Petroleum Engineer
Learn about this occupation – including typical duties, education required, salary and job outlook information, job boards and more.
Petroleum engineers conduct studies for the exploration, development and extraction of oil and gas deposits; and plan, design, develop and supervise projects for the drilling, completion, testing and re-working of oil and gas wells. They are employed by petroleum producing companies, consulting companies, well logging or testing companies, government, and research and educational institutions. (National Occupational Classification)
Occupational profile
Find detailed information about the occupation, incl. typical duties and working conditions, in the links below:
- National Occupational Classification (NOC) - Canadian occupational descriptions
- OCCinfo by alis - Alberta-based occupational information
- O*NET Online - U.S. resource for occupational descriptions and information
- Petroleum Engineering Overview - Sloan Career Cornerstone Center
- Day in the Life of a Petroleum Engineer - The Princeton Review (U.S.)
- Sokanu: Petroleum Engineer - occupational videos and info (U.S.)
- Career Profile: Petroleum Engineer - Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada
- Profile: Petroleum Engineer - ECO Canada
Education
The University of Manitoba does not offer a degree in Petroleum engineering. Please view the links below for more information about training programs in North America. If you are a University of Manitoba student who would like assistance determining an education plan that suits your unique goals, speak with a Career Consultant.
Exploring Other Education Options
- Search Directories
- Accredited Engineering Programs - Engineers Canada
Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials - information for foreign-trained Petroleum Engineers
Labour market information
Labour market information informs users of supply and demand for specific occupations and sectors. It includes such things as salary and job outlook information. These resources support informed career decision making and job search efforts.
Resources
- Trend Anaylsis: Job Market Report (Winnipeg Region) - Gov. of Canada Job Bank
- Occupation Outlook Handbook - Job outlook for the U.S.
- Engineers Salary Survey - Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba
- Oil & Gas Industry Labour Market Information - Petroleum Human Resources Council
- Canada's Best Jobs 2018: The Top 25 - Engineering Manager (#2) - Canadian Business magazine
- OpportuNext - salary range and job growth prospects - Manitoba
Professional Associations
Professional associations organize events and directories, job postings, career and labour market information. Student membership opportunities are also available. This is a great way to learn and network.
- Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba (EGM)
- Canadian Engineering Regulatory Organizations - Engineers Canada
- Engineering Institute of Canada
- Society of Petroleum Engineers
- Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum
- The Canadian Association of Drilling Engineers
- Canadian Geotechnical Society
- National Society of Professional Engineers (U.S.)
Directories, Industry Associations, and Sector Councils
These resources provide industry news, labour market information and a list of potential employers. Remember, there are usually multiple industries worth exploring.
- Association of Consulting Engineering Companies - Manitoba
- Petro sociation of Canada
- Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers - producer members
- Canadian Fuels Association - members
Job Boards
Search occupations of interest in the industry-specific job boards below to learn about skill requirements, employers, job duties and available jobs. You may also wish to search more general online job boards.
- Career Opportunities - EGM
- EngineeringCareers.ca - Engineering Institute of Canada
- Black Engineers of Canada - Career Centre
- Energy Jobline - job postings in energy industries
Other links
External resources that will provide you with additional information about the occupation, areas of work and opportunities to build experience:
- Canadian Energy Sources - Natural Resources Canada
- Canadian Coalition of Women in Engineering, Science, Trades and Technology
- Black Engineers of Canada
- American Society of Mining and Reclamation
- Oil and Gas Journal
- Discover Engineering Online
- Engineers Without Borders Canada
- Global Grand Challenges of Engineering - National Academy of Engineering