Julian Salazar
Senior Engineer
Julián Salazar joined DeGolyer and MacNaughton in 2024 as a petroleum engineer. Salazar has experience in several disciplines in the oil and gas upstream industry, from exploration to brownfield development projects. Prior to joining D&M, he worked at Occidental Petroleum and SierraCol.
Salazar graduated from Universidad Nacional de Colombia in 2013 and 2014, where he received bachelor’s degrees in chemical engineering and petroleum engineering. He also graduated from Heriot-Watt University in 2021, where he received a master’s degree with distinction in applied petroleum geoscience. He is fluent in Spanish, English, and Portuguese.
Geographical Experience
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- United Kingdom
Topical Areas of Expertise
- Field development planning
- Application of PRMS and SEC guidelines
- Volumetric and material-balance calculations
- Probabilistic resources estimation
- Production planning
- Production performance analysis
- Drilling and workover activities
- Quantitative petrophysical interpretation
- Seismic interpretation and mapping
- Play-based exploration
Major Projects
Salazar began his career in the industry with Occidental Petroleum in Colombia as a reservoir engineer, where he proposed development drilling, workovers, and water injection optimization activities in the Llanos Basin. He later transitioned into a petrophysicist role, supporting exploration and development projects across basins in Colombia and Ecuador.
As an exploration geoscientist for SierraCol Energy, he was involved in a full-cycle technical and economical evaluation of the company’s exploration portfolio. He led a multidisciplinary team of geoscientists, land professionals, environmental experts, drilling, and facilities and operation engineers in the drilling of an exploration well in a socially and environmentally complex area.
He also participated in a fully probabilistic technical and economic evaluation of SierraCol Energy’s exploration portfolio and delivered a 5-year optimized investment plan.
