With 2015 now upon us, the coming year looks to be an interesting period in the world of petroleum engineering. With oil prices at a nearly historic low, there will undoubtedly be some challenges in the industry, but engineers working in this discipline still get the opportunity to leverage innovations that make their jobs interesting.

Let’s take a closer look at what changes the petroleum engineering industry can expect in 2015 and beyond.

Expect the Oil Industry to Rebound

While the oil industry doldrums have some potential students questioning a petroleum engineering program, experts expect things to turn around by the time those students earn their degrees. Dr. Jon Olson, a professor at the University of Texas’s Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, commented on how the industry reacts to low oil prices.

“Usually the service companies are the first to react because they’re the ones specifically doing the well work out at the fields. Those smaller companies are going to be retracting what they’re doing, at least staying away from high cost operations,” said Olson. Concerning potential petroleum engineering students he remarked: “four years from now, it will probably be totally different.” In short, expect things to improve.

Cavitation Technology Innovations Improve Petroleum-based Product Production

Cavitation technology is a new technique used in the production of petroleum-based fuels that leverages high-shear forces to provide superior mixing and thermal-heat generation. ExxonMobil Research and Engineering (EMRE) is developing the technology jointly with Arisdyne Systems.

“EMRE and Arisdyne are combining our strengths in petroleum processing technology to produce an industry-leading cavitation process to address today’s challenges across our Upstream, Downstream, and Chemicals business lines,” said Vijay Swarup, Vice President Research and Development at EMRE. “We are optimistic that this technology will make an important contribution to improve today’s global petroleum processing.”

So even in an oil industry downturn, the innovative work of the petroleum engineer continues unabated. If you are interested in exploring this lucrative field more closely, talk to the experts at The Talley Group. As one of the top Seattle engineering staffing agencies, we remain a great source for jobs and career insights. Schedule some time with us today!

Project managers in any technical discipline bring a wide range of skills and abilities to the table. Those who work in civil engineering combine these capabilities with others unique to this niche within the engineering world. Needless to say, well-rounded individuals able to see a project from many different perspectives tend to thrive in this role.

So what makes an ideal civil engineering project manager? Let’s take a closer look.

Understanding the Triple Constraint is Vital for Any Project Manager

Most projects — civil engineering and otherwise — rely on something called the triple constraint, which describes the interrelationship between time, cost, and quality within said project. A common refrain regarding this constraint states “you can have any two of those three.” In short, if you want something done quickly and cheaply, the quality will suffer.

Civil engineering project managers must have the ability to successfully balance the three items on the proverbial triple constraint. This takes great technical and analytical skills combined with intuition as well as strong communication abilities, especially when a project is taking too long or goes over budget. Navigating the triple constraint is why project managers are well paid.

Financial Skills are a plus for the Civil Engineering Manager

Most civil engineering projects must be completed on time with superior quality. Thus, being able to understand the financial aspects of a project is vital, considering that a project completed quickly with no defects will usually stress that project’s budget. Understanding costs and finances is an important skill of the project manager.

Don’t Forget Leadership and People Skills

A civil engineering project manager is also a leader with exemplary people skills. The ability to inspire other engineers and team members plays an important role in the success of any project. Ultimately, the best engineering project managers are great leaders who inspire their team members to a high level of performance.

If you are a civil engineer looking to move into a management role, talk to the experts at The Talley Group. As one of the top staffing agencies in Washington State, and a great source of Seattle civil engineering jobs, we can help your career immensely. Make it a point to meet with us today!