EnergyOps is a specialist consultancy dedicated to enhancing operations, asset management, and transformation in the oil and gas, and evolving energy sector. With deep industry expertise and a hands-on approach, I help clients optimise asset performance, improve operational efficiency, and drive sustainable value across the asset lifecycle.

I bring extensive experience in operations, maintenance, and asset management, ensuring that oil, gas and energy facilities are not just built but run efficiently, reliably, and profitably. I work with operators, asset owners, and engineering and project teams to bridge the gap between the status quo and the potential for operational excellence with the facility, providing practical strategies and solutions tailored to each asset's unique challenges.

Whether it's developing robust maintenance and reliability programs, optimising OPEX and SUSEX, or leading large-scale operational transformations, EnergyOps delivers results that improve safety, efficiency, and long-term asset performance.

About

Professional Experience

I’m Jeff Choate, Director of EnergyOps. I specialise in supporting energy assets operations to improve their safety, reliability, efficiency and compliance.

With a strong foundation in traditional oil and gas operations, I support organisations in transforming strategic visions into actionable outcomes. Whether it’s driving large-scale operational transformations, overhauling asset management strategies, or improving efficiency in oil and gas operations, I deliver tailored solutions that help organizations adapt, evolve, and maximize long-term value.

My expertise spans Operations, Asset Management, Transformation, and Risk, offering a rare blend of capabilities to address the challenges of the evolving energy sector. This diverse experience enables me to bridge traditional silos, delivering results informed by a holistic, cross-disciplinary approach.

Operations

  • More than fifteen years in, and supporting, onshore operations roles for the oil, gas and energy industries, across a range of roles

  • Managed operations for the hydrogen-processing complex at one of the largest oil refineries in the US (Major Hazard Facility)

  • Asset Manager for more than a dozen early phase giga-scale Green Hydrogen projects

  • Led Operations Readiness for multiple post-FID projects

  • Driven early phase operations deliverables for projects in Australia, USA, Europe, Africa and more

Transformation

  • Successfully led a complex reliability transformation program of a major oil refinery, capturing hundreds of millions of dollars of value per annum

  • Led the reliability transformation program for bp’s refinery portfolio in the US and Australia

  • Restructured bp’s central Maintenance and Reliability global organisation

  • Developed of bp’s reliability framework, processes and program for global assets

Asset Management

  • Former Principal Reliability Engineer for BP covering global onshore and offshore assets

  • Strategic asset management and reliability advice to management

  • Facilitator for workshops including Asset Criticality assessments, reliability training, and more

  • Performed Reliability and Maintainability (RAM) studies for onshore assets

Risk

  • Deep experience in HAZOP and LOPA (previously trained as LOPA chair)

  • Previously accountable for personnel and process safety on a significant Major Hazard Facility

  • Lead Incident Investigator significant reliability events in excess of USD100M+

  • Risk facilitator for hydrogen projects and manufacturing

  • Process Safety Champion

  • Former Board member of the IChemE Safety Centre (ISC)

Hydrogen

  • Reduced LCOH/LCOA on hydrogen projects through innovative, data-led, operations strategies

  • Developed first-use Operations systems and processes for Green Hydrogen facilities

  • Strategic and tactical operations advice to a range of hydrogen projects and initiatives

  • OPEX/SUSEX development and optimisation for small and scale hydrogen projects

  • Provided an Operations and Maintenance lens for technical evaluations of electrolyer manufacturers

  • Served as the primary operations representative for a hydrogen electrolyser manufacturer

  • Development of operations strategies, plans and content for hydrogen bid submissions

Electrical Engineering

  • B. Eng (Electrical Power)

  • Chartered Engineer (Electrical) with Engineers Australia

  • Years of process plant front-line instrument and electrical maintenance and reliability

  • Functional Safety (Safety Instrumented Systems) lead across global operations

Credentials

  • Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) - Electrical Power - Curtin University, Australia

  • Masters of Business Administration (Oil and Gas) - Curtin Graduate School of Business, Australia

  • Chartered Engineer (Electrical College) - Engineers Australia

  • Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional (CMRP) (Expired)

  • Certified Functional Safety Practitioner (CFSP) (Expired)