Petroleum Engineering and Natural Gas Recovery

Computer Applications in Petroleum Engineering

 Petroleum Engineering makes use of technology in a variety of ways depending on the specialization area. The reason for this is because the ability to extract hydrocarbons has become more complex as the terrain has become more difficult including deep-water, arctic and desert conditions. Therefore, new solutions have had to be constructed in order to access these hard to reach deposits and this means that Petroleum Engineers need to understand different areas such as thermo-hydraulics, geo-mechanics and intelligent systems. As a result petroleum engineering technology applications have played an increasing role in aiding engineers in their work. Petroleum engineering technology continues to improve and there have been advances in computer modelling and simulation, statistical and probability analysis, as well new technical innovations such as horizontal drilling and enhanced oil recovery. These applications and technologies have substantially improved the tools used by the Petroleum Engineer in recent years, and they will continue to play an important part in their activities as they seek to research and develop new ways to extract new deposits, while lowering the cost of drilling and production.