If you’re wondering how to become a landman in the oil and gas industry, you may hear many stories from industry veterans. Historically, landmen have come from a variety of backgrounds. Today, professional landmen often pursue a degree in petroleum land management or a similar program to gain a competitive edge. Companies and individuals looking for landmen hire professionals with communication skills, analytical minds, and extensive experience in the oil and gas or real estate industry.
What Do Oil and Gas Landmen Do?
When oil and gas companies work onshore, they must often negotiate with property owners for the mineral pipeline right-of-ways. In the United States, property owners retain ownership of the minerals found on their properties and property usage unless they formally sign over or lease the mineral rights to another entity. To facilitate negotiations among petroleum companies, government organizations, and land owners, involved parties often rely on landmen.
Landmen who work as title abstractors are usually independent contractors who oil and gas exploration companies hire to research land rights of prospective drilling and mining properties. Some oil and gas companies employ fulltime landmen who specialize in land acquisition and asset management in addition to core land research duties. In a company setting, a landman often plays more of a strategic decision-making role than a consultative role in the oil and gas exploration process.
A day in the life of an oil and gas landman involves a significant amount of research and investigation. If you’re not comfortable working with and analyzing large amounts of property data, then a landman job may not be right for you.
Landmen build title opinions containing information about the ownership rights of a property that may extend back decades or more. A comprehensive history of the land allows oil and gas companies to identify the legal owner of a property, determine if another company owns the rights to the land/minerals, and make a land/mineral rights offer. Landmen are the professionals who get to knock on property owners’ doors with great news about new income generating opportunities. In addition to oil and gas companies, property owners may hire landmen to double check the offer an oil and gas company makes.
While the roles of landmen may vary somewhat depending on the job, all landmen frequently work with county clerks’ offices and records databases to investigate and compile information from public records, property titles, deeds, and other relevant documents. Other job activities may include preparing/negotiating land contracts, negotiating with property owners/oil and gas companies, building current property maps and plats, and supporting the title curative process. Some landmen work with oil and gas companies who want to purchase or sell properties with other companies.
How to Become a Landman
Companies hire landmen who can add value to the oil and gas exploration process. They are searching for professionals who understand local land ownership laws and who can identify opportunities during property/mineral rights negotiations. In general, professional landmen need formal postsecondary education/certifications, experience, and communication skills to succeed in the oil and gas industry. To secure a permanent role or a contract as a landman, build your resume with these tips:
1. Prioritize education. While you don’t need a particular major or educational program to qualify for a landman position, employers prefer candidates with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree or an industry-relevant two-year technical degree. Some schools offer professional land management and petroleum land management courses and programs. Texas Tech University, The University of Tulsa, and Oklahoma City University are just a few of the schools that offer programs for energy and petroleum land management.
If your school does not offer landman-specific training, consider a complementary field of study. Educational pathways, courses, and majors that may enhance your ability to secure a job include business, real estate, science, engineering, surveying, energy management, and mathematics. Focus on areas of study that build analytical skills, knowledge of property ownership laws, and knowledge about the energy sector.
2. Get certified. In addition to colleges and universities, some professional organizations offer landman certification programs specifically for the landman profession. The American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL), for example, offers Certified Professional Landmen (CPL), Registered Professional Landman (RPL), Registered Landman (RL), and Retired CPL programs. The CPL designation represents the highest certification in the AAPL and can differentiate discerning job candidates in a competitive job market.
3. Gain experience. If you have an educational background in a different field, you can still segue your career into a landman position with some strategic job choices. Work as a title analyst, lease analyst, land technician, land assistant or a similar role to build experience with land management in the oil and gas industry. Above all, oil and gas companies and property owners are looking for landmen who can identify potential risks and value in any land management transaction. Employers are looking for professionals who can demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the industry and property ownership rights.
Consider interning or volunteering with a local landman to learn more about what the daily job entails. Many landmen are willing to share knowledge in exchange for help with the document retrieval process.
4. Network. As in other fields, networking plays an important role in securing meaningful work as a landman. Make connections with people who work in oil and gas companies, title attorneys, and those who work in the country clerk’s office. A strong presence in the local community and with oil and gas professionals can help landmen find contract and permanent work. Use LinkedIn, attend professional association meetings, and share your knowledge about land management with anyone who will listen.
5. Build confidence. In the oil and gas industry, the way professional landmen come across to land owners and companies is nearly as important as what they know. If you can research land ownership rights and prepare formal documents, and also make an impression as a confident and persuasive expert in your field, you may find success as a landman.
Instead of viewing these five recommendations as hurdles to a career in petroleum land management, consider them as the building blocks of a highly rewarding profession. According to CNNMoney/PayScale’s 2017 edition of Best Jobs in America, the average landman earns close to $100,000 per year. The job plays a crucial role in the nation’s transition toward energy independence and enjoys a positive 10 year growth rate. It ranks well for job satisfaction, relatively low levels of stress, societal benefit, and the ability to telecommute.
The demand for qualified landmen is high and the competition is fierce. To become a landman in the oil and gas industry, build both the hard and soft skills that will enable you to identify and earn lucrative business opportunities. Requirements vary from job to job, but a strong foundation in petroleum land management will provide the skills you need to secure meaningful work. Whether you work exclusively for one company or as an independent contractor, a job as a landman is challenging, interesting, and rewarding.
