Crude oil is a fossil fuel usually found deep beneath the Earth’s surface. It’s been used for thousands of years but didn’t boom until the 19th century. American’s first oil well was set up in 1859, and the first internal combustion engine arrived in 1872. The petroleum industry has never looked back. Today we use crude oil, or petroleum, to make fuel for vehicles, generate heating and electricity, and as an important material component of many chemicals and products. Even our paved asphalt roadways are made using petroleum. It’s a highly valuable commodity, which is why Petroleum Engineering is a critical career field for the modern world. The four main types of Petroleum Engineers are Drilling Engineers, Completions Engineers, Reservoir Engineers, and Production Engineers. Petrophysicists are also an important subset within this field. Broadly-speaking, Petroleum Engineers use existing technologies and develop new ones to assist in the extraction processes for both crude oil and natural gases. Drilling operations can occur on land or offshore, using large equipment and a variety of techniques. Petroleum Engineers collaborate with geoscientists as they determine the most effective ways to safely reach those hard-to-get resources. They review site surveys, perform tests, and ensure the proper equipment is selected, set up, and maintained correctly.
Rewarding Aspects of Career
Working Schedule Petroleum Engineers work full-time, and perhaps significantly more depending on their specialty and role. Some may put in 50, 60, or more hours a week if there’s a big job or lots of travel required. Extraction sites and refineries are often in remote locations away from cities. Engineers working on offshore oil rigs may arrive via helicopter and sometimes have to live on-site. Typical Duties
Soft Skills
Technical Skills
Different Types of Organizations
Expectations and Sacrifices A day in the life of a Petroleum Engineer can have lots of variety! You might find them working in nice climate-controlled offices, outside in scorching heat at a drilling site, navigating through the hub of a refinery, or facing inclement weather on a rig in a stormy sea. Duty may call an engineer to travel to foreign countries for trips or even to live abroad long-term. Big oil means big business, and engineers are expected to know their jobs inside and out. However, they’re not working alone, but rather with teams of other workers devoted to a common goal. Strong leadership and teamwork traits are required, and egos must be kept in check during times of frustration and adversity. Long hours and challenging conditions can drive up stress levels, but engineers are always expected to stay rational, objective, and clear-headed.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics points out that one of the largest factors related to this field’s job outlook is the price of oil. When prices go up, companies may strive to expand and take on new engineers to assist. When prices fall, job outlook declines with it. The Fuse recently cited a study finding a 60% enrollment drop for Petroleum Engineering undergrad students over the past three years. However, this drop seems to be an overreaction. Currently business is doing well. As Dr. Lloyd Heinze of Texas Tech notes, “Any industry that uses raw materials is significantly influenced in price by governments.”
What kinds of things did people in this career enjoy doing when they were young... While many engineering professions create new things out of raw materials, Petroleum Engineers are in the business of obtaining raw materials first. Most were probably very practical growing up, realistic problem-solvers able to get along well with others. They’re hard workers, eager to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty. In fact, chances are they went out of their way to seek opportunities to do so! Creative yet highly practical and analytical, future Petroleum Engineers most likely loved gadgets and figuring out how they function. They could have been interested in finding activities that put both their minds and bodies to work. Further, they might’ve been keen to travel or experience work-related adventures in the field, offshore, or in other countries. As a lucrative sector to work in, it isn’t uncommon for workers to be attracted to these careers purely for the income potential.
Education and Training Needed
Things to look for in a program
Things to do in High School and College
Petroleum Engineering remains a relatively small field in terms of the number of working engineers in it. For example, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 33,500 Petroleum Engineers (as of 2018) compared to 312,900 Mechanical Engineers. Something to think about! Aside from job prospects, there are other reasons to consider alternatives before making a decision that will affect the rest of your life. A few similar occupations include:
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