As vital as water, oil plays a significant role in the lives of humans; right from transportation purposes to acting as lubricants for heavy machines, manufacturing our day-to-day used products, the need for oil arises in an array of forms.
Petroleum Engineering is one such course that deals with designing and manufacturing equipment to extract oil from the ground. Considering the demand for skilled petroleum engineers worldwide, the institutions and universities in developed nations such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the USA and the UK offer bachelors and masters courses in Petroleum Engineering to international students.
According to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics, the Employment of petroleum engineers is set to grow by 8 % between 2020 and 2030. Whether you are excited to study a bachelor course in an engineering stream or study a masters course overseas, you can opt for a Petroleum Engineering course to future-proof your career.
At AECC Global, we have partnered with some of the finest and globally accredited institutions that offer Petroleum Engineering courses. Read on to know what do petroleum engineers do? , petroleum engineering salary, petroleum engineering colleges, and the career prospects of studying Petroleum Engineering abroad.
Table of Contents
What do Petroleum Engineers do?
1. Petroleum Geologists
Petroleum Engineers who actively source hydrocarbons by adapting geophysical and geological methods are Petroleum Geologists. They are required to gather geophysical information, actively perform field studies, examine project data, find drilling strategies for hydrocarbon extraction, estimate the necessary fuel amounts and create post-project reports.
2. Reservoir Engineers
Reservoir Engineers are specialised engineers who optimise oil and gas production through timely well inspection and top-notch oil recovery techniques. They forecast the discrepancies prior to help avoid issues with the aid of computer-aided simulation techniques.
3. Petroleum Production Engineers
Petroleum Production Engineers manage the well and reservoir interface through sand control, perforations, downhole flow control, artificial lift, and downhole monitoring equipment. In addition, they source the required surface equipment capable of segregating the produced fluids such as water, oil and natural gas.
4. Petroleum Drilling Engineers
Aside from working in the technical aspects of drilling, they work with multidisciplinary teams such as scientists, engineers, contractors and drilling teams to ensure the drilling process happens on time.
5. Safety Engineer
The safety engineer is solely responsible for ensuring the people's safety who work around natural gas and oil. They monitor, keep track of safety regulations and create a design plan to ensure the guidelines are met accordingly.
6. Chemical Engineer
From designing a new plant for oil processing to initiating new products research, improvising the current production techniques, Chemical Engineers play a significant role in Petroleum Production Plants.
7. Petroleum Accountant
Petroleum Accountants manage corporate assets and conclude the value of oil and gas produced in the near future. They are also responsible for preparing consolidated external and internal financial documents, coordinating accounting projects, analysing complex reports, preparing ledger entries and recommending new accounting processes.
8. Energy Economist
Energy Economists are vital in large-scale organisations. They analyse current business conditions and frame critical financial strategies that contribute to an organisation's profit.
Skills required to become a Petroleum Engineer
1. Analytical Skills
Petroleum engineers must be capable of compiling a heavy load of technical information and dataset at the plant. They must ensure that the plants are operating effectively and safely. From designing complex drill equipment to solving complex calculations for drill holes and compiling a heavy load of technical information, a Petroleum Engineer is expected to be strong in Mathematics and handling a chunk of data.
2. Creativity
With the advent of each new drill site, the forthcoming challenges are difficult to cope with. Hence, petroleum Engineers must produce creative drill designs to extract gas and oil with minimal human effort.
3. Interpersonal Skills
Petroleum Engineers are asked to work on different projects with a wide range of people across countries. Since they need to collaborate with people and work on complex equipment, machines and infrastructure, interpersonal skills are significant to ensure that the work gets done safely, on time and efficiently.
4. Problem-Solving Skills
Identifying and eradicating problems are crucial for petroleum engineers working in drilling plans. They need to take decisions aptly, and swiftly identify the potential threats that can incur in the future.
List of Best Petroleum Engineering Colleges/Universities
Popular Petroleum Engineering Colleges/Universities |
Petroleum Engineering Colleges Name |
Master of Petroleum Engineering |
|
Master of Engineering in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering (Thesis - Based) |
University of Calgary |
Graduate Diploma in Petroleum Engineering |
The University of Adelaide |
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)/Commerce - Petroleum Engineering |
|
Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering (Co-op) |
University of Alberta |
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) - Petroleum Engineering |
The University of New South Wales |
Master of Petroleum Engineering |
The University of Queensland |
Bachelor of Engineering (Petroleum Engineering) (Honours) |
|
Graduate Diploma in Petroleum Engineering Science |
The University of Adelaide |
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) Mechanical Engineering - Petroleum Engineering |
University of Southern California |
Master of Engineering Science (Petroleum Engineering) |
Curtin University |
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) Chemical Engineering, Petroleum Engineering Emphasis |
University of Southern California |
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours), Bachelor of Computer Science - Petroleum Engineering |
The University of New South Wales |
Bachelor of Engineering (B. Eng) Petroleum Engineering |
London South Bank University |
Bachelor of Applied Technology Petroleum Engineering |
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology |
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)/Bachelor of Laws - Petroleum Engineering |
The University of New South Wales |
Bachelor Petroleum Engineering |
London South Bank University |
Graduate Diploma in Petroleum Engineering |
|
Master of Petroleum Engineering Science |
The University of Adelaide |
Graduate Diploma of Engineering Science - Petroleum Engineering |
The University of New South Wales |
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)/Bachelor of Arts - Petroleum Engineering |
The University of New South Wales |
Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering |
University of Alberta |
Graduate Certificate in Petroleum Engineering Science |
The University of Adelaide |
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours), Bachelor of Science - Petroleum Engineering (3767) |
The University of New South Wales |
Petroleum Engineer Salary in Australia
Experience |
Petroleum Engineer Salary in Australia |
1 year |
AUD78,297 |
1 to 4 years |
AUD91,456 |
5 to 9 years |
AUD128,482 |
10 to 19 years |
AUD153,252 |
Petroleum Engineer Salary in Canada
Experience |
Petroleum Engineer Salary in Canada |
1 year |
C$75,000 |
1 to 4 years |
C$80,597 |
5 to 9 years |
C$96,732 |
10 to 19 years |
C$114,263 |
Petroleum Engineer Salary in the UK
Experience |
Petroleum Engineer Salary in the UK |
1 year |
£34,817 |
1 to 4 years |
£42,242 |
5 to 9 years |
£57,288 |
10 to 19 years |
£42,981 |
Petroleum Engineer Salary in the USA
Experience |
Petroleum Engineer Salary in the USA |
1 year |
$80,724 |
1 to 4 years |
$96,724 |
5 to 9 years |
$106,010 |
10 to 19 years |
$150,769 |