After the discovery of oil, the next line of duty became careful extraction. This new responsibility bore a new set of professionals. Since then, this profession has been taught as a course in many universities around the world. However, for this study, we will consider petroleum engineering in Canada.
According to Chemist, much of the Canadian oil and gas industry’s history is like that first discovery: more business acumen and incremental innovation than paradigm-shifting invention.
“In the Canadian petroleum industry, very little basic research is carried on; a few companies do development research, while most carry out some form of applied research,” states a 1960 article in this magazine, then called Chemistry in Canada. Not much has changed.
So, in this article, we will closely consider petroleum engineering in Canada. We will look at the schools that offer this program and some other details as well.
What is Petroleum Engineering?
As the man continued to explore his environment, he discovered resources that he could use to better his life. Some of these resources were so far beneath the earth that he needed to pull them out. The skill associated with extracting those resources became what we regard as petroleum engineering.
So, in a nutshell, petroleum engineers are professionals who explore and extract hydrocarbons.
Nowadays, petroleum engineers utilize technology, not only in the analysis of exploration data and simulation of reservoir behaviour but also in automation of oilfield production and drilling operations. Hence, petroleum engineers possess a future full of challenges and opportunities.
The duty of developing and applying new technology to recover hydrocarbons from oil shale and offshore oil and gas fields has not changed.
However, this also means they must also devise new techniques to recover oil left in the ground after application of conventional producing techniques.
Why Study Petroleum Engineering in Canada?
The truth remains that hydrocarbons are a very big part of our everyday living. Whether it has to do with our feeding, movement and communication, these resources play a big role.
Over time, geologists and meteorologists have spoken about the environmental danger humans face due to pollution. Of course, we can apportion some blame to the hydrocarbons but these resources don’t use themselves.
When you consider a country like Canada the statistics will tell you. According to NRCAN, Canada was the largest foreign supplier of crude oil to the U.S., accounting for 48% of total U.S. crude oil imports and for 22% of U.S. refinery crude oil intake.
So, as a top exporter of crude oil, the market space keeps expanding. Although we can attribute some crude oil price shakes to the pandemic, it doesn’t dispel the need for petroleum engineers.
What is the Salary & Job Outlook for Petroleum Engineers in Canada?
Jobs in petroleum engineering are forecasted to grow by 26% from 2012 to 2024, which is very fast.
However, this growth is highly dependent on oil prices, since higher prices make more complex drilling worthwhile. The need for new workers will rise from the discovery of new sites and the retirement of older workers.
Similarly, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for petroleum engineers was $130,280 per year. A good number of these professionals in oil and gas extraction earned an average of $144,810.
For the other professionals dealing with petroleum engineering in Canada, they were left to lower salaries within the same range.
What Does It Cost to Study Petroleum Engineering in Canada?
As a top exporter of petroleum products in the world, universities in Canada offer exceptional petroleum engineering programs. These programs run at the bachelor, master’s and PhD level.
However, for a bachelor degree program, the average tuition fee is CAD 25,211. This is exclusive of other additional living costs. So, generally, you’ll need about CAD 45,111 per year to study petroleum engineering in Canada.
Petroleum Engineering Schools in Canada
As a course, a lot of universities in Canada don’t offer it. However, there are a few schools that offer this program. So, the petroleum engineering schools in Canada include;
6. Northern College of the Atlantic
The Canadian Technology Accreditation Board accredited petroleum engineering in this University. This accreditation remains under the supervision of the Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists.
The Petroleum Engineering Technology program at Northern College of the Atlantic is a three-year program. Generally, this program trains technologists for sectors of the oil and gas industry. So, it is supported by the increased interest in sustainable methods of further enhancing science and technology to develop these reservoirs.
Petroleum engineers construct and interpret maps and sections using surface geology, subsurface (drill hole) geology, and geophysical data.
Additionally, they interpret topographic maps & profiles, geologic maps & sections, and seismic data to assist in land-based and offshore resource exploration and development.
As a graduate of this program, you have employment opportunities in all aspects of the petroleum industry.
These opportunities are many but not limited to sectors such as limited to oil and natural gas exploration, production and processing, refining, oil and gas pipeline construction, gas utilities, as well as a variety of related activities associated with refining and transportation.
Indeed when you consider petroleum engineering in Canada, you realize they’ve built a solid base. And training professionals is one of the foundational blocks.
5. University of Calgary
Oil and gas engineers design and utilize technological systems to find and develop oil and gas products. Hence, at UC, every student, faculty and researcher remains committed to industrial revolutionization from the inside.
The University of Calgary has a school of engineering which offers all its engineering programs. This engineering school is the Schulich School of Engineering. And it hosts their Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering.
As a student, you join the cause of developing new solutions that reduce the carbon footprint of the global energy sector. Together with other industry professionals, you develop a stronger understanding of underground reservoirs, as well as recovering petroleum in a safer, more economical, and environmentally sustainable way.
4. University of Regina
The Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board accredited Petroleum Systems Engineering in Canada. Since its accreditation, they’ve continued to improve techniques that help the extraction of oil as well as reduce environmental pollution.
The Petroleum Systems Engineering (PSE) undergraduate program trains students to understand the evaluation, design, and management of technologies used in evaluating reserves and in oil and gas production and treatment. Furthermore, advanced computer utilization and automation are blended into the program.
As much as they have an undergraduate program, they still have graduate programs for interested students. These graduate programs for petroleum engineering in Canada revolve around applied science and engineering.
3. Dalhousie University
Petroleum Engineering at Dalhousie is a specialized professional discipline specifically addressing the fundamental knowledge and skills associated with the production, transport, and processing of petroleum products.
The Faculty of Engineering at Dalhousie University offers challenging new education and research programs focused on Atlantic Canada’s oil and gas industry. Expertise, experience and resources from all the Faculty’s departments support these programs.
This institute’s programs reflect a broad vision of “oil and gas engineering” as an added endeavour hinged upon concepts, principles, and techniques from all professional engineering disciplines.
Students in this program can pursue core courses such as reservoir engineering, enhanced oil and gas recovery, natural gas reservoirs and drilling engineering.
Check out the Dalhousie University Tuition Fees
2. Memorial University
Since there is a stronger need for engineers generally, now is a good time to enrol at Memorial University. This university has immediately responded to the growing need for engineers in society.
They have done this by basically expanding their diverse programs, increasing student enrolments and significantly growing their research capacity and building infrastructure.
The Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial University offers course-based and thesis-based graduate programs. These offerings cut across Oil and Gas engineering.
With a long history of outstanding engineering courses, Memorial University remains committed to promoting petroleum engineering in Canada.
1. University of Alberta
Petroleum engineers partake in the exploration and development of oil and gas fields. So, they apply the principles of geology, physics, and the engineering sciences to the recovery, development, and processing of petroleum.
The Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and School of Mining & Petroleum Engineering are among the top departments in Canada. Quality research is continuously underway at the Department level.
This research basically focuses on current issues like land reclamation of oil sands tailings ponds, biomechanical engineering, wastewater treatment and environmental engineering.
The Faculty of Engineering gets over $50 million each year from external sources for sponsored research. In fact, a large part includes the highest amount of NSERC funding per engineering faculty in Canada. So, you can’t complete a conversation regarding petroleum in Canada without mentioning this school.
What are the Petroleum Engineering Scholarships in Canada?
A lot of universities in Canada understand that only a few students might be able to afford their tuition. For this course, they have scholarship opportunities for every student. However, we will only be focusing on the scholarship opportunities for petroleum engineering students in Canada.
These scholarships include;
FAQ on Petroleum Engineering in Canada
The salary for a Petroleum Engineer in Canada is C$98,352
You can become a petroleum engineer when you complete a bachelor’s degree program in Canada. You can further your program to increase your chances.
No. Petroleum engineering is easy but it requires a lot of interest and hard work if you want to succeed.
It takes about four years to complete a basic petroleum engineering program.
Conclusion
The discovery of petroleum has helped build infrastructures to make life smoother and easier. In fact, a lot of machines depend on petroleum products to function.
As a petroleum engineer, you have a duty to ensure the improvisation of extraction means to increase accessibility and products. Of course, it’s not an easy venture.
In case, you find it difficult to study petroleum engineering in Canada due to tuition, you can find petroleum engineering scholarships to help you.
References
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