The Operations Geologist will work on an integrated team of geoscientists, reservoir engineers, drilling engineers, landmen, and geosteering contractors in support of a variety of operational and well-planning tasks. The Operations Geologist takes the conceptual development plan generated by the subsurface team and performs all of the workflows required pre-spud to prepare for drilling operations. This role plays a key part in communication and collaboration between the subsurface development, land, and drilling teams. The person who is successful in this role has a well-rounded skill set and is able to contribute across the roles of development, well-planning, and operations.
Responsibilities:- Support geologists, engineers, and landmen with well-planning tasks for a multi-rig horizontal drilling program along the Texas Gulf Coast.
- Generate XY coordinates from conceptual development plans, coordinate with the land team to assign surface hole locations, generate and QC survey plats.
- Reformat, import, and QC control-point data from offset geosteering interpretations.
- Build integrated structural models with formation tops, control points, and 3D seismic horizons.
- Generate a target line for each well in Kingdom based on structure, subsurface drilling hazards, and optimal landing zones.
- Work with drilling engineers and contractors to generate, QC, and integrate directional plans.
- Generate geoprogs with formation tops, target lines, hazards, type logs, data collection program, etc.
- Generate operational "Road Maps" for drilling team to proactively address hazards, landing zone changes, etc. Directly participate in pre-spud meetings.
- Coordinate data transfer of grids, formation tops, log data, geoprogs, and Road Maps to the geosteering team.
- Provide oversight for geosteering operations and assist when required.
- Assist subsurface team with post-drilling tasks including data reformatting, data import, and look-back analysis.
Qualifications:- Master's degree in Geology or Geophysics required.
- Minimum 5 years of experience as a geoscientist.
- In-depth understanding of the well-planning and drilling execution process, including team and individual roles and responsibilities.
- Excellent communication skills (verbal, written, and presentation), including the ability to lead team discussions and generate presentation materials to clearly demonstrate operational plans and pad-readiness.
- Ability to utilize experience and technical skills to analyze and communicate subsurface risk.
- Ability to interpret 3D seismic data, pick horizons, interpret faults, and build integrated structure models to support development planning.
- Ability to utilize basic log analysis, petrophysics, and geomechanics to optimize landing zones.
- Ability to generate cross-sections, structure maps, and petrophysical maps to aid in development planning and high-grading locations.
- Skilled at Geosteering and proficient in software such as StarSteer, SES, or Kingdom.
- Knowledge of geographic information systems (GIS) and satellite imagery for use in the well planning process.
