OIL AND GAS 101AND HOW TO GET INTO GRAD SCHOOLPatrick Loureiro

October 21, 2015

Outline• Definitions and oil industry overview • Types of jobs offered in the oil and gas industry based on

degree• How to get in to Grad School• Resume writing • Interview tips• Networking• Q&A

Definitions: Upstream vs. Downstream

• Upstream – everything that occurs before the oil is refined; exploration, drilling, extraction, storage, shipping, etc.

• Downstream – the refining, selling, and distribution of the product.

Source: API

Definitions: Service company vs. Operator

Service companies: companies which provide services to the

petroleum exploration and production industry but do not typically produce petroleum

themselves

• Examples: Baker Hughes, Cameron, CGG, Core Lab, Fugro, Halliburton, ION Geophysical, National Oilwell Varco, PGS, Schlumberger, Spectrum, Technip, Transocean, Weatherford, etc

• Examples: BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, ConocoPhillips, Anadarko, Apache, Devon, Hess, Occidental Petroleum, Noble, Marathon, Southwestern, EOG, NOC’s*, etc.

Exploration and Production companies (Operators): companies that acquire leases and own the rights

to the petroleum that is produced

Types of service companies • Diversified: Schlumberger, Halliburton, Weatherford,

Baker Hughes

• Equipment: National Oilwell Varco, Cameron

• Seismic acquisition: ION, CGG, Spectrum, TGS, PGS

• Drilling rigs: Transocean, Noble Corporation, Hercules Offshore, Nabors Industries

Types of exploration and production companies

• Integrated/Majors (upstream and downstream): BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, Total

• Exploration and Production/Independents (just upstream): ConocoPhillips, Anadarko, Apache, Noble Energy, EOG Resources, Marathon Oil, etc.

• National (NOC): Ecopetrol, ENI, Gazprom, PEMEX, Petrobras, Petronas, PDVSA, Rosneft, Sinopec, Sonangol

Very-generalized flowchart

E&P company interprets data and determines a location to drill (geologists and geophysicists,

MS, PhD)

Service companies drill the well and record more data

(engineers, geologists, geophysicists BS, MS, PhD)

If large enough reserves are proven, field development begins

(engineers, geologists, geophysicists, MS, PhD)

Production facilities, pipelines, storage facilities, and

transportation are installed, more wells drilled (Engineers)

E&P company leases land from the government

(landmen)

Seismic acquisition company shoot seismic data over area of

interest (geophysicists, MS, PhD)

Types of jobs: BS Geology or Geophysics

• Mud logging/ well site geology• Geotechnical roles• Software support• Typically service type jobs• Starting salary range: $50k-89k

Types of jobs: MS Geology or Geophysics

• Seismic data processing• Entry level geologist or geophysicist at an exploration and

production company • Consultant/research role in a service company• Starting salary range: $100k-$115k• Typical signing bonus: $10-15k

Types of jobs: PhD Geology or Geophysics

• Entry level geologist or geophysicist • Experienced hire as a specialist in a research/technology

group• Consultant/research role in a service company• Starting salary range: $115k-$125k• Typical signing bonus: $15-25k

How to get into grad school• Not as simple as apply and you’re in• Multi-Step Process

• ID programs/ universities• Contact potential advisors• GRE• Application• Recommendations

ID Programs• Key thing to think about: FIT• Don’t just look at programs/ reputation, look at people• Identify what your interests are re: geology/ geophysics• Target specific advisors/ groups• Be mindful of deadline and requirements

Contact Advisors• Reach out to advisors at universities• Less likely to be admitted without someones support• Email first, establish dialogue and interest• If feasible plan a visit

GRE• See what your university requires, aim for higher than that

score• Plan far enough in advance to be able to take GRE

multiple times if possible or if you don’t get the score you need

• Don’t wing it! PREPARE!

Application• Once again be mindful of deadlines• Submit everything needed (check the website for

everything)• Make sure to leave yourself enough time to submit GRE

scores, OFFICIAL transcripts, recommendations• Write a statement of purpose about why you want to get

into grad school, why you want to be at that institution and how grad school will affect your future• Put some thought into this, should take the longest to do

Recommendations• Shouldn’t be random, meaningful recommendations come

from professors/ advisors that you respect, have knowledge of your work ethic, and capabilities

• Typically require 3• Don’t drop this on people the day before

• Typically give a minimum of 2-3 weeks notice

Steps to being a successful student, and prime job candidate

Success doesn’t happen overnightIf you want to see areas where you can improve yourself, create a resume

Parts of a resume• Contact information• Objective statement• Education (degrees with GPA)• Relevant Coursework• Work/research experience• List of skills• Professional and/or student organizations• Awards/honors/activities• Abstracts/Publications

Resume Formatting• One page for undergrads • Two pages for grad student• Do not submit a resume longer than two pages for on-

campus recruiting for an oil or gas company• Font: should be a reasonable size and theme (Arial, times

new roman, 11-12pt)• Margins: (0.5”-1.0”)• Should be neat and balanced

• No wrap up sentences• Use bullets wisely• No periods ANYWHERE

Contact information• Address• Phone number• Professional e-mail address

• (sk8rboi@aol.com is NOT an example of a professional e-mail address)

Objective statement:• Needs to answer: full-time or internship, type of job or industry,

available date?• Does not need to be longer than one sentence

• Ex: A full-time position as a geologist in the oil and gas industry• Ex: A summer internship as a geophysicist in the petroleum

exploration industry • Ex: A full-time position as an exploration geologist in the oil and

gas industry starting December 2014

Education• Degree, major

• Bachelor of Science, Geology• Master of Science, Geophysics • Doctor of Philosophy, Geology

• Expected graduation date• Month and year

• University/college and department attended• University of Houston, Department of Earth and Atmospheric

Sciences

• GPA; thesis title; advisor’s name

Experience (in reverse chronological order)

• Work, research, or volunteer• Job title, name of employer, dates of employment, location• Use action verbs to describe your responsibilities,

accomplishments, results, and tasks in a bulleted list.• Examples of action verbs:

• I conducted lab experiments….• I provided software support to…• I aided senior geologists in…• I loaded 2D seismic data…• I built a velocity model…• I interpreted 3D seismic data…• I processed seismic data…

Skills (list format)• Technical or specialty software you know• Language skills (proficiency as basic, conversational,

native language)

• Ex: Petrel, Petromod, ArcGIS, Microsoft Office suite, Linux, Proficient in Spanish

• Skills need to be applicable to the job in which you are applying

Professional and student organizations

• Aim for at least one national and one local organization• National: AAPG, SEG, AGU, SEPM, etc• Local: AAPG Wildcatters (woo!), SEG Wavelets, GeoSociety, AEG,

GSH, HGS

• Better to have leadership experience in these organizations

Activities, Honors, Awards • Scholarships, grants, honors• By semester or year in reverse chronological order• Relevant to your field first• Do not list dollar amounts• Also can include short courses attended

Publications or abstracts• Optional section, if applicable• Looks great to recruiters and can set you apart from your

peers

• Ex: Oilfinder, J., Structural and stratigraphic history of the Gulf of Mexico, AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, 2013 (poster)

Work authorization• U.S. citizen• U.S. Permanent Resident (green card)• F-1 Visa (student)• J-1 Visa (exchange visitor)

When submitting…• Submit as word document or PDF• Title your document

“Lastname_classification_degreename”

• Ex: Smith_BS_Geology• Jones_MS_Geophysics• Cooper_PhD_Geology

Tips from a real UH recruiter

·    Black & white text only (no colored ink)

·    No MS Word art

·    Use the Spell & Grammar check

·    Ask one or two people (advisor, professor or Career Services) to review for spelling & grammar mistakes not caught by the software

·    Format should be visually pleasing to read and easy to find information

·    Punctuation (May.2013) May is not an abbreviation

·    Recruiters will accept updated versions at any time

What are companies looking for?• Strong technical skills• Excellent soft skills• Excellent communication • Team player• World-class scientists

• It doesn’t matter if you study geology or geophysics- just be great at what you do

• Be enthusiastic

What to wear?• Business casual or business formal

• Two vs. three pieces of clothing (top, bottom, jacket)• Shoes: low heels, clean, shined, conservative/classic style• Colors: conservative are best

• Black, navy, white, khaki

• Neat, clean, pressed, well-fitting

• Do NOT wear:• Jeans, tennis shoes, t-shirt, shorts, open-toed shoes or sandals,

old, dirty, or smelly clothing, hat or cap, perfume or cologne, colored nail polish, large or too much jewelry, cover tattoos or piercings (other than ear)

First impression• Prepare clothing the day before• Wear deodorant• Arrive EARLY• Be nice, polite, relaxed• SMILE! • Practice with someone before the real interview

• During an info session: DON’T ASK QUESTIONS JUST TO BE ASKING A QUESTION- IT DOESN’T MAKE YOU LOOK SMARTER!

During the interview:• Bring copies of resume and transcripts• Memorize the interviewer’s name• Make eye contact• Listen carefully, think before you speak!• Use good body language and posture• Eliminate “um” “ah” “like” “ya know”• Bring a bottle of water

• Come prepared with a list of questions for the interviewer!• They are looking for a good fit

Types of questions• Informal:

• Tell me about yourself• How did you become interested in geology• Tell me about your thesis

• Behavioral question: Past behavior predicts future behavior

• Tell me about a time you had a conflict when working in a team• Tell me about a time when you had to take initiative • Tell me about a time you had to work with someone more

experienced than you

• Use the STAR approach• Situation Task Action Result

After the interview• Thank the interviewer• Hand shake before you leave• Write a thank you note within 24 hours of the interview

• Don’t discount hand written letters

• Don’t leave without their business card• Write down the questions they asked and evaluate your

performance

Networking• UH Alumni Events

• SEG reception, Sept 22nd, Embassy Suites downtown, 7-9pm, RSVP to nsmrsvp@nsm.uh.edu

• GSH, HGS events• Weekly seminars/talks

• National meetings• SEG, Houston, Sept 22-27• AAPG, Houston, April 6-9

• Linkedin

Other resources• http://www.api.org/story/index.html• http://www.adventuresinenergy.org/• http://api.org/oil-and-natural-gas-overview/exploration-and

-production

Ways to increase your marketability • Present at annual meetings• Publish papers• Attend short courses• IBA, IBA, IBA, IBA, IBA

• http://www.aapg.org/iba/

Closing remarks:

• Be a world-class scientist• Don’t ever be average• Be passionate, inspire others• Make everyone around you better• Be resilient- don’t be discouraged if you don’t land the top job from your first interview, or your top university. Even great candidates are passed up due to reasons out of their control