What is Petroleum Engineering?

by: Noemi Melo

I am writing this blog because I'm sure that, just like myself, many of you didn't know that there was such a thing as a petroleum engineer. I had no idea that there were even petroleum engineers and when I heard about this I was so shocked because there are so many engineering jobs not just the simple ones like mechanical engineers, civil engineers, and so on.

Petroleum engineers design and supervise the process of getting oil and natural gas out of the ground and into storage tanks. Many of these engineers work for oil companies, however some work for firms that sell equipment and tools to oil companies. Others teach in colleges and universities or they serve as consultants to industries or the government.

First the site must be well selected and then the petroleum engineers decide how they are going to drill. They choose equipment and supervise workers who install and operate it. If oil or gas is found, petroleum engineers test samples of the oil-bearing rock layers. Then they test the reservoir where the oil or gas is located to see whether the oil or gas will flow by itself or whether it must be forced from the ground. The results of these tests help petroleum engineers choose the best method and equipment for the job.

Petroleum engineers must bring the oil or gas to the surface as cheaply and safely as possible. This all depends on many things. If salt water and oil are found together, then these engineers must find ways to return the salt water to the ground. If the salt water is spilled, it can damage crops and plants. Also, when petroleum engineers are involved with offshore drilling they try to prevent costly spills that waste oil and pollute water and the shorelines. They also supervise the early stages of natural gas processing.

The education needed is a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering. A degree in geology, geophysics, mining, or civil or mechanical engineering, plus course work in petroleum engineering is also good. A master’s or doctoral degree is usually necessary for a position in research or training.

Petroleum engineering sounds very interesting and rewarding. Anyone can become a petroleum engineer, if you are interested and want to learn more about this career go out there and research more information. I hope this was helpful and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it.

Michigan State's Engineering Program

By: Sadab Bahar

            Being an engineering student at Michigan State University is a big privilege. Michigan State offers its students loads of opportunities from furthering their experience to obtaining full time internships to jobs. Within the first month of the fall semester, Michigan State offered its engineering students with multiple career fairs. These career fairs give students the chance to meet with real companies and interact with representatives in order to obtain jobs and internships. Michigan State’s engineering program is extensive and challenges students to perform to their full potential. This year, Tenneco, an American Fortune 500 company, partnered with Michigan State University’s College of Engineering CoRe Experience program (“Tenneco Supports…”). This program is designed to give first year engineering students advanced learning inside and outside the classroom.

Picture Credit: egr.msu.edu/news/

             The entire engineering program at Michigan State has gotten much more advanced this previous year. Tenneco partnership with Michigan State’s University’s College of Engineering gives many benefits to students. Tenneco has donated $300,000 and helped renovate a lobby as a workspace for students to cooperate on work. Tenneco’s partnership with Michigan State also means many new openings for research. Tenneco is allowing students to collaborate with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation on advanced combustion research. New research chances allow students to expand their resume and experience. The opportunities that Michigan State offers only grows. Students should never be complaining about their lack of experience because the opportunity is right in front of them.

“Tenneco Supports Michigan State University’s CoRe Experience Engineering Prgram.” Babcox. Babcox, 20 Oct. 2016. Web. 08 Nov. 2016

Pack Expo

by: Buck

             Have you ever dreamed of a convention dedicated to packaging? Where you could walk the halls and be surrounded by the newest technology in the packaging field. Well then Pack Expo is the place for you. Pack Expo is the biggest packaging trade show in the world and it takes place every year right here in the United States. The location alternates between Las Vegas and Chicago, this years event was held in Chicago. 

Picture Credit: packexpo.com

             Every year, over 50,000 people attend and learn about the newest innovations inside their industry. Over 2,400 exhibitors come to display their innovations, giving more than enough content for the attendees to look through. Along with this, many speakers and presenters are there to offer valuable talks where the attendees can learn more about today's packaging. 

             
             This convention is a great place for people within the industry to network and meet others. This is because it is common for corporate managers, engineers, sales managers, plant managers, manufacturers and production supervisors, brand and marketing managers, quality controllers, purchasers, research/development and package designers from a wide variety of consumer packaged goods companies to attend Pack Expo. This makes the convention a great place for young students who will soon be in the industry to go and build up connections. Every other year, when Pack Expo comes to Chicago, MSU CoPPAC takes a group of packaging majors to the convention for this very reason. This is something that I plan to do in a later year in my studies, once I am closer to entering the real world of packaging. 

Engineering Prospects

By: Kevin Chung

Photo Credit: asme.org

              As the job market is recovering from the recession from 2008, manufacturing is rising, and the economy is finally stable with salaries on the rise, especially for engineers. A survey conducted in 2012 by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) found the salaries had increased. Over 12000 engineers responded to the survey between April 1, 2011 and March 21, 2012, and found the average total annual income, including commissions and fees, increased nearly 4%.

        According to the survey, engineers who saw their wages increase constantly were the ones with more experience. Not only that, but engineers with better education led to better compensations. For those that had a doctoral degree, had an income of $116000, while those with a M.S. in engineering earned a median of $95576. Finally, those with a B.S. had a median of $85900. Also, looking at licensing-certification status, those who had a licensed profession had higher salaries ($116000), as compared to those who weren’t in a licensed profession ($95000). But with all these improvements, the gender gap is still widening in engineering. The median income for female engineers is $76984, with male engineers making a substantial more of $96000.

              Lastly, there’s been an increase in demand for engineers. One big reason for this recent trend is that the engineers from the Baby Boomer generation is retiring. So, companies are looking for college graduates to fill those vacancies. According to a recent survey done by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) in 2012, employers say they plan to hire 9.5 percent more graduates from the class of 2012, than form the class of 2011. So, with salaries increasing and jobs open for engineers, the future for students with engineering degrees is looking rich.

Source

Sethi, Chitra. "Engineering Salaries on the Rise." Engineering Salaries on the Rise. N.p., July 2012. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

     

            

Walmart and Sustainable Packaging

By: Buck

             When it comes to retail, a big name that pops into my head is Walmart, one of America's great retail giants. And, when I think of Walmart, one thing that doesn't come to my mind is sustainable packaging. You wouldn't expect a giant retail company to be worried about sustainable packaging, but, at the 2016 Walmart Sustainable Packaging Summit, Walmart showed a big interest in improving their packaging efficiency and sustainability. The three goals they set for themselves are to optimize their designs, to source sustainability, and to support recycling.

Picture Credit: packagingdigest.com

             Walmart announced that they are going to be including a How2Recycle label on all of their store-brand products that have a recyclable value. Walmart discovered that two thirds of people do not recycle their packages if the instructions on how to recycle them are not printed on the package. So adding these labels is how Walmart plans to promote recycling. To aid in their attempts to optimize design, Walmart is going to be implementing more paperboard thickness options and thinner liner board in corrugated packaging to increase compression strength and to reduce both materials and damage. 

             It is good to see such a leading company take action for this cause, because with the reach that Walmart has, they are capable of having a large impact. Walmart is already taking the necessary steps to promote the lifestyle of sustainability. Lets hope other major companies can take the same steps too.