Petroleum engineers evaluate gas and oil fields. They design and develop methods for extracting oil and gas from underneath the earth's surface. They maximise the recovery of hydrocarbon at a minimum cost, pursuing minimal impact on the environment.

Tasks

Tasks include -
(a) Determining the location and planning the extraction of coal, metallic ores, non-metallic minerals, and building materials, such as stone and gravel;
(b) Determining most suitable methods of efficient mining and extraction and types of machinery to be used, planning layout and directing construction of shafts and tunnels;
(c) Determining drilling site and devising methods of controlling the flow of water, oil or gas from wells;
(d) Planning and directing storage, initial treatment and transportation of water, oil or gas;
(e) Establishing safety standards and procedures and first-aid facilities, especially underground;
(f) Conducting research, developing methods of extracting metals from their ores and advising on their application;
(g) Investigating properties of metals and alloys, developing new alloys and advising on and supervising technical aspects of metal and alloy manufacture and processing;
(h) Maintaining technical liaison and consultancy with other relevant specialists such as geologists and geophysicists;
(i) Examining deposits or mines to evaluate profitability.