Additional Information
Exploitation engineering is just one specialty of petroleum engineering.
Most exploitation engineers have a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.
Their studies will include courses in petroleum engineering. Only a few universities
offer a degree specifically in petroleum engineering.
A lot of what you learn in a petroleum engineering program is applicable
to the work of an exploitation engineer. The main function of any petroleum
engineer is to develop and use various recovery methods to get the oil or
gas out of the ground. These include injecting water, chemicals or steam into
an oil reservoir to force more of the oil out, and horizontal drilling or
fracturing to connect more of a gas reservoir to a well.
"It's an engineering discipline, so you have to be qualified to be an engineer,"
says Tayfun Babadagli. He's a professor of petroleum engineering.
"Engineering is very pragmatic work," says Babadagli. "You have to be very
quick with calculations and decision-making. If you don't have these kinds
of abilities it's difficult because petroleum engineering is based on quick
decision-making... and this takes lots of knowledge of different kinds --
geology, thermodynamics, all parts of other engineering disciplines."
Being current on the latest technology is crucial. Technology in the oil
industry is constantly evolving.
"In high school, you need your math, physics, chemistry," says Jeanne
Phene, an exploitation engineer. "If you like biology you should take it,
because you won't get a chance in university. [By taking biology,] when you're
talking to some of the environmental people, then you'll be able to have a
bit more perspective on things."
While engineering is applied science, that doesn't mean that only science
courses are important. In fact, it's your English courses that could give
you a leg up.
"The engineering schools are so competitive that you can't afford to have
a 60 in English," says Phene. "A 98 in all the other subjects won't bring
you up to the marks you need, so pay attention to your English class."
A strong math background is important for any engineer, but even more so
for exploitation engineers. A lot of what an exploitation engineer does involves
running the numbers through to see if the potential value of a field is worth
what it will cost to exploit it and, if necessary, to purchase it.