164: Petrophysicist Derek Buster
In this episode of the People Behind Energy podcast, host Troy Tittlemier sits down with Derek Buster, a seasoned petrophysicist and subsurface consultant. Derek shares his unconventional career journey, starting from a childhood fascination with RC cars and a degree in physics, to his grueling but formative years as an MWD/LWD field engineer for Schlumberger in the Gulf of Mexico. He discusses his transition to the operator side with companies like Apache, Stone Energy, and Guidon, where he leveraged his service-industry data-acquisition expertise to drive major economic impact.
The episode's technical highlight is a deep dive into sonic logging. Derek shares a high-stakes, real-world story from the Midland Basin where his team hit a massive water-filled fault while drilling. By deploying acoustic dipole shear wave imaging (DSWI) through casing, they mapped the hazard, selectively avoided fracking it, and saved a multi-million-dollar well program. Beyond oil and gas, Derek also talks about the industry's "brain drain," mentoring the next generation, and his fascinating entrepreneurial side hustles—including 3D-printing custom RV parts and patenting a new air conditioning vent for RVs.