Geomechanics Engineer

Description

The Geomechanics Engineer will be responsible for optimizing reservoir performance in Fervo Energy’s enhanced geothermal systems. This position will be involved in asset development, reservoir management, exploration, and subsurface data acquisition. This role will require a deep understanding of subsurface stress behavior, fluid flow, rock mechanics, and the integration of geomechanical modeling with reservoir engineering. Ideal candidates will have expertise across a variety of geomechanics applications, including hydraulic fracture mechanics, reservoir geomechanics, structural geology, and earthquake seismology. This role will involve close collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of reservoir engineers, geoscientists, fiber optic specialists, and computational scientists to address complex challenges in subsurface geothermal characterization and resource optimization. This position will report directly to the Reservoir Engineering Manager. 

Requirements

Responsibilities

• Conduct detailed analysis of in-situ stress conditions to develop geomechanical earth models using petrophysical logs, seismic data, DFITs, laboratory testing, and other subsurface datasets
• Identify and characterize stress anomalies that could impact drilling, completions, and production activities
• Support the design, modeling, and optimization of hydraulic stimulation treatment designs for enhanced geothermal systems. Interpret field data to improve our designs
• Support design and optimization of wellbore stimulation treatments by evaluating rock strength, stress orientation, and fracture propagation characteristics
• Develop and apply stress models to predict how stress changes over time due to a variety of processes, including hydraulic fracturing, poroelasticity, and thermoelasticity. Predict long-term impacts of production on reservoir stress distribution, fracture networks, and permeability
• Collaborate with reservoir engineers and geophysicists to develop integrated models that account for the mechanical and fluid flow characteristics of the reservoir
• Evaluate the impact of natural fractures and faults in drilling, completions, and production
• Analyze the potential for induced seismicity and fault slip in response to stimulating geothermal reservoirs
• Develop wellbore stability models to minimize risks during drilling operations
• Work with the resource team to identify and evaluate opportunities to deploy innovative technologies to improve reservoir performance
• Participate in industry meetings and conferences

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of engineering or geoscience experience in the oil & gas or geothermal industries (an advanced degree may be considered in lieu of industry experience)
• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering, structural geology, or geophysics; PhD preferred
• Demonstrated background in computational physics and subsurface reservoir simulation
• Direct experience analyzing subsurface state of stress using wellbore image logs, petrophysical logs, diagnostic fracture injection tests (DFITs), and other subsurface datasets
• Proficiency in Python programming
• Experience extracting data from databases and working with large datasets

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience running commercial or research hydraulic fracture simulation and reservoir simulation software; ResFrac preferred
• Experience in waterfloods, hydraulic fracturing, well stimulation techniques, and thermal recovery methods in oil & gas applications
• Experience in geothermal reservoir engineering within conventional hydrothermal systems
• Experience in earthquake rupture mechanics
• Experience with induced seismicity monitoring, modeling, and forecasting
• Experience working with geomodeling software
• Experience in advanced data analytics
• Experience with scientific computing and high-performance computing (HPC)

Compensation & Benefits

Fervo provides a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, short-term and long-term disability, flexible paid time off, and paid parental leave. Additionally, Fervo offers an incentive stock options program, a bonus incentive program, and a 401(k) plan with an employer match.

Fervo Energy is providing the compensation range and general description of other compensation and benefits that the company in good faith believes it might pay and/or offer for this position based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities in addition to internal equity and geographic location. Expected Salary: $_______-_________ based on Colorado locality, pay in other locations may vary. 

Fervo Energy reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, or federal law.

Location

Fervo Energy is headquartered in Houston, TX with growing offices in Oakland, CA, Golden, CO, Reno, NV, and Salt Lake City, UT. This position will be eligible for some hybrid work flexibility, but regular in-office presence at our Golden, CO office will be required. Some travel is required for this position.