re: Working as a landman

Here is my real answer:

The People. . Land men are fun. Period. You just don't make it in that world unless you have a good personality and can get along. Many land men are very sharp.

The Money. When its good, it's good. Dayrates depend on oil prices, though. The real money is in providing crews of landmen by getting contracts with oil companies in good times. The owners of land services companies were killing it, I'm talking OT level killing it, in good times. Times ain't so good right now.

The Work. It's not all handing out checks to landowners. You do a lot of courthouse work running title. You have to figure out who is unleased and who you must lease. You have to know some land law.

The Locations. You'll go where the boom is. 10 years ago you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting a landman in Shreveport (the Haynesville). Then North Dakota. Then Pennsylvania, Ohio, even Illinois. Right now there are a lot of coonasses working West Texas.


That's the basics. Also know that "landman" is gender neutral. Nearly all women in the field, and there are a good number, call themselves landman or landmen. Good luck.