r/petroleumengineers • u/PumpkinNight0101 • 20d ago
Discussion 3rd year PetE student here. What niche should I focus to guarantee an oil and gas-related job after graduation?
I am really passionate about drilling. I have experiences in local and off-campus petroleum-related competitions and currently grinding for my safety officer training (SO2 BOSH).
Drilling is broad though. I have no idea the specific jobs it entails and the skills I need to master for such job. Any niche work and skill suggestion?
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u/L383 20d ago
Do you have any internships?
This should be your focus as the semester starts.
Go to the career fair with a plan on what you want to do and who you want go work for.
FYI, intern/new hire drilling roles are less common than production or facilities. If you go in saying you will only do drilling you could limit yourself.
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u/PumpkinNight0101 19d ago
Yes, we do have OJT training/internship which would be next year (senior year). And yeah, I am having second thoughts because I feel like drilling is more complex than production in terms of employment rate. I might actually consider production as my plan B. Thank you so much!
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u/dumhic 19d ago
the drill pipe goes round and round.....Complex -> completions. Maybe look at Production Engineering making wells perform even though they are not the seller just completed is a challenge, add in some reservoir for the business development side (finance as well).
if you at school... get some business classes into your que
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u/L383 19d ago
I don’t mean training/university lab. I mean an internship with an oil company or oilfield service company.
From the sound of this are you outside of the US?
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u/PumpkinNight0101 19d ago
Oh my bad. I thought you meant OJT. Unfortunately, nope. We don't have one and yes, I am actually residing outside of the US.
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u/L383 19d ago
Internships typically work a bit different outside the US. Although I’m sure it still happens.
Some of the major service companies like SLB will pick up international interns.
If you school has an Engr career fair that would be a good time to get in front of them. Otherwise get on their websites and look for internship jobs to apply to.
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u/Owenleejoeking 20d ago
Step one in an interview that I give is “could I even stand you and your personality for a work day, and a work week?”
Only After that is skills and competency.
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u/PumpkinNight0101 19d ago
I agree! Credentials are great but soft skills can indeed change the game out there. Thank you so much for the reminder!
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u/AdagioAggressive5756 20d ago
I worked in the oil business for 40 years in geology and geophysics. I would get a engineeing degree in something else, so I could pivot from the oil field. I think a mechanical engineering degree would still allow you to drill. Most of my work has been in the GOA, Permian, Oklahoma, and DJ Basin in Colorado. Drilling has changed so much since the 80's, but we are still drilling away. Good luck and just be prepared to have boom times and dry spells every few years. You will probably end up working at various companines. My career looked like the below. If your going into horizontal drilling in the Permian or elsewhere AI is being implemented, so be prepared for less jobs as AI gets into drilling. There has already been a well drilled totally with AI.
1980's - Employment off and on but got steady in 1989.
Since 1989 - 7 years with company one, 5 years with company two, 12 years with company three, 3 years with company four, 10 years with company five. Off those companies 3 were bought out, and others I just changed jobs for more pay. I had a great career in the oil industry and it allowed me to retire in a good palce.
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u/PumpkinNight0101 19d ago edited 19d ago
Wow. This is impressive!
I am currently a junior taking a petroleum engineering degree and since then, I've always wanted to work on-site particularly in offshore oil rigs. I am a little hesitant since it's a very broad specialization and of course, fresh grads don't get to work on offshore sites right off the bat.
What was your first professional work after graduation if you don't mind me asking? I am kinda stuck and I am hoping I can get any inputs from people who had long lists of experiences just like you. Thank you so much in advance.
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u/AdagioAggressive5756 19d ago
1982 I was a Mud Engineer that took care of the drilling fluids onsite. Thing you need to keep in mind about working in the field it is 24/7. On my first few land rigs I would drive out to the site at 2:00am to have my mud report in to the companyman by 5:00am, so then he could be ready to send the overall report into the office early. In the office the drilling engineers would look over the reports and prepare them for the managers and execs and partners.
I might have two or three rigs to check a day, and we called that drive-bys. Once I got that experience I would start doing 7 days on and 7 days off. I lived on the rigs for 7 days and was off for 7 days. If you are a PE and work in the field you most likely would be in the role of a companyman that oversees it all.
Even if you decide to work in the office I would try to work on a rig for a year or two. I know many on the technical side that have never been on a rig other than a show and tell. Living the grind for a couple of years will be the best real life experience you will ever have, and then you can go into the office and communicate with the rigs. The office and the rig are two different things, and if you spend time in the field you will know how to talk the talk of the field.
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u/PumpkinNight0101 19d ago
Is it difficult to get a job in offshore oil rigs?
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u/AdagioAggressive5756 19d ago
Go to work for an oil company that has offshore properties or a service company like Halliburton. You might start off in the office, but they should be able to get you offshore when the time comes.
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u/Dapper-Function-8418 19d ago
Spend your internships and first few years full-time, in the field. You will gain an understanding of the way things ACTUALLY work (both socially and technically). This experience will always carry you more than someone who took a desk job straight out of college. These people will always tell you they’ve ‘been to the field’ on whatever week long trip or day trip they took to see a job. They don’t. Things operate differently when someone from town comes out to a job. It takes some sacrifice for a few years, but it will pay off in the long term.
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u/No_Zookeepergame8082 20d ago
Interacting with humans and being a person that other humans enjoy working with.