Petroleum has a huge impact on the world economy. It is used in myriads of industries such as manufacturing, automobile, packaging, textile, food, and medical. Besides helping people in producing goods, and in moving from one place to another, it also boosts the economy of a nation. No wonder several countries around the world invests millions of dollars very year in search of petroleum hidden under deep rock formation and the sea bed since they know oil and gas can change their fortune overnight. That's what made a petroleum engineer career attractive. For those who wish to contribute to the economy of the country and support the world in producing goods, becoming a petroleum engineer is the right thing.
The main responsibility of petroleum engineers is to research and locate oil and gas resources and find the best possible way to extract them without disturbing the environment. They may either get involved in the production, preservation, or distribution of petroleum reserves depending on their specialization. They may also specialize in locating petroleum reservoirs beneath the surface of the earth, or developing recovery methods to extract the organic compound such as hydrogen and carbon for enhancing production levels.
Petroleum engineers specializing in production are responsible for transporting the fossil fuel from the reservoir to the well, and the refining process thereon. Some are also involved in designing and developing equipment for extracting petroleum resources. They work with remote sensing devices and advanced computer software for exploring, drilling, and production of petroleum. The job also requires them to work with geophysicists to assess petroleum reserves. They are responsible for the extraction of oil and natural gas in the safest possible manner. For this, they have to plan and construct bore well and move the fossil fuel from the inside the rock formation to the well.
Typical responsibilities of petroleum engineers involved:
Due to the process involved in finding oil and gas resources, the job of petroleum engineers is categorised into four types:
1. Completion Engineers
As the oil and gas sit deep inside the rock formation of an area, there is a need to find a way to bring them up. This work is done by completion engineers who are experts in planning and implementing the most suitable technique to construct a well and divert the reserves from underground to it. They are skilled in use of tubing and pressure-control techniques.
2. Drilling Engineers
These petroleum engineers shoulder the responsibility of drilling a well to extract gas or oil. Before taking up the work, they have to estimate the cost and labor required. Their overall responsibility is to implement safe, efficient, and environment process for the operations.
3. Produciton Engineers
Once the well has been constructed, production engineers step in to monitor the production process for oil and gas. Their role is to extract the maximum of oil or gas by devising the best plans and techniques.
4. Reservoir Engineers
When the oil or gas reserves is located, the next step is to ascertain how much of the natural resources can be extracted from that place. This responsibility is entitled to reservoir engineers. These engineers study and analyze how much of the fossil fuel can be recovered from the reservoir and extract as much as possible. They oversee the extraction operations and ensure optimal recovery of resources.
Petroleum engineering requires a good grasp over algebra, trignometry, calculus, physics, bilogy, and chemistry. In short, one must be proficient in all the disciplines of math and science in order to work as a petroleum engineer. To work at an entry-level possible in this field, you have to earn a bachelor's degree either in mechanical, checmical, or petroleum engineering. For a management level position, you have to complete a master's degree to specialize in any one type of engineering as well as collect a strong experience.
For a trainee engineer or an engineer intern position in petroleum field, you have to take the Initial Fundamentals of Engineers (FE) exam after a bachelor's degree to procure a license. With some experience under your belt, you can then appear for the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam.
Besides suitable education, specific qualifications that employers want in petroleum engineers are:
Since the world is heavily dependent on fossil fuel, there is a huge scope for petroleum engineers. It is stated that employment for this job position is projected to go up by 26 percent from 2014 to 2022. This growth rate is much higher than other professions. Employment are available at oil and gas extraction companies at domestic level as well as in offshore. If you've enough experience in this field, you can even start a business of your own and provide drilling and mining services to other oil and gas companies.
In case you need any help for an entry-level or management level position, refer to Petroleum Engineer Resume
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