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.
Also known as: Certification Engineer, Completion Engineer, Completions Engineer, Design Engineer, Drilling Engineer, Engineer, Exploration Engineer, Gas Distribution Engineer, ...
Annual Salary
Median annual wage (May 2024)
Job Outlook
Projected growth, 2024–2034 (Slower than average)
What You'd Do
- Assess costs and estimate the production capabilities and economic value of oil and gas wells, to evaluate the economic viability of potential drilling sites.
- Monitor production rates, and plan rework processes to improve production.
- Analyze data to recommend placement of wells and supplementary processes to enhance production.
- Specify and supervise well modification and stimulation programs to maximize oil and gas recovery.
- Direct and monitor the completion and evaluation of wells, well testing, or well surveys.
- Assist engineering and other personnel to solve operating problems.
- Develop plans for oil and gas field drilling, and for product recovery and treatment.
- Maintain records of drilling and production operations.
- Confer with scientific, engineering, and technical personnel to resolve design, research, and testing problems.
- Write technical reports for engineering and management personnel.
- Evaluate findings to develop, design, or test equipment or processes.
- Interpret drilling and testing information for personnel.
- Coordinate activities of workers engaged in research, planning, and development.
- Assign work to staff to obtain maximum utilization of personnel.
- Design and implement environmental controls on oil and gas operations.
- Coordinate the installation, maintenance, and operation of mining and oil field equipment.
- 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.
- Simulate reservoir performance for different recovery techniques, using computer models.
- Take samples to assess the amount and quality of oil, the depth at which resources lie, and the equipment needed to properly extract them.
Top Skills
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Knowledge Areas
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level
Technology & Tools
Software and tools commonly used in this role
In-Demand Technologies
Other Tools
Work Styles
Personality traits and work styles important for this career
Key Abilities
Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Activities
General types of job behaviors occurring on this job
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Environment
Physical and social factors that influence the nature of work
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Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.