Extractive industries, those specifically dealing with fossil fuels, have historically been perceived negatively. In particular, due to its impact on the environment, the oil and gas industry has continued to be less attractive to college students. However, with the sector undergoing digital transformation and with more awareness around sustainability, there is a shift in perception and attitude towards petroleum engineering.
As a career, petroleum engineering is one of the highest-paid jobs globally. According to Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), globally, petroleum engineers take a median annual salary of $130,000, and closer to home in the UAE, the average yearly salary is around $113,327.
Studying petroleum engineering can set up students for a career working in an office in management positions or traveling to drilling and well sites to designing and developing methods for extracting, producing, and refining oil and gas.
With a huge leap in technology and digitisation in the industry and the need to address and work towards sustainability, the next generation of petroleum engineers will need to be equipped with both – domain and digital knowledge. They will also have to drive sustainability, address the need for increased productivity and be ready for a career path that will continuously evolve as the industry changes rapidly.
Focus of Petroleum Engineering studies over the past years
Digitalisation at the fore – The oil and gas industry is constantly under pressure with mounting challenges around lack of visibility into complex operational and supply chain processes, adhering to environmental regulations, and equipment life cycle management. Big data and data analytics are now being explored to address these issues. Although it has been introduced in the sector, it still has a long way to go to be completely embedded into the system. Vast amounts of data are of no use if not identified, aggregated, sorted, analysed, and perfected. Incorporating technology to help and support massive data accumulation is important as it encourages transparency and collaboration. The introduction of courses in data analytics in petroleum studies has been critical to keeping pace with the future.
Increased interest in unconventional resources – There has been a change of focus in the industry as conventional oil and gas reservoirs mature in the region. Along with this, a lot of emphasis has been laid on natural gas due to global demand and its qualification as a clean resource. National Oil Companies (NOCs) have been steadily looking to exploit unconventional oil and gas resources such as hydrocarbon reservoirs. In fact, countries are working hard towards commissioning unconventional gas reserves. In February 2020, Riyadh in Saudi Arabia made a historic announcement about its strategic aim of unconventional gas production, sanctioning a USD 118 billion long-term capital expenditure budget for Aramco to extract gas from the Jafurah basin. An accelerated focus on natural gas and unconventional oil and gas resources is essential for future petroleum engineers.
The emerging importance of mature oilfields management – As older oil fields decline and approach decommissioning, the management of mature oil fields becomes more critical. Industry leaders have been under constant pressure to build a stronger and robust system that can manage and sustain mature oil fields. This involves assessing the late-life economic limit within the context of the Petroleum Resources Management System. While also introducing considerations such as infield drilling, workovers, and facility management to extend production, improve the economics of the project, and increase reserves. Another management consideration is to minimise the cost liabilities in respect to abandonment and decommissioning. Resource Management in Petroleum is an essential element of the syllabus for petroleum engineering.
The industry as a whole has evolved and is seeing a shift towards sustainability, making it essential for those looking to make a career in petroleum engineering to have a keen interest in environmental issues. This has also been due to an increased interest in decreasing freshwater usage as water is critical in the oil production process, minimising methane leaks as the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates emission of around 70 Mt from the oil and gas industry globally and incorporating renewable energy to support lower carbon emissions.Â
Choosing a career in petroleum engineering can be extremely rewarding for several reasons, such as the chance to make a positive difference to the environment, lucrative pay, and being part of a sector that builds and supports global economies. Additionally, the fact that there will always be global demand for energy. At Heriot-Watt University Dubai, we constantly update our courses to keep pace with the evolving nature of the industry. Our Master’sprogramme encompasses a wide range of applied petroleum engineering fundamentals, leading to developing a technically well-prepared graduate with a sound knowledge of the industry.
