FOUNDER & CEO · OCALEAN GROUP
César Pérez Montaner
Upstream energy leader pairing 33+ years of operations and asset management with hands-on digital transformation and AI delivery — from field-scale expert systems to C-suite-approved digital portfolios.
cesarperezmontaner@gmail.com · +34 648 285 759 · Madrid, Spain
33+
YEARS IN ENERGY & DIGITAL
$500M+
DIGITAL & AI PORTFOLIO LED
1,000+
WELLS WITH AI SYSTEMS
14
COUNTRIES DELIVERED
PROFILE
Executive Profile
César Pérez Montaner combines more than 33 years of upstream energy operations leadership with hands-on digital transformation and AI programme delivery. He has led large-scale digital and AI portfolios from concept to C-suite-approved business case, co-engineered AI and expert systems deployed across fields of 1,000+ wells, and designed the competency frameworks that drive technology adoption at scale. His career spans PDVSA, Repsol, Halliburton and Cisco O&G — across Venezuela, Algeria, Iraq, Angola and Spain — uniting strategy design, stakeholder and change management, and practical AI deployment in a single profile. Today, through OCALEAN, he advises upstream operators on digital transformation and benchmarking while building an AI-enabled Knowledge-as-a-Service platform end to end.
SIGNATURE ACHIEVEMENTS
Three Headline Credentials
$500M+ Digital & AI Portfolio
At Repsol E&P, led design of a 24-project digital and AI portfolio screened from 300+ ideas — AI-based failure prediction, analytics-based asset maintenance and real-time wells monitoring. Business case approved at C-suite; 100+ professionals across 14 countries, delivered with Scrum/Agile.
AI Expert Systems · 1,000+ Wells
At PDVSA, co-engineered the SEDILAG diagnostic expert system and the PRAP pattern-recognition system (106 heuristic rules), deployed across 1,000+ wells in Lake Maracaibo and raising operational efficiency from 85% to 92%.
Technology Adoption at Scale
Designed a four-phase, competency-based talent development programme that drove adoption of new digital tools across ~1,000 professionals in 14 countries — now building an AI-enabled KaaS platform end to end.
CAPABILITIES
Core Expertise
Digital Transformation & AI Programmes
Strategy-to-delivery of large digital and AI portfolios: failure prediction, analytics-driven maintenance and real-time monitoring, run with Scrum/Agile and C-suite business cases.
Hands-on AI & Expert Systems
Co-engineering of diagnostic expert systems and neural-network pattern recognition deployed at field scale, plus end-to-end build of an AI-enabled KaaS platform.
Upstream Operations & Production Optimisation
Asset management, artificial lift (gas lift, ESP and hybrids), full-field production modelling, field reactivation and integrated asset management.
Benchmarking & Performance Diagnostics
Solomon Associates methodology applied to diagnose operational performance gaps and build prioritised, data-driven improvement roadmaps.
Change Management & Capability Building
Competency frameworks, talent development across ~1,000 professionals in 14 countries, knowledge management and technology-adoption support.
Leadership & Stakeholder Management
Multicultural teams of 130+ professionals, government/NOC/IOC relations, country management and CAPEX/OPEX & HSE governance.
CAREER
Professional Experience
OCALEAN GROUP SL
Founder & Managing Director · Madrid, Spain · 2020 – Present
- Independent consultancy delivering digital transformation strategy, AI-enabled production optimisation and benchmarking advisory to upstream energy clients across MENA, West Africa and Latin America.
- Active engagement with Solomon Associates, applying analytics-driven benchmarking and performance diagnostics for international operators.
- Designing and building a Knowledge-as-a-Service (KaaS) platform — an AI-enabled marketplace with escrow-based payments — commercialising independent advisory services; hands-on, end-to-end AI product delivery.
Solomon Associates
International Consultant · International · 2024 – Present
- Apply proprietary benchmarking methodology and analytics to diagnose operational performance gaps for upstream asset managers and operators.
- Translate data-driven findings into prioritised improvement roadmaps, including digital and automation opportunity assessments.
Apex-Atlas (Corcel)
Asset Manager · Angola · 2022 – 2024
- Led full-cycle reactivation of two oil and gas fields, applying digital production modelling and analytics-driven optimisation across artificial lift design, completion strategy and early production facilities.
- Managed relationships with national entities, government partners and multicultural operations teams in a complex regulatory environment.
Cisco O&G
Upstream Digital Advisor · Iraq · 2023
- Directed evaluation of digitalisation and automation projects for a major Iraqi upstream operator, assessing AI and analytics adoption opportunities.
- Delivered E&P digitalisation maturity benchmarking and an implementation roadmap aligned to current industry trends.
Spider Petroleum / Halliburton
SiDOF Team Lead · Algeria · 2022
- Led the Sonatrach Integrated Digital Oil Field (SiDOF) programme at Hassi Messaoud, Algeria’s largest oil field, coordinating IT/OT stakeholders and field teams.
- Deployed an integrated Digital Twin, real-time surveillance and production analytics framework, with user training and adoption support.
Repsol
Multiple Senior Leadership Roles · Spain / Angola / International · 2005 – 2020
- E&P Digitalisation Programme Coordinator: led design of a full digital and AI portfolio, screening 300+ ideas into 24 projects; built and defended a $500M+ business case approved at C-suite; managed 100+ professionals across 14 countries using Scrum/Agile.
- Innovation, Capabilities & Knowledge Manager: designed the Upstream Strategic Technology Plan (9 areas), the Knowledge Management Strategy (13 Communities of Practice) and the Talent Development & Transformation Programme (~1,000 professionals, 14 countries).
- Country Manager, Angola: led the legal, compliant and cost-efficient closure of four companies and an Algerian field operatorship transfer.
- Integrated Asset Management Manager: standardised KPI governance and digital reporting across 12 business units producing 1.2 million bopd following post-merger homologation.
EPS-Weatherford
Technical Manager, South America · Latin America · 2003 – 2005
- Led consultancy teams designing and implementing integrated full-field production optimisation and digital modelling proposals — reservoir through delivery point — for IOC and NOC clients across Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, Mexico and Argentina.
PDVSA
Multiple Technical & Management Roles · Venezuela · 1991 – 2003
- Asset Manager, Lagomedio Business Unit: managed 130+ professionals across engineering, planning, operations and maintenance for assets producing up to 75,000 bopd; led CAPEX/OPEX control, HSE compliance, training and artificial lift optimisation.
- Production Optimisation Manager, Rosa Mediano & Urdaneta: led a 1,000+ well gas-lift optimisation programme; co-developed the SEDILAG expert system and PRAP pattern-recognition system (106 heuristic rules), raising operational efficiency from 85% to 92% and lifting production by 7%; designed the first Gas Lift + ESP hybrid in Lake Maracaibo.
TOOLBOX
Technical Stack
Production Modelling
- Prosper
- GAP
- MBAL
- Wellflo
- Pipesim
- ReO
Digital, Data & SCADA
- Power BI
- Python
- Spotfire
- IBM Watson Analytics
- SCADA (Valmet)
- Pi-Process Book
- OVS Group Suite
- SAP
- SharePoint
Databases & Project
- Oracle
- Petex Suite
- Weatherford Suite
- Tieto Energy Components
- MS Project
- Scrum / Agile
Artificial Intelligence
- ChatGPT
- Gemini
- Claude Code
- Mermaid
- Napkin
- NotebookLM
- Gamma
EVIDENCE
Selected Digital & AI Projects
E&P Digital & AI Portfolio
Repsol E&P: 300+ ideas screened into 24 projects with a $500M+ business case approved at C-suite.
PRAP Abnormal-Situation System
PDVSA: 106 heuristic rules for real-time anomaly detection across a 1,000+ well field, integrated with SCADA.
SEDILAG Gas-Lift Expert System
PDVSA: AI-based online troubleshooting linked to nodal analysis, quantifying production loss/gain in real time.
Neural-Network Pattern Recognition
PDVSA: failure-pattern classification for gas-lift wells, automating diagnostics across a 1,000+ well field.
SiDOF Digital Oil Field
Sonatrach / Halliburton, Algeria: integrated Digital Twin, real-time surveillance and production analytics at Hassi Messaoud.
KaaS AI Platform (in development)
OCALEAN: AI-enabled Knowledge-as-a-Service marketplace with escrow payments — end-to-end AI product delivery.
CREDENTIALS
Education & Affiliations
Education
- MSc Renewable Energies — Valencian International University, Spain (2022)
- MEng Petroleum Engineering — Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh (1997, Award)
- Specialisation in Drilling & Production Operations — UNERM, Venezuela (1993, Award)
- BSc Industrial Engineering — Andrés Bello Catholic University, Venezuela (1991)
Affiliations & Languages
- SPE Spain Section — Programme Chairman & President (2006–2010)
- Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) — Member since 1997
- Colegio de Ingenieros de Venezuela — Member since 1991
- Languages: Spanish (native) · English (fluent) · Portuguese (fluent) · French (basic)
WORK WITH CÉSAR
Let's advance your digital and AI agenda
Put 30+ years of upstream transformation and hands-on AI delivery to work on your next challenge.
We diagnose what's holding your operation back, bring in the senior experts to fix it, and leave your team able to sustain it.
OCALEAN GROUP SL · CIF ES-B87449245
CONTACT
c/ Anabel Segura, 10 — 3ª planta
Edificio Fiteni IX, 28108
Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain