Micropaleontology In The Oil Industry

[imjtblanton]

Hi everybody, as you can see I'm new to this website.

I'm currently an undergraduate student looking at a career in paleontology. One branch of paleontology I found particularly interesting is micropaleontology. I've read many articles and forums online stating that micropaleontologists are in high demand in oil companies. They study the debris from the drill site to try and find microfissils. From these microfossils they can determine what they're drilling into, which is critical when looking for oil or determining when to stop drilling.

However, I've also heard from a few sources that micropaleontologists are no longer in demand, due to the fact that they've been replaced by more advanced surveying methods. Apparently modern drilling technology has made them obsolete.

I'm just wondering which assertion is correct. I read that they're in demand from a few different articles and some forums, while I read that they're obsolute on only a few forums.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[mikecable]

I live in the oil patch, and have spent a good bit of time with the professors at the various geology departments at UT Austin. There's a little bit of truth to both sides. Micropaleonologists are still an integral part of most exploration/drilling operations, but they aren't being hired in the numbers they were during the last boom since they have been supplemented by other technologies. There is a huge demand for geologists in general--especially specialized fields--geophysics, geochemistry, hydrology, etc.

[imjtblanton]

Thanks for the reply. I suppose my question is this. If I become a micropaleontologist, would I be able to find a job in the oil industry relatively easily? And would I be actually working as a micropaleontologist, and not strictly as a geologist?

Edited April 11, 2014 by imjtblanton

[Auspex]

I think a micropaleontologist working in the field will need to be a geologist (and other things as well).

[Socket]

I'm currently doing my PhD in micropalaeontology (among other things) and working with certain companies. You could work for a consultancy company who specialise in biostrat as most of the big oil and gas companies have outsourced this work. But if you want to work for a big company It would be wise to do a multidisciplinary postgrad degree, because as others have said you will be employed as a geologist.

Ive been involved with and working in some of these other correlation methods. Biostratigraphy still has major advantages. Keep in mind they thought things like geophysics would replace micropalaeontology and now they have a 30+ year generation gap, hence the demand.