Standardising Petroleum Engineering Education in Brazil: Preparing The Next Generation

Abstract

During the past years, Brazil has been experiencing a significant oil boom, mainly due to its successful and technologically challenging deep offshore exploration campaign, namely the "pre-salt" area. Furthermore, after a five-year halt on bidding rounds, Brazil held two bidding rounds last year: one aimed at on-shore unconventional exploration, as an attempt to stay current on the abroad shale revolution, the other being the first pre-salt PSC bidding for the super-giant field of "Libra". In fact, Brazilian authorities have stated that they expect to nearly double its domestic production within the next five years [1].Both of these exploration frontiers represent not only innumerous financial, technological and logistical challenges, but the success will be dependent and profoundly driven by the availability of the country's petroleum-industry workforce resources involved; specifically, its ability to supply the sudden and critically arising demand. In addition, turning the scenario even more complex is the fact that Brazilian law [1] requires a substantial share of local content, including workforce, must be employed in any of those projects.In face of such a scenario, the SPE Brazil Section, along with several nation-wide company and university representatives, developed and proposed a new unified petroleum engineering program course, aimed at all Brazilian universities. It is on such report that this paper is based.The extensive report indicates that existing academic programs must undergo some changes, if they are to adapt to modern industry requirements and standards. For instance, it concluded that only one-third of a program should be composed of basic courses, with more than half of them on specific-petroleumoriented courses, together with one-tenth on professional-applied courses. In summary, the report indicates that the Brazilian approach on scientific education must be improved and re-thought, combining a theoretical approach and practical considerations.