Meet Jasmine: Development Geologist

A native of St. John's, Jasmine O'Brien recently moved home to Newfoundland with her husband, Andrew, and their daughter, Jade, to take a job as a Development Geologist with Chevron Canada.

Is working in NL's oil and gas industry rewarding?

As a Newfoundlander, contributing to the local economy and to the future of Newfoundland is definitely rewarding. I'm grateful to be working in St. John's and making a difference in my hometown. It's also a very exciting time offshore Newfoundland in the Exploration realm, as there is so much resource out there that has yet to be discovered.

I really enjoy working with the team here at Chevron "” I feel like we have a strong ability to influence and add value because of the collaborative culture. I'm constantly being challenged in my role which makes my work rewarding and fulfilling.

Why do you choose to live in NL?

There's literally no place like home, in my opinion. I know everyone says that, but I genuinely feel that way after living away for several years. Our families are here, and our hearts are here. Moving back home made sense for our family and we couldn't be happier to be here and to put down our roots here.

There's also something to be said about Newfoundlanders. Since moving home, I've been reminded that there is such a sense of community here and that people are really supportive of one another.

What's your role at Chevron Canada?

I have a development geology role which involves maturing our understanding of the subsurface, making interpretations, and mitigating subsurface risks. Day-to-day, it involves analyzing subsurface data (wells, seismic), tracking current hydrocarbon production, and reviewing historical data to predict what we think we’re going to encounter in future wells based on what we know now.

I'm also responsible for reviewing near-term well proposals and collaborating with our partners to optimize well locations and mitigate risks. During our well proposal reviews, team members of different disciplines (reservoir engineering, drilling, completions, economics, and finance) work together to ensure we are setting ourselves up for success.

What do you like about the work you're doing?

I really enjoy the fast-paced nature of my job, and the challenge it presents. We also get to use our imaginations when we interpret data, which is part of the fun of being a geologist.

It's an exciting time to be working in the industry because we're testing new, cutting-edge technologies in the drilling and completions space, and constantly trying to streamline existing technologies to be simpler, safer, and more effective. Due to new drilling technologies, we're now able to access parts of the reservoir that we previously didn’t think we could.

Do you feel you've grown professionally at Chevron Canada?

Absolutely. The reservoirs at Hibernia are world-class but also very challenging. That keeps us on our toes. I'm constantly learning new things and feel like my technical skills have grown significantly in my 6 months in the role.

Chevron really prioritizes career development and accelerating our skill sets early on. Since I started with the company, I've had the opportunity to work in several different roles "” from Exploration to Reservoir Management to Business Planning "” which have been very rewarding because I now have a better understanding of "the bigger picture", and how the business works. I'm also grateful to have been able to travel the world with Chevron "” visiting places like Spain, Oregon, California, and Texas to name a few "” while learning from some of the brightest minds in the industry. Chevron is a great company to work for.

What do you and your family do for fun?

We love spending time outdoors and traveling with our daughter, Jade. We are currently living in Outer Cove and we love hiking around and visiting the beach. I'm hoping this summer we'll get lots of opportunities to explore the East Coast trail and tour around parts of Newfoundland that we haven’t been to before.