Geoscience Technician and Technologist

Job Overview

Job Category

Technicians and Technologists

Sectors

Education

Environment

Indoors primarily with occasional outdoors

Average Salary

$45,000 to $104,000

Career Demand

Growing

About This Career

As a Geoscience Technician or Technologist, you are the gatekeeper. You store, retrieve, compile, manipulate and display large amounts of oil and gas data. With all this information, geophysicists and geoscientists look to you for the data they need to make decisions. Seismic data, geophysical data, well data, core data – you have it.

Geoscience Technicians and Technologists store, retrieve, manipulate and display data using software programs. These activities allow them to help process and interpret the geological and geophysical data used by engineers and other geoscientists in order to plan and conduct seismic and geological mapping surveys, drilling and completion programs and simulation studies. They also help in the evaluation of oil and gas reservoir performance.

In this occupation activities may include:

Analyzing and ensuring quality control of information about wells, rock formations, core, topography and other geological data needed for a project.
Using a wide variety pf surveying and computer equipment to conduct field surveys, record key information and develop detailed maps
Evaluating core samples and cuttings, and other geological data used in prospecting for oil or gas
Ensuring that the seismic data acquisition program is completed according to the geophysicist’s design
Preparing, transcribing or analyzing seismic, gravimetric, well log or other geophysical and survey data
Gathering, transferring and loading information, ensuring seismic data is properly matched to well logs and measurement data.
Displaying and compiling the required data from aerial photographs, survey notes, records, reports and maps.

Education

For Geoscience Technicians, a one- or two-year post-secondary diploma in petroleum, chemical or mechanical engineering technology is typically required. For Geoscience Technologists, a two- or three-year post-secondary diploma in petroleum, chemical or mechanical engineering technology is typically required.

Certification

Standard and emergency first aid
H2S Alive
Specific health and safety certifications will be determined by job requirements

Licensing

Certification by provincial associations of the Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists (CCTT). Certification for both Certified Technicians (C.T.) and Certified Technologist (C.E.T.) requires a certain level of experience, three professional references and successful completion of an exam

You’re a problem solver, especially when it comes to computer programming and working with different software and data formats. Organized, detail-oriented and comfortable with following procedures and routine, you love the investigative nature of your job.