Program Overview

Petroleum Engineering, BEng

Introduction

Petroleum engineering is concerned with the design and development of front-end engineering technologies required in the exploration and extraction of oil and gas reservoirs. While oil and gas will continue to play an important role in meeting our energy needs for years to come, the knowledge and skills you will acquire as a petroleum engineer are also in high demand in the renewable energy sector, for example in geothermal energy and carbon capture and storage.

Study Information

At a Glance

• Learning Mode: On Campus Learning
• Degree Qualification: BEng
• Duration: 48 months
• Study Mode: Full Time
• Start Month: September
• UCAS Code: H851
• Pathway Programme Available: Undergraduate Foundation Programme

This programme covers the technical, safety and economic aspects of oil and gas field development. You will study topics such as petroleum geology, drilling and well engineering, and geomechanics to gain the knowledge and skills needed to develop sustainable solutions to ensure the safe recovery, processing, transportation, transmission, and utilisation of petroleum products often in challenging environments.

In addition to the technical petroleum engineering skills, you will also learn skills in project management, project economics and environmental impact assessment.

Our interdisciplinary approach means that you study the fundamentals of each engineering discipline before specialising in your third year. You can therefore keep your options open while gaining a wide range of perspectives and skills - something that makes Aberdeen graduates better equipped to collaborate, innovate and lead in the workplace.

Aberdeen is internationally recognised as a major international energy city and is leading the way in applying world-class technical expertise to the energy transition challenge. The School of Engineering has strong links with the energy industry, including local, national and international organisations, who support our teaching through guest lectures and seminars, placement opportunities, site visits and scholarships.

Year 1

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Principles of Electronics (EG1008)
  • Chemistry for the Physical Sciences 2 (CM1513)
  • CAD and Communication in Engineering Practice (EG1010)
  • Engineering Mathematics 1 (EG1504)
  • Fundamental Engineering Mechanics (EG1510)
  • Fundamentals of Engineering Materials (EG1012)
  • Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD1002)

Year 2

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics (EG2004)
  • Design and Computing in Engineering Practice (EG2501)
  • Process Engineering (EG2011)
  • Electrical and Mechanical Systems (EG2503)
  • Engineering Mathematics 2 (EG2012)

Year 3

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Engineer in Society (EG3505)
  • Fluid Mechanics (EM3019)
  • Engineering Analysis and Methods 1a (EG3007)
  • Drilling and Well Engineering (EP3595)
  • Heat, Mass and Momentum Transfer (EX3030)
  • Reservoir Engineering i - Fundamentals (EP3596)
  • Petroleum Geology and Reservoir Characterisation (EP3001)
  • Petroleum Engineering Design (EP3597)
  • Well Testing (EP3598)

Year 4

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Geomechanics (EP4011)
  • Petroleum Production Engineering and Technology (EP4012)
  • Reservoir Engineering II: Performance (EP4013)
  • Group Design Project (BEng) (EG4578)

Careers

Equipped with a balanced portfolio of knowledge on the full lifecycle of hydrocarbon production, graduates from this discipline are highly sought after by a range of companies; from major operators and multinational service providers to small and medium enterprise technology companies. The skills you learn as part of this programme are highly transferable and can lead to careers in the renewable energy sector.

• Recent graduate job roles have included:
  • Wellsite Engineer
  • Reservoir Engineer
  • Petroleum Engineer
  • Production Engineer
  • Drilling Engineer
  • Operations Engineer
  • Rig Engineer
  • Technical Assistant
• Recent graduates work at companies such as:
  • TOTAL
  • BP
  • Maersk Oil
  • Weatherford
  • Caspian Oil Services
  • Shell
  • ConocoPhillips
  • Stena Drilling Ltd

Accreditation

Our Petroleum Engineering degrees are accredited by the Energy Institute (EI) and are your first step towards achieving Chartered Engineer status with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).