This year Merlin Energy Resources has been joined by Emily Howard for a summer internship. She has been working on several projects enhancing her hands on experience with subsurface data. Below Emily has shared her experience of the time she spent with Merlin.

As a geologist heading into the fourth year of my integrated master’s at Oxford, my time at Merlin gave me the chance to see how the theory I’ve studied applies in industry. I particularly enjoyed gaining my first experience with Kingdom and ArcGIS Pro, automating workflows in Python to manage large datasets, and being introduced to rock physics and petrophysical techniques.

It was rewarding to see how different areas of expertise come together to answer practical questions about a reservoir. I hadn’t appreciated before how much subjectivity and probability are involved: how seismic, geophysics, and petrophysics are combined with consultancy judgement to shape the datasets on which decisions are made.

Beyond technical skills, I valued experiencing the rhythm of a small firm: taking part in Monday meetings, giving presentations, and learning from the team’s varied expertise. The Merlin team have been incredibly welcoming, and I’m grateful for the time and guidance they shared throughout my placement.

This experience will be a formative backbone for me as I continue my degree, focusing on fluid-rock interaction at Cligga Head for my fourth year project and beginning my role as Women in Mining representative for Oxford SEG.

Thank you to everyone at Merlin, who have been a joy to work alongside and learn from. I already carry many of your stories and lessons with me.

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: Merlin Energy Resources   l   KeyFacts Energy news: Next Generation