Here's a pro-tip for aspiring geologists and their new-to-the-job peers: Think engineering. "One of the first roles for a geologist, for an operator, is likely to be very involved in drilling," said Sam Noynaert, assistant professor of engineering at Texas A&M University. "It would behoove geologists to get in on a course or two on drilling engineering," he added. Like many aspects of the industry, this need stems in large part from the widespread unconventional reservoir development spurred by hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling. Even though horizontal wellbores might not always be essential to production, no one would argue that directional drilling technology alone is what has made most unconventional plays economic, according to Noynaert, whose background includes drilling engineering in unconventional plays.
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