Petroleum engineers are responsible for designing and developing methods for the extraction of gas and oil from underground deposits. They also look for new and innovative extraction methods for getting gas and oil from older wells. They have numerous duties, including designing extraction equipment that maximizes profits, developing drilling plans, ensuring equipment is operated properly and using tests and surveys to analyze well production.
On your petroleum engineer job description, it is a good idea to emphasize specific qualities that these professionals should have. For example, these engineers need to have outstanding analytical and mathematical skills to assess problems and devise solutions.
Additionally, petroleum engineers should be excellent problem solvers and have the creativity to come up with original ideas for extracting gas and oil in new and better ways. Below, you can find a helpful petroleum engineer job description template that will show you how to incorporate key information.
Petroleum Engineer Job Summary
Are you looking for a position that will allow you to put your design, engineering and critical thinking skills to work? If you are an innovative thinker who enjoys a challenge, you would be a great fit as a petroleum engineer for our company. In this rewarding position, you will get to design equipment and develop ways to efficiently and effectively extract oil and gas. You will get to work closely with our geoscientists to learn about natural rock formations so you can better develop and implement plans. Additionally, you will analyze current methods and assist in the operation and maintenance of equipment. This position is great for individuals seeking advancement opportunities and rewarding challenges to tackle.
Job Responsibilities
- Develop and implement plans for gas and oil field drilling and product treatment, ensuring maximum efficiency and effectiveness
- Assess the costs of projects and determine the economic value of gas and oil wells to see if potential drilling sites are economically viable
- Coordinate the maintenance, installation and operation of equipment and make improvements to existing equipment when necessary
- Maximize gas and oil recovery by supervising and specifying well-modification programs and use computer models to simulate reservoir performance for various recovery techniques
- Monitor and direct well analysis, tests and surveys, and interpret testing and drilling information for management personnel
- Confer with other engineering, scientific and technical professionals to effectively resolve research and design issues
- Maintain records of production and drilling operations and create technical reports for management
- Develop and implement environmental controls to ensure standards are properly met and test equipment and machinery to ensure safety and performance specification conformity
Job Skills and Qualifications
Reqiured:
- Bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering or a related engineering field
- Excellent creative thinking skills
- Knowledge of different types of wells and oilfield operations
- Ability to work individually or in a team setting
Preferred
- Previous experience in the field
- Experience using different types of petroleum economics software
- Oil and gas assessment exposure
Petroleum Engineer Job Responsibilities
Writing an accurate and informative petroleum engineer job description is imperative to attracting top candidates to apply for your position. The job responsibilities section is the most substantial portion of the description, and one of the most important. Clear writing and proper organization are key to getting candidates to read and understand your job description so they can determine if the position might be right for them.
As previously mentioned, it’s best to organize your petroleum engineer job responsibilities in a list of bullet points so they’re easy to skim over. Keeping the list limited to 6-8 duties ensures it won’t overwhelm – or simply bore – prospective applicants. For a more engaging job description, begin each duty with an active verb that helps jobseekers envision themselves doing the work.
The following is a selection of possible duties to include in your petroleum engineer job description
- Perform technical evaluation of clients’ petroleum assets, including oil and gas reserves and production analysis
- Ensure oil and gas valuations are current and accurate
- Collaborate with management to implement risk procedures and strategies
- Review refinery sites and make recommendations to optimize production and troubleshoot processes
- Assists in the development and application of improved distillation and fractionation technologies
Petroleum Engineer Job Specifications
Consisting of a succinct list of requirements, the job qualifications and skills section of your petroleum engineer job description is generally shorter and more specific than the job responsibilities section. This portion of the description informs jobseekers of the minimum professional qualifications they need before applying, so it’s a big help in eliminating candidates who may not be able to perform up to your expectations.
Meeting with your hiring manager to discuss these requirements before writing the job qualifications and skills section is a good way to ensure you’re listing only the necessary qualifications as mandatory. For skills and experience not strictly necessary, create a separate list of preferred qualifications to more successfully attract highly-qualified candidates with the education and background you most desire. Petroleum engineer job specifications are often quite technical and require specific knowledge and skills, so it’s important to ensure this section is accurate.
Consider these common qualifications for use in your own petroleum engineer job description:
Bachelor’s of Science degree in petroleum engineering or chemical engineering Minimum of five years’ experience as a petroleum engineer in active exploration and production Knowledge of federal and state guidelines and regulations for oil and gas operations Deep understanding of methods and requirements used in the valuation of oil producing properties