Oil is a natural fuel that is formed from buried, decayed plants and animals, under extreme heat and pressure over a time span of millions of years. Similarly, natural gas is the result of these deposits and sometimes even gets mixed with the oil. The primary function of an oil and gas extraction company is to locate, extract and refine these natural resources. Big oil companies carry out large-scale extractions, while private contractors support the mining sub-sector.

A job in the gas industry is very rewarding. You simply need to identify the sphere of work that interests you the most. The gas industry has a number of job opportunities. Depending on the qualifications and placements available, companies hire employees for diverse onshore and offshore operations.

The jobs available in the oil and natural gas industry is divided into three categories:

-Upstream- Operations in oil production come under this category. The requirement is for contractors who specialize in seismic testing, engineering, service rig operations, drilling and identifying the manufacturers of the special equipment and supply.

-Midstream- This involves the refining and transportation of oil after drilling and extraction. Besides this, making and managing of oil pipelines helps the pipeline operators earn billions of dollars.

-Downstream- This involves effective sale and wholesale operations carried out by gas distributors.

The big companies are involved in all the three spheres. This means that they extract, purify, transport and sell oil and natural gas. Small-scale companies focus on any one particular area - it could be either drilling or the laying of pipelines.

Upstream sector jobs are the most sought-after, since jobs are often international and involve extensive travel. Personnel are employed in Alaska, the Arctic, Canada and Iraq and the Middle East. Once you gain the required experience and skill, you can find a position with any large company and enjoy traveling to different places.

You need not limit your job hunt to oil and gas companies only. Multinational and big companies very often outsource work to oil service companies that lease and install facilities or equipment. Service companies send their employees to the operations bases of the companies, whenever and wherever needed.

Entry-level positions in the oil and natural gas industry are mostly in the production, purifying and transportation divisions. Jobs such as oil engineering and exploration require hands-on experience and training.

Some Of The Jobs Available:

Petroleum Geologist: Required to analyze and interpret gathered information. This position usually heads the exploration operations. Another job in this stream is that of a paleontologist, who studies fossil remains.

Rotary Drillers: They supervise the operations of the machinery and control the drilling speed and pressure.

Pump operators: They maintain the pump motors and other similar surface equipment that is used to extract oil from wells. The production supervisors and engineering team supervises their work.

In addition to the positions mentioned, there are openings for electricians, welders, laborers and instrument repairers. In the non-automated plants, maintenance personnel and operators are often needed.