Senior Staff Exploration Geologist – New Ventures

Job Summary

Continental Resources is seeking a Senior Staff New Ventures Geoscientist to evaluate new venture opportunities, develop new play concepts, and support our exploration strategy through integrated subsurface interpretation and analysis.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Lead prospect generation, evaluation, and maturation of new venture opportunities using integrated geological analysis, well log interpretation, applied petrophysics, geochemistry, and geophysical mapping to define play fairways and prospect risk.
• Develop basin-to-prospect interpretations by integrating stratigraphic/structural frameworks with well data (logs, core, cuttings) and 2D/3D seismic mapping to constrain structure, stratigraphy, thickness trends, and fairway geometry.
• Integrate conventional and unconventional petrophysics (core-log relationships, pay definition, fluid/rock effects, and rock property trends) into mapping, volumetrics, and uncertainty framing; ensure interpretations are consistent across wells, seismic, and analogs.
• Develop integrated subsurface models and risk assessments that link tectono-stratigraphic evolution, charge and migration, reservoir and seal effectiveness, and trap timing, document assumptions, key uncertainties, and value drivers.
• Partner with Land and Business Development to deliver clear, decision-ready evaluations that inform entry strategy, acreage capture, and deal decisions.
• Provide technical input to exploration well planning (log suites, coring, testing, and sampling plans) and subsurface data strategies (seismic acquisition/reprocessing and mapping workflows as needed); capture post-drill learnings to improve prospect ranking.
• Mentor developing geoscientists through technical coaching, peer reviews, and sharing best practices for integrated interpretation, uncertainty tracking, and concise technical communication.
• Stay current on emerging exploration technologies and contribute to external technical engagements with partners and service providers as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills And Competencies

• Integrated Interpretation – Integrates geology, geophysics, petrophysics, and geochemistry into clear play and prospect models.
• Geological Analysis – Advanced stratigraphic and structural interpretation; translates regional context into testable play and prospect concepts.
• Well Log Interpretation & Petrophysics – Interprets open-hole logs and integrates core/cuttings and production with applied conventional and unconventional petrophysics.
• Applied Geophysical Mapping – Proficient 2D/3D seismic structural and stratigraphic mapping.
• Petroleum Systems & Play Risking – Applied knowledge of source rock, charge/migration, timing, trap/seal, and scenario-based risking.
• Reservoir Characterization – Rock properties, petrophysics, and analogs to assess reservoir quality and distribution in conventional and unconventional settings.
• Communication & Leadership – Clear, concise technical communication for senior technical audiences; effective facilitation of peer reviews and decision forums.
• Collaboration – Works well across disciplines and turns inputs into recommendations.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Geoscience or Earth Sciences from an accredited university (Ph.D. a plus).
• Minimum of ten (10) years of exploration experience with demonstrated success in new ventures and/or play evaluation, prospect generation, and subsurface risk assessment.
• Expertise in conventional and unconventional reservoirs, including play fairway mapping, prospect generation, and probabilistic resource assessments.
• Proficiency in industry-standard geoscience software (e.g., Geographix, Petrel, Kingdom, ArcGIS, PaleoScan, etc.).
• Strong capability in geological interpretation, well log analysis, and applied integration of conventional and unconventional petrophysical data.
• Experience supporting exploration well planning and execution and performing post-drill technical evaluation and lessons-learned capture.
• Understanding of and exposure to economic evaluation, value drivers, and risk-based framing to support exploration screening and deal decisions.
• An acceptable pre-employment background and drug test.

Preferred Qualifications

• International and/or new ventures exploration experience, including prospect maturation and exploration & appraisal program support.
• Experience applying remote sensing, surface imaging, or geospatial datasets as a complementary input to basin screening and integrated exploration workflows.
• Awareness of, and experience applying, AI-assisted workflows and emerging technologies to improve interpretation efficiency, and general AI literacy.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate structural geology, tectonic evolution, and basin-scale geodynamic frameworks into exploration strategies.
• Curious, keeps learning, and looks for better ways to evaluate plays and prospects.
• Positive, practical, and collaborative in high-uncertainty exploration work.
• Quantitative Interpretation – Exposure to rock physics/AVO and seismic inversion concepts.
• Professional proficiency in one or more languages in addition to English.
• Experience working with partners in international, JV, or PSC settings, including technical assurance and stakeholder communication.