While an MS student at Tulsa University in 1975, Craig Schiefelbein began his career in the geochem lab at the “University of Cities Service”, as it was known back then. For ten years he studied all aspects of geochemistry until the company’s acquisition by Occidental prompted his move to Conoco in 1985. At Conoco, he continued to focus on West Africa and gained valuable exploration experience before pivoting to the service company sector with Core Labs in 1990. While at Core Labs Craig Schiefelbein helped conduct the first large regional-scale crude oil and source rock study of West Africa, followed by the equally successful Sub-Andean Crude Oil Study. And so began his passion for ”torturing data – until it confesses”. The success of these two non-exclusive studies led to the creation of Geomark Research, a service company that continues to specialize in regional geochemical studies.
In 1998, after five years of 'swimming' in data from more than 5000 oils from all over the world, Schiefelbein left Geomark to co-found Geochemical Solutions International. Since then, GSI has worked closely in Brazil with the ANP - Agência Nacional do Petróleo, Gás Natural e Biocombustíveis to develop an extensive geochemical database focused on the conjugate margin basins of Brazil. With the help of Dickson International Geosciences, these data have been a) merged with similar West Africa data from Geomark, Core Labs and TDI Brooks International, b) integrated within a meaningful geologic and geophysical framework, and c) organized as a GIS product (MARIMBA) designed to help- mitigate exploration risk.
As a member of both the industry and service sector, Schiefelbein has been an active participant in International, National and local meetings like the HGS International Dinner Meetings where GSI regularly occupied "Vendor Corners". He says the decline in face-to-face meetings during and after the COVID-19 pandemic has made it more challenging to connect with clients. Additionally, he has observed a decline in the number of explorers from Oil and Gas Majors who attend meetings and conferences at HGS and other societies. His business model relies on marketing to these companies, which is harder to do if they are not showing up to events.
Schiefelbein shares that one key piece of career advice is the importance of staying focused and organized at work. He says he learned this lesson during the West Africa project consortium meetings at Core Labs. “It was a lot of work to put these together, but at the end of the day, his purpose is to contribute to understanding the client feedback helped us stay focused and ultimately improved the final product". Craig says the most impactful pieces of advice in his career came early from a manager at Cities who encouraged him to find his purpose in working. “You go to work to make a contribution,” says Craig Schiefelbein, of how he answered that question. He feels that his purpose is to contribute to the understanding of integrated basins analysis. That purpose has kept him in the industry through downturns, canceled projects, and technical challenges. Making a contribution to students by offering mentorship, support, and feedback is also a key purpose for Craig. He routinely exchanges ideas and data with the Conjugate Basins, Tectonics, and Hydrocarbons Consortium (CBTH) at the University of Houston.