Geophysicist Thurza Frenz has successfully turned a schoolgirl interest in geology into a career hunting for oil beneath the seabed.
The 24-year-old, who completed her masters in integrated petroleum geoscience at the University of Aberdeen, now works as a geoscientist in the exploration team at Taqa Bratani.
She is currently working with her colleagues to interpret seismic data from a new field the company bought last year.
They are determining what the prospects are for drilling to further explore what oil or gas deposits might be present.
Why take this job?
I first studied geology at A Level and really enjoyed it so I decided to take it further and study it at university. Even though I’m not studying any more, I’m always learning and regularly attend “lunch and learns” and other industry events as it’s a fast-moving sector and attending these events helps me to keep on top of developments, particularly regarding advancements in technology.
I guess the most exciting part of my job is finding oil – it’s what we work towards and is the ultimate goal. It hasn’t happened to me yet but hopefully it will soon!
Who or what has influenced you most in your career to date?
As part of my masters degree I went on a field trip to Utah. Seeing similar geology that you would find in the North Sea on rocks that are exposed, that you can look at and touch, really helped put things into perspective.
There was a particular project I did during my undergraduate course where we had to make bids to buy oil fields, based on our interpretations of the seismic and well data we had been given. It helped me see how my skills would be used in the “real world”.
Where do you see your career going?
I really enjoy interpreting seismic data and mapping the geology to get a feel for the subsurface and to see the larger scale structures such as the faults and folds.
I’ve always done things I enjoy so I guess this will play a big part in my career development.
At the moment my job allows me to participate in a wide variety of projects and I would like to retain this diversity as I progress.
What advice would you give to others looking to get into the oil and gas industry?
Summer placements and internships are obviously great ways of getting first-hand experience but joining professional societies, such as the Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain and attending their monthly talks, are also a great way to meet people within the industry and widen your knowledge.
If you weren’t doing the job you are in now, what else would you be doing?
Between my undergraduate and masters degrees I worked in a high school. I really enjoy working with children so I’d probably be a teacher.
