With a 36-year legacy at Schlumberger and a deep understanding of the oilfield services industry, Jean Chevallier brings a unique blend of technical depth and strategic foresight to the boardroom. As Independent Director at XP, a company redefining the rules of mature field operations, Chevallier has witnessed first-hand how agility, local empowerment, and a sustainability-driven mindset can drive remarkable resilience — even amid war. In this exclusive interview for Energynomics, he reflects on the lessons learned from a storied career, the defining traits of XP’s model, and how the company is preparing not just for the next quarter, but for the next two decades.
Jean Chevallier, Independent Director XP
Looking back at your time as an executive at Schlumberger, what are some key milestones or lessons that shaped your career?
When I joined Schlumberger in 1971, I was far to realize I was joining company with such a strong “esprit de corps”, the success of which roots in a few key values: people, technology and commitment to service quality. From the 36 years I spent with Schlumberger, I recall first the few exceptional managers who I had the privilege to work for and the main opportunities which were offered to me in such diverse domains.
When did you join XP’s Board, and what motivated you to become part of the company’s journey?
David [Martinon, the CEO of XP Group] asked me to join the board in 2017. The type of production enhancement business XP was engaged into was a domain of particular interest to me. A domain I had been exposed many times during my career through my involvement in as well as management of field development turn-key contracts.
From your perspective, what sets XP apart from traditional oilfield service companies like Schlumberger?
The Production Enhancement Contract (PEC) deal calls for both contractor and the operating company to develop and maintain long-term relationships with shared objectives and commitments focused only on extending the life of existing fields while reducing the environmental impact. It is a kind of outsourcing type of agreement which requires the contractor to take over the entire management of the production facilities and the people operating them. What sets XP apart is to get the front-line blue collars, technicians and engineers more involved in initiatives for production enhancement and operations optimization as they own so much of the history of the field, that their inputs are key to untapped fully the field potential. Also, XP is technology-agnostic with a much more fit-for-purpose approach using technologies wherever they come from. Another difference is that XP treats surface optimization with the same importance and in integrated manner with the subsurface one, focusing on bottlenecks and inefficiencies and upgrading and restructuring surface facilities. Finally, XP has made sustainability a core element of its culture and capabilities.
How would you describe your experience as a board member so far? What have been the most significant challenges and achievements during your time with XP?
I have been impressed by the high level of trust placed in the management team and the support and resources that the board grants to it to grow and diversify the company. Our biggest challenge obviously has been the war in Ukraine but thanks to XP’s local team resilience, we have never stopped producing critical gas to the local Ukrainian community and we have continuously exceeded all our contractual obligations in term of investment and incremental production and that is great achievement that talks for the strength of our business model and governance.
How do you envision XP’s future — in the near term, the mid-term, and even 20 years from now?
Oil and gas will still be a major part of the energy supply in the next 20 years, so XP will still be investing in, enhancing and decommissioning mature oil and gas fields in the years to come. But the operations will evolve, XP will be operating fields with near zero methane emissions and no impact on the environment. We will have more remote real-time monitoring, automation and AI-driven decision making, which is already happening to a certain degree in some of XP fields, but this will be deployed on a much larger scale everywhere and will be considered the standard.
This digital transformation could be a big part of the solution of the aging workforce issue we have in the industry, it will not only allow us to operate safely without these retired people but also to attract new talents.
In 20 years, I don’t think XP will be operating wind or solar farms, there is little synergy with what they do now. But XP teams will most probably be involved in geothermal energy, as they are already drilling and handling hot water. They will also be involved in Carbon Capture and Storage, as our partners will increasingly have obligations to deploy it and XP engineers and technicians have skills that already apply for it. And perhaps who knows, also XP will be exploiting natural hydrogen or helium reservoirs.
XP Group is a mission-driven upstream oil and gas operator with a proven track record in managing and revitalizing mature assets. Since its founding in 2005, the company has remained dedicated to unlocking the full potential of existing fields—making them safer, cleaner and more productive—through fit-for-purpose technologies and targeted investments. With a vision to be the global partner of choice for mature asset owners, XP strives to maximize production while significantly reducing environmental impact .
Governance, transparency and operational excellence stand at the core of XP’s mission. The company supports asset holders, employees and host communities with a commitment to the highest standards of integrity and reliability . Its cultural values—placing people first, upholding ethical conduct, delivering measurable results, and fostering innovation—are embedded in every stage of the journey toward sustainable operations .
Operating across Romania and Ukraine, with more than 28 fields under management and over 1,000 dedicated professionals, XP leverages its deep expertise—spanning production enhancement, emissions decarbonization (via its “Upgreen” division), and digital transformation—to enable mature fields to deliver long-term value and resilience .