Petroleum Engineers

Petroleum engineers devise methods to improve oil and gas extraction and production. They also oversee drilling and offer technical advice.

Duties

Petroleum engineers typically do the following:

• Design facilities to extract and produce oil and gas from reserves deep underground
• Develop plans to drill in oil and gas fields, and then to recover the oil and gas
• Analyze data to improve oil and gas production and reservoir recovery
• Ensure that oilfield equipment is installed, operated, and maintained properly

Petroleum engineers work with geoscientists and other specialists to explore for oil and gas deposits, or reservoirs, in rock formations underground. After discovering reservoirs, petroleum engineers determine the best methods of extraction through wells on land or offshore rigs at sea. Their tasks may include designing the well, selecting drilling methods and equipment, and designing surface facilities.

Existing extraction techniques recover only a portion of the oil and gas in a reservoir, so petroleum engineers also research and develop new ways to recover more of the oil and gas. For example, workers may inject water, chemicals, or gases into an oil reserve to force out more oil or gas.

The following are examples of types of petroleum engineers:

Completions engineers decide how to finish building wells so that oil or gas flows up from underground. They oversee work to complete the building of wells, such as using tubing or hydraulic fracturing.

Drilling engineers design ways to construct oil or gas wells. They also ensure that the drilling process is safe, efficient, and minimally disruptive to the environment.

Production engineers take over wells after drilling is completed. They typically monitor wells’ oil and gas production. If wells are not producing as much as expected, production engineers figure out ways to increase the amount being extracted.

Reservoir engineers estimate how much oil or gas can be recovered from reservoirs. They also monitor operations to ensure optimal recovery of these resources.

Some petroleum engineers use their knowledge of underground geologic formations to specialize in areas outside of oil and gas. These specialties include carbon capture and storage, geothermal drilling and extraction, and subsurface hydrogen storage.

Petroleum engineers held about 19,600 jobs in 2024. The largest employers of petroleum engineers were as follows:

Petroleum engineers generally work in offices or at drilling and well sites. They may travel offshore, to remote areas, or to international locations, sometimes for long periods. Petroleum engineers often visit these sites to meet with other engineers, oilfield workers, and customers.

Work Schedules

Most petroleum engineers work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Extended shifts may be necessary when traveling to and from drilling sites or when helping to troubleshoot operations.

Petroleum engineers typically need a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering or a related field, such as mechanical, civil, or chemical engineering. Employers also value practical experience, which students sometimes gain through internships.

The median annual wage for petroleum engineers was $141,280 in May 2024.

Employment of petroleum engineers is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.

Despite limited employment growth, about 1,200 openings for petroleum engineers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.