As master limited partnerships come to dominate the midstream business, the people who helm them must understand not only the intricacies of gas and liquids extraction and transportation, but the financial methods and strategies that drive their firms' investment and market success. One way to gain that knowledge is from a career path with plenty of unexpected turns. Heath Deneke started his 18-year and counting involvement in the natural gas industry working for Sonat, Inc., a gas pipeline and E&P company. After graduating from Auburn University with a mechanical engineering degree, he applied for a design engineer job in the facilities planning group. "But the vice president that ran the facilities planning department also was responsible for the rates and regulatory department," he explained. "At the end of the interview he leaned over and said, 'You know, you're probably a good fit for the engineering job, but would you consider being a rates and regulatory analyst?'
展开▼
