Petroleum Engineers
Petroleum engineers plan and supervise the drilling of new oil wells. They also supervise well operation and maintenance.
80%
18%
0
National data for petroleum engineers (SOC 17-2171).
$58,840
$103,960
$145,000
$28.29
$49.98
$70.00
Based on Nebraska Wage Figures
have a high school diploma or GED
complete a bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering
be curious and detail-oriented
have strong analytical skills
be creative
Most work more than 40 hours a week.
May work seven days a week, if working at a drill site as a drilling engineer.
May be on-call in case of emergencies or changes in drilling conditions.
May travel to remote areas and stay there for extended periods.
Petroleum engineers will:
Look at how deep the oil is, the type of rock around it, and the surface of the land above the oil.
Determine how to remove the most oil for the lowest cost.
Supervise the construction of the drilling platform and inspect it once it is complete.
Develop and modify the methods and equipment used in oil production.
Petroleum engineers frequently:
Talk to scientific, engineering, and technical personnel to solve design problems.
Supervise the drilling operations.
It is important that Petroleum engineers be able to:
Be very exact in their work. Errors could cause teams to drill where oil is not located. This would cost the company a lot of money.
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