Petroleum engineers have the important task of finding areas of the earth that contain oil. Investors rely upon the information that is provided by petroleum engineers. Investors need to find the best places to drill for oil, and they typically spend millions of dollars to find these types of areas. As a petroleum engineer, you also analyze the safety of drilling in particular locations. You may write up a report that discusses the risk of drilling in an area, and you may give this report to the CEO of a major oil company. There are many perks involved in being a petroleum engineer. Most individuals choose to specialize in this area of engineering, because they love working in the oil industry and the great salary associated with this career. Maybe you have wondered, “How do I become a petroleum engineer?” When you want to become a petroleum engineer, it is important for you to choose an engineering program that gives you the opportunity to learn about the oil industry.
What’s it like to be a petroleum engineer?
When you are a petroleum engineer, the job can be quite intense. Investors may rely upon you to deliver fast reports about a particular geographic location in the world. You may spend weeks analyzing one oil rig to determine whether it actually contains oil that will be profitable for investors. You may also have to write reports that discuss the safety measures that a company should take to protect its workers from harm in a particular oil rig. The typical petroleum engineer works about 40 hours a week, but the number of hours can be increased depending on the amount of research that an engineer has in a given week.
Education Requirements
To become a petroleum engineer, one should pursue a bachelor’s degree in engineering. One should research college programs to see whether classes are offered in oil drilling. These types of classes can help a petroleum engineer get to know the oil industry. It is important for a petroleum engineer to have a strong background in statistics. A petroleum engineer will need to figure out all of the ways to avoid mishaps with the drilling of a particular oil rig. One may also want to have a background in geology. Knowing all about the different rocks that form the earth’s core can be helpful for the study of oil drilling. It is also important for a petroleum engineer to develop excellent communication skills during his or her time in college. One may also want to consider pursuing a graduate program that offers a specialty in petroleum engineering. Schools like the University of California-Berkeley are renowned for the variety of engineering programs that they offer to students. These programs can give petroleum engineering students an edge in the job market upon graduation.
Salary & How to Get a Job
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the starting salary for a petroleum engineer is about $140,000 a year. The salary for a petroleum engineer will increase depending on the number of years that he or she works for a company. When you want to get a job as a petroleum engineer, it is important to network with other engineers in the field. People usually obtain jobs in this field due to the connections that they have.
References:
1. http://www.ehow.com/about_5081775_petroleum-engineering.html
2. http://www.ehow.com/how_2060809_become-petroleum-engineer.html
3. http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes172171.htm