Company: Nexen Inc.

Position: Long Lake Reservoir Engineer

Employed: Three and a half years

Where did you go to School? What program did you attend?
I attended the University of Waterloo in Ontario. I hold a Bachelors of Applied Science in mechanical engineering.

What drew you to your current field?
I heard a lot of positive feedback about the oil and gas industry from other co-op students. My experience as a technical summer student at Nexen also drew me to my current field. I attended lecture series to learn new aspects of the energy industry, went on a geological field trip and even took an introductory course on welllogging. After my experience with Nexen, I decided to come back when I was finished school.

How did you find your position?
I researched online and found Nexen's New Grad Program. The program guides new employees through their first career, allowing them to gain experience from various departments by rotating roles before deciding what area they want to stay in. Engineers in the program work on three different teams for about 18 to 30 months at a time.

Tell us a bit about your responsibilities.
I am a phase one reservoir engineer for our Long Lake asset. As a reservoir engineer for Long Lake, I help with the long-term optimization of a quarter of our Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) wellpairs. I work with production engineers and geoscientists to optimize steam injection and bitumen production from the wellpairs. I also help create and execute our subsurface capital programs to maximize value from the asset. Over the past two years, I have also spent roughly two months per year recruiting for technical students and new grads.

What is the most challenging aspect of your position?
Establishing SAGD theory and working with a new recovery technique is the most challenging aspect, but at the same time, it's exciting because I get to work with cutting-edge technology.

What's the most rewarding part of your job?
My primary role is establishing a legacy asset, which is essential to the company and is satisfying to me because my work significantly contributes to the development of that asset.

What skills have you learned through your work experience?
I have learned to appreciate uncertainty. We never have all the information, but we have to make decisions and think strategically.

What do you think it takes to be successful in this career?
You need to have strong communication skills ÔÇô both written and verbal. You will be judged by the quality of your emails, presentations, proposals and documents.

Is there one accomplishment you are most proud of to date?
I am most proud of being on site for the start-up of Phase One of Long Lake.

What are your future career aspirations?
I would like to integrate my technical knowledge with the business side of industry by completing a CFA or MBA program.

What advice do you have for students looking to land their first job?
Be willing to travel because some of your best experiences will come from the field. jp
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