What's the average petroleum engineer salary?

A petroleum engineer is a professional who is involved in gas and oil field evaluation, development and production. The job of the petroleum engineer is to take full advantage of hydrocarbon recovery at low cost, while reducing the impact of any associated environmental issues. In this article, you can find out more about the salary that petroleum engineers receive for performing work in the oil and gas industry.

What does a petroleum engineer do?

Work activities for petroleum engineers include: - Liaising with colleagues in the oil and gas industry. - Compiling reports on reservoir performance. - Selecting suitable equipment for different functions. - Designing systems that aid in the following of the well. - Finding solutions to fluid behaviour and production chemistry problems. - Managing and monitoring wells. - Using remote-sensing technology in order to determine the value of the reservoir, and to conclude on suitable engineering interventions. - Understanding and managing interaction. - Managing contractor relationships. - Supervising well-site operations staff.

What are the different types of jobs in petroleum engineering?

Oil and gas engineers fall into four main groups:
- Petroleum geologists These professionals find hydrocarbons. They analyse sub-surface structures using geological and geophysical techniques.
- Reservoir engineers These professionals optimise the production of oil and gas.
- Production engineers These individuals help to select surface equipment that aids in the separation of fluids.
- Drilling engineers The role of drilling engineers is to manage the technicalities of drilling production and injection wells.

What is the salary of petroleum engineers?

Starting salaries As of August 2009, the starting petroleum engineer salary ranges between £29,000 and £36,500 per year, with the higher-end salaries typically being reserved for those educated to PhD level.
Salaries for the experienced engineer
The salary range for engineers with experience fell between
£52,000 and £95,000 per year, as of August 2009. Experienced freelance petroleum engineers can earn in excess of £1,000 per day.
Influences on salaries
An engineer’s location and assignments influences his or her salary.

What are the working conditions of a petroleum engineer?

Working hours are typically nine to five, but may include extra hours. The major oil and gas companies grant their workers flexible working patterns. Offshore assignments typically require shift work. Engineers may therefore work 12 hours on, followed by 12 hours off, and they may do this continuously for a period of two weeks, followed by a rest period of between two to three weeks onshore.