Engineer - Petroleum Scientist , or ; Permitting & Compliance

Office of Permitting & Compliance – Permitting

The Office of Permitting and Compliance (OPC) oversees all permitting and regulatory functions within the Department, ensuring clarity, consistency, and regulatory integrity. By streamlining processes, accelerating permitting timelines and enhancing data-driven decision-making, the Office ensures compliance with environmental standards while supporting responsible economic development.

OPC centralizes all permitting and compliance functions, aligning engineering, geology, ecology, design, and compliance divisions into a single workflow. Its structure includes integrity and production audits, UIC and storage regulation, groundwater protection, coastal permits and mitigation, and reservoir and legacy site management.

This Petroleum Scientist 1, 2, or 3 position is located within the Permitting Division of the Office Permitting & Compliance and is domiciled in Baton Rouge, LA. The incumbent in this position reports to the Petroleum Scientist Manager 1. All work is performed in accordance with departmental policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.

A bachelor’s degree in a geoscience field or engineering.

The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here.

Duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Process Financial Security pertaining to Bond, CD, and Letter of Credit posted by operators to cover and insure funds for well plugging and abandonment.
• Process Applications for Permit to Drill for Minerals (original and amended) for the State of Louisiana.
• Responsible for assisting in the direction of permitting activities for drilling operations throughout the state.
• Responsible for the issuance of permits to drill, amendments, and for the determination of the requirements placed on such permits.
• Responds to inquiries from industry and citizens via telephone, fax, electronic mail and regular mail.
• Process applications under the Severance Tax Relief Program (S.T.R.P.).
• Ensure the proposed well or existing well for any application is in compliance with existing field orders and will result in the most efficient and economic drainage of hydrocarbons under consideration.
• Ensure the legal notice for substitute unit well and alternate unit well designation is legally advertised in the correct manner and proper notification is given to ensure the fair and equitable rights of all parties are protected.
• Conducts studies, evaluations, economic feasibility determinations, and analysis of various complex proposed projects to improve the recovery of producing oil and gas reservoirs submitted at public hearings for approval.
• Ensure the commingling of gas and/or liquid hydrocarbons and the use of methods will provide reasonable accurate measurement, will not create inequities, etc.
• Responsible for the review and approval of applications for the measurement and transfer of custody of liquid hydrocarbons required by Statewide Order 29-G-1 (LACT).
• May perform other duties as assigned.

Appointment Type: Probational

Career Progression: This position does participate in a Career Progression Group.

Work Schedule: Work hours are flexible.

The salary offered will be based on qualifications and experience. This position is eligible for premium pay of up to $2.00 per hour for licensed employees. A Special Entrance Rate (SER) is offered to qualified applicants.

• Petroleum Scientist 1: TS-312 – hourly $27.65–$43.28, monthly $4,792.67–$7,502, annual $57,512–$90,022.
• Petroleum Scientist 2: TS-314 – hourly $30.55–$49.55, monthly $5,295.33–$8,589, annual $63,544–$103,064.
• Petroleum Scientist 3: TS-316 – hourly $33.76–$56.73, monthly $5,851.73–$9,833, annual $70,220.80–$117,988.
• Petroleum Scientist 1 (Petroleum Engineering Degree): hourly $28.85–$43.28, monthly $5,000.67–$7,502, annual $60,008–$90,022.
• Petroleum Scientist 2 (Petroleum Engineering Degree): hourly $33.03–$49.55, monthly $5,725.20–$8,589, annual $68,702.40–$103,064.
• Petroleum Scientist 3 (Petroleum Engineering Degree): hourly $37.82–$56.73, monthly $6,555.47–$9,833, annual $78,665.60–$117,998.

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