In this blog post, we’ll take a look at why energy resources engineering is fluid, and why changing market flows and field experience play an important role in the field.
Energy resources engineering is a discipline that requires a good understanding of the current flow of energy resources and their characteristics, in addition to engineering knowledge. Compared to other engineering disciplines, it can be said that the field is fluid and very much connected to the field. Energy resources engineering is a unique field that relies not only on academic depth, but also on real-world industrial experience. In other engineering disciplines, such as mechanical engineering or electrical engineering, you learn time-established disciplines such as materials mechanics, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and electromagnetism. These are subjects based on fundamental principles that have been established over time and whose theories are unlikely to change.
Energy resources engineering, on the other hand, is a discipline that is likely to change due to external circumstances, often driven by advances in technology and changing market demands. Some of the subjects studied in energy engineering include international energy market analysis, drilling engineering, and oil and gas engineering. Oil and gas engineering, drilling engineering, etc. began to develop in the late 1800s and 1900s, when oil drilling began. What students majoring in energy engineering are learning now are methods and theories that have been developed over 100 years of drilling in the field. These theories have been optimized in the field based on basic principles such as fluid mechanics and thermodynamics. In other words, energy resource engineering is a discipline where theory and practice are closely linked, and theoretical knowledge is only valuable when combined with field experience to create a synergistic effect.
Unlike other engineering disciplines, it has to reflect the constantly changing markets and advances in technology. Energy resource engineering also changes with the current energy market. For example, an emerging energy source in the energy resources market is shale gas. The introduction of a revolutionary technology called horizontal drilling in the extraction process of shale gas has required a new approach that is different from traditional oil extraction methods. The process by which shale gas is created and the way it is produced is quite different from the oil we used to produce. Petroleum is produced by the decomposition and aggregation of various organic materials in the source rock to form hydrocarbon masses, which are then transported to a reservoir some distance away from the source rock and stored as oil or gas. When drilling, the drilling targets the reservoir rock and is usually produced using vertical drilling, which drills straight down vertically.
However, shale gas does not travel from the source rock to the reservoir; it is formed directly from the source rock. Unlike oil, gas is produced by horizontal drilling, which targets the source rock and drills horizontally. These changes show that energy resource engineering must continually reflect the latest technology and market trends. As new energy resources emerge, we have to learn about their characteristics and production methods. Therefore, we can say that energy resources engineering is very sensitive to the current trends in the energy market, and the ability to understand and adapt to these trends is one of the core competencies of energy resources engineering students.
Putting the above characteristics together, it is clear that energy resource engineers must have not only engineering knowledge, but also an interest in current market trends and the ability to keep track of resource flows. For this reason, energy resource engineers must go beyond simply solving technical problems and develop the ability to make comprehensive judgments that take into account economic and political conditions. In this sense, energy engineering is a discipline that suits people who like logic and clarity. Keeping track of resource markets is also beneficial if it is supported by a logical flow of thought.
Energy resources are linked to every economy. Energy resources can change the course of world affairs, and various political issues can cause their prices to fluctuate significantly. For example, political instability or conflict in a particular country can disrupt the supply of resources and cause major ripples in international energy markets. More recently, the shale gas boom in the United States and other complex issues have caused the price of oil to plummet. When analyzing resource markets, it’s important to consider the many external forces at play and develop a logical progression of how they will affect the market. At the end of the day, energy resource engineering is a discipline at the intersection of technology, economics, and politics, requiring the ability to understand and analyze many different factors in an integrated way.
