During the summer semester of 2014 University of Utah MS Petroleum Engineering students visited 14 engineering operations and facilities. The goal was first hand exposure to oil and gas operations in Utah and Wyoming. Following the visit to Newfield’s Greater Monument Butte Unit to observe water management infrastructure [link], students toured Crescent Point Energy’s Randlett field. 
Crescent Point is a relatively new operator in Utah’s Uinta Basin, entering Utah after their acquisition of Ute Energy in 2012.Crescent Point operates adjacent to Newfield, yet their operations offered students a contrasting view of approaches. Crescent Point recently begun a pilot waterflood but to date, most of their field is on primary recovery. Students were able to learn about Crescent Point’s close collaborative relationship with the Ute Tribe and see a recently completed well. Crescent Point’s production originates from many of the same Green River Formation, and yet the development strategy differs from Newfield’s. Crescent Point utilizes primarily vertical wells on smaller spacing than Newfield, and Crescent Point’s surface facilities also feature some distinct differences. The visit provided an excellent comparison for how two companies can operate in the same area. 
Over the course of the field study, students encountered a diverse range of petroleum-related operations. These encompassed E&P operations, midstream and downstream facilities, as well as end-use applications. Students also met with service providers and recruiters. The Department of Chemical Engineering was fortunate to work with many of Utah and Wyoming’s key energy companies; including ConocoPhillips, XTO, Savage Energy Services, Fidelity, Resolute, Wolverine, PacifiCorp, Utah Geologic Survey, Tesoro, Newfield, Crescent Point, Red Leaf, U.S. Oil Sands, Halliburton, Questar, and ExxonMobil. Each organization’s willingness to showcase their work and their facilities offered our students a unique opportunity to understand the full life-cycle of hydrocarbon commodities and highlighted potential career paths.
