What Do Petroleum Engineers Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Petroleum Engineers devise methods to improve oil and gas extraction and production and determine the need for new or modified tool designs. Oversee drilling and offer technical advice. They also assess costs and estimate the production capabilities and economic value of oil and gas wells, to evaluate the economic viability of potential drilling sites.

Other tasks include:

• Develop plans for oil and gas field drilling, and for product recovery and treatment.
• Direct and monitor the completion and evaluation of wells, well testing, or well surveys.
• Analyze data to recommend placement of wells and supplementary processes to enhance production.
• Monitor production rates, and plan rework processes to improve production.
• Interpret drilling and testing information for personnel.
• Specify and supervise well modification and stimulation programs to maximize oil and gas recovery.

We asked Petroleum Engineers how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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80% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 66% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Petroleum Engineers monitor production rates, and plan rework processes to improve production. They confer with scientific, engineering, and technical personnel to resolve design, research, and testing problems.

A typical day for a Petroleum Engineer will also include:

• Maintain records of drilling and production operations.
• Coordinate the installation, maintenance, and operation of mining and oil field equipment.
• Develop plans for oil and gas field drilling, and for product recovery and treatment.
• Analyze data to recommend placement of wells and supplementary processes to enhance production.
• Assist engineering and other personnel to solve operating problems.

We asked some Petroleum Engineers a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	82% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	38% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	66% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	21% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	0% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	43% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Petroleum Engineers also coordinate activities of workers engaged in research, planning, and development. They may also direct and monitor the completion and evaluation of wells, well testing, or well surveys.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Petroleum Engineers Design and implement environmental controls on oil and gas operations. They might also Supervise the removal of drilling equipment, the removal of any waste, and the safe return of land to structural stability when wells or pockets are exhausted.

In addition, they Design or modify mining and oil field machinery and tools, applying engineering principles.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Write technical reports for engineering and management personnel.

To some Petroleum Engineers, it is also their responsibility to Coordinate the installation, maintenance, and operation of mining and oil field equipment.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Petroleum Engineer, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally..

They also like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/architecture-and-engineering/petroleum-engineers.htm

http://www.asee.org/

http://www.tsaweb.org/

http://ncees.org/