Petroleum Engineers
Human Advantage 72%
Significant human skills needed
AI Automation Risk Low Risk
2.4 / 10
This occupation requires complex human judgment, social interaction, and creative problem-solving that are difficult to automate.
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.
Also Known As: Certification Engineer, Completion Engineer, Completions Engineer, Design Engineer, Drilling Engineer, Engineer, Exploration Engineer, Gas Distribution Engineer +26 more
Core 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.
Supplemental Tasks (10)
- 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.
Education & Training
Job Zone 4 Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Education: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Experience: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
On-the-Job Training: Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation with each education level.
Technology & Tools
Hot Technologies
Software (45)
Tools & Equipment (5)
Where This Career Leads
Career progression organized by specialty track and experience level.
Resource Extraction Advanced Manufacturing
Zone 1
Roustabouts, Oil and Gas 74% match
Zone 2
Zone 3
Zone 4
Petroleum Engineers You are here
Zone 5
Hydrologists 79% match
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