“Find something you are passionate about, take control of your destiny... and surround yourself by people who support you.”
Gregory Fife Hebertson (BS ’91 MS ’94), a modern-day explorer, can be found in Iraqi Kurdistan, the North Slope of Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, and Canada seeking new energy sources. After finishing his bachelor’s degree in geology Hebertson considered attending law school. As he shadowed a law student for a day, however, Hebertson re-discovered his love for geology. “[The law student] read case files for four hours . . . and [I] thought, ‘I could be outdoors studying geology instead!’” Hebertson consequently received his master’s degree in geology, and began his career with Anadarko Petroleum where he worked for 17 years in various technical and management capacities.
With Talisman Energy he was vice president of global exploration new ventures and was a member of the company’s exploration leadership team. In his current position as senior vice president of exploration with Midstates Petroleum, he serves as an executive officer and oversees exploration and assurance for the company. Hebertson has been involved with the discovery and/or appraisal of approximately two billion barrels of equivalent oil and gas. From business and personal travel he has accumulated nearly 2 million frequent flyer miles and has visited more than 40 countries on six continents.
During his career he has met with dignitaries from the around the world. He has delivered high-level briefings to President Obama’s energy advisors regarding external foreign policy impacting U.S. independent oil and gas companies. Additionally, he has briefed the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources regarding oil and gas exploration in the Alaska Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The secret to his success? “I’m always looking five to seven years down the road,” says Hebertson. “[I’m] picking out where I want to be personally and professionally.”
While a student at BYU he received the Harold J. Bissell Fellowship and the Glenn E. and Olive W. Nielson scholarship and the Runge Award from the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Rocky Mountain Section. As he considers his remarkable career Hebertson advises, “Find something you are passionate about, take control of your destiny . . . and surround yourself by people who support you.”
He is married to Melinda Lee Cottrell Hebertson and they have two children.
Full Name: Gregory F. Hebertson
Grad Year: BS 1991, MS 1994
College: Physical and Mathematical Sciences
Major: Geology
Post date: July 10, 2017