Getting into oil and gas with a physics degree with no geophysics courses?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the potential for individuals with a physics degree, particularly without a geophysics specialization, to enter the oil and gas industry. Participants explore various job opportunities, required skills, and the relevance of additional coursework in geophysics or geology.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that a physics degree can lead to opportunities in the oil and gas industry, mentioning roles such as geophysicist, petrophysicist, and geologist.
  • Others express concern about the difficulty of transitioning into geophysics roles without specific coursework, suggesting that additional background knowledge may be beneficial.
  • A participant notes that many oil and gas companies hire individuals with a BS in any technical field, although this may involve starting in field service jobs.
  • There are mentions of various job types, including computer programming roles and positions related to designing instruments used in the industry.
  • Some participants discuss the nature of field service jobs, describing tasks such as installation, commissioning, and maintenance of equipment at oil wells.
  • Concerns are raised about the geographical spread of oil companies in Houston and personal preferences regarding work locations.
  • One participant humorously mentions aspirations of being a starship captain, reflecting on the challenges of finding strictly physics-related jobs.
  • There is a reference to the recruitment process in the oil and gas sector, highlighting the role of headhunters and the importance of specific technical skills, such as programming knowledge.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that a physics degree can provide a pathway into the oil and gas industry, but there is no consensus on the necessity of additional geophysics coursework or the specific types of jobs available. Multiple competing views on the relevance of a physics background and the nature of entry-level positions remain evident.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express limitations based on their educational backgrounds and course selections, indicating that the ability to take additional geology or geophysics courses may be constrained by their current academic plans.

Shackleford
Messages
1,649
Reaction score
2
Is that possible? UH offers a physics degree BS with geophysics specialization. I looked at doing that a while back but decided against it. With just a BS Physics, could I get into oil and gas/energy? If so, what kinds of jobs would I be doing? I live outside of Houston, btw.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Well, of course, I took a freshman physical geology course.

Anyone?
 
Of course you can get into the oil & gas industry. There are tons and tons of geo-science jobs such as: Geophysicist, Petrophysicist, and Geologist.
 
ranger said:
Of course you can get into the oil & gas industry. There are tons and tons of geo-science jobs such as: Geophysicist, Petrophysicist, and Geologist.

With just a pure physics degree and no geophysics courses? How difficult would learning the geophysics applications on the job be?
 
Shackleford said:
With just a pure physics degree and no geophysics courses? How difficult would learning the geophysics applications on the job be?

Well you have already taken one course. Its better you be well prepared by taking a few extra courses in the area. Sure you will do on-the-job learning, but you will probably need a little more background. I am not discounting the fact of getting in with just Physics degree with no geoscience specialization, but you should at least have a little background in the area.
 
ranger said:
Well you have already taken one course. Its better you be well prepared by taking a few extra courses in the area. Sure you will do on-the-job learning, but you will probably need a little more background. I am not discounting the fact of getting in with just Physics degree with no geoscience specialization, but you should at least have a little background in the area.

Scratch that. I cannot substitute any geology courses for my physics electives. I have already used all my free electives, so if I took any geophysics courses I would have to take additional courses and graduate later than I'm planning. I'm not going to do that. Blah.
 
Last edited:
Shackleford said:
Is that possible? UH offers a physics degree BS with geophysics specialization. I looked at doing that a while back but decided against it. With just a BS Physics, could I get into oil and gas/energy? If so, what kinds of jobs would I be doing? I live outside of Houston, btw.

Yep. But you might not be doing any geological work. Lots of Oil and Gas companies will higher you as long as you have a BS in any technical field. It may require you to take a field service type job but they pay really well too.

CS
 
stewartcs said:
Yep. But you might not be doing any geological work. Lots of Oil and Gas companies will higher you as long as you have a BS in any technical field. It may require you to take a field service type job but they pay really well too.

CS

What does a field service type job entail?
 
Shackleford said:
Scratch that. I cannot substitute any geology courses for my physics electives. I have already used all my free electives, so if I took any geophysics courses I would have to take additional courses and graduate later than I'm planning. I'm not going to do that. Blah.

Sounds like you don't really want it very much then!
 
  • #10
98whbf said:
Sounds like you don't really want it very much then!

Just thinking about a decent-paying job, that's all. lol.
 
  • #11
You could do a masters in the topic, you'd probably be pretty employable then
 
  • #12
Shackleford said:
What does a field service type job entail?

Depends on the company. It can be installation, commissioning of new equipment, field repairs, field modifications, 3rd party services, etc.

CS
 
  • #13
There are lots of different jobs in oil and gas. I worked as a computer programmer in oil and gas before working as a computer programmer in finance. There are also some physics related jobs in designing instruments (neutron scattering devices, resistivity detectors, etc.)

Also there are different subdivisions in oil and gas. Geophysics is different from petrophysics for example. Geologists look at the forest. Geophysicists look at the trees. Petrophysicists look at the leaves.
 
  • #14
Shackleford said:
What does a field service type job entail?

Going to an oil well and babysitting instruments. It can be rather interesting if said oil well is on an offshore platform off the coast of Angola.
 
  • #15
what are the companies who recruit computer programmers or ppl with masters in pure physics in this oil n gas sector...?I hve done masters iin physics and now working as a computer programmer...
 
  • #16
twofish-quant said:
Going to an oil well and babysitting instruments. It can be rather interesting if said oil well is on an offshore platform off the coast of Angola.

Offshore platforms are boring everywhere! LOL! :biggrin:

The excitement in Angola would come from making it to and from the rig from the airport without getting kidnapped or killed. :smile:

CS
 
  • #17
observer20 said:
what are the companies who recruit computer programmers or ppl with masters in pure physics in this oil n gas sector...?I hve done masters iin physics and now working as a computer programmer...

Much of the recruitment is doing through the same set of headhunters that to headhunting for other fields. If you send in your resume to an HH in Houston, there is a good chance that an oil/gas company would be their clients. There are the big majors (Exxon, Schlumberger, Halliburton), but there are also mom-and-dad shops. The google terms are "geological software" "geophysical software" and "petrophysical software."

The thing that got me my job in oil and gas was extensive knowledge of fortran 77.
 
  • #18
observer20 said:
what are the companies who recruit computer programmers or ppl with masters in pure physics in this oil n gas sector...?I hve done masters iin physics and now working as a computer programmer...
Sorry, this might be a bit off-topic, but did you choose to do computer programming or did you want to do something else, but couldn't find a more strictly physics-related job?
 
  • #19
twofish-quant said:
Going to an oil well and babysitting instruments. It can be rather interesting if said oil well is on an offshore platform off the coast of Angola.

What about an office job downtown Houston?
 
  • #20
Ryker said:
Sorry, this might be a bit off-topic, but did you choose to do computer programming or did you want to do something else, but couldn't find a more strictly physics-related job?

Pretty much. If someone knocked on my door and offered a tenure track position at a major university at be rather quickly gone. ... Listens at the door for a knock ... Nope... No one knocking this evening. So I can't get exactly what I want, so the next step is to figure out the closest thing I can get. It helps that professorship was really a second choice anyway. What I *really* want to do is to be a starship captain, but I have the problem of being born a few centuries too early.

Also computer programming and "physics job" aren't exclusive. I spent most of graduate school staring at a computer screen trying to figure out what the @#$#@$ bug is in the @#$#@$ code. What I do most of the day is to figure out what the @#$$#@$ bug is in the #@$#@$ code.
 
  • #21
Shackleford said:
What about an office job downtown Houston?

There are those too. Houston has some really weird geography, and the oil companies are rather spread out so a lot of the oil related companies have their offices on the outskirts. One reason I got out of the oil/gas business is that I didn't like Houston that much. I really like NYC, but I've never been able to quite fit into Houston.
 
  • #22

Similar threads

Physics Career progression in Geophysics?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
Physics How hard is it to get a job in the semiconducter industry?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
1K
Physics or Geophysics: Graduate's Dilemma
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Physics Graduating with 2:2 in Physics. What can I do? (Ireland)
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
3K
Physics Should I Pursue a Degree in Geophysics or Switch Back to Physics?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
12K
Exploration Geophysics with a Masters in Physics
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Physics My goal of a Physics R&D Career with only a Bachelor's degree
  • · Replies 47 ·
2
Replies
47
Views
7K
Job Skills Degrees with actual guaranteed jobs after graduation?
  • · Replies 80 ·
3
Replies
80
Views
5K
Engineering Transition from Physics to Engineering?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
4K
Physics How do I make myself a better job candidate?
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K