Where is Environmental and Oil&Gas Going in 5,10,.. Years

[code1]

Hi all,

Decided to seek some informed views here

I have been in both industries: environmental engineering dealing with trash inceneration (current) and waste gas cleaning, as well as offshore O&G driling and production (previous).

O&G is interesting for the dynamics and people and challenges you meet. Environmental... I am not too sure as of yet.

After being an engineer for the last 8 years and with 3 jobs, I am having to decide which industry I want to be for the next 25 years... Industry hopping is getting too difficult for me, so I'd like to first fix the industry and maybe in the future move within industry.

Appreciate all advice and views.

Thanks.

 

[moltenmetal]

Oil and gas, especially the exploration/production side, is boom and bust- always has been, and that's unlikely to change. Who knows: today's high oil prices may be the "new normal", but I'd be surprised if there wasn't a bust cycle coming in the near future. During a boom, O&G is a great place to be- lots of money and challenges. During a bust, you'll be competing with hundreds of your former colleagues for whatever jobs you can manage to cross-translate your skills into. And you'll be moving. Just hope you're not also the owner of some fine boomtown property at that point too...

The "environmental industry" you describe is a bottom feeder often involving low margins. It's often regulatory-driven, which means you're dependant on governments forcing your customers to buy from you. A change in government can make your business dry up completely. And since you're not tapped directly into a production chain, it's difficult to demonstrate the value you add: the best you can be in the minds of most of your customers is cheaper than someone else. Been there, done that- never again.

Tough as it may be on you, it's better to be a flexible generalist engineer than a specialist in either of these fields: that's more likely to keep you employed over the next 25 years.

 

[zdas04]

One thing I'm pretty sure of is that when the next bust hits, internal HSSE folks in big companies will get hit hard. Those staffs grow rapidly in the good times to deal with increasingly complex regulations. In the bad times, that "work" will be done by lawyers and consultants (I saw it last time--we were trying to comply with a nasty interpretation of a clause of the Clean Water Act by a local regulator and when the bad times hit we said "you're wrong, sue us". He did and winning the case was less expensive than complying with the capricious ruling.)

In the first huge bust that I saw in my career (1986), I never really felt that I was at risk. That was because I had made it a point to be very knowledgeable in a range of areas from reserves booking to tubular goods management. After the big layoffs, I picked up a dozen projects from guys who were out the door, and I think it was because I had made it a point to try to understand everything in our business that I was able to worm my way into. Become a generalist if you want to smooth the boom-bust cycle.

David

 

[DMcGrath]

It sounds as if you have some experience with waste. It's not glamorous, but pretty recession-resistant. People are always going to throw stuff away and flush toilets. Besides the regular engineering and environmental work, one of the growing trends is what to do with the waste gasses-gas that needs to be either burned off as waste itself or converted to energy (energy preferred).

 

[Ashereng]

I am pretty sure that I will finish my career in O&G. The need for energy, even with alternative fuels (should they actually come mainstream) will only increase as more and more nations go industrial and join the developed nations.

China and India (that is half the world's population, give or take) will only need more energy sources as they develop, not less. Then there is Africa. When they start to develop (probably over your career rather than mine) they will also need additional sources of fuel.

It is not so much the industry that you are in that is important in my mind. Rather, it is what you are doing that determines whether you will be sucessful/happy/well paid/etc.

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[DrillerNic]

I'm certain that I'll retire in the oil industry, and Baby Driller could also retire in too, if he wanted. I think it's great- varied work, different places, incredible technology and amazing achievements (I'm drilling within a 4ft window, controlling the bit 18,000ft away...!). But best of all, the oil industry just cares if you can do the job: my night toolpusher has a degree and speaks 3 languages, but his boss, the toolpusher, left school at 14, has far too many tattoos, and cannot utter two words without "fook" being one of them. I don't think any other industry would put a Geordie like him in charge of a multi million dollar operation!

I've survived the last big downturn, (and the hint of a downturn a few years ago), by being willing to move, and never pissing anyone off- you're never more that two or three people removed from everyone!