Petroleum engineering is the engineering specialty that is
focused on locating and extracting sources of petroleum. These
engineers often work with specialists such as geologists and
hydrologists to determine the best, most cost effective method to
remove petroleum sources from the earth. The chief responsibility
of a petroleum engineer is to select and supervise the method by
which petroleum sources are to be extracted. However, the job is
not nearly that simple, there are several factors that impact the
engineer’s decisions.
The first factor that petroleum engineers consider when drilling
is the depth at which the reservoir is located as different
drilling methods are to be used at varying depths. From there, the
engineer must test the reservoir to determine its size and level of
connectivity. In some cases it is possible to remove petroleum from
multiple reservoirs through complex drilling and a process known as
fracturing. The last, and often most important, decision made by a
petroleum engineers involves the pressure and other environmental
factors that allow petroleum to naturally flow to the surface of a
well. Petroleum engineers have employed a variety of methods to
remove as much petroleum as possible from a well; examples would be
injecting steam and water into the reservoir.
The minimum requirements to become a Petroleum Engineer are to
earn a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering; however, it is
very possible to cross over from another engineering specialty such
as chemical or mechanical engineering. It is a very good idea for
students interested in petroleum engineering to secure an
internship during college to gain highly valuable work experience.
Graduate degrees are necessary for many research and development
positions.
The employment opportunities in petroleum engineering are
expected to be very good. There is to be an 18% growth over the
next decade according to www.bls.gov ; in addition, there are too
few graduates with degrees in petroleum engineering to fill the
positions. Petroleum engineers are the most highly paid of the
engineering specialties; starting salaries for a petroleum engineer
are typically around $83,000, one of the highest for any bachelor’s
level program. On average, workers in the field earn from $100,000
to $110,000.
