Geologists

[msommers]

Well with 3rd year coming up, I have to decide on a concentration. Currently at the UofC you can choose: petroleum, Applied and Enviro., and just geology.

On friday we had a short talk from MEG about what they do, which really got me thinking. What the fuck am I going to concentrate in? I've been hearing so many different things back and forth about going into petroleum, it's hard to know what to believe (it's a great idea...or...petroleum exploration will be dead soon etc etc). Being in Alberta, it seems like a no-brainer to do O&G. But in the long term, I'd like to be able to travel for work.

Mining exploration seems like a ton of field work, almost all of it but more travel. O&G seems to about 80/20 office work, which is more ideal for me but no travel. I honestly have no fucking clue what environmental geology entails but seems important!

Anyone who is in the know about either sector or is physically working in it, please help me out. I'm trying to figure this stuff about now so when it comes time to declare I won't have to second guess myself. Thanks in advance

[zarge]

you don't want to out in the oilfield sitting in a shack cleaning samples... my advice

[Subwoofah]

go for something in hydrology if you want a job you can hold on to for a while... GIS coupled with a hydrology or a geology background opens many doors for the future.

[ExtraSlow]

Not sure where you got the idea that O&G doesn't involve travel. They explore for oil and gas all over the world, and I personally know of people who have gone to Europe, Africa, SE Asia, Australia and South America.

The reason most people don't do much travel is that they choose to stay living in Calgary, not because the opportunity isn't out there.

[msommers]

Originally posted by zarge
you don't want to out in the oilfield sitting in a shack cleaning samples... my advice
My understanding is that the geo technologists usually do this. Have I been misinformed?



Originally posted by Subwoofah
go for something in hydrology if you want a job you can hold on to for a while... GIS coupled with a hydrology or a geology background opens many doors for the future. I'm currently using GIS software at work actually! It's just been easy stuff like digitizing maps. What kind of work would you been doing with hyrdo?



Originally posted by ExtraSlow
Not sure where you got the idea that O&G doesn't involve travel. They explore for oil and gas all over the world, and I personally know of people who have gone to Europe, Africa, SE Asia, Australia and South America.

The reason most people don't do much travel is that they choose to stay living in Calgary, not because the opportunity isn't out there.

This is really good news actually. Of those people that have traveled, was it a permanent position or a short duration (ie 1-2 years)?

Are any of you currently working as geologists or geophysicists?

[Subwoofah]

I actually worked on a few MEG projects mostly with the EIA approvals team. Using GIS I could map out sub basins, delineate watersheds, and pour points automatically. Of course it all depended on the DEM's that we get but usually we worked with LiDAR data so the accuracy was pretty good. Once you can work with GIS's tools and you have a geology or hydrology background, you can basically liaise between the scientists and technicians.

[broken_legs]

Originally posted by msommers

My understanding is that the geo technologists usually do this. Have I been misinformed?

[/B]

Lots of wellsite geologists are actual geologists, but you're right you can just take a wellsite course to do that job.

I've never actually worked with a geo technologist at the wellsite. The geos are the second highest paid, and in some cases the highest paid guys on location.

I'm pretty sure starting out is 600+/day and some of the oldschool guys ont he foothills wells have to be pulling in closer to 1500/day if not more

[msommers]

Is this where you typically start in O&G, or could it be office or field?

[Clever]

Originally posted by msommers

My understanding is that the geo technologists usually do this. Have I been misinformed?




Well I know a few "well site geologist" and that is part of their training, washing samples, checking the gas detector, then doing descriptions of the sample on a well log. All it takes is a few courses at SAIT and of course someone that will get you in the industry. Some of these guys don't even have their high school diploma's and make 1k/day.

[T78Supra1]

Well site Geo's In the Field start at about 400/day

You are stuck in a shack cleaning samples. If you go to the States you make less but they have Mudloggers to clean your Samples.

There is allot of Down time.... a busy geo only works about 200 days a year.

I run a company that supplies Geo Equipment, and have been in the business for about 10 years now

If you have any questions you can pm me