Energy

Oil and Gas

Energy companies (and oil & gas exploration companies) employ a wide range of geologists and engineers in the search for and production of hydrocarbon reserves. Exploration, seismology and software modelling are just a few of the sectors. 

Companies that employ geologists include oil and gas producers, exploration companies (sometimes incorporated into the producers) and consultancies.

Roles & career profiles

Typical roles geoscientists in oil and gas companies/consultancies may undertake include:

Geoscientist Read career profile	Reservoir Geologist
Exploration Geologist Read career profile	Reservoir Geophysicist Read career profile
Exploration Geophysicist Read career profile	Principal Geophysicist Read career profile
New Ventures Manager Read career profile

There are also a range of engineering roles associated with oil and gas companies/consultancies, e.g. petroleum engineers, which can be undertaken by geoscientists with the correct postgraduate qualifications and/or experience.

Geoscience Areas

These roles require a diverse set of geological and geophysical knowledge and skills. Some of the areas that those in the oil and gas industry utilise or specialise in include:

• Geophysical/Seismic interpretation
• Structural geology and tectonics
• Basin evolution
• Sedimentology
• Palaeontology
• Stratigraphy
• ‘Organic’ Geochemistry
• Remote sensing / Geographical Information Systems

How to get ahead

• Ensure your degree / modules are tailored towards the oil and gas industry
• Take a postgraduate degree (MSc / MRes / PhD)
• 4-year undergraduate geophysics degrees are also quite useful.
• Modern languages can be very useful, especially slightly less common ones like Portuguese, Russian and Arabic.
• Work experience during your degree is really useful, even if it’s only in a loosely-related area (i.e. any energy company or as a research assistant).