Program Overview

Petroleum Engineering Program

The primary objectives of petroleum engineering are the safe and environmentally sound exploration, evaluation, development, and recovery of oil, gas, geothermal, and other fluids in the earth. Skills in this branch of engineering are needed to meet the world's ever-increasing demand for hydrocarbon fuel, thermal energy, and waste and pollution management.

Program Description

Graduates of the Petroleum Engineering program are in solid demand, with the petroleum industry offering a wide range of employment opportunities for students during summer breaks and after graduation. Exciting experiences range from field work in drilling and producing oil and gas fields, to office jobs in small towns or large cities. Worldwide travel and overseas assignments are available for interested students.

Program Educational Objectives

The Mission of the Petroleum Engineering Program is to educate engineers for the worldwide petroleum industry at the undergraduate and graduate levels, perform research that enhances the state-of-the-art in petroleum technology, and to serve the industry and public good through professional societies and public service.

Curriculum

All disciplines within petroleum engineering are covered to great depth at the undergraduate and graduate levels, both in the classroom and laboratory instruction, and in research. Specific areas include fundamental fluid and rock behavior, drilling, formation evaluation, well completions and stimulation, well testing, production operations and artificial lift, reservoir engineering, supplemental and enhanced oil recovery, economic evaluation of petroleum projects, environmental and safety issues, and the computer simulation of most of these topics.

Degree Requirements

The program leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The degree requirements include a minimum of 137.5 semester hours, with courses in mathematics, computer science, chemistry, physics, general engineering, geology, the humanities, technical communication, and environmental topics.

Courses

The Petroleum Engineering program offers a wide range of courses, including:

• PEGN102: Introduction to Petroleum Industry
• PEGN251: Fluid Mechanics
• PEGN308: Reservoir Rock Properties
• PEGN311: Drilling Engineering
• PEGN312: Properties of Petroleum Engineering Fluids
• PEGN315: Summer Field Session I
• PEGN316: Summer Field Session II
• PEGN361: Completion Engineering
• PEGN411: Mechanics of Petroleum Production
• PEGN414: Well Testing and Analysis
• PEGN419: Well Log Analysis and Formation Evaluation
• PEGN422: Economics and Evaluation of Oil and Gas Projects
• PEGN423: Petroleum Reservoir Engineering I
• PEGN424: Petroleum Reservoir Engineering II
• PEGN426: Formation Damage and Stimulation
• PEGN438: Petroleum Data Analytics
• PEGN439: Multidisciplinary Petroleum Design
• PEGN450: Energy Engineering
• PEGN460: Flow in Pipe Networks
• PEGN461: Surface Facilities Design and Operation
• PEGN462: Flow Assurance
• PEGN463: Petroleum Midstream Design
• PEGN481: Petroleum Seminar
• PEGN490: Reservoir Geomechanics

Minor Programs

The Petroleum Engineering Department offers two minor programs:

1. Petroleum Engineering Minor: The PE department tailors the student's minor to correlate with their interests in the petroleum industry. For example, students majoring in mechanical, civil, and electrical engineering, the focus typically would be in operations. For students majoring in chemical engineering, geologists and geophysicists, the focus is typically in reservoir engineering.
2. Midstream Engineering Minor: This minor is available to all students that meet the minor requirements including Petroleum Engineering majors. The petroleum industry Midstream area involves the transportation, storage, and marketing of crude oil, gas or refined products. Most of these products are transported through pipelines. Pipeline engineers design, construct, replace, repair, monitor and operate pipelines, pumps and gas compression stations.

Faculty

The Petroleum Engineering Department has a diverse and experienced faculty, including:

• Erdal Ozkan, Professor and Department Head
• Ramona M. Graves, Dean, College of Earth Resource Sciences and Engineering
• Hazim Abass
• Hossein Kazemi, Chesebro' Distinguished Chair
• Azra N.Tutuncu, Harry D. Campbell Chair
• Yu-Shu Wu, CMG Chair
• Alfred W. Eustes III, Associate Professor
• Jennifer Miskimins, Associate Professor
• Manika Prasad, Associate Professor
• Jorge H. B. Sampaio Jr., Associate Professor
• Xiaolong Yin, Associate Professor
• Rosmer Maria Brito, Assistant Professor
• Luis Zerpa, Assistant Professor
• Linda A. Battalora, Teaching Professor
• Mansur Ermila, Teaching Associate Professor
• Carrie J. McClelland, Teaching Associate Professor
• Mark G. Miller, Teaching Associate Professor
• Elio S. Dean, Teaching Assistant Professor
• Philip H. Winterfeld, Research Associate Professor
• William W. Fleckenstein, Adjunct Professor
• Bill Scoggins, President Emeritus
• Craig W. Van Kirk, Professor Emeritus
• Richard Christiansen, Associate Professor Emeritus

Facilities and Equipment

The Petroleum Engineering Department has state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, including:

• Computer Laboratory
• Drilling Simulator Laboratory
• Reservoir Characterization Laboratory
• Drilling Fluids Laboratory
• Fluids Characterization Laboratory

Accreditation

The program leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.