233612 — Petroleum Engineer

Plans and directs the engineering aspects of locating and extracting petroleum or natural gas from the earth. Registration or licensing may be required.

• conducting preliminary surveys of mineral, petroleum and natural gas deposits with prospectors, Geologists, Geophysicists, other mineral scientists and other engineers to determine the resources present, the feasibility of extracting the reserves, and the design and development of the extraction process
• preparing operation and project cost estimates and production schedules, and reporting progress, production and costs compared to budget
• determining the most suitable methods of ore extraction taking account of such factors as depth of overburden, and attitude and physical characteristics of deposits and surrounding strata
• preparing plans for tunnels and chambers, location and construction of mine shafts, layout of mine development and the application of appropriate mining techniques, often using computer modelling
• assessing the natural, technical, financial and safety risks associated with the phases of the project development, construction and operations
• determining the safety of processes, order of extraction and safety of mine walls, evaluating the risk of slippage and advising on the prevention of slippage and rock falls
• planning and coordinating the utilisation of labour and equipment consistent with efficiency targets, statutes, safety guidelines and environmental conditions
• planning and conducting research and providing advice on engineering operations for the exploration, location and extraction of petroleum and natural gas
• determining location for drilling
• deciding on types of derrick and equipment including seabed platforms
• devising methods of controlling the flow of oil and gas from wells