Anyone with an interest in subsurface energies and storage, including fossil fuels, carbon and hydrogen storage in subsurface, and geothermal energy, should consider the possibility of a career as a petroleum engineer. Petroleum engineers seek out oil and natural gas reservoirs beneath the earth(s) surface, design subsurface carbon capture projects, and are frequently involved in deep geothermal energy projects. They develop the safest and most environmentally friendly methods of bringing these energy resources to the market.

Many petroleum engineers travel the world or live in foreign countries - wherever their explorations take them to find and recover valuable petroleum reserves.  Petroleum engineers also tend to quickly assume leadership roles, handling large projects with high levels of responsibility.

Because of the increasing demand for types of energy and carbon management beyond fossil fuels, there has been an accompanying increase in the demand for petroleum engineers in areas such as CO2 sequestration and geothermal energy.

As a petroleum engineering student, you will study the technologies of oil and gas drilling, production, reserves estimation, oil and gas recovery improvement, the prediction of future production, and data mining. You will also study various techniques for evaluating the characteristics of subsurface formations and their fluid contents, which is crucial for all subsurface energy operations.

Petroleum Engineering is an independent degree program offered under the department of geosciences and geological and petroleum engineering.