A Day in the Life of the Women of O&G

by Jaime Kammerzell From Rigzone Contributor. Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Although far fewer women work in the oil and gas (O&G) industry compared to men, many women find rewarding careers in the industry. Five women were asked the same questions regarding their career choices in the oil and gas industry.

Question 1: Why did you choose the oil and gas industry?

Woman 1: Cool technology, applying science and money.

Woman 2: It seemed interesting and the pay was good.

Woman 3: They offered me a job! I couldn’t turn down the great starting salary and a chance to live in New Orleans.

Woman 4: I did not really choose the oil and gas industry as much as it chose me.

Woman 5: I chose the oil and gas industry because of the challenging projects, and I want to be part of our country’s energy solution.

Question 2: How did you get your start in the oil and gas industry?

Woman 1: I went to a university that all major oil companies recruit. I received a summer internship with Texaco before my last year of my Master’s degree.

Woman 2: I was recruited at a Texas Tech Engineering Job Fair.

Woman 3: At the time, campus recruiters came to the geosciences department of my university annually and they sponsored scholarships for graduate students to help complete their research. Even though my Master’s thesis was more geared toward environmental studies, as a recipient of one of these scholarships, my graduate advisor strongly encouraged me to participate when the time came for O&G Industry interviews.

Woman 4: I was working for a company in another state where oil and gas was not its primary business. When the company sold its division in the state where I was working, they offered me a position at the company’s headquarters in Houston managing the aftermarket sales for the company’s largest region. Aftermarket sales supported the on-highway, construction, industrial, agricultural and the oil and gas markets. After one year, the company asked me to take the position of managing their marine and offshore power products division. I held that position for three years. I left that company to join a new startup company where I hold the position of president.

Woman 5: My first job in the oil and gas industry was an internship with Mobil Oil Corp., in New Orleans.I worked with a lot of smart, focused and talented geoscientists and engineers.

Question 3: Describe your typical day.

Woman 1: Tough one to describe a typical day. I generally read email, go to a couple of meetings and work with the field’s earth model or look at seismic.

Woman 2: I talk with clients, help prepare bids and work on getting projects out the door. My days are never the same, which is what I love about the job I have.

Woman 3: I usually work from 7:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. (although the official day is shorter). We call the field every morning for an update on operations, security, construction, facilities and production engineering activities. I work with my team leads on short-term and long-term projects to enhance production (a lot of emails and Powerpoint). I usually have 2-3 meetings per day to discuss/prioritize/review ongoing or upcoming work (production optimization, simulation modeling, drilling plans, geologic interpretation, workovers, etc.). Beyond our team, I also participate in a number of broader business initiatives and leadership teams.

Woman 4: A typical day is a hectic day for me. My day usually starts well before 8 a.m. with phone calls and emails with our facility in Norway, as well as other business relationships abroad. At the office, I am involved in the daily business operations and also stay closely involved in the projects and the sales efforts. On any given day I am working on budgets and finance, attending project meetings, attending engineering meetings, reviewing drawings and technical specifications, meeting with clients and prospective clients, reviewing sales proposals, evaluating new business opportunities and making a lot of decisions.

Woman 5: On most days I work on my computer to complete my projects. I interpret logs, create maps, research local and regional geology or write documents. I go to project meetings almost every day. I typically work only during business hours, but there are times when I get calls at night or on weekends from a rig or other geologists for assistance with a technical problem.

Adapted from URL: <http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=11508>. Retrieved on February 14, 2012. 11