Oil Comp Engr
38 Years Experience
Houston, TX
Female, 60
I recently retired from a major integrated oil company after 38 years. I have degrees in Civil and Petroleum Engineering. I worked with safety, health and environmental management systems and operations in the upstream (finding and producing oil and gas) and downstream (refining, chemicals and distributions) areas. I travelled all over world, enduring good & bad business cycles and good and bad managers.
I think there is very good growth potential because there are a lot engineers in the industry in the 50 to 60 year age bracket who are getting ready to retire. Due to the cyclical nature of the oil business, there is not an even distribution of folks across all age ranges. People in our industry commonly talk about the "great crew change" that is coming and most of the major oil companies and large service companies have increased hiring in the last 5 years because they realize that ten engineers with 4 years of experience do not equal one engineer with 40 years of experience.
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It depends quite a lot on where you intend to pursue a job and what your citizenship is. I can really only speak for the situation in the USA. Having recruited for a major oil company before, I CAN tell you that US companies will rarely hire a foreign national and sponsor him or her for US citizenship or a visa unless that a person has a PhD In a very specialized field of study.
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This is not an easy question to answer. Getting a masters degree in any engineering area depends on why you want the degree. In some fields, having a masters degree is a prerequisite for entry. For example, if you want to do research, you need a masters or even a PhD. This is generally not the case for petroleum engineers who want to do entry level work. However, you also need to weigh the cost of pursuing the advanced degree with the benefits it will return. In the USA, someone with a Masters in PE may start at a higher salary than someone with a bachelor's degree, but after 4 or 5 years on the job, the person who is a best performer may command the best salary. Also, it depends on what the hiring environment is like. During some of the down cycles, students may do better to stay in school and get a Master's degree if companies aren't hiring. That's a gamble, but if you can get a good scholarship, it could be worth it. Also, I have interviewed some students who did not get great grades as an undergraduate and they pursued a Master's degree in order to demonstrate that they had turned things around and could master the material. Sorry, that I can't just give you a "yes" or "no" answer, but there are lots of factors you need to consider.
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Yes, you might be able to get a job as a reservoir engineer, but be aware that while companies are not allowed to discriminate based on age, they may feel obligated to pay a competitive salary to you based on your 15 years of work experience. This may or may not make price you out of the market. That said, starting salaries for petroleum engineers probably meet or exceed the salary of a "typical" civil engineer working for a municipality. You should be very candid with potential employers regarding the starting salary you desire. The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) regularly conducts salary surveys so you should be able to see the current starting salaries. Last time I checked, a BSPE was getting around $90k. Also, keep in mind that the industry can change quickly, so it is always a bit of a gamble if you decide to go to school full time and give up your current job. If you can go to school at night while working, it will take you longer but could be less risky. Best of luck to you.
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The market is so good for engineers in the US, I don't really see any obstaclesm especially in the petroleum industry. If you are willing to work hard and show how your prior experiences can benefit your employer, I think your chances are good. We are all so concerned about the "big crew change", employers are doing everything they can to keep valued employees from retiring. SPE has done some surveys on the demographics of engineers in the oil industry, so you might want to check that out. Many oil companies are looking for folks that are willing to relocate, so be aware of that. I can't really speak for companies outside the oil industry. I won't sugar coat this, however, and tell you that every potential employer is going to welcome you with open arms. Some will probably quiz you about why you made the change to engineering and whether you are going to stick with this, etc., but I got asked when I was interviewing about whether I was going to get married, start having babies and quit. This was 30+ years ago and interviewers know that they can't ask those types of questions. What I have learned in my career is that there are no "sure" things and that hiring decisions need to be made based on merit and whether there is a good fit between the company's culture and the potential employee's interests & personality. Hope this helps.
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If the price of oil is high enough, there are unconventional reserves that are economic to develop. Plus, high oil prices will encourage conservation which will also help decrease dependence on imports. I think it is way too complicated to say all efforts are in vain.
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The future looks pretty good right now for petroleum engineering. We older folks talk about "the big crew change". In the next 5+ years, there are a LOT of people who will be retiring, which increases the demand for new graduates. I would definitely keep your options open, however, and try to stay as general as you can freshman year (math, physics, etc.) and part way through sophomore year. See if you can take courses that satisify the requirements for Mechanical, Chemical or Civil in case the market changes or you don't like Petroleum. The best way to really find out is through summer internships, so be sure to apply for those. Also, check out the scholarships offered by the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Historically, they have been pretty good.
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