About this role
Job Title
Wellsite Geologist
Work Schedule
Equal Rotation
Department
Subsurface
Work Location
HKN Operational Areas within KRI
Reports to
Subsurface Manager
Start Date
To be confirmed
Subordinates
Not Applicable
Application Deadline
September 19, 2025
Contract Type
Open Contract
Other details
Three months' probation
About Us:
HKN Energy Ltd. is a privately held, independent energy company with oil exploration and production operations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).
HKN Energy is focused on increasing production of its Sarsang Block, located in the prolific Zagros fold, and thrust belt of Northern Kurdistan. We have a highly experienced, diverse team with work experience in over 80 different countries. HKN Energy is committed to building a company culture that is guided by its Core Values of Integrity, Respect, Excellence, Commitment, and Teamwork.
Position Summary
The Wellsite Geologist is the Company's geological representative at the rig and a member of the HKN Energy Subsurface Team, responsible for the safe, accurate and efficient execution of geological operations and for providing timely geological interpretation and recommendations during drilling across HKN-operated assets. The role ensures the geological objectives of the Well Program are met, that maximum good-quality data is captured, correctly recorded and archived, and that all geological service providers are effectively supervised. Reports to the Subsurface Manager and works closely with the office Geoscientists and with the Drilling Engineers, Drilling Supervisors and logging specialists of the Well Operations Team.
Main Duties & Responsibilities
• Well objectives & program: achieve the geological objectives of the approved Well Program. Review the Well Program, geological prognosis, offset wells and available subsurface data prior to spud and participate in pre-spud, DWOP and relevant rig meetings. Provide timely geological recommendations during drilling and communicate any proposed changes through the appropriate operational and management-of-change process.
• Geological operations & evaluation: supervise geological operations and ensure they are performed safely and correctly. Describe cuttings, cores, lithology and hydrocarbon shows and compile the geological wellsite log. Integrate mud-logging, gas, calcimetry and available LWD/wireline data to identify formation tops, reservoir intervals, reservoir quality and potential fluid contacts. Provide geological recommendations regarding casing points, coring intervals, logging requirements and TD. Support geosteering of horizontal and deviated wells in close collaboration with the office geoscience team.
• Drilling-hazard awareness: anticipate and evaluate geological and geomechanical risks while drilling, including abnormal pressure, losses, gains, wellbore instability, faults and fractured intervals. Integrate geological observations with drilling parameters and available image/log data and communicate potential hazards promptly to the Drilling Supervisor and office team.
• Core & sample handling: recommend and confirm core points and ensure cores are processed, described and preserved; ensure cuttings and cores are caught, dried, described, bagged and labelled at prescribed intervals, with complete sample sets retained.
• Sample warehouses & MNR: supervise and manage the geological samples stored in Company warehouses (inventory, storage, labelling); prepare the samples required by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) per their instructions and deliver them to the MNR warehouse with proper labelling and supporting documentation (chain of custody).
• Contractor supervision & QA/QC: supervise and quality-assure geological service companies — mud logging, LWD/MWD, wireline and coring and identify and communicate service-quality issues and ensure deficiencies are corrected in a timely manner — including real-time operations and data-quality assurance.
• Data, reporting & communication: ensure all geological, drilling and logging data are accurate, quality controlled, appropriately indexed and transferred to the Company data repository in accordance with Company standards. Compile, transmit and archive all required daily, weekly and operational reports and logs. Maintain continuous communication with the office Geoscientists, Drilling Supervisor and relevant contractors and provide clear and comprehensive shift and well handovers.
• Office and post-well activities: during office assignments, support preparation of geological prognoses and Well Programs, review offset-well data, update well correlations and geological interpretations, assist with Petrel project/database updates and contribute to End-of-Well Reports. Participate in post-well reviews, capture lessons learned and incorporate relevant findings into future well planning.
• HSE: conduct all operations safely, wear required PPE, report all accidents and near misses per rig instructions, attend all safety drills (unless cleared) and pertinent rig meetings, and uphold Company HSE standards.
Working Schedule & Conditions
• The schedule is flexible and split between KRI field operations (Atrush, Sarsang & Miran) and the Erbil office per operational requirements. Must be able to work under pressure and provide continuous day and night coverage at the wellsite as operations require, on a rotational basis and available to mobilize at short notice.
• During active drilling operations, the Wellsite Geologist may be required to provide support outside normal shift hours where time-critical geological decisions or operational requirements arise.
Minimum Qualifications
• Bachelor's or master's degree in Geology, Geoscience, Earth Sciences or a related discipline.
• Minimum 5 years' wellsite geology experience, including supervision of geological operations on exploration, appraisal and/or development wells. Experience in carbonate reservoirs and structurally complex fields is strongly preferred.
• Proven experience supervising mud logging, including real-time operations and data quality assurance.
• Solid understanding of drilling operations, well-delivery workflows and well-control / pore-pressure concepts.
• Competent with relevant wellsite and subsurface software, including mud-logging systems, WellCAD and Petrel or equivalent applications; relevant HSE certifications (H2S, first aid) or ability to obtain them, and medically fit for field work.
• Strong analytical, integrative and problem-solving skills with sound, timely operational decisions.
• Able to work under pressure day or night; high attention to detail in data quality and documentation.
• Effective interpersonal, written/verbal communication, management and negotiation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise contractors, coordinate multidisciplinary operational activities and provide clear recommendations under time-critical conditions.
• Proactive about learning and continuous improvement; strong commitment to HSE and regulatory compliance.