Petroleum Engineer

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.

O*NET reports this occupation under titles such as: Completion Engineer; Drilling Engineer; Engineer; Operations Engineer; Petroleum Engineer; Petroleum Production Engineer; Project Production Engineer; Project Reservoir Engineer; Reservoir Engineer; Reservoir Engineering Consultant

Tasks

• 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.
• Analyze data to recommend placement of wells and supplementary processes to enhance production.
• Assist engineering and other personnel to solve operating problems.
• Direct and monitor the completion and evaluation of wells, well testing, or well surveys.
• Develop plans for oil and gas field drilling, and for product recovery and treatment.
• Assess costs and estimate the production capabilities and economic value of oil and gas wells, to evaluate the economic viability of potential drilling sites.
• Confer with scientific, engineering, and technical personnel to resolve design, research, and testing problems.
• Interpret drilling and testing information for personnel.
• Coordinate activities of workers engaged in research, planning, and development.
• Write technical reports for engineering and management personnel.
• Evaluate findings to develop, design, or test equipment or processes.

Knowledge

• Engineering and Technology
• Mathematics
• Computers and Electronics
• Physics
• Administration and Management
• Chemistry
• Administrative
• Economics and Accounting
• Design
• English Language
• Law and Government

Skills

• Reading Comprehension
• Critical Thinking
• Active Listening
• Writing
• Speaking
• Active Learning
• Monitoring
• Science
• Mathematics
• Learning Strategies

Abilities

• Oral Comprehension
• Written Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Written Expression
• Problem Sensitivity
• Deductive Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning
• Category Flexibility
• Fluency of Ideas
• Information Ordering
• Near Vision
• Speech Recognition
• Speech Clarity
• Originality
• Mathematical Reasoning
• Visualization
• Number Facility
• Selective Attention
• Flexibility of Closure
• Perceptual Speed