Petroleum Engineering

Degrees Offered

• Master of Engineering in Petroleum Engineering
• Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering
• Doctor of Philosophy in Petroleum Engineering

Program Description

The department offers a choice of a master of science (MS) degree or a master of engineering (ME) degree. For the MS degree, a thesis is required in addition to course work. For the ME degree, no thesis is required, but the coursework requirement is greater than that for the MS degree. The Petroleum Engineering Department also offers Petroleum Engineering (PE) undergraduate students the option of a Combined Undergraduate/Graduate Program. This is an accelerated program that provides the opportunity for PE students to get a head start on their graduate education.

Applications from students with an MS in Petroleum Engineering, or in another complimentary discipline, will be considered for admission to the doctor of philosophy (PhD) program. To obtain the PhD degree, a student must demonstrate unusual competence, creativity, and dedication in the degree field. In addition to extensive course work, a dissertation is required for the PhD degree. 

Applying for Admission

All graduate applicants must have taken core engineering, math and science courses before applying to graduate school. For Colorado School of Mines this would be 3 units of Calculus, 2 units of Chemistry with Quantitative Lab, 2 units of Physics, Differential Equations, Statics, Fluid Mechanics, Thermodynamics and Mechanics of Materials. To apply for admission, follow the procedure outlined in the general section of this catalog. Three letters of recommendation must accompany the application. The Petroleum Engineering Department requires the general test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) for applicants to all degree levels.

Applicants for the Master of Science and Master of Engineering programs should have a minimum score of 155 or better, and applicants for the PhD program are expected to have 159 or better on the quantitative section of the GRE exam, in addition to acceptable scores in the verbal and analytical sections. The GPA of the applicant must be 3.0 or higher. The graduate application review committee determines minimum requirements accordingly, and these requirements may change depending on the application pool for the particular semester. The applicants whose native language is not English are also expected to provide satisfactory scores on the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam as specified in the general section of this catalog.

Required Curriculum

A student in the graduate program selects course work by consultation with the faculty advisor and with the approval of the graduate committee. Course work is tailored to the needs and interests of the student. Students who do not have a BS degree in petroleum engineering must take deficiency courses as required by the department as soon as possible in their graduate programs. Depending on the applicant’s undergraduate degree, various basic undergraduate petroleum engineering and geology courses will be required. These deficiency courses are not counted toward the graduate degree; nonetheless, the student is expected to pass the required courses and the grades received in these courses are included in the GPA. Not passing these courses can jeopardize the student’s continuance in the graduate program. It is desirable for students with deficiencies to complete the deficiencies or coursework within the first two semesters of arrival to the program or as soon as possible with the approval of their advisor.

All PE graduate students are required to complete 3 credit hours of course work in writing, research, or presentation intensive classes, such as SYGN683, SYGN684, PEGN681 LICM501, SYGN501, and SYGN600, as agreed to by their graduate advisor.

Fields of Research

Current fields of research include:

• Petroleum data analytics
• Artificial Intelligence applications to porous media
• Rock and fluid properties, phase behavior, and rock mechanics
• Geomechanics
• Formation evaluation, well test analysis, and reservoir characterization
• Oil recovery processes
• IOR/EOR Methods
• Naturally fractured reservoirs 
• Analytical and numerical modeling of fluid flow in porous media
• Pore-scale modeling and flow in nanopores
• Development of unconventional oil and gas plays
• Geothermal energy
• Gas hydrates
• Completion and stimulation of wells
• Horizontal and multilateral wells
• Multistage fracturing of horizontal wells 
• Drilling management and rig automation
• Fluid flow in wellbores and artificial lift
• Drilling mechanics
• Carbon sequestration and storage
• Environment, health, and safety in oil and gas industry

Research projects may involve professors and graduate students from other disciplines. Projects may include off-campus laboratories, institutes, and other resources.

The Petroleum Engineering Department houses a research institute, a research center, and two consortia.

Research Institute

• Unconventional Natural Gas and Oil Institute (UNGI)

Research Center

• Marathon Center of Excellence for Reservoir Studies (MCERS)

Research Consortia

• Fracturing, Acidizing, Stimulation Technology (FAST) Consortium
• Unconventional Reservoir Engineering Project (UREP) Consortium

Special Features

In the exchange programs with the Petroleum Engineering Departments of the Mining University of Leoben, Austria, Technical University in Delft, Holland, and King Fahd University of Petroleum Minerals (KFUPM) in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, a student may spend one semester abroad during graduate studies and receive full transfer of credit back to Colorado School of Mines with prior approval of the Petroleum Engineering Department at Colorado School of Mines.

Marquez Hall is home to the Petroleum Engineering Department. A prominent campus landmark, Marquez Hall showcases Mines’ long-standing strengths in its core focus areas and our commitment to staying at the forefront of innovation.  The building is designed using aggressive energy-saving strategies and is LEED certified. Marquez Hall is the first building on Colorado School of Mines Campus that is funded entirely by donations.

The Petroleum Engineering Department enjoys strong collaboration with the Geology and Geological Engineering Department and Geophysics Department at Colorado School of Mines. Courses that integrate the faculty and interests of the three departments are taught at the graduate levels.

The department is close to oil and gas field operations, oil companies and laboratories, and geologic outcrops of producing formations. There are many opportunities for summer and part-time employment in the oil and gas industry.

Each summer, several graduate students assist with the field sessions designed for undergraduate students. The field sessions in the past several years have included visits to oil and gas operations in Alaska, Canada, Southern California, the Gulf Coast, the northeast U.S., the Rocky Mountain regions, and western Colorado.

The Petroleum Engineering Department encourages student involvement with the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the American Association of Drilling Engineers and the American Rock Mechanics Association. The department provides some financial support for students attending the annual technical conferences for these professional societies.

Professors

Hossein Kazemi, Chesebro' Distinguished Chair

Jennifer L. Miskimins, Department Head, F.H. "Mick" Merelli/Cimarex Energy Distinguished Department Head

Erdal Ozkan

Yu-Shu Wu

Associate Professors

Pejman Tahmasebi

Luis E. Zerpa, Associate Department Head, Harry D. Campbell Chair in Petroleum Engineering

Assistant Professors

Parisa Bazazi

Yilan Fan

Serveh Kamrava

Teaching Professor

Linda A. Battalora

Teaching Associate Professors

Mansur Ermila

Mark G. Miller

Research Associate Professors

Omid Moradian

Philip H. Winterfeld

Professor Emeritus

Ramona M. Graves, Professor and Dean Emeritus

Bill Scoggins, President Emeritus

Craig W. Van Kirk, Professor Emeritus

Associate Professor Emeritus

Alfred W. Eustes III, Associate Professor Emeritus

Richard Christiansen, Associate Professor Emeritus

Program Requirements

Master of Engineering

Candidates for the non-thesis Master of Engineering degree must complete a minimum of 30 hours of graduate course credit. At least 15 of the credits must be from the Petroleum Engineering Department. Up to 12 graduate credits can be transferred from another institution. All courses must be approved by the student's advisor and the department head. No graduate committee is required. No more than 6 credits can be earned through independent study.

Master of Science

Candidates for the Master of Science degree must complete at least 24 graduate credits of course work, approved by the candidate’s graduate committee, and a minimum of 6 hours of research credit. At least 12 of the course credits must be from the Petroleum Engineering Department. Up to 9 credits may be transferred from another institution. For the MS degree, the student must demonstrate ability to observe, analyze, and report original scientific research. For other requirements, refer to the general instructions of the Graduate School in this bulletin. 

Doctor of Philosophy

A candidate for the PhD must complete at least 48 hours of course credit and a minimum of 30 credits of research beyond the bachelor’s degree. A student with a master's degree is allowed to transfer up to 24 hours of course credit from the Master's degree into the PhD program upon approval of the department and the student’s thesis committee. Students may additionally transfer up to 21 graduate credits of course work from another institution with the approval of the graduate advisor, under the condition that these hours were not previously used for a degree or a certificate. PhD students must complete at least half of their minimally required course credits from the Petroleum Engineering Department and a minimum of 6 credits  of their required course credit outside the Petroleum Engineering Department. The student’s faculty advisor, thesis committee, and the department head must approve the course selection. Full-time PhD students must satisfy the following requirements for admission to candidacy within the first two calendar years after enrolling in the program:

1. Have a thesis committee appointment form on file,
2. Complete all prerequisite courses successfully,
3. Demonstrate adequate preparation for and satisfactory ability to conduct doctoral research by successfully completing a series of written and/or oral examinations and fulfilling the other requirements of their graduate committees as outlined in the department's graduate handbook.

Failure to fulfill these requirements within the time limits specified above may result in immediate mandatory dismissal from the PhD program according to the procedure outlined in the section of this Bulletin titled General Regulations—Unsatisfactory Academic Performance—Unsatisfactory Academic Progress Resulting in Probation or Discretionary Dismissal. For other requirements, refer to the general directions of the Graduate School in this bulletin and/or the department's Graduate Student Handbook.

Combined Undergraduate/Graduate Degree Program

Students enrolled in Mines’ combined undergraduate/graduate program may double count up to 6 credits of graduate coursework to fulfill requirements of both their undergraduate and graduate degree programs. These courses must have been passed with B- or better, not be substitutes for required coursework, and meet all other university, department, and program requirements for graduate credit.

Students are advised to consult with their undergraduate and graduate advisors for appropriate courses to double count upon admission to the combined program.

Courses