Petroleum Scientist , or ; Enforcement

Office of Enforcement – Inspections Division

The Office of Enforcement (OENF) is dedicated to ensuring regulatory compliance and protecting public and environmental interests through rigorous inspection programs, timely enforcement actions, and transparent oversight. Its operations uphold compliance standards, swiftly address violations, and maintain trust and accountability within Louisiana’s regulated community.

This position coordinates and directs the technical and administrative functions related to field surveillance, enforcement, and compliance activities for injection wells within a public safety program that regulates the environmental impacts of statewide energy resource exploration, development and storage, and the subsurface mining of minerals pursuant to the Louisiana UIC Program.

• Coordinate and direct technical and administrative functions related to field surveillance, enforcement, and compliance for injection wells.
• Assist with the closure of abandoned commercial exploration and production waste management facilities, including preparation of environmental site assessments, closure plans, and requests for proposals for contractor bidding.
• Establish standard operating procedures for field staff and other programs to ensure compliance with rules and regulations.
• Schedule, prepare, distribute, and collect statutory and regulatory fees and civil penalties of the Injection and Mining Section; schedule the preparation, mail‑out, collection, and audit of the divisional self‑monitoring reports and organization reports.
• Review technical and field reports/inspections and make recommendations to management on regulatory noncompliance; determine appropriate enforcement actions.
• Manage timely submission of operator self‑monitoring reports and perform audits for technical accuracy, completeness, and consistency.
• Conduct follow‑up audits on inaccurate, incomplete, or delinquent operator filings to ensure timely compliance.
• Perform any additional duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in a geoscience field, geology, engineering, or related discipline.
• High degree of knowledge in specialized field inspection activities on oil and gas resource recovery, waste management, hydrocarbon storage, and subsurface mineral solution mining.
• Experience with policies, procedures, and regulations of the Division and the Department of Conservation & Energy.
• Knowledge of UIC, EPA, and other state or federal agency requirements.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to make recommendations to management.

Appointment type:
Probationary.

Career progression:
Petroleum Scientist 1–3.

Work schedule:

40 hours per week in the Baton Rouge office.

Compensation:
Salary determined by qualifications and experience. Premium pay is available for qualified applicants.

Premium pay rate for licensed LAPELS engineer or LBOPG geoscientist: $2.00 per hour on eligible hours. Additional premium amounts are provided for higher qualification levels (details available upon request).

Louisiana is a State As a Model Employer (SAME) that supports the recruitment, hiring, and retention of individuals with disabilities.