Transcript Petroleum Engineering - Career Cornerstone Center

Petroleum Engineering
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Petroleum Engineering
Overview:
Petroleum engineers search the world for
reservoirs containing oil or natural gas. Once
these resources are discovered, petroleum
engineers work with geologists and other
specialists to understand the geologic
formation and properties of the rock
containing the reservoir, determine the drilling
methods to be used, and monitor drilling and
production operations.
They design equipment and processes to
achieve the maximum profitable recovery of
oil and gas.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Petroleum Engineering
Overview (continued):
Because only a small proportion of oil and gas
in a reservoir will flow out under natural
forces, petroleum engineers develop and use
various enhanced recovery methods.
These include injecting water, chemicals,
gases, or steam into an oil reservoir to force
out more of the oil, and computer-controlled
drilling or fracturing to connect a larger area
of a reservoir to a single well.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Petroleum Engineering
Preparation:
A bachelor's degree in engineering is required
for almost all entry-level engineering jobs.
Admissions requirements for undergraduate
engineering schools include a solid
background in mathematics (algebra,
geometry, trigonometry, and calculus) and
science (biology, chemistry, and physics), and
courses in English, social studies, humanities,
and computer and information technology.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Petroleum Engineering
Preparation (continued):
Bachelor's degree programs in engineering
typically are designed to last 4 years, but
many students find that it takes between 4
and 5 years to complete their studies.
In a typical 4-year college curriculum, the first
2 years are spent studying mathematics, basic
sciences, introductory engineering,
humanities, and social sciences. Petroleum
engineering students may also take courses
such as Reservoir Petrophysics, Petroleum
Engineering Systems, and Physical Geology
during these years.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Petroleum Engineering
Preparation (continued):
In the last 2 years, a petroleum engineering
program might include courses in Drilling and
Production Systems, Geostatistics, Well
Performance, Reservoir Fluids, Petroleum
Project Evaluation, Engineering Ethics, and
Well Completion and Stimulation.
Those interested in a career in petroleum
engineering should consider reviewing
engineering programs that are accredited. A
full list is on the Sloan Career Cornerstone
Center website.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Petroleum Engineering
Day in the Life:
A degree in petroleum engineering can lead to
many career paths. While most work directly
for oil and gas production companies, the
options for work are broad and cross over
many industries. Petroleum engineers focus
on a wide range of projects and activities.
Some focus on production challenges,
identifying, testing, and implementing
methods for improving oil and gas production.
They might focus on economics, helping a
team determine the optimum number of wells
appropriate for a given operation.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Petroleum Engineering
Day in the Life (continued):
A petroleum engineer may focus on safety
issues, or maintenance support, identifying
and planning upgrades of equipment or
systems. A petroleum engineer may choose
to teach, or to serve as a consultant to
investors, banks, or other financial services
firms.
The type of job a petroleum engineer has will
often determine whether how much they work
inside or outside. Many petroleum engineers
work on job sites, but others work in an office
setting.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Petroleum Engineering
Day in the Life (continued):
A consultant to the financial industry, for
example, may spend most of their time
working in an office setting. There are strong
international travel opportunities for
petroleum engineers, as it is very much a
global business. Many companies have offices
and sites in multiple countries and transfers
are common.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Petroleum Engineering
Earnings:
According to a 2005 salary survey by the
National Association of Colleges and
Employers, bachelor's degree candidates in
petroleum engineering received starting salary
offers averaging $61,516 a year. They are
among the highest paid engineers.
The Society of Petroleum Engineers conducts
a global salary survey of members. For the
most recent survey (2004), worldwide,
respondents (all ages, education levels, and
years in the field) reported an average income
of $101,634.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Petroleum Engineering
Employment:
Petroleum engineers, held about 16,000 jobs
in 2004, mostly in oil and gas extraction,
professional, scientific and technical services,
and petroleum refining. Employers include
major oil companies and hundreds of smaller,
independent oil exploration, production,
research institutes, and service companies.
Most petroleum engineers work where oil and
gas are found. Large numbers are employed
in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Alaska, and
California, and many work overseas in other
oil-producing countries.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Petroleum Engineering
Career Path Forecast:
According to the U.S. Department of Labor,
Bureau of Labor Statistics, petroleum
engineers are expected to have a decline in
employment through 2014 because most of
the potential petroleum-producing areas in the
United States already have been explored.
Even so, favorable opportunities are expected
for petroleum engineers because the number
of job openings is likely to exceed the
relatively small number of graduates.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Petroleum Engineering
Career Path Forecast (continued):
All job openings should result from the need
to replace petroleum engineers who transfer
to other occupations or leave the labor
force. Petroleum engineers work around the
world and, in fact, the best employment
opportunities may be in other countries.
Many foreign employers seek U.S.-trained
petroleum engineers, and many U.S.
employers maintain overseas branches
where petroleum engineers work.
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
Petroleum Engineering
Resources:
More information about Petroleum Engineering
is available at the Sloan Career Cornerstone
Center, including employer lists, Petroleum
Engineering programs, suggestions for
precollege students, a free monthly careers
newsletter, and a PDF that summarizes the
field.
Associations:
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American Association of Petroleum Geologists
American Gas Association
American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and
Petroleum Engineers
American Petroleum Institute
Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration
Society of Petroleum Engineers
Overview – Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.