Petroleum Engineer onboarding at a glance

Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.

Before day one

Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
Verify required credentials: PE license, SPE membership (as applicable)
Prepare equipment and access: petrel; eclipse or CMG; python; excel
Assign a buddy or preceptor
Enroll the new hire in Petroleum Engineer training so foundations are covered before or during week one

Week one: orient and protect

Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
Follow well control procedures
Follow rig safety
Prevent spills
Manage H2S hazards
Shadow an experienced petroleum engineer through a full shift
Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)

Days 1–30: learn

Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.

Supervised practice: analyze a well decline curve
Supervised practice: review a daily drilling report
Supervised practice: run well economics
Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins

Days 31–60: contribute

Goal: handle a regular workload independently.

Plan wells: independently
Design drilling programs: independently
Design completions: independently
Model reservoirs: independently
Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
60-day check-in

Days 61–90: own

Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.

Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
Begin cross-training on a secondary task
Agree on a credential goal (for example, PE license)
Discuss the career path: Field Engineer → Petroleum Engineer → Senior Engineer
90-day review

Competency checklist

Skill or task	Trained	Observed	Signed off
Analyze a Well Decline Curve
Review a Daily Drilling Report
Run Well Economics
Reservoir engineering
Drilling engineering
Completions
Production engineering

How to measure onboarding success

Weeks to first qualification sign-off
Procedure compliance and safety observations
Recordable incidents and near-misses
First-year retention

How Petroleum Engineer training maps to this plan

Introduction to the Petroleum Engineer Role
A Day on the Job
Essential Petroleum Engineer Vocabulary
Core Duties and Responsibilities
Common Tasks, Step by Step
Tools, Equipment and Technology
Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
Skills Employers Look For
Launching Your Petroleum Engineer Career
Final Knowledge Check

Get team pricing

Petroleum Engineer Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)