PREPARING GEOLOGY STUDENTS FOR CAREER IN THE “NEW” ENERGY INDUSTRY
dynamic industry need more exposure to engineering, envi- ronmental, economic, health, and social impacts of energy industries on the populace.
Key College Foundations
The core geologic academic principles of chemistry, physics, mathematics, mineralogy, petrography, structure, sedimentol- ogy, stratigraphy, paleontology, and field methods are still fundamental to the success of energy geologists. It is critical that these core classes continue to be taught in universities with emphasis on best practices data management and criti- cal evaluation of data and interpretations. Hand contouring, 3D understanding of structure, and knowledge of various depositional systems are even more crucial in this digital age. Anyone can push the gridding button on geologic software and get an “answer” but without the core fundamental geologic training to revise, evaluate and correct for geologic viability, the accuracy and effectiveness of the geologist’s interpretation could potentially cost companies millions of dollars testing invalid interpretations.
Students need real-world data sets to test their academic training and familiarize themselves with the software and data they will use in their careers. Universities must continue to provide state of the art computer labs loaded with typical software used by energy geologists. Many suppliers of the geologic software offer licensing at no cost to institutions or at rates equivalent to pennies on the dollar. With these new technologies and datasets, professors have to work diligently to keep their skills current and the datasets relevant to today’s emerging play concepts. Industry companies recognize this need in academia and often supply datasets and financial sup- port for licensing to help prepare students for the transition to the work place. As professors we need to reach out to the various energy industries and seek out the professionals who do the internal hiring and training of young professionals so we can align our energy-focused curriculum to maximize the limited time we have to provide the skills industry is seeking.
The “New” Global Energy Industry
The “new” energy industry is truly interdisciplinary in nature. Gone are the days of the geologist sitting in isolation generating a play concept and handing it across the hall to the engineers to drill and evaluate. Today’s geologists interact daily with drilling, completion and reservoir engineers along with landmen, permitting specialists, environmental scien- tists and others. This interaction requires a good working knowledge of the principles and functions these other roles provide. Often engineering data is fundamental to refining a geologic interpretation that was originally based on traditional geologic data only. Geologists are involved in every step of the planning process which requires a firm understanding of the environmental concerns at the surface location, permitting process with regulatory agencies, concerns of mineral and surface owners and the drilling challenges associated with get- ting from a surface location to a geologic-defined, bottom-hole location. As part of the preplanning process, geologists work closely with reservoir engineers and economists to evaluate the financial merits and risks of the development program. After a well is drilled, geologists are integrally involved with assisting completion engineers with stage design and later evaluating the recovery efficiency with reservoir engineers.
As educators we must strive to provide access to engineer- ing best-practices and concepts, cover environmental concerns associated with energy related activities, outline federal and state regulatory issues with energy extraction permitting and highlight the social concerns facing the energy indus- try. As part of our outreach program to the various energy industries we need to establish collaborations to get students to the offices and out to extraction sites to observe and gain valuable knowledge of how today’s geologists are interacting in this multidisciplinary industry. Companies are routinely providing extraction-site guided tours to the general public and students as part of their community outreach and educa- tion programs. Students need this exposure and knowledge to decide their future career path and prepare them for interviews and careers in the industry.
Energy Alternatives Require Resources, Present Challenges
Every decision in the energy industry is scrutinized for eco- nomic viability. Companies have obligations and requirements imposed on them from their shareholders and equity backers. Every dollar spent must have sound scientific and business reasoning. Students should be encouraged to add statistics, economics, and business management classes to their cur- riculum. When possible, geologic classes should incorporate information on geologic risk assessment and economic deci- sion factors used by energy companies. A minor in business, mathematics, or communication is a great addition to the geologist’s toolkit and will propel those interested in taking on future, higher-level management positions.
Key Communication Skills
The energy industry requires geologists with the ability to present in front of peers and management groups and have leadership skills. Most companies are using PowerPoint™ presentations as their primary source of communicating interpretations and project summaries. Today’s geologists need to be well versed with creating and importing graphics within PowerPoint™, documenting their work in a logical and systematic way and providing proper citation and referenc- ing. Often PowerPoint™ presentations become the historical record-keeping for a company requiring proper documentation of the presenter’s thoughts and concepts from the slide in the Notes section of the PowerPoint™.
We encourage all educators to incorporate public present- ing into their class syllabi. Summarizing and documenting project-based work and the ability to present and convince peers, management and investors is a key skillset all employ- ers demand from students entering the workforce. Nothing is better than classroom repetition with peer evaluations in preparing students for that first industry presentation. Group project work in the classroom is an excellent way to develop leadership skills among our students. Rotating leaders and groups simulates a typical work place environment where geologists often are the lead on many projects and are fre- quently switched to different teams within the company. The more students are placed in leadership roles the more prepared they are to take on individual contributors roles or progress into management positions later in their careers.
Today’s geologist has to be intimately involved in advocacy for the energy industry. As a group we are trusted for our knowledge of earth systems and processes and our compre-
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