Petroleum Engineering
Petroleum Engineering
Petroleum engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the activities related to the production of hydrocarbons, which can be either crude oil or natural gas. Subsurface activities are deemed to fall within the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry, which are the activities of finding and producing hydrocarbons. Refining and distribution to a market are referred to as the downstream sector. Exploration, by earth scientists, and petroleum engineering are the oil and gas industry's two main subsurface disciplines, which focus on maximizing economic recovery of hydrocarbons from subsurface reservoirs. Petroleum geology and geophysics focus on provision of a static description of the hydrocarbon reservoir rock, while petroleum engineering focuses on estimation of the recoverable volume of this resource using a detailed understanding of the physical behavior of oil, water and gas within porous rock at very high pressure.
The combined efforts of geologists and petroleum engineers throughout the life of a hydrocarbon accumulation determine the way in which a reservoir is developed and depleted, and usually they have the highest impact on field economics. Petroleum engineering requires a good knowledge of many other related disciplines, such as geophysics, petroleum geology, formation evaluation (well logging), drilling, economics, reservoir simulation, well engineering, artificial lift systems, and oil and gas facilities engineering.
Petroleum engineering has historically been one of the highest paid engineering disciplines; this is offset by a tendency for mass layoffs when oil prices decline. In a June 4th, 2007 article, Forbes.com reported that petroleum engineering was the 24th best paying job in the United States. The 2010 National Association of Colleges and Employers survey showed petroleum engineers as the highest paid 2010 graduates at an average $125,220 annual salary. For individuals with experience, salaries can go from $170,000 to $260,000 annually.
Matching Petroleum Engineering Colleges
| Name |
|---|
|
Texas A & M University-College Station
Four or more years; Public; $20,687 average out-state tuition; $5,297 average in-state tuition |
|
The University of Texas at Austin
Four or more years; Public; $32,506 average out-state tuition; $9,794 average in-state tuition |
|
Colorado School of Mines
Four or more years; Public; $27,270 average out-state tuition; $12,584 average in-state tuition |
|
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus
Four or more years; Public; $14,802 average out-state tuition; $3,849 average in-state tuition |
|
University of Tulsa
Four or more years; Private not for profit; $28,580 average out-state tuition; $28,580 average in-state tuition |
|
Texas Tech University
Four or more years; Public; $12,211 average out-state tuition; $4,699 average in-state tuition |
|
Montana Tech of the University of Montana
Four or more years; Public; $18,096 average out-state tuition; $6,420 average in-state tuition |
Petroleum Engineering Scholarships
| Name | Amount | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowship | Up to $38,000 | October 27, 2017 |
| Box Engineering Diversity Scholarship | $20,000 | October 02, 2017 |
| GEM Ph.D. Engineering Fellowship | $16,000 | November 13, 2017 |
| DAN/R.W. (Bill) Hamilton Memorial Dive Medicine Research Grant | $10,000 | November 18, 2017 |
| Keynote Scholarship | $10,000 | December 01, 2017 |
| Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship | Up to $7,500 | January 26, 2018 |
| James R. Bullock Scholarship | $5,000 | December 01, 2017 |
| ASHRAE Region IV Benny Bootle Scholarship | $5,000 | December 01, 2017 |
| ASHRAE General Scholarship | $5,000 | December 01, 2017 |
| Alabama Power Scholarship | $4,000 | December 01, 2017 |
Petroleum Engineering Related Majors
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
- Industrial Engineering
- Space Engineering
- Computer Software Engineering
- Systems Engineering
- Materials Engineering
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
- Agricultural Engineering
- Operations Research
- Architectural Engineering
- Engineering Science
- Nuclear Engineering
- Manufacturing Engineering
- Materials Science
