Each summer, college students across the nation enter internships with the hope of learning more about their field of study and gaining a glimpse into their possible future careers. Coterra recently had the opportunity to host a field tour in the Permian Basin for interns from across our operational footprint. From drilling and completions interns to environmental, health, and safety– and everything in between – students gathered in Midland, Texas to visit numerous field operation sites to get an in-person view of the energy industry.
Drilling and Completions Supervisor, Grant Muncrief, recently spoke to us about his experience planning the tour and getting the interns together. He noted that it was a lot of fun and that they covered a lot of ground during their two-day tour – both literally and figuratively – as they visited drilling, frac, drill out, and production sites to experience each step of getting a well turned-in-line.
Coterra believes in investing in the next generation of energy leaders, and this is the first year that interns from across the disciplines were invited to attend the tour. It was an incredible opportunity for them to “feel the heat” of the industry and gain a greater appreciation for the hard-working men and women in the field that work to provide our nation with energy each day.
We spoke to some of the interns after the tour and here is what they had to say:
The most impactful portion of the Permian Basin Field Trip was being able to interact with and observe the other Coterra Interns in the field. Watching them ask questions and see what sparked their interests was extremely enjoyable. These Summer Interns are who I will be entering the workforce with, and I’m glad to know that they are kind, bright, and driven to become a part of the Oil and Natural Gas Industry.
Seth Lawson, Permian Basin Drilling and Completions Field Intern out of Midland. Senior Mechanical Engineering Major at Texas Tech University.
It was interesting to see the differences in reguklations and operations between the sites I work alongside in Pennsylvania compared to those in Texas and New Mexico. As the only intern in the Pittsburgh office, I had the opportunity to meet other students interested in Oil & Gas and expand my professional network.
Amanda Martin, EHS Intern out of Pittsburgh. Senior Environmental Engineering major at the University of Pittsburgh.
The Permian operations were a bit different than I expected, as everything in that area is centered on the oil field. Seeing something like half a dozen drilling rigs lined up in a row is not a common sight in the Marcellus, and I found that to be quite a fascinating sight to see. There were a lot of interesting comparisons that could be drawn between the two basins and their operations, though, and seeing some of the different tools and technologies that are used in the Permian gave me some ideas for ways to potentially improve drilling operations in the Marcellus, which falls in line with what I am focused on with my current project.
Caleb Ei, Drilling Engineering Intern out of Susquehanna. Senior Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering major at Pennsylvania State University.
The field trip was an awesome experience. I probably learned more in those 2 days over oil and gas operations than the 3 years I have been a petroleum engineering major! The coolest part of the experience was going to the drilling rig. I had never been on a drilling rig before and seeing it for the first time it was amazing how massive the operation is. The experience was a blast and seeing the drilling rig has definitely made me want to take a drilling position in the future.
Will Gretzinger, Field Production Engineering intern out of Hobbs, NM (Permian). Senior petroleum engineering major at Texas A&M University.
Drilling and fracking are similar between the Marcellus and Permian operations, but facilities are different. Specifically, the utilization of electric pumps, which I didn’t expect. I was also surprised by how close the pads were and how many there were.
Victor Kanuik, Pumper out of Susquehanna, PA, and recent graduate of the Lackawanna College School of PNG.
As we wrapped up the interviews, Grant left us with one piece of advice he’d give to the interns. He said, “Regardless of what you might hear and see in the media, or even from your family or friends, you should know that this is an outstanding industry to work in. You can have a long and successful career if you want to because fossil fuels provide a reliable, affordable source of energy and it likely will for decades to come. I encourage you to see through the noise and negativity, there are a lot of smart, good people you get to work with in this industry, so take the time to learn and make decisions for yourself.”
