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Petroleum and Natural Gas EngineeringMajor

Want to be part of today's most dynamic and interesting engineering fields? Students come to WVU from all of the world to this program because of our stellar reputation.

By the numbers4

One of four accredited petroleum and natural gas engineering programs in the U.S.

Overview

What is Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering at WVU like?

Description

Located in the center of very active and important shale oil and gas activities in the Marcellus and Utica regions, our Department offers unique educational and practical opportunities.

Students come from all over the world because of our Department’s stellar reputation, and our graduates are in high demand by the biggest names in the oil and natural gas industry.

Our curriculum blends scientific and engineering fundamentals, oral and written communication, computer applications and work on topics like drilling engineering, production engineering, reservoir engineering and stimulation design.

Faculty members are active in a wide range of research specialties, including fluid flow through porous media, reservoir characterization, natural gas production and storage, formation stimulation and fracturing, drilling engineering and environmental remediation. We also are developing a broad scientific base in extraction technology.

Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering program highlights:

At a Glance

Next Steps

Interested in this major? Here are some suggested next steps:

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Fast Facts

What makes Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering at WVU unique?

Research and Academic Opportunities

  • Explore specialized areas such as drilling or reservoir engineering, management, geophysical well logging and secondary oil recovery.
  • Access a variety of development programs, including study abroad, the Honors College, paid undergraduate research opportunities, tutoring, resume workshops, job fairs, national and international paper contests, conferences and lectures.
  • Gain practical knowledge and research skills for problem solving in the oil and gas industry through PNGE's first-of-its-kind undergraduate research course. Topics focus on shale gas formations and the production of more fuel from fewer wells, automation, optimization and monitoring to make drilling and production more environmentally friendly.
  • Attend conferences and take part e in professional development and networking opportunities through PNGE's student organizations.

Early College Program

Get a head start (and save money) in our High School ACCESS program for high school students. Choose from online, on-campus or dual credit courses that fulfill requirements for general education or Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering. Online courses to consider for this major include:

  • ENGR 101: Engineering Problem-Solving 1
  • ENGR 102: Engineering Problem-Solving 2
  • ENGR 140: Engineering in History

Living-Learning Communities (LLCs)

Live, study and pursue outside-the-classroom learning in a residence hall community that shares your interests:

Transfer Articulation Agreements

To simplify the transfer process, we have formal agreements with certain institutions. These agreements outline the courses you should take to prepare for transferring to WVU. Review the full list of transfer articulation agreements to see if your institution is listed.

Student Organizations

Connect with other students who share your academic interests as a member of:

View all of the student organizations you can join.

Professional Organizations

Network with professionals in your field as a student member of:

Careers

How does this degree prepare students for a career?

Our undergraduate PNGE program is the only one of its kind in West Virginia and one of the best of its kind in the world. Through our strong industry ties, students find permanent and summer employment in the oil and gas industry. Our strategic location near the Marcellus and Utica shale regions also gives students opportunities with Chevron, Range, EQT, Dominion, Cabot Oil & Gas, the Department of Energy, the National Energy Technology Laboratory and other companies.

Most PNGE graduates enter the profession as petroleum and or natural gas engineers. Others enter graduate school in a variety of engineering disciplines, business, computer science, law school or other professional programs.

Possible Careers

Wondering what you can do with a degree from WVU's Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering major? Check out these ideas from WVU Career Services and the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). A median salary is the midpoint of what people typically earn—half of those surveyed earned above the median salary, and half earned below.

This page includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.

Employers

Graduates from this major have gone to work at:

Courses

What are the courses like in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering at WVU?

PNGE 297:
Research

Independent Research projects.

PNGE 333:
Basic Reservoir Engineering

Basic properties of petroleum reservoir rocks. Fluid flow through porous materials. Evaluation of oil and gas reserves.

PNGE 434:
Applied Reservoir Engineering

Application of reservoir engineering data to calculation of recovery potentials and prediction of reservoir performance under a variety of production methods to effect maximum conservation.

PNGE 450:
Formation Evaluation

Various well logging methods and related calculations with exercises in interpretation of data from actual well logs.

PNGE 470:
Natural Gas Engineering

Natural gas properties, compression, transmission, processing, and application of reservoir engineering principles to predict the performance and design of gas, gas-condensate, and storage reservoirs. Includes a laboratory devoted to gas measurements. (3 hr. lec, 3 hr. lab.)

PNGE 480:
Petroleum Engineering Design

Comprehensive problems in design involving systems in oil and gas production, field processing, transportation, and storage.

PNGE 493:
Special Topics

Investigation of topics not covered in regularly scheduled courses.

PNGE 497:
Research

Independent research projects.

Cost and Aid

How much does Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering at WVU cost? And how can you save?

Tuition and Fees

Estimated rates are available on our tuition website. Anyone who is not a current West Virginia resident, including international students, will be charged non-resident rates.

View Tuition and Fees

Scholarships

Estimate your eligibility for merit scholarships at WVU Morgantown.

Find Scholarships

Net Price Calculator

Estimate your cost of attendance and eligibility for financial aid and scholarships at any WVU System campus.

Visit the Net Price Calculator

Ways to Save

Here are a few ways for you to save on the cost of attending WVU in addition to university scholarships.

Early College Program

Get a head start (and save money) in our High School ACCESS program for high school students. Choose from online, on-campus or dual credit courses that fulfill requirements for general education or Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering. Online courses to consider for this major include:

  • ENGR 101: Engineering Problem-Solving 1
  • ENGR 102: Engineering Problem-Solving 2
  • ENGR 140: Engineering in History

Learn About Our HS ACCESS Early College Program

Extra Merit-based Scholarships

Incoming freshmen to the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources may qualify for Innovators scholarships based on GPA. No additional application is necessary. These scholarships are in addition to University scholarships.

See if You Qualify

Ohio Tuition Reciprocity

As the result of a special agreement, students from Ohio who are fully admitted to Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering can enroll at WVU and pay in-state tuition rates. Students must be admitted to both the University and this major.

Learn More

Transfer Articulation Agreements

To simplify the transfer process, we have formal agreements with certain institutions. These agreements outline the courses you should take to prepare for transferring to WVU.

Review the full list of transfer articulation agreements to see if your institution is listed.

Learn How to Transfer Course Credits

Requirements

What are the requirements to apply for Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering at WVU?

To be admitted to WVU's Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering major, first-time freshmen must meet WVU's first-time freshman admission requirements for the 2024-25 academic year. They also must meet one of the following admission requirements. Interested in transferring? Review the transfer admission requirements.

Engineering Requirements:

  • ACT Math: 19
  • SAT Math: 510

Engineering Requirements for Test Optional Students:

  • GPA: 3.00

Requirements for Engineering Technology:

To be admitted to WVU's Engineering Technology major, first-time freshmen must meet WVU's first-time freshman admission requirements for the 2024-25 academic year.

If you don't meet the admission requirements for WVU's Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering major, check out some related programs.

Related Majors and Minors

What other options does WVU have?

What minors could I consider?

Related Pathways

What majors share similar career interests with this major at WVU?

Next Steps

I like this major. What are the next steps?

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Request Information

Want to know more about Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering at WVU? Fill out the Request Information form to receive more information about the program and life at WVU.

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