For anyone who wants to major in something paying big $$ these days.
--> WSJ <--
teaser:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')ith energy prices soaring and oil-company ranks graying, petroleum-engineering graduates have become a hot commodity.
As a result, students are swelling the ranks of college engineering programs, positioning themselves for energy-industry jobs with salaries that make tenure-track professors envious. Top-ranking petroleum-engineering graduates this year can expect starting pay of $80,000 to $110,000, plus signing bonuses and other perks.
PeakOil is You
A gusher for oil grads
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A gusher for oil grads
by Oil-Finder » Thu 21 Feb 2008, 02:19:38
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Re: A gusher for oil grads
by ColossalContrarian » Thu 21 Feb 2008, 02:58:41
Now, +4 years... do you think it's too late to start?
or would alternative energy be better?
Four years is the wildcard for me and with things they way they are… who can predict?
or would alternative energy be better?
Four years is the wildcard for me and with things they way they are… who can predict?
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Re: A gusher for oil grads
by Oil-Finder » Thu 21 Feb 2008, 03:00:40
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ColossalContrarian', 'N')ow, +4 years... do you think it's too late to start?
or would alternative energy be better?
or would alternative energy be better?
How about a double major in both?
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Re: A gusher for oil grads
by PopeGideon » Thu 21 Feb 2008, 08:59:44
How about a general major of chemical engineering, focus on energy?
If that's not a hot button area for the next 100 years, the sun isn't coming up tomorrow.
If that's not a hot button area for the next 100 years, the sun isn't coming up tomorrow.
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Re: A gusher for oil grads
by mekrob » Thu 21 Feb 2008, 09:28:08
I'd really hate to be part of an oil company, but for that much money and my ability to save money, I could accumulate a good deal of money that could later be put to good use for the future.
I'm hoping I can find other jobs that pay close to oil jobs; if not, they'll I'll suffer through a few years of guilt, although I'd try to find a job as an environmental engineer/consultant, if they'll even be needing those guys at $200/barrel.
I'm hoping I can find other jobs that pay close to oil jobs; if not, they'll I'll suffer through a few years of guilt, although I'd try to find a job as an environmental engineer/consultant, if they'll even be needing those guys at $200/barrel.
I want to put out the fires of Hell, and burn down the rewards of Paradise. They block the way to God. I do not want to worship from fear of punishment or for the promise of reward, but simply for the love of God. - Rabia
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Re: A gusher for oil grads
by rockdoc123 » Thu 21 Feb 2008, 12:30:11
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')'m hoping I can find other jobs that pay close to oil jobs; if not, they'll I'll suffer through a few years of guilt, although I'd try to find a job as an environmental engineer/consultant, if they'll even be needing those guys at $200/barrel.
Having been in this industry for 30+ years I can state with confidence that there are far more examples of good environmental stewardship in oil companies which never make press than there are bad examples. You need to be careful about the ability of the press to sensationalize what looks bad at a particular time a photo is taken versus what something looks like when reclaimation is complete. There is a tendency to think about Exxon Valdez, the current appearance of open pits at Athabasca as being "typical" of oil company "rape and pilage" of the land. In the case of oil spills they are invariably due to lax attitudes of tanker companies with respect to HSE requirements (or pipeline companies). In the case of Athabasca you never see pictures of the parts of the open pit that have been reclaimed, nor are you made aware of the envrionmental measures post reclaimation versus the baseline. There are, of course, incidences of bad practice, but in my experience these are chalked up to inexperienced staff in the field or bad judgement by an individual rather than bad corporate policy.
Most oil companies employ a huge task force of environmental staff including environmental engineers, wildlife biologists, plant biologists, environmental health specialists etc. In every project I have been involved with these folks play a major role in establishing baselines, monitoring potential problems during operations, reclaimation following cessation of operations and finally post abandonment monitoring. There are a ton of opportunities in this field if you wish to work directly for oil and gas companies, especially so in the US where Superfund Act requires considerable environmental due diligence. Consulting in this field is also a big opportunity, there are lots of small firms that specialize in oil field environmental studies.
Here are a few career ideas for those of you who have an environmental bent:
- biochemistry : come up with new methods of dealing with oil spills through use of bacteria, invent safer drilling/completion fluids
- plant ecology: find ways of assuring survival of reforested species, ensure successional species are incorporated into the plan
- wildlife biology: innovative means of allowing for zero disruption of wildlife travel routes during operations (eg: monkey bridges, wildlife passage culverts), documenting biodiversity and dependancies in areas and understanding what possible affects operations might have on them
- groundwater geology: fluid flow models as applied to understanding oil flow, down-hole fluid disposal, acquifers etc in an operating area
- environmental engineering: minimizing damage to area through better practices for slope stability, contouring, use of hydrogers, french drains, grey water filtering, black fox units, etc. Minimizing the footprint of activities through innovative road and site building which has low impact and is easily reclaimed.
Don't get me wrong, it would be unusual to expect to see oil company senior executives who have risen through the environmental side of things (although my current company has one), if senior management is something you desire the classic routes of oil and gas engineering, geology, geophysics are the route. But if you truly have a passion for the environment the oil business has some spectacular opportunities, you might even get to travel to the jungles of Trinidad or Ecuador, the southern sandsea of North Africa, mountains in Northern British Colombia or the Arctic tundra in Alaska.
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Re: A gusher for oil grads
by BigTex » Thu 21 Feb 2008, 12:48:58
I think that the next 50 years will be the best time in history to do technical oil work.
The more valuable it gets, the more valuable the ability to find it and extract it will get.
It's got to be more exciting to try to figure out how to drill sideways through a glacier when the locals are trying to kill you and nationalize your equipment than to be like Jed Clampett and be able to extract huge quantities of oil from wells you drill by shooting a hole in the ground while you're "lookin' for some food."
The more valuable it gets, the more valuable the ability to find it and extract it will get.
It's got to be more exciting to try to figure out how to drill sideways through a glacier when the locals are trying to kill you and nationalize your equipment than to be like Jed Clampett and be able to extract huge quantities of oil from wells you drill by shooting a hole in the ground while you're "lookin' for some food."
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Re: A gusher for oil grads
by cube » Thu 21 Feb 2008, 13:20:49
Engineers are a special breed of people.
They do NOT go into it for the money. Those who do drop out pretty quickly. It takes a lot of work to be an engineer. For the same amount of effort you could make easier money elsewhere.
For example there's a joke amongst civil engineers:
1) A real estate agent makes 6% commission selling a building.
2) An engineer will make 6% designing a building.
What do you think is more difficult?
They do NOT go into it for the money. Those who do drop out pretty quickly. It takes a lot of work to be an engineer. For the same amount of effort you could make easier money elsewhere.
For example there's a joke amongst civil engineers:
1) A real estate agent makes 6% commission selling a building.
2) An engineer will make 6% designing a building.
What do you think is more difficult?
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Re: A gusher for oil grads
by BigTex » Thu 21 Feb 2008, 13:25:50
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('cube', 'E')ngineers are a special breed of people.
They do NOT go into it for the money. Those who do drop out pretty quickly. It takes a lot of work to be an engineer. For the same amount of effort you could make easier money elsewhere.
For example there's a joke amongst civil engineers:
1) A real estate agent makes 6% commission selling a building.
2) An engineer will make 6% designing a building.
What do you think is more difficult?
They do NOT go into it for the money. Those who do drop out pretty quickly. It takes a lot of work to be an engineer. For the same amount of effort you could make easier money elsewhere.
For example there's a joke amongst civil engineers:
1) A real estate agent makes 6% commission selling a building.
2) An engineer will make 6% designing a building.
What do you think is more difficult?
In the current market, #1 may be quite a bit more difficult.
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