Petroleum Engineers Petroleum Engineers Petroleum engineers explore for gas and oil. When fuel is found, they find the best way to extract the it from the ground. Petroleum engineers gather information using seismic, electrical, and gravity prospecting techniques. They develop maps of subsurface oil and gas reservoir locations. They then choose a place to drill a well, decide how to extract it, and supervise drilling operations.
Petroleum engineers work to make extracting the fuel easier.
They may do research on ways of drilling and develop new ways to recover oil and gas. To get the fuel out of the ground, they may inject water, chemicals, or steam to force out more of the oil. At other times they may use horizontal drilling to connect more of a reservoir to a well. Petroleum engineers plan systems that pipe the fuel out and treat it. These systems receive, purify, and separate oil and gas products from wells.