Idle Well Coordinator/ Operations Engineer

Position Overview

Honey Rock Engineers & Advisors (HREA), in collaboration with Cornerstone Engineering, is hiring an Idle Well Coordinator to lead day-to-day execution of HREA’s idle well advisory retainer practice. The Coordinator will steward operator idle well portfolios end to end — inventory and prioritization, management plan development, testing compliance, permitting at the state and local level, and coordination of plug-and-abandonment and workover rig activities. California’s idle well rules continue to tighten, and this role is the operational anchor that helps HREA clients stay current with CalGEM and execute defensible, cost-optimized compliance programs.

Key Responsibilities

Portfolio Stewardship & Management Plans

Maintain accurate idle well inventories for each retainer client, reconciled against state records and operator data; track idle-status clocks, testing due dates, fee tiers, and plan commitments.

Draft and steward annual idle well management plans, model fee-vs-plan economics, and track elimination commitments against actuals through the year.

Testing Compliance & Rig Coordination

Schedule and coordinate casing pressure tests, fluid-level tests, and clean-out tags; manage district-office notifications and witness coordination.

Quality-check field test data and ensure complete, audit-ready submissions to CalGEM via WellSTAR.

Coordinate workover rig and service-company activity windows with operator field staff and surface owners.

Permitting — State and Local

Prepare and submit CalGEM notices and permit applications, including abandonment and remedial operations.

Manage local jurisdictional permitting — county and municipal land-use, encroachment, grading, traffic control, and air-district requirements.

Coordinate with HREA’s regulatory and planning team on setback overlays, sensitive-receptor analyses, and emerging local ordinances.

GIS, Mapping & Data Management

Build and maintain GIS layers for wellheads, lease boundaries, surface ownership, setbacks, and sensitive receptors; produce mapping deliverables for clients and regulatory submittals.

Maintain master well data records integrating production history, well files, and surface data; champion data quality, version control, and reproducibility.

Subsurface Wellbore Planning

Compile wellbore diagrams, completion histories, and integrity status for each well in scope; identify well-specific risks that drive prioritization and testing strategy.

Support drilling, completions, and workover colleagues during P&A and re-entry planning with accurate wellbore reference material.

Client Engagement & Reporting

Lead the recurring client cadence for retainer accounts — monthly status reviews, quarterly dashboards, and annual planning sessions; serve as day-to-day client point of contact.

Produce written reports, regulatory submittals, and executive summaries that are clear, defensible, and audit-ready; represent HREA in CalGEM district interactions.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum, Mechanical, Chemical, Civil, or related engineering discipline.

Minimum 5 years of California oil and gas operations, regulatory, or asset retirement experience.

Working knowledge of California idle well requirements — management plans, testing timing and types, fees, and elimination criteria.

Hands-on familiarity with workover and well-services rig activity scheduling and field coordination.

Strong GIS and mapping capability (ArcGIS Pro/Online, QGIS, or equivalent); strong data management discipline.

Demonstrated client-facing communication — written reports, executive summaries, and verbal presentations.

Comfort working independently across multiple operator accounts simultaneously.

Valid California driver’s license; willingness to travel to field locations and CalGEM district offices.

Preferred Qualifications

Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in California — a plus, not required.

Direct experience filing or stewarding idle well management plans, testing compliance plans, or Notices of Intention with CalGEM.

Existing relationships with CalGEM district office personnel.

Familiarity with bonding and decommissioning trust structures used by California operators.

Python, SQL, Power BI, or Tableau experience for data automation and dashboarding.

Compensation, Schedule & Location

Compensation: Commensurate with experience; mid-career engineering / coordinator level. Eligible for annual performance bonus tied to retainer growth, client retention, on-time compliance delivery, and utilization.

Benefits: 401(k) with company match; medical, vision, and dental per the Cornerstone Staff Benefits Package; company-paid AD&D and short-/long-term disability; paid vacation and sick leave per company policy.

Schedule: Alternative work schedule: Monday–Thursday 7:30 AM–5:30 PM; Friday 7:30 AM–11:30 AM.

Location: Bakersfield, California preferred; hybrid considered for the right candidate. Regular travel to client field locations and CalGEM district offices, approximately 20–30%.

Contingent on successful background check, drug screen, and proof of eligibility to work in the United States. A formal offer letter will be issued to the selected candidate.