A petroleum engineer is the key person responsible for the operation that involves bringing the oil and gas from the reservoir to the surface. Their main aim is to get oil and gas from the reservoir so as not to cause any damage to the gas source. The method used by them should be safe and economical ensuring that no extra money is wasted in the process. The job of a petroleum engineer includes facing technical challenges and using their knowledge to solve problems. Petroleum engineering is divided into a number of parts: drilling and product operations, production geology, production technology and many others. A person looking for career as petroleum engineer must gain knowledge in any of the above mentioned fields. Their other work includes managing and supervising material resources. They have to work in coordination with people from other fields like engineers, scientists and contractors.
The following are the responsibilities of petroleum engineers:
1. They have to continuously keep in touch with the clients and inform them about the progress of the work.
2. They are responsible for the maintenance of the equipments.
3. Understanding the way the wells behave and accordingly managing them.
4. Designing the systems that help the well to flow easily.
5. Talking with other department to find out whether the progress of the report is on the correct way.
6. Carry out survey on the wells and reservoirs data and use engineering intervention if it is necessary.
7. They have to manage the behavior of the fluid.
8. Making use of the mathematical tools to find out the behavior of the reservoir and plan the development process.
The minimum qualifications of a petroleum engineer are a bachelor's degree, preferably from a reputed college. A degree with a good academic record in geology, mining, and geophysics is of additional advantages. If you are interested in teaching or research field, then a master's or doctor degree is a must. The better one's qualifications, the brighter one's chances are of securing an attractive position right after completing education.
Since petroleum engineers are responsible for the safety of the staff members as well as for minimizing the cost of production for the company, they need to have certain skills that will help them more with their tasks. The main skills that a petroleum engineer must possess to be successful in petroleum engineering field are the following:
1. Good oral and written communication
2. Focused dedication towards work
3. Ability to perform in a team
4. Ability to adjust to work pressure and meet the work deadlines
The aspiring petroleum engineer must also be ready to travel to any location and should be comfortable working in any environment.
Training programs depends on the companies and the field in which the candidate is interested to build his or her career. Many companies offer on-job training and others offer training on some particular course. The training period may vary from three to five years.
After the training period, many people successfully move to higher positions like that of a senior technical engineer. Some may also develop a career as recruiter or team leader. Petroleum engineers can also be placed in banks that provide loans to the oil companies because they have knowledge of this field. Some may be employed in government agencies. Some petroleum engineers opt to work in research field to find out new methods to recover a greater amount of oil from the existing reservoirs. A petroleum engineers can command an attractive average annual salary of $113,890. The salary may vary depending on your experience, education and talent. Besides the salary, petroleum engineers are also awarded with extra bonuses and benefits.
Of late there has been a huge rise in the oil prices globally due to excessive increase in energy demand. The requirement for petroleum engineers has also increased as many companies are suffering with the shortage of staff. These days the companies are recruiting new engineers and training those who show considerable interest in the field. Due to this, career development opportunities have become excellent in this field. There is a great amount of challenge involved but the high salaries that petroleum engineers get make this a highly lucrative career option for the deserving candidates.
