Ghana Project

by: Noemi Melo

A couple weeks I had the honor of meeting a retired petroleum engineer in one of my engineering classes. He was a man with a lot of knowledge in engineering since he started off as a mechanical engineering and later become the head petroleum engineer in many projects.

            There was a project he specifically talked about, his last big project before retiring, which was the “Ghana Project.” This is the first oil drilling project that has ever occurred in Ghana. It flowed from Tweneboa, Enyenra, Ntomme (TEN) field offshore of Ghana. This milestone was reached on time and on a budget of three years after the Plan of Development was approved by the Government of Ghana in May 2013.

            In March 2009, they first drilled in Ghana. This drilling discovery lead to what followed the further series of appraisal and exploration wells which later resulted in the discovery of the Tweneboa-Enyenra-Ntomme (TEN) field.

            In May 2013, The Ghana Minister of Energy approved the Plan of Development for the field and this then lead the second major operation of the deep-water development project in Ghana.

            This engineer went into depth and talked about his experience. It took them three years before they started drilling, they had to construct everything from scratch and make sure that it was the right size and that It would go smoothly. He mentioned that this wasn’t his first project but it was his last project.

            This project is expected to deliver 80,000 barrels of oil per day and Ghana expects at least $20 billion of investment in its booming oil industry over the next five years, mainly from foreign companies.

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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