Geophysical or Petroleum Engineering?

[mcdowellmg]

I am having a hard time choosing which major I will have at the Colorado School of Mines.

Mines is only one of two schools that offer a Geophysical Engineering major in the US, so it is difficult to look up opinions on PF regarding that degree. Petroleum Engineering is also sort of a niche subject.

My main concern is employment. I am going back to school, having already completed a BA in a liberal arts field, to learn a technical trade and become employable. I am not too sure about the market for geophysical engineers/geophysicists, but I know that petroleum engineers, at least for now, are in demand.

Another option would be to get a BS in Petroleum Engineering with a MS in Geophysical Engineering, which is offered as a 5 year plan at Mines with the final year consisting of an internship at a company/gov. organization.

Finally, I am also an environmentalist/animal rights activist, so the thought of the oil industry does make me hesitate. However, I keep thinking that changes "comes from the inside", so to speak, and that I might be able to help better the environmental impact of the oil industry.

Any thoughts or ideas? Any geophysical engineers or petroleum engineers out there?

 

[geophix]

You are right about petroleum engineering, it's a good major in terms of future employment. The major employments in geophysical engineering also include oil and gas industry, plus mining and near surface geophysical industry. A review of geophysical career can be found at
http://forum.detectation.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=771

 

[contramundum]

However, I keep thinking that changes "comes from the inside", so to speak, and that I might be able to help better the environmental impact of the oil industry.

This is nothing but a poor attempt to rationalize what you know to be in stark contrast with your principles/morals. If you were a true environmentalist, as you say, the thought of majoring in petroleum engineering would disgust you.

To answer your question, don't major in either.

 

[mcdowellmg]

This is nothing but a poor attempt to rationalize what you know to be in stark contrast with your principles/morals. If you were a true environmentalist, as you say, the thought of majoring in petroleum engineering would disgust you.

To answer your question, don't major in either.

For one, geophysics usually deals with noninvasive techniques and helping the environment, so I do not know why you would discount both majors based on this premise. Secondly, I am a vegan, and I do not eat animal products/support industrialized factory farming, which does more damage to the environment through methane gas than oil-based transportation does (see http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/a0701e/a0701e00.HTM"). Would it not be noble to enter the oil industry with the notion of helping to innovate methods that are more environmentally friendly?

 

[Angry Citizen]

Why not major in nuclear engineering? If you're really an environmentalist, then ensuring clean nuclear power methods (whether fission or fusion) is far better than trying to change the oil industry from the inside. One way or the other, you're still going to be responsible for pollution, because that oil has to be burnt somewhere.

 

[mcdowellmg]

Why not major in nuclear engineering?

Unfortunately, it is not offered at my school. Instead, we have: Chemical, Geological, Metallurgical, Material, Mining, Bioengineering, Civil, Electrical, Computer, and Environmental, along with Geophysical and Petroleum of course.

 

[Shaun_W]

This is nothing but a poor attempt to rationalize what you know to be in stark contrast with your principles/morals. If you were a true environmentalist, as you say, the thought of majoring in petroleum engineering would disgust you.

Rubbish.

I'm an environmentalist and work in oil & gas. If you work for an oil firm you have a lot more say on how they treat the environment than if you write angry blog posts all day.

 

[Angry Citizen]

Unfortunately, it is not offered at my school. Instead, we have: Chemical, Geological, Metallurgical, Material, Mining, Bioengineering, Civil, Electrical, Computer, and Environmental, along with Geophysical and Petroleum of course.

That seems like a very poor list of degrees. No mechanical? It's very possible to do nuclear engineering with a mechanical degree.

 

[mcdowellmg]

Oops...left off Mechanical! I was not aware that you could do that with mechanical. I guess it is quite the diverse degree.

 

[Angry Citizen]

Well, if I were you, I'd take your mechanical bachelor and apply for a nuclear masters program somewhere, like at Texas A&M. It is much better if you have direct knowledge of nuclear systems. Also see if your school has any option for mechanical engineers to specialize in nuclear engineering. It may not be a degree, but they may offer classes in it nonetheless.

 

[twofish-quant]

I worked for a major oil company for a while.

The basic difference is that petroleum engineers study machines, whereas geophysicists study rocks. There is also petrophysicists.

The difference is that geologists study forests, geophysicists study trees, and petrophysicists study leaves.

This is nothing but a poor attempt to rationalize what you know to be in stark contrast with your principles/morals. If you were a true environmentalist, as you say, the thought of majoring in petroleum engineering would disgust you.

Disagree. A competent petroleum engineer can prevent a ton of environmental problems.

 

[twofish-quant]

That seems like a very poor list of degrees. No mechanical? It's very possible to do nuclear engineering with a mechanical degree.

Colorado School of Mines is one of the top schools for petroleum and mining, but they focus in that area.

 

[mcdowellmg]

Colorado School of Mines is one of the top schools for petroleum and mining, but they focus in that area.

That's exactly why I am going there. Thanks for your input. Was your degree specifically in petroleum or were you a mechanical engineer who ended up working in the industry?

 

[rexeven]

I registered for this forum just to lash out at the moron who called you out about being an environmentalist.

To that guy:
You are an idiot! You do realize that you just posted on the internet, right? You know that uses electricity, don't you? I can almost guarantee you that the electricity used to post that was NOT generated by renewable sources.
If you are a true environmentalist you would be disgusted at yourself for using electricity!

I get sick of people coming down on others that work in the oil and gas industry! I am a junior at LSU in the petroleum engineering program, and I run into this all the time. I agree, what industry needs forward-thinking environmentally minded people more than the oil and gas industry?

Just ask them: Do you drive a car? Do you use anything made out of plastic? Then STFU! If you really care you wouldn't use either!

Fossil fuels are entirely necessary UNLESS we severely curb our population growth (i.e. NOT GONNA HAPPEN!)

There is no way to provide for all of the ignorant, energy-greedy, Americans, all of the electricity they want without fossil fuels!

So get off your BS green horse and make a difference! And if you post a reply to this message, we will all know that you don't really care about the environment because you use electricity consuming computers!

 

[Angry Citizen]

[Insult removed] You do realize that you just posted on the internet, right? You know that uses electricity, don't you? I can almost guarantee you that the electricity used to post that was NOT generated by renewable sources.

I'm sorry, but I have to respond. 20% of America's energy is from clean, albeit not 'renewable' sources. I speak of course of nuclear energy. My power comes from a nuclear power plant.

I get sick of people coming down on others that work in the oil and gas industry! I am a junior at LSU in the petroleum engineering program, and I run into this all the time. I agree, what industry needs forward-thinking environmentally minded people more than the oil and gas industry?

The oil and gas industry needs to die a painful and very quick death. The oil industry is cancerous. I don't care how environmentally minded you are. The mere existence of the industry (and your eventual employment in it) is tacit support for the slow decay of our planet.

Fossil fuels are entirely necessary UNLESS we severely curb our population growth (i.e. NOT GONNA HAPPEN!)

... Or we can spend a few hundred billion subsidizing research into effective electric cars and a significant increase in nuclear power plants rather than bombing brown people for oil.

That's all I'm going to say on this subject, so there's no chance of this spinning off into a lengthy and inappropriate debate. I apologize if I broke any rules in doing so.

 

[rexeven]

Good, now we are thinking!

Nuclear energy is great! If you don't mind toxic, radioactive waste that never goes away! Way to think 7 generations ahead! And besides there simply isn't enough enrichable uranium to provide all of the worlds energy needs. I agree that it should be used in conjunction with other energy sources to wean us off of our sick dependence on oil of any sort.

I agree, the oil industry is like cancer. But then again so is the human race! Don't blame the oil industry, blame the humans! If everybody stopped buying gas, and demanded the infrastructure for electric cars nationwide, it would happen. But they won't. Because they DON'T CARE!

Petroleum engineers also work in the natural gas industry. We have huge reserves of this much cleaner energy source!

Just because someone works in the Petroleum industry does not mean they are for bombing people for oil! Several of my family members were killed in the middle east because of some rich white-collar A-holes on Pennsylvania AVE.

Look, the bottom line is this: There are too many people on this planet! If the world had a quarter or even a half as many people our use of fossil fuels would not be an issue. Furthermore, we could use nuclear energy or some combination of renewables for all of the worlds energy needs.

Spending billions to develop electric car infrastructure accomplishes what? Now more fat, lazy, ignorant slobs can have kids and continue to rape the planet! Do you really think we don't have a better answer by now? The oil companies are the richest in the world! They already have the next big thing sitting on a shelf. Chevron uses solar-powered oil derricks! What a slap in the face to the consumer!

The oil industry will die in name only. Oil companies are technology companies. And if you don't like it, too bad. You lose.

Do you drive a car?

Is your keyboard made out of plastic?

Until you take action, the oil industry (and soon myself own you.

And you can whine about destroying the planet if you want. We need an apocalypse to wipe the slate clean! It WILL happen, either on our terms (highly unlikely) or on the Earth's terms. Either way, the Earth will not be destroyed. Just us. I say so be it.

WE are killing the planet. NOT the oil industry. Don't take the effect and make it the cause. The oil industry was designed and built by humans, to satiate our bottomless thirst for energy. We live in a finite universe. Any type of energy, be it Nuclear, Solar, Hydro is UNSUSTAINABLE! As long as we continue to grow like cancer the only outcome is the destruction of our planet. Growth by definition is unsustainable!

 

[twofish-quant]

That's exactly why I am going there. Thanks for your input. Was your degree specifically in petroleum or were you a mechanical engineer who ended up working in the industry?

Ph.D. in theoretical astrophysics. I got my job at (major oil company) because they had a ton of Fortran code that needed to be converted to C/C++.

 

[Jgrant12839]

Good, now we are thinking!

Nuclear energy is great! If you don't mind toxic, radioactive waste that never goes away! Way to think 7 generations ahead! And besides there simply isn't enough enrichable uranium to provide all of the worlds energy needs. I agree that it should be used in conjunction with other energy sources to wean us off of our sick dependence on oil of any sort.

I agree, the oil industry is like cancer. But then again so is the human race! Don't blame the oil industry, blame the humans! If everybody stopped buying gas, and demanded the infrastructure for electric cars nationwide, it would happen. But they won't. Because they DON'T CARE!

Petroleum engineers also work in the natural gas industry. We have huge reserves of this much cleaner energy source!

Just because someone works in the Petroleum industry does not mean they are for bombing people for oil! Several of my family members were killed in the middle east because of some rich white-collar A-holes on Pennsylvania AVE.

Look, the bottom line is this: There are too many people on this planet! If the world had a quarter or even a half as many people our use of fossil fuels would not be an issue. Furthermore, we could use nuclear energy or some combination of renewables for all of the worlds energy needs.

Spending billions to develop electric car infrastructure accomplishes what? Now more fat, lazy, ignorant slobs can have kids and continue to rape the planet! Do you really think we don't have a better answer by now? The oil companies are the richest in the world! They already have the next big thing sitting on a shelf. Chevron uses solar-powered oil derricks! What a slap in the face to the consumer!

The oil industry will die in name only. Oil companies are technology companies. And if you don't like it, too bad. You lose.

Do you drive a car?

Is your keyboard made out of plastic?

Until you take action, the oil industry (and soon myself own you.

And you can whine about destroying the planet if you want. We need an apocalypse to wipe the slate clean! It WILL happen, either on our terms (highly unlikely) or on the Earth's terms. Either way, the Earth will not be destroyed. Just us. I say so be it.

WE are killing the planet. NOT the oil industry. Don't take the effect and make it the cause. The oil industry was designed and built by humans, to satiate our bottomless thirst for energy. We live in a finite universe. Any type of energy, be it Nuclear, Solar, Hydro is UNSUSTAINABLE! As long as we continue to grow like cancer the only outcome is the destruction of our planet. Growth by definition is unsustainable!

I agree partially, the method of disposing nuclear wastes certainly needs improvement. However, the pessimistic attitude needs to go. The destruction of the human race is not inevitable, humans are quite capable of adapting and surviving. The majority of geophysicists understand that alternative energy sources are necessary. That said, many of them are employed by oil companies and job prospects are at an all-time high. Petroleum engineering is more of a niche line of work. Sure, there are jobs now... but will it be the same in the future?

The nature of geological work, at least in mineral exploration is cyclical. Thus, the demand for petroleum engineers will shift over time. This is especially true if people change their destructive behavior and deviate away from our dependence on oil. Although, in the near future this is not likely--efforts have been made. Many people, even countries realize now more than ever before that alternative energy sources need to be found. A geology/geophysics degree is more versatile than a petroleum engineering degree, yet both are in high demand by oil companies.