Accounting in Oil & Gas $55,000-$75,000/yr

In addition to earnings, income, cash flows, depreciation, depletion, amortization, debits, credits and all other Generally Accepted Accounting Principals regulated by FASB and SEC, Oil & Gas Accounting involves tracking numerous other costs and revenues related to acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil and gas.

Accounting in oil and gas is complex (that, and the short supply of accountants, is why it generally pays higher than traditional accounting jobs). Many property and lease holders and mineral royalty owners are involved and require payment, varying volumes of product and by-products of extraction (such as methane and other "-anes") are bought and sold between numerous companies, and trading of commodities fluctuate widely. In addition, carbon trading and carbon tax credits have also been recently added to the mix.

Oil & Gas Accountants must maintain accurate record of property acquisition, retention and surrender; exploratory and development costs; mineral conveyances; oil and gas production; joint interest operations, related financial statement disclosures, and keep well apprised of international laws, taxes, currencies, and exchange rates.

Colorado Oil & Gas accountants have been in short supply for some time. In an effort to boost the numbers EnCana Oil contributed to UCD's Business School a couple of years ago to jump start an oil & gas accounting course in Denver, even paying for students' textbooks. A Denver Business Journal article about this partnership, which claims "Those with a minimum of five years experience can command a base salary of between $55,000 and $75,000", is available at this link.

If you enjoy working numbers and need a challenge over traditional accounting, oil & gas accounting may just be the right career for you!

By the way, there is a Colorado association for accountants in this industry. COPAS-Colorado is a non-profit professional organization located in Denver, Colorado, whose members are comprised primarily of accountants working in the petroleum or petroleum-related industries.

In addition to listings on Bradsby Group, following are a few more postings I found on the Internet to give you an idea of what's available at the time of this posting:

EnCana

Payout Accountant - Finance Business Services
Denver, CO

Duties and Responsibilities:
- Update and issue existing payout statements making sure that the statements are accurate and in compliance with the JOA or farm out agreement governing the payout statement and the revenue and expenses reflect 8/8’s amounts.
- Research new payout request; review JOA or farm out agreement, review AFE, accumulate well costs, accumulate revenue and production information.
- Understand various partner sensitivities and legal issues in regards to payouts.
- Analyze and review statements with AFE and state production information.
- Ability to perform multiple tasks and meet contractual deadlines.
- Must communicate with various departments, e.g. landmen, engineers, and accounting.

Qualifications:
- Bachelors Degree in Business with an accounting emphasis.
- Minimum of 2 years oil and gas industry experience including revenue, joint interest billing and/or accounts payable.
-Excellent team player and ability to communicate effectively; works well with others.
- Analytical skills and ability to organize and set up projects as needed.
- Familiar with COPAS procedures, industry standards and JOA agreements.
- Aptitude and ability to learn integrated accounting systems; previous experience important.
- Strong skills with Excel spreadsheets.
- Excalibur and JDE experience helpful.
- Knowledge of Microsoft office suite of products.

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Eden Energy

Oil and Gas Assistant
Location: Denver, Colorado

MAJOR JOB RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACTIVITIES

OVERVIEW
Develop support systems that are consistent with the needs of the Accounting, Engineering, Land and Geologic Departments to ensure availability of accurate, timely information and to enhance the workflow of the Company. Continuously strive to develop efficient, new or improved, methods of providing assistance to the various department staff as well as other areas of the organization.Organize and maintain document filing system for Accounting, Engineering, Land and Geologic Departments concerned with the operation and maintenance of producing oil and gas properties.Provide efficient, professional and confidential administrative support to the Chief Operating Officer. At all times, maintain complete confidentiality of all knowledge relating to business activities.

ACCOUNTING
Provide technical and administrative support to accounting personnel relating to the timely and accurate compilation of financial statements and general ledger accounts. Prepare monthly plan to actual variance analysis and explanations in order to appraise operating results in terms of profitability and operating effectiveness of the organization.Assist with non-operated revenue and production accounting, as well as distribution and mailing of revenue and accounts payable checks. Obtain proof of insurance, W-9 and sales tax documents. Monitor cash call invoices and receipts. Review and code invoices. Perform weekly/monthly functions for revenue, JIB, GL and AP. Enter unique and recurring journal entries. Ensure integrity and accuracy of all accounting transactions, account analysis and account reconciliations to the general ledger.

ENGINEERING/LAND/GEOLOGY
Coordinate with Engineering, Land and Geology Departments to provide administrative support including setting up, maintaining and organizing well and lease files, preparing and filing sundries and governmental forms, tracking well proposals, contracts, lease data input, tracking well and workover proposals and post election deadlines. Coordinate with Engineering, Land and Geology Departments to summarize, track and prepare monthly production reports. Download data. Review, print, and file drilling and completion reports. Support vendors and contractors in procuring requested engineering, land or geological data.

GENERAL
Maintain professional working relationships with all employees, including officers, department staff and other company personnel, business associates, vendors, contractors, consultants and customers. Maintain open, honest and candid communications with department staff, which supports problem solving and decision-making processes. Communicate with supervisor regarding the status of work on a regular basis. Facilitate the use of technology regarding communications and information within the Company.

QUALIFICATIONS
Position requires a working knowledge in oil and gas operations and administration. Strong verbal and written communication skills are essential for interaction with internal departments, regulatory agencies, outside companies and other interest owners. High School diploma or equivalent, 2-year Associated Degree or post secondary education relating to the position is preferred, Administrative experience in the oil and gas industry with accounting, engineering, land or geology related background desirable. A strong working knowledge of accounting software packages (PetroWare 2000), Word, Excel and Access and is preferable. Successful candidate must demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, excellent oral and written communication skills, the ability to prioritize and organize work, exercise good judgment, manage multiple tasks/projects, respond to changing priorities, work independently as well as on a team and perform required tasks with accuracy and meet deadlines with close attention to detail.

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Black Hills Corporation

Senior Oil & Gas Accountant
Job Location: Golden, CO

PRIMARY FUNCTION:
Perform routine and special projects for the operation, management, and support of BHE&P activities in both lead and team roles. Extensive involvement with revenue, tax and regulatory reporting. Create and analyze reports of company activities. Provide technical Oil and Gas accounting support with particular focus on tax and regulatory compliance and reporting.

MAJOR JOB RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACTIVITIES

PLANNING:
- Assist in the development of Accounting related strategies for the company.
- With input from Controller and Internal audit, devise and plan partner audits on a reasonable basis.
- Coordinate responses to requests from outside parties.
- Review oil and gas accounting reporting practices and provide recommendations for corrections and improvements.

ORGANIZING:
- Accumulate, analyze and distribute operational accounting data as requested.
- With support from the legal and tax departments review and provide input for updates to the company's sales tax and business registration procedures.

CONTROLLING:
- Actively participate in processes to ensure compliance with federal & state regulations and company policies and procedures.
- Review and develop processes to ensure compliance with various contractual terms and conditions.

PRODUCING:
- Act as audit liaison for both internal and external parties.
- Analyze production tax incentives and review for application to BHE&P sales and production.
- Assist with accounting and reporting system enhancements.
- Participate in the preparation and filing of regulatory reports.
- Complete individual analytical processes in a satisfactory manner given abstract project guidelines.
- Perform various reconciliations and updates of schedules.
- Actively participate in the analysis of proposed projects and in the review of current projects.
- Various projects and reports as assigned.
- Work to meet the needs of the company's General Manager and various departments.

COMMUNICATION:
- Effectively create, interpret and communicate complex data to company, corporate, and external parties.
- Successfully communicate department, company and industry activity to corporate personnel and other departments.

Required Skills

KNOWLEDGE:
Thorough knowledge of Oil & Gas accounting principles, theories and concepts. The ability to work independently in a time constrained setting. Requirements include excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to work in a dynamic team environment.

EDUCATION: Bachelor's Degree in Accounting or equivalent experience.

EXPERIENCE:
- Minimum of five years experience in accounting.
- Direct experience in oil and gas accounting issues required.
- Broad understanding of accounting principles, theories, and practices.
- Demonstrated ability to perform various tax, audit, and budget functions.
- Successful supervisory experience is preferred.
- The ability to lead projects and train staff when necessary.
- Extensive experience with spreadsheets, word processing, data bases and integrated accounting packages.
- Public Accounting experience is a plus.

GIS & Geospatial Technology

Geospatial Technology is a field that uses Photogrammetry/ Remote Sensing, GIS (geographic information systems), and GPS (global positioning systems) to electronically display maps, buildings, natural features, and other topography.

Geo is an abbreviation for geography (a science that deals with the description of the physical, biological, and other features of the earth's surface). Spatial describes space (the space inside buildings, the space outside where energy is extracted, and even outerspace).
Geospatial technology also involves manipulating data and databases that make up these graphics to measure, analyze, and make decisions, such as: where best to drill an oil well, how far a wind farm is from major transmission lines--as well as the elevation of those lines, where best to place SCADA systems to transmit information back to the company, or make 3D models of a power plant before it's built (using CAD--Computer Aided Design). Even Landmen use GIS information in their jobs when researching landownership records.

Many commercial software programs are used to make GIS and GPS maps, and 3D CAD models. They include ArcView and AutoCAD among many other tools. If you've ever used a Garmin, TomTom, or Magellan, you've used a GPS. If you've used Google Earth, Google Maps or MapQuest, you've used a GIS. Even the City of Denver has its own GIS. To learn more information about GIS in general, visit ESRI's site.

Geospatial technologies are playing an ever increasing role in many industries, including energy. Conrad Stanley, GIS Program Director at Colorado Northwestern Community College, claims "there is a huge demand for GIS specialists". The educational partners in their GIS program include energy firms such as EnCana Oil, Shell, and Colorado Energy Research Institute.

Although O-Net intends to add Geospatial Information Systems Technician as a "new and emerging" occupation, it hasn't assigned a code to it yet. The comparable O-Net code used as a "related occupation" is Cartographers and Photogrammetrists, O-Net code #17-1021.00. This occupation's projected growth (from 2006 to 2016) is faster than average, with a projected need of 6,000 additional employees in the coming years. CareerInfonet claims the median wage in Colorado (in 2006) for this occupation was $57,800.

There are apprenticeships available in Colorado for these occupations, and not surprisingly, all of them are in the energy industry. To find these Geospatial Technology registered apprenticeships in Colorado, go to the bottom of this CareerVoyages website, and pick Colorado under the "Select a State" drop-down list.

Jobs, internships, and more information are also available on http://www.giwis.org/. You can also look at my lists of company websites and check their career sites for job postings: extraction-jobs or green-jobs.

Following is information extracted from job postings I found on ConnectingColorado (CC) and other sites on the Internet. They are intended to give you a general idea of what's available and what skills are required for jobs (and internships) in the energy industry that are posted at the time this article was written.

ConnectingColorado (Job Order #CO5285027)

Note: to see other job orders in CC that require/prefer GIS skills, use the keyword search field (for the staff version of CC, use the "Skill" or "Comm/Note" fields) and enter terms such as "GIS" or "autocad".

MAPPING DESIGNER, Broomfield, CO

REQUIREMENTS:
• Must be able to create, read, and understand pipeline alignment sheets permit and plot drawings using manual/electronic survey data.
• Working knowledge of GIS including map projections and coordinate systems
• Working knowledge of basic pipeline construction and field operations
• minimum of 3 years pipeline alignment mapping experience
• Minimum of 2 years GIS experience using ESRI GIS products
• AutoCAD Land Desktop experience is required

PREFERRED:
• no formal education or degree is required, but it is a plus
• experience in creating DOT sheets and FERC alignments a plus.
• pipeview or other GIS products is a plus
• experience with USGS Quad Maps (AutoCAD 2006) or Aerial Design is a plus
• Blue Sky experience is a plus

DUTIES:
Qualified candidate will be responsible for the following:
- Mapping of natural and liquid gas pipelines
- Alignment drawings and suggested reroutes
- Survey data/topography (must put into final blueprints/construction
documents)

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EnCana

GIS Developer/Analyst, Denver, CO

Duties and Responsibilities:
This position is responsible for assisting the Lead GIS Developer in developing GIS applications to support the Technical Business Solutions enterprise GIS deployment with an emphasis on programming and systems integration.
- Responsible for developing applications in a Microsoft .NET GIS platform for desktop, web and mobile environments.
- Create and document functional requirements for application toolsets.
- Maintain and update custom applications.
- Develop and implement data models to support database development

Qualifications:
- ESRI software suite
- At least two years of software development experience using the Microsoft .NET Framework via C#
- ESRI ArcObjects development
- Windows desktop development/Smart Client experience
- Windows Mobile development experience
- ASP.NET Development Experience
- JavaScript Development Experience
- RDBMS experience in Oracle or SQL Server
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CH2M HILL Energy & Chemicals

Title: Environmental Specialist/Coordinator
Job Description: Environmental/Permitting Coordinator
Environmental/Permitting Coordinator for Oil & Gas related projects in Rocky Mountains and Southwest United States.
Office Location: Lakewood, CO
Business Group: ENERGY & CHEMICALS
Employment Type: Full Time

Position requires the following:
- Demonstrated ability to accurately research and obtain necessary permits to construct pipelines and related facilities that fall under multiple jurisdictions.
- Familiarity with NEPA, NPDES, Section 404, etc. regulations and regulatory agency (FERC, BLM, etc) permitting requirements.
- Demonstrated ability to prepare technical documents, construction plans, and reports including EA or EIS document preparation experience.
- Experience working with regulatory agency staff to develop successful permitting approaches and schedules and ability to coordinate.
- Ability to coordinate and manage specialty subcontractors or project team members for required permitting reports or studies.
- Experience with ensuring permit compliance requirements during active construction as an Environmental Inspector/Monitor.
- Experience or proficiency in an applicable resource specialty (i.e. reclamation, T&E species, and/or archaeology) is beneficial.
Computer literacy required with GIS database experience a plus.

No Degree Required, Certification Required
Travel Requirement 25%

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National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Posting Title: GIS, Geography, or Computer Science Undergraduate Intern
Location: Golden, CO
Position Type: Student RPP

Job/Research Summary:
A student internship is available in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL’s) Strategic Energy Analysis and Applications Center (SEAAC). NREL is the nation’s primary laboratory for research, development and deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. The intern will be supporting work in the Energy Forecasting & Modeling Group.We have an immediate opening for a summer or year-long part-time student in our Golden, Colorado office. The position would be part-time (8 - 16 hours per week) during the school year and/or full time during the summer.

Job Duties:
The intern will prepare SEAAC renewable energy resource data sets for visualization using Google Earth, Microsoft Virtual Earth, and/or NASA WorldWind. This will involve collecting and geocoding resource information provided by SEAAC staff and organizing those data in structured formats suitable for analysis and visualization. Training in the use of geographic information systems, geospatial visualization systems, and relational and XML databases will be provided.

Minimum Qualifications:
Must be enrolled in a minimum 9 credit hours. Must be a US Citizen or US permanent resident. Minimum 3.0 GPA in the last completed semester.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS: (1) Experience using a geographic information system (GIS). (2) Familiarity with relational databases. (3) Experience with a programming or scripting language.

PREFERRED: (1) Familiarity with energy resource issues or databases. (2) Experience developing data sets for Google Earth, Microsoft Virtual Earth, or NASA WorldWind. (3) Experience using XML or KML.