From start to finish, a drilling engineer is in charge of all aspects of drilling operations. Her work will take her from land sites to offshore rigs and portable drilling units on a regular basis. A service organization, a specialty drilling contractor, or a domestic or international oil company might hire her.
The drilling engineer plans and develops projects from preliminary well design to testing, finalization, and site closure because she is responsible for the final success of drilling operations. She estimates costs, schedules work, and oversees all aspects of gas and oil well drilling. In each project phase, the drilling crew looks to her for leadership, and she is in charge of service and drilling contract administration. Her ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with geologists, geoscientists, technical advisors, and other specialty engineers to track the evolution of drilling projects, ensure safety standards are met, and ensure environmental protection guidelines are followed is critical to the success of drilling engineering projects.
Drilling engineers are also in charge of well data sheet accuracy, selecting and, in some cases, designing the appropriate equipment for specific projects, and developing drilling programs. She must have a thorough understanding of production flow rate expectations, as well as the ability to analyze and recommend appropriate actions based on the data. As daily costs and progress for each well are monitored, the drilling engineer is required to visit work sites, gather rig data, and prepare related well reports.
When the drilling engineer isn’t on the job, she’s analyzing budget projections and comparing them to actual costs behind the scenes. She must recommend changes to get the project back on track if significant discrepancies are discovered. Negotiating with internal management, as well as specialty contractors, vendors, and suppliers, is required.
To ensure compliance with regional requirements, regular communication with local government is often required. Drilling engineers must continually assess projects as they progress to ensure that they meet the expected levels of commercial viability. If drilling proves to be ineffective, the drilling engineer must take steps to restore the drilling site’s original environmental condition.
A drilling engineer must have demonstrated ability in leading team efforts as well as working as an integral part of a goal-oriented team, in addition to technical experience and related education requirements. She must also be able to work under duress and meet deadlines without sacrificing quality. A successful drilling engineer must also be at ease in cramped spaces, on elevated platforms, and in helicopters and boats.