Sociology

Section I  Abstract
The purpose of this report is to evaluate the current market for mechanical engineering in the United States, specifically for Saudi Aramco. I will try to elaborate what Saudi Aramco has to offer for a college graduate like me. Based on my research, I understand that Saudi Aramco is a good company to work and grow with and that the global job market for mechanical engineers continue to be promising. However, maintaining competitiveness is necessary to have my application be even considered in a multinational company like Saudi Aramco. It employed 52,093 in 2007 with an employee growth rate of 1.4. From my research, I also found out the bright prospects of qualified mechanical engineers in the job market and the probability of may being hired with Saudi Aramco.

Section II Introduction
(Background-interest, purpose statement,  forecast for the structure of the report )
My interest in mechanical engineering began in my childhood. I still can recall how I disassemble mechanical toys and then assemble them again. From then on, this has become a habit and it extended to my first until my last bike, my car and even the cars of my father and mother. Whenever there is something in the house that needed fixing such as the vacuum cleaner, lawn mower, or the refrigerator, my mom will rely on me to solve them especially when warranties have expired.

I have made up my mind since at that young age I love doing these things. Mechanical engineers usually are expected in the sectors of manufacturing, fabrication, product design, production, maintenance, technical sales, as well as the armed forces (The Press, 2002). Mechanical engineers may upgrade their skills and specialize in design by learning computer-aided design or CAD. It was suggested that good academic abilities, interest in technologies and systems, as well as practical skills are important along with the diploma.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the mechanical engineering field further to establish the future of students like me. I will also focus on the oil industry especially Saudi Aramco. It will try to forecast engineering careers in the future in the oil industry, job opportunities at Saudi Aramco, the history of the firm, as well as the projects they have been involved in. The fact that the employee growth rate of Saudi Aramco is at 1.4 made me hope and look forward to possibly be included in their pool of engineers someday..

Section III Methodology.
The Methodology for this report is to research the state of the job market for mechanical engineers specifically in the oil industry. In addition, I will also explore on the possibility of a career at Saudi Aramco, how the company may consider me and my skills, what I should expect or how I may fit in with their requirements.  I am researching mechanical engineering because that is my field of study here at __your__University. The first article will explore on the job opportunities for mechanical engineers in the oil industry. The second article will discuss job growth in the oil industry not only locally but also in a global scope with focus on Saudi Aramco. And the third section will further explore the projects of Saudi Aramco and trends in the oil industry in general. All these led me to the conclusion that there are possibilities of my inclusion for a job in Saudi Aramco or the oil industry. In a majority of the results, research was conducted on published journals, websites, and other sources. I limited the research topics to US trends in mechanical engineering employment, work description, Saudi Aramco jobs for mechanical engineers, as well as work description of mechanical engineers in the oil industry.

Section IV Results
Subsection 1 Mechanical Engineering Jobs
The first article concerns the job opportunities of the mechanical engineering students. The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) reported that the yearend 2007 had reached a record high membership of 79,300 which was an 8 increase from the previous year. The report said this fact eased the worry on the oil or gas industry s loss of petroleum and geological knowledge. Bill Cobb, SPE 2008 president expressed his relief and said,  this shows that young people are attracted by the bright career opportunities in the upstream industry,  (Poruban, p 17). The entry of young professionals, which was age 35 or below, is said to be sorely needed. The article also noted that oil companies help in keeping the interest of young people in the engineering career. In January 26 to 28, Saudi Aramco sponsored 14 graduate students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology  on a plane trip to their Shaybah oil and gas field to visit the company s facilities (Poruban, p 17). Some were students of mechanical engineering and it was also reported that the students were impressed with the Shaybah complex and the Ras Tamara refinery.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2008, 238,700 held mechanical engineer jobs in the US alone. It also reported that the  overall engineering employment is expected to grow by 11   over the next ten years. This translates to a 14,000 need of more mechanical engineers (BLS, P 28). They will be needed to design, test, build and improve products but greater growth is seen in the research and development, as well as consulting services industries.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) suggested that the US demand for mechanical engineers will continue to grow so that by the time high school students today are graduating there will be a need for 87,000 more mechanical engineers. Entry pay for mechanical engineers is about 51,000 per annum, and may jump up to 70,000 as established in an ASM nationwide survey (ASME, P 6). College Grad suggested the following breakdown of salaries of mechanical engineers in 2002 as

Federal government72,500Architectural, engineering, and related services 65,610Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing 65,430Aerospace products and parts manufacturing 65,160Other general purpose machinery manufacturing 55,850

Subsection 2  Mechanical Engineers in the Oil Industry
In the oil industry, mechanical engineers are expected to perform research, design and evaluate mechanical systems, machinery and operational processes (Oil Jobs 411, P 1). They make sure that mechanical systems and all machinery in the oil production process continue operating properly. Special attention is paid on maintenance and upkeep of the various and many machines involved. The mechanical systems involved are
 industrial systems and processing (for example, in refineries and petrochemical facilities
manufacturing systems, plants and products
environmental control systems (heating, ventilating and air conditioning)
transportation equipment (land, sea and air)
infrastructure systems on the oil platform or rig
computer components and systems  (Oil Jobs 411, P 2).

The place of work of the mechanical engineer is usually in an office, in a laboratory, but more in the field alongside other team members but there are oil companies that hire mechanical engineers solely for the purpose of researching and developing new or better machineries than the current to increase production and competitiveness (Oil Jobs 411, P 3). Engineers in these areas must be adept at mathematical and abstract terms in order to translate drawings and blueprints into 3 dimensions. They must have an analytical mind and interest in the technical processes. Meanwhile, other mechanical engineering tasks in the oil industry focus on maintenance and operation of machinery on oil rigs, derricks and drilling platforms. Oil refineries on the other hand offer institutional environment where challenge and reward is hand-in-hand with less filed work as compared in oil platforms or derricks (Oil jobs 411, P 4).

Mechanical engineers in Saudi Aramco are expected to be knowledgeable in the design and construction of oil and gas facilities as well as related projects. They also plan, schedule, and direct workers in the preparation designs, process reports, correspondence among others and assure the efficiency, adequacy and conformity to  overall objectives of all phases of the very complex engineering problems.  As posted in a recent job opening, Saudi Aramco requires the mechanical engineers to,  Formulate the dosing basis by collecting, analyzing information and date relative to operating requirements, process economic considerations and such other pertinent factors as may be involved as a preliminary step in support of proposals for new construction modification or maintenance to equipment. Study mechanical modification to gas processing, gas handing and utility facilities , Occasionally called upon to design mechanical aspects of new faculties as requested. Participate in construction activities, pre-commissioning, commissioning and function test activities for the new projects. Study mechanical modification Follow and inspect the construction progress of assigned projects assuring conformance with design specifications, codes and standard, recommend or confirm design changes material and equipment substitutes. Review design packages. Interface with the Project Management Teams (PMT) Consulting Services  Inspection Departments, capital project contractors, equipment manufacturers and Saudi Aramco proponents. Perform a variety of related work such as initiating reports, correspondence and faxes relative to assigned projects , assembling performance date and conduction studies relative to the development procumbent or adaptation of equipment , interpreting the mining and application of codes and standards , reviewing operating procedures and safety instruction , acting and safety instructions , acting as technical consultant on operating problems. Assist other engineers in the solution of problems outside their specialty,  (Saudi Aramco, P 1). Aside from the mentioned, it also specified educational requirement as  Graduate Engineer. Experience Position requires ten (10) years experience in construction or associated engineering fields. Language Requirements A Knowledge of the Arabic language desirable but not required. Other (1) A well rounded knowledge of project management, cost control and cost estimating , (2) Must be completely familiar with Aramco building, Utility and piping codes, (3) Must be familiar with Aramco Budgeting and Accounting procedures,(4) should be well informed on Standard Safety practices (Saudi Aramco, P 2).

Subsection 3 - Saudi Aramco and the Future of the Oil Industry
Saudi Aramco is the national oil company owned by the state of Saudi Arabia. Aramco stand for Arabian American Oil Company. Saudi Aramco owns the Ghawar Field considered as the world s largest oil field, the Safaniya Field known as the world s largest offshore field, and the Shaybah field, a major crude oil producing site. These make Saudi Aramco the world s most profitable company. While the company began as a concessionary agreement with Standard Oil of California (Socal), the government of Saudi Arabia gained total control of Aramco in 1980 and established in 1988. Its operation includes exploration, drilling, refining and distribution, shipping, research and development, and other services that includes health insurance and hospitalization for its employees, maintenance of fire stations for industrial and residential purposes, industrial security, fleet and aircraft maintenance and operations, shipping, and notably its Career Development Department. It also has associated companies and subsidiaries.

In 1998, Saudi Aramco issued an environmental statement of the company s effort to reduce lead in their gasoline by 50. It leads in sulfur emission reduction, CO2 and flaring in the Middle East with an Environmental Master Plan. The Financial Times listed Saudi Aramco as the world s largest unlisted companies with an estimated 781 billion USD worth (Guerrera  and Hoyos, P 10).

The oil industry is seen to peak 2010 according to industry observers, and geologists that include American geologist L.F. Ivanhoe (Motavalli, p 28).  The Department of Energy, however, estimated between 2016 and 2037 although this leaves oil companies skeptical due to high prices and new technology in horizontal drilling and 4-D exploration (Motavalli, p 28). The Defense Department s Energy Information Administration estimated that there will be a growth from 78 billion barrels per day in 2002 to 118 million barrels in 2025 (Motavalli, p 28). This roughly translates to continuing demand for workers that include mechanical engineers in various oil industries and processes.

Section V Discussion of Results
My research lacked materials on the competition for job demands in the field of mechanical engineering. While the SPE noted the increasing growth of student membership, it was not able to disclose the actual number of certified engineers that will compete each year in a statewide or global basis. I am interested about the global competition in the job market because Saudi Aramco is an international company that is expected to hire from all over the world or from where there is fit.
It is also notable that while agencies such as ASME and the Bureau of Labor estimates positive growth, specific companies or industries that require the bulk of mechanical engineers were also lacking.

This may mean that I need more research on the topic and I intend to do this to update my knowledge, acquire skills and information that I could use once I am out in field to scout for a job. For one like me who is interested with Saudi Aramco, it is important that I am adept about the oil industry processes and systems of operations, their facilities, work requirements, and actually had sufficient experience as an intern. This focus may help me maintain a narrow path towards applying for internship.

Section VI Conclusion
While I cannot exactly say I am perfect for a job in Saudi Aramco, I intend to make myself qualified to apply for a job as mechanical engineer in the future. Saudi Aramco has an excellent working environment profile that shows the company cared for the growth of its people aside from the industry. This makes it doubly attractive for people like me in the lookout for the perfect company and the job.

Doing my best in my training period, education, honing my skills not only on mathematics, analysis, and adeptness in the interpretation of illustrations and blue print are important aspects that I need to focus on at the moment. I believe that the knowledge and skills I can earn from my education as a mechanical engineering student will help me to land an ideal internship company and will bring me closer to Saudi Aramco. Or maybe, I can start scouting for information on how to intern at Saudi Aramco itself.