How to Become a Petroleum or Reservoir Engineer

Petroleum engineers plan how an oil or gas field is drilled and produced. Reservoir engineers are a specialist kind of petroleum engineer: they focus on what's happening underground. Both use geological data, well results and computer models to make decisions worth millions of dollars.

At a glance

• Where you'll work: engineering offices, onshore fields, offshore platforms, LNG and gas projects, consultancies.
• Usual way in: an engineering degree in petroleum, chemical or mechanical engineering.
• Uni needed? Yes.
• Time to qualify: usually four years of full-time study.
• Rosters: mostly office-based, with field or offshore rotations in some roles.

What the job involves

• Estimating how much oil or gas a field holds.
• Modelling how fluids move through the rock.
• Forecasting production and planning new wells.
• Recommending ways to recover more, such as water or gas injection.
• Working with geologists, drilling crews and commercial teams.

Petroleum or reservoir? "Petroleum engineer" is the broad term, covering drilling, production and field development. A reservoir engineer looks underground at the whole field. For example, a production engineer might work on getting more flow from one well. A reservoir engineer models whether a new well or water injection would improve the whole field.

At school

• Advanced maths, plus specialist maths if your school offers it.
• Physics and chemistry.
• English, for technical reports and risk documents.
• Computing, coding or data subjects.
• Geography or earth science are useful extras.

How to qualify

You'll need an engineering degree. Common choices are:

• Petroleum engineering
• Chemical engineering
• Mechanical engineering
• Mining engineering, followed by an oil and gas specialisation

Not every university offers a petroleum engineering degree. A chemical or mechanical degree is a strong route in, especially with oil and gas electives, internships or postgraduate study. Expect to study fluid flow, thermodynamics, well engineering, reservoir behaviour, drilling and project economics.

Your first job

While you're studying, apply for vacation programs with energy producers, drilling contractors and service companies. Get comfortable with Excel, Python or MATLAB.

Job titles to search for:

• Graduate Petroleum Engineer
• Graduate Reservoir Engineer
• Graduate Production Engineer
• Graduate Drilling Engineer
• Graduate Completions Engineer
• Graduate Subsurface Engineer

Tickets and training

Your degree is the main qualification. Field and offshore roles add site inductions and a medical. Offshore work also needs sea survival and helicopter escape training. Requirements vary by country and operator, so check before paying for any course.

Where it can lead

Graduate Engineer → Production, Drilling, Completions or Reservoir Engineer → Senior Engineer or Subsurface Specialist → Lead Reservoir Engineer → Field Development or Subsurface Manager

The same skills now also carry into carbon capture and storage, geothermal energy and gas storage projects.

What employers look for

• Strong numbers and comfort with data.
• Careful attention to safety and risk.
• The ability to explain uncertainty clearly, not just give a confident answer.
• Teamwork across geology, operations and commercial teams.

Is it for you?

It suits you if you enjoy maths, science and computers, and like solving complex problems when you don't have all the information.

Pay, rosters and jobs

• Browse live roles: Reservoir engineer jobs and Oil & gas news
• Related guides: Mining Engineer, Process Technician, Assistant Driller or Derrickman