Oil and gas production manager

Oil and gas production managers coordinate and implement short and medium term oil and gas production schedules and plans, such as drilling, extraction operations and waste management. They steer one or more units and oversee the implementation of technical and human means, within the framework of objectives of volume, quality and planning. Oil and gas production managers design and ensure that the production plans and schedules are met.

The following job titles also refer to oil and gas production manager:

gas field production manager
oil and gas production scheduler
oil operations manager
oil and gas production project manager
gas production scheduler
gas operations manager
oilfield production manager
oil field production manager
oil production project manager
oil production scheduler
gas production manager
gasfield production manager
oil production manager
oil and gas operations manager
gas production project manager

Bachelor’s degree is generally required to work as oil and gas production manager. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Oil and gas production manager is a Skill level 4 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to oil and gas production manager.

mine production manager
petroleum engineer
mine health and safety engineer
liquid fuel engineer
geochemist

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of oil and gas production manager. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of oil and gas production manager with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of oil and gas production manager.

Gas market: The trends and major driving factors in the gas trading market, gas trades methodologies and practice, and the identification of the major stakeholders in the gas sector.
Natural gas: The various facets of natural gas: its extraction, processing, constituents, uses, environmental factors, etc.
Fuel gas: The various qualities, hazards and applications of gaseous fuels, such as oxy-acetylene, oxy-gasoline, oxy-hydrogen and others.
Leadership principles: Set of traits and values which guide the actions of a leader with her/his employees and the company and provide direction throughout her/his career. These principles are also an important tool for self-evaluation to identify strengths and weaknesses, and seek self-improvement.

These skills are necessary for the role of oil and gas production manager.

Ensure compliance with environmental legislation: Monitor activities and perform tasks ensuring compliance with standards involving environmental protection and sustainability, and amend activities in the case of changes in environmental legislation. Ensure that the processes are compliant with environment regulations and best practices.
Use a computer: Utilise computer equipment or digital devices to facilitate quality control, data management, and communication. Follow instructions given by a computer programme, create computer files or documents.
Ensure compliance with safety legislation: Implement safety programmes to comply with national laws and legislation. Ensure that equipment and processes are compliant with safety regulations.
Manage heavy equipment: Supervise the operation of heavy-duty equipment. Compute the availability of the equipment. Schedule maintenance periods.
Manage staff: Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.
Inform on safety standards: Inform managers and staff regarding workplace health and safety standards,,especially in the case of dangerous environments, such as in the construction or mining industry.
Manage emergency procedures: React quickly in case of emergency and set planned emergency procedures in motion.
Deal with pressure from unexpected circumstances: Strive to achieve objectives despite the pressures arising from unexpected factors outside of your control.
Write production reports: Make up and complete shift schedules and production reports in a timely manner.
Identify process improvements: Identify possible improvements to operational and financial performance.
Apply safety management: Apply and supervise measures and regulations concerning security and safety in order to maintain a safe environment in the workplace.
Prepare technical reports: Prepare technical reports that describe results and processes of scientific or technical research, or assess its progress. These reports help researchers to keep up to date with recent findings.
Address problems critically: Identify the strengths and weaknesses of various abstract, rational concepts, such as issues, opinions, and approaches related to a specific problematic situation in order to formulate solutions and alternative methods of tackling the situation.
Plan medium to long term objectives: Schedule long term objectives and immediate to short term objectives through effective medium-term planning and reconciliation processes.
Present reports: Display results, statistics and conclusions to an audience in a transparent and straightforward way.
Report on production results: Report on production to the hierarchy. Mention a specified set of parameters, such as amount produced and timing, and any issues or unexpected occurrences.
Think proactively: Take initiatives to come up with improvements.
Manage medium term objectives: Monitor medium term schedules with budget estimations and reconciliation on a quarterly basis.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of oil and gas production manager. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Electrical engineering: Understand electrical engineering, a field of engineering that deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism.
Well testing operations: Testing procedures, such as volumetric flow testing and pressure testing, which describe the ability of the well to produce oil.
Geology: Solid earth, rock types, structures and the processes by which they are altered.
Mechanical engineering: Discipline that applies principles of physics, engineering and materials science to design, analyse, manufacture and maintain mechanical systems.
Oil rig legislation: The governmental and environmental rules regarding oil rigs.
Fossil fuels: The types of fuels which contain high doses of carbon and include gas, coal, and petroleum, and the processes by which they are formed, such as the anaerobic decomposition of organisms, as well as the ways in which they are used to generate energy.
Chemistry: The composition, structure, and properties of substances and the processes and transformations that they undergo; the uses of different chemicals and their interactions, production techniques, risk factors, and disposal methods.
Mechanics: Theoretical and practical applications of the science studying the action of displacements and forces on physical bodies to the development of machinery and mechanical devices.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of oil and gas production manager. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Interpret extraction data: Process and interpret extraction data and send feedback to the development teams; apply learnings to concrete operational activities.
Report well results: Document and share well results in a transparent way; communicate results to business partners, auditors, collaborating teams and internal management.
Liaise with well test engineers: Establish relationships with well testing engineers in order to optimise procedures; make real-time decisions on data acquisition issues.
Prepare extraction proposals: Prepare detailed extraction proposals by putting together subsurface information about extraction site and agreement of partners involved.
Provide petroleum engineering support: Provide assistance during exploration sessions; plan well operations and gather relevant data; oversight and post-well analyses.
Supervise worker safety: Ensure safety of site personnel; supervise correct use of protective equipment and clothing; understand and implement safety procedures.
Prepare well formation evaluation programmes: Prepare well formation evaluation programmes; communicate and collaborate with exploration teams.
Supervise staff: Oversee the selection, training, performance and motivation of staff.
Monitor extraction logging operations: Monitor logging operations and oversee formation testing and sampling operations; analyse and interpret results.
Assess potential oil yield: Estimate the potential oil yield based on input from a variety of methods, such as analogy, volumetric measurement, decline analysis, material balance calculations, and reservoir simulation.

1322 – Mining managers

 

 

---

 

 

References

1. Oil and gas production manager – ESCO