Engineering
Working on the leading edge of engineering innovation is an enviable place to be.
Especially within an industry that challenges you to provide for the needs of future generations.
Engineers at ConocoPhillips focus their energies on the crude oil and natural gas exploration and production technologies that are vital to our tomorrow. That means developing legacy assets, exploring for new reserves, and releasing the full potential the land and sea have to offer. All while ensuring that we minimize the environmental impact of our work.
ConocoPhillips’ global resource base includes conventional oil and unconventional heavy oil and conventional natural gas, as well as gas and oil from tight sands, coalbeds and shales. Experienced engineers who join us can contribute to our growth through activities like these:
- Reservoir performance evaluations
- Stimulation evaluations and procedures
- Production optimization
- Facilities optimization and upgrades
- Remedial workovers.
University Students & Graduates
We are always interested in hearing from top-performing students and graduates with strong academic records in their chosen area of study. Professional and trade careers accommodate many majors reflective of the opportunities listed above. To learn more about our internship and full-time programs by function, click here.
Who we are
Exploration and Production (upstream) explores for, develops and produces crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) worldwide. The majority of our reserves are located in politically stable countries that belong to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
How you can contribute
There are extensive engineering opportunities in E&P, including field assignments in drilling operations and production operations onshore and offshore and at processing facilities for NGLs and LNG. There also are headquarters assignments evaluating and developing E&P prospects around the globe. E&P engineers work collaboratively with many disciplines using the latest technology to deliver tomorrow’s energy solutions.
Opportunities within E&P include drilling, completions, production, facility and reservoir engineering positions. Typical duties of a new E&P engineer may include:
- Determining optimum methods for drilling, completing or working over wells in both onshore and offshore locations.
- Developing the most efficient methods to recover reserves through equipment design and operating practices.
- Developing engineering design specifications, recommendations and cost estimates for engines, compressors, pumps, turbines, casing, tubing, piping and many other types of equipment.
- Planning well locations, quantifying anticipated reserves, analyzing well logs and booking corporate reserves.
How you can grow
We believe the development of our technical professionals is a career-long continuum. There are 3 career paths that engineers generally follow. They either become a technical expert, a technical generalist or transition into leadership. These paths are chosen based on performance, skills, desire and company needs. Our engineers utilize individual development plans in discussions with leadership to identify key goals, desires and mobility. Our objective is to provide newly hired engineers a well-rounded development plan that helps ensure their overall effectiveness.
In addition to their supervisor, each new-hire engineer should be assigned a technical mentor who can provide guidance based on engineering discipline. The supervisor and mentor will work together with the new engineer on a skills development plan that serves as the beginning of career-long learning. Skills will be developed through classroom training, virtual training and on-the-job training. Each year, or as required, an assessment is completed to help fill an online skills inventory. This inventory is used for identifying additional training needs, identifying new roles or for determining subject matter experts within the company.
Additionally, each new engineer participates in the PetroTech Academy, a training program that gives early career petro-technical employees an opportunity to broaden their knowledge of the upstream life cycle and the company’s collaborative approach to asset management.
What we’re looking for
ConocoPhillips hires engineers primarily from the petroleum, mechanical and chemical disciplines to begin work in completions, drilling, facilities, production or reservoir roles.
Many of our new hires have worked internships in the oil industry and have an understanding of what role they would like to take. For those without industry exposure, a role will be selected based on company needs. In these cases, these individuals will have enhanced opportunities to understand all of the opportunities available, so they can find the best fit.