Professional Petroleum Engineer
Petroleum engineers work with geologists and other specialists to understand the geologic formation and properties of the rock containing an oil or gas reservoir, determine the drilling methods to be used, and monitor drilling and production operations. They design equipment and processes to achieve the maximum profitable recovery of oil and gas. Petroleum engineers rely heavily on computer models to simulate reservoir performance using different recovery techniques. They also use computer models for simulations of the effects of various drilling options.One resource the Petroleum Engineer has is the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ web site. SPE is a professional association whose members worldwide are engaged in energy resources development and production. SPE is a key resource for technical information related to oil and gas exploration and production and provides services online and through its publications, meetings, and other programs. News and information is available, especially for SPE members. Take a look at the Career / Education page and the Industry / Technical Resources page.
SPE does not participate directly in the professional engineering registration process. SPE does offer a review course and other training designed to assist engineers in preparing for or maintaining their registration. Because of the interest in registration, SPE has compiled information which responds to the questions asked most frequently about US Professional Engineering registration.
They do offer for sale a P.E./F.E. exam prep course (SPE’s course ) and PE Practice Test book (available from SPE bookstore). Note the Petroleum PE test is only offered once a year in October.
It is also interesting to note that SPE has developed “competency matrices“. This engineering discipline, like the others, has specialties that require a variety of different skills and knowledge. SPE established a Task Force to define the appropriate skill set to meet and exceed minimum competency requirements. These are defined in a series of matrices specific to the differing types of engineers in the petroleum industry.
The stated goal of these matrices is so that, “engineers in the early years of their career, or those who have moved to a different area of operations, can use these professional competency matrices to guide their professional development. If they discover areas where they need development, they can seek educational opportunities or project experience to gain the relevant skills.”
