Petroleum engineer

As a petroleum engineer, you'll be involved in nearly all stages of oil and gas field evaluation, development and production. Your aim will be to drill for hydrocarbons in the most efficient way, and to resolve any operating issues.

You may also be responsible for using specialist drilling tools and techniques, and getting the most out of underperforming or older wells through well intervention and enhanced recovery methods. Throughout the entire extraction process, you’ll endeavour to minimise environmental impacts, including reducing emissions, preventing spills and supporting safe decommissioning.

In this role you can work on land, on offshore platforms or on mobile drilling units and frequent travel may be expected, although some roles are increasingly based in offices or remote operations centres using real-time data and modelling. Some petroleum engineers also apply their subsurface skills to low-carbon projects such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), geothermal energy and hydrogen storage.

Types of petroleum engineer

Petroleum engineers may specialise in several areas, including:

Reservoir engineers: optimise production of oil and gas through well placement, production strategy and enhanced oil recovery (EOR). They use reservoir modelling and simulation to assess uncertainty and forecast performance.

Drilling engineers: manage the technical planning and delivery of drilling and well construction for production and injection wells. They work with multidisciplinary teams including geoscientists, rig crews and contractors.

Production (or 'operations') engineers: optimise the performance of producing wells and manage the interface between the reservoir and the well. Tasks can include well testing, perforating, sand control, artificial lift, flow assurance, downhole monitoring and optimisation. They also work with surface/facilities teams on separation and treatment of produced fluids (oil, gas and water).

Well completions/well intervention engineers: design how a well is finished and brought online (completions) and plan remedial work to restore or improve performance (intervention/workovers).

Subsea engineers (offshore): design and manage subsea systems such as wellheads, subsea trees, flowlines and risers, working closely with integrity and operations teams.

Facilities/process engineers (within oil and gas operations): design and run processing systems that handle, separate and treat fluids, and support export and reinjection.

Responsibilities

As a petroleum engineer, you'll typically need to:

• liaise with geoscientists, reservoir/production teams and commercial colleagues to interpret well data and forecast production potential
• build and update field development plans using reservoir modelling and simulation
• design and optimise well completions and select appropriate downhole equipment
• plan and improve well performance using artificial lift, stimulation and well intervention/workovers
• diagnose and manage flow and production issues, including flow assurance –such as wax, hydrates, scale and corrosion
• use real-time monitoring and surveillance data to optimise wells and understand well-to-well interactions across a field
• coordinate multidisciplinary projects across drilling, subsurface, facilities and HSE, ensuring work meets regulatory requirements
• manage contractors and operations safely, including supervising site/offshore activity where required
• maintain well and equipment integrity, helping to reduce environmental impact - including emissions and spill risk
• communicate progress, risks and recommendations clearly to clients and internal stakeholders.

Salary

• Starting salaries for petroleum engineers are typically around £28,000 to £40,000, although this varies widely according to location (including whether the role is office-based or offshore), sector and whether your employer is an operator, consultancy or service company.
• With experience, salaries commonly range from around £45,000 to £90,000+. Senior specialists and managers sometimes earn more, particularly in high-demand niches and international roles.
• Contract and consultancy rates vary enormously and highly experienced specialists may command very high day rates on certain assignments.

Additional benefits packages and overseas allowances may be available. Pay can be performance-related, and you may receive bonuses for offshore work.

Higher starting salaries may be available for candidates with relevant postgraduate qualifications and specialist skills.

Working hours

Onshore working hours are mainly 9am to 5pm, but you may work longer days during busy periods or when supporting operations. Major companies may offer flexible working patterns or hybrid working for office-based roles.

Offshore assignments require shift work, often 12 hours on and 12 hours off, usually on a rotation such as two weeks offshore followed by two to three weeks onshore, though patterns vary.

If you work overseas you might work on rotation, with schedules depending on the country, project and employer - for example, this could be several weeks onsite followed by time at home.

What to expect

• Early in your career you may spend significant time supporting operations and working away from home. With experience you may become more office-based, working on field development and optimisation, though travel may still be required.
• Real-time monitoring and digital systems mean more work can be done remotely, with decisions supported by live operational data (often called the 'digital oilfield' or 'integrated operations').
• Freelance/contract work is sometimes possible with significant experience, depending on project demand and market conditions.
• The sector is working to improve equality, diversity and inclusion, but some groups remain underrepresented. Initiatives include WISE and the Women's Engineering Society (WES).
• Offshore work involves communal living, and other field roles may involve remote locations and challenging conditions. The work can be physically and mentally demanding, and rotation patterns can put pressure on family and social life.

Qualifications

Employers look for relevant degree subjects such as engineering, physical sciences or mathematics. In particular, the following subjects may improve your chances of securing a job:

• chemical engineering
• civil engineering
• earth sciences/geology/geophysics
• energy engineering
• environmental engineering
• mathematics
• mechanical engineering
• petroleum engineering.

A good first degree (often a 2:1) is usually required for entry to major oil companies' graduate training programmes, and Meng degrees may be valued.

Entry routes vary. Some technician roles may be open to applicants with an HND/foundation degree plus relevant experience, but many petroleum engineering roles ask for a degree, and sometimes postgraduate study.

Some employers may ask for a postgraduate qualification in petroleum engineering, though related subjects may also be accepted. Postgraduate study can help you specialise (e.g. drilling, reservoir simulation, well integrity, CCS), but requirements differ, so check individual employers.

Given the international nature of the work, foreign language skills can be useful in some roles.

Skills

You'll need to show:

• strong technical capability and attention to detail
• commercial awareness and understanding of risk/cost trade-offs
• analytical thinking and creativity in solving problems
• confidence using data, modelling tools and digital systems
• clear communication and stakeholder management
• teamwork and the ability to work in multidisciplinary teams
• strong safety mindset and commitment to environmental responsibility
• leadership potential, including motivating and supporting others
• adaptability and resilience - including working offshore, internationally or on rotation
• flexibility to work across a range of projects and changing priorities.

Work experience

Some major employers, consultancies and service companies offer summer placements or internships, often in the summer of your penultimate year. This gives you the chance to build contacts, understand the work and strengthen your CV.

You can also make speculative applications to relevant organisations to ask about opportunities.

Any relevant experience can help, such as internships in drilling, operations, subsurface engineering, energy, process/facilities, data/monitoring, or working on industrial sites. Competition can be strong, so having related experience and evidence of practical problem-solving can help you stand out.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Oil and gas exploration and production is international, and many roles are based overseas or involve travel. Recruitment, training routes and job titles vary between employers.

Some employers do not distinguish at entry level between petroleum (reservoir/production), drilling and other subsurface roles. Instead, they recruit graduates with broad potential and place them after training based on business need and individual strengths.

Petroleum engineers can work globally, including in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas. Employment is usually in one of the following settings:

• operating/producing companies - from large international operators to smaller independents
• engineering consultancies
• service companies providing technical services, tools and specialist staff
• drilling contractors delivering well construction and related operations.

Operators typically hold licences, plan field developments, manage safety and performance, and run production facilities. Contractors and service companies often deliver specialist activities such as drilling, well construction, completions, interventions and parts of facilities work.

Recruitment is cyclical and can be affected by factors such as commodity prices, investment decisions, regulation and policy, geopolitical events and project approvals. This can lead to changing demand for skills, sometimes at short notice. Some engineers also apply their subsurface skills in related areas such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), geothermal energy and decommissioning.

Look for job vacancies at:

• Energy Jobline
• EnergyPeople
• Oil and Gas Jobsearch
• Rigzone

Specialist recruitment agencies, such as Rise Technical commonly handle vacancies.

Professional development

If you find employment with a large organisation you may begin on a graduate training programme, which will provide structured training across key elements of petroleum engineering. You could also work on projects in other countries as part of your training and development.

Companies that do not have graduate programmes typically provide formal training in areas specific to the job and you'll be expected to learn through practical rig-site, offshore and field-based experience. A mentoring scheme is often available to allow new graduates to access the advice and professional support of more senior engineers.

Continuing professional development (CPD) is supported, so you should look into relevant courses, events and workshops, as well as opportunities to network. Information can be found at:

• Energy Institute (EI)
• OPITO
• Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)

There is a strong emphasis on working towards obtaining chartered engineer status (for example, CEng) with the relevant professional engineering institutions, such as the:

• Energy Institute
• Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3)
• Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE)
• Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)

Career prospects

Many first appointments involve supporting operations and may require travel or working away from home, so flexibility can be important. Some roles are field-based, while others are increasingly office-based or in remote operations centres. Being willing to relocate or travel may broaden your options, though opportunities vary by employer and location.

After completing a training programme, you may progress from technical roles to senior specialist posts, technical authority roles or principal/lead engineer positions. It's also possible to move into commercial, project, leadership or management roles (for example business development, planning, procurement or operations management).

Senior roles can include asset or discipline leadership, business planning and analysis, non-operated joint venture (NOJV) roles, asset management, operations supervision, well integrity, HSE, project management and decommissioning. Some engineers also move into related subsurface areas such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) or geothermal projects.