Matthew J. Pranter, the incoming director of the School of Geosciences at the University of Oklahoma, says the role of the oil and gas industry in society is both simple to understand and profound to ponder.
“Society needs us,” he said. “Geoscientists in a variety of fields are critical as we work to provide natural resources for society, to address fundamental Earth sciences questions, and to solve some of the world’s most important challenges.”
And from his new post at OU in which he will hold the Eberly chair – he will also remain a professor of geosciences – Pranter hopes to train the next generation of scientists who will address those pressing energy needs.
Unique Opportunities
“We have a unique situation at OU, in that the School of Geosciences, Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering, and Oklahoma Geological Survey are housed within the same college – Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy, and within the same building – Sarkeys Energy Center,” he said.
The opportunities that come from such proximity will allow the school to expand its current research and teaching collaborations among the three units and with other departments across campus, especially in areas of geothermal energy, subsurface storage (carbon, thermal, hydrogen), and other sustainable energy systems.
The school’s history, too, will play a part.
“The School of Geosciences has benefited greatly from our alumni in terms of funding and their time. Our alumni are especially interested in increasing their involvement with the school in various ways. I plan to coordinate mentorship opportunities for our students whereby they can benefit from the guidance and expertise of our alumni,” he said.
Putting the Fun in Geology
Pranter, a 22-year-industry veteran who has worked at both Conoco and ExxonMobil in exploration, reservoir development and research, as well as teaching at the University of Colorado Boulder, is living out a dream of sorts.
“I knew early in my career that I wanted to become a university professor,” he said.
He is a longtime active member of AAPG, currently serves as AAPG’s elected editor and has degrees in both geology and engineering – something comes into play when teaching and guiding the next generation of scientists.
“The two disciplines often work together,” he said. “As a geology professor that focuses on petroleum geosciences and energy resources, I believe my broad experience has been an asset and try to provide students with different perspectives and the broad fundamental and applied geosciences foundation needed to begin their careers.”
For Pranter, the industry still attracts those intrigued by exploration.
“Broadly speaking, I believe students on campus view geology as a cool and most non-majors initially view geology as one of their ‘pleasure courses.’ Whenever I tell a stranger that I am a geologist, it almost always piques their interest in the topic and a fun conversation ensues,” he said.
“Fun” is not a word usually associated with the industry – and there might be a reason for that, Pranter thinks.
“Many new students to the university have never been exposed to geology in high school. Many of our undergraduates do not declare geology as their major until later in their coursework after they have taken their first geology course and are fascinated by it,” he said.
The disciplines and particulars of the training, of the professors, of the atmospherics, if available and given the chance, will do the rest.
“Our hands-on geology labs and field trip experiences attract students. We have heard from many prospective students that they are also attracted to geosciences because it allows them flexible job options and duties,” he explained.
The Future of Geoscience at OU
OU is poised to capitalize on both those needs, those opportunities, and those desires.
“Our faculty in the School of Geosciences represent diverse areas of Earth and energy research and education, which means, in addition to the school’s expertise in petroleum geosciences and engineering, energy research at OU now includes aspects of subsurface storage, hydrogen and geothermal energy, as well as several student organizations in the School of Geosciences,” said Pranter.
These include its Pick and Hammer Geology Club, AAPG and Society of Exploration Geophysicists student chapters, the Soil and Water Conservation Society, as well as its outreach to K-12 students to encourage and foster an interest in geosciences.
Pranter, who has been at OU for 10 years, is hoping, even with all the resources at the ready, geosciences at the University will not rest on past and current glories.
“There are exciting opportunities to expand our current research and teaching collaborations among our three units and with other departments across campus, especially in areas of geothermal energy, subsurface storage (carbon, thermal, hydrogen), and other sustainable energy systems,” he said.
He hopes, as well, that the study of paleontology will soon be a university major.
Recruitment, too, of new students, especially underrepresented groups, will be a focus, as will the support for mention of faculty.
“We have 10 junior tenure-track faculty that span a range of disciplines and I am excited to help them navigate the tenure-track process and provide guidance as they build their programs and achieve high levels of success in their careers at OU,” he said.
As society will use petroleum, especially natural gas, for years to come for energy, and importantly, thousands of everyday products, Pranter believes improvement in extracting of natural resources in efficient and environmentally sound ways has to be a priority.
When one considers the new and expanding areas such as geothermal, carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, critical energy minerals and metals, environmental and data analytics, among other fields, Pranter wants his students to focus on what interests them, to pursue their goals, and to explore the possibilities.
Even though, he readily admits, petroleum geoscience is a cyclical business, he is encouraged by the increase in campus recruiting the last couple of years.
“I am very optimistic about job opportunities for geoscientists in a range of different fields both now and for decades to come. I think it is a great time to be a geoscientist,” he said.