Overview:
The Natural Gas Storage Development Engineer leads the technical evaluation, design criteria, and project execution for both brown field and green field underground natural gas storage expansion opportunities. This role bridges subsurface evaluation including geologic compatibility, well evaluation and design, surface system engineering, regulatory requirements, and commercial optimization to ensure safe, reliable, and cost-effective working gas capacity.
Responsibilities:
Key Responsibilities:
Project Management & Development
- Manage full lifecycle project development for storage assets, including scoping, budgeting, scheduling, and execution of drilling, well completion, and coordination with surface facility construction.
- Coordinate cross-functional teams (subsurface engineering, pipeline operations, business development/commercial, regulatory, and legal) to advance projects from concept to commercial operation.
- Oversee the project design criteria and optimization of compression, dehydration, measurement, and piping infrastructure to maximize storage asset expansion performance.
Subsurface & Reservoir Evaluation
- Collaborate with geologists and reservoir engineers to evaluate site suitability (depleted reservoirs, salt caverns, or aquifers), gas deliverability, and storage integrity.
- Determine optimal base gas and working gas inventory requirements to balance deliverability and system pressure constraints.
- Monitor downhole well performance, integrity logging, and pressure/temperature surveys to mitigate operational risks.
Regulatory & Compliance
- Ensure all development and operational activities strictly comply with federal, state, and local regulatory frameworks (e.g., FERC guidelines for interstate projects, PHMSA safety standards, and state oil/gas division regulations).
- Coordinate and support the preparation of regulatory filings, environmental impact assessments, and permit applications.
Commercial & Economic Optimization
- Develop expansion project scope of work, schedule, and cost estimates along with CAPEX schedules to support project economic evaluation and optimization.
- Support commercial teams in evaluating customer storage contracts, injection/withdrawal service capabilities, and peak-day deliverability metrics.
Qualifications:
Qualifications & Requirements:
- Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related geoscience/engineering discipline. (Advanced degree or PE license is a plus).
- Experience:
- Mid-Level: 5–8 years of experience in oil and gas midstream, reservoir engineering, or underground gas storage operations.
- Senior-Level: 8–15+ years managing upstream/midstream subsurface projects or specific natural gas storage development.
- Travel:
- Occasional site visits as required. Willing to travel up to 20% as project demands require.
- Skills / Knowledge / Competencies:
- Deep understanding of underground storage types (salt caverns vs. depleted reservoirs), well design, and surface compression systems.
- Familiarity with industry integrity management and diagnostic techniques (e.g., noise/temperature logs, caliper logs, and casing inspections).
- Proficiency in engineering simulation software, compression sizing, well design, risk management frameworks, and project scheduling tools (e.g., MS Project/Primavera).
- Must possess and maintain a valid motor vehicle operator's license and a driving record satisfactory to the company and its insurers.
Why Join Kinder Morgan:
Kinder Morgan is a large energy infrastructure company operating in North America. Access to reliable, affordable energy is a critical component for improving lives around the world. We are committed to providing energy transportation and storage services in a safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible manner for the benefit of the people, communities, and businesses we serve.
Kinder Morgan provides equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, family status, status as an individual authorized to work in the U.S., or any other status protected by law.
For more information about Kinder Morgan, our culture, opportunities available, and to join our Talent Community, please visit our careers site at www.kindermorgan.com.