Petroleum Engineers

ANZSCO ID 233612

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
2,600
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
93%
Female Share
17%
Average age
36

Summary

Petroleum Engineers plan and direct the engineering aspects of locating and extracting petroleum or natural gas from the earth.

Specialisations: Mud Engineer, Petrophysical Engineer.

A bachelor degree in engineering majoring in petroleum engineering is needed to work as a Petroleum Engineer. Many workers have a postgraduate qualification.

Tasks

  • Conducts preliminary surveys of petroleum and natural gas deposits with prospectors, geologists, geophysicists, other scientists and engineers to determine the resources present, the feasibility of extracting the reserves, and the design and development of the extraction process.

  • Prepares operation and project cost estimates and production schedules, and reports the progress, production and costs compared to budget.

  • Assesses the natural, technical, financial and safety risks associated with the phases of the project development, construction and operations.

  • Co-ordinates the utilisation of labour and equipment consistent with efficiency targets, statutes, safety guidelines and environmental conditions.

  • Conducts research and provides advice on engineering operations for the exploration, location and extraction of petroleum and natural gas.

  • Determines location for drilling.

  • Decides on types of derrick and equipment including seabed platforms.

  • Devises methods of controlling the flow of oil and gas from wells.

Characteristics

Job Type
Professionals
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
Interests
  • Practical
  • Analytical
  • Administrative
Physical Demand
  • Light
  • Medium

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Mining Engineers, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 93% of people employed as Petroleum Engineers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 27 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 48 hours per week in their main job. This is 4 hours more than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Mining
49.6%
2
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
13.9%
3
Manufacturing
9.1%
4
Construction
4.6%
5
Other industries
15.2%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

5.2% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

8.7% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

20.9% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

7.1% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

56.1% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

0.1% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

1.9% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.0% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Petroleum Engineers All Jobs Average
NSW 5.2 31.6
VIC 8.7 25.6
QLD 20.9 20.0
SA 7.1 7.0
WA 56.1 10.8
TAS 0.1 2.0
NT 1.9 1.0
ACT 0.0 1.9


  • Around 89% of Petroleum Engineers live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    Western Australia has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
36
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
17%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Petroleum Engineers is 36 years. This is younger than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 17% of the workforce. This is 31 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Petroleum Engineers All Jobs Average
15-19 0.0 5.0
20-24 4.0 9.3
25-34 39.8 22.9
35-44 31.2 22.0
45-54 15.4 21.6
55-59 4.7 9.0
60-64 2.9 6.0
65 and Over 2.0 4.2
Median Age 36 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A bachelor degree in engineering majoring in petroleum engineering is needed to work as a Petroleum Engineer. Many workers have a postgraduate qualification.

Registration may be required in some states and territories. In addition, Engineers Australia has a non-compulsory National Engineering Register.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Petroleum Engineers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 27.4 10.1
Bachelor degree 59.7 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 4.4 11.6
Certificate III/IV 4.2 21.1
Year 12 3.4 18.1
Year 11 0.2 4.8
Year 10 and below 0.7 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Mining Engineers who can communicate clearly, have strong interpersonal skills and work well in a team.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 66%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 61%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 59%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 59%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 57%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 57%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 57%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 55%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 55%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 55%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 54%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 54%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 54%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 52%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 52%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 52%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 50%

    Science

    Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

  • 50%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 50%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 48%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 86%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 74%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 69%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 65%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 62%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 59%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 56%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 55%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.

  • 53%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 53%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 52%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 48%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 43%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 43%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 41%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 38%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 36%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 36%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 27%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 23%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 64%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 64%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 64%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 63%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 61%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 59%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 59%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 59%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 59%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 55%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 52%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 52%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 52%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 48%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 48%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 48%

    Working with numbers

    Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

  • 46%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 45%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 45%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 41%

    Multitasking

    Do two or more things at the same time.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 80%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 79%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 77%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 76%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 74%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 74%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 73%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 72%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 70%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 70%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 69%

    Giving expert advice

    Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.

  • 68%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 68%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 68%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 67%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 64%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 62%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 56%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 56%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 49%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 95%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 76%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 71%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 48%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 24%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 14%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 81%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 81%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 76%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 76%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 71%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 52%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 100%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 96%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 94%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 93%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 92%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 90%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 90%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 90%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 90%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 86%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 83%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 83%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 80%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 76%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 74%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 72%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 69%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 68%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 68%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 60%

    Conflict situations

    Deal with conflict or disagreements.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 17-2171.00 - Petroleum Engineers.


Links and downloads

Back to top