Changing from piping stress engineer to petroleum engineer? 2

[AQUE]

Hi everyone
I am a piping stress engineer with 2 years experience in Australia. I like pipe stress analysis and technical work. I do not hate my job and I like it.
There are two questions here.
First one, is piping design work similar to offshore pipeline design? All the stuff I am working on is onshore oil distribution, steam and chemical process piping. I know offshore pipelines use API standards rather than ASME. Does that mean different (not ceasar or autopipe) software is used in that industry? Will I be able to design offshore pipelines with my piping knowledge? I heard that the technical challenges of designing deep water pipelines are as difficult as space project. Is that true?

Second one, is petroleum engineering a really technical challenging? I am quite interested in upstream oil and gas industry. I am not sure if it is really suitable for a technical engineer like me. I hate most management economic papers at university. I still think that they are stupid. I am thinking of going back to uni and do a master degree in petroleum engineering. The petroleum engineering career sounds very cool and rewarding. But this means I have to give up all what I have learnt. Is it really worth it?
Thanks for any comments!

 

[SNORGY]

I made the switch from Stress Analyst to generalist almost 18 years ago. After deciding that stress by itself felt too narrow in scope for my tastes, I started as a generalist in P&ID development, then went into classical "mechanical engineering", from there into "project engineering", and I am now back in a more discipline-based role - all of this in the upstream O&G business.

The nice part about being a generalist is that you can dabble in a bit of everything. That's also the downside, in that you never get to be especially "expert" in anything. I have been on projects where I am discussing issues with a client's heat transfer expert one minute, then with the pump expert another minute, then with their guy who sits on an ASME P&V sub-committee another minute, and then with a senior stress analyst (consultant) the next minute. In their own fields, they all could make me look somewhat dumb by comparison. The difference is, once they educate me on their microscopic issues, I can figure out how to make their whole plant work.

I suppose it comes down to what you would define as "suitable for a technical engineer". My take on the marketplace is that there appears to be greater demand for good generalists, and the work is diverse enough to never become boring due to repetitiveness. If you did decide to make the leap, then having skills in piping stress would be of just as good an advantage as anything else, perhaps more so.

Regards,

SNORGY.

 

[BigInch]

That's what I did. Started doing pipe stress for refineries and the pipes kept getting longer and longer.

US Pipeline codes are ASME B31.4 and B31.8, further design and operation legal requirements for regulated pipelines are found in CFR Title 49, mostly based on those codes, with additional requirements. API standards and recommended procedures are complimentary to those. DNV and ISO have other design codes that are used outside the US, but still to a lesser extent as the ASME codes (without the CFRs) are. Outside the US, where "no design code law holds", most major companies have their own set of specs and standards, usually based on ASME B31.3, 4 and 8, but perhaps more detailed in some areas, adapted for company preferences, and adapted for use in the host country.

If you want to get into the well drilling and production area, you'll need to go back to school, then probably start with a drilling contractor, or just try now by getting a job with a drilling contractor. Many, such as Schlumberger, often have great needs for drilling engineers during drilling booms and, if they have needs, they will train.

I wouldn't classify pipelines or platform piping quite like rocket science, no matter how much you hear that from others already doing it. Its just what they want you to think. If you want that end, start by getting a job at a pipeline company. Do what I did and parley your way in using your pipe stress experience. I think pipe stress is a very good ice breaker. After all, there's so few of us that do it right, correct? For the most part, actual stress work with those programs is limited to tight areas and turns nearing facilities or for particularly difficult installatioins at road crossings, crossing earthquake fault lines, etc., as generally for pipelines, one foot of pipe is pretty much the same as the next. For offshore work, there's other ways to skin the same cat...enary. Once you're in, you won't have any real problems getting up to speed. A good stress background would be an excellent starting point on that path.

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"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world’s energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies)

http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

 

[Hurricanes]

I also do pipe stress engineering in Australia. Recently I have been going through the AS 2885 (pipelines-gas and liquid petroleum) suite of standards (just out of personal interest more than anything else). They seem to be much more detailed than AS 4041 or B31.1 and B31.3.

I was wondering, is there a similar relationship between this standard and the American ones like there is with AS 4041 and B31.1 & B31.3? That is, are they essentially interchangeable?

 

[stanweld]

US government regulates oil and gas transport by pipeline through CFR Title 49, Parts 192 and 195. ASME B3.4 and ASME B31.8 have been written to essentially comply with the design, construction and inspection/testing requirements thereof.