Over the years I have been asked many times what do you do, where do you work, or what is your career? When I reply that I am a Petroleum Landman, it is usually followed with the question, “What does a Petroleum Landman do?”
It is an easy answer, yet at the same time it is a complex answer, for a Petroleum Landman is one who wears many hats.
(I must insert a caveat here to say that there are many very capable women in this profession, and I know of no lady who insists on being called a Landwoman, Landman being accepted as a generic term.)
A Landman who wears many hats can establish a career path in the Petroleum Industry and have a broad based knowledge of many professions associated with this industry. He may have a degree in one or more of these professions or no degree at all. He may master any one or more of these professions with college degrees and experience, or he may become proficient in many through informal education and experience with mentors. Bottom line is that he has a deep knowledge of many facets of the oil business which are particularly associated with land and minerals.
This White Paper identifies the knowledge, education, and skills of varied professions, some knowledge of which goes into the making of a proficient Petroleum Landman. Many successful Petroleum Landmen have concentrated in one or two of these areas specifically associated with land and/or minerals and developed a very satisfying and profitable career. There are some who have built successful companies having started as a Petroleum Landman.
By this White Paper I am sharing my 61 years of doing corporate land work with major corporations and independent companies, and independent contract work for small companies, independent companies, private individuals, and estates. My career started in 1961 and extended through 2022, when I stepped back from doing what I had enjoyed doing for so many years.
Click here to read Jerry Taylor’s White Paper in its entirety!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jerry Taylor is a professional landman with extensive expertise in the realm of Petroleum Land Management and Law. A graduate of the University of Texas with a Business Degree in Petroleum Land Management in January 1962, Jerry then earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from LaSalle Extension University in December 1971.
Over the years he has worked at Hunt Oil Company in Williston, ND, California Oil Company (predecessor to Chevron Oil Company), across multiple locations in Casper, Wyoming, and Denver, Colorado, Mitchell Energy and Development Corp. As an independent landman he has partnered with Wagner & Brown, Ltd., EXCO Partners Operating Partnership LP, TXOK Texas Energy Resources, LP, ONEOK Energy Marketing & Trading, Quantum Resources Management LLC, H & B Oil & Gas Ltd., Reliance Energy, and First Capitol Petroleum (serving as president for two years).
We thank Jerry for his dedication to our profession and for sharing his knowledge and experience with this enlightening article.