How to Become a Petroleum Engineer

A requirement to becoming a petroleum engineer is earning an on campus or online degree in engineering. Petroleum engineering is among the several engineering specialties you can focus on in your degree program.

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredits college and university engineering programs. Make sure your college or program has this accreditation.

Related Petroleum Engineer Programs

What does a petroleum engineer do?

Petroleum engineers develop methods to extract gas and oil from deposits below the earth. This is because only a small fraction of the resource will flow out via natural forces. So, after the resource has been identified, it’s the responsibility of the petroleum engineer to do the following:

• Determine the appropriate drilling method to extract the resource
• Monitor drilling and production operations
• Understand the properties of the rock containing the reservoir
• Increase the resource recovery rate

Some of the techniques petroleum engineers use to extract oil include injecting materials such as water, gasses, chemicals or steam into the oil reservoir. They also may recommend controlled drilling to connect more of the reservoir area to the well.

Overall, petroleum engineers are supposed to maximize the resource that can be extracted from the reservoir. They research methods and develop techniques to do just that.

What kind of education does a petroleum engineer need?
You’ll need a bachelor’s degree in engineering to qualify for any entry level engineering position. In a typical four year bachelor degree program, you won’t begin taking engineering courses until the third year.

However, the engineering programs include an area of concentration in an engineering specialty. This is where your coursework will become focused on your petroleum engineering specialty.

A bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degree in engineering with an emphasis in petroleum engineering can be obtained at on-campus and online colleges all around the world.

How much does a petroleum engineer earn?

Bureau of Labor Statistics suggest that median annual salaries for petroleum engineers are at around $108,020.

Where can petroleum engineer work?

Excellent opportunities for petroleum engineers exist not only in the United States but all over the world.