You might have seen old movies with oil-well gushers splattering the drilling crew, spewing precious barrels of oil on the ground, or news coverage of a North Sea blowout – not that they have been commonplace.
Though it makes for a great image, the petroleum engineer must assure their employer that this scenario doesn’t happen. Gushers do not surprise drilling crews any more – well, almost never.
Petroleum engineers, using very precise and sophisticated equipment, have told them beforehand where the oil and/or gas are and how deep they lie.
There are four areas of concern to petroleum engineers: finding the oil; evaluating its potential; maximising its recovery, and transporting and storing the oil.
These are performed by three broad categories of engineers: the drilling engineer, the production engineer and the reservoir engineer.
One developing opportunity is in sales engineering. This involves the service and testing functions for various types of equipment in the industry.
Petroleum engineering consists of many different sub-disciplines. It can involve working with contractors to:
Design and oversee multimillion-dollar drilling operations.
Run experiments to improve oil&gas production.
Create computer-simulated models to determine the best recovery process.
Petroleum engineers can specialise in environmental safety regulations or they can move into other areas such as entrepreneurship and consulting.
Career specialties for petroleum engineers include:
Geologists, who explore for crude oil and natural gas by studying rock formations and cuttings from drilling sites. They can analyse data geological surveys, field maps and seismic studies to help identify reservoirs.
Geophysicists, who study the Earth’s external and internal composition. They examine ground and surface waters, atmosphere and magnetic and gravitational fields. They combine the principles of mathematics, physics and chemistry, along with three-dimensional computer modelling, to locate oil and gas reserves.
Drilling engineer. A drilling operation can cost many millions of dollars. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the best and most economical plan for drilling. The drilling engineer works with the drilling contractors to confirm the location and design a procedure to accomplish their task.
Well-log analyst. Before, during and after a drilling project, the well-log analyst is responsible for obtaining core samples and analysing them for potential. Analysts must use sophisticated equipment such as electronic, nuclear and acoustic tools. They rely on their talents to interpret the data from these systems into meaningful recommendations.
Production engineer. Once a well has been drilled, the production engineer must determine the best way to bring the petroleum to the surface.
Reservoir engineer. To achieve as much profit as possible from a well, companies need to raise as much of it to the surface as possible. The reservoir engineer, often working in conjunction with the production engineer, examines the fluid and pressure distributions throughout the reservoir to achieve maximum results.
Facility engineers. These specialists separate, process, and transport the oil and natural gas after it has been brought to the surface, and design and build pipelines to move the petroleum from the drill site all the way to the point of sale.
Safety engineer. This person is responsible for ensuring the safety of the people who work around the oil and natural gas. They keep track of safety regulations and design plans to make certain those guidelines are met and documented.
Environmental/regulatory specialist. These specialists might come from a variety of areas, but can include petroleum engineers. Working with a team of experts, they make sure all environmental regulations are met.
Chemical engineer. Chemical engineering is an engineering specialty unto itself, but petroleum engineers can also perform some functions within the industry. This can involve everything from designing a plant for processing to researching new products or improving current production.
Petroleum accountant. All industries are based on turning a profit and, in petroleum, these accountants are charged with placing a value on the oil and gas that might be produced in the future, thereby establishing corporate assets.
Energy economist. The petroleum industry operates in a world economy and the energy economist must analyse business conditions and develop financial strategies that are critical to a company’s success. An understanding of finances and the petroleum industry is vital.
The foregoing demonstrates how varied the profession can be. The UK’s Energy Institute (EI) and the Society of Petroleum Engineers offer a wealth of information about the profession, and the oil&gas industry.
Both have a separate section for students of petroleum engineering and various campus chapters. In Aberdeen, for example, the EI has chapters at Aberdeen and The Robert Gordon Universities.
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