Most petroleum engineers explore and drill for oil and gas.
They work to achieve the maximum profitable recovery of oil and gas from a petroleum reservoir by determining and developing the most efficient production methods. Since only a small proportion of the oil and gas in a reservoir will flow out under natural forces, petroleum engineers develop and use various enhanced recovery methods, such as flooding the oil field with water to force the oil to the surface. The best methods in use today recover only about half the oil. Petroleum engineers' research and development in the future will be directed at finding ways to increase the proportion of oil recovered in each reservoir. Petroleum engineers also supervise drilling operations, conduct research on drilling methods, and develop new methods to recover offshore oil and gas.