NEED ADVICE on job selection with service company 1

[ameracole]

Hi everyone I'm new to this website and found it very informative.

I just graduated with a Petroleum engineering degree. I have a previous degree in chemistry as well.
I am faced with a couple of offers from the big service companies. I understand the lifestyle and living conditions which is why Im hoping someone can help me on a career path.
I really wanted DD, but I was offered cased whole wireline from one company and Production Enhancement aka (fracing and acidizing) from another. I was told both make good money!?

I want to eventually go to an operator or E&P company as a production engineer later in my career.
Any advice on what might either of these services lead to in the future?
And if any field engineer is out there and had a choice to start over as a field engineer which service line would you pick and why?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

 

[zdas04]

In terms of transferable skills, there isn't a lot of difference between the two offers you have. Both are very transferable to a Production Engineer job. I'd say that you'd have a hard time going very far wrong with either. I'd also say that the career targets and path to them that you've laid out for yourself are pretty realistic and have a good chance of succeeding even in a $60/bbl oil market. Good luck.

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. ùGalileo Galilei, Italian Physicist

 

[oilngasninja]

Hello ameracole.

First of all, congratulations. Not many people have a few offers to chose form, and now that you have a few offers especially with the bigger service companies- AWESOME ! Congratulations!

I'll answer your question in parts. First of all the big AWESOME -because big companies provide some great training, which goes a long way in your career, and just makes you a better technical person, not to mention the HUGE value addition to your resume. People may argue about small companies and big companies beign the same, but I strongly deny that and have seen it first hand. A recruiter at the OTC in Houston earlier this year asked me to leave my "then service comapny" and join the big red, or the big blue or other bigger service companies to stand a chance to make it to conoco. Yes, on my face- a 55 soemthign yeaar old lady who recruits geoscience professionals And guess what, in 5 months from then I got into another major oil company. But the fact is it helps to have a big name on yoru resume, and yes, you do get better training companed to smaller companies where you are just working all the time-but you do learn stuff in both cases. Now, with regards to the "wanting to work in an E&P later on"- that is just a matter of time. With solid service company experience E&P's will grab you- no matter what- if you try and if you deserve it/ convince them int he interview ofcourse(being blunt here). I got a bachelors in chemical engineering, masters in Petroleum Engineering, worked as a hydraulic fracturing field engineer for 3 years, and now am with an oil major - E&P. So, hopefully I'm eligible to throw my 2 cents towards this thread. Pretty much exactly the path you may want to take down the road !

Without teasing you any further, and with no more philosophy I shall tell you what I'd do if I were in your place few years ago with the choices you have, knowing and having seen what I have seen in the past few years. Here goes:

I would chose Production Enhancement aka (fracing and acidizing) - which I think is with the big red from what decipher from your post. I would refrain from cased hole wireline due to several reasons. As a Reservoir Enigneer in my company I don't deal a "WHOLE LOT" with logging and logs- ofcourse I do, but the petrophysicists play with it all the time. Besides it will be way more moving around compared to a frac crew, as most fracs these days are multipad laterals and you'd be on a location for days/weeks(exceptions exist ofcourse, but this is from a convenience perspective). Having said that, doing cased hole wireline for years and having no exposure to stimulation (production enhancement/ frac'ing, acidizing, mini frac's etc etc.) may not be the best idea considering what youw ant to do. A friend of mine with baker mentioned to me that you get into loggina dn youc ant move for 4 - 5 years once ur in logging, after which they consider you for a DD. That is a really logn time doing M/LWD with not as much variety as being on a frac crew- where you see gel, slickwater, hybrid jobs, DFIT analysis, microseismic crews at work, tracer comapnies, and a multitude of third party companies workign around you.

Besides with Production Enhancement and you wanting to be a production engineer in the future, you will handle a lot of re-fracs etc if you;d join an oil company (that is how it works in my company- production engineers handle the refracs and the completion engineers handle the main frac jobs), . Also you will see and work with several E&P companies in several scenarios, and perform a variety of jobs which will value add to your resume and improve your skill set so much that you can easily become a completions or production engineer with an operator, and most important of all- you will be a value addition to their team and an asset who can really contribute because of your experience.

Overall, though people may not agree I think in logging you become an expert with a few tools which is specific to that company, but with frac'ing there are no tools to master- yes there are fluid systems, but the dynamic nature of job is a fun experience and will help you more I think.

I hope this helps,a nd I'm glad I could throw in my 2 cents. Good luck to you whatever you chose to you !

Cheers !
Oilngasninja

 

[Completions1984]

ameracole,

Congratulations on getting those offers! I just started working for the big red a few months ago, so I will just help you out picking one based on my experience so far and note that I was in the same boat as you. I graduated with a petroleum engineering degree as well, and I have decided to work as a field engineer before I work for an operator; simply because of the amazing experience you will gain being in the field.
I highly recommend you go with the big red especially for frac, this company is an amazing place to be and will really take care of you on the short-term and the long-term ( if you decide to stay). I have not met anyone so far who did not love working for Hal, which is a good sign! The opportunities are endless, the training is top notch and the people you will work with are great people and will teach you everything you need to know in order to improve and develop yourself! Now the starting salary is not great for an ATP (Associate Technical Professional), it is low compared to the competitors and other servicing companies but the benefits are amazing! In frac you will start your on job training right after the new employee orientation, you will be wearing a green hat which defines you as a newbie and be assigned to a TP (Technical Professional), this will be your mentor and your guidance until you are sent to technical school either in Duncan, OK or Brighton, CO. Once you break out and become a TP you will have a raise and you will start making bonus and before you know it you will be making real money!

I hope this helps a little bit! Either way I wish you the best of luck in your career!

 

[Completions1984]

Hi Oilngasninja ,

Can you please give your insight on being a field engineer in Completion Tools with the big red in terms of moving to an operator in the future? I just started in this PSL and I get the exposure of wireline, frac and cementing when running jobs. We will going to rig training school for 13 weeks soon so I'm hoping to have a better picture afterwards when I break out. Do you recommend cross-training with frac or sperry ?

I also plan on doing my masters in petroleum engineering through one of the online programs, I bit it will be a lot easier doing the job while taking self-paced courses!

Thank you and Merry Christmas to you all!

 

[OffshoreTrevelyan]

Hi,

Juts in my own experience the Major E&Ps seen to really go for the whole Production Enhancement, prob even more so now given the current environment. Plus its transferable between different types of fields.

 

[engrPET]

Hello all

This thread seems a bit old but I am hopeful someone amongst the experienced people here will respond to my query and situation.

I graduated as a Petroleum Engineer in Aug 2013, from a reputable university in Pakistan with flying colors and amongst the top 10 students of my batch.

During my 4 year study at the university, I had always planned to work for an E&P organization as a Petroleum Engineer; preferably in Reservoir. But upon my graduation things did not seem to move as per my plans, owing to poor recruitment rate in my country esp for fresh Petroleum Engineers and specifically in Operator Organizations.

But luckily I was able to get a job very soon and that too abroad; in Saudi Arabia, as a Field Engineer in a services company that provided data transmission services from Well sites to the Head office of the only Operator in KSA. Although this job was not directly related to my Majors or had a fancy career track I decided to go for it explaining myself that something is better than nothing and a bird in hand is worth two in the bushes. The money that I am earning is good enough though.

Now my query is, since this job was on for a temporary basis and was a compromise; I was'nt to satisfy myself completely with it. Since that time I am trying to make a switch to some other relevant organization or career path but to no avail. If you are getting chances to prove yourself and then failing that is a different story, but if you are not even getting an opportunity, that is what troubles me the most. In light of experience which u guys, kindly let me know what is best for me now in the current scenario.

Either I should still stick with my current job and wait for something relevant to come up OR should pursue my Masters Degree now from a university abroad and then come back and try my luck. My main objective is to work for an E&P company as a petroleum engineer where I can utilize my Engineering skills. Also if any recommendations for a specific uni or country I should target for my MS, where I can get employment opportunity as well, that will be appreciated.

Looking forward for valuable responses as I am quite worried.