Is alternative energy sources will effect petroleum jobs and if it does after how long that can be?

Question

As we know the petroleum engineering jobs in demand because of the oil prices now and the demand on oil, but what will happen in the near future like after 20 years from today, is the oil jobs will be less and petroleum engineers will loss their jobs? as we know scientist are looking for alternative energy sources like nuclear...etc and if they find alternatives after how long from today really it will start effecting the oil industry and how? and what is the alternative? I'm going to study petroleum engineering but I'm worried by the time I'm done which after 4 years from today i will not find a job :) where can a petroleum engineer beside oil companies? thank you

Answer 1

This probably isn't a good answer but...I'm going to state my opinion anyway.

If you're going into that field you will probably have to take a lot of chemistry and math classes..and have a good back ground with chemistry. So, in the long run..if you can't be a petroleum engineer, I think you'd be able to get a job in chemical engineering. Think about it, if the need isn't in petroleum, it'll be in another field of chemicals.

Answer 2

Petroleum fuels will always be more in demand than alternative energy sources, because they are less expensive, much less, and always will be, and the hunt for gas and oil will continue to be important because we will be competeing with all of the other countries to try to maintain the supply of a dwindling resource.

If I had to make the decision today about a which field of engineering to go into however, it would not be petroleum engineering, because I saw the effect that the last big cutback in the petroleum search and development fields had back in the 80's, when Houston TX almost became a ghost town, and when geological and petroleum engineers ended up being in a field flooded with talent but with few jobs to go around.

Answer 3

interest rates are low,some business majors and/or entrepreneurs,and possibly some egghead 25 year old kid maybe have figured out something thats sellable ,works ot powering a car,heating a house,producing electricity,,,the lag time might be a few or twenty years,,,,,,,joining a company after getting a degree may give you inroads to building on or improving on what you;ve already learned,and applying that towards something revolutionary.....you may be successful,maybe not,you won't know until you try it for ten or 25 or 30 years .in the short term, drilling,building nuclear power plants,wind,solar power likely would cause a more immediate  drop in fuel prices