Senior Drilling Engineer

Our client is an engineering and project management business providing drilling, completion, geological, regulatory, and procurement services. Their work spans industrial waste injection and storage wells, carbon capture/sequestration (including government-funded projects), petroleum, and underground natural gas/NGL storage wells.

While projects are primarily in the continental U.S., the company’s European ownership with global operations offers potential for international assignments.

Role Summary

The Senior Drilling and Completion Engineer will split time between office engineering and supervising field operations. In the office, responsibilities include preparing scopes of work, contacting vendors, preparing budgets, procurement support, and producing client/regulatory reports. In the field, the role covers supervision of testing, workovers, drilling, completions, and interventions.

Candidates must become well-versed in federal and state regulations governing waste injection wells, CO₂ sequestration wells, and underground storage wells. Typical project scope includes:

• Well design and optimization (trajectories, completions, equipment, stimulation)
• Well testing, casing programs, mud systems, and BHA configurations
• Drilling programs and budgets, risk assessments, and technology selection
• Annual mechanical integrity testing and regulatory compliance
• New drills, sidetracks, recompletions, stimulation/cleaning, and interventions

This position requires up to 60% travel, often for extended periods.

Key Responsibilities

• Supervise field operations and manage contractors, equipment, and materials onsite safely
• Provide real-time engineering support during drilling and completion activities
• Monitor KPIs (ROP, NPT, etc.) and drive performance improvements
• Communicate effectively with customers during operations
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations while upholding HSE standards
• Prepare detailed cost estimates, budgets, and procedures for projects (well testing, acidizing, wireline, coiled tubing, workovers, drilling, sidetracks)
• Perform and verify technical calculations
• Collaborate with project managers, engineers, and wider teams
• Manage vendor qualification, bid analysis, and procurement selection
• Lead post-well reviews and prepare final client/regulatory reports
• Be available for out-of-town, overnight assignments and extended fieldwork in varying weather conditions

Experience & Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Petroleum Engineering or related field
• ~15 years of drilling and completion engineering experience, with strong onshore U.S. exposure
• Expertise in well control, directional drilling, and completion technologies
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and engineering software
• Strong leadership in both office and field environments