Petroleum engineer : Career development

Despite the recession, a reduction in the number of significant new oilfield discoveries, and the increased cost of extracting the remaining oil from established fields, oil output is forecast to continue to rise over the next decade.

For a number of years many companies have been experiencing a shortage of suitably trained and experienced staff. To combat this, many are recruiting more new graduate engineers with the aim of promoting those who show the most potential, so career development opportunities are good.

Mobility is a factor affecting career development. Many first appointments are in the field and require people who are physically fit and geographically mobile. This means not only being prepared to go anywhere in the world, but also being able to stay in that location for the duration of the project.

On completion of a training programme, graduates may progress from primarily technical roles, through the promotion structure, to highly regarded, and well-paid senior technical appointments. Others opt for commercial roles, in areas such as recruitment or marketing, or in leadership roles, with opportunities to influence strategy and growth. Senior roles can include asset team leadership, business planning and analysis, non-operated joint ventures (NOJV), asset management, operations supervising, environmental, safety, fire, and health, and project management.