What Geologist do in Petroleum Industry?

1. The Earth Story Teller

Geology explore the history of the Earth itself in hopes of understanding in greater detail where oil
comes from and where more oil might be found. A geologist must recognize the geological state of a
region. Knowing the lithology and tectonic events occurring in the area can provide information
about what kind of reservoirs are there.

2. Seismic interpreter

Geologist as a seismic interpreter should clearly understand what conclusions are required from the
seismic data. The ability to see patterns in a data is one of the skills needed to understand seismic
data which further indicates the existence of regional tectonic, structural, depositional trends, and
traps for oil and gas. Although, a geologist sees only what is on the surface but with this seismic data
they can reconstruct the geologic conditions beneath the surface so that the accumulation of oil and
gas can be known clearly.

3. Core Analyst

Core analysis is used to define the porosity and permeability of the reservoir rock, unearth the fluid
saturation and grain density. All of these measurements help geologists, engineers and drillers
better understand the conditions of the well and its potential productivity.

Core analysis is responsible for determining the petrophysical properties of reservoir rocks that are
indispensable in the management of a Oil and Gas field because these properties are required by the
geological part of the reservoir drilling and production

4. Well Site Geologist

Wellsite geologists supervise every stage of the drilling process for extracting gas and oil.
They study and analyse rocks from the oil and gas wells in order to direct the drilling, and
identify the rock formation into which they are drilling. They use specialised tests, rock-
cutting data, wireline data, core samples and other measures to do this, analysing and
evaluating this to inform the drilling process.

It’s a high-pressure role, and wellsite geologists are responsible for liaising with mudloggers
and drilling engineers to ensure the drilling goes off without a hitch, as well as making sure
that it follows the correct health and safety procedures.

Ultimately, it’s the wellsite geologist’s responsibility to decide when drilling should be
suspended or stopped. They also compile reports and logs of the drilling process, as well as a
final well report.

It’s a tough job. Wellsite geologists work in some of the remotest parts of the world, and their
careers can be very disruptive on their home and personal life. However, it’s a very well paid
profession and it isn’t your typical nine-to-five office job.

Reference :
aapg.org/about/petroleum-geology/

Wiki.aapg.org
https://www.allaboutcareers.com/careers/job-profile/wellsite-geologist