If you could sit down with the head of a major oil company's Y2K project and ask him one question, what would it be? Serious replies only, please, and quickly...

Thanks,
Scott Johnson
Editor, y2ktoday

-- Scott Johnson (scojo@yahoo.com), September 09, 1999

Answers

How are you preparing personally?

Dave

-- Dave (dave@nospam.pls), September 09, 1999.

Do you intend to profit by (thereby allowing) massive price increases based on Y2K-related failures and market speculation, or do you intend to "do the right thing" for the country and keep gas prices affordable, so the country stays out of depression?

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), September 09, 1999.

What written factual information has been provided to the public or the government which would allow an independent panel of experts to conclude that all of your mission critical hardware, software and embedded systems, from the oil fields, pipelines, ports, shipping, refining, transportation and distribution are compliant?

-- Puddintame (achillesg@hotmail.com), September 09, 1999.

Sorry, though your post said "head of a major oil company."

I second "how are you preparing personally", and would add "and what are your team members doing as well?"

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), September 09, 1999.

Do you have plans internally or service company contracts for replacing failed wells next year?

When do you expect the coming ramp up in drilling (exploration & production) to affect industry costs?

Are there any crude types and/or sources which will create exceptional shortages? (Not all crude sources are the same, some are quite unique)

-- no talking please (breadlines@soupkitchen.gov), September 09, 1999.

Have you assessed and what do you think is the infrastructure readiness of major oil exporters including Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Nigeria, etc.? How do you think infrastucture problems in those countries will affect the ability to deliver oil? Are you depending on third-party assessments or have you done your own?

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), September 09, 1999.

How and when will Y2K problems interfere with the ability of your company to deliver its products to market?

Pipelines, Trucking, Refining, Shipping, Suppliers, IT,...

-- helium (heliumavid@yahoo.com), September 09, 1999.

What is your honest assessment of the international oil and fuel supply situation and if "hypothetically" 50% of the worlds supplies are not deliverable, over a period of several weeks, to months, what will happen as a result both domestically and internationally?

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 09, 1999.

So, are all your supertankers Y2K compliant? How many will you have in port on the night of 12/31/99? Are your derricks on the oceans of the world going to continue to work or are we going to have a "valdez" incident in every major ocean? Are our trading partners in the oil industry, Venezuela, Norway, Saudi Arabia, UAE, etc... going to make it enough to keep the oil flowing? What do you anticipate the price of a barrel of oil to be in January of 2000?

head tilted questioningly...

The Dog

-- Dog (Desert Dog@-sand.com), September 09, 1999.

Has COST affected any of your y2k remediation decisions ??

Ray

-- Ray (ray@tottacc.com), September 09, 1999.

Ask him/her "If your mother asked you how Y2k might impact oil supply and prices to her what would your answer be?". Thanks for all you do, Scott.

Kristi

-- Kristi (securxsys@cs.com), September 09, 1999.

Bravo Diane and Kristi!

-- Mumsie (Shezdremn@aol.com), September 09, 1999.

I'ld go with the import question.

If I had a second, I'ld ask for his opinion on the rumor that it's easier to build a new refinery, than it is to find and fix all the embedded systems in an existing one.

Tick... Tock... <:00=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), September 09, 1999.

What percentage of your embedded systems did you test vs rely on vendor statements?

-- Dog Gone (layinglow@rollover.now), September 09, 1999.

Have you done an end-to-end test on *anything*. (answer will be no)

Oh, you have to shut something down and lose revenue in order to do that? (answer will be yes)

Real question: How much revenue do you think you will lose if it takes you a week (or more) to find and fix the inevitble glitch?

-- Sally Strackbein (sally@y2kkitchen.com), September 09, 1999.

What oil related industries are you, and will you be, investing in prior to, during, and immediately after the Y2K rollover?

-- Phread (lurking@y2ksites.org), September 09, 1999.

What gives with all the fires and explosions?

-- Dave (aaa@aaa.com), September 09, 1999.

Have any members of your workforce expressed concern about the safety/dangers of working on oil rigs or in oil refineries during the rollover period?

-- number six (Iam_not_a_number@hotmail.com), September 10, 1999.

Who is stupid enough to think he would tell the truth? The more the Gov./corporations talk, the moor I buy.

-- Homeschooling Grandma (mlaymon@glenn-co.k12.ca.us), September 11, 1999.

Hit submit button too soon. I ment more, not moor.

-- Homeschooling Grandma (mlaymon@glenn-co.k12.ca.us), September 11, 1999.

Have you sold your stock in the company, and if not, when will you sell?

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), September 11, 1999.

Well Scott, did you get to your sit down interview yet? Please let us know when it's up on your site if you did the interview.

All good questions. Tough to decide which one eh Scott?

-- Chris (#$%^&@pond.com), September 11, 1999.