Geoscience Technician and Technologist Spotlight

It’s no exaggeration to say that the oil and gas industry is built on data – seismic, geophysical, well and core data tell companies where to look for resources and what to do when they get there. Geoscience Technicians and Technologists gather, manipulate, display and store all of that information.

What a typical day looks like:

Geoscience Technicians and Technologists control data that helps scientists answer one of the first questions they need to ask: how much oil or gas is in that rock? But they need to do more than handle that information, they also need to visualize it for presentations. Using various software programs to convert data into suitable formats, Geoscience Technicians and Technologists show geophysicists and geoscientists what it looks like beneath the surface.

Geoscience Technicians and Technologists also play a role in planning, conducting and completing seismic and geological mapping surveys. And in the field, they conduct environmental audits and work with geophysicists to determine the best solutions to potential problems that arise.

Employed by petroleum or mining companies, as well as consulting geology and engineering firms, Geoscience Technicians and Technologists work 40 hours a week or more in both onshore and offshore environments.

The kinds of problems Geoscience Technicians solve at work:

Problem-solving is the name of the game in assembling, maintaining and distributing information. Geoscience Technicians and Technologists may be physically at the office, but mentally they’re deep underground dealing with data.

Engaged in face-to-face discussions, email and phone calls, they interact with both colleagues and technology. One of the most challenging tasks is converting data to different formats for different software and troubleshooting software and display issues.

Skills used most on the job:

Geoscience Technicians and Technologists need to be problem-solvers, especially when it comes to computer programming and working with different software and data formats. They are organized, detail-oriented and comfortable with following procedures and routine. Overall, they’re excavators of information and keen investigators of what they find.

Geoscience Technicians and Technologists gather and manipulate the data that will tell others where to conduct a seismic survey, where to drill or how an existing reservoir is performing. They are the gatekeepers of the crucial information needed to find and explore oil and gas resources.