Future Students

Oil and Gas Engineering

The Bachelor of Engineering (Oil and Gas) encompasses aspects of all the above degrees to give students an inclusive overview of how the industry operates.

Oil and Gas Engineers may work in one of the following areas:

• Production of Oil and Gas from reservoirs
• Design and operation of processing plants
• Installation and maintenence of facilities for petroleum production such as drilling rigs, production platforms and sub-sea structures.

The Bachelor of Engineering (Oil and Gas Engineering) is the only undergraduate course in Western Australia specifically aimed at providing engineering graduates to the oil and gas industry.

You will receive a progressive introduction to petroleum activities through units in oil and gas extraction, processing and production engineering, offshore structures design and daily operation of processes and plant for the treatment of well fluids.

Offshore engineering topics examine the design of infrastructure for offshore oil and gas production including offshore platforms, subsea production equipment and pipelines. The offshore engineer works closely with naval architects and also with the oil and gas engineers who develop and operate the processing plant.

The Oil and Gas Engineering degree is built on a core of existing UWA engineering units that span the traditional streams of civil, mechanical and chemical engineering.

Level 1
All engineering students follow a common course in Level 1, allowing you the flexibility of selecting any engineering stream at the end of the level. The subjects include mathematics, engineering fundamentals and physics, plus electives from a variety of engineering streams.

Level 2
Oil and Gas Engineering students undertake a mix of foundation units from mechanical, civil and related engineering disciplines plus a core unit tailored to the oil and gas program.

Level 3
In third level, core units are offered across two main streams, namely Oil and Gas Production and Process Engineering or Offshore Engineering. These encompass the entire range of oil and gas technology at a high level.

Level 4
In Level four you will continue to study units within one of the two main streams of Oil and Gas Production and Process Engineering or Offshore Engineering. You will also undertake a major project. Many of these projects are multidisciplinary in nature and may be supervised by academics from different disciplines or Schools. In many instances both academic and industry supervisors guide your project.

During the Bachelor of Engineering, you will also complete at least 12 weeks full time (or equivalent part time) of professional work experience.

Career opportunities

Oil and Gas Engineering students are strongly sought after by industry, both in Perth and abroad. UWA and Curtin students have formed an enthusiastic SPE-WA joint Student Chapter, the only collaborative Society of Petroleum Engineers student chapter in more than 90 universities worldwide. Student members receive invitations to attend numerous industry talks and site trips.

Recent graduates are employed by: Nexen Petroleum, Schlumberger, ChevronTexaco, Advanced Geomechanics, BHP Billiton, BP, Conoco Phillips, Shell, Woodside Energy, Petronas, Department of Defence, DSTO, Australian Submarine Corporation, Tenix Systems, Intec Engineering, Technip Offshore and Austal Ships.

Professional Accreditation
The Oil and Gas Engineering program within the Bachelor of Engineering is provisionally accredited by the Institute of Engineers Australia, ensuring recognition in Australia and in many overseas countries.