIPI, he played a pivotal role in bridging applied research and field execution, enabling laboratory-scale innovations to be transformed into scalable, field-proven solutions through cross-disciplinary collaboration, knowledge transfer, and systems integration.
His flagship initiatives reflect a strong and consistent commitment to innovation, digital transformation, and sustainable drilling systems. These initiatives include the field-scale deployment of nanotechnology-enhanced drilling fluids to improve drilling performance and wellbore integrity; leadership of exploratory drilling campaigns in newly discovered hydrocarbon provinces; development of next-generation drilling fluid additives; implementation of green drilling programs focused on waste minimization and environmental stewardship; and the integration of AI-enabled and smart drilling technologies for real-time optimization, predictive maintenance, and advanced decision support on offshore and semi-submersible drilling rigs.
A defining hallmark of Mr. Sajjadian’s leadership is his exceptional capability in strategic negotiation, stakeholder alignment, and conflict facilitation. He is widely regarded as a win–win negotiator who effectively aligns technical, commercial, and contractual interests to maximize shared value, optimize project timelines, and resolve complex disputes constructively—while fostering long-term partnerships and institutional trust.
Mr. Sajjadian is an ISI-indexed author, with peer-reviewed publications available in internationally recognized scientific databases. He is a member of the Iranian Petroleum Engineering Association and the Iranian Geomechanics Society, and an active contributor to national standardization committees for drilling fluids and well completion systems. His professional vision is centered on shaping the future of energy through human-centered leadership, artificial intelligence, scenario-based strategy, and sustainable drilling ecosystems, advancing resilient, responsible, and globally relevant energy development.
Participates in
TECHNICAL PROGRAMME | Energy Technologies
The methodology leverages IoT-enabled sensors, AI-driven predictive analytics, and graphene-based nanofluids with nanoceramic coatings, enabling real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and operational optimization of high-pressure/high-temperature (HPHT) offshore wells. Simulations under conditions representative of Arabian Gulf reservoirs validate the framework’s effectiveness, scalability, and operational relevance.
Results demonstrate substantial improvements: non-productive time decreased by 18% through predictive maintenance, fuel consumption dropped by 12% via operational optimization, and methane emissions fell by 15%, equating to approximately $2.1 million in annual savings per platform. Nanoparticle-enhanced drilling fluids increased drilling efficiency by 22% while reducing environmental impact. Digital twin technology provided real-time decision support, lowering operational risks by 30% and water consumption by 25% compared with conventional practices.
This integrated approach accelerates deployment by 40% in analogous formations and offers potential cost reductions of up to 50% when implemented across multiple assets. By merging cutting-edge digital tools with nanotechnology, the framework delivers measurable environmental and economic benefits while supporting operational resilience, safety, and regulatory compliance.
Beyond immediate operational gains, this study provides a replicable pathway for energy operators seeking to align hydrocarbon production with climate commitments. The combination of predictive analytics, digital twins, and nanomaterial innovations not only enhances efficiency but also enables significant reductions in carbon footprint and resource consumption. This dual benefit supports the broader global energy transition by advancing cleaner, more sustainable upstream operations.
These findings offer actionable insights for Middle Eastern operators and other carbon-intensive regions, demonstrating that strategic integration of digital technologies and nanomaterials can transform traditional oil and gas operations into sustainable, high-performing, and economically viable systems. The framework provides a model for achieving affordable, reliable, and clean energy production while meeting environmental stewardship goals and regional sustainability priorities.
The Caspian Sea, positioned at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, stands as more than a hydrocarbon-rich basin; it serves as a strategic testing ground for advancing sustainable energy pathways. Amid global imperatives to guarantee energy security while accelerating the low-carbon transition, the Caspian Basin emerges as a pivotal hub where diversification, technological innovation, and environmental responsibility converge. This paper argues that offshore development in the region, enabled by advanced technologies and multilateral cooperation, offers actionable lessons for shaping resilient global energy systems.
Drawing on comparative case studies from leading offshore projects—including Kashagan, Azeri–Chirag–Gunashli, and new developments in Iranian waters—this study proposes a framework for sustainable offshore exploration. The framework highlights the integration of AI-enabled monitoring, full-scale digitalization, carbon capture readiness, and stringent environmental safeguards as essential pillars of next-generation offshore operations. Pilot assessments and simulation-based analyses suggest that such integrated approaches can potentially reduce methane emissions by up to 15% while lowering operating costs by nearly 10%, demonstrating that economic competitiveness and environmental stewardship can reinforce each other.
The Caspian’s distinctive conditions—its complex geology, semi-enclosed ecosystem, and multi-state governance—make it an indispensable arena for piloting energy transition strategies. Insights from the region emphasize the value of collaborative governance, technology-driven resilience, and regional capacity-building in sustaining market stability and ecological integrity. Moreover, the Caspian experience provides a replicable blueprint for other offshore provinces worldwide striving to align hydrocarbon development with sustainability and diversification.
The study concludes with policy-oriented recommendations that resonate with global net-zero ambitions and highlight synergies with Gulf Cooperation Council strategies, particularly in relation to hydrogen development, carbon management, and renewable energy integration under Vision 2030 frameworks.
