Petroleum Engineering
The exploration and production of oil and gas has seen profound structural transformations due to the growing demand for these products, to the changes in consumer patterns and to the characteristics of the oil and gas fields. The new natural reservoir discoveries are increasingly complex, geologically and technologically, and are more difficult to access and appropriate. This reality has induced a growing need for innovative technological solutions and of qualified technicians.
Three out of the ten more important recent discoveries have been made in Portuguese speaking countries – Brasil, Mozambique and Angola. Portugal has a unique opportunity to lead in the advanced training in the areas related to oil. IST has competences in various areas related to the Oil and Gas industries, covering all the productive chain.
The Petroleum Engineering PhD capitalizes on the horizontal R&D structure of IST that is, directly or indirectly related to petroleum.
The PhDs in Petroleum Engineering will have advanced knowledge and skills on this area, in particular in the domains with more relevance in the current development context: Prospection and Reservoirs, Production and Production Support Systems.
Since this is a new PhD programme there is no available statistical data concerning employment of the graduates.
However, the oil market in general is now characterised by a large employment offer, in particular in the area related to oil engineering. Apart from that the oil industry, in view of the major technological challenges that are facing them in relation to the new and complex oil discoveries, has a long tradition of seeking technicians with a PhD degree.
After the exceptional discoveries made the foreseeable growth of oil and gas production is very large, in particular in Angola, Brasil e Mozambique, which will imply a considerable growth in employment offers at the level of PhD. So, it is foreseen that employment will be a strong point in the PhD programme.
Apart from the normal fluctuation in this type of market there is no foreseeable inversion of the tendency.
Access and ingress
The entry requirementscomply with the General Regulations for PhDs at IST, in particularly:
a) holders of a master degree, or equivalent, as well as holders of a licence degree corresponding to a 5 year course:
b) holders of a licence degree who possess a particularly relevant academic or scientific CV, as recognised by the Scientific Council of IST, attesting to the students capacity to follow this cycle of studies;
c) students who possess a particularly relevant academic, scientific or profssional CV, as recognised by the Scientific Council of IST, attesting to the students capacity to follow this cycle of studies;
