As a geoscientist with Chevron Energy Technology Co., Andrew Kulpecz has found dynamic and “exciting” work that capitalizes on his science background and love for teaching. A member of the Reservoir Prediction team, he’s part of a group working with the different operating companies to contribute to the biggest exploration and development projects being undertaken worldwide. And, he teaches classroom and field courses to new hires in the U.S. and internationally.

This mix of fast-paced, ever-changing work suits him. He grew up in the U.K., the Netherlands and Syria courtesy of his father’s career as a geologist and senior executive for Royal Dutch Shell. Kulpecz returned to the U.S. for his undergraduate studies at Wheaton College, first as a history major, before falling in love with geology. He then earned his master’s and Ph.D degrees in geological sciences at Rutgers University.

Coming out, the decision to work in the energy industry was easy. “I really enjoy the teamwork that’s used in industry to solve problems.”

At Chevron he’s a sequence stratigrapher and sedimentologist, a natural fit given his sharp interest in nature and history nurtured by road trips his family took to the Alps, the Dead Sea, Jordan’s Petra, and other far-flung natural and man-made wonders. “I love understanding the way things work today and then applying those concepts back through geologic time in the search for hydrocarbons,” he says.

This past year he spent six months as an ex-pat in Perth, Australia, working on reservoir characterization and front-end geology for the Gorgon and Wheatstone natural gas projects, which Chevron will spend $40 billion to develop. He’s also studied emerging basins in Brazil, the Arctic, Angola, and offshore Canada, among others. He is married with two young children, whom he intends to someday submit to the same educational family travels he benefited from.

In an interview, Kulpecz shared his passion for his work.

Investor What role does your group play within Chevron?

Kulpecz We evaluate basins for our exploration and new ventures business partners. We interpret 3-D seismic, study well and core data, run paleoclimate and forward stratigraphic models and more, to understand and predict the presence of both reservoir and source rock. These interpretations assist in risking different projects and deciding whether to enter new basins, bid on lease blocks, and drill exploration wells.

A lot of these basins have sparse data, so it’s a challenge. There’s much uncertainty, so it’s difficult to make robust predictions about what you’ll find. But that’s what makes it fun—you get to be innovative and use technology to develop accurate forecasts.

Investor What project that you’ve worked on is furthest along?

Kulpecz The Gorgon and Wheatstone liquefied natural gas projects, where Chevron has had a good run of success in drilling and finding natural gas resources. A lot of the other projects are new ventures—looking for the next big thing.

Investor What does your teaching entail?

Kulpecz Given the current demographics of the industry, there are a lot of young employees. I teach new hires both in the classroom and in the field. This past year I taught stratigraphy courses in Australia and Indonesia and led field trips to Utah and New Mexico to teach key concepts. Students can look at outcrops that are on the same scale as the reservoirs they’ll be working on. I also teach integrated teams of modelers, scientists and engineers. The goal is to get the whole team out together to look at analogs for reservoirs so they can be on the same page.

Investor What is your take on the concept of peak oil?

Kulpecz With any finite resource there’s going to be a peak and eventual drawdown. But, the industry is constantly pushing technology boundaries to further the recovery of existing resources—and to find new ones. In just a decade, we’ve revolutionized the way we look for gas. The industry is very good at what it does.

Investor Will you be working in shale plays internationally?

Kulpecz Chevron has acquired acreage in Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. The company is positioning itself relatively close to major markets in Europe and Asia. I’m currently dealing with more conventional clastic and carbonate reservoirs, but as the portfolio evolves in the coming years, I will probably be working on unconventional plays.

Investor Given your studies of paleoclimates, what are your thoughts on climate change?

Kulpecz I recognize the concerns about climate change, and we must be mindful of the environment. Recent studies have focused on looking for periods when CO2 was as high or higher than it is today, to understand what could occur in future scenarios. In our work at Chevron, we use paleoclimate models to understand environmental conditions in geologic time to predict where reservoirs will be today.

Investor You mentioned the many new people entering the industry. What’s helped you be successful so far in your career?

Kulpecz It’s important to find something you enjoy and can be passionate about. Seek senior mentors and assignments that are challenging, where you can grow and learn. And don’t be afraid to ask questions.

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