If you are interested in the oil and gas industry, as a professional or as an entrepreneur, I know you are keen to learn about it. However, finding information about the industry is sometime hard. So, what is the best way to learn about oil and gas industry?

I have had challenges getting oil and gas information or data. This is because some is confidential and proprietary. The other reason is that I did not know how to learn oil and gas industry.

If you feel the same, then this article is for you.

I took time to research on some of the best ways you can learn about the upstream oil and gas industry, and actually the entire oil and gas value chain.

9 Best Ways to Learn about Oil and Gas Industry

The following are some of the best ways to learn about oil and gas industry today;

1. Be Curious.
2. Study Oil and Gas Industry.
3. Take Notes with a Pen and Paper.
4. Learn by Doing.
5. Study other People.
6. Teach What You Learn.
7. Take Breaks when Reading.
8. Test Yourself
9. Find a Mentor.

Learning new things is one of the important parts of life. You should always be working towards learning and growing.

I know this takes time, and time is precious. It has taken me over 10 years to learn about oil and gas industry.

To be honest, am still learning, un-learning and re-learning about the industry.

Now, let us look more into the above ideas.

How to Learn about Oil and Gas Industry as a Beginner

If you are starting in the oil and gas industry, you should consider using the following ways to learn about the oil and gas sector.

1. Be Curious.

I know you are aware or taught that curiosity killed the cat. While that might be true, there is nothing that stimulates learning quite like curiosity.

You should ask questions, make mistakes and get messy about the topic or industry you want. This will help you learn about oil and gas industry more easily.

Engage with other professionals or entrepreneurs in the industry.

Instead of letting a textbook guide your learning, you take the lead. Seek answers from many sources.

It is important to ensure that you do not just memorize theories and techniques. You should question them at every step.

Think about why they matter, why they are relevant. Tinker with the tools and knowledge available. See what you end up discovering!

You may end up surprising even yourself.

2. Study Oil and Gas Industry.

While there are many ways in which you can learn about oil and gas industry, the simplest of them all is to study oil and gas industry related courses.

Yes, you can go school and learn. This can be technical or non-technical oil and gas course to help you increase your knowledge in the industry.

You can also enrol into the online courses that are available.

Truth is, you have no excuse as to why you cannot learn about oil and gas industry today.

3. Take Notes with a Pen and Paper.

If you are reading or studying oil and gas materials, it is very tempting to use our technology to take notes.

However, to speed up your learning about the oil and gas industry, skip the laptop and take notes the old-fashioned way. That is with a pen and paper.

Research shows that those who type what they are learning retain information at a lower level. If you take notes by hand, research indicates you will learn more.

While taking notes by hand is slower and more cumbersome than typing, the act of writing out the information fosters comprehension and retention.

Reframing the information in your own words helps you retain the information longer, meaning you will have better recall and will perform better on tests.

4. Learn by Doing.

Humans are natural learners and we learn best when we perform the tasks we are trying to learn.

No matter how good your grades were at college, most of your learning takes place once you enter the workplace and start applying what you have learned.

Let us say you are trying to learn about oil and gas industry.

Do not invest all your time in learning the jargon and theory. Try to find a way in which you can get hands-on experience.

Find out for yourself what works and what does not. The more you do it, the more you learn about oil and gas.

Better yet, build new habits to enforce your new skills.

Start small and reward yourself to start building a pattern of behavior that will reinforce what you’re learning.

5. Study other People.

I know you have heard over and over again that if you want to learn something, you should learn from others.

That you should learn from people who have done what you want to learn.

From example, aspiring writers are taught that the best way to write better is to read a lot of books, especially the classics.

Why? Because they will learn a lot more by studying the writing styles of great writers, than they would by taking a course on writing.

Let us take this advice a step further and apply it into learning about oil and gas industry.

While studying the greats is essential, it is more of a passive exercise. In order to gain from it, you need to apply that learning to your own work as well.

One way to do this is to mimic experts until you eventually develop your own style and technique.

This form of learning can be applied to any skill, be it writing, speaking another language, or even sports. Compare your work with that of experts in your field and you will notice areas that need improvement.

6. Teach What You Learn.

One of the more surprising ways you can learn a new skill is to teach it to someone else.

Much research has been done on this phenomenon, but one study illustrates it particularly well.

In the study, two sets of participants study the same passage, with different expectations.

One group was expected to teach it later, the other one expected a test on it. At the end, both groups were eventually tested on the material.

Guess which group did better? Yes, the one that expected to teach it.

Why is this such an effective way to learn?

Because when we learn with the intention to teach, we break the material down into simple, understandable chunks for ourselves. It also forces us to examine the topic more critically and thoroughly, helping us to understand it better.

You do not have to be an education major to use this trick.

Try explaining what you are learning about oil and gas industry to friends or co-workers. See if you can field all their questions.

You could also write regular blog posts (like the articles you are reading write now) or make videos while you are learning.

See if you are able to express what you learn in simple words. The results might surprise you.

7. Take Breaks when Reading.

Information overload is a real thing.

In order to learn something new, our brains must send signals to our sensory receptors to save the new information.

However, stress and overload will prevent your brain from effectively processing and storing information.

When we are confused, anxious or feeling overwhelmed, our brains effectively shut down.

You can experience this happen when you listen to long, detailed lectures. At some point, you will “zone out” and stop paying attention to what is being said.

Your brain will simply not be able to effectively conduct that information into your memory banks, so learning shuts down.

The best way to combat this is by taking a “brain break,” or simply shifting your activity to focus on something new.

Even a five-minute break can relieve brain fatigue and help you refocus.

8. Test Yourself

We all loved to hate tests in school, but do you know just how effective they are in helping you learn about oil and gas industry?

Turns out testing are one of the best ways to boost learning. This applies even if you are simply practicing on your own, and not taking a high-stakes exam.

Testing even beats out methods such as re-reading and reviewing notes.

An examination of the study techniques of top students by Elevate Education found that while most students re-read notes before exams, top students spend their time solving problems and taking practice exams.

Why is testing so effective? Because it takes recall a step further.

Recall shows how much of the material you remember. Testing shows you how well you can use what you have learnt.

After all, that is the ultimate goal of learning, isn’t it?

9. Find a Mentor.

Mentorship is perhaps the quickest way to take your skills to the next level.

A mentor helps you navigate your field by offering invaluable perspective and experience.

Initially, look to friends, family, and co-workers in the oil and gas industry.

If you come up with no one, start branching out your search to your larger community and industry.

When reaching out to experts, describe what you have to offer, rather than what you will gain.

For example, maybe you could manage their social media accounts or help write their website content.

Whatever services you can offer, be sure to let them know.

Business coach Michael Hyatt offers good advice about the ask:

Though a true mentor may be difficult to find, it’s not impossible. If you have one in mind, start by building the relationship—just like you would anyone else. Don’t lead with “Will you be my mentor?” (That’s like asking someone to marry you on the first date.) Instead, get to know them. Look for opportunities to be generous. Start small and see where it goes.

The key is starting. The worst a person can do is say no, so ask!

Frequently Asked Question

How do I become an expert in oil and gas industry?

If you want to learn about oil and gas industry, you can do it to the extent of becoming an expert.

This is something that others have done, and you can do it. You can achieve this by doing the following;

• Understand the fundamental characteristics of oil & gas.
• Appreciate the history and know the major players in the industry.
• Recognize how of oil and gas were formed.
• Identify the key methods use for oil and gas exploration.
• Realize the key steps involved in drilling an oil or gas well

Which course is best for oil and gas?

There are a number of course that you should consider if interested in learning about oil and gas industry.

They include technical and non-technology oil or gas course.

Some of the best courses for oil and gas include;

• Oil and gas Engineering.
• Facilities Management.
• Finance in oil and gas industry.
• Oil and gas law.

Why oil and gas industry is important?

Oil is lifeblood of the industrialized nations.

Oil has become the world’s most important source of energy since the mid-1950s.

Oil and gas products underpin modern society. They supply energy to power industry, heat homes and provide fuel for vehicles.

Also, oil and gas fuels aeroplanes to carry goods and people all over the world.