Oil & Gas: Total’s David Ochanda scoops 2020 IOGP Outstanding Young Professional Award

David Ochanda, Oil and gas

Total Uganda employee David Ochanda has raised the country’s flag high after the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) presented the 2020 Outstanding Young Professional Award (OYPA) to him.

Ochanda, the Biodiversity Coordinator for Total E&P Uganda, is one of the Ugandan youth that is greatly contributing to the country’s oil and gas sector.

While commenting about his landmark achievement at the opening ceremony of the virtual SPE HSES conference, Fawaz Bitar, the IOGP Chairperson, said that;

“David’s commitment is a prime example for leadership, innovation, and impact. His work takes our industry’s environmental awareness to the next level. It’s a well- deserved win.”

It should be noted that this year’s announcement of the OYPA winner had been scheduled to take place in March at the SPE HSES conference in Bogota, Colombia, but, due to the Covid-19 constraints, it was delayed in line with the postponement of conferences.

Ochanda’s victory came after IOGP called for submissions from over 20 organizations from across the globe. The Awards Committee, which consisted of executives from the world’s leading upstream and contractor companies, categorized the nominees based on their leadership, innovation, and impact and shortlisted 7 finalists.

As a result of the high caliber of submissions, the IOGP decided to choose three runners up who were  Saul Moorhouse, BP, Delina Lyon, Shell, and Xeniya Yurkavets, Kazmunaigas.

Bitar said; “Witnessing these outstanding initiatives makes me incredibly proud of our young colleagues and I believe the future of our industry could not be in better hands. These are exactly the kind of inspiring people we need.”

Commenting about the award, Ochanda said that; “I am earnestly grateful and profoundly honored for receiving such an important award, the IOGP OYPA 2020. This demonstrates the remarkable inspiration, empowerment, and respect I have always received from my seniors and colleagues, not forgetting the great teamwork. The award gives me more strength to challenge myself and perform even better.” 


About OYPA

For 40 years, IOGP has promoted safe, responsible, and sustainable exploration and production (E&P) operations. The OYPA was launched in association with SPE to maintain this momentum and to inspire the next generation of leaders in the upstream industry. It highlights the achievements of a professional with fewer than 10 years of E&P experience who has demonstrated outstanding talent, dedication, and leadership in the fields of health, safety, security, environment, and social responsibility. The OYPA started in 2016 and is being awarded every two years. Previous winners come from Schlumberger and BP.

About IOGP

The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) is the voice of the global upstream industry. Oil and gas continue to provide a significant proportion of the world’s energy to meet growing demands for heat, light and transport.

IOGP Members produce 40% of the world’s oil and gas. They operate in all producing regions: The Americas, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Caspian, Asia, and Australia.

IOGP serves industry regulators as a global partner for improving safety, environmental, and social performance. We also act as a uniquely upstream forum in which our members identify and share knowledge and good practices to achieve improvements in health, safety, the environment, security, and social responsibility.