What is Petroleum Systems Engineering?

Petroleum Systems Engineers develop techniques to efficiently recover oil, gas, and other minerals while reducing environmental impacts using various pollution remediation and greenhouse gas reduction techniques.

Our Program

The Petroleum Systems Engineering (PSE) undergraduate program teaches evaluation, design, and management of technologies used in evaluating reserves and in oil and gas production and treatment. Advanced computer utilization and automation are integrated into the program.

Students graduate with a Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) in Petroleum Systems Engineering
Students in Co-operative Education graduate with a B.A.Sc. (Co-op) in Petroleum Systems Engineering
Students in the Internship Program graduate with a B.A.Sc. (Internship) in Petroleum Systems Engineering

The PSE program is fully-accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board. An accredited program is one that is evaluated and monitored through the CEAB by Engineers Canada, the national organization for the provincial and territorial associations that govern and license professional engineers. An accredited program ensures that graduates will be eligible to be licensed as professional engineers in Canada. For further information visit www.engineerscanada.ca/e/index.cfm.

How do I apply to the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science?

See under Future Students for how to apply.

What do our students do?

All engineering students take a common initial core program consisting of the basic maths and sciences needed by all engineers, plus introductory design courses.

Our PSE students learn to evaluate oil and gas reserves; design well drilling, completion, workover, production, and surface facilities; analyze reservoir performance for production optimization; perform advanced reservoir simulation and visualization; develop new techniques to enhance oil recovery; and conduct modern reservoir management.

Undergraduate Labs

We have laboratories for measuring rock properties, reservoir fluid properties, drilling fluid properties, and interfacial properties. Students are able to conduct experiments for Enhanced Oil Recovery processes. Our computer labs feature software for reservoir simulation (CMG), design and communications (AccuMap and Peep), drilling engineering (Wellview), and well testing (Saphir).

What is Co-operative Education?

What sort of career could I have?

Petroleum Systems Engineers typically work in the following areas or hold the following job titles:

1) Upstream career

Exploration engineer
Well logging engineer
Petrophysicist
Drilling engineer
Complettions engineer
Mud engineer
Exploitation engineer
Reservoir engineer
Simulation engineer
Research engineer
Well testing engineer
Production engineer
Stimulation engineer
Operations engineer
Facilities engineer

2) Downstream career

Transportation engineer
Pipeline engineer
Sales/marketing engineer
Process engineer
Refining engineer

Are there any special groups and activities for PSE students?

See our list of student groups under Student Activities and Events.

PSE Graduate Program

We offer the following graduate degrees in PSE:

Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) – project focus or co-op
Master of Applied Science (M.A.Sc.) – thesis-based
Doctoral (Ph.D.) program

Research Areas and Faculty Expertise

Enhanced oil recovery in light and heavy oil reservoirs, reservoir simulation, production optimization, well testing, mobility control, CO₂ storage, multiphase flow in porous media, interfacial phenomena in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes, risk assessment, reservoir characterization

Major Research Programs and Institutes

Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC): Conducts major research programs in Enhanced Oil and Gas Recovery and sustainable production.

The IEA GHG Weyburn-Midale CO₂ Monitoring and Storage Project: A major international research initiative to study the feasibility of storing CO₂ in geological reservoirs in conjunction with EOR. The study is managed by PTRC and being conducted on an oil field near Weyburn, Saskatchewan.

CO₂.com">The International Performance Assessment Centre for CO2 Geologic Storage (IPAC-CO₂): Conducts research on the independent assessment of the risks associated with CO₂ geological storage projects, as well as development of policies, best practices, and tools for monitoring and assessment of storage projects.

Laboratory and Research Facilities

Our graduate-level laboratories offer ample research space and access to a variety of industry-current test and measurement systems. We also have full-time professional laboratory management and instruction. Several research centres offer a range of laboratories for graduate studies.

In addition, the Engineering Workshop is available to assist with design and production of specialized laboratory equipment and set-ups.

Petroleum Systems Engineering