Petroleum Engineers

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Drilling Engineer, Engineer, Petroleum Engineer, Reservoir Engineer

What they do:
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.
On the job, you would:
  • 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.

Knowledge

Engineering and Technology

  • product and service development
  • computers and electronics

Math and Science

  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
  • physics

Business

  • management
  • accounting and economics

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Skills

Basic Skills

  • reading work related information
  • thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem

People and Technology Systems

  • figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it
  • measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Abilities

Verbal

  • communicate by speaking
  • communicate by writing

Ideas and Logic

  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
  • notice when problems happen

Math

  • choose the right type of math to solve a problem
  • add, subtract, multiply, or divide

Attention

  • pay attention to something without being distracted

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.

They do well at jobs that need:

  • Analytical Thinking
  • Attention to Detail
  • Integrity
  • Dependability
  • Initiative
  • Cooperation

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Analytical or scientific software

  • Google Analytics Hot Technology
  • The MathWorks MATLAB Hot Technology

Presentation software

  • Microsoft PowerPoint Hot Technology In Demand

Object or component oriented development software

  • C# Hot Technology
  • R Hot Technology

Education

Education: (rated 4 of 5)
bachelor's degree or
certificate after master's
usually needed

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Job Outlook

Below Average
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.
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