Hey guys, i recently got an internship at a natural gas exploration company and it has opened my eyes to geology. Im thinking about changing my major to a BS - Geology or BS - Geophysics... With such a diverse group of people here, can some of you guys give me some advice on everything.... what you think of the petroleum industry, tips that might make my life easier, yada yada... Greatly appreciate any advice!
The industry can be boom or bust, which may not be that different from other industries. I do know that in the 80s in Houston quite a few mid-career ChemEs were shown the door forever. I suspect that they would think that the petroleum industry was not a good career choice.
The pay is great now, and should continue at least for the time being. But when things go bad, they get really bad. Many of the gas station owners, motel owners, and realtors in Houston got laid off back in the 80's during the oil bust and went on to other things. It's best to go after a career in Chemical Engineering since it's a little more versatile than Geology/Geophysics.
well you arent a business person you arent really a redneck (even with your l33t skills at bbqin taken into consideration ) so I guess that leaves engineer.
Now is certainly a good time to be employed by an energy company. The mass retirement of the baby boomers coupled with the attrition of the 80's bust has led to a lack of prospective employees. Companies are falling all over each other trying to get qualified applicants, both from other companies and straight out of college. With the current hiring levels, it certainly could leave the industry with exposure to another large cycle of layoffs if oil and natural gas prices drop from their current levels. That said, most forecasts I've seen show the current price environment lasting throughout the foreseeable future. What led to the bust in the 80's were the projections that saw oil prices continue to rise at a meteoric pace - I found an old article that predicted $100/bbl oil by 1990. I think (hope?) that the industry has learned from its mistakes. One thing to bear in mind is that a geologist will almost certainly have to have a graduate degree to work for one of the major oil companies. Engineers, on the other hand, only need a bachelor's degree and the specific engineering discipline doesn't really matter, they'll hire pretty much any kind. Because of the current hiring levels, I've seen several geologists hired with only undergraduate degrees, but with the understanding that they'll get their Masters (funded by the company).
Well, since you don't rampantly use quotes and apostrophies every time there's an S at the end of a word, I'm guessing you're not a redneck. *note- I like rednecks. I grew up in Alvin.
thanks hammer, one thing i am concerned with is the cyclical nature of the industry and my job security. as with the masters, i have planned on doing just as you said, getting work with a bachelors then obtaining my masters as i work...
I work pretty closely with Oil and Gas companies as well as Chemical companies. Both industries have a heck of an upside. Most employees I have talked to have been there for years and years. There is great job security, and if you are young and good at your career, the sky is the limit. A lot of these industries have done a poor job recruiting the youth and they now realize that as the older employees are beginning to retire, they need to stock up on talented young geos and engineers. They need to pass the torch on and there is great competition among companies to get the brightest youngest smartest employees to carry that torch. Either path is a good path.
