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What
Kinds of Jobs are
in
the Oil and Gas Industry?
Many
different people help to provide consumers with refined products, natural
gas and petrochemicals. In 2000 the upstream part of the industry (oil
and gas extraction) employed about 311,000 people. This workforce is
divided between two segments: Crude petroleum, natural gas, and natural
gas liquids with about 129,000 jobs, and oil and gas field services with
about 182,000 jobs. Over 75% of the industry's workers are located
in just four states: California, Louisiana, Oklahoma and
Texas. More than 7 out of 10 companies employ fewer than 10
workers, although more than half of all workers in this industry work in
establishments with 50 or more employees. Almost 64% of the workers
are between 35 and 54 years of age.
The downstream segment of the industry (petroleum refining) employed
83,340 people.
Please see the following
resources to learn more about people in the oil and gas industry:
The following table follows the
value chain from discovery to end user. At each step along the
process, we have identified the primary technical job title (light blue
box), operational job and support position (light yellow box).
Please
click on the job title to learn more.
Geoscientists
 Geoscientists
study the composition, structure, and other physical aspects of the earth. Using sophisticated instruments and analyses of the earth and
water, geoscientists analyze the earth's geologic past and present in order
to make predictions about the presence of hydrocarbons.
Geologists study the composition, processes, and
history of the earth. They try to find out how rocks were formed and
what has happened to them since
formation. They also study
the evolution of life by analyzing plant and animal fossils.
Geophysicists use the principles of physics, mathematics, and
chemistry to study not only the earth's surface, but also its internal
composition; ground and surface waters; atmosphere; oceans; and its
magnetic, electrical, and gravitational forces.
Geoscientists search the world for
reservoirs containing oil or natural gas. Using seismic technology
they try to develop a "picture" of the rock formations below the
surface. They compare these formations with areas containing oil and
gas to develop analogies. They look for source rock where
hydrocarbons may have formed and traps that can hold the hydrocarbons and
prevent migration. They work with drilling crews to examine rock
fragments and petroleum engineers to determine the best techniques to
extract oil and gas from the reservoir.
There
were 4,222 geoscientists employed in the crude petroleum, natural gas and gas liquids
industry in 2000 out of a total employment of 25,497.
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Petroleum
Engineers
 Once
oil reservoirs are discovered, petroleum engineers work with
geoscientists to understand the geologic formation and properties
of the rock containing the reservoir, determine the drilling methods to be
used, and monitor drilling and production operations.
They design equipment and processes to achieve the maximum
profitable recovery of oil and gas. Petroleum
engineers use computer models to simulate reservoir
performance using different recovery techniques.
They also use computer models for simulations of the effects of
various drilling options. Because
only a small proportion of oil and gas in a reservoir will flow out under
natural forces, petroleum engineers develop and use various enhanced
recovery methods. These
include injecting water, chemicals, gases, or steam into an oil reservoir
to force out more of the oil, and computer-controlled drilling or
fracturing to connect a larger area of a reservoir to a single well.
Petroleum engineers research
and develop technology and methods to increase recovery and lower the cost
of drilling and production operations.
Petroleum engineers held about 8,972 jobs
in 2000 with 1,057 in oil and gas field services and 4,608 in crude
petroleum, natural gas and gas liquids.
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Mechanical
Engineers
 Mechanical
engineers research, develop, design, manufacture, and test tools, engines,
machines, and other mechanical devices. They work on power-producing
machines such as electric generators, internal combustion engines, and
steam and gas turbines. They also develop power-using machines such as
refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, machine tools, material
handling systems, elevators and escalators, industrial production
equipment, and robots used in manufacturing. Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computer-Aided
Manufacturing (CAM) are used for design data processing and for developing
alternative designs. Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest
engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers may work in production
operations in manufacturing or agriculture, maintenance, or technical
sales; many are administrators or managers.
In
the oil and gas industry, mechanical engineers may work on the design and
operation of permanent drilling platforms for offshore production, gas
processing plants, pipelines, refineries, tankers and terminals.
They also develop control systems to monitor and operate these
operations.
The
oil and gas industry accounted for less than 1% of the 221,443 mechanical
engineering jobs in
2000. Petroleum refining employed 846, oil and gas field services
443, and pipelines 97.
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Chemical
Engineers
 Chemical engineers apply the
principles of chemistry and engineering to solve problems involving the
production or use of chemicals, building a bridge between science and
manufacturing. They design equipment and develop processes for large-scale
chemical manufacturing, plan and test methods of manufacturing the
products and treating the by-products, and supervise production. Chemical engineers apply
principles of chemistry, physics, mathematics, and mechanical and
electrical engineering. They must be aware of all aspects of chemicals
manufacturing and how it affects the environment, the safety of workers,
and customers. Chemical engineers use computer skills for process analysis, automated control
systems, and statistical quality control. Chemical engineers work in the
oil and gas industry in petroleum refining developing new processes,
managing and optimizing existing operations, and designing and
constructing new units and plants. Chemical engineers also work in
upstream helping to analyze fluid flow in oil and gas reservoirs.
Chemical engineers held about
1,205 jobs in petroleum refining in 2000 out of a total of 32,883 in all
industries.
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Industrial
Engineers
 Industrial
engineers determine the most effective ways for an organization to use the
basic factors of production-people, machines, materials, information, and
energy-to make a product or to provide a service. They are focused
on increasing productivity through the management of people,
methods of business organization, and technology. They
develop management control systems to aid in financial planning and cost
analysis, design production planning and control systems to coordinate
activities and ensure product quality, and design or improve systems for
the physical distribution of goods and services. Industrial engineers
determine which plant location has the best combination of raw materials
availability, transportation facilities, and costs. Industrial engineers
use computers for simulations and to control various activities and
devices, such as assembly lines and robots. They also develop wage and
salary administration systems and job evaluation programs.
Less
than 1% of the nation's 153,636 industrial engineers work in petroleum refining (952).
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Analysts and Traders
 Market
analysts and traders are important players in the oil and gas
industry. Market analysts gauge supply, demand and pricing trends,
monitor price changes, and evaluate the impact of new legislation on
industry performance. Energy economists assess the impact of supply
and demand on prices and study the cause and effect of various external
variables on market behavior. Financial analysts prepare budgets and long
range plans. They determine the best method of financing projects
and monitor changes in capital markets. Market analysts, energy economists
and financial analysts serve as resources to the corporation and often
participate on teams evaluating projects.
Traders buy and sell crude oil, natural gas and
refined products to satisfy company operations. Traders may also sell oil
and gas derivatives such as futures contracts to manage the company's
exposure to price variations.
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Landmen
 A petroleum landman deals with
the acquisition, maintenance development and negotiations of the property
rights used in the search for and production of natural resources.
The landman purchases the rights necessary to explore for and produce oil, gas and other
minerals. The rights may be acquired in the form of leases, outright
purchases of real property or through other contractual agreements.
He is responsible to see that all
pertinent data and obligations are obtained and defined. This involves developing,
revising and maintaining a record system which allows the company to track
its obligations, such as the payment of rentals, taxes and royalties. The
landman obtains a detailed title analysis of the land. Petroleum
landmen are also involved in securing environmental clearances, pipeline
right-of-way, and settling damages with the surface owner prior to
drilling. The landman negotiates the various agreements between
companies and/or individuals. Landmen are also involved in the
environmental sector in environmental
compliance and in conducting environmental site assessments.
While their title may be landmen,
there are many women employed in this field.
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Petroleum
Attorney
 Petroleum
attorneys must deal with a variety of state, Federal and international
regulations that affect how the international oil and business is
conducted. Contracts to lease land for drilling vary from state to
state. Lawyers are involved with tax payments to government entities
including severance, royalty, sales and income taxes.
Internationally, attorneys oversee the preparation of production sharing
agreements with foreign governments. Environmental regulations keep
many industry attorneys busy in ensuring compliance with existing
legislation and evaluating the company's exposure to proposed regulations. Petroleum attorneys must deal with lawsuits over
environmental damages from disasters such as tanker accidents and pipeline
breaks.
Most lawyers are employed in
crude petroleum, natural gas and natural gas liquids (645), petroleum
refining (367), and oil and gas field services (95). These numbers do not
reflect outside counsel who are retained by companies.
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Petroleum
Accountants
 As
with all businesses, the oil and gas industry needs people "to keep
score" and prepare the required tax and investor documents. The
complexities of the upstream oil and gas require knowledge beyond that
found in new accounting graduates. Handling the many complexities
associated with how costs and reserves are treated makes this specialty
unique. The petroleum accountant must also prepare the financial
statements for operating agreements including joint interest billings,
taxes, revenue disbursements and royalty payments. Petroleum accountants
also audit non-operated joint ventures, prepare financial statements,
annual reports and security analysts presentations.
The oil and gas industry employs
nearly 11,600 accountants and auditors with 5,704 in crude petroleum,
natural gas and natural gas liquids, 1,791 in petroleum and petroleum
products, 1,655 in petroleum refining, 928 in oil and gas field services,
and 908 in gasoline service stations. These numbers do not include
accountants who provide services through the large accounting firms.
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Human
Resources
 The human resources staff are
important in maintaining the necessary manpower and skills for the
organization's development. Perhaps no other support staff are more
important and less appreciated than the people in HR. In an industry
that faces the loss of a sizeable portion of its workforce in the next ten
years, recruiting and retaining top people are an important priority of
this group. Employment recruiters
screen, interview and test applicants. They also may check
references and extend job offers. These workers must be thoroughly
familiar with the organization and its personnel policies to discuss
wages, working conditions, and promotional opportunities with prospective
employees. They also must keep informed about equal employment opportunity
(EEO) and affirmative action guidelines and laws, such as the Americans
with Disabilities Act.
Compensation
specialists establish
and maintain the firm's pay system and devise
ways to ensure competitive pay rates. They may conduct surveys to
see how their rates compare with others and to see that the firm's pay
scale complies with changing laws and regulations. In addition,
compensation specialists often oversee their firm's performance evaluation
system, and they may design reward systems such as pay-for-performance
plans.
Employee
benefits specialists handle the company's employee
benefits program, notably its health insurance and pension plans. Pension benefits might include savings
and thrift, profit sharing, and stock ownership plans; health benefits may
include long-term catastrophic illness insurance and dental insurance.
Familiarity with health benefits is a top priority, as more firms struggle
to cope with the rising cost of health care for employees and retirees. In
addition to health insurance and pension coverage, some firms offer
employees life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance,
disability insurance, and relatively new benefits designed to meet the
needs of a changing work force, such as parental leave, child and elder
care, long-term nursing home care insurance, employee assistance and
wellness programs, and flexible benefits plans. Benefits managers must
keep abreast of changing Federal and State regulations and legislation
that may affect employee benefits.
Training
specialists plan, organize, and direct a wide range of training
activities. Trainers conduct orientation sessions, arrange on-the-job
training for employees and organize management development programs.
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Information
Technology
 Information technology is
critical in all industries. In the oil and gas industry, information
technologists provide systems to collect and analyze seismic data,
financial information, monitor pipeline operations and retail
operations. In the upstream segment, IT staff collects and
interprets seismic data and well logs, supports real time drilling
decisions, collects and assembles field production data. Pipeline
operations use IT to control system flow and pressure, minimize product
loss and make sure that shippers cargoes are delivered on time and in the
correct volume. At refineries IT specialists design and implement
complex information systems to link process control, inventory and
financial systems. At gasoline stations, IT is used to speed
billing and convenience store purchases. They are also responsible
for managing the company's intranet and Internet sites and e-mail.
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Administrative
Assistants
 Administrative assistants encompasses
a number primarily clerical jobs that are integral in the operation of all
oil and gas companies. This staff is the glue that keeps the company
operating smoothly. They work within the highly technical
infrastructure and its particular jargon to facilitate information
exchange; interface with outside vendors; prepare reports and
presentations, memos and letters. The oil and gas industry employs
19,000 people as office clerks, secretaries executive secretaries and
administrative assistants.
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Oil
Drillers and Seismic Crews
 Rotary drilling crews usually consist of four or five
workers. Rotary drillers supervise the crew and operate machinery that
controls drilling speed and pressure. Rotary-rig engine operators are in
charge of engines that provide the power for drilling and hoisting. Second
in charge, derrick operators work on small platforms high on rigs to help
run pipe in and out of well holes and operate the pumps that circulate mud
through the pipe. Rotary-driller helpers, also known as roughnecks, guide
the lower ends of pipe to well openings and connect pipe joints and drill
bits. Though not necessarily part of the drilling crew,
roustabouts, or general laborers, do general oil field maintenance and
construction work, such as cleaning tanks and building roads.
The US upstream industry
employs 16,000 derrick operators, 18,00 rotary drill operators,
and 41,000 roustabouts.
Seismic crews collect field data
on prospective sites. They set geophones to record the sound
impulses and use heavy equipment to create sonic waves. They process the
data in the field to make sure that it is being collected properly.
Offshore they work on seismic vessels and help deploy the towed
hydrophones to collect the data.
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Oil
Field Workers
 Oil
field workers are responsible for the operation of oil and gas production
operations. They perform routine maintenance on equipment and
recording instruments. They travel from site to site to make sure
that oil and gas production continue in an efficient and safe
manner.
There are approximately
11,000 oil field workers in the US upstream.
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Pipeline
Workers
 Pumpers
and their helpers operate and maintain motors, pumps, and other surface
equipment that force oil from wells and regulate the flow, according to a
schedule set up by petroleum engineers and production supervisors. In
fields where oil flows under natural pressure and does not require
pumping, switchers open and close valves to regulate the flow. Gaugers
measure and record the flow, taking samples to check quality. Treaters
test the oil for water and sediment and remove these impurities by opening
a drain or using special equipment.
In most
fields, pumping, switching, gauging, and treating operations are
automatic. Gas-pumping-station operators tend compressors that raise the
pressure of gas for transmission in pipelines. Gas plant operators
distribute or process gas for utility companies and others by controlling
compressors to maintain specified pressures on main pipelines.
There are 12,000 gas plant and
gas pipeline operators and 35,000
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Plant
Operators
 Chemical equipment operators
operate and maintain equipment to control chemical and refining
processes. They are usually responsible for one process in a large
chemical plant or refinery. They monitor the process using complex
controls that record temperatures, pressures and flow rates. They may
oversee distillation units, reformers, catalytic crackers or plant
utilities.
The US industry employs 71,000 workers in chemical plants and 35,000 in
refineries.
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Terminal
Operators and Truckers
 Terminal
operators distribute crude oil and refined products to refineries and
end-users. The terminals include racks to load products into
trucks, railroad cars and tankers. The facilities also contain
storage tanks. The operators oversee loading ensuring that the
correct products are loaded and shipped to the right locations. They
use computer programs to schedule deliveries and billings.
Truckers deliver gasoline to
service stations, jet fuel to airports, diesel fuel to truck stops, and
home heating oil to homes and businesses.
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Service Station Attendants
 Service
station attendants service automobiles, buses, trucks, boats, and other
automotive or marine vehicles with fuel, lubricants, and accessories.
Collect payment for services and supplies. May lubricate vehicle, change
motor oil, install antifreeze, or replace lights or other accessories,
such as windshield wiper blades or fan belts. May repair or replace tires.
The
growth of self-service stations has changed the nature of service station
attendants from repair and maintenance to check sales clerks.
Approximately 112,000 people work at US gasoline outlets.
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