[ROCKMAN]

Of course, they do...and for good reason. LOL As I've said before I've worked as a PetGeologist since 1975. But also slipped in as a reservoir engineer and then often as a drilling engineer during the last 10 years. Besides working with PetGeologists I've managed a good many of them over the years. And the majority of them couldn't CONSISTANTLY find oil to save their lives. Geophysicists did pretty good finding natural gas once "bright spot" (look it up) techniques developed. But rarely helped finding oil.

But for good reason: geologists can only map structural closures that MIGHT contain oil. Geologists typically rated the probability of those structures containing oil much too high. But that's what management always want. Not me. More than a few times when I killed a prospect management over road my call and it was drilled. And very rarely was I wrong. Constant pressure from upper managers/board of directors to drill something...ANYTHING. I lost more than one consulting gig for being too pessimistic. Even during my last 10 when I was VP Operations (typically held by an engineer) our Prez (a refinery engineer) wouldn't listen to me. Finally, our owner got tired of spending many tens of $millions on dry holes and fired our two geologists. Too late by then and soon afterwards sold the company to some ignorant investors.

A 66yo at that point I said fuck and retired. My MS was getting to be too much of a traveling problem.

[AdamB]

Of course, they do...and for good reason. LOL As I've said before I've worked as a PetGeologist since 1975. But also slipped in as a reservoir engineer and then often as a drilling engineer during the last 10 years.

Good for you!! Reaching beyond the limitations of just a geologic mind and reaching into the world of the manly men of the oilfield.

I have on occasion gone slumming in the geologic world, but just a little.

Even during my last 10 when I was VP Operations (typically held by an engineer) our Prez (a refinery engineer) wouldn't listen to me.

Well, you did have at least that one mark against you, being a geologist and all. Think of it like an automatic handicap that needs to be overcome.

Finally, our owner got tired of spending many tens of $millions on dry holes and fired our two geologists. Too late by then and soon afterwards sold the company to some ignorant investors.

Unfortunate. But if geologists can't find oil, what is left for them? Science, academia, the National Park service as tour guides in those beautiful western parks?

A 66yo at that point I said fuck and retired. My MS was getting to be too much of a traveling problem.

Well, you have had a long and illustrious career, even without having gotten into the old boys engineer club early. I hope you realize I'm just joshing you, while some geologists are no different than some engineers in terms of their general inability to do whatever they are supposed to, I have greatly appreciated my time with the geologists. Engineers tend to be WAY linear, which is fine for project management, costs and technical matters, the geologists are generally great to work with, in the field, in the office, wherever. I owe everything I know about geomathematics to geologists...who just decided to get PhDs in math and/or statistics along with graduate degrees in geology as well.

Sorry about the retirement regardless of why if you felt you still had something to contribute. I have begun my own countdown clock to same.