Tari Elete, a highly skilled and accomplished engineer with Shell Petroleum Development Company in Nigeria, is celebrated for her expertise in Process Automation, Control, and Optimization (PACO). Her career is marked by a meticulous approach to project execution, strategic leadership, and an unwavering commitment to operational excellence across a range of complex engineering projects, both within Nigeria and internationally.

Based in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, Elete has consistently demonstrated her ability to lead projects that meet rigorous safety, quality, and efficiency standards. Her contributions include overseeing high-stakes commissioning and startup activities that have directly enhanced Shell’s operational performance and production capacity. Her work spans onshore and shallow offshore projects to significant international assignments, where her technical acumen and leadership have made a lasting impact.

In her international roles, Elete has played a pivotal part in Shell’s global operations, highlighted by her leadership at the Shell Pearl Gas To Liquid facility in Qatar, where she coordinated a major maintenance turnaround that concluded ahead of schedule. As Shell Nigeria’s representative in Ghana, she led the commissioning and startup review (Pre Start Up Safety Review) for the Takoradi gas processing and transmission project, ensuring a safe and timely startup. Additionally, she contributed to Shell’s success on the Assa -North-Ohaji South Oil and Gas Project through her involvement in pre-commissioning offsite modular skids in Houston, Texas. This project, designed to produce 600 million standard cubic feet of gas per day—enough to power approximately 2.4 million homes—supports Nigeria’s economic growth by diversifying industry and reducing dependency on imports. Her leadership in Houston ensured that the modular skids met stringent standards for seamless integration into Nigerian operations.

In Nigeria, Elete’s leadership in commissioning surface facilities and pipelines has significantly increased Shell’s production capacity, securing over 1.4 billion cubic feet of gas production for the domestic market. Her work on the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) supply chain has been instrumental, notably through her coordination of Process Automation Control & Optimization (PACO) activities that boosted Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) output. Additionally, her strategic approach to commissioning the Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG) Agbara Ota midstream facility ensured uninterrupted gas flow to industrial customers, showcasing her skill in balancing operational demands with project milestones.

Elete’s consistent excellence has earned her some of Shell’s most prestigious honors. Among these, she received the Purchase Share Plan (PSP) Award and the Powering Progress Share Award (PPSA), both granted to select individuals within Shell for continuous outstanding performance and substantial contributions to the company’s success. These recognitions underscore her commitment to operational excellence and her strategic impact on Shell’s growth and long-term objectives. She was also awarded the Silver Award from Shell’s Onshore Asset Brownfield Projects Team, acknowledging her exceptional performance in flawless commissioning & start up, project integration and safety. Additionally, she received a Special Recognition Award (SRA) for her leadership in commissioning the Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG) Agbara Ota facility, which ensured uninterrupted gas supply to multiple industries and exports.

In recognition of her resilience and leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Enwhe Project team, with Elete’s significant contributions, received the Nigeria Conventional Oil & Gas (COG) Projects Silver Award for their courage in mobilizing to site and maintaining operational momentum and flawless project execution, successfully bringing the facility on stream, despite the pandemic’s challenges. This accolade highlights Elete’s dedication to safety, operational efficiency, and environmental stewardship in all her projects.

Elete integrates her Process Automation Control & Optimization (PACO) expertise with data science and machine learning to support Shell’s digital transformation initiatives. She employs predictive maintenance and machine learning techniques to enhance asset reliability, helping Shell stay at the forefront of the industry’s digital evolution. Her hands-on skills in Distributed Control Systems (DCS) configuration, PLC troubleshooting, and PACO-specific software, such as SIFpro and Instrucalc, complement her data science abilities, positioning her as a key player in the company’s digital transformation efforts.

Elete’s focus on cost-effective solutions has led to massive savings for Shell while enhancing operational performance. Her leadership in Distributed Control Systems (DCS) upgrades during major maintenance turnarounds has resulted in significant operational improvements. She has also spearheaded initiatives that minimize corrective maintenance costs and reduce health, safety, and environmental risks, exemplifying her strategic approach to creating sustainable, resilient operations.

Her exceptional stakeholder management skills are evident in her role as a turnaround field coordinator in Qatar, where she oversaw thousands of work scopes and managed a large workforce. Her ability to collaborate with contractors, vendors, and internal teams has enabled her to meet high standards for project execution. In Ghana, her recommendations during the Pre-Start Up Safety Review of the Takoradi project facilitated an early startup, reinforcing her reliability in challenging environments. Her work in Houston for the Assa – North-Ohaji South project also highlights her proficiency in ensuring high-quality outcomes aligned with international standards and local requirements.

A lifelong learner, Elete holds a Bachelor of Technology in Electrical Engineering from Rivers State University of Science and Technology, a postgraduate degree in Data Science and Business Analytics from the University of Texas at Austin, and is currently enrolled in the prestigious Master of Information and Cybersecurity program at the University of California, Berkeley. She actively participates in professional organizations, including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the International Society of Automation (ISA), and the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), staying connected with advancements in engineering and automation. Her commitment to continuous learning and professional growth exemplifies her drive for excellence in a dynamic industry.

Through her visionary leadership and technical expertise, Tari Elete has become a driving force in advancing Shell’s mission to deliver energy responsibly and sustainably. Her work, particularly in expanding Nigeria’s Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) capacity, supporting domestic gas production, and optimizing operational safety, positions her as a forward-thinking engineer committed to pioneering advancements that will continue to shape the future of the oil and gas industry.