What do mechanical engineers do in oil and gas companies?
I did my undergrad in mechanical engineering, but I work as a petroleum engineer. Right now I'm on the production side, which means I'm in charge of a bunch of wells and I have to make sure they are always producing optimally, when things break I do failure analysis, redesign them and get them fixed, and I manage the rigs that do the fixing. I'll probably end up doing some time in each of the different petroleum engineering disciplines, reservoir, drilling, completions, production, and facilities. Right now some of my duties overlap completions and facilities. There are many facets of each discipline that require some mechanical engineering knowledge.More traditional mechanical engineering, working for an operator (company that actually does the exploration and production), would be integrity engineering (fixing stuff that fails and redesigning it, like pipelines, buildings, facilities, etc). Mechanical engineers that work for service companies (the companies that the operators hire to provide the tools and carry out the feild work), would design different tools and machines, or work in optimizing the manufacturing process.
What is the salary for a field engineer in a oil company/oil services company (Schlumberger, Halliburton)?
It depends on the type of contract you sign with the company, an international contract will get you about 80k-110k USD annually.. This figure varies with the bonus you make. This number increases almost every year as you get promoted. Apart from the compensation, company covers for housing, traveling, insurance and other expenses.
1.) What is your name and field of profession? 2.) What is the most challenging engineering project that you have been involved in?
My degree is in mechanical engineering. The most challenging job I ever had was the repair and replace of a large gas processing facility that had caught fire and damaged a large number of pumps, heat exchangers and pressure vessels. My company was losing 10% of its income because this plant was not operating. I had to removed all of the damaged equipment and piping. Assure that the heat exchangers, pressure vessels other equipment as well at the instrumentation and electrical that remained was safe. I also had see to it that the plant was put back into operation on a make do basis until a permanent repair could be done. We ended up rebuilding the plant three times. Twice on a temporary basis and once in its final form. What I enjoyed most about my job was the wide variety of assignments I had with all of them being interesting and important to my company. What I enjoyed least was the change in my company over time. In the beginning I had full authority to meet what every goals I was assigned to do. In time that authority was removed and vested in head office so each task became much more burdensome. To be a successful engineer you need to enjoy solving problems even when you have less information that you feel to need. In school problems always have all of the info you need but in the real world that is not always the case. You also need to be a good record keeper, communicator and not always strive for the prefect solutions. Most of the time a solution that is good enough is perfectly acceptable. I would not do anything differently. I have had a very enjoyable career, did a lot of things I never dreamed of and made a lot of money in the process. Any engineer starting out needs to realize they are not expected to know everything and it is all right to say "I don't know." when something is beyond your knowledge or experience. Also in the real world engineering is an open book test and you are free to use whatever resources you need to get the job done.
Chemical engineer vs Computer programmer?
Don't be silly! Add to your knowledge anything on Carbon and Oil! (you could have a look at "nano-tube carbon fibers": there is a serious opening there!) I am 60, and I am doing another PhD with Coimbra University on the use of NTCBs in Human Prosthesis. The TOP managers of industry ARE chemical engineers, earning 100's of thousands. Forget programming: too much competition! I was the computer manager - main frame - in Iraq (as expat) and earned 120k/year. My boss, a chemical engineer (petroleum), earned 850k/year. That was in the mid 80's! He was crap as a manager, but he had the paperwork and good chemical knowledge! Don't make my mistake! Now, just a thought: Energy is the word today. You can use OIL: it has a few more happy years in front. I don't know about tomorrow. I have to add something: nowadays, anyone who can make a for-next-loop THINK he/she is a programmer. It is NOT the case. I have been programming for God knows how many years, and I STILL know NOTHING! It changes too fast. But na2o2 + h2o = 2naoh + o is NOT going to change!
How to become a Drilling engineer?
BS (Petroleum Engineering) or if not BS (Mechanical Eng) or Petroleum Geology. Try to get work experience in a petroleum company. then i guess specialise from there into drilling
How does getting into field of oil and gas industry as a piping engineer?
Well now with oil prices at current levels, major oil giants are putting on hold big investments and cancelling some others. Thou I would say if that's your area of expertise or passion, go for it.Remember, during downturn there are still opportunities. I don't know where you're based and it might require that you move, even abroad. Despite the manpower reduction there are ongoing hirings (people leaving the companies, re-organizations, still new projects that couldn't be stopped or new explorations that need to go ahead). I worked for a big oil giant and I can tell you even during a big reorganization where thousands of jobs were cut, there was still some hiring in some ares or roles. So don't refrain yourself to send your CV to all your possible targets, visit their websites and look there for positions, and check also their Linkedin pages, in nowadays their also using it more and more often.Good luck
Which is best field to get hired in oil and gas industry for fresher mechanical engineering?
I don't know what oil companies are in India or if there's any office or exploration. If the answer is very few, than you may think of another alternative: Look abroad. If you really want to stay in India and there are limited options than you might well think in changing plans/career.One question pops up, if there are few or limited options (don't know, just guessing), why did you chose this area?Unless you really had in mind to go abroad to countries where major oil companies have offices or exploration (In Europe, most of the Nordics have one or the other)
I really want an engineering that can earn over 150k but 200k would be great?
If you get into Chemical or Petroleum engineering you will likely start out higher payed than most engineers. However, your best bet is to get your bachelor's, stay in your field for 3-5 years then get your MBA and move to upper mgmt. Or start your own business. There's not really any quick ways to get rich as an engineer unless you're an inventor. You could also get a little more if you get your P.E. (professional eng. license) but even with that you need to work under another PE four 4 years before you can even be eligible to take the test, and a lot of fields, like mech. eng. don't have PE's. The are more in fields where lives are at stake, like designing buildings or highways as a structural or civil eng.
Petroleum Engineer or Hedge Fund Manager?
1) I've met dozens upon dozens of hedge fund managers and have been one and don't know any who came there from I-banking. Sam's post is idiocy. 2) The richest hedge fund managers I know can't do high school math. Sam's post is idiocy. 3) Hedge funds usually invest in things other than stocks except in ways that are different than you invest in stocks. 4) " At least you will be earning clean honest money with your dirty hands" is obnoxious. I always made clean money for people in ways that they couldn't by themselves. My trading was a benefit to the world as well as my clients.