OCTAVIANUS MAINASSY

Personal Statement Letter

Technology advancement indicates the nation’s welfare. Technology is a bridge for

translating basic science towards something that society need. Good technology
developments will be directly affects the advancement of a nation in term of economic,
welfare, and social.

I always interest with technology since I was kid, my interest was emerged due to my
hobby to read a biograph from numerous inventors e.g. Nikola Tesla, James Watt,
Einstein, etc. and my role model is Nikola tesla. Those inventors make me think why they
can produced many remarkable inventions with the condition of technology was not same
as now. Then, I choose to study about marine science and technology due to my curiosity
on technology and the facts that my country is an archipelago. As a college student, my
curiosity on technology came deeper, I challenge myself to implement my curiosity on to
a real thing. I always challenged to address current issue with the technology that I can
do.

In 2009, there was an oil spill incident on Indramayu, west java province in Indonesia. My
curiosity drive to thought what I can do to address that issue, thus my curiosity leads me
to take bioremediation clean-up method to remediate the affected shoreline. I had an
opportunity to do my research on Research Centre for Oceanography, Indonesia Institute
of Science. I was research about comparison several bioremediation methods e.g. bio-
augmentation and bio-stimulation on coastal of Cilacap, Central Java Province,
Indonesia.

I tried to implement my knowledge that I got from college into a real job. Now, I have been
working for oil spill response consultant over three years since I was graduated on 2012.
I have been gaining my knowledge deeply on oil and gas operations, my responsibility is
conducting oil spill risk assessment directly enhanced myself regarding technology
improvement on this sector, particularly on oil and gas production.

All my experiences that I have had, triggered my idea to do advancement technology on

oil and gas, that is enhanced oil recovery. Fossil fuel is still the main energy source for
Indonesia in a decade, up until now. However, the production rate of Indonesian wells
has decline years by years.

Indonesia has got 840.000-barrel oil production per day, and also has got 60 basins which
is the 13 of the basins have been explored and the rest is still waiting to be proceed.
Indonesian Government has stated that Indonesia still has got 4 Billion oil reserves; it
could be the energy source until next 10 years. Indonesia government stated that
Indonesia are going to undergo energy crisis starting in 2019 due to insufficient supply
and demand of the fossil fuel.

In 2014, I had an opportunity to attend International Oil Spill Conference, held by

American Petroleum Institute on Savannah, Georgia, United States. I was attend to a
forum discussed about surfactant. I got an information there is a surfactant which has an
ability to gathered low viscosity oil, thus the low viscosity oil will be thicken, then we can
recover the oil easily. That kind of surfactants named herding agent. I want to apply that
concepts of surfactants to oil wells in Indonesia. Numerous of oil wells in Indonesia were
on secondary recovery, they have applied water injection method to maintain their
production rate, this fact drives me to study the application of herding agent on water
injection oil wells, especially for oil wells that produced medium to light oil.

I do realize my limitations to translate my curiosity onto the real things, therefore I need
to get a proper higher education levels in engineering programme to learn further about
interaction of surfactants on their surround condition, and then I have found
Environmental and Energy Engineering programme at University of Sheffield. I do believe
that this programme will provide me a suitable knowledge regarding basic information in
order my purpose to study concerning in enhanced oil recovery in other ways.

In addition, I am a hard worker and a creative person. I am eager to learn new things and
I enjoy working in a team. As a consultant, I was being a speaker in many oil spill response
trainings. I have shared my knowledge in oil properties and behaviours, and shared my
experience when I did my research about oil spill bioremediation as well. I gained more
information about oil properties also their behaviour in real conditions from my
experiences as speaker in sharing session at the training. I was very pleased to share my
knowledge to empowered many people to get an effective and efficient methods to
address oil spill. With shares our knowledge it can strengthen all of us.

My curiosity has driven me to this condition it is like I have found my passion. I have a
good feeling when I am doing my job as a junior oil spill consultant, also my curiosity in
technology emerged my passion. My creativity, innovative action and initiative action can
occur when I am doing something that I embrace. Thus, my curiosity and my experiences
have driven me to have courage taking this programme. I has been starting to learn many
things concerning on Environmental and Energy engineering programme since I stated
for myself I want to learn about enhanced oil recovery.

I do research to find out the University which can accommodate my purpose of study. I
have found University of Sheffield is the best opportunity for me to implement my study
plan. The Environmental and Energy engineering (EEE) programme at University of
Sheffield is a suitable place to take my master course. The programme offers wide range
of study, either in environmental aspect of energy or the development of the energy. This
programme literally is close to both my educational background and my working
experience. Also, EEE programme is under department of Chemical and Biological
Engineering, which is related on my purpose of study. In addition, University of Sheffield
is a member of Russel Group University, which it means UoS (University of Sheffield) will
provide a superb education system, facilities, and a superb lecturer as well.

Additionally, considering the syllabus of the courses, the education system, and the
learning facilities, I am confidence that University of Sheffield will provide me with the best
learning environment which allow me to develop my skills and theoretical knowledge. I
am also think that the diversity and the international atmosphere within the study
environment will provide me with new challenges that will help myself to grow.

In conclusion, I want to that my curiosity has driven me forward to learn much more about
energy particularly in oil and gas, hence I want to learn a new thing in as I try to apply
Environmental and Energy Engineering to gain my knowledge to be shared on my
country. I want to share anything that I have got to people in Indonesia about what I have
studied in Sheffield, thus my purposes to enhance Indonesia’s Oil production will easier
if we share our knowledge each other. I do believe that my passion could strengthen me
to take this Programme.