Petroleum Engineer

Also called: Completion Engineer, Completions Engineer, Design Engineer, Drilling Engineer, Engineer

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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.

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.
Test machinery and equipment to ensure that it is safe and conforms to performance specifications.
Assign work to staff to obtain maximum utilization of personnel.
Simulate reservoir performance for different recovery techniques, using computer models.
Design and implement environmental controls on oil and gas operations.
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.
Inspect oil and gas wells to determine that installations are completed.
Coordinate the installation, maintenance, and operation of mining and oil field equipment.
Take samples to assess the amount and quality of oil, the depth at which resources lie, and the equipment needed to properly extract them.
Design or modify mining and oil field machinery and tools, applying engineering principles.
Conduct engineering research experiments to improve or modify mining and oil machinery and operations.

Work Context

Face-to-Face Discussions — 100% responded "Every day".
Electronic Mail — 99% responded "Every day".
Work With Work Group or Team — 93% responded "Extremely important".
Telephone — 88% responded "Every day".
Contact With Others — 66% responded "Constant contact with others".
Structured versus Unstructured Work — 63% responded "A lot of freedom".
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 79% responded "Every day".

Work Activities

Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.

Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information — Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.

Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.

Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.

Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.

Provide Consultation and Advice to Others — Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.

Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

Monitoring and Controlling Resources — Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.

Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates — Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.

Detailed Work Activities

Analyze costs and benefits of proposed designs or projects.
Monitor the productivity or efficiency of industrial operations.
Develop technical methods or processes.
Analyze physical, survey, or geographic data.
Determine operational methods.
Direct energy production or management activities.

Direct quality control activities.

Resolve operational performance problems.

Prepare detailed work plans.

Maintain operational records or records systems.

Confer with other personnel to resolve design or operational problems.

Prepare technical reports for internal use.

Interpret design or operational test results.

Supervise engineering or other technical personnel.

Explain engineering drawings, specifications, or other technical information.

Design environmental control systems.

Direct installation activities.

Direct equipment maintenance or repair activities.

Direct energy production or management activities.

Inspect equipment or systems.

Create models of engineering designs or methods.

Collect samples of raw materials or finished products.

Direct design or development activities.

Design industrial equipment.

Test performance of electrical, electronic, mechanical, or integrated systems or equipment.

Research advanced engineering designs or applications.

Engineering and Technology

Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

Mathematics

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Physics

Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Judgment and Decision Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Systems Analysis

Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.

Systems Evaluation

Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Writing

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Complex Problem Solving

Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Active Learning

Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Monitoring

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Social Perceptiveness

Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Time Management

Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Science

Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Mathematics

Using mathematics to solve problems.

Persuasion

Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Instructing

Teaching others how to do something.

Service Orientation

Actively looking for ways to help people.

Learning Strategies

Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Written Comprehension

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Oral Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Written Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Inductive Reasoning

The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Problem Sensitivity

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Deductive Reasoning

The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Category Flexibility

The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

Information Ordering

The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Fluency of Ideas

The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).

Near Vision

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Speech Clarity

The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Speech Recognition

The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Originality

The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.

Visualization

The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

Mathematical Reasoning

The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.

Selective Attention

The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Number Facility

The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.

Flexibility of Closure

The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.

Perceptual Speed

The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.

They do well at jobs that need: