Entrepreneurship in the crude oil and natural gas industries is by no means a new subject. In fact, people have been developing methods to profit off these resources for nearly two centuries. Even with the prevalence of alternative sources of energy (solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, etc.), the oil and gas industries show no signs of slowing down. One part of the country that is of particular interest is the Permian Basin. This is the area of West Texas that overlaps into Southeast New Mexico and is one of the world’s highest producing regions of oil and natural gases. The landscape of the industry is going through an adjustment period given all the new sources of energy being developed in response to climate change. The next generation of entrepreneurs needs to be trained in new solutions and strategies for the industry to remain profitable and in compliance with new environmental regulations.
We have created a series of courses for high schools (2 courses) and community colleges (4 courses) that explores the entrepreneurial aspects of mining, refining, and distributing crude oil and natural gases. The course sequence includes these sections:
High School
- Oil and Gas Environmental Safety
- History, Regulations and Challenges
- Environmental Science
- Radiation Biology
- Environmental Toxicology
- Sampling, Analysis and Risk Assessment
- Pollution Prevention
- Decontamination
- Ecosystem Restoration
- Entrepreneurship in Oil Field Remediation
- Principles of Business Management and Ethics
- Oil and Gas Laws and Regulations
- Oil Field Remediation Business Operations
Community College
- Oil, Gas, and the Environment
- Principles of Petrochemistry
- Environmental Chemistry
- Toxicology
- Oil Field Remediation
- Environmental Sampling & Analysis
- Pollution Control
- Waste Management
- Energy and Environmental Economics
- Principles of Microeconomics
- Energy Economics
- Environmental Economics
- Environmental Finance
- Entrepreneurship in Oil Field Remediation
- Principles of Business Management and Ethics
- Oil and Gas Laws and Regulations
- Oil Field Remediation Business Operations
These courses are designed to give students an insight into how the oil and gas industries operate, including details about how resources are found, extracted/refined, and distributed/transported. Additionally, students will learn who the major players, organizations, and agencies are within the industry, and who ultimately dictates the flow of these natural resources. Importantly, students will gain an understanding of how to manage and mitigate environmental risks, including regulatory risks.
It is essential for students to be knowledgeable about all the energy sources that comprise the industry. These courses will help students understand future trends and emerging technologies within the industry to give them a better grasp on the business side of oil and gas industry. The success and resilience of the Permian Basin’s economy depends on training young entrepreneurs for careers in the energy industry, and our new courses provide them with a head start.
If you are interested in adopting these courses for your high school or community college curriculum, contact: