The Workforce in the Petroleum Industry

Phil Black - PII Editor 14/07/2023

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The petroleum industry is one of the largest in the world, with a huge workforce, millions of barrels of crude oil extracted daily, and a global demand that surpasses even the financial sector. The industry itself has come under fire recently due to a world-wide drive to reduce carbon emissions by turning to greener, renewable alternatives, but with more oil rigs being constructed and new fossil fuel-rich fields being discovered every year, the industry keeps growing bigger and bigger, with more jobs becoming available and a multitude of new technologies being introduced to make extraction simpler.

What is Petroleum?

Petroleum is a type of fossil fuel that is most commonly referred to as crude oil. The term crude refers to the state in which the oil is extracted, I.e. in its purest, most natural form. A host of processing activities must take place to convert the crude oil into a functional one – and this formula then becomes the type used to provide energy to vehicles, power certain generators, and assist with the running of machinery and manufacturing in general.

In order to extract this naturally-occurring resource, a lot of manpower is needed and this has led to the petroleum industry becoming one of the biggest in the world. Many engineers as well as inexperienced individuals look for help with finding the ideal position for their needs, and as these careers typically provide a higher-than-average annual wage, as well as numerous benefits and bonuses, the competition for positions can be fierce with roughly 7 million people currently employed within this field. Luckily, these days they are not left without assistance – OilandGasJobSearch.com being the prime example.

Challenges Faced by the Petroleum Industry

One of the biggest problems faced by the petroleum industry is the increasing demand for lower carbon emissions echoed by countries around the world. With the United Kingdom producing roughly 22 million kilograms of carbon emissions each year, it’s considered to be one of the lowest contributors to global warming, just behind Norway, but almost 6 times higher up on the chart than global polluters like the United Stated at almost 122 million kg every year.

Regardless of output, all countries have come together to sign agreements that encourage the reduction of carbon emissions. As a result, greener alternatives have been introduced, placing restrictions on industries like those that operate to extract petroleum.

Even with these restrictions, however, the rational thinkers understand that due to the increase in demand for fossil fuels like oil and gas, production simply cannot be halted – and this has led to more jobs opening up for engineers and workers in general.

With new oil rigs being constructed around the world, and each one being capable of employing hundreds of people at a time, the industry is set to further expand as new deposits are continually being discovered, such as those in the Black Sea, the North Sea, and in the Mediterranean, with companies scrambling to secure contracts to begin extraction.

It’s not just oil rigs that provide job opportunities either, in fact, many large oil extraction vessels are still being constructed to provide a more mobile way to harvest fossil fuels. These ships are capable of drilling into the depths of the ocean and gaining access to a deposit directly, before retrieving the fossil fuels through pipes and then transporting the crude oil to the relevant destination.

Two petrochemical workers inspecting pressure valves

Career Potential for Amateurs and Professionals

With so many new jobs becoming available, even those without experience are finding themselves drawn in the direction of the industry due to the high salaries. Just a quick look for oil and gas job search profiles and salaries will provide a variety of helpful results. There are many different roles becoming available and some of the most popular include:

Project Management, whereby an individual can be tasked with over-seeing a project from start to finish, and with a very appealing salary and benefits as standard. This job is ideal for those with project management experience and qualifications.
Mechanical Engineering, which is a little more technical in nature and whereby the applicant will need to have obtained extensive knowledge on working on the mechanical features of an oil rig or ship
Structural Engineering, where the professional will be required to monitor aspects of a rig, suggest improvements and keep an eye on any risks factors, as well as plan the assembly of new rigs due to be built
Drilling Engineering, perhaps the most demanding of task where the individual will need to take care of the drill itself – often considered the most vital component of any rig, including its maintenance, set up and use
Electrical Engineering, which requires a licensed and trained electrician to ensure that all circuits and connective features are running correctly, given that most modern rigs will rely on this source of energy to use the drill and other machinery
Untrained Positions, which are ideal for amateurs and those without any type of oil rig experience. Most rigs will provide both off-site and on-site training to those that want to learn the trade, with the majority of expenses covered, as well as accommodation being provided

Within the petroleum industry, there is such a broad selection of career options available that we couldn’t possibly hope to list them all here. The great news is that the vast majority can be specialised in, opening up an individual’s career path to an even higher salary and increased level of demand.

The more specialised the professional, the easier they may find it to secure a job on an oil rig, and with many companies taking applications all year long, not to mention new rigs being constructed resulting in more positions becoming available, now is a better time than ever before to consider applying for a position.

Even those without experience can put themselves forward for roles as a lot of the training required is provided before embarking on a journey to the chosen oil rig. This education can vary in length, but can be completed well within the space of a few months.