Mr Rayon Posted June 24, 2011 Posted June 24, 2011 (edited) When will petroleum engineers become redundant due to low oil recovery because of depleting amounts of oil throughout the world? At what year will getting a degree in petroleum engineering be not worth it? A close friend of mine is interested in become a petroleum engineer and I am asking here because I am curious too, if anyone knows or has any ideas... Edited June 24, 2011 by Mr Rayon
insane_alien Posted June 24, 2011 Posted June 24, 2011 thats a long long way away. as easily accesible sources disappear, more difficult sources will then become financially viable sources and petroleum engineers will be needed to utilise those.
Mr Rayon Posted June 24, 2011 Author Posted June 24, 2011 thats a long long way away. as easily accesible sources disappear, more difficult sources will then become financially viable sources and petroleum engineers will be needed to utilise those. That's great. Sounds like the perfect job for someone who's into the sciences! What do you think are the worst things about being a petroleum engineer? ...It sounds like a cool job to have but is it dangerous do you think? Oil seems to make people do some crazy things... thats a long long way away. also how long...and how many years away are you talking about? I've watched a few fear-mongering documentaries regarding what will happen when our oil reserves will run out and need some reassurances...
insane_alien Posted June 24, 2011 Posted June 24, 2011 That's great. Sounds like the perfect job for someone who's into the sciences! What do you think are the worst things about being a petroleum engineer? ...It sounds like a cool job to have but is it dangerous do you think? Oil seems to make people do some crazy things... not that dangerous. you'll be behind a desk quite a bit (fair enough that desk may be in an oil rig in the middle of nowhere but still. there will be a fair bit of semi-dangerous work if your bringing in new equipment and so on but nothing extreme or all that out of the ordinary. also how long...and how many years away are you talking about? I've watched a few fear-mongering documentaries regarding what will happen when our oil reserves will run out and need some reassurances... impossible to say accurately (despite fear mongering documentaries.) I'm willing to say 150 years depending on utilisation of alternative carbon sources which will become viable later on such as bio mass
CoBases Posted June 25, 2011 Posted June 25, 2011 I do believe that his profession will start to reduce in popularity after 20-30 year, when at least some good non petroleum vehicles will start to kick in. Right now there are too expensive, you won't get that far with them and no one knows how long they can last and what are maintenance costs in long term
insane_alien Posted June 25, 2011 Posted June 25, 2011 Well whats more likely is that the field will evolve to meet shifting supply and demand. There will always be a petrochemical industry even if we do run out of crude oil reserves as the petrochemical industry does more than just fuel our transport.
mississippichem Posted June 25, 2011 Posted June 25, 2011 I imagine we'll be needing crude oil or natural gas as an organo-polymer feedstock for at least the next couple of hundred years if not longer. Making alkanes from scratch [black carbon and H2] is just not economically viable on a large scale.
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