I belong to a department called the Engineering Department, and my job is to investigate how much natural gas and other underground resources are available. We pump water from the ground and extract natural gas and an ingredient called iodine from it. This iodine is used in X-ray contrast media and in the LCD panels of smartphones. Not only that, it is also essential for human growth. I feel a sense of fulfillment in my job of extracting something that is necessary for everyone's daily life!

We drill "gas wells" to extract natural gas. To do this, we check the wells producing in the surrounding area and collect various data. It takes a lot of diligent work to find out what is really going on underground, which is invisible to the naked eye. Then we get an idea of "this is the amount of natural gas that can be extracted here! And then we get an idea of what we can expect to find. I am very happy when I actually dig and find that my prediction is right!　It is a dream job, just like a treasure hunt.

My workplace is in Mobara City, Chiba Prefecture. There, water containing natural gas and iodine is pumped up from a stratum that is 1,200 meters deep underground and is approximately 1 million years old!　I work in a place where there are gas wells to pump up the gas, a place to process natural gas, a gas holder to store city gas before supplying it, and a plant to produce iodine. We work with people from various departments, such as those who survey the geological strata, dig wells, install piping for natural gas to flow, keep gas holders safe, and produce iodine.

I studied resource development in the engineering department of my university. To make use of what I had learned, I joined K&O Energy Group in my job search. There are many different people in the company, some who studied civil engineering, some who studied mechanics, some who studied electricity, and some who studied law as well as science. People from many different fields can play an active role, but what is important is teamwork!　As I mentioned earlier, people from different fields gather in the same place to extract natural gas and iodine. I work with many people and am conscious of what I can do within the team as I go about my daily work. I encourage you all to try to experience cooperating with your peers during your school days.