Operators differ on what their top criteria is for hiring oilfield consultants. In our experience at DTC Energy Group, we’ve found they tend to focus on five main categories:
- # of Years’ Experience
- Variety of Experience
- Formation Experience
- Safety Record
- Leadership Skills
1. # of Years’ Experience
Operators tend to require a minimum of 10 years’ industry experience when hiring oilfield consultants, though many prefer at least 15 to 20 years.2. Variety of Experience
Many operators look for a variety of experience when it comes to drilling and completions. Some have specific requirements, which may include:
Drilling
i. Air vs. Mud
ii. HPHT / Underbalanced / Overbalanced
iii. Directional
Completions
i. Frac
- Crosslinked & Slickwater
- Well-rounded background in variety of applications (acid, CO2, nitrogen, propane, etc.)
- Zipper pads
- Plug & Perf and Sliding Sleeve
- High pressure, high rate, high proppant volume
- Natural gas & oil wells
ii. Workover
- Cleanouts, milling plugs, spotting acid, TCP, perforating, pumping plugs, etc.
- Stick pipe and coil tubing operations
iii. Coil Tubing
- Workover
- Drill-outs
- Fishing
iv. Snubbing
- Low- to high-strength experience
- Large special-built units
- Small stand-alone units
v. Wireline
- Perforating
- Well intervention
- Pipe recovery
- Logging
vi. Fishing
- Experience with variety of fishing tools
- Minimal NPT
3. Formation Experience
Some operators require consultants to have previous experience working in the specific basin or formation they are hiring for.4. Safety Record
Operators look for consultants who have excellent safety records and are up to date on their safety certifications. All consultants must be Well-Control certified at a minimum.5. Leadership Skills
Consultants need to be effective leaders in the field. Their experience should reflect a strong ability to manage and work well with field personnel and third-party vendors. Consultants must also be able to work well with the Operator’s engineering team and superintendents.
For more information on oilfield consulting careers, be sure to check out our Careers Center.
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