If your business is in need of the services offered by oil-gas consultants or petroleum consultants you should do a little background research to ensure you enter into business operations as an informed client. Learn what to expect from the services, experience and business relationship encountered when utilizing oil and gas consultants.

An hour of research will provide your business with ease of mind in knowing that there will be no surprises or misunderstandings at any stage in the oil and gas management consultancy process. Consider the following before working with oil and gas management consultants:

1. Enter into consulting activities with an understanding of what services you should expect to utilize when working with oil and gas consultants.

2. Acquire a complete picture of what it is like to work with an oil and gas management consultant by reading through case studies illustrating company experiences.

3. See if your business can take advantage of the services provided by energy management companies that specialize in software management.

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Learn about the kinds of oil and gas management consulting services you should expect

Be an informed client when dealing with project management oil and gas drilling consultants by researching what types of services your business should expect. You can find such information on the services page of oil and gas management consulting companies' websites. Browse a couple of lists of services to gain a clear perspective of industry norms.

I recommend: Take a look at the oil and gas industry offerings from Enigma Data Solutions, a consultancy and information management company. View the various services offered by Oilfield Management, an oil and gas consulting company.

Understand the complete oil and gas management consultancy experience by reading case studies

Guard against surprises by reviewing case studies offered on oil gas consultant project management company websites. By reading through the experiences of other companies you can enter into a consulting relationship with an express understanding of what your business should expect at all times during the consulting process. Such information is available online and at no cost.

I recommend: Peruse a comprehensive list of consulting case studies at Schlumberger, an oilfield services provider. Visit the Marshall-Teichert Group website to review management consulting case studies.

Learn about oil and gas management consultants who specialize in software management

Research all aspects of the oil gas project management consultancy industry to ensure your business has a clear understanding of all the services that are at your disposal. There are a variety of energy management consultants that specialize in software management for oil and gas companies. You can learn about these services at consulting companies' websites.

I recommend: Check out services and case studies at Entrance Software, a custom software development and consulting company. Look over the services offered at Hitachi Consulting, a provider of field consulting services.

Oil and gas management consulting firms resolve production issues, develop effective processes and streamline asset tracking for petroleum businesses. From initial evaluation through project delivery, experienced oil gas consultant project management specialists help clients identify, design and deliver innovative solutions that maximize operational and asset performance goals.

Before beginning your search for oil gas consultants, it is important to define your consulting needs. Clearly identify the goal of your oil gas project management consultancy service, including project scope, skills needed, time frame and budget. This information will help you select the best energy management companies to meet your specific needs.

When selecting oil and gas management consultants for your organization, research each consulting firm and evaluate the following:

1. What kind of experience do the oil and gas management consultancy firms offer in your specific business sector?

2. What asset management services do the energy management consultants provide to enhance drilling, oil and gas production for your business?

3. How much should your business invest in project management oil and gas services?

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Hire oil and gas management consultants that specialize in your business sector

Select petroleum consultants who are seasoned professionals with extensive experience in your core business. Ask to see a list of past and present clients, and request references.

I recommend: Merrick Systems has more than 60 clients worldwide and features an online client list with testimonials. Coencorp provides fuel management services for a variety of industries, including airport authorities, armed forces, construction, food distribution, urban transit authorities, utilities and federal, state and local government.

Choose oil and gas management consulting firms with demonstrated skills

Review the services offered by each oil and gas management consultant. Evaluate the firm's experience, qualifications and certifications, and request successful project examples similar in scope to your desired oil and gas management consulting project.

I recommend: Alliance Engineering offers engineering capabilities for the energy industry and specializes in deepwater, shelf and onshore facilities projects. Elite Engineering provides a full range of engineering and consulting services for oil and gas production facilities. Petrotechnics works with global oil and gas corporations to improve frontline operational effectiveness.

Select oil and gas consultants that meet your budget

Many energy management consultants operate on a retainer with a minimum time commitment. Several utilize an hourly or project-based fee structure. Your oil and gas management consultancy will depend upon the scope of your services.

I recommend: Request a quote for oil and gas industry consulting from Rike Service, a petroleum industry training and consulting firm. Black Star Oil Company offers a daily rate for geoscientific consulting or special rates or retainer contracts.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Before hiring an oil and gas management consultant, find out if the consulting firm has expertise dealing with EPA regulation and compliance support. Your oil and gas management consulting firm should have experience negotiating with federal, state and local environmental authorities regarding compliance issues, and be skilled in evaluating environmental compliance for your current facilities.

Whether you currently work for or hope to work for an oil and gas management consultancy company, it will be beneficial to your professional advancement for you to take advantage of specialized training courses. Not only will continuing your schooling set you apart from other petroleum consultants, but it will also provide you with a solid educational foundation for building your consulting deftness and dexterity.

Before deciding on an appropriate educational course of action for current or prospective drilling consultants, consider the following regarding oil and gas management consultant education and training:

1. Complete an undergraduate or graduate degree program to add to your educational background and increase your desirability as a consultant to energy management companies.

2. Enroll in a professional development program to continue your education and add to your oil and gas management consulting skill set.

3. Participate in an oil and gas management certificate program to enhance your professional experience and strengthen your resume.

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Enroll in a degree program to enhance your oil and gas consultant project management expertise

Participate in an undergraduate or graduate degree program to begin or refresh your energy management consultant career. There are a number of colleges and universities offering degree programs geared toward professionals in the oil and gas industry. Utilize such programs of study to build and sharpen your oil and gas consultant proficiency.

I recommend: Visit the Penn State website to view a description of the Oil and Gas Engineering Management master's degree program. Learn about the Petroleum Engineering undergraduate degree program offered at Texas A & M.

Take part in a professional development program to boost your oil and gas consultant credentials

Rejuvenate your professional and educational background by completing an oil and gas management professional development program. Doing so will increase your desirability to individual clients as well as to oil and gas project management consultancy firms. You will remain on the forefront of the consulting industry while honing your business acumen.

I recommend: View information about the Advanced Management Program for Oil and Gas Industry Executives available through the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Explore PetroSkills courses in Operations Management from John M. Campbell.

Sign up to participate in a project management oil and gas certificate program

Reinforce your qualifications and oil and gas management consultant competency by taking part in a certificate program. Participating in such a program will demonstrate to current and prospective clients your depth of knowledge and drive for professional betterment. The Internet holds a wealth of information regarding certificate programs provided by educational organizations and universities that are available to oil and gas management consultants.

I recommend: Take a look at the integrated certificate programs offered by Petroskills. Check out the Certificate in Management in Energy available through Rice University.

If your business needs to tap into the expertise offered by oil and gas management consultants, it is beneficial to learn a bit about the industry so you can "talk the talk" when interviewing and negotiating a contract. All companies contain industry-specific jargon, and oil and gas is no exception. The oil and gas management consultants key terms below should help bring you up to speed.

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Certificate of Management in Energy

The Certificate of Management in Energy program offered by Rice University and Ernst & Young is a well-known program that counts as its graduates many oil and gas management consultants. A certification in energy management is a credential worth demanding from any energy consultant your business interviews.

I recommend: Rice University's website provides detailed information about their Certificate of Management in Energy program.

Completion engineering

Completion engineers design and implement techniques to help maximize the production of oil and gas using completion techniques. These engineers are experts in determining the best way to extract oil from an area, given the nature or type of the well or reservoir. Oil and gas management consultants will often interface with completion engineering companies.

I recommend: Chevron's website provides many details about a career in completion engineering.

Reservoir management

Reservoir management is used to manage new oil and gas field development, or to revive life into older ones. Oil and gas consultants work with reservoir management experts to use remote sensors and simulation modeling. Techniques like these have been shown to maximize the amount of oil and gas retrieved from a field.

I recommend: Touch Briefings' article entitled "Realtime Reservoir Management for Achieving Asset Value" will provide you with a better understanding of the value of reservoir management.

Oil and gas assets

Many companies need the services of an oil and gas management consultant in order to buy or sell a company in the industry. An analysis of a company's oil and gas assets must be completed before it can be sold. An oil and gas assets listing is similar to a business valuation report in that it analyzes everything about a company and lists it for all to see.

I recommend: Details of the Vermilion Energy Trust Oil and Gas Assets Report appeared on RedOrbit when the company was for sale.

Alliance-Partners of Oil Advisers

The Alliance-Partners of Oil Advisers is an informal association of sorts, with many oil and gas management consultants and managers among its ranks.

I recommend: Oil Advisers explains the Alliance-Partners group in detail.

Field development planning

One of the core competencies of many oil and gas consultants is field development planning. Consultants with this expertise will assist in maximizing a potential oil or gas revenue opportunity via risk analysis,an appraisal process that includes reservoir modelling, in addition to other analyses and calculations.

I recommend: RP Perth Western Australia specializes in field development planning and, as such, provides an excellent explanation of the key term on its website.