Landmen $63,000 - $92,000+ / year

In the oil & gas industry, companies can't simply throw a dart at a map and say they want to drill at that point, gambling on whether they strike any oil (or gas). The same holds true for identifing the best location for, say, a wind farm or large solar array.

Once the companies' scientists and engineers (geologists, geophysicists, reservoir engineers, climatoligist, etc.) determine areas they believe have the most potential for extracting a resource (such as oil or wind), in many instances, the area happens to be on someone's personal property, on government land, on land owned by corporations, or a combination of the above.

In addition, getting trucks, crews, and equipment to that particular site means having to drive (or build roads) through many other land owners' (and mineral owners) properties. Transporting the oil or gas out of the drilling site also could mean laying pipeline, or connecting the transmission lines from wind turbines, across multiple properties.

That's where Landmen come in. As usual, companies have various titles for this position, including:
- land negotiator
- land professional
- lease analyst (not to be confused with a "lease operator", aka "Pumper"--which is a field job that operates wells and associated production facilities making $25-40/hr).

Although O-Net does not have a code for this specific title, the closest I've found is: 11-9141.00, "Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers".

Landmen research land ownership titles, find the owners and/or heirs of surface rights (and below-the-surface mineral rights) , and negotiate contracts, purchases and/or "oil & gas leases". Landmen are also responsible for keeping these land- and mineral-owners happy, so the firm can continue to have access to and extract the resource.

Western State College has a landman degree program and beginning summer 2009 Mesa State College will also have one. In addition, there are several landmen associations , some of which offer internships, classes, and networking opportunities:
- Denver Association of Petroleum Landmen
- Desk and Derrick Club of Denver
- American Association of Professional Landmen , and
- Landmen.org

Below are examples of job orders from ConnectingColorado.com, to give you a better sense of the requirements for these types of jobs. To see a list of the Colorado businesses that employ landmen (using other respective titles), check out my list of their websites at http://delicious.com/TLynnSargent/extraction-jobs or http://delicious.com/TLynnSargent/green-jobs

"Landman", $63,444-77,196/yr - Job Order #CO5289244:

Two years experience and college degree required. Responsible for complex activities involved in carrying out the activities of the Land Department.

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"Lease Analyst", $71,024/year - Job Order #CO5277734:

Analyzes and interprets provisions of various leases, deeds, rights of way, mineral records and agreements involving company assets for assigned areas in order to facilitate the distribution of proceeds from oil and gas sales and collection of well expenses. Maintains ownership records of
producing properties in assigned area. Analyzes legal changes that impact minerals and operations and incorporates those changes into work process.

Detailed Description: Determines working interests and burdens associated with interests based on title analysis of deeds, assignments, purchase & sale agreements, probate documents, leases and royalty agreements,
· Drafts summary analysis of chain of title based upon reviews
· Analyzes division order title opinions and all associated documents
· Processes all probate information and transfer documents from interest owners in order to maintain a correct division of interest
· Maintains and corrects divisions of interest when payouts and recompletions occur
· Acts as liaison to Accounting, Marketing and Operating departments when necessary to respond to interest owner inquiries
· Updates system on Final Reports, Sundry Notices, Disposition Letters, and 1st Pay Notices
· Prepares AFE billing forms and provides to other departments
· Oversees duties performed by Clerks and assists in their training

Job Requirements
· High School Diploma or equivalent and six or more years lease records/division orders experience or Bachelors degree and two or more years related experience
· Advanced knowledge of LAND operations and administrative process in oil and gas industry
· Advanced computer and software skills
· Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

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"Land Negotiator", $92,058/year - Job Order #CO5280857:

Job Description:
Journey level position (5 years experience required). Is fully competent in standard deals, agreements, tasks and procedures. Under general supervision, able to handle most aspects of general land work. Assists in developing recommendations for more complex issues. Assists in managing company's position regarding land (mineral, leasehold and surface) matters, including maintaining critical obligations and dates and coordinating with internal engineers, geo-scientists, and regulatory personnel, for all prospects in specific region. Negotiates and writes contracts for exploration and development. Supervises lease brokers that acquire leasehold interests for the company. Represents company in state and/or federal proceedings relating to spacing units or bidding for leases. Responds to inquiries from lessors, royalty owners, surface owners, working interest owners, and employees from other departments within the company.

Detailed Description:
· Obtains surface usage and right of way agreements for operations
· Negotiates and writes agreements for exploration and development projects
· Researches and obtains land titles for drilling operations
· Liaisons with attorneys on land issues that require litigation
· Provides customer relation services to landowners and working interest partners
· Handles problems with various county, state and municipal governments
· Keeps current on regulations and industry changes that may impact the company

Job Requirements:
· Bachelor’s degree in Business, PLM/Energy management degree or equivalent or JD degree and five years of negotiator experience or equivalency
· Knowledge of state and federal title requirements
· Knowledge of land deals (farmins/farmouts, carried interests, non-consents, etc.) and ability to calculate before and After Payout Working Interests and Net Revenue Interests.
· Communication (verbal and written) and negotiation skills
· Decision-Making Authority/Knowledge
· Responsible for leasing prospects, title curative requirements, and title approval for drilling purposes.

Additional Details:
Normal office environment. May include some field travel.