Lauren Read

Lauren Read’s grandfather, Junior DeVere (Bob) Seader, was a professor and chair of the University of Utah’s chemical engineering department. He was an authority on computer-aided process design, mathematical modeling, alternative fuels and rocket engine thermal protection. He was also an early influence on Read’s life, teaching her that using math to solve real-world problems can be both challenging and fun while making a tangible difference.

“That hooked me on the idea of engineering and has really driven me since to want to be a builder and implementor of solutions,” she said. 

Many of those solutions have been directed toward the global push for sustainability.

“I feel privileged to be a part of creating engineering solutions to make energy sustainable,” Read said. “CCUS (carbon capture, utilization and sequestration) has efficient, scalable applications for industries like natural gas processing and ethanol, and I’m now able to use my previous upstream experience to develop and implement CCUS projects across the country.”

Read’s first job in energy was as a reservoir engineer for an Exxon Mobil offshore platform producing over 16,000 bbl/d. She trained through the company’s three-year new engineer development program, gaining valuable on-the-job experience, such as identifying and developing new drill well locations for optimum reservoir management and managing injection wells for secondary recovery.

Read moved over to Exxon Mobil’s subsidiary, XTO Energy, where she managed production optimization and surveillance of five Rockies natural gas plays in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming. There, she learned more about drilling and completions, well work, tubing design and well control in various plays and differing regulatory environments. She joined BKV in 2018 to manage the company’s upstream assets in the Marcellus Shale.

Building and leading the operations team in Pennsylvania for two years turned out to be one of Read’s favorite career experiences.

“We were on the ground, working every day to solve production challenges and provide communities near and far with clean, reliable energy,” she said. “And now I’m working to make natural gas, electricity, ethanol and other industries even cleaner by using saline aquifers for permanent carbon dioxide storage. For the last three years, I’ve been working to develop and execute CCUS projects, leading the operations team of dCarbon Ventures—the low carbon solutions business at BKV.”

Developing projects to make energy production more efficient, reliable, safe and sustainable means being open to new ideas. Read said she is continuously surprised by the number of great ideas out there.

“The ideas are there; they just need to be evaluated, justified and then implemented,” she said. “That is where value is created—in finding the best projects to do and doing them well. That makes it an important part of my work to often be in listening mode and focused on helping my team implement their good ideas.”

Read’s leadership approach is to foster a culture of empowerment. She sees herself as a coach who helps her team members get to the root of challenges and then supports them through their resolution.

“I believe it’s hard for a team to feel motivated if they don’t understand how their piece fits into the puzzle,” she said. “Giving context and sharing the ‘why’ behind what we’re doing is an important part of my job.”

Read advises young professionals in the energy industry to harness their great ideas in a way her grandfather would appreciate.

“Using actual data validated with common sense is a powerful combination,” she said. “Opinions are many; make yours an informed one so it has more value. Understanding when data doesn’t make sense is another powerful skill to develop.”

Check out the rest of Hart Energy's 2025 Women in Energy here.