Michael Welch - Planning Manager at Marathon Oil Corporation
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EDUCATION:
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When I was a junior in high school, I was fortunate to have found my way to an offshore oil and gas career fair in the Houston area. The complexity and technology involved in the construction of offshore facilities instantly drew my interest. It was at this event where I met my first petroleum engineer, Baljit Singh. Mr. Singh was very generous with his time and let me visit the FMC office to learn more about his job. This sealed the deal for my future, I was determined to become a petroleum engineer.
A year later, with graduation approaching, I was blessed to receive an SPE-GCS scholarship. Coming from a family of limited means, the generosity of the local section made a significant impact on my ability to make ends meet at Texas A&M University. To everyone in SPE who has offered their time, advice, or financial support to the next generation entering the oil industry, thank you so much for your goodwill!
It has been 13 years since I graduated as a petroleum engineer. My time in the oil industry has exceeded all of my expectations. I've been able to live all over the United States, even overseas, working in reservoir engineering, production engineering, facilities design, finance, business development, and now planning. Every day I get to work on challenging projects and work with others just as passionate as myself. I'll always be grateful to those who opened my eyes to this profession and to SPE for opening the door to me through their scholarship.