Interviewer: Diane Austin and Laura Ek

Affiliation: University of Arizona

Laura was referred to King Munson by Steven Anderson, a fellow geologist in the oil center who had collaborated on projects with Mr. King in the past.

King Munson grew up in New Iberia, Louisiana where he still lives today. He has an independent geologist consulting business in the oil center where he currently works. He graduated high school in 1976. He left the state to attend college and graduated in 1982 with a degree in geology. In high school and college, he did work for his dad’s surveying company in oil and gas and other general surveying . Right out of college, he got a job with a major oil company working offshore. From there he left to pursue his own independent company. He is married and has children.

He talks about his fellow peers entering the oilfield and its effect on their education. He also discusses the history of Lafayette, the oil center, and the nature of the independents in the industry here in Lafayette, the family support he describes that is needed to pursue the kind of job he has (mostly he attributes this to support from his wife), and his family in the industry. He also discusses technological advances in his work, such as 3-D seismic and how they've shaped what he does.