Santa Maria students place in the Santa Barbara County Science Fair!

Author: Guest Author; Published: Mar 14, 2011; Category: Classroom presentations, Energy, Energy Conservation, Energy Education, Energy sources, Engineering Careers, Environment, Science, SPE members, Technology, Volunteering; Tags: Children, Education, Energy, energy challenges, Energy Conservation, Engineering, Environment, Renewable, science, SPE, Student, sustainability, Technology, Volunteer; Comments: Be the first

Guest Authors – By Gayle Pratt and Kevin Yung, Santa Maria Section of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)

Since 2009, The Central Coast Education Collaborative – a project of the Santa Maria Section of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and the Oil & Gas Industry – has partnered with local high schools to provide 4-8 students with a five-week summer engineering internship. The purpose of the internship is to engage and provide students with a contextual view of how engineering is used to develop innovative solutions for “real world” problems.  SPE members of the Santa Maria Section and professionals within the Oil & Gas Industry mentor the students on a daily basis throughout the duration of the project.

In 2010, the engineering experience was shared with the students by having them design, build and test an ocean wave energy extraction device.  Secondarily, the students were asked to consider the potential environmental impact of placing the device into service.  Field testing was conducted at the Venoco Pier in Carpinteria, California used to support their offshore platforms.  Guest speakers provided the students with context for the project including:  “Alphabet Soup – The Regulatory Agencies, Codes and Permitting”.  The students were also challenged to research the field of wave energy and the market viability of their device using The Marine & Hydrokinetic Technology Database housed on the U.S. Department of Energy’s website.  The final stage of the internship required the students to prepare a presentation summarizing their project.  The students made the presentation at a number of venues – including SPE Santa Maria functions, school board meetings, energy-related conferences and established academic competitions.

The work of the students and support of the members of the Santa Maria Section of Society of Petroleum Engineers was well documented in 3 newspaper articles – most recently a 3rd place victory and a purse of $250.00 at the Santa Barbara County Science Fair.

Plans are already underway for the 2011 internship which includes expansion of students, mentors and projects as well as the opportunity for one team to secure college scholarships.

Learn more about this project or a career in engineering!

SPE Pittsburgh Petroleum Section Participating in Engineers Week at Carnegie Science Center

Author: Guest Author; Published: Feb 10, 2011; Category: Education outreach, Energy, Energy Education, Engineering Careers, Environment, Geology, Math, Renewable energy, Science, SPE members, Technology, Uncategorized, Volunteering; Tags: Careers, Children, Education, Energy, Energy Conservation, Engineering, Engineering Careers, eWeek, Geology, Geothermal, Math, natural gas, oil, Petroleum, School, SPE, Student, Technology, Volunteer; Comments: Be the first

Guest Author – By Donna Marcotte, SPE Pittsburgh Petroleum Section, Board Member

Student and professional members from the Pittsburgh Petroleum Section of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) will present demonstrations, exhibits, and hands-on activities at the Carnegie Science Center Engineers Week event on February 18 and 19.

SPE Pittsburgh has been participating in this event for more than 10 years and is a contributing sponsor this year.

The SPE booth will feature petroleum engineering students from Pennsylvania State University (PSU), the SPE student chapter affiliate of the Pittsburgh professional section. The PSU SPE members will engage Pittsburgh area students in various activities and exhibits, developed by the students and contributed by various SPE Pittsburgh members and companies.

Booth activities will include various materials, samples, experiments and games—with lots of prizes and give-ways. Professional SPE members from the greater Pittsburgh area will also be on hand to help students with the materials and answer questions.

Companies contributing to the success of this event include: Baker Hughes, Burnett Oil, Centric Performance, EKT Interactive, EQT, EXCO Resources, Range Resources, Schlumberger, and Superior Well Services.

This year’s co-chairs for the SPE Pittsburgh booth are area residents and SPE members, Melissa Ramirez, a petroleum engineer at EXCO Resources, Inc. and Bill Thomas, a consultant with Centric Performance, LLC and member of the Marcellus Resource Group.

“This industry offers so much opportunity for anyone interested in any kind of engineering or earth science, such as geology,” explains Ramirez, also a PSU graduate. “It’s a chance to contribute daily to solving the world’s energy problems.”

“We want to get the word out to area students, so they can get the right education and take advantage of these exciting career opportunities, which are now right in their own backyards,” states Thomas.

Petroleum Industry Full Circle in Pennsylvania

Many credit Titusville, Pa., just north of Pittsburgh, as the birthplace of the modern oil and gas industry, when in 1859 Edwin Drake drilled the first commercial oil well. Oil production in Pennsylvania peaked in the early 20th century, and oil and gas production has continued over the years without a lot of fanfare. Since 2005, however, the industry has seen resurgence in the area with exploration and development of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale, a vast geological formation that spans six states, including a large portion of Pennsylvania.

New technologies—developed and deployed by engineers from many different disciplines—have made extracting natural gas from shale technologically and economically feasible. Many experts believe that the Marcellus Shale will provide a huge natural gas source for Northeast U.S. markets and a vital boost to the local economy in increased tax revenue, business activity, and good-paying jobs.

About Engineers Week

The Engineers Week event at the Carnegie Science Center celebrates engineering achievements and provides an opportunity to reach out to students K-12th grade and introduce them to exciting careers in engineering.

For more information about the Carnegie Science Center Engineers Week event, visit their website at http://www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/default.aspx?pageId=363.

For more information about Engineers Week, visit the National Engineers Week Foundation website at www.eweek.org.

About SPE

The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) is a not-for-profit professional association whose members are engaged in energy resources development and production. SPE serves 88,000-plus members in 118 countries worldwide. SPE is a key resource for technical knowledge related to the oil and gas exploration and production industry and provides services through its publications, conferences, workshops, forums, and website. Learn more about SPE and its energy education program Energy4me.

With more than 700 professional and student members throughout Western Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Petroleum Section is one of the many affiliated sections and chapters of SPE International, which is headquartered in Richardson, Texas.

One of the primary roles of SPE and the local section is to raise and award scholarships for college students. This year, SPE Pittsburgh will award $15,000 in scholarships to area students. For more information about SPE Pittsburgh, visit http://spepgh.weebly.com/.

Why would students want to become an engineer?

Author: Guest Author; Published: Nov 19, 2010; Category: Energy, Energy Education, Engineering Careers, Environment, Geology, Math, Renewable energy, Science, Technology, Uncategorized; Tags: Careers, Earth science, Education, Energy, energy challenges, Energy Conservation, Engineering, Geology, Geothermal, Math, Petroleum, School, science, Student, Technology; Comments: Be the first

Guest Author – Marva Morrow, Energy Education Consultant

As students are moving from the classroom to the real world, the biggest question is, “What do I want to be when I grow up?”  Becoming an engineer might be the right career for you if you want to have a career that’s exciting, flexible, and where you can really make a difference!

Did you know that engineering is one of the few fields where you can earn a good salary after only four years of college? In the US, engineers’ starting salary can range from USD 52,048 – USD 83,121 a year depending on which type of engineering field you pursue, according to the National Association of College and Employers (NACE) Engineering salaries have been higher than average salaries for the last 40 years and according to the US Department of Labor, engineers starting salaries are among the highest of all college graduates.

Top-Paid Majors for 2009-10 Bachelor’s Degree Graduates (Source: NACE)

Major	Average Salary Offer
Petroleum Engineer	USD 77,278
Chemical Engineer	USD 64,889
Mining and Mineral Engineer	USD 63,207
Computer Science	USD 60,473
Computer Engineering	USD 60,396

Engineers are well-paid globally, though salaries will vary depending on the country. For example, typical starting salaries for petroleum engineers in the UK range from £29,000 – £36,500, according to salary data collected August 2009 (USD 36,000-USD 49,000). The Society of Petroleum Engineers has just published its 2010 salary survey that shows salaries based on years of experience in different parts of the world.

Besides earning a great salary, engineers can choose to work in the field or in the office. In certain industries, some engineers travel around the world working from one site to another. Since science and technology are constantly advancing, there will always be new problems to solve making a career as an engineer always exciting! Engineers are constantly challenged to “think outside of the box” and to explore new possibilities, making our lives better.

Science and technology are the gateway to tomorrow and someone will be engineering it. WHY NOT YOU!

Learn more about engineering careers.

Engineers or Super Heroes!

Author: Darci Ramirez; Published: Nov 11, 2010; Category: Energy, Energy Conservation, Energy Education, Energy sources, Engineering Careers, Environment, Renewable energy, Technology, Volunteering; Tags: Energy Conservation, Engineering, Engineering Careers, Environment, sustainability, Technology, Volunteer; Comments: Be the first

Engineers create plenty of high-tech gadgets, buildings and mechanisms that make life easier for people around the world. But many engineers also put their skills and training to good use by helping people in developing countries have access to electricity, clean water and other human necessities.

The organization Engineers Without Borders (EWB), which has over 250 chapters and 12,000 members in the US, works on hundreds of projects in countries including Kenya, India and Guatemala. These dedicated engineers – both professionals and students – aim to make a more stable and prosperous world by helping people in need.

EWB’s projects are born from proposals that come directly from the communities, which ensure that the residents’ needs will be met. Engineers travel to the community, assess what the people need and want and then, during subsequent visits, implement a plan to make the community’s goals a reality! Projects have ranged from building a health clinic in Peru to restoring an ancient dam and irrigation system in Cambodia. EWB provides training for local residents so they can maintain and operate the new buildings or systems, and a financial plan is put in place to make sure the project is economically viable for the future.

The recent rescue of coal miners in Chile also highlighted the importance of engineers. The rescue efforts used technologies developed and perfected in the oil industry, including drilling equipment and gyro guidance instruments to get to the target. Several members of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the sponsor of Energy4me, participated in the rescue.  This event shows how engineers can make a world of difference!

Think you might be a future engineer? Check out Energy4me’s careers section to find out if engineering is for you!

Solar Power in Your Everyday Life

Author: Darci Ramirez; Published: Nov 5, 2010; Category: Energy, Energy Conservation, Energy Education, Energy sources, Environment, Renewable energy, Technology, Uncategorized; Tags: Children, Earth science, Education, Energy, Energy Conservation, Environment, Renewable, sustainability, Technology; Comments: Be the first

You might use solar power more often than you think. It’s used in all kinds of everyday objects like calculators, cell phones and more!

Many calculators have small solar panels across the top that provide power, sometimes in combination with a battery. These solar panels work just like solar panels you may see on the roof of a house or office building, collecting the sun’s energy and storing it for when you need it. The solar panels must be recharged (by being exposed to sunlight) regularly in order for the calculator to work.

Solar power is used for cell phones, too. It can be especially useful in developing countries where electricity is not always available. For example, in Kenya, mobile phone company Safaricom Ltd. released a phone in mid-2009 that charges itself using the sun’s rays, even on cloudy days. About 17 million Kenyans use cell phones, but only about 1.3 million of the country’s residents have access to electricity to charge their phones. Some people use generators powered by bicycles to charge their phones; others pay businesses a fee to charge their phones for them.1 Solar-powered technology could be a huge help for many people. Solar phones are also being introduced in India, Latin America and other spots around the world.

Today, solar vehicles are primarily demonstration vehicles and engineering exercises, or in solar car races such as the World Solar Challenge and the North American Solar Challenge. These are electric vehicles powered by solar electricity. One day, solar power may be used more in cars as technology progresses, especially in hybrid models.

Learn more about solar energy.

1. “Solar Cell Phones Take Off in Developing Nations,” Moni Basu and Faith Karimi, CNN.com, 21 Aug., 2009; http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/08/21/solar.cellphone/index.html