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.
It depends on what you want to do in the oil and gas industry. If you want to stay with structural engineering and work on designing platforms and the like, you would want a master's degree in Civil and you would likely be working for an Engineering & Construction (E&C) Firm and less likely to be working for a major integrated oil company. If you wanted to work at a major integrated oil company and oversee the work being done by an E&C firm, that is also a possibility, but I think there are fewer jobs there and they are likely to hire an experienced person from an E&C firm. If you want to get into the day to day operations, a BSCE plus an MS PetE will make you very attractive for a wide variety of entry level positions such as Drilling, Facilities Engineering, Reservoir Engineering and Subsurface Engineering. There is a pretty large demand right now as the average age of our employees is getting pretty high and a shortage is predicted in the next few years. Best of luck to you.
Share Answer: 
Chemical Engineering is going to focus on understanding chemical reactions used in industrial processes, how to optimize them, predict outcomes, understand potential hazards, etc. Petroleum engineering will cover geology, well construction, estimating reserves, economics, some chemical reaction / surface facility design (but in less detail than in chemical engineering) and some tranportation/logistics. Personally, I would recommend chemical engineering because it makes you appealing to a broader selection of jobs and companies. However, if you KNOW you want to be in the Upstream Oil and Gas business OR if you know you want to go on to get a law degree and practice oil and gas law, then I would recommend Petroleum Engineering. Starting salaries for Petroleum Engineers is hovering near the six figure mark right now, but Chemical Engineers are not very far behind. After a few years on the job, that tends to even out and folks are paid based on their contributions not their degree. Our business is cyclic and always has been. The cycle is favorable right now BUT when there is a downturn, Petroleum Engineers are not in demand and the degree is not as favorable. Upstream Oil and Gas companies will always want to hire and train chemical engineers but the reverse is not true - Chemical companies rarely want to hire and train Petroleum Engineers. The ideal situation would be to get a chemical engineering degree and do internships at an Oil and Gas company to make sure this is the profession you want to pursue.
Share Answer: 
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.
Share Answer: 
This is a great opportunity for you to get some practice solving problems (like you will have to do every day as an engineer). I suggest you team up with some other students and perhaps a sympathetic alumni or practicing engineer and propose a solution to the problem and meet with the administration. Employers (and professors) don't want to hear "There's a problem and I'm not happy about it". They want to hear "I think there's an opportunity to make some improvements and here are some potential solutions. Can we explore this together?" There may be some facts that you are not aware of and the administration may not be aware of the impact on their schedule decisions on the students. Don't go into this assuming that they are trying to make this hard on you. Go into with an open mind. One of my favorite pieces of advice is the adage, "Grant me the courage to change what I can, the strength to endure what I cannot change and the wisdom to know the difference". So, figure out what you might be able to change and if you can't change it or endure it, then switch to another program or university. Good luck.
Share Answer: 
Birthday Party Clown
OK seriously, how DOES the clown car thing work?
Couples Therapist
Does a therapist aim to "fix" the client, or just treat the client indefinitely?
Certified Nurse Aide
Are there social cliques (like "cool kids") in old folks homes?
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.
Share Answer: 
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.
Share Answer: 
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.
Share Answer: 
-OR-
Login with Facebook (max 20 characters - letters, numbers, and underscores only. Note that your username is private, and you have the option to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
(A valid e-mail address is required. Your e-mail will not be shared with anyone.)
(min 5 characters)
By checking this box, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to Jobstr.com’s Terms and Privacy Policy.
-OR-
Register with Facebook(Don't worry: you'll be able to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
Browse Jobs
Host a Q&A
Search
Submit Your Question
Host a Q&A
Last 7
