You may rock at this career. You bring deep knowledge about the rocks and underground conditions that influence how a well is drilled and how it will produce. The job of the wellsite geologist is to use data to guide drillers through hundreds of metres of earth and rock and to help obtain the highest production levels possible from a reservoir.
Wellsite geologists supervise every stage of the drilling process to extract oil and natural gas from deep underground. They study and analyze rocks from oil and natural gas wells in order to direct the drilling, and identify the rock formation into which they are drilling. They use specialized tests such as petrographic analysis, rock-cutting data, wireline data, core samples and other measures to accomplish this work. Wellsite geologists document results from drilling activities, analyze and evaluate this information in order to inform the development/reservoir geologist about the status of drilling activities. The wellsite geologist is responsible for executing a drilling plan, provided by the development/reservoir geologist, and making real-time decisions.
I'm interested in a career in
- Sub-sector Exploration and production, Oil and gas services, Offshore, Oil sands
- Environment Primarily outdoor work
- Average Salary $57,000 to $150,000
- Education Post-secondary degree
- Career Demand Growing
In this occupation, activities may include:
- Informing and advising on measurements, program requirements and revisions while drilling and mud logging
- Selecting the casing point based on data such as isopachs, changes in drilling parameters and samples
- Communicating with the rig supervisor on geological risks and casing point tallies
- Advising the logging company of program revisions and timing
Education
- A post-secondary degree in geology is typically required. However, a post-secondary diploma from a technical institute or a graduate degree in chemistry, geochemistry, physics or geophysics may be another route into this occupation.
Certification
- Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)
- Standard and emergency first aid
- H2S Alive®
Licensing
- Having a Professional Geologist designation, while not strictly required in every jurisdiction, is preferred and/or required by many organizations. Licenses are issued by provincial jurisdictions and may provide interprovincial mobility.
- Unlicensed Geologists may be required to work under the supervision of a licensed Geologist.
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to oil and natural gas include:
- Travel likely required
- Shiftwork/variable work hours
- Primarily outdoor work
- Physical work
- Safety-sensitive environment
- Work away from home/in camps
Your problem solving and analytical skills are rock solid. You perform well under pressure and communicate complex information clearly.
- Attention to detail
- Critical thinking
- Active listening
- Chemistry
- Geography
- Planning and organizing
- Complex problem solving
- Judgment and decision making
- Public safety and security
- Quality control analysis
- Sub-sector Carbon capture, utilization and storage, Well site decommissioning
- Environment Primarily outdoor work
- Average Salary Equal to oil and gas
- Education Post-secondary degree
- Career Demand Growing
- Skills Upgrading None
-
Direct
Good news! A wellsite geologist considering a career change from oil and natural gas to the CCUS usage sub-sector will find their skills directly transferable. A worker may need to complete minor upskilling to transition into the well site decommissioning or CCUS storage sub-sectors.
In addition to the activities below, other activities in the cleantech sector may include:
- Executing drilling plans for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). (CCUS)
- Assessing the site’s suitability for carbon storage. (CCUS)
- Assessing potential options to repurpose the well site. (well site decommissioning)
- Assessing information to determine well completions, including casing, cementing and perforating. (well site decommissioning)
In this occupation, activities may include:
- Informing and advising on measurements, program requirements and revisions while drilling and mud logging
- Selecting the casing point based on data such as isopachs, changes in drilling parameters and samples
- Communicating with the rig supervisor on geological risks and casing point tallies
- Advising the logging company of program revisions and timing
Education
- A post-secondary degree in geology is typically required. However, a post-secondary diploma from a technical institute or a graduate degree in chemistry, geochemistry, physics or geophysics may be another route into this occupation.
Certification
- Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)
- Standard and emergency first aid
- H2S Alive®
Licensing
- Having a Professional Geologist designation, while not strictly required in every jurisdiction, is preferred and/or required by many organizations. Licenses are issued by provincial jurisdictions and may provide interprovincial mobility.
- Unlicensed Geologists may be required to work under the supervision of a licensed Geologist.
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to cleantech include:
- Shiftwork/variable work hours (well site decommissioning)
- Travel required (well site decommissioning)
- Work away from home/in camps (well site decommissioning)
- Primarily outdoor work (well site decommissioning)
- Primarily indoor/office work (CCUS)
- Agile/flexible approach to work (well site decommissioning)
- Temporary/project-to-project work (well site decommissioning)
- Lower-risk tolerant culture (well site decommissioning)
- Safety-sensitive environment (well site decommissioning)
- Transition to a similar level (CCUS | well site decommissioning)
- Urban location (CCUS)
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to oil and natural gas include:
- Travel likely required
- Shiftwork/variable work hours
- Primarily outdoor work
- Physical work
- Safety-sensitive environment
- Work away from home/in camps
Your problem solving and analytical skills are rock solid. You perform well under pressure and communicate complex information clearly.
- Attention to detail
- Critical thinking
- Active listening
- Chemistry
- Geography
- Planning and organizing
- Complex problem solving
- Judgment and decision making
- Public safety and security
- Quality control analysis
- Sub-sector Geothermal
- Environment Primarily outdoor work
- Average Salary Equal to oil and gas
- Education Post-secondary degree
- Career Demand Growing
- Skills Upgrading Minor
-
Refocus
A wellsite geologist considering a career change from oil and natural gas to the geothermal sub-sector of renewables may need to complete some minor upskilling for a successful transition.
In this occupation, activities may include:
- Informing and advising on measurements, program requirements and revisions while drilling and mud logging
- Selecting the casing point based on data such as isopachs, changes in drilling parameters and samples
- Communicating with the rig supervisor on geological risks and casing point tallies
- Advising the logging company of program revisions and timing
Education
- A post-secondary degree in geology is typically required. However, a post-secondary diploma from a technical institute or a graduate degree in chemistry, geochemistry, physics or geophysics may be another route into this occupation.
Certification
- Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)
- Standard and emergency first aid
- H2S Alive®
Licensing
- Having a Professional Geologist designation, while not strictly required in every jurisdiction, is preferred and/or required by many organizations. Licenses are issued by provincial jurisdictions and may provide interprovincial mobility.
- Unlicensed Geologists may be required to work under the supervision of a licensed Geologist.
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to renewables include:
- Shiftwork/variable work hours (geothermal)
- Travel required (geothermal)
- Work away from home/in camps (geothermal)
- Primarily outdoor work (geothermal)
- Physical work (geothermal)
- Temporary/project-to-project work (geothermal)
- Freelance/contract opportunities (geothermal)
- Lower-risk tolerant culture (geothermal)
- Safety-sensitive environment (geothermal)
- Transition to a lower level (geothermal)
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to oil and natural gas include:
- Travel likely required
- Shiftwork/variable work hours
- Primarily outdoor work
- Physical work
- Safety-sensitive environment
- Work away from home/in camps
Your problem solving and analytical skills are rock solid. You perform well under pressure and communicate complex information clearly.
- Attention to detail
- Critical thinking
- Active listening
- Chemistry
- Geography
- Planning and organizing
- Complex problem solving
- Judgment and decision making
- Public safety and security
- Quality control analysis
