The Role of Female Talent in Oilfield

Abstract Women are still significantly under-represented in the global oil and gas workforce, particularly in field-based technical and leadership roles. Although companies have adopted diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) programs, progress has been slow: the World Petroleum Council/Boston Consulting Group (WPC/BCG) reported that women accounted for only 22 % of the global oil and gas workforce in 2017 and 2021[1]. The 2023 Untapped Reserves 3.0 update reported a modest rise to 23 % [2]. Representation in leadership is even lower; women make up about 14 % of senior managers in energy related firms, and only 12 % in non-utility energy companies[3]. This paper uses publicly available data from major oilfield service companies; Baker Hughes, Schlumberger (SLB), Halliburton, Shell, and complementary industry reports to examine how female talent is progressing in oilfield operations. It also analyses Kuwait as a case study, focusing on operator initiatives by Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) and national-level policies from Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) that enable women's participation in the field. The findings show that Baker Hughes’ workforce was 19.9 % women in 2024 (up from 19.5 % in 2023) [4] and that 26.0 % of its external hires were women [5]. SLB reported 24.6 % women in its salaried workforce and 30 % female representation on its executive leadership team [6]. Halliburton's workforce included 14 % women in 2023, and its senior management was 16 % female [7]. Shell, an integrated major, achieved 35 % female representation across all employees and 33 % in senior leadership at the end of 2024 [9]. These variations underscore the importance of corporate policy, regional context, and operator service alignment. In Kuwait, KOC and KPC have introduced gender-specific housing, flexible deployment, and mentoring programs; women now occupy approximately 14 % of KPC senior management positions and 20 % of middle management [10]. Evidence from Kuwait and the comparative analysis reveals that structural support (e.g., permanent female rooms on rigs), accountability frameworks and targeted recruitment are critical for sustaining women's participation in oilfield operations.