If, like me, you can’t believe how fast 2024 has gone, let’s take a few minutes to slow down and look back, but also ahead to the possibilities for 2025.
In October, we discussed the perceived higher level of energy and interest, primarily centered around geothermal and CCUS, that we saw at IMAGE ‘24. That is expected to extend into 2025. There is also renewed interest in more traditional oil and gas projects, including re-entry into old fields. As usual, companies have been playing “Pac-Man” and purchasing other companies’ assets or the companies themselves.
Something I find interesting is how much new technology is developed during downturns in the industry. With a slowdown, there seems to be more time to develop new ideas, and very often, new technology comes out of cost-cutting moves. It’s always interesting to watch and has been ongoing, at least as long as I’ve been in this industry. Once again, there is a growing interest in the integration of the process: from acquisition through processing and interpretation.
Those who have been in industry for a while recognize certain cycles that resurface from time to time, sometimes in different formats. When I previously worked at another company several years ago, we tried to encourage geoscientists, especially the less experienced, to not “silo” themselves in their offices but to engage in conversations and work together, to reach out to other asset team members to broaden their experiences. Managers across the spectrum recognized the advantages of mentoring,
Now we’re seeing, once again, an effort to share skill sets. A lot of experienced interpreters, for example, have retired in the last few years and there is a definite void in a lot of areas. That brings me back to the idea of integration in the workplace. I’m talking about two types: the first falls under the traditional mentoring umbrella and involves reaching out to learn from each other. We all know what mentoring is, but I’d like to emphasize that it works both ways: from less experienced to more experienced and from more experienced to less experienced. Learning isn’t a one-way street. We can all learn from each other.
Years ago, major oil companies had training departments, and a new hire went through several years of internally taught courses and was usually either assigned a mentor or expected to find mentors. Some of those advantages are not available now except through short courses or web-based courses, or similar presentations offered through professional societies such as AAPG and the Division of Professional Affairs.
The other area of integration concerns planning projects, be they oil and gas, geothermal, CCUS and others. Knowing the goal should be the first part of the planning, and then acquisition is planned to fulfill that objective. Processing is the next step, leading to an integrated interpretation, for better end results all around.
DPA Certification Opportunity
So, what does this have to do with DPA?
Your DPA board members are working to make the Division responsive to the changing needs of its members. In the last article, I listed why you can and should get certified through DPA. The Bylaws revisions now provide for certification as a Subject Matter Expert in several areas:
- Resource and reserve evaluation and reporting
- Conventional resource evaluation
- Unconventional resource evaluation
- Well planning, well operations and HSE
- Environmental geosciences
- Geomodeling, geostatistics, data analytics and AI
Members recognize that the oil and gas toolbelt can be applied to many of the application areas of geothermal and CCUS, and there are other opportunities only limited by our imaginations.
In our continuing efforts to make DPA responsive to the changing landscape of opportunities, we are looking at ways of helping members reach out to others who might have experience, projects or other opportunities that fit a niche. One of the ideas is to establish a database (strictly voluntary) that people use to access others with similar interests. It’s still a discussion project; however, I’d love to hear from our members and get your ideas and input.
Moving into 2025, we’d like to invite you to join DPA and actively participate in a thriving landscape of experience, ideas and integration. Join DPA, become certified in your special area of interest and become recognized as the experienced, talented and valuable geoscientist you are. Join us!