Competency Matrix for General Petroleum

Engineering
SPE Task Force on Minimal Competency

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE/SKILL

MINIMUM MINIMUM ABOVE

COMPETENCE COMPETENCE MINIMUM
Task BREADTH DEPTH COMPETENCE

Understand
general Understand Understand
terminology terminology terminology in
Understand and use
of all sub- specific to the areas of
petroleum engineering
disciplines. sub-discipline. expertise.
terminology.
Help create
Identify what design
design Understand and standards as
Identify and use standards use conventional well as apply
exist in all design standards standards to
relevant industry and
sub- specific to the nonconventional
company design
disciplines. subdiscipline. applications.
standards.
Identify what
regulatory
bodies have
jurisdiction
and where to
find
documentatio
n of the Complete
applicable necessary
regulations. regulatory
Understand compliance
the essential permitting and Work with
rules relevant reporting specific regulators on
to the work to the sub- rule changes
Maintain regulatory
project. discipline. and exceptions.
compliance.

Identify and use Identify what Understand and Help create

technical software and technical use conventional technical
informational software and technical software and
databases. informational software and informational
databases informational databases as
exist in all databases well as apply
sub- specific to the technical
disciplines. subdiscipline. software and
informational
databases to
nonconventional
applications.

Understand
the elements
of project
management Apply project
(costing, Apply project management
scheduling, management skills in larger
contracting, skills to projects projects and
logistics, within sub- across
Use project
etc.). discipline. subdisciplines.
management skills.
Understand
geoscience
principles
(e.g., fracture
gradients,
well bore Understand and Apply
stability, pore apply geoscience geoscience
pressure principles within principles across
Understand and apply
prediction). sub-discipline. sub-disciplines.
geoscience principles.
Conduct risk Conduct risk
Understand assessments assessments
decision and within across
risk analysis subdiscipline subdisciplines
concepts and and prepare for a project and
the value of contingency prepare
Perform decision and
contingency plans to manage contingency
risk analysis and
planning. risks. plans.
contingency planning.
Understand Perform Perform
basic conventional operations
monitoring operations monitoring in
and monitoring and areas of
Monitor operations and optimization engineering expertise or
optimize performance. techniques. design specific to across
 Carry out a sub-discipline subdisciplines
directed well and make and make
optimization optimization recommendation
plans or recommendation s to optimize
programs. s. system
performance.

Understand Perform
basic economic
economic Perform evaluations
principles (PV economic across sub-
analysis, evaluations of disciplines or in
lease vs. projects within specialty areas
purchase, the sub- within a sub-
Evaluate economics of
etc.). discipline. discipline.
project.
Understand Lead a multi-
the purposes disciplinary/
and value of cultural team
a multi- Perform all the and be able to
disciplinary/ conventional perform the
cultural duties of the sub- duties of two or
Participate in a
approach to a discipline team more sub-
multidisciplinary/cultur
project. member. disciplines.
al team.
Demonstrate
the ethical Demonstrate
code of ethical behavior
and provide
behavior for
leadership in
the general Demonstrate
ethical behavior
practice of ethical behavior
Perform duties in across
engineering. in subdiscipline.
ethical manner. disciplines.

Maintain
membership Encourage
in technical Participate othersin industry
and actively in to join and
professional technical and actively
societies and professional participate in
pursue societies and technical and
professional obtain professional
license professional societies and to
and/or license and/or become licensed
Promote engineering
certification. certification. or certified.
professionalism.
 Competency Matrix for Drilling
Engineering
SPE Task Force on Minimal Competency

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE/SKILL
MINIMUM MINIMUM ABOVE
COMPETENCE COMPETENCE MINIMUM
Task BREADTH DEPTH COMPETENCE

Design and/or
implement
procedure to
successfully
circulate out an
influx.
Determine fluid
type of influx
with data
Calculate mud collected after
weight influx.
necessary to Understand Design and/or
maintain well relationship implement
control and between procedure to
volume of mud geologic depth successfully
required to fill reference and control an
Maintain well
the hole while drilling depth underground
control.
tripping out. reference. blowout.

Develop a
casing
program based
a provided Determine the
pore surface casing
pressure/frac setting depth Optimize the
gradient plot. required to number and
Understand protect fresh depths of
relationship water sands. protective
Develop between Prepare pore casings.
casing desired pressure and Optimize the
production flow frac pressure size of the
program
rates and versus depth casing strings
(sizes, setting
tubing/casing plots. and liners.
depths).
configuration.
 Understand
basic design
principles
(burst,
collapse, Design Select optimal
tension in the surface, casing/
pressure/ intermediate connections
temperature and production for hostile
environment casing/liner to environments
that the casing maintain well (HPHT, H2S,
Design casing. will encounter). integrity. salt, etc.).

Understand the
process
required to
comply with
regulatory
requirements.
(for example,
Understand
design an
requirement to
abandonment
protect fresh
procedure to
water with isolate zones
surface casing per regulation Calculate
setting or that may emissions
depth/cement cross flow, from rig
and know what operations (air
requirements regulatory pollutants
on directional applications to from engine
programs to prepare, and exhaust rates,
Maintain
stay within how to verify % oil on
regulatory
lease/block compliance). cuttings, etc.).
compliance.
boundaries.

Design mud
program to Optimize the
maintain well cost of the
control
mud systems
Calculate the considering by altering the
minimum mud casing inhibitive
weight programs and nature of the
required to formation mud systems.
balance integrity. Select Establish the
formation acceptable critical
pressure for mud types. minimum
Select the
each hole Specify mud inhibition
mud
interval. properties requirements.
program.
(e.g., density
 and fluid loss
requirements).

Optimize the
directional
program and
casing design
to avoid key
seating.
Evaluate
casing wear
and develop
Select designs to
Understand appropriate mitigate the
Design a the kickoff points, problem.
directional relationship build rates, Develop a
well path between required hole horizontal or
(including difficulty and angles and multilateral
horizontal/ lateral bottom hole drilling
multilaterals). displacement. assemblies. program.

Recommend Determine
wellhead/BOP BOP stack
ratings to arrangements,
maintain well establish test
integrity. requirements.
Understand Calculate ton
performance miles to slip Design
and cut drill equipment
properties of
drill string and line. Calculate components
BHA slip crushing for a fit-for-
Specify
components. forces on a purpose rig to
equipment.
landing string. optimize cost.

Understand Design well

interaction testing
Develop Understand between mud operations
procedure to hole composition, procedure for
implement considerations hole integrity hostile
formation for successful and types of environment
open hole logs that can (e.g., HPHT,
evaluation
logging. be run mobile marine
program.
successfully drilling unit).

Develop
Understand Calculate Integrate
hydraulics
basic pressure drop hydraulics
program.
principles of through the program with
 fluid system and geological
mechanics and optimize bit setting and
non-Newtonian hydraulics. mud program.
fluids. Understand
principals of
equivalent
circulating
density.

Size standard
solids control
equipment
(shaker,
desander, and
Understand desilter) for Design closed
Develop solids operations of mud and loop system
control basic solids hydraulics with zero
program. control programs. discharge.

Design cement
slurries and
procedures
Understand with sufficient
regulatory pump time and
requirements other
(fresh water characteristics
protection, to successfully Design
zone isolation, complete a job. cement jobs
etc.). Understand for special
Understand application of situations
application of specialty (shallow water
Design
basic cement cement flow,
cementing
additives. additives. underground
program.
blowout, etc).
 Competency Matrix for Formation Evaluation
SPE Task Force on Minimal Competency

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE/SKILL

MINIMUM
COMPETEN
CE MINIMUM ABOVE MINIMUM
Task BREADTH COMPETENCE DEPTH COMPETENCE

Determine
formation
properties
(porosity,
saturation,
net pay) Determine Determine properties Be able to depth-shift
from well properties from log readings in and normalize in
from log both clean and shaly complex lithology,
log
readings in sands. State most multiwell field. Be
interpretat
clean common water competent in log
ion.
sands. saturation models. evaluation software.

Determine
lithology
from
Determine combination Determine lithology
of porosity from combination of Be able to depth-shift
lithology
log reading porosity log readings in and normalize then
from well
in clean sands with mixed determine lithology in
logs.
sands. lithology. complex, multiwell field.

State what State what can be

can be learned about a well and
learned reservoir from
about a well conventional and the
and Given a set of property state-of-the-art well
Specify reservoir values needed from a testing procedures, and
from given reservoir, specify specify the optimal tests
objectives
conventiona the tests available to available to determine a
of well test
l well testing measure those desired set of
program.
procedures. properties. properties.

Determine Determine duration of Determine duration of

Design well duration of well test required to well tests, flow rate(s),
testing well test measure specific near- general and specialized
program required to well and reservoir testing equipment to
to meet measure properties in measure most possible
guidelines. specific homogeneous, responses in situations
near-well isotropic reservoirs. with poorly defined well
and and reservoir
reservoir characteristics.
properties in
homogeneo
us, isotropic
reservoirs.

Determine
duration of
well test
required to
measure Determine duration of
specific well tests, flow rate(s),
near-well Determine duration of general and specialized
and well test required to testing equipment to
Design well reservoir measure specific near- measure most possible
testing properties in well and reservoir responses in situations
program homogeneo properties in with poorly defined well
to meet us, isotropic homogeneous, and reservoir
guidelines. reservoirs. isotropic reservoirs. characteristics.

Determine
formation
properties
for single-
phase flow
of oil or Determine formation
water in properties for multi-
Determine buildup or phase flow of gas, oil,
formation constant and/or water in buildup
properties rate flow Determine formation or multirate flow tests.
(drainage tests. properties for single- Reservoir boundaries
area Boundaries phase flow of oil, gas, can be closed, partially
pressure, limited to or water in buildup or sealing, or constant
permeabili single no- multirate flow tests. pressure. Formation can
ty, skin, flow Boundaries include have complex
distance to boundaries. single, multiple, or heterogeneities, be
boundaries Formation complete closure. anisotropic, and have
) from well homogeneo Formation can be fluid contacts within the
test us and heterogeneous and area of influence of the
analysis. isotropic. anisotropic. test.

Specify Specify Given a set of property State what can be

objectives objectives of values needed from a learned about a well and
of wireline wireline given reservoir, specify reservoir from
testing testing the conventional tools conventional and state-
program. program. available to measure of-the-art tools and
these properties. procedures, and specify
the optimal tools and
procedures available to
determine a desired set
of properties.

Determine
gradients
and thus
Determine densities
fluid and contact
densities, location
fluid from Determine gradients and
contacts, pressure in Determine gradients thus densities and
and wireline and thus densities and contact location from
productivit formation contact location from pressure in wireline
y from testers. pressure in wireline formation testing.
wireline Estimate formation testing. Estimate productivity
productivity Estimate productivity and desired well type
formation
directly from using results of from analysis of
test
test data. analysis of transient transient data in multi-
analysis.
test data. probe wireline tester.

State the Design bottomhole and

Design procedures surface sampling
bottomhole commonly procedures to sample
and used to black oil, volatile oil, dry
surface sample gas, wet gas, and gas
sampling black oil, condensate wells.
procedures volatile oil, Specify bottomhole Based on data obtained
to obtain dry gas, wet and surface sampling in the field and in the
representa gas, and procedures to sample laboratory, state
tive gas black oil, volatile oil, whether a sample is
reservoir condensate dry gas, wet gas, and truly representative or
fluids. wells. gas condensate wells. not.

Determine State the State the properties Given the objectives of a

objectives properties obtained in routine and reservoir study, state
of coring obtained in special laboratory detailed procedures to
programs routine and procedures, be used in coring,
and special conventional amount of coring to be
laboratory laboratory procedures done, the specific tests
laboratory
procedures, used in these tests, to be run on the cores in
requireme
conventiona and their limitations. the laboratory to ensure
nts.
l laboratory State the applications that the reservoir study
 procedures of this information to meets its objectives.
used in construct geological State how laboratory
these tests, and engineering measurements should
and their models of a reservoir. be transformed to data
limitations. in the form needed for
the reservoir study.

Competency Matrix for Production Engineering

SPE Task Force on Minimal Competency

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE/SKILL

MINIMUM MINIMUM
COMPETENC COMPETENCE ABOVE MINIMUM
Task E BREADTH DEPTH COMPETENCE

Awareness
that tubing
shortens or
lengthens Can calculate
because of the specific
changes in length changes
pressures or packer
and forces due to
Tubing Design for temperature the piston Design same for high
Dynamic s during the effect, temperature/ pressure
stimulation ballooning, corrosive environment,
Producing/
process and temperature, e.g. H2S, CO2, impact
Stimulation
production helical on design.
Conditions
life buckling.

Calculate Possess
proper kill specific
fluid density, knowledge of
demonstrate sequential
general steps, e.g.
awareness safely kill well
of need to and R/U for Design same for
conduct initial difficult well conditions,
operations operations; e.g. major fishing job,
safely, throughout all casing collapse,
following operations underground blowout,
P&A Procedure
company maintain swabbing operations.
 and prudent well
regulatory control; ability
guidelines to properly
and honor sequence
geometry of operations with
wellbore in several stages
recommend of operations
ed steps. including
equipment
retrieval and
zone isolation.

Calculate
required flow
rate accounting
for pressure
losses and
velocity
constraints.
Vary
perforating
Aware of density to
basic direct fracture
fracture- volume for a
gradient given rate and
models and fixed surface
key pressure to
parameters. different zones
Calculate along with size
basic and strength
system considerations
pressure in proppant
drop due to selection. Also
friction given able to
all incorporate Accommodate fluid
parameters desired P/I additives/rheology for
and bottom increases in high temperature, high
Fracture/Acidizing
hole treating job design and pressure formations.
Treatments
pressures. economics.

Awareness Possesses
of use of specific
cement knowledge of
Workover bond log to sequential Design squeeze job for
Procedure Involving define steps, e.g. gas channeling or
problem pumping horizontal laterals,
Squeeze Cementing
area, schedule for a micro-annulus
and Recompletion
GR/cased walking remediation.
 hole log to squeeze or a
correlate balanced plug.
zones, able Ability to
to calculate calculate
hydrostatic appropriate
pressure shot
involving density/perfora
two or more tion size for
fluids of desired
different production
density, conditions.
simple
cement yield
volume,
tubing
capacities,
general
awareness
of need to
conduct
operations
safely
following
company
and
regulatory
guidelines
and honor
geometry of
wellbore in
recommend
ed steps.

Awareness
that the
optimum
producing Able to design Able to design the
configuratio the appropriate appropriate wellbore
n is a wellbore configuration for
function of configuration surface conditions such
initial given initial as subsea or deep
reservoir and projected water operations or
inflow reservoir inflow high pressure, high
performance performance, temperature
, wellbore surface completions with
pressure conditions an substantial non-
drops, produced fluid hydrocarbon
Nodal Analysis
surface constituents. components.
 conditions
and the
wellbore
configuratio
n will need
to
accommoda
te changes
in reservoir
performance
and
changes in
produced
fluid
constituents
over the full
life cycle of
production.

Awareness
of the
impact of
pressure
and
temperature
changes on
the
produced Ability to
fluid design surface
constituents equipment to
and basic segregate
equipment produced
to separate fluids, treat the Ability to design
and provide fluids to surface equipment to
saleable saleable segregate produced
quality quality and/or fluids, treat the fluids to
hydrocarbon deliver those saleable quality and/or
Surface Equipment
s. sales. deliver those sales.

Awareness Able to select

of the and design the
various appropriate
options to artificial lift Design the appropriate
assist in system for the artificial lift system for
lifting typical range of horizontal completions
produced pressure and or harsh conditions
fluids; the fluid volumes such as arctic; offshore
Artificial Lift
basic for or subsea operations.
 ranges of conventional
pressure operations
and fluid including the
volumes for use of various
each lift downhole
option; and pumps with
the associated
hydraulic surface
and equipment.
mechanical Incorporate P/I
forces performance in
associated design and
with each economic
option. evaluation of
completion/lift
options.

Awareness
of the basic
suit of cased
hole logs to
assure Able to
mechanical interpret and
integrity, incorporate
measure data from Able to interpret and
downhole production incorporate data from
conditions, logging production logging
assess operations into operations into the
hydrocarbon the design and design and
potential implementation implementation of
and support of completion, completion,
downhole remediation remediation and P&A
operations and P&A operations for
including operations for horizontal, high
completion, conventional pressure, high
remediation oil and gas temperature or harsh
Production Logging
and P&A. completions. well control situations.

Awareness
of the basics Able to provide
of field specific
production performance Develop near- and
surveillance. improvement long-term performance
Able to recommendatio targets for large field
access ns. Establish assets. Actively follow
essential plans and well performance and
Production
data and procedures to provide solutions to
Surveillance
provide effect same. shortcomings.
 ideas for
improvemen
ts.

Competency Matrix for Reservoir Engineering

SPE Task Force on Minimal Competency

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE/SKILL

MINIMUM
COMPETENCE MINIMUM ABOVE MINIMUM
Task BREADTH COMPETENCE DEPTH COMPETENCE

Understand and
apply special core
analyses including
Understand capillary pressure/
the saturation-height
conventional relationships,
lab techniques correlation with
for well logs,
determining Ø, estimation of free
permeability Use routine core water
Understand and fluid analysis data to level/transition
and apply basic saturations group/correlate core zone, pore size
and know how data and determine distribution and
and special
to interpret the permeability variation relative
core analysis.
data. and heterogeneity. permeability.

Using core and

RFT data,
integrate reservoir
performance and
well tests with
geoscience data
to determine
Understand reservoir layering
how routine and continuity.
Perform core analysis Reconcile
is used to Understand how measured data
reservoir
identify net routine core analysis with known
characterizatio
pay and fluid is used to identify net depositional
n
contacts. pay and fluid contacts. environment.
 Apply well log results
(resistivity, FDC/CNL, Performquantitativ
gamma ray and sonic e interpretation
logs in open hole and analysis in
completions; and CBL, open hole and
TDT, diplog, carbon cased hole
Understand oxygen and production environments.
the logs in cased holes) to Determine
importance of correlate porous and individual layer
various well non-porous lithologic pressures and
logs to well members from logs contribution to the
Conduct log
correlation of and cores. Interpret a total flow from
analysis and
petrophysical production logging each separate
interpretation.
data. survey. layer.

Understand
the
significance of
oil, gas and Assess validity of PVT
water PVT data, and adjust Calculate PVT
data and results to correct data from oil and
measurement, errors. Estimate PVT gas compositional
and data from oil and gas analysis using
Perform PVT
application properties and correlations or
analysis.
techniques. correlations. non-EOS model.

Understand
the principles
of phase
behavior to
distinguish the
general
properties and
behavior of
black oil,
Understand volatile oil, gas
condensate Understand the
and determine
and dry gas principles of Equation Determine/analyze
oil and gas
reservoir of State and its use in compositional
phase behavior.
fluids. fluid characterization. effects.

Determine Calculate Bo Estimate reservoir

above bubble Estimate reservoir pressure from
initial reservoir
point using oil pressure from interpretation of
conditions and
compressibility interpretation of pressure transient
fluid contacts.
. RFT/MDT survey. tests.
 Assess the Determine the
productivity effects of productivity effects
Analyze relative permeability, of relative
single/multi- Calculate Bo imbibition, permeability,
above bubble heterogeneity and imbibition,
phase flow
point using oil gravity/capillary/viscou heterogeneity and
under reservoir
compressibility s forces, fluid flow gravity/capillary/
conditions.
. calculations. viscous forces.

Incorporate J-
Calculate curve Sw vs.
original oil or height into oil and
gas in gas in place
placefrom rock calculations.
and fluid Manipulate
properties and various forms of
geologic material balance
isopach maps. equations and
Understand determine most
material Apply material balance appropriate form
balance techniques, including for use for any
principles for gas cap and water type of situation to
Determine
determining influx, for determining calculate original
initial oil or gas
initial oil or initial oil and gas in oil and gas in
in place.
gas in plac place. place.

Apply conventional Be familiar with

well test data testing and data
Understand (including pressure from stimulated
Use the principles build-up, draw down, wells (hydraulically
conventional of well test fall-off/injection) to fractured, acid)
well test design and determine well and the use of
analysis to analysis to performance and tracer tests to
understand evaluate well reservoir analyze fluid flow
performance characteristics. paths. Calculate
and perform
and reservoir Calculate cold water skin
reservoir
characteristics vertical/horizontal well effect for injection
analysis.
. productivity indices. wells.

Understand Understand and

the differences be able to apply
between statistical methods
different Understand the or reserve
Apply relevant reserve differences between estimation using
oil and gas categories, different reserve probability using
including categories, including appropriate
reserves
proved, proved, probable and ranges of
definitions.
probable and possible categories. uncertainty and
 possible probability
categories. estimates.

Assess appropriate Develop

Understand recovery factor ranges techniques to
appropriate and calculate improve recovery
ranges of recoveries for field or factor for a wide
recovery reservoir applying range of rock and
Perform oil factors for conventional fluid properties for
given rock and (deterministic & various recovery
and gas
fluid properties performance) methods methods using a
recovery
and drive and drive variety of
estimates.
mechanisms. mechanisms. techniques.

Apply principles of
drive mechanisms,
material balance,
pressure
maintenance, recovery
estimating, decline
analysis and Apply coning and
volumetrics to multi-phase flow
Understand determine oil reservoir analysis to oil
Understand various performance. recovery
fluid flow methods of Determine where to calculations and
characteristics assessing perforate production optimal field
of oil reservoirs reservoir and injection wells development.
performance taking into account Recommend when
and determine
from degree of pressure to cease
reservoir
production communication and production and
performance.
data. impermeable barriers. recomplete a well.

Apply coning
Understand Understand aspects of gas,
fluid flow various Use drive mechanism, back pressure and
characteristics methods of material balance (gas isochronal testing
of gas assessing and condensate) for and tubing
reservoirs and reservoir recovery estimation, hydraulics and
performance decline analysis and deliverability;
determine
from volumetrics to application of
reservoir
production determine gas optimal field
performance.
data. reservoir performance. development.

Know the Understand the Apply concepts of

Analyze main principles of process design
reservoir/fluid enhanced reservoir/fluid behavior (e.g. profile
recovery under recovery and recovery control, pressures,
secondary or mechanisms processes under temperatures, fluid
improved and have an miscible, chemical composition,
recovery appreciation of flooding, steam based injectivity etc.) to
mechanisms. their thermal and compute
application combustion incremental
processes. recovery
performance.

Understand Know the Calculate reserves

and apply main recovery and well/reservoir Understand
recovery processes performance for tight, analysis of gas
processes to from non fractured; understand recovery and
recovery from conventional the principles of water removal for
gas reservoirs, production coal-bed methane
non-
including performance of coal- gas production.
conventional
shales and bed methane gas Assess recovery
gas reservoirs.
coal beds. reservoirs. from CBM wells.

Be familiar with
specialized
simulation
techniques (such
as matrix solution
methods,
numerical
analysis,
vectorization, finite
element/difference
analysis and
parallel
processing).
Determine areas
of the reservoir
that are unswept
or inefficiently
drained and
identify new well
locations with
geological input.
Understand Use basic reservoir Know and be able
and apply engineering principles, to use company or
reservoir including flow through commercial
simulation to porous media, relative simulation
Evaluate analyze permeability, nodal software to
reservoir reservoir analysis and multi- characterize the
performance phase flow to evaluate reservoir, history
performance
and optimize single well match, and predict
using reservoir
reservoir applications and black future
simulation
development. oil or gas reservoirs. performance.
 Understand
the concepts Can quantify
of decision reservoir
and risk engineering
Understand analysis and uncertainties in
and apply have an the context of
decision & risk appreciation of Can determine the key other uncertainties
analysis to the key factors reservoir engineering using appropriate
estimate that control and geoscience ranges of
recovery factor uncertainty in factors that influence uncertainty and
recovery recovery factor, appropriate
and reservoir
factor and number of wells decision and risk
performance
reservoir required and analysis
prediction.
performance. production profile. techniques.

Able to provide Develop near- and

specific performance long-term
improvement production and
Awareness of recommendations reserve targets for
reservoir through reservoirs.
surveillance. recompletions, new Actively follow
Able to access drilling, injection reservoir
essential data pattern changes, etc. performance and
and provide Establish plans and provide solutions
Reservoir
ideas for procedures to effect to shortcomings
Surveillance
improvements. same. from targets.