Case studies: Processing geophysicist/quality control: Kyle Sterry

Kyle works for Petroleum Geo-Services (PGS) Onshore AP and is currently stationed in Cambodia.

He graduated with a BSc Hons degree in Geoscience from the University of Aberdeen and received a PgDip in Disaster Management from the University of Northumbria.

There were many factors that led me to choose a career as a processing geophysicist. Extensive travel was important to me as well as the work being non-office based. I found the salary and leave package very attractive, as well as the opportunity to work with people from around the world. I got my job by sending my CV directly to the head of personnel at PGS and was offered an interview.

To gain entry into this sector, I would recommend scouring oil, gas, and engineering career websites. Vacancies arise frequently as contracts and countries change.

Employers often ask for experience but may take on people new to the industry despite recruitment wording indicating otherwise. I would avoid agencies where possible. Big names include PGS, BGP, Global Geophysical, Western Geophysics (Schlumberger), and RPS Energy. It can be important to participate in a first aid training course. If interested in offshore, it will also help if you already have an offshore-medical certificate. This will reduce employers’ expenses and risks in testing unknown candidates. When the oil price is less than USD $55 per barrel, recruitment dries up (as it is happening at the moment). At $70 per barrel or more, there are lots of opportunities as oil and gas companies take on riskier projects.

My degree studies gave me sufficient geological knowledge and seismic interpretation skills to start my geophysical career. My studies provided a general base to build specialist knowledge on. I feel, however, that other relevant degrees would also be appropriate, such as a BSc or MSc in geophysics, geology, petroleum geology, physics, mathematics or computing science.

My role has developed from administrative reporting tasks, including data loading, to collecting data, managing an uphole crew and project, presenting seismic data, processing and quality control. The tasks I perform are varied and include:

• managing a small team;
• collecting seismic data;
• collecting vibration data to establish safety distances for buildings;
• data loading and checksums;
• daily, weekly, and monthly reporting;
• end of project reports;
• IT troubleshooting and repair;
• technical and expert advice to clients, project managers and other crew members;
• changing parameters to improve data quality;
• client liaison;
• map generation (GIS);
• devising an intern training programme and supervising interns;
• checking data quality, processing data, producing final data presentation;
• sending job requests to correct sections when standards are not met;
• health and safety responsibilities which include reporting people for poor health and safety standards.

The things I enjoy most about my job include travelling and seeing the world, handling unusual situations, solving problems, and working with multi-cultural teams. I would like to develop my skills further and, after ten years, become an area geophysical advisor. There are parts of his job that are less enjoyable including demanding clients, poor data as a result of unskilled data collectors (observers), and long hours. Long hours can be especially draining if in an isolated location far away from civilisation. On the whole, I feel this is a challenging job, which will challenge not just your intellect but also your morals due to working in extreme conditions and very poor countries.