Oil and gas engineers work in several areas of petroleum exploration and extraction. Typically, an oil and gas engineer specializes in one area, but needs to be mindful of the entire process since the engineering and production components work together. Find out more about an oil and gas engineer's duties and job specialization options below. Schools offering Nuclear Engineering degrees can also be found in these popular choices.

An oil and gas engineer is involved in the process of extracting oil and natural gas from reservoirs. They may be drilling engineers, production engineers, or reservoir engineers, according to the Society of Petroleum Engineers. In all these stages, an oil and gas engineer uses petrophysics knowledge to ensure that all drilling operations are conducted accurately and efficiently, while complying with laws and environmental standards. These engineers are team leaders and often work with other engineers, scientists, and platform laborers.

Duties and Responsibilities

Oil and gas engineers often work on offshore drilling platforms and in oil fields and reserves around the world. Some of the duties of an oil and gas engineer include:

• Recording and updating     information on all drilling activities

• Ensuring compliance with laws     and regulations

• Determining the most     productive locations

• Taking responsibility for     safety and efficiency

• Ensuring well maintenance

• Interpreting results

• Ensuring efficient well flow

• Overlooking the removal of all     waste and equipment from drill sites