Professionals involved in developing, interpreting, and enforcing oil and gas regulations rely on a sound understanding of field operations. As the industry evolves, both experienced and early-career regulatory personnel want to stay abreast of technical changes related to their oversight of oil and gas production at the local, state / province, and federal level. This awareness enables them to more effectively balance concerns for personal and community safety, stewardship of the state’s natural resources and environment, and support of economic development . Understanding basic geology, drilling and production technology, emerging issues, occupational safety, environmental protection advancements, and effective communication can assist regulatory personnel when interfacing with landowners, operators, the public, and interagency colleagues. Not all regulatory agencies have been able to develop robust internal training programs, but that’s where TOP Energy Training can help. Access to TOP Energy Training allows agency managers to provide beneficial training to field inspectors and office staff who interact with topics such as:
- Hydraulic fracturing
- Drill site requirements
- Drilling / production equipment regulations
- Well spacing and setbacks
- Flowline and Pipeline access
- Drainage and subsurface trespass
- Induced seismicity
- Permitting
- Communication techniques with operators, landowners, and colleagues
- Land reclamation
- Environmental contamination and protection
- Water access and usage
- Injection and waste disposal
- Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR)
- Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS)
- Health, Safety, Security, Environment (HSSE) requirements
- Abandoned and orphaned wells
Workforce Development
Although the oil and gas sector industry is growing, many current regulatory personnel are approaching retirement and aging out of these high-priority occupations, requiring an influx of new human resources, according to a report from the Rand Corporation. Also, many people enter the regulatory workforce from backgrounds outside of oil and gas, e.g., chemistry, environmental science. While younger staff, who are fresh out of high school, college, or graduate programs, may have up-to-date schooling and current technical information, the frequency of technological advances and workers’ need for critical institutional knowledge in the sector means that training will greatly enhance their confidence and capacity to contribute. Greater than 95% of field inspectors who have participated in our training programs say they have increased the scientific knowledge base they need to do their job well.
The pace of technological growth also means that college coursework can lag behind field advances. TOP Energy Training can fill the resulting skills and knowledge gaps, equipping regulatory personnel for success. We’re a perfect fit for managers who may find their workforce underprepared, but lack the resources for in-house program development. TOP Energy Training provides courses for the current and future workforce to help oil and gas companies fill these gaps. A more thoroughly trained and up-to-date workforce means less employee turnover and better on-the-job performance.
Personal Development
Staying abreast of changing technologies presents a challenge to those employed directly or indirectly in the industry. Both experienced and early career employees want to stay up-to-date and expand their knowledge in the industry so they can remain effective in their endeavors. Regardless of whether your position is technical, nontechnical, directly in oil and gas extraction, or in support of advisory industries, additional training to understand the ever-changing industry will add to your effectiveness. With the in-depth understanding and wider breadth of knowledge TOP Energy Training courses provide, you can take confident control of your professional development both short term and long term. In fact, field inspectors who have participated in our training programs say they have increased their confidence in their own skills and knowledge.
Some of the TOP Energy Training Courses & Topics Relevant to Regulators
Natural gas exploration and extraction draws a lot of attention today. TOP Energy Training’s comprehensive and practical training content, based on scientific principles, can help regulators in many areas of their work.
“Highly recommend! The TOP Energy online training courses provide oil and gas regulators and inspectors with a fundamental understanding of industry operations, as well as insight into technical trends and solutions that are changing the way the oil and gas industry does business.” -Patrick A
In addition to technical content, TOP Energy online training provides regulatory personnel with lessons on effective communications in the oil and gas industry. We asked the field inspectors who have participated in our training programs and they told us that our course helped them have increased confidence in their interactions with the public. Some of the lessons and topics they found most helpful are listed below:
- Knowing Yourself and Social Networks Lesson (part of the Effective Communications course)
Regulatory personnel interacts with attorneys, government employees, policymakers, landowners, and, sometimes, the greater public. The Effective Communications course equips regulators with a foundational understanding of the nature of their relationships with people in three realms: strangers, neighbors, and family. Understanding the distinctions between these relationships helps regulators act appropriately toward others and decide which rhetorical strategies will be most effective in any given encounter.
- Difficult Situations Lesson (part of the Effective Communications course)
This lesson focuses on clarity, authenticity, and trust within the energy sector. No amount of careful planning and knowledge can completely eliminate the possibility of miscommunication and conflict. In difficult situations, it is best to take immediate steps to mitigate social fallout, resolve conflicts, and repair relationships. In the oil and gas industry, if a relationship sours, it’s not always possible to avoid the party in question – in fact, you may be required by your job to keep interacting with them regularly. Developing strategies to reach a point of reconciliation and compromise not only makes your day-to-day life more comfortable, but it also enables your organization to function and reach its goals more efficiently. The lesson closes with a case study of the Horse River Wildfire in Canada and the ability for industry, regulatory agencies, and communities to manage a crisis in the Athabasca oil sands operation area through trust.
Why Choose TOP Energy Training?
Trust
TOP Energy Training believes that collaboration creates the best, most-informed online courses about oil and gas extraction as well as industry best practices. Our courses are built by an educational consortium made up of Colorado School of Mines, Penn State University, and The University of Texas at Austin, and learning materials focus on technology, science, and engineering of oil and gas operations—fundamentals as well as complex concepts and the latest advances and environmental regulations. We’ve designed our entire curriculum around a needs assessment of regulatory agencies across the United States.
Time Commitment
TOP Energy Training courses are efficient, asynchronous, and self-paced, fitting into your time management reality. Each TOP Energy Training course in our learning management system requires approximately 15 hours to complete. Short, optional self-check quizzes at the end of each lesson help you reinforce and assess your understanding and insight as you go.
Subject Matter Experts
Faculty and specialists from numerous universities, oil and gas experts with a range of industry backgrounds and environmental approaches and non-governmental professionals with a diversity of technical and environmental insight have helped create our course material. We’ve assembled a team of professionals and educators who provide unbiased, objective information about technological advancements and trends in an engaging online learning environment.
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For more information on our courses, webinars and symposiums, contact us today or sign up for a training course!
