What Does a Petroleum Engineering Technician Do?

A petroleum engineering technician collaborates with geologists and petroleum engineers to identify potential natural gas and oil extraction sites. A petroleum engineer has a four-year degree, whereas an engineering technician has a two-year degree and may receive on-the-job training on occasion. A petroleum engineering technician may conduct laboratory tests, collect geological samples, or take measurements onsite, depending on the nature of the operation. In addition, the technician may prepare reports, enter data into a computer, or conduct preliminary scouting operations at potential drilling sites.

Tests are required at every stage of a drilling operation, from conception to completion, and a petroleum engineering technician is usually in charge of the majority of them. Laboratory tests are performed on rock samples collected at the site to determine the likelihood of oil being present beneath the ground and how difficult it will be to reach it. The oil’s composition must be determined in order to determine which impurities must be removed. The results of the tests are sent to the engineer, who is in charge of determining the exact techniques that must be used to extract the oil.

At the drill site, the petroleum engineering technician may also conduct tests. To determine how much further to drill, the tech may need to take pressure readings inside the well shaft or use sonic devices. Temperature is an important factor in safe operations as well as a progress indicator, so the technician may be in charge of taking temperature readings at regular intervals.

No matter how many tests a technician performs, the information is useless unless it is communicated to the operations engineer. Technicians are expected to produce accurate and timely reports. Charts, graphs, statistical tables, and text are commonly included in such reports, which are typically created on a computer. The petroleum engineering technician may also be in charge of entering data that the engineers use to create their own reports.

As a scout, a petroleum engineering technician can find the most important rocks or soils to examine. An accurate map of the area’s topography and the precise locations from which samples were taken is frequently prepared. Each sample is meticulously labeled, and while some limited testing may be done in the field, the samples are usually returned to the lab for further analysis.