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Drilling engineer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Andreas Michael Ph.D.
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical drilling engineer skills. We ranked the top skills for drilling engineers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 9.0% of drilling engineer resumes contained cost estimates as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a drilling engineer needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 drilling engineer skills for your resume and career

1. Cost Estimates

Here's how drilling engineers use cost estimates:
  • Completed regulatory submissions; cost estimates; evaluated service company proposals and managed procurement of drilling materials.
  • Prepared scoping development cost estimates for offshore attic reserves.

2. Well Design

Here's how drilling engineers use well design:
  • Implemented best possible HSE operations to mitigate risks and hazards, which could impact well design and integrity.
  • Lead multiple project drilling engineers to improve well designs, incorporate technical-limit planning to drive well costs down.

3. Data Analysis

Here's how drilling engineers use data analysis:
  • Noted problem solver Skills Used Analytical techniques, project management, data analysis, programming, client service management
  • Review with engineer on DIMS the provision of End of Well reports Carry out offset well data analysis.

4. BHA

Here's how drilling engineers use bha:
  • Worked with Directional providers to implement BHA design improvements for better drilling efficiency.
  • Prepare Directional Drilling proposals, Well Trajectories, BHA Design, Well Collision Avoidance, Drill String Hydraulic Analysis and Torque/Drag Analysis

5. Technical Support

Technical support or tech support are the services provided by any hardware or software company to users. They help in solving the technical difficulties the customers face with their products or services. Moreover, the tech support employees maintain, manage, and repair the IT faults. They are also responsible for resolving the network problems, installing and configuring hardware and software.

Here's how drilling engineers use technical support:
  • Provide office rotational engineering and technical support for two gas development project offshore Trinidad.
  • Provided technical support to Rig Drilling Foreman during drilling operations !

6. Engineering Support

Engineering support means providing assistance to different engineers working in the company. It enables them to complete their tasks effectively and timely. Engineering support revolves around diagnosing and resolving software and hardware problems. They also look for network issues and resolve them in a timely manner.

Here's how drilling engineers use engineering support:
  • Monitored daily drilling operations and provided technical and engineering support to Drilling operations.
  • Provide technical engineering support to operations (Drilling Superintendent).

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7. Well Control

Here's how drilling engineers use well control:
  • Compiled well control and directional anti-collision manuals for office engineering and drilling rig operating areas.
  • Improved injection shut-in SOP resulting in $6MM production savings and 60% decrease in well control events.

8. Risk Assessments

The process of analyzing and identifying the acts or events that have the potential to negatively affect an individual, asset, or business is called risk assessment. Risk assessments are important because they form an integral part of an organization as well as occupational safety plans

Here's how drilling engineers use risk assessments:
  • Assist the responsible drilling engineer in conducting well- and operational risk assessments and HAZOPS.
  • Conducted risk assessments and ensured adherence to all company policies and safety rules.

9. BP

Here's how drilling engineers use bp:
  • Provide quarterly updates to BP regarding performance and safety of the rigs since inception into the field 2 years ago.
  • Assisted with the introduction of many new technologies to Alaska and to BP.

10. Wellview

Here's how drilling engineers use wellview:
  • Generate daily technical reports in WellView 10.0, Excel, and Microsoft Word.
  • Created multiple spreadsheets with macros to reduce data entry time into WellView.

11. Cost Control

Cost control is a process in which actual costs are recorded and incorporated into a format that allows comparison with project budgets to regulate and control operating costs within an organization. The goal of cost control is to manage project delivery within the approved budget and reduce expenses to increase profits.

Here's how drilling engineers use cost control:
  • Coordinated land and air logistics, cost control, and submitted reports to government agencies.
  • Developed and assigned engineering activities to meet cost monitoring and cost control goals.

12. Drill String

Here's how drilling engineers use drill string:
  • Prepared specifications for purchase of casing, wellheads, liner hangers, drill strings and completion equipment.
  • Completed a two week class for Halliburton's ADT service covering drill string integrity and hydraulics optimization.

13. Completion Operations

Here's how drilling engineers use completion operations:
  • Coordinate the drilling and completion operations with Rig crews, casing crews, cementing operations.
  • Lead Drilling Engineer for Petronius Compliant Tower and Genesis SPAR drilling/work over/completion Operations in deep water GOM

14. HSE

Here's how drilling engineers use hse:
  • Assisted onshore drilling engineer and SDE with completing drilling program and HSE Notifications for both wells prior to traveling offshore !
  • Worked with drilling ops, HSE and regulatory functions on a daily basis while the well was drilled to TD.

15. Engineering Design

Engineering design is defined as the method that engineers use to recognize and solve problems. It is an extensive and flexible approach to problem-solving and provides the necessary information needed regarding every step of the process. An engineering design is a collaborative effort of the team to identify problems underlying a process and find out ways to solve them.

Here's how drilling engineers use engineering design:
  • Worked with multidisciplinary professionals to evaluate engineering design and commercial viability of individual wells.
  • Delivered detailed engineering design, planning and execution for horizontal wells.
top-skills

What skills help Drilling Engineers find jobs?

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What drilling engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Andreas Michael Ph.D.Andreas Michael Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor, University of North Dakota

Bar none, the primary virtue of petroleum-engineering-degree holders must be a strong competitive advantage in the relevant jobs market, relating to oil and gas exploration and production. A strong focus on the basics of their 'trade' is what will make them 'good at their job' - completeness on all fronts.

List of drilling engineer skills to add to your resume

Drilling engineer skills

The most important skills for a drilling engineer resume and required skills for a drilling engineer to have include:

  • Cost Estimates
  • Well Design
  • Data Analysis
  • BHA
  • Technical Support
  • Engineering Support
  • Well Control
  • Risk Assessments
  • BP
  • Wellview
  • Cost Control
  • Drill String
  • Completion Operations
  • HSE
  • Engineering Design
  • Well Reports
  • Drilling Fluid
  • MPD
  • ERD
  • NPT
  • Operations Support
  • Wellsite
  • Failure Analysis
  • RAN
  • Drill Bits
  • Engineering Analysis
  • Troubleshoot
  • Workovers
  • Cost Savings
  • OBM
  • Pore Pressure
  • Cost Analysis
  • ROP
  • H2S
  • Engineering Calculations
  • Service Contracts
  • Risk Analysis
  • GOM
  • Field Supervision
  • Field Development
  • Hpht
  • MM

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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