The MFJS Reporter — Winter 2020 T-R

After exchanging pleasentries and apologizing for my tardiness we got done to business.

Mr. Stephen Bell is an Executive Vice President of Cimarex Energy Co. (NYSE:XEC). According to Salary.com the Top Exploration Executives in the United States make a base salary of $349,385 a year. Many times the compensation packages can go into the millions. Oil and Gas is still a very lucrative career especially when you get to the executive level.

Stephen graciously offered some background on how he got into the industry and his level of education.

“I entered the oil & gas industry upon graduation from Colorado State University in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in Finance.  Jobs were scarce during very challenging economic times in the late 1970s, so rather than settle for a typical entry level position in a savings & loan association or bank with marginal career potential, I opted for a life experience foreign to anything I had known: manual labor as a “roughneck” on a drilling rig in Western Oklahoma.”

How does someone go from drilling in the middle of nowhere to wearing a Neiman Marcus suit and pulling up in a 2020 Mercedes? His background prompted more questions. The answer is through taking advantage of every opportunity and working extremely hard to impress his employers.

“Realizing that manual labor was not my preferred long-term objective, I took advantage of every opportunity to stand out before my supervisors, working the hardest and pitching in on behalf of others at the most undesirable tasks.  Word spread that I was a top performer, and also that I had a college degree.”

The state of oil and gas is often greatly scrutinized by the harmful affects it has on the planet and I was curious to hear what a top exec would say in regards to climate change and the constant negativity thrown at oil and gas a whole.

“A healthy oil & gas industry is vital for the well-being of our planet… over the next few decades.  Everything we do from eating to getting around to heating our homes is made possible by economic exploitation of fossil fuels. Hopefully, however, we’ll transition during that timeframe to alternative energy sources which have no or at least minimal environmental impact.” 

Stephen actually understands and knows the importance of alternative energy being impetrative while moving forward. He also understands the transition and has thoughts on who will be able to move it in the right direction.

“Who will likely lead that transition?  Probably veterans of the oil & gas industry because of the adventurous, risk-taking and innovative spirit ingrained in the workforce.”

In fishing the interview with Stephen, he was able to offer some advice on breaking into the industry.

“Entering the industry is best accomplished through internships, which take the risk out of hiring untested talent when jobs open up.  Pay is high relative to other industries, but varies by discipline.  Technical disciplines pay the most, but may be inherently limiting as the world moves forward with other technologies. General business and finance will always play a vital role.”