Operations Geologist – Gulf of Mexico; Houston, Texas

I grew up in Penticton, British Columbia and was always interested in geology and paleontology. I loved collecting rocks and fossils but did not have exposure to a career in Geology. When I was around 13 years old, my dad started working overseas in the Antamina mine in Peru. That was my first exposure to a natural resource related industry and really got me thinking about that as a career path.

I went to Brandon University to play basketball for the BU Bobcats. After a few years of taking filler courses to balance my schedule, I decided it was time to take the plunge and pursue a career I wanted. I signed up for Simon Pattison’s Intro to Earth Sciences and absolutely loved it. I focused on Geology as my major, developing my passion for petroleum geology, sedimentology, stratigraphy, and paleontology. After finishing my degree at BU, I enrolled at Simon Fraser University for a M.Sc. to pursue a career in the Oil and Gas industry.

After completing my M.Sc., I interned at bp Canada as a Sedimentologist/Stratigrapher in the Canadian Oil Sands. After that internship, I was hired fulltime as an Operations Geologist, working for bp America. I currently plan and execute ultradeep water wells throughout the Gulf of Mexico.

The classic energy industry is going through a transition into more green and sustainable sources. Hydrocarbons maybe phased out of the coming decades, but there will still be huge opportunities to pursue careers as a geologist in the energy industry. Instead of drilling oil and gas wells, we can pivot and drill carbon capture and sequestration and geothermal wells. The exploration and development of natural resources required for batteries and different technologies will only become more important. The energy industry isn’t going away, just changing. There will always be a need for skilled and talented geologists!