Responsibilities of a petroleum engineering professor in training?

I. Core Responsibilities — Petroleum Engineering Professor in Training

Estimated scope for an early-career academic trainee preparing for a full faculty role under supervision.

• I.1 Teaching support: Prepare and deliver selected lectures, recitations, and tutorials in core petroleum engineering courses (reservoir, drilling, production, petrophysics) under faculty mentorship.
• I.2 Curriculum development: Draft syllabi segments, lecture slides, problem sets, and solution keys aligned to ABET outcomes; maintain learning management system content.
• I.3 Laboratory instruction: Set up and run core, PVT, flow-loop, and drilling simulators; write lab manuals; train teaching assistants; enforce HSE and QA/QC procedures.
• I.4 Assessment: Design quizzes/exams, grade consistently with rubrics, provide feedback; analyze item statistics to improve assessments.
• I.5 Student advising: Hold office hours; mentor capstone design teams and undergraduate researchers; coach students on technical communication.
• I.6 Research integration: Incorporate current research into teaching; co-author manuscripts; present at seminars; support proposal preparation and data management.
• I.7 Industry engagement: Coordinate guest lectures, arrange field visits to onshore facilities, and align assignments with real datasets (de-identified).
• I.8 Academic quality and accreditation: Collect ABET evidence (outcomes mapping, direct/indirect measures); close the loop with course improvements.
• I.9 HSE compliance: Author and enforce lab SOPs, risk assessments (H2S, pressure vessels, cryogens), incident reporting, and equipment pre-use checks.
• I.10 Administrative: Manage course logistics, scheduling, grade records, and inventory of lab consumables; coordinate with lab managers.
• I.11 Core formulas taught/applied:
  • I.11.a Darcy’s Law (single-phase): $q = \dfrac{k A}{\mu L}\,\Delta p$; multiphase extension with relative permeability $k_{r\alpha}$.
  • I.11.b Material balance (undersaturated oil, tank model): $N_p B_o + W_p B_w - W_e = N\,(B_o - B_{oi}) + m\,(B_g - B_{gi})$.
  • I.11.c Radial diffusivity (slightly compressible flow): $\dfrac{1}{r}\dfrac{\partial}{\partial r}\!\left(r\dfrac{\partial p}{\partial r}\right)=\dfrac{\phi \mu c_t}{k}\,\dfrac{\partial p}{\partial t}$.
  • I.11.d Well testing (Horner): plot $p$ vs. $\log\!\left(\dfrac{t_p+\Delta t}{\Delta t}\right)$ to estimate $k h$ and skin $s$.
  • I.11.e Decline analysis (Arps): $q(t)=\dfrac{q_i}{\left(1+b D_i t\right)^{1/b}}$; $b\in[0,1]$.
  • I.11.f Drilling hydraulics (Bingham plastic): $\Delta p = \dfrac{2 \tau_0 L}{D} + \dfrac{2 f \rho L v^2}{D}$ (estimated form for teaching; parameters per rheology).
  • I.11.g Economics (NPV): $\mathrm{NPV}=\sum_{t=0}^{T}\dfrac{\mathrm{CF}_t}{(1+r)^t}$ with sensitivity to $p_{\text{commodity}}$, CAPEX, OPEX.

II. Required Skills and Demands

• II.1 Technical
  • II.1.a Proficiency in reservoir engineering (MBE, PTA/RTA), production systems, drilling mechanics, petrophysics, and basic geomechanics.
  • II.1.b Numerical methods and scripting (Python/Matlab) for problem sets, grading automation, and data analysis.
  • II.1.c Lab competency: PVT analysis, coreflood operations, permeability/porosity measurement, pressure/temperature instrumentation.
  • II.1.d Safety standards: pressure systems, chemical handling, H2S awareness, lockout/tagout, confined space (as applicable).
• II.2 Soft
  • II.2.a Clear technical communication; lecture delivery; bilingual ability advantageous in diverse cohorts.
  • II.2.b Classroom management, inclusive pedagogy, conflict de-escalation, and mentoring.
  • II.2.c Time management across teaching, grading, research, and outreach; meticulous documentation.
  • II.2.d Stakeholder alignment with senior faculty, lab staff, and industry visitors.
• II.3 Physical
  • II.3.a Extended standing during labs/lectures; lifting lab items up to ~15–25 kg with proper technique (estimated).
  • II.3.b PPE use (gloves, goggles, lab coat, H2S monitor); occasional outdoor field walks and stairways at facilities.

III. Typical Tools, Software, and Equipment

• III.1 Reservoir and production: Eclipse, CMG (IMEX/GEM/STARS), tNavigator, KAPPA Saphir/Emeraude, Prosper/GAP/MBAL, OFM (or equivalent).
• III.2 Drilling and well engineering: WellPlan, Drillbench, Landmark/DecisionSpace Well Engineering (or equivalents), torque–drag/hydraulics calculators.
• III.3 Geoscience integration: Petrel (models for teaching), basic seismic and log interpretation packages; LAS editors.
• III.4 Data and computation: Python, Matlab, Jupyter, Git, Excel with Solver, Power BI/Tableau (teaching analytics), HPC/cluster queues (SLURM).
• III.5 Lab and test equipment: core holders, pumps, PVT cells, viscometers, pressure transducers, data loggers, gas detectors, H2S monitors, drilling simulators.
• III.6 Teaching platforms: LMS (e.g., Canvas), e-exam tools, plagiarism detection, lecture capture, rubric-based graders.

IV. Work Environment

• IV.1 Onshore university setting; classroom, wet labs, computational labs; occasional visits to test wells, core repositories, or production facilities.
• IV.2 Schedule aligned to academic terms; peak loads around midterms/finals and grant deadlines; some evening or weekend duties.
• IV.3 Travel to academic conferences, workshops, and industry advisory board meetings (few trips per year, domestic/international).
• IV.4 Safety culture: strict adherence to HSE policies, training refreshers, and equipment certifications before lab use.

V. Reporting Lines and Cross-Functional Interfaces

• V.1 Reporting
  • V.1.a Reports to a supervising faculty member and the petroleum engineering program coordinator/department chair.
  • V.1.b Lab safety oversight by lab manager and departmental HSE officer.
• V.2 Interfaces
  • V.2.a Faculty across reservoir, drilling, production, geoscience; ABET and curriculum committees.
  • V.2.b Teaching assistants, lab technicians, IT support, and administrative staff.
  • V.2.c Industry advisory board and guest lecturers for real-world alignment.

VI. Career Ladder

• VI.1 Next roles
  • VI.1.a Assistant Professor (tenure-track) or Lecturer/Teaching Professor (teaching-focused).
  • VI.1.b Research Associate/Postdoctoral Fellow (if research-intensive path continues).
• VI.2 What’s needed to move up
  • VI.2.a Strong teaching evaluations, complete course lead responsibility for 1–2 courses.
  • VI.2.b Publications in peer-reviewed journals; conference presentations; evidence of securing or contributing to grants.
  • VI.2.c Documented ABET contributions, curriculum design, and sustained student mentorship.
  • VI.2.d Safety credentials and lab stewardship track record.

VII. Deliverables & Interfaces

• VII.1 Key deliverables
  • VII.1.a Course artifacts: syllabi sections, lecture decks, lab manuals, assignments, exams, rubrics, and grading reports.
  • VII.1.b Accreditation evidence: outcomes mapping, samples of student work, assessment analyses, continuous-improvement memos.
  • VII.1.c Research outputs: datasets, code repositories, manuscripts, posters, seminar slides, data management plans.
  • VII.1.d HSE documentation: SOPs, risk assessments, training records, equipment logs.
• VII.2 Hand-offs and recipients
  • VII.2.a Supervising faculty and department chair (teaching materials, grades, ABET evidence).
  • VII.2.b Lab manager/HSE officer (SOPs, inspections, incident reports).
  • VII.2.c Students and TAs (course content, feedback, mentorship guidance).
  • VII.2.d Research collaborators (clean datasets, analysis scripts, draft publications).

VIII. Toolchain Snapshot

• VIII.1 Simulation/engineering: Eclipse, CMG, tNavigator, KAPPA, Prosper/GAP/MBAL.
• VIII.2 Drilling: WellPlan, Drillbench, torque–drag/hydraulics calculators.
• VIII.3 Data/science: Python, Matlab, Jupyter, Git, Excel Solver.
• VIII.4 Lab/HSE: PVT cells, core flooding skids, pressure transducers, H2S monitors, fume hoods.
• VIII.5 Teaching: LMS, lecture capture, auto-grading/plagiarism tools.

IX. Progression Trigger

Typically promoted after 2–3 academic terms of successful course delivery, 2–3 first-author journal papers or equivalent scholarly outputs, completion of institutional teaching certification, documented ABET contributions, and positive teaching evaluations (estimated). Competitive candidates also show participation in at least one funded proposal and demonstrated lab stewardship.