Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Upstream Consultant

🎯 Role Definition

An Upstream Consultant is a technical and commercial advisor specializing in upstream oil and gas operations — combining reservoir engineering, production and subsurface expertise with project delivery and client management to design, optimize and de-risk field development plans, well programs, production campaigns and digital transformation initiatives. The role requires translating complex subsurface and production data into transparent recommendations, technical reports and business cases that improve recovery, reduce operating expenditure and support safe, regulatory-compliant operations.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Junior Reservoir/Production Engineer or Petrophysicist promoted into a client-facing consulting role
Field Petroleum Engineer or Well Test Engineer transitioning to technical advisory
Subsurface Data Scientist or Geoscientist moving into integrated asset consulting

Advancement To:

Senior Upstream Consultant / Technical Lead — leading multi-discipline technical teams and large client engagements
Principal Consultant / Subject Matter Expert — recognized expert across multiple assets and technologies
Asset Manager, Head of Subsurface, or VP of Engineering — operational leadership roles within operator organisations

Lateral Moves:

Field Development Planner or Production Optimization Lead
Technical Project Manager for upstream capital projects

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead and execute integrated field development studies that include reservoir characterization, well placement, phased development options, production forecasting and economic evaluation to deliver optimized development plans and clear go/no-go recommendations to clients.
Perform reservoir simulation (static and dynamic) modeling, history-matching and sensitivity analysis using tools such as Petrel, ECLIPSE, CMG or equivalent to quantify reserves, uncertainty and production scenarios that support investment decisions.
Design and conduct nodal analysis, well performance evaluations and artificial lift optimization studies to diagnose well restrictions, recommend interventions and increase oil/gas recovery and uptime for producing assets.
Interpret well test and production logging data to quantify deliverability, skin, reservoir drive mechanisms and compartmentalization, producing technical reports and recommendations for well workovers or further appraisal.
Develop and validate production decline curve analysis, material balance calculations and PVT-driven forecasts to estimate reserves, production profiles and cashflow projections for reporting and fiscal planning.
Create robust economic models (NPV, IRR, sensitivity and risk analysis, Monte Carlo simulations) to compare development alternatives, support commercial negotiations, and provide transparent value drivers for stakeholders.
Provide specialist drilling and completions input to scoping studies and well programs, evaluating drilling risk, completion design, stimulation options and well architecture to maximize long-term well productivity and recovery.
Integrate petrophysical, geological and seismic interpretations with reservoir engineering workflows to refine reservoir zonation, connectivity and volumetrics used in field development and reservoir simulation models.
Lead multi-disciplinary technical workshops and steering committees with operators, partners and vendors to align on project scope, technical assumptions, delivery milestones and change-control governance.
Deliver client-facing technical reports, board presentations and tender proposals that clearly summarize technical assumptions, uncertainties, recommended actions and commercial impacts for non-technical stakeholders.
Implement reservoir surveillance programs and production monitoring frameworks, establishing KPIs, dashboards and automated reporting using data-science or SCADA integrations to support continuous optimization.
Design and oversee pilot projects for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), well stimulation and production trials, including test planning, success criteria, monitoring and post-trial evaluation.
Perform regulatory and HSE assessments for upstream operations, ensuring designs and recommendations meet local regulatory requirements, operator standards and industry best practices for safe operations.
Provide technical due diligence for M&A, farm-in/farm-out and JV transactions, assessing subsurface risk, reserve estimates, CAPEX/OPEX implications and remediation plans.
Lead root-cause analysis and troubleshooting for underperforming wells or facilities, coordinating with surface facilities, reservoir and production teams to implement pragmatic engineering fixes and schedule interventions.
Mentor and coach junior engineers and geoscientists, developing team capability through hands-on training, technical reviews, and knowledge transfer sessions to embed best practices.
Manage project budgets, schedules and resource allocation for multi-site engagements, ensuring deliverables are on time, within scope and aligned to client expectations and commercial targets.
Evaluate and recommend digital tools, machine learning models and data-management platforms to accelerate subsurface workflows, improve forecasting accuracy and reduce cycle-time for decision-making.
Collaborate with commercial, legal and operations teams to translate technical recommendations into executable contracts, scopes of work and performance-based agreements with vendors and service companies.
Prepare and execute scope-of-work documents, SOWs and technical proposals for clients, including clear deliverables, acceptance criteria, timelines and risk mitigation plans.
Drive stakeholder engagement and change management activities during project implementation to ensure operator buy-in, clarity of roles and successful adoption of new processes or technologies.
Coordinate third-party vendors and laboratory service providers for sample testing, PVT analysis, core description and specialized measurement services to support reservoir characterization and technical studies.
Support exploration appraisal activities by screening plays, evaluating well results, updating volumetrics and providing go-forward recommendations for appraisal wells and testing programs.
Maintain continuous professional awareness of new upstream technologies, reservoir modeling advances, EOR methods and regulatory changes, incorporating learnings into client recommendations and internal practice improvement.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Prepare internal knowledge products, best-practice templates and technical checklists to accelerate delivery quality across consulting engagements.
Represent the company at industry conferences, technical symposia and client workshops to strengthen commercial relationships and support business development.
Assist sales teams with technical input for proposals, bid defense and scoping discussions to convert opportunities into delivered projects.
Conduct periodic reservoir health checks and performance reviews to advise on incremental optimization opportunities and tactical interventions.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Reservoir simulation and modeling (ECLIPSE, CMG, IPM or equivalent) — model building, history match and scenario runs for field development planning.
Petrophysical and geological data integration using Petrel, Techlog or equivalent to define static models and reservoir architecture.
Well test analysis and interpretation tools (e.g., Saphir, PanSystem, WellTest) and core/PVT data interpretation workflows.
Nodal analysis and well performance software (Prosper, OFM, KARO, or equivalent) for artificial lift and inflow/outflow optimization.
Production forecasting, decline analysis and reserves estimation (P50/P10/P90, material balance, volumetrics).
Economic evaluation and risk analysis (NPV, IRR, Monte Carlo/uncertainty quantification and fiscal modelling).
Field development planning and well placement optimization, including geo-mechanical and fracture stimulation input.
Data analytics and scripting (Python, MATLAB, R) plus experience with SQL and data visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau) for dashboards and automation.
Familiarity with digital oilfield technologies: SCADA integration, real-time data feeds, IoT sensors and ML-based anomaly detection.
Knowledge of drilling and completions design, production chemistry, artificial lift systems and surface facilities interfaces.
Regulatory, HSE and well integrity compliance understanding in multiple jurisdictions (local permitting, safety case inputs).
Technical report writing and presentation skills — ability to produce high-quality deliverables suitable for executive and technical audiences.

Soft Skills

Excellent client-facing communication and stakeholder management skills, capable of presenting complex technical issues clearly to executives and partners.
Strong problem-solving and analytical judgment with an ability to synthesize large datasets into actionable insights and prioritized recommendations.
Project management and organisational skills — managing multiple engagements, budgets and cross-functional teams under tight deadlines.
Leadership and mentoring — developing junior staff, building high-performing technical teams and fostering knowledge transfer.
Commercial acumen with the capability to translate technical options into business impacts and negotiate technical scopes in commercial settings.
Collaborative mindset and adaptability — working effectively across multidisciplinary teams and diverse cultural contexts.
Attention to detail and quality assurance orientation to ensure technical accuracy and integrity in modelling and reports.
Time management and prioritisation skills to balance field support, client meetings and deliverable production.
Resilience and decisiveness under operational pressure to respond to production emergencies or critical well interventions.
Ethical judgment and professionalism — maintaining confidentiality, impartiality and compliance with industry standards.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Petroleum Engineering, Reservoir Engineering, Geoscience, Mechanical/Chemical Engineering or closely related technical discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree or PhD in Petroleum/Reservoir Engineering, Geoscience, Petroleum Geology, or MSc in Data Science with petroleum applications.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Petroleum / Reservoir Engineering
Geoscience / Petroleum Geology
Mechanical or Chemical Engineering (with upstream experience)
Data Science / Applied Mathematics (for digital upstream roles)
Earth Sciences / Petrophysics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

5–15 years of progressive upstream experience, including a mix of field operations and technical office roles; consulting experience strongly preferred.

Preferred:

8+ years in reservoir engineering, production engineering or subsurface consulting with demonstrable experience delivering field development studies, well performance optimization, reservoir simulation and commercial evaluations across onshore and offshore assets.
Experience with multi-client engagements, international regulations, joint-venture management and cross-discipline delivery teams.
Professional certifications such as SPE membership, PMP, NEBOSH or equivalent safety/industry certifications are advantageous.