Data Scientist

Job Overview

Job Category

Business and Operations Support

Sectors

Education

Environment

Office only

About This Career

Drilling rates, seismic data, shipping and transportation rates, and occupational safety statistics are just a small sample of the large amounts of data that oil and gas companies generate every day. But, what can they do with all that data? That’s where Data Scientists come in. They have a knack for connecting the dots to find useful insights and realize the data’s full potential.

The process of exploring and developing oil and gas resources generates vast amounts of data. In oil and gas companies, Data Scientists mine this data to glean useful insights from a wide variety of sources ranging from explorations, well drilling and production sensors. Data mining combines statistics, artificial intelligence (AI) and database research.

Data Scientists analyze and profile large, complex, multi-dimensional datasets using a variety of tools. This analysis is used to find patterns, anomalies, and optimization opportunities as well as provide predictive analytics for the company’s consideration. There is a significant emphasis on research, design and implementation of cutting-edge algorithms and models to ensure the company’s data analysis benefits from new developments in data science. The Data Scientist also provides expertise and advocacy about data science processes and solutions, communicating insights and learnings to colleagues so these are understood and implemented in the broader business decisions within a company.

In large companies, Data Scientists typically lead analytic practices in cross-functional teams to identify and prioritize actionable and impactful insights across core business areas.

In this occupation activities may include:

Proficiency with analytics scripting languages such as Python, R, SQL and statistical analysis environments such as MATLAB, SPSS or SAS
Experience with lamda architectures and batch and real-time data streams
Experience in industry data science (e.g., machine learning, predictive maintenance)
Experience with agile or other rapid development methods
Experienced in object-oriented design, coding and testing patterns as well as experience in engineering software platforms and large-scale data

Education

The typical minimum academic requirement is a bachelor's degree in computing science, statistics, actuarial sciences, statistics, mathematics or computer engineering.

Certifications

Certification is not required, as there is currently no legislation regulating this occupation.

Data Scientists are consistently working to make things run better or more efficiently. They can transform a sea of data into actionable insights—from finding better ways to schedule deliveries to discovering ways to optimize a reservoir. Combining their knowledge of computer science, statistics, and analytics, data scientists can find answers that will help organizations make objective decisions.