Occupation
Petroleum engineer
Petroleum engineers design and manage the wells and subsurface operations used to recover oil and gas. The work covers drilling programmes, completions, and production optimisation, and it is closely tied to well control and environmental safeguards.
Also known as: Reservoir engineer · Drilling engineer
Occupation content
Part of Engineering and technical design
What the work involves
- Interpret subsurface and reservoir data to plan well trajectories and completions.
- Write drilling and completion programmes covering casing, fluids, and pressure control.
- Monitor live drilling or production data and adjust operating parameters.
- Analyse well performance and design interventions, stimulation, or artificial lift changes.
- Take part in well control, integrity, and hazard reviews and record the safeguards agreed.
- Coordinate with geoscientists, service contractors, and facilities engineers.
How people commonly enter
- An accredited bachelor's degree in petroleum, chemical, or mechanical engineering.
- A postgraduate petroleum engineering degree taken after a geoscience or engineering degree.
- A graduate engineer programme with an operator or oilfield service company, including field rotations.
- Movement from a field or drilling technician role after completing an engineering degree.
Typical training: Bachelor's degree
Licensing: Regulated in most jurisdictions — confirm the current requirement with the regulator in your province, state, or country.
Typical work context
Team based · High responsibility · Involves travel · Outdoors · Shift work · Desk based
Related interests
Investigative (analytical) · Realistic (hands-on)
Related aptitude preparation
These are preparation links only. They do not measure eligibility for this occupation and no score here qualifies or disqualifies anyone.
Skills to practise
Practice suites
Related learning
Family-level learning links for Engineering and technical design.
Official sources
Labour-market facts such as pay and employment projections are not reproduced here. Open an official source below for figures, with its own geography and reference period.
- US BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Petroleum engineers · United States
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- O*NET OnLine — occupation search: petroleum engineer · United States
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- Employment and Social Development Canada — National Occupational Classification (NOC) · Canada
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Labour-market context (not part of exploration match)
This is broad family-level context for Engineering and technical design in Canada, not a figure for Petroleum engineer. It does not affect matching scores and is not an eligibility determination.
This is a broad Engineering and technical design family. Explore the official profile for the chosen occupation; entry education and training can differ within the family.
Canada Job Bank Career Planning · Canada · Current official profile; consult source for its release period
Engineering and technical design: education pathways
Some roles in Engineering and technical design may be regulated. Confirm whether the specific role requires registration, certification, or a jurisdiction-specific licence.
Canada Job Bank Career Planning · Canada · Current official profile; consult source for its release period
Engineering and technical design: licensing
Find jobs
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- Search Canada Job Bank · Canada
- Search USAJOBS · United States federal
- Search EURES · European Union / EEA
- Search Indeed · International (choose location on Indeed)