This major trains entrepreneurial professionals with ethical and moral values, solid knowledge in exploration, development, optimization, and sustainable management of hydrocarbon resources, interpersonal relationship skills, effective communication, and teamwork.

Mission
To train enterprising professionals, with ethical and moral values, with solid knowledge in the areas of exploration, development, optimization and sustainable management of hydrocarbon resources, with skills in interpersonal relationships, effective communication and teamwork. Generate, adapt and transfer knowledge related to petroleum activities.

Program Pillars
Drilling: This axis designs and supervises the program of activities and work necessary for the drilling of a well. 
Production: It includes the analysis of the production infrastructure of an oil field in all its phases, applying safety standards and norms for the follow-up of processes and treatment of crude oil on the surface. 
Reservoirs: Covers aspects related to the design of a model that fits the properties and behavior of the rock and fluid in the subsurface.
Environmental: covers safety, health and environmental quality (HSEQ) procedures in hydrocarbon exploration, production and transportation operations.

International Accreditation
The Petroleum degree is accredited with the European seal of international quality in engineering EUR-ACE.

In the first 42 years (1959 – 2000), 665 students were admitted in the school of IMP/ICT; 264 students were admitted in petroleum (40.3% of sample), and 133 students were graduated, this amount corresponding to 46.7% of the students graduated from the department and 50.4% of the students admitted in the career. At this time, petroleum engineering was the most attractive career for the students between Geology, Mining and Petroleum. The student’s population of Petroleum career grew 10.8% in an average per year. The period from 1964 – 1976 was the interval with greater growth period (67 student in 1971) when the student’s population grew an average of 47.8% per year, and then it began to decline (-15.5% average) until 1979 when it began to grow again an average 8.8% per year until 1990; then it decreased again -2.3% average per year until 2000.
In mid-1960, Petroleum career began to be interesting for students from the Coast and from all the country. The principal reason was the Petroleum Industry started the exploration and production at Santa Elena, at that moment part of Guayas Province. In 1965, a petroleum reservoir was discovered in the northeast of Ecuador (Lago Agrio) and after two years, it was discovered the biggest reservoir such as Sacha and Shushufindi Oilfield, turning Ecuador the fourth petroleum producer country in Latin American. The oil exportation began in the second semester of 1972.
Initially, and through 1972, oil was produced only in Santa Elena Peninsula by Anglo Corporation, which extracted roughly 8000 barrels per day. No huge volumes were exported and by consequence, local demand for petroleum engineers was limited at best. This was the reason the initial name of ‘Geology, Mining and Petroleum Engineering’ got its reason to be on bachelor degrees, situation that changed in 1965 with the Discovery of economical oil reservoirs in the Amazon basin.
From 1959, year of ESPOL foundation, to 1964, 10 prospective students entered to study this degree; It was in 1965 when the oil industry potential of Amazon basin was known that potential engineer population began to rise to 31 in 1967 (Lago Agrio discovery year) and kept its pace to achieve 67 members for the class of 1971. It is good to know that first oil exportation was recorded in August of 1972.
The period from 1964 - 1971 is that of the fastest growing student population in petroleum, which coincides with the discovery of oil in the Ecuadorian Amazon region, the development and operation of the oil fields and with the beginning of oil exports in August 1972. The largest percentage growth - compared to the previous year - occurred in 1964, and the student population grew until 1971. In 1972, year of creation of CEPE - Corporación Estatal Petrolera Ecuatoriana - predecessor of Petroecuador, the student population was 59 students and continued decreasing until 1978 (20 students) when it began to increase again, initiating a second cycle of growth until 1992 (53 students) before decreasing again until the end of the period - 36 students in 2000.
In the first 42 years (1959 – 2000), 665 students were admitted in the school of IMP/ICT; 264 students were admitted in petroleum engineering (40.3% of sample), and 133 students were graduated, this amount corresponding to 46.7% of the students graduated from the department and 50.4% of the students admitted in the career. At this time, petroleum engineering was the most attractive career for the students between Geology, Mining and Petroleum. The student’s population of Petroleum Engineering career grew 10.8% in an average per year. The period from 1964 – 1976 was the interval with greater growth period (67 student in 1971) when the student’s population grew an average of 47.8% per year, and then it began to decline (-15.5% average) until 1979 when it began to grow again an average 8.8% per year until 1990; then it decreased again -2.3% average per year until 2000.
In mid-1960, Petroleum Engineering career began to be interesting for students from the Coast and from all the country. The principal reason was the Petroleum Industry started the exploration and production at Santa Elena, at that moment part of Guayas Province. In 1965, a petroleum reservoir was discovered in the northeast of Ecuador (Lago Agrio) and after two years, it was discovered the biggest reservoir such as Sacha and Shushufindi Oilfield, turning Ecuador the fourth petroleum producer country in Latin American. The oil exportation began in the second semester of 1972.
Initially, and through 1972, oil was produced only in Santa Elena Peninsula by Anglo Corporation, which extracted roughly 8000 barrels per day. No huge volumes were exported and by consequence, local demand for petroleum engineers was limited at best. This was the reason the initial name of ‘Geology, Mining and Petroleum’ got its reason to be on bachelor degrees, situation that changed in 1965 with the Discovery of economical oil reservoirs in the Amazon basin.
From 1959, year of ESPOL foundation, to 1964, 10 prospective students entered to study this degree; It was in 1965 when the oil industry potential of Amazon basin was known that potential engineer population began to rise to 31 in 1967 (Lago Agrio discovery year) and kept its pace to achieve 67 members for the class of 1971. It is good to know that first oil exportation was recorded in August of 1972.
The period from 1964 - 1971 is that of the fastest growing student population in petroleum, which coincides with the discovery of oil in the Ecuadorian Amazon region, the development and operation of the oil fields and with the beginning of oil exports in August 1972. The largest percentage growth - compared to the previous year - occurred in 1964, and the student population grew until 1971. In 1972, year of creation of CEPE - Corporación Estatal Petrolera Ecuatoriana - predecessor of Petroecuador, the student population was 59 students and continued decreasing until 1978 (20 students) when it began to increase again, initiating a second cycle of growth until 1992 (53 students) before decreasing again until the end of the period - 36 students in 2000.
The largest promotion of petroleum engineers happened in 1974 (11 - 18.0 %) and 1989 (11 - 36.0 %), due to two particular events that appear to have influenced the registration rate and interest in petroleum as career, the start of production of the Ecuadorian oilfields in the Amazon or better known as Oriente in 1972-1974, and the dramatic increase in oil prices from $ 2.50 / BBL in 1972 to $ 13.50 / BBL in 1974. The following major price increase occurred in 1978 when the price rose from $ 12.50 / bbl to $ 35.20 / BBL in 1980.
During sixteen years, for the period (2000-2015), ESPOL had admitted 665 students to the Faculty FICT (Facultad de Ingeniería en Ciencias de la Tierra, Faculty of Engineering in Earth Sciences). In this period, 751 students (31.9 %) had entered, and graduated 345 (43.1 %) of all school graduates and 45.9 % of students who entered the career. The biggest promotion of petroleum engineers was in 2012 (46 - 17.7 %) and 2014 (55- 22.8 %).
The student population of the petroleum engineering undergraduate program grew an average of 17.2% per year, and since the beginning of the period it has shown a steady growth except between 2009 (258 students) and 2013 (230 students); in 2015, 355 students were registered. It will be interesting to see the behavior of the population in 2016, considering that between 2014 and 2015, the student population in the petroleum-engineering program grew up a 37.1%.
Currently, the Petroleum Engineering program at ESPOL is preparing two processes: Curricular Reform and National Accreditation (CEAACES). So we have been working on the redesign of the undergraduate program and managing improving laboratory infrastructure for teaching and service, resulting in addition of new equipment for the petroleum lab this year.

In the Petroleum Engineering degree, we are looking for curious, creative, analytical students with a critical spirit, with basic knowledge of experimental sciences and interested in earth sciences, especially in the extraction of oil and natural gas, as well as having the disposition towards indelible overcoming.  Students that seek to boost their competencies, develop and implement new products and processes for searching  solutions to problems related to the oil industry.

At the end of their studies at ESPOL, Petroleum Engineering graduates are expected to achieve the following student outcomes:

SO1. Ability to identify, formulate and solve complex petroleum engineering problems through the application of engineering principles, science and mathematics.
SO2. Ability to apply petroleum engineering systems design to produce solutions that meet specific needs, considering public health, safety and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental and economic factors.
SO3.A. Ability to communicate effectively in Spanish with diverse audiences (oral and written form).
SO3.B. Ability to communicate effectively in English with diverse audiences.
SO4. Ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in situations related to petroleum engineering, making sustained judgments and considering the impact of the solutions in the global, economic, environmental and social context.
SO5. Ability to function effectively in a team, whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, set goals, plan tasks and meet objectives.                                                                                
SO6. Ability to develop, conduct and analyze appropriate experiments, as well as to interpret real data and use petroleum engineering criteria to establish conclusions.
SO7. Ability to explore, acquire and understand new knowledge or innovative topics related to petroleum engineering, as needed, using appropriate learning and research strategies.
SO8. Design real solutions related to petroleum engineering that add unique value in response to specific needs, considered from the point of view of those involved or the hydrocarbon industry.

http://www.mallacurricular.espol.edu.ec/Malla/Imagen?codCarrera=CI004&lang=en&lang=en 

Petroleum Engineers from ESPOL, in the first 5 years of his professional life, will be able to:
1. Solve professional challenges at a national and regional level and apply their knowledge considering the social, economic, and environmental aspects framed within the ethical and moral context.
2. Communicate effectively in Spanish and English as part of specialized or interdisciplinary teams in diverse cultural environments.
3. Contribute to developing and implementing solutions related to Petroleum Engineering, as a sole propietor or  an employee
4. Acquire and improve technical and scientific knowledge skills throughout professional life, taking into account technological advances in the oil industry.

Occupational Profile

The Petroleum Engineer is trained to design, control, and plan the reservoirs management, drilling, production, transportation of hydrocarbons, and environmental management of petroleum fields.

Have approved at least 48 credits in Vocational Training and Itinerary.
Have approved at least 26 credits in General and Complementary Education.
Have approved at least 31 credits in Basic Sciences and Mathematics.
Accredit a minimum experience of 336 hours of professional practices, divided into; 96 hours of community internships and 240 hours of professional internships in the industry corresponding to 7 credits.
Pass the graduation process, equivalent to 8 credits.

The Capstone Project is a culminating requirement for graduation. These projects provide students with the experience of applying acquired knowledge and skills to the needs of society, with a focus on sustainability.
The IDEAR Fair showcases all Capstone projects, offering students a valuable opportunity to showcase their work and hone soft skills such as communication and teamwork. It is also a space for students to network with potential clients and future employers.
Explore all of the Capstone projects completed by the Petroleum program. 

The Petroleum student will be able to access the realization of Pre-Professional Practices considering:

• Being able to integrate multidisciplinary groups that are in charge of the development of Well Drilling and Production, Reservoir Engineering, Transportation, Storage and Commercialization of Hydrocarbons.
• Ability to express yourself orally and in writing. Preparation of technical reports, proposals and studies.
• Ethical and professional responsibility
• Availability of credits to carry out internships (5 credits for pre-professional business internships if carried out in PAO 1 or PAO 2.
• Be an active student and not be in a probationary situation.
• The student will be able to access the Pre-Professional Practices once they have approved the subjects of the profile to which they will be assigned, these are defined below:

2016

2018

2020

2021

2022

2023