ɪnstˈɛd, ˈeɪdʒd twˈɛnti θɹˈiː, hiː dʒˈɔɪnd ˈɔɪl sˈɜːtʃ ɪnðə sˈɛpɪk dˈɪstɹɪkt ʌv pˈæpjuːə nˈuː ɡˈɪni wˌɛɹ hiː wˈɜːkt wɪð ɐ tˈiːm lˈɛd baɪ dʒˈiː.ˈeɪ.vˈiː. stˈænli, mˈæpɪŋ ðə sˈɜːfɪs dʒɪˈɑːlədʒi fɔːɹ ˌɪndɪkˈeɪʃənz ʌv sˈʌbsɚfˌɪs ˈɔɪl.
Instead, aged 23, he joined Oil Search in the Sepik District of Papua New Guinea where he worked with a team led by G.A.V. Stanley, mapping the surface geology for indications of subsurface oil.