Geotimes
For
Students
Careers
in Oilfield Services:
Geoscience
Grads Shouldn't Overlook Them
Gretchen M. Gillis |
|
Many geoscience graduates begin careers as petroleum geoscientists at
large exploration and production companies. A typical career path might
include 10 years at a major exploration and production company, a few years
with an independent company, and eventually a one-person consulting practice.
It’s easy to overlook employment possibilities in oilfield services,
companies that provide data and address practical problems in hydrocarbon
exploration and production (E&P). Yet oilfield service companies are
involved in everything from seismic data acquisition at the earliest stages
of exploration to enhanced recovery in aging fields. Oilfield activities
that initially might seem unrelated to geology, such as well cementing
or reservoir monitoring, often draw heavily on the insights and perspectives
of geologists.
An example is Schlumberger Oilfield Services, where I work. The company
operates in more than 100 countries, offers a broad range of services and
makes significant research and development investments. Of the approximately
7,000 employees registered in the Schlumberger technical community, more
than 1,200 count geoscience as their expertise. Many are involved in reservoir-characterization
projects that require significant geological proficiency.
Geoscientists at Schlumberger do everything from analyze well logs and
seismic data to conduct surface geological mapping. Opportunities exist
for graduates with bachelor’s, master’s or Ph.D. degrees.
David McCormick,
a research geologist at Schlumberger-Doll Research in Ridgefield, Conn., is
trying to bridge the resolution gap between seismic and borehole data by quantifying
geologic relationships in surface outcrops using high-precision global positioning
system (GPS) and optical-surveying instruments. The goal is to make digital
geological templates to compare with subsurface data for reservoir modeling.
With colleagues from academic groups and Schlumberger customers, he has done
field studies in sedimentology and stratigraphy in such varied locales as the
shallow marine clastic sediments of the Mesaverde group of Wyoming, Tertiary
clastic sediments of Venezuela, and the Late Precambrian carbonate pinnacle
of Namibia. Before joining Schlumberger, David earned a doctorate in geology
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and then worked as a research
geologist for Chevron Petroleum Technology for five years.
[As a geologist for an oil services
company, David McCormick gets high-tech. Here, he wears digital geology field
gear, including a high-resolution GPS unit in his backpack that connects to
the yellow data collector in his hand. This equipment allows him to map geological
features in real time with a precision of 2 centimeters horizontally. David
can map as fast as he can walk. The digital camera captures field relationships
for later review; locations of photographs can be recorded using the GPS sytem]
Peter Kaufman, David’s research colleague at Schlumberger-Doll Research,
has concentrated on mapping faults and fractures, working on outcrops in
California, Utah and the United Kingdom. Peter’s field mapping campaign
started with learning a new technology: how to use the differential GPS
surveying equipment to acquire outcrop data. Peter has been developing
ways to visualize outcrop data using VRML and Open Inventor scripts. VRML
is a scripting language much like HTML that allows 3-D graphics to be displayed
using a Web browser. Open Inventor is similar.
Peter assembled a library of scripts to generate these visualizations
and wrote a user interface that helps geologists create their own 3-D outcrop
visualizations. Previously, Peter worked for Amoco Production Co. after
earning his doctorate in geology and geophysics from MIT.
Service company careers for geoscientists can follow unexpected paths
because of the collaborative, multidisciplinary nature of projects. Tami
Chism Rahn, who earned bachelor’s degrees in geology and petroleum engineering
at the University of Wyoming, worked as a relief pumper for a small service
company in Wyoming and as a reservoir engineer for two major E&P companies
before joining Schlumberger. She now uses geostatistical and deterministic
tools to map reservoir flow parameters in three dimensions. Tami often
evaluates reservoir geology and economics using limited data, integrating
her interpretations with those by coworkers from other disciplines. Recently,
she moved to Abingdon, England, to join the software commercialization
team.
Service companies provide integrated interpretation software to many
E&P companies. Geoscientists train and support software users, manage
corporate databases, and assist in software development, documentation
or marketing. Sally Wycislak Bommen, a 1996 geophysical engineering graduate
of the Colorado School of Mines, began her career with GeoQuest, part of
Schlumberger Oil & Gas Information Solutions, as a petrophysical software
support specialist based in Houston. Sally worked for three years in Stavanger,
Norway, providing onsite support and training Scandinavian oil companies
before returning to Houston in 2001. She is now implementing the knowledge
management system developed for Data and Consulting Services. She uses
her skills to solve problems in geoscience through collaboration, training
and knowledge management.
Perhaps the most familiar geoscience role is that of the field engineer
— the supervisor of the crew that provides a specific service, such as
well logging, seismic surveying or cementing. After a few years in the
field, Schlumberger field engineers often move into research, product development,
marketing, customer service or other positions. Samantha Rist, who did
master’s degree work in geotechnical engineering at Cornell University,
began her career with Schlumberger as a field engineer in Casper, Wyo.,
supervising a wireline logging crew. After four years in the field, she
was promoted to the commercial training department of GeoQuest, where she
taught GeoFrame interpretation applications to customers. Samantha recently
progressed to a position of greater responsibility in knowledge management
and interchange, working on an internal help desk that provides technical
and operational support to field locations by fostering knowledge exchange
between technology centers and operations.
Oilfield service companies might not be the first places geoscience
graduates think of when mailing their resumes. However, the wealth and
diversity of opportunities, significant R&D investments, training and
career mobility make service companies excellent places to begin careers
in geoscience.
Gillis is an editor of the Schlumberger Oilfield
Review and coordinator of the Schlumberger Oilfield
Glossary. She joined Schlumberger in 1997 after eight years as
an exploration and production geologist. E-mail: GGillis@sugar-land.oilfield.slb.com
Trademarked names used in this article are
GeoFrame, StratLog and WellPix (Schlumberger); and Open Inventor (Silicon
Graphics Inc.).
