While you're here, meet a few people who are in the industry and see what they have to say about their careers.
| Annie C. | Chad M. | Cristin L. | David G. | Daniel I |
| Hiep S. V. | Jay R. | Kristin W. | Mary Beth F. | Tandis B. |
| Tara W. | Timothy F. | Timothy L. | Veronica M. |
Q. What is your current position with the Industry?
A. My current position in the petroleum industry is Senior Production
Engineer with Shell International Exploration and Production (SIEP). My role is
that of a subsea completions engineer with the Well Systems group, which is a
part of the EP Technology - Projects division.
Q. Where did you obtain your undergraduate/graduate degree(s)
and in what fields?
A. I went to Texas Tech University to do my undergraduate studies in
petroleum engineering.
Q. What subjects/courses were instrumental in helping you
gain your current position?
A. I would have to say that my petroleum engineering courses that
specifically dealt with reservoir rock, fluid behavior, and fluid mechanics were
extremely important in my current role as a subsea completions engineer.
However, the majority of my petroleum engineering courses have been very
applicable in my past and current roles as an engineer in the upstream sector of
the oil industry.
Q. How many years of education were needed in order for you
to enter the industry?
A. I spent a total of 4.5 years in college to meet the requirements to
receive a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering. Taking summer courses can accelerate
this to 4 years, but this route will likely compromise the opportunity(ies) of
exposure to real-world experiences through industry-sponsored internships.
Q. Were any summer internships or advanced learning
opportunities helpful in entering the industry?
A. The fact is my participation in summer internships with various oil
companies since my sophomore year in college played an important role during my
interviews for full time employment. The experience from those internships
assured the interviewer that I know what to expect from an engineering career in
the oil industry. The internships also allowed me to experience the different
company cultures to determine what type of culture is best suited for me.
Q. Does your current position allow you to travel? If so,
what was your favorite location?
A. My current position demands that I am able to travel often to meet with
my Shell "customers" as well as my non-Houston-based team members. My current
travels are solely to New Orleans and offshore Gulf of Mexico. I enjoy going to
New Orleans because it is quite different (culture, people, cuisine, etc.) from
Houston.
Q. What opportunities do you see for yourself in the
industry?
A. My opportunities are both on the technical and managerial side. My role
as a subsea completions engineer require that I can effectively supervise a
completions team of engineers as well as being a team contributor with the
project team which consists of multiple system interfaces that are an integral
part of a subsea field. I can continue to develop my technical skills and become
an engineering expert in this field, or I can choose to strengthen my leadership
skills and become an engineering manager. With the upcoming "crew change" when a
large percentage of the more-experienced staff in the industry reach retirement,
there will be a need to fill these roles with quality professionals.
Q. What are some of your favorite aspects of your job?
A. The best part of my job is having the authority to develop new technology
in order to execute my operations in the most efficient manner possible
resulting in minimum rig time and human exposure.
Q. What are some of the most surprising aspects of your job?
A. One of my most surprising aspects of my job is that I have to plan
detailed procedures to put together productive subsea oil wells, which reside
about 2/3 of a mile below sea level, a year in advance before the wells is ever
drilled and cased. Pre-planning is critical to a smooth operation, but there is
only so much pre-planning that can take place when you are working with such a
large unknown.
Another one of my more surprising aspects of my job is the necessity to effectively manage different personalities involved with my project.
Q. What is the most rewarding part of your job?
A. The most rewarding part of my job is at the conclusion of a well
completion when a well is unloaded and productively flowing to the host platform
at higher than expected rates. Knowing that my job done successfully will
directly affect the bottom line by contributing oil to the daily production
volumes, and in turn, add income to the daily revenue stream for my company.
Q. What are some of your interests outside of your position
responsibilities?
A. Some of my other technical interests reside with the drilling operations
of wells on both the land and offshore arenas. It has always fascinates me how
drilling can overcome the majority of the obstacles that Mother Nature tends to
throw in mix when we are drilling exploratory areas in search of new reserves.
Q. What is the most exciting technological tool that you have
either used or helped to develop in your job?
A. The most exciting technological tool that I have used in my job would
have to be the disappearing plug from Baker Oil Tools. This plug is used as a
barrier when setting packers, isolating intervals, and guarding against
uncontrolled hydrocarbon flow. It can be remotely opened from a host platform
through a series of pressure cycles. Once opened, the flapper on the plug is
recessed into the tool and isolated from the production flow path. This tool has
helped subsea completion engineers like myself save valuable time.
