Types of Petroleum Engineer Jobs and Key Skills needed for them
The oil and gas industry is a booming field and there is a huge demand of skilled petroleum engineers for the accomplishment of some crucial tasks. The job profile of a petroleum engineer involves design and development tasks, managerial tasks and research work. The design and development work is performed by the junior petroleum engineering professionals under the coaching of senior professionals. The managerial tasks are fulfilled by the project management professionals while the professionals possessing a doctoral degree do the research work. There are different types of petroleum engineer jobs. If you have a degree in petroleum engineering, you can be deemed suitable for the role of a drilling engineer, production engineer, reservoir engineer or petroleum geologist.
Drilling engineer- the production and injection of wells and the technical aspects of drilling are managed by a drilling engineer. The professional works in a team with other professionals like scientists, engineers and contractors.
Production engineer- it is the production engineer who administers the interface between the reservoir and the well. The management is done through down-hole flow control, sand control, checking equipment and identifying the faults. Production engineers have a big responsibility and that is coming up with effective techniques and implementing them properly for the advancement of the industry overall.
Reservoir engineer- this particular area of petroleum engineering focuses on the better production of oil and gas through the utilization of advanced oil recovery methods. The common duties of a reservoir engineer include the following;
- Assessing oil and gas reservoir performance and reduction strategies
- Studying field data and suggesting emulations for maximizing profit
- Devising engineering models for the improvement of well performance
- Carrying out reservoir simulations
- Performing reserve assessment for an estimate of reserves and recovery
Petroleum geologist- this professional analyses subsurface structures with the application of geological and geophysical techniques. This analysis helps him to locate hydrocarbons.
If you wish to make a career in the field of petroleum engineering, you can consider these options. You must conduct adequate research on these roles before looking for oil and gas recruitment in London.
Key Skills needed to fit into these roles- in order to become a petroleum engineer; you need to have certain skills along with the educational qualifications. Management, organisational, analytical, team-working and problem solving skills are required to shine in this field. As an aspiring petroleum engineer, you must keep yourself abreast with the latest advancements in the field. Employers prefer to recruit candidates for the position of petroleum engineer who possess a willingness to overcome challenges and who can adapt to any work environment.