Facility Eng vs Production Eng

[cidley69]

Can anyone briefly describe the difference between these two engineers in the oil and gas industry?

[Disoblige]

Facilities is like the pipeline that goes to the new well. Production is more keeping the well running.

Edit: Sometimes production engineers will do the well tie-in if there's a riser there already.

[Disoblige]

Edit: Removed comment directed at a douche who did not contribute anything to this thread.

In general from what I see (I'm an electrical guy, so anyone feel free to chime in), production is supposed to keep wells producing and to get the most out of a reservoir with primary/secondary/tertiary recovery schemes. Not sure if it is different with other companies, but facilities side can do big projects like designing a new plant, or smaller projects too like pipeline stuff and the gathering system of pipelines.

[spike98]

Production engineers are guys that work at the facility or head office and deal with the process. These guys are chemical engineers. Facilities engineers work at the site or head office and deal with maintenance and project work. These guys are usually mareials or mechanical engineers.

[Disoblige]

Originally posted by spike98
Production engineers are guys that work at the facility or head office and deal with the process. These guys are chemical engineers. Facilities engineers work at the site or head office and deal with maintenance and project work. These guys are usually mareials or mechanical engineers.
Ah, I guess I see where the confusion may be coming from too. Where I work, we split between plant and field engineers, so we have plant engineers who do similar work to that of a facilities, but it's the maintenance and project work in the plant, not field.

[a social dsease]

Originally posted by BavarianBeast


Whether he's right or wrong about the different roles, at least he's provided more value to this thread than you have. 2 posts, 2 completely unwarranted attacks, and 0 contribution. If you know so much about the subject, why don't you explain it for us?

[Disoblige]

Yeah, seriously. Guy obviously has an agenda here.

[R154]

A+ Thread.

Also, 3 of us from ~Grad class VS 1 random beyond newbie.

[Feruk]

Originally posted by spike98
Production engineers are guys that work at the facility or head office and deal with the process. These guys are chemical engineers. Facilities engineers work at the site or head office and deal with maintenance and project work. These guys are usually mareials or mechanical engineers.

Not exactly...

Usually a good way to separate the two is a production engineer will deal with everything from the wellhead down. Facilities engineer will deal with everything past the wellhead to the plant inclusive. It's a big over-simplification as a production engineer does a lot more area management stuff, but it's the short and sweet of it. Also, whether you have a chemical or mechanical engineering degree makes zero difference in both roles.

[realazy]

Originally posted by Feruk


Not exactly...

Usually a good way to separate the two is a production engineer will deal with everything from the wellhead down. Facilities engineer will deal with everything past the wellhead to the plant inclusive. It's a big over-simplification as a production engineer does a lot more area management stuff, but it's the short and sweet of it. Also, whether you have a chemical or mechanical engineering degree makes zero difference in both roles.

I agree with this explanation the best and also agree with the comment regarding area management. Production engineers are usually assigned an area/property and deal with day to day production/operation issues. Most issues have to go through production first before going to completions or facilties. Production is also the representative of the business and will sign off and approve projects and expense/capital.

Most operator companies now have facilities engineers that are basically project managers that manage the EPCs (stupid IMO). It's the way the business is moving and no one at the producer signs off on anything. Everything is outsourced.

[killramos]

Just to add another voice this is my experience:

Production engineers manage work overs (failures or drop in production). In some cases deal with pump jack install / design (hydraulic vs horse head gas vs electric etc). Will also work on optimization projects such as chemical treatments etc. Will track failures over field and history to define trends and prevent future failures. Work on regulatory wrt gas conservation etc. May or May not have a hand in water flood / eor management.

Facilities engineers define plant operational parameters, tie in wells, plan/ maintain pipelines, send off AER licenses for batterie and plants. Order equipment. Etc.

I have done production and current work in reservoir as my background. Obviously there is huge variability between and even within companies. Sometimes it makes sense for the production engineer for a small field to take on an expanded role.

Hope that helps.

[killramos]

Originally posted by realazy

Most operator companies now have facilities engineers that are basically project managers that manage the EPCs (stupid IMO). It's the way the business is moving and no one at the producer signs off on anything. Everything is outsourced.

This! Not to demean those that have these roles. Just a style of operating.

[killramos]

Also did someone delete a bunch if posts? Lol