What Are the Different Types of Landman Jobs?

Field landman or land professional, staff landman, land negotiator, and senior landman are all examples of landman jobs. Some firms require a bachelor’s degree or an advanced post graduate degree such as a master’s in business administration (MBA) or even a law degree for the higher levels of landman jobs. Most of these jobs, even entry-level field landman jobs, require some prior experience unless formal training is obtained. Some employers require applicants to be members of the American Association of American Landmen before hiring a landman (AAPL). Landmen may be hired on a permanent basis oil and gas exploration companies, or they may be hired on a contract basis companies as independent landmen.

A field landman usually works under the supervision of a senior landman or land negotiator. This job requires the least amount of formal education of all the landman jobs, though some employers may require a college diploma as a condition of employment. Working in the field for weeks at a time away from home, coordinating title opinions, performing curative title research, researching surface agreements or assignments, and researching documents relating to strategic land contracts are just a few of the responsibilities. A working knowledge of computers and word processing programs is required of field landmen.

Land negotiators are also known as landmen, and their duties include working with state and local government agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service. Individual landowners or other oil and gas companies may be required to interact with land negotiators. These types of landman jobs necessitate a certain level of dexterity and charm when dealing with people. Typically, a land negotiator will work to acquire oil and gas leases and will have the necessary experience to perform the necessary analysis, negotiation preparation, and document collection supervision. The land negotiator usually supervises a group of field landmen who collect all of the necessary background title, lease, and document information in order to secure oil and gas leases.

Typically, a senior staff landman works for a large oil company or an oil and gas exploration firm. Landmen on the senior staff usually supervise a team of field landmen and coordinate their activities in securing oil and gas leases. A bachelor’s degree in petroleum land management and several years of experience in the oil and gas industry may be required for this position. Petroleum engineering, geology, real estate, and oil and gas law degrees or working knowledge may be required.

To different companies and individuals, the term “landman” means different things. Landmen may simply be researchers who spend their days poring over land titles and legal documents in small town county government offices. Landmen can also be lawyers who work for a major oil company to secure mineral rights from landowners. Different companies have different titles for landman jobs, so before applying for a position as a landman, make sure you understand all of the details and requirements.