Petroleum Engineer

Marine Minerals Administration • Houma, LA

3d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is with the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, in the Well Operations Section in Houma, Louisiana. The Petroleum Engineer serves as a technical expert on oil and gas drilling operations, assessing the technical adequacy of well designs, drilling programs, and abandonment procedures and ensuring operations comply with applicable lease terms and regulations.

The role includes reviewing drilling and abandonment plans, participating in inspections and assessments across a range of offshore and onshore operations, monitoring leases under suspension of production, and visiting supervised leases to evaluate operating practices. The engineer also provides technical leadership and mentoring to lower-level engineers and staff and may present expert testimony on complex petroleum issues.

The work is primarily sedentary and typically performed in an office, with occasional or infrequent field visits to onshore production facilities, offshore installations, and shipyards. Field visits may involve walking, climbing, stooping, bending, and potential exposure to heavy equipment, chemicals, and other hazards. Required protective equipment includes hard hats and safety glasses, and safety precautions and protocols must be followed.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Meet the mandatory engineering education requirement through an ABET-accredited engineering degree; an engineering degree with specified coursework; or an accepted combination of education and experience, registration or licensure, a written examination, specified academic courses, or a related curriculum with qualifying professional engineering experience.
• For GS-13, have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level performing petroleum engineering work.
• Specialized experience must demonstrate knowledge and skills relevant to duties such as analyzing exploration and development operations involving drilling and workover or completion; directional drilling programs; pressure drilling applications and applicable API documents; blowout preventers and their components; or resolving complex drilling issues with operators and contractors or vendors.
• Submit transcripts to support claimed education; education cannot substitute for the required experience.
• Pass a background investigation and receive favorable adjudication.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered for Selective Service.
• Participate in Direct Deposit and successfully pass E-Verify employment verification.
• Submit a financial disclosure report within 30 days of appointment.
• Meet the minimum age and education or other eligibility conditions stated in the announcement.
• Serve a one-year probationary period, during which continued employment is evaluated and requires written agency certification.

Responsibilities

• Review applications for permits to drill, requests to change plans or alter casing programs, and plans to plug and abandon new wells.
• Review and assess new or revised welding and burning plans for drilling operations for regulatory compliance and submit completed plans to the supervisor for approval.
• Participate in inspections involving drilling, workover and completion, plugging and abandonment, environmental quality, H2S and sulphur operations, and activities on the Outer Continental Shelf, including facilities with known safety or environmental problems or hazards.
• Ensure leases under suspension of production conduct operations according to approved activity schedules.
• Regularly visit oil and gas leases under District supervision to assess operating practices, particularly where unusual or unique problems require analysis beyond the scope of inspectors, lower-graded engineering staff, and platform operators.
• Mentor and provide technical leadership, expertise, and guidance to lower-level engineers and other staff in day-to-day operations, investigations, inspections, and audits.
• Present expert testimony on complex petroleum issues concerning drilling operations.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and should be confirmed with the hiring agency.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior