Lunch & Learn with Kathleen Neset: How to succeed in the energy industry

Energy executive, State Board of Higher Education member tells students to get certified and to stay professional on the rigs

When Kathleen Neset arrived in North Dakota in 1979 armed with a geology degree from Brown University, she became a mud logger in the Bakken oil patch. Her job was to detail the rocks retrieved from boreholes in order to steer oil wells.

“We were really evaluating the different horizons, the different formations to see if, No. 1, we had porosity [the porous quality of rocks though which oil could flow], and No. 2, we had oil shales,” said Neset, president of Tioga, N.D.-based Neset Consulting and member of the State Board of Higher Education. “That was the primary job that I had when I started – a whole different world from what we’re doing now.”

Today, mud logging – together with the overall science and procedures of oil extraction – has evolved. Mud loggers nowadays have the task of positioning a wellbore, or the hole that forms a well, and maintaining its post.

When Neset began her career, it would take up to 45 days to excavate a mile (or a lateral) under the earth’s surface. Some 40 years later, that time has been cut by 90 percent. When Chioma Onwumelu, a Ph.D. candidate in geology at the University of North Dakota, interned with Neset Consulting last summer, the laterals she mud-logged for required about 4 to 6 days.

“It’s unbelievable how the technology has changed and brought us to where we are now,” Neset said. “So, our skill sets as geologists have to change as well.”

That is what Neset imparted to roughly 30 students who gathered last week for a Lunch & Learn talk with her. The student chapter of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) at the University had invited Neset, who chairs the North Dakota Petroleum Council Board of Directors and serves on the UND Petroleum Engineering Advisory Committee, among other organizations.

“We are looking for ways to bridge the gap between the industry and the students,” said Onwumelu, who is also student president of AAPG. “Bringing a guest speaker such as Kathy is a good way to show students the internship and career opportunities they have while they are still in school.”

In 40 minutes, Neset focused not only on the technical know-how students need to master, but also on the soft skills they should possess to stand out in the competitive oil and gas industry.

Learning in and outside the classroom

Academic courses build a foundation, but documented skills – obtained through software training and certifications by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, for example – bolster students’ resumes.

“If you have that, and I hire you as an intern and I don’t have to take the time to send you to training, you are a more attractive candidate than the next person,” said Neset.

Besides continuously honing their industry expertise, students should also keep abreast of the latest news in the sector.

“Whatever industry you go into, stay current on what’s going on,” Neset said. “It makes you a more informed, knowledgeable, valuable person. And you can also see the dynamics of where things are going.”

In the oil and gas business, for instance, flaring – the combustion of uncaptured gas – is now a controversial topic, as some students pointed out during the talk. The practice is inspiring a slew of activities, ranging from lawsuits to innovations such as gas capture and storage.

Onwumelu, who is on track to receive her Ph.D. degree in May of next year, appreciated Neset’s advice to stay informed.

“What she said about staying current on the industry and the issues we have is important,” Onwumelu said. “It is a very good thing for you to know what is happening and how you plan to tackle those issues. Industrial issues could also provide research ideas for both undergraduate and graduate students.”

From dress to driving

Knowing the industry is crucial. But so is knowing how to act – and dress – on the job, said Neset. An oil rig may not be the type of a work place that easily lends itself to formal attire, but professionalism in garb could pay off more than some may expect.

“I see sometimes people just get a little bit too casual,” said Neset. “And I think if you want to move forward in this industry – and you never know when somebody’s going to come on site, somebody who is your supervisor – be prepared for that; dress appropriately.”

And if a nice outfit might open an opportunity, a bad driving record can break it.

“You may think that’s not a big deal, but you would be surprised how quickly a company will release you because of any type of a driving infraction that happens,” said Neset. “Anybody you apply for a job with, they’re going to run your driver’s license and see what your driving record is. You may not know it, but they’re going to do it.”

That kind of recommendation — that advice on personal integrity – should always endure, even if the energy industry and the technical aptitudes it calls for ceaselessly advance, Neset said.