Moncrief Petroleum Geology Program at Western

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The Petroleum Geology Program was begun in 2002 thanks to a $1 million endowment from WSCU alumnus Paul Rady, CEO of Antero Resources. Another $2.5 million in gifts from legendary oilman W.A. “Tex” Moncrief, Jr. of Ft. Worth, Texas, in 2005 and 2007 established the "Moncrief Petroleum Geology Program". This further strengthened the program and is indicative of the significance of Western’s efforts to the industry. Interested students and sponsors can contact Tim F. Wawrzyniec, Moncrief Chair in Petroleum Geology, for more information.

Job Prospects are Outstanding

• About half of all geoscientists will be retiring over the next ten years. Companies WILL replace them.
• A hiring boom was experienced in the late 70s and early 80s within the petroleum, mining, environmental, engineering, government and academic geology areas. As these individuals retire, job opportunities for college graduates are greatly expanded.
• In recent years, a hiring boom has brought career opportunities at all levels that is associated with a 10-20% increase in salaries for professional geologists with 0-2 years experience .  Over the past 10 years, the number of people enrolling in geoscience programs has been steady and according to AGI (American Geological Institute www.agiweb.org) only about 15% of those who enroll actually enter the geologic "professional pipeline".  This means there are far fewer graduates than their are positions to fill.

Who Should Pursue a Degree in Geology?

Geology is fundamentally a field science.  We work to collect information about natural systems and use this information to understand geologic process, to explore for natural resources, and to guide environmental stewardship. Working as a geologist requires stong skills in spatial thinking, visualization, creativity, and a sound foundation in the basic sciences (physics, and chemistry) and mathematics, all of which provide you with an ability to take large, sometimes fragmented datasets to understand natural processes.

In addition to the field aspects of our work, many professional geologists are engaged in modeling natural systems, which requires some interest in working with technology, computer programing, database managment, and geospatial database managment. Writing well and having skill in communicating complex ideas to your peers and to laymen improves a geology majors chance of professional success.

In addition to this broad spectrum of skills, geologists, unlike many other scientists, must consider the importance of "deep" time.  Many natural changes occur at very slow rates, often requiring a geologist to consider problems over time scales much larger than the human experience.

Wired for the 21st Century

The Petroleum Geology program is housed in Hurst Hall, one of the most technologically sophisticated science buildings in Colorado.  Instruction occurs in the GIS/Petroleum Geology lab.  The lab has thirteen student station for highly interactive instruction and uses the most up to date industry software and data sets.  In recent months the petroleum industry has made investments in Western’s program totaling more than $750,000.

• P.R.A. BasinMod: Petroleum systems modeling

• GeoPlus Petra: Well log correlation, petrophysics and mapping

• Seismic Micro Technologies Kingdom Suite: 2D/3D seismic interpretation and modeling

• GLS LithoTect: Seismic depth conversion and cross-section balancing

• GeoTools QuickDip: Statistical Curvature (SCAT) dipmeter analysis

• Midland Valley 2D and 3D Move: Balanced cross-section modeling

• N.G.A. GMSys: Interactive gravity and magnetics modeling

The Moncrief Petroleum Geology program at Western: