Petroleum Engineers

How AI is changing petroleum engineers work

3 of 13 measurable main tasks for this job show up in real AI-use data, so we rate it Green (little AI use yet) — 23%.

This shows where people already use AI, not whether the job will disappear. How we measure this.

Tasks in this job and recorded AI use

• Talk with scientific, engineering, and technical staff to resolve design, research, and testing problems (main task) — some recorded AI use
• Write technical reports for engineering and management staff (main task) — some recorded AI use
• Develop plans for oil and gas field drilling, and for product recovery and treatment (main task) — some recorded AI use
• Specify and supervise well modification and stimulation programs to maximize oil and gas recovery (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Monitor production rates, and plan rework processes to improve production (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Maintain records of drilling and production operations (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Analyze data to recommend placement of wells and supplementary processes to enhance production (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Assist engineering and other staff to solve operating problems (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Direct and monitor the completion and evaluation of wells, well testing, or well surveys (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Assess costs and estimate the production capabilities and economic value of oil and gas wells, to evaluate the economic viability of potential drilling sites (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Interpret drilling and testing information for staff (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Coordinate activities of workers engaged in research, planning, and development (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Evaluate findings to develop, design, or test equipment or processes (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Test machinery and equipment to make sure that it is safe and conforms to performance specifications — no recorded AI use
• Assign work to staff to obtain maximum utilization of staff — no recorded AI use
• Simulate reservoir performance for different recovery techniques, using computer models — no recorded AI use
• Design and put in place environmental controls on oil and gas operations — no recorded AI use
• Supervise the removal of drilling equipment, the removal of any waste, and the safe return of land to structural stability when wells or pockets are exhausted — no recorded AI use
• Inspect oil and gas wells to determine that installations are completed — no recorded AI use
• Coordinate the installation, maintenance, and operation of mining and oil field equipment — no recorded AI use
• Take samples to assess the amount and quality of oil, the depth at which resources lie, and the equipment needed to properly extract them — no recorded AI use
• Design or modify mining and oil field machinery and tools, applying engineering principles — no recorded AI use
• Conduct engineering research experiments to improve or modify mining and oil machinery and operations — no recorded AI use

Tasks: O*NET 31.0. AI use: Anthropic Economic Index (exact or close text match).

Your first steps (guidance)

1. Week 1: Open a free AI assistant and say hello. Follow our “Getting started with AI” guide. Ask it one simple question about your work.
2. Week 2: Use AI on one task you do often. Try the prompt for: “Talk with scientific, engineering, and technical staff to resolve design, research, and testing problems”. Try the prompt for: “Write technical reports for engineering and management staff”.

Tick your own tasks above to get a plan based on what you really do. The first 2 weeks are free; Premium (coming soon) adds weeks 3–12. New to AI? Read our beginner’s guide.

Questions about AI and petroleum engineers

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