Instructor Features: PE Petroleum

Petroleum is an essential aspect to everyday life with oil being sourced to transportation, industrial and residential sectors. Even with renewable energy emerging and becoming more prominent in today's society, the oil industry is expected to grow. 

As the industry continues to grow, more and more people are becoming licensed in Petroleum Engineering. As a result, School of PE has decided to launch it's own PE Petroleum exam review course to help exam applicants prepare for the PE Petroleum exam. 

I had the privilege of speaking with two of School of PE's PE Petroleum instructors and discussed the petroleum industry and talked about the exam itself. This article goes over the highlights of the conversations. But first, below are the bios of the two instructors I talked to: Tan Nguyen and Quy Doan. 

Dr. Tan Nguyen received his Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Tulsa and is the founder and director of a Production and Drilling Research Project at New Mexico Tech. Outside of teaching the PE Petroleum drilling course at School of PE, he enjoys performing research. His current research projects focus on directional and horizontal drilling, rheology of drilling fluid, multiphase flow, well completion, well stimulation, and artificial lift methods. 

Mr. Doan holds his professional engineering license in California. He received his bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and his master's degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Southern California. Outside of teaching PE Petroleum Production/ Completion and Project Management courses at School of PE, he currently works for InterAct PMTI as a Petroleum Engineer. His area of expertise includes Pressure Transient Analysis, Well Test Design and Operations, and Well Production and Surveillance. 

Why do you think Petroleum Engineering is important and how does it impact society as a whole? 

Nguyen: Most of products around us are from petroleum products. Therefore, petroleum engineering has a great impact on society as a whole. If cruel oil or gas prices change, it will affect not only gas and natural gas prices, but also the whole economy. 

Doan: Petroleum is important for many things, such as cars and electricity. Without petroleum, we wouldn't have what we have today. 

What originally made you want to pursue a career in Petroleum Engineering? 

Nguyen: High income (Makes sense. The median pay for petroleum engineers in 2017 was $132,280 per year or $63.60 per hour. The job outlook for the next decade for PE Petroleum is also promising). 

Doan: Petroleum is a very important industry. We need petroleum to live out our every day lives. 

Do you have any advice for those who are preparing for the PE Petroleum exam? 

Nguyen: Students need to have a strong fundamentals in fluid mechanics and constantly try to apply the concepts of fluid mechanics into petroleum engineering. 

Doan: Students need strong concentration when studying. They need to make sure they understand all of the concepts on the exam. When they study, they need to consistently study a topic until they have a strong understanding of it.