Oil and gas jobs you might not have known about
When we think about jobs in the oil industry, we usually imagine engineers working on wells, technicians operating machinery or staff supervising facilities. However, the sector also needs professionals who work with three-dimensional models, mathematical calculations, programming and information analysis.
There are specialized positions that are little known among students, but that perform relevant functions within energy projects. You can learn about some of these opportunities in What job opportunities does Petroleum Engineering offer?.
The oil sector offers more jobs than operational ones
Companies need to understand the characteristics of reservoirs, plan investments and analyze the behavior of production systems.
These activities require scientific and technological profiles.
Many work from technical offices and engineering centers, although they may need to visit facilities to collaborate with other teams.
Little-known careers
Geological modeler
This professional builds digital representations of subsurface structures and properties. They usually have training in Geology or related disciplines.
They work with seismic information, well logs and geological data.
They can use tools such as Petrel, SLB's geological modeling program, to develop three-dimensional models that serve as the basis for reservoir studies.
Petrophysicist
The petrophysicist analyzes rock properties and their relationship with the fluids they contain.
They study parameters such as porosity, saturation and permeability through well logs, samples and other data.
Their interpretations help to understand the storage and flow capacity of formations. To do this, they can use tools such as SLB's Techlog Petrophysics, which makes it possible to integrate and interpret petrophysical information.
Reservoir simulation specialist
They use numerical models to analyze the movement of oil, gas, and water within a reservoir.
They work with programs such as SLB's ECLIPSE, Rock Flow Dynamics' tNavigator and the CMG simulators.
Their role is to compare production alternatives and interpret how reservoir conditions might evolve. A common educational background for entering this specialty is Petroleum Engineering.
Fluid properties specialist
They study the behavior of hydrocarbon mixtures in response to changes in pressure, temperature, and composition.
This knowledge is important for designing compositional models and analyzing production processes. A specialized tool is SLB's FluidModeler, which makes it possible to analyze PVT properties and develop fluid models.
Professionals in Chemical Engineering and Petroleum Engineering can specialize in this field.
Enhanced recovery engineer
Investigates methods to increase the amount of hydrocarbons recovered.
May study water injection, gases, steam or chemical products, depending on the type of reservoir. The STARS and CMG GEM simulators allow studying different recovery mechanisms.
Uses engineering principles and, in many projects, specialized simulation.
Scientific software developer
This is an IT professional who participates in building applications used by engineers and scientists.
May work in algorithms, numerical methods, three-dimensional visualization and data processing. This profile is related to the career of software engineer and to degrees such as Computer Engineering.
This position shows that not all professionals connected to the oil industry need to study Petroleum Engineering. Tech companies like Rock Flow Dynamics develop scientific software that requires specialized knowledge of programming and engineering.
Production data specialist
Analyzes information obtained from wells, sensors and operating systems.
His work may include report automation, anomaly detection and building tools to support decisions.
It is a specialty related to the career of data analyst. Data Science provides knowledge of statistics, programming and predictive analysis that can be applied to energy operations.
Geomechanics specialist
Studies how rocks respond to stress and pressure changes.
Their knowledge can be applied to well design, formation stability and analysis of the mechanical behavior of the subsurface.
Tools like Petrel Geomechanics de SLB allow developing models to study these processes. Related degrees include Geology and Mechanical Engineering.
Petroleum software consultant
Helps companies and professionals implement, use and get the most out of specialized software tools.
They can perform tasks involving training, technical support, data integration and model configuration.
Their knowledge may be related to platforms such as SLB Petrel, tNavigator or the CMG programs.
Which degrees lead to these jobs?
Related training includes Petroleum Engineering, Geology, Geophysics, Chemical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Applied Mathematics and Data Science.
Each position requires specific knowledge, so it's a good idea to research its requirements before choosing a specialization.
How to discover professional opportunities
A good strategy is to explore the different areas of the sector and look at what problems its professionals solve. It's also useful to learn about the digital tools used in companies, take part in university projects and talk with specialists.
The oil and gas industry offers opportunities that go beyond drilling and production. For those who enjoy researching, analyzing information or developing technology, there are careers that combine science, engineering and specialized software.