Career Professionals of Pakistan: CAREERS: Petroleum engineering Fuelling career

CAREERS: Petroleum engineering Fuelling career

By Sahar Majid

According to Wikipedia, “The subsurface engineering activities related to the production of hydrocarbons, which can be either crude oil or gas are referred to as petroleum engineering”. A petroleum engineer is assigned for managing oil and gas fields.

There are three main categories for a petroleum engineer: reservoir engineer who works to optimise the production of oil and gas via proper well placement and enhanced oil recovery techniques; drilling engineer who manages the technical aspects of drilling of both production and injection wells; and production engineer who is responsible for managing the interface between the reservoir and the well.

In recent years, petroleum engineering has gained substantial importance due to the vital role of oil in every segment of life. Petroleum engineering offers a bright career scope in Pakistan and abroad. Many of our petroleum engineers have been working in the Middle East, Europe and the US, and are earning handsome salaries.

In Pakistan, petroleum engineering discipline was first introduced by University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore in 1969. Then, in 1983 Mehran University of Engineering and Technology established a separate department of fuel engineering, which later on was changed to the ‘department of petroleum and gas engineering’. And recently in January 2005, NED University of Engineering and Technology has also added petroleum engineering as a degree programme in the list of their various engineering disciplines.

“Candidates with an HSC (Pre-engineering) certificate are eligible to apply for a degree programme in petroleum engineering. After completing a four-year Bachelor of Engineering (BE) degree, fresh graduates are appointed as ‘trainee engineers’ by national as well as multinational firms,” explains Ahmed Saeed Khan, chairman, department of petroleum and manufacturing engineering, UET, Lahore. Khan adds that the initial salaries given to the trainee engineers are about Rs25,000 per month and after six-months of training, they are paid around Rs35,000 per month.

As the engineers gain more and more experience, they are given attractive increments. Ahmed also reveals the lucrative earnings in the field of petroleum engineering in foreign countries. “Our petroleum engineers who have been working abroad for many years are now minting money,” he says.

Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), Pakistan Petroleum Ltd. (PPL), British Petroleum (BP) — Pakistan, OMV Group and ENI Pakistan Ltd. are some of the many oil and gas exploration and production companies that hire petroleum engineers. There are several other companies that offer different services related to oil and gas exploration such as drilling and integrated well services. Petroleum engineers are in great demand by these firms as well.

While discussing career choices for a petroleum engineer, Sahibzada Haider Rizwan, Chief Geologist, New Horizon Exploration and Production Ltd (NHEPL) says, “Petroleum industry is divided into two main categories: upstream and downstream. Upstream sector deals with the exploration and then production phase, while downstream is all about refining, transportation and marketing of the finished products. Petroleum engineers who want to pursue a career in downstream sector can opt to work in companies like Pakistan State Oil (PSO).”

If you want to pursue a career in petroleum engineering, you should keep in mind that the job of a petroleum engineer is not restricted to air-conditioned offices. Most petroleum engineers have to work in the fields except those who are responsible for analysing the reports and recommending the field engineers and advising corporate decision-makers on whether to proceed or not. Therefore, the field engineers should have to be mentally as well as physically strong enough to endure long-distance travel, long stays and to bear uncertain weather conditions. Besides, petroleum engineers have to work with a team of geologists and contractors, which is why they should also possess strong and effective communication skills.

Petroleum engineering has a wide scope, and it opens various other doors of opportunities after one has gained extensive experience about oil industry. So, if you stop enjoying getting your hands dirty by digging oil wells, you may opt to become industry analyst. You may also enter in environmental companies or become consultants to professional oil organisations.