Landmen Questions
What Landmen Do?
Landmen require a broad array of skills, skills that in turn require knowledge of diverse items. This knowledge includes:
• Identifying Map Areas of Interest (AI)
• Understanding Metes & Bounds Descriptions from the Research of Land Titles
• Negotiating Leases/ROW
• Ability to Prepare Curative Documents
• Contract Preparation – JOA/Farm-in/out/EA’s
• Testify at Administrative Hearings – FP/WP
• Ability to Resolve Disputes Between L.O. & CO.
• Making Presentations to Mgmt-Investors-HOA
Your position in an organization would likely look something like this:
What Knowledge, Attributes & Skills Does a Landman Need?
The courses that comprise the PLRM curriculum provide Landmen a broad, but highly functional knowledge across a range of topics including:
BUSINESS
• Accounting
• Economics
• Finance
• Management
• Marketing
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
• Geographic Information
• Systems Lease & Production
• Information Retrieval and Analysis Systems
LAW
• Real Property
• Contracts
• Constitutional
• Oil & Gas
• Mining
• Land Use
• Environmental
• Administrative
• Agency
SCIENCE
• Geology
• Engineering (Petroleum, Reservoir & Mining)
• Alternative Energy Resource Sciences
• Hydrology
• Agronomy – Soil Science
• Botany – Horticulture – Forestry*
Performing successfully as a Landman requires a broad array of skills, and you will get them at Western’s PLRM program. Our courses will make sure you enter the industry capable of performing the following required tasks:
1. High Level Information Retrieval
2. Ability to Synthesize Vast Amounts of Data
3. Strategic Thinking/Problem Solving
4. Intuitive/Lateral Thinking
5. Complex Communication & Negotiation (Written, Oral)
6. Ability to Provide Keen Attention to Detail
7. Teamwork Related Tasks & Related Skill
8. Interactive Social Tasks & Related Skills
9. Adaptability to a rapidly changing environment
10. Flexibility in executing responsibilities
11. Ability to handle diversity
Why is the PLRM program important to Industry, Western and Public Lands?
To Industry:
A disproportionate number of the landmen working in the energy industry today are near retirement age. In the 1980’s there were 22 Petroleum Landman programs in North America graduating over 1000 landmen a year. Today there are only 6 graduating fewer than 125 landmen a year. This means JOBS FOR GRADUATES!!
To Western:
Ours is the only PLRM Program in the Rockies. Development of the PLRM Program will be synergistic with existing, well-regarded natural resources programs in Geology, Hydrology, Agronomy, Plant Sciences, and Environmental Studies/Science. To see some of the companies that support the PLRM program at Western State College [click here].
To Western Public Lands & National Energy Policy:
Our country relies considerably on outside sources for significant aspects of its energy needs. Securing energy independence requires identifying and developing alternative, reliable, friendly sources. Achieving these ends makes our country safer and more prosperous. Large untapped Coal, Oil & Gas Reserves underlie public lands concentrated in the Rocky Mountain States. Their development is integral to our National Energy Policy. The PLRM Program at Western will play an integral part in how that development takes place.
To You:
With a PLRM degree, you can help actualize these needed solutions and help to make our country more secure and safe.
Who Hires Landmen, and Can I Make a Good Living?
To see some of the companies who have hired our graduates [click here] and to see what the graduates have to say about their jobs, [click here]. The average hourly salary of graduating seniors from all colleges and universities that have a PLRM program is around $25/hour. Internships are also available for interested students. These positions, in addition to being very lucrative summer jobs, also provide the opportunity to make valuable industry and potential long-term employment contacts.
What Are the General Requirements for PLRM?
GPA & Academic Requirements for Acceptance to the PLRM Program:
1. An overall GPA of 3.0 or higher.
2. Students who have a GPA of less than 3.0 may attain formal admittance through a probationary process by completing their first 12 credits of PLRM emphasis area courses with an average GPA of 3.0 or higher.
3. A grade of “C” or above must be attained in all PLRM emphasis area courses.
