Careers in Oil and Gas

February 2011

Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada

Purpose of this Presentation

• Introduction to the Petroleum HR Council• Overview of Petroleum Industry• Realities of Working in the Industry• Tips and Resources

– Job Searching in the Industry

Petroleum HR Council of Canada

What is it?• National Sector Council; • Primary stakeholders: 11 oil and gas national and regional industry organizations;

and• Addresses workforce development and labour market issues within the petroleum

industry.

What we do:• Develop strategies, solutions, products and services;• Facilitate the exchange of ideas and information; and• Provide industry-related information on workforce issues and career opportunities.

The petroleum sectors that we cover:• Exploration and production;• Service industries – geophysical services, drilling and completions, and well• services;• Pipeline transmission;• Natural gas processing; and• Mining, extracting and upgrading heavy oil and bitumen

Canada’s Petroleum Industry

• 3rd largest natural gas producer;• 6th largest crude oil producer (rank increasing with oil sands);• Employs about 500,000 people (directly and indirectly);• Energy is now Canada’s largest export sector (took over from automobile industry in

2003);• Total industry revenue (oil, gas & by-products): $103.8 Billion;• Industry payments to government: $24.5 Billion;• Capital spending (conventional oil & gas/oil sands): $45.1 Billion;• 25% of value on TSX; and• Long history: first well in Canada was in 1858.

Alberta’s Petroleum Industry

• WCSB lies under almost all of Alberta;• Employs 275,000 workers; • Contributes 1/3 of Alberta’s revenue (

$11B/yr);• Makes up 50% of Alberta’s economy;• Produces 73% of the oil and 76% of

the gas in Canada.

Map: Canadian Centre for Energy Information

Oil & Gas Investment Spending:2008: $54 billion2009: $35 billion (estimate)2010: $42 billion (forecast)

Northern Canada

`08 `09E `10F$0.4 $0.5 $0.5

Oil Sands

`08 `09E `10F$18 $11 $13

WCSB

`08 `09E `10F$34 $22 $26

East Coast Offshore

`08 `09E `10F$1.3 $1.5 $2.5

`08 `09E `10FAB $21 $13 $15BC $7.9 $ 6 $ 7SK $4.8 $ 3 $ 4

Industry Capital Spending (in Cdn $billions)

• Exploration & Production (E&P)

• Oil Sands

• Processing

• Services

• Pipeline

• Offshore

Petroleum Sectors

Exploration & Production

• 1,000+ companies

• Identify drilling prospects

• Acquire land & mineral rights

• Conduct public involvement

• Contract service companies

How the Petroleum Industry Works

Oil Sands

Mining and in-situ development of bitumen in three main areas:

• Athabasca

• Cold Lake

• Peace River

Map: Oil Sands Discovery Centre

How the Petroleum Industry Works

Oil Sands Production Technologies

Mining – 20% of the oil sands resource is less than 200 feet deep

In situ – 80% of the oil sands resource is more than 200 feet deepCyclic Steam ProcessSteam Assisted Gravity Drainage

(SAGD)

Source: Canadian Centre for Energy Information

Processing

• Upgrading bitumen

• Processing natural gas

• Refining crude oil

How the Petroleum Industry Works

Workforce Composition by Education Level - E&P and Oil Sands

Workforce Composition by Occupation Type - E&P and Oil Sands

Services

• Seismic

– Surveying

– Processing Data

• Drilling & servicing wells

• Coiled tubing

• Transporting materials

• Production testing

• Supplying equipment

• Manufacturing & repairing machinery

• Producing pipe

• Safety training

• Environmental assessments

• Managing & recycling waste

How the Petroleum Industry Works

Workforce Composition by Education Level - Services

Workforce Composition by Occupation Type - Services

Certification – Services Sector

• Driver’s license

• Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)

• Transport of Dangerous Goods (TDG)

• Fall Protection

• Confined Spaces

• Aerial Work Platform

• Firefighting

• First Aid

• H2S Alive

• Radio Operator

• Incident Command

How the Petroleum Industry Works

Pipelines

• Operations

• Testing

• Monitoring

• Public involvement

Workforce Composition by Education Level - Pipeline

Workforce Composition by Occupation Type - Pipeline

Realities of Working in the Industry

• Positions are 20% corporate, 80% field;• Cyclical/seasonal work;• Mobility/travel;• Physically demanding;• Outdoors;• Varied career opportunities; and• Nearly 1 in every 6 workers in Alberta is employed directly or indirectly in the energy

sector.

Job Search in the Oil and Gas Industry

• Companies are still predominately utilizing traditional recruitment methods. – You have to market yourself. It is critical that you understand where and how

your international qualifications fit within industry and translate that experience in a way industry understands.

• Define your strategy for marketing and educating employers on:– “What you can do for them”; and– “Why you are a good fit”.

• Take the time to really identify what kinds of positions and work environments are the best fit for you.– Targeted approach vs. shotgun approach.

• Build your own job search network:– Try to identify someone who is working at your target company.– Investigate who they talked to and how they got their job.

Job Search in the Oil and Gas Industry

• Contact the company directly:– Ask questions of recruiters; gather information on who makes the hiring

decisions:• Centralized vs. de-centralized.

– On-line posting.

• Investigate where they post their open positions:– Newspaper, web advertising, etc.

• Identify if there are search firm(s) that they use to hire for that occupation.

• Identify other ways to connect with employers:– Mentoring programs.– Networking events.– Volunteer work.

Resources

Add your Energy to Ours

A brochure for job seekers outlining why they should consider a career in oil and gas.

Download the brochure online or contact the Council to request a copy.

www.careersinoilandgas.com

• The website provides job seekers with all the information they need about working in Canada’s oil and gas industry;

• On average the site welcomes close to 15,000 visitors every month; and

• New content and resources are being added daily, including Day in the Life career profiles highlighting real people with real jobs in the petroleum sector.

www.careersinoilandgas.com

Other available information• Oil and Gas Locations;• Salaries and Benefits;• Career Opportunities; and• Education, Training & Safety:

– Education Options;– Skills Training; and– Safety Training.

Occupational Profiles & Summaries

Occupational Profiles – detailing the work, education and career paths for specific occupations in the petroleum industry.

Available on www.petrohrsc.ca

Occupational Summaries – providing a snapshot on work conditions, education, skills and minimum qualifications to get a career started in oil and gas.

Available on www.careersinoilandgas.com

Careers in Oil & Gas: Rich with PotentialGuide for Practitioners

• An overview of Canada’s oil and gas industry; and

• Information on the careers available by job family, including:– The type of work;– A listing of job titles;– Related NOC codes;– Education and certification

requirements;– Working conditions;– General characteristics and

attributes of work; and– References to learn more.

www.petrohrsc.ca

For More Information

www.careersinoilandgas.com

To be added to our eNewsletter, email info@petrohrsc.ca