Petroleum Scientist 1, 2, or 3 (Resource Analytics)

State of Louisiana•Baton Rouge, LA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Office of State Resources (OSTR) is responsible for the stewardship, administration and strategic management of Louisiana’s publicly owned land, mineral, water and subsurface assets for energy-related development. At the direction of the State Mineral and Energy Board (SMEB), the Office supports the full lifecycle of public resource management — beginning with the initial bid and contract evaluation, negotiation and title verification. Once agreements are in place, OSTR oversees operational compliance, ensuring that developers and operators meet performance standards, fulfill contractual obligations, and remit appropriate royalty payments to the State. This integrated model allows OSTR to uphold its fiduciary obligations, enforce accountability, and manage Louisiana’s resource portfolio with foresight and precision. OSTR’s role expands beyond land and minerals to ground and surface water management, creating a foundation for conservation, monitoring, and strategic planning statewide. This position provides critical data-driven analysis of natural resources in the Resource Analytics Division of the Office of State Resources. The Petroleum Scientist is responsible for subsurface and production data interpretation and integration in support of the management of Louisiana's mineral interests. Their findings will influence decisions representing opportunities for the state through mineral leasing, negotiation of operating agreements, representing the state in unitization determinations, and areas of conflict acreage. The position is also responsible for integrating subsurface and production findings with other opportunity-specific project elements through interfacing with other disciplines in the Department of Conservation and Energy including land specialists, attorneys, audit staff, and executive staff. Duties will be tailored to the candidate’s specific qualifications and competencies.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree in a geoscience field or engineering.

Responsibilities

Provide recommendations for the granting of operating agreements by performing field, lease or reservoir studies to estimate reserves and predict reservoir production.
Manage and oversee operating agreements once granted.
Review and evaluate commingling requests, certification of shut-in gas wells as commercially productive, gas marketing waivers, in-lieu royalty issues, and activities of operators concerning good faith operations and the production of oil and gas in paying quantities in order to issue opinions regarding the State's position in these matters.
Prepare payout calculations on wells in units with unleased State acreage for determination of revenues due to the State.
Propose recommendations regarding selection of State's option concerning unleased State acreage in producing units.
Coordinate communications with industry and agency on matters concerning unleased mineral interests.
Advise the State Mineral and Energy Board, Executive Director, Division Directors and the Attorney General's Office on petroleum engineering and oil and gas operations pertaining to the State's mineral leasing and State Mineral and Energy Board business statewide.
At the request of OSTR management, perform engineering analyses on special projects such as force majeure situations, analysis of flare gas, evaluation of complex lease maintenance issues, and special economic evaluations.
Provide technical advice to mineral income audit staff regarding the application of petroleum engineering principles in determining oil and gas volumes applicable to the State's mineral royalty interest.
Meet with geological, land, and legal division staff and Attorney General's Office staff to prepare recommendations to the State Mineral and Energy Board on routine, as well as unusual and controversial issues.