Maintaining Petroleum Engineering Education To Support the Energy Mix of the Future

Abstract

Once petroleum engineering was formally established as a degree program, the scope and content of curricula has been evolving to match technological advancements and soft skills requirements to meet the needs of the oil and gas industry. The cyclical nature of the industry has always presented a challenge to the enrollment and the viability of the degree. However, while having to tackle challenges relating to record-low enrollment over the past few years that is the direct result of the recent industry downturn, academic programs are also experiencing mounting pressure that is transforming the core identity of these programs. Much of that pressure can be directly linked to the heightened awareness around the impact of emissions on climate and the environment. While technological advancements in clean energy is contributing to an accelerated transition in the energy sector that is reducing the share of the energy market need fulfilled by fossil fuels, all of the projections point to oil and gas continuing to be a critical part of the energy market until at least 2050. When considering development and utilization of capture technology, the share of oil and gas in the energy market could continue to remain significant well beyond 2050. Meeting this demand requires maintaining high-quality petroleum engineering educational programs, hosted in thriving academic departments, educating a steady supply of a trained workforce with both undergraduate and advanced degrees. In addition, it requires diversifying the curriculum to continue to meet the ever-changing skillset needs of the energy industry and the requirements set by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET). At the same time, the curriculum should continue to support the needs for a general education that targets a well-rounded graduate that is ready to be a critical thinker and an active participant in society, while also attempting to appeal to the new generations of college students and instilling in them the principles needed to secure the safe, sustainable, just, and responsible energy industry of the future. Petroleum engineering faculty are at the forefront of these challenges, trying to balance multiple competing demands while keeping up research and educational programs that continue to be relevant. In this article, we bring to light the perspective of the experts, across the globe, that over the past 5 decades educated and prepared the workforce that supported the oil and gas industry. These perspectives were collected using a survey probing what faculty members are experiencing regarding the impact of the energy transition on recruiting students and on strategic directions in academic programs, the impact on their ability to fund their research and train graduate students, and what the faculty need to maintain a curriculum that is relevant to the future careers of their students.