The petroleum industry has various job roles, including field workers, equipment operators, engineers, technicians, and geoscientists. Field workers and equipment operators typically require a high school diploma, while engineers and technicians need a four-year college degree. Geoscientists require an advanced college degree and are responsible for locating profitable drilling sites.
The petroleum industry is an important part of the modern economy, helping to bring products like oil and gasoline to the world market. Many different occupations participate in this large trade area. Jobs in the petroleum industry are divided into several major specialties, each with different educational prerequisites and job roles. A large number of oil industry jobs employ workers in the field as laborers or equipment operators. Engineers and technicians are also important in this industry, while geoscientists also provide valuable information.
Field workers fill a large percentage of jobs in the petroleum industry. Workers in this specialty deal directly with drilling equipment, including onshore oil derricks and ocean drilling rigs. This job area offers many basic jobs for workers. Field workers must be physically tough and willing to work outdoors in a variety of weather conditions. A high school diploma is often the minimum requirement for these types of oil industry jobs, and many oil companies provide direct training for workers.
Oil equipment operators also work in the field, but generally have more experience controlling complex machinery. Some operators are responsible for supervising other workers, and some are promoted to this type of work after receiving training as field workers. Many of the requirements for operational employees can be obtained directly through practical experience. A high school diploma is usually the only educational prerequisite, although many equipment operators enter the petroleum industry after attending college or a trade school.
Engineers and technicians typically have higher levels of education than field workers. Many petroleum engineers are involved in the design and testing of new oil extraction equipment, while technicians carry out maintenance and inspection tasks. These types of employees operate in the field and in offices. A four-year college degree is usually required for engineering or technical jobs in the petroleum industry. Some employees enter the industry as technicians and advance to engineering positions after obtaining a more advanced degree.
The responsibility for locating profitable drilling sites rests with geoscientists. Specialists in these jobs deal primarily with information and raw data, which must be carefully analyzed. Individuals in geoscientist positions use sensitive instruments and mathematical calculations to predict where oil is located. Scientific jobs in the petroleum industry generally require an advanced college degree. While scientists in the petroleum industry visit field sites to take measurements, this type of work is not as physically demanding as many other petroleum jobs.
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