Petroleum Engineer

Overview and Key Facts

What Do They Do?

A petroleum engineer could...

Overview

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Earth is our home and is the source of everything that we require to survive and thrive. Earth gives us food, shelter, and energy. One source of energy, found deep within the earth, is oil. Oil drives the world's economy and is an extremely important commodity. Petroleum engineers spend their careers searching for reservoirs of oil and developing methods to efficiently extract it from the earth without damaging the surrounding environment.

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of a Petroleum Engineer?

1. Reading Comprehension: ? Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
2. Critical Thinking: ? Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
3. Writing: ? Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
4. Judgment and Decision Making: ? Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
5. Systems Analysis: ? Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.

6. Active Listening: ? Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
7. Complex Problem Solving: ? Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
8. Systems Evaluation: ? Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
9. Speaking: ? Talking to others to convey information effectively.
10. Monitoring: ? Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks a Petroleum Engineer might do:

• Specify and supervise well modification and stimulation programs to maximize oil and gas recovery.
• Monitor production rates, and plan rework processes to improve production.
• Maintain records of drilling and production operations.
• Analyze data to recommend placement of wells and supplementary processes to enhance production.
• Assist engineering and other personnel to solve operating problems.
• Direct and monitor the completion and evaluation of wells, well testing, or well surveys.
• Develop plans for oil and gas field drilling, and for product recovery and treatment.
• Assess costs and estimate the production capabilities and economic value of oil and gas wells, to evaluate the economic viability of potential drilling sites.
• Confer with scientific, engineering, and technical personnel to resolve design, research, and testing problems.
• Interpret drilling and testing information for personnel.
• Coordinate activities of workers engaged in research, planning, and development.
• Write technical reports for engineering and management personnel.
• Evaluate findings to develop, design, or test equipment or processes.