Oil Exploration Jobs – Interview

Walter J. had heard about the jobs that were available in the oil and gas industry and knew that with his geologist’s degree he’d be able to find work in the exploration field with an oil company.
He was fresh out of school and had very little on-the-job experience, but he was confident that he could do the work the companies would require of him.
What made you decide on a career in the oil and gas industry?
With my degree in geology I knew that my skills would be very valuable to an oil company doing a lot of exploration and development. I’ve always known that I would enjoy using the skills I was trained in to chart the best places to find oil and gas deposits. I’d worked for an oil company as an apprentice over my last summer in college and knew that it was what I wanted to do with my life.
How did you find out about the jobs available?
I searched online for a few weeks to make sure that I understood what the oil and gas companies were looking for. I wanted to make sure that the skills they were looking for were skills that I had or could easily learn. The web site had a lot of information and different jobs that the oil companies were looking to fill. It was pretty easy to navigate around and find all the information I was looking for.
Do you think you’ll make this your career?
Definitely. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do and the reason I got into this field in the first place. Working in this industry I can pay off my student loans in a very short time and there’s enough work out here to last as long as I want to stay. I’d say all of the companies working out here have future plans for big development. There’s just no end in sight for the amount of development and jobs to come. I’m telling all my friends to seriously think about coming out here with me. I know they’ll be as glad as I am to be working here.
Some basic skills for success in the oil and gas industry are:
· Grade 12 education (other specialized / professional careers may require a diploma or degree)
· Proficient in the English language – reading, writing, speaking and listening / comprehension
· Problem solving and decision making skills
· Planning and organizational skills
· Computer literacy
· Use of documentation skills (plans, directions, maps, etc.)
· Math and science skills
· Mechanical aptitude
· Good listening skills
Some common industry values for success are:
· Good work ethic and capable of working hard
· Motivation to succeed
· Positive attitude
· Teamwork and collaboration
· Desire to learn and grow
· Entrepeneurial
· Highly adaptable and flexible

Downstream Oil Jobs

The downstream oil sector of the oil and natural gas industry is the retail or consumer sector of the industry. When anyone talks about the downstream sector of this industry they may be referring to the many products that are produced based on materials from oil refineries, which can include an extensive list of chemical compounds, and elements, which are created from the crude oil, and natural gas from the earth.
Some jobs that are associated with this sector of the industry include chemical engineers that take the raw materials from the refineries and turn them into many thousands of other products by utilizing products, formulas and equipment specially designed for this purpose. The plastics industry is entirely dependent on the oil and natural gas industry for the chemicals and raw products used in creating the many compounds of plastic articles. When consumers pick up and buy a product made from plastic, they may not always realize that the plastic in the article is entirely dependent on crude oil for its composition.
Oil refinery jobs and the marketing representatives associated with the industry, are all in the downstream sector. Gas distribution utilities, oil product wholesalers, service stations and petrochemical companies are all part of the downstream sector. This sector of the industry is responsible for a considerable portion of the oil industry’s’ profits every year and the personnel involved in this sector are valued employees. Petroleum oil wholesalers need truck drivers to deliver their oil products all over the country while larger wholesalers may be in need of oil tanker captains and crew on a regular basis.
Oil refineries are in constant need of trained and experienced workers who can use their expertise to help turn the base crude oil into any number of useable products which the refinery then sells to other manufacturers to make more products. There are several types of refinery jobs including entry-level positions and degreed positions.
Engineering technicians are always in high demand in oil refining facilities. Whether mechanical, chemical, or petroleum engineers, personnel who work within the degreed areas of the refinery are responsible for the more technical aspects of the day-to-day refinement duties. Petroleum engineers require many years of specialized training and can expect to earn $95,000 to $150,000 annually.Mechanical engineers with five or more years of experience routinely make $65,000 annually, while chemical engineers can make anywhere from $60,000 to $90,000 depending on a variety of factors.

Midstream Oil Jobs

The midstream petroleum sector of the oil industry provides a vital link between the oil that is drawn up out of the ground and the end users in the population centers.
This part of the industry gathers stores and transports the crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. Transmission pipeline companies are also a part of the midstream sector and play a major part in getting the crude oil and natural gas to the refineries and to the end consumers. Companies that specialize in oil and gas storage are also major players in this sector.
Some jobs in the midstream sector include working for companies that transport the oil and natural gas from the drilling sites to the refinery and then on to the consumers in the population centers. Working on an oil tanker is hard work but for those people who enjoy traveling the world and aren’t bothered by ocean travel, the rewards can be very good with starting salaries ranging from $60,000 a year for general deckhands all the way up to $100,000 or more for the captains of these vessels.
Pipeline companies also play a very important part in the midstream sector of the industry. If you’re looking to find work in this area, you should enjoy spending lots of time in the outdoors, as that’s where the pipelines are located. Pipelines are laid out in all areas of the globe including the far north, Southern U.S. states and Mexico as well as the Middle East and the North Sea oil fields. The variety of oil-drilling locations and climates will ensure that you can find the pipeline job in the area of the world you want to work in.

Pipeliners are responsible for performing maintenance and repair work on pipelines and the infrastructure supporting them such as storage tanks and pumping stations. Pipeline walkersspecialize in checking the many thousands of miles of oil and natural gas pipelines, searching for leaks, washouts, faulty joints and damaged communication support such as downed wires and poles. Pipeline welders are responsible for planning, welding, repairing and fitting the various parts of the pipeline together from the start station all the way through to the refinery or tanker station. Pipeline workers can expect to earn $ 65,000 to $95,000 annually depending on where the job is located and the complexity of the work.

Upstream Oil Jobs

Jobs in the upstream sector include any type of work that happens in the oil field, such as oil exploration, production, supply, service and manufacturing.
The wide variety of jobs required for oil sands mining and extraction are also covered under this sector. As you can imagine, this sector covers a wide range of oil jobs.
There are over 1,000 upstream companies in this sector and they are all looking for qualified personnel. Seismic and geophysical service companies contract themselves out to oil companies all over the world. The jobs in this sector also include drilling contractors, service rig operators, trucking companies and engineering firms. Scientific, technical, environmental and service and supply companies round out the types of jobs in this sector.
Seismic engineers are responsible for conducting surveys of the underground areas that may contain deposits of oil or natural gas. Using underground explosions or mechanical vibrations sent through the ground, they record seismic waves that reflect off of rock formations, showing where oil or natural gas deposits may be found. Once a viable area is found, drilling engineers and their teams set up drilling platforms onsite and begin the slow process of digging down hundreds or even thousands of feet to the oil deposits. Seismic engineers, petroleum engineers, geophysicists and drilling engineers can expect to earn over $100,000 annually with production bonuses on top of that pay.

If working in an office is more to your liking then becoming an Oil Land Agent or Oil Well Log Analyst may be better suited to your career goals. Land agents are responsible for getting permission from landowners before oil well drilling is even begun. An oil well log analyst is responsible for taking core samples and measurements during the drilling process and after a well is completed. Both these positions also offer annual salaries that can quickly rise to $100,000 after only a few years of service within the industry.
Finding work in the upstream sector of the oil and natural gas industry is easy if you know where to look. Luckily, this site has many of the answers you’ll need to find out about the different types of jobs available in this sector.

Mechanical Engineering Jobs

Mechanical Engineers perform research, design and evaluate mechanical systems, machinery and special processes. In the oil and natural gas industry, these engineers are responsible for making sure that all the machinery and mechanical systems involved in the oil production process are kept operating properly with special care paid to maintenance and upkeep of the many types of machines involved. The work is varied and can include many mechanical systems such as:
§ industrial systems and processing (for example, in refineries and petrochemical facilities
§ manufacturing systems, plants and products
§ environmental control systems (heating, ventilating and air conditioning)
§ transportation equipment (land, sea and air)
§ infrastructure systems on the oil platform or rig
§ computer components and systems
The work of a mechanical engineer can take place in an office or laboratory but is generally out in the field working alongside other team members on an oil rig. Some oil companies employ mechanical engineers to research and develop new and better machinery systems that will allow them to be more productive and competitive. If you’re thinking about a mechanical engineer job in the oil and natural gas industry, you should be able to think in mathematical and abstract terms, be able to visualize three-dimensions from two-dimensional drawings and blueprints, have a practical and analytical mind and an interest in the technical aspects of processes. Some other duties of a mechanical engineer can include the maintenance and operation of machinery aboard oil rigs, derricks and drilling platforms. Many mechanical engineers who would rather work in a more institutional environment can opt forworking in an oil refinery. This environment is very challenging and rewarding and doesn’t entail as much field work as working on oil platforms or derricks.
The minimum education requirement for mechanical engineers is a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. With a few years of experience mechanical engineers working in the industry can expect to earn from $4,800 to $132,000 with the average salary being $78,500 per year. This will depend on many factors such as years of experience, the company you’re working for and the location of the work.

Oil Pipelines

Because many oil deposits are in remote areas of the world, it oftentimes doesn’t make economical sense to transport the oil by tanker or truck.
In the North, for example, where the winter ice formation often shuts down shipping lanes, the transport of the oil by tanker simply wouldn’t be possible on a year-round basis (Read about the Trans-Alaska Pipeline in Alaska on a later page). This would mean that the oil production and drilling would have to be shut down for the winter months. From the financial standpoint of the oil company this wouldn’t be a feasible choice due to all the costs put into oil exploration and production. Trucking the oil would also be close to impossible due to the changing and severe weather conditions in the winter months. In many remote areas of the world, transporting the crude oil by train may not be possible if there are no rail lines set up.
One way that the oil companies can get their product to the oil refineries is to construct a long metal pipeline that can transport the crude oil produced at the well or platform rig to the refinery down the coast. These types of projects require a great deal of planning and cost to the oil company but the overall cost savings are worth the investment. Most of these oil pipelines are hundreds and even thousands of miles in length. They are sometimes buried underground or when the ground is too rocky the pipeline is above ground. Having the pipeline above ground also makes it much easier to repair any problems such as leaks or fractures that occur. Some of the jobs associated with constructing and maintaining an oil pipeline can include Right-of-way personnel who make sure that the lands required for the pipeline are available for lease or sale before the pipeline is even started. Structural engineers, welders, truck drivers and material handlers are also required to design, manufacture and lay the pipelines.
The construction of a pipeline can mean many pipelaying jobs and years of work for trained and experienced personnel as well as those workers who may not have as much experience but are trained at what they do. Oil pipelines allow the oil companies to get their crude oil to their refineries and save transport costs which in turn allows them to charge a better price and make more profit for their refined products to stay competitive in their prices.