Title

Senior Drilling Engineer

Compensation

• Base Salary (doe) $170,000 to $175,000
• This position is Bonus Eligible (to be worked out at time of offer)
• Excellent Benefit and Relo Package

Location

Houston, Texas

Client

Our client is an oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in the Gulf of Mexico, one of the most attractive hydrocarbon basins in the world.  They have a management team noted for its technical expertise, an incomparable asset suite, and the financial support of their international corporate headquarters.

Their deepwater drilling campaign is starting in the fall of 2009 with the drilling of a deepwater appraisal well with a TD of 33,000 ft in 35,000 ft of water.  Shortly after that well is completed, they will be into a 1.5 rigs/year, deepwater, subsalt exploration drilling program. Drilling engineering staff members are now being recruited to support that program.

Duties & Responsibilities

The Senior Drilling Engineer is expected to participate in all aspects of client’s 'Well Delivery Process': Design, Plan, Execute and Review.  This Houston-based position will focus on their operated deepwater exploration wells in the Gulf of Mexico.  Some support for non-operated and shallow water (shelf) wells will be required occasionally.  Duties will include:

• Work with geo-scientists and reservoir engineers to develop detailed objectives for all new drilling projects.
• Develop drilling cost estimates ranging from simple scoping estimates to probabilistic cost estimates.
• Review offset wells and identify risks and hazards, as well as best practices.
• Develop detailed well designs and perform casing stress calculations.
• Evaluate and recommend equipment and procedures of contractors and vendors.
• Work with third-party (vendor) experts to develop well designs and plans.  Evaluate third-party design analysis for thoroughness and accuracy.
• Present drilling designs and plans to peer review committees.
• Write comprehensive drilling programs and contingency procedures.
• Participate in DWOP and pre-spud meetings.
• Provide technical support to field operations.  Monitor drilling operations according to safety and quality control standards, environmental regulations, corporate policy and contract terms.  Visit the drilling rig during critical operations.
• Lead 'after-action' reviews to identify best practices and lessons learned, and document these in a lessons learned database.  Prepare an 'End of Well' report.
• Gather and organize information such as equipment specifications, government regulations, operating agreements, permit approvals, technical publications, guidelines and reports.
• Participate in peer reviews of drilling projects from other divisions within the client’s company, as required.

Education/ Experience

• Requires a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering
• A minimum of 10 years of well-rounded experience in drilling engineering, including at least 5 years of offshore experience.
• Deepwater and/or Gulf of Mexico experience is A MUST.
• MUST HAVE working knowledge of government regulations and permitting requirements.