Bachelor of Engineering in Petroleum Engineering | Academic Catalog 2023–2024

Faculty

Associate Professors

Nissrine El Hassan, Ph.D., Chemical Engineering

Assistant Professors

Nicolas Farah, Ph.D., Petroleum Engineering
Zisis Vryzas, Ph.D., Petroleum Engineering

Visiting Assistant Professors

Elie Chalhoub, Ph.D., Chemical Engineering

Overview

The B.E. in Petroleum Engineering at LAU has been designed to equip students with the fundamental skills required to achieve lifelong professional growth in the field of petroleum engineering. The program covers the areas of well exploration and evaluation, well drilling and production, process engineering and lifecycle management of wells, the economics of petroleum, and petroleum regulations. The program provides special emphasis on natural gas, which is the most dominant type of hydrocarbon fuel in Lebanon.

Courses are structured to combine a sound theoretical foundation, experimentation, engineering judgment, application to case studies, and engineering design. Computer simulation and computer controls are highly emphasized throughout the curriculum. Students will be able to integrate professional, ethical, and environmental considerations into petroleum engineering design and problem solving and develop the ability to communicate engineering results effectively.

Mission

The mission of the B.E. in Petroleum Engineering is to provide a quality education in petroleum engineering that combines theory and practice for undergraduate students, and to satisfy industry demand for graduates with special education in the oil and gas industries, while helping graduates enter the market force or pursue further education at the graduate level.

Vision

The vision of the program is to prepare graduates to be technically competent, talented, creative, and ethically responsible engineers who are effective professionals in today’s work environment. Staying abreast of the latest technical software enables them to enrich their lives and make valuable contributions to their communities.

Program Educational Objectives

Upon graduation, graduates of the B.E. in Petroleum Engineering will:

achieve success in their chosen career path be it professional practice or graduate studies,
be responsible citizen engineers, and
practice the profession as demonstrated by continued professional employment, job promotion, and expanding career responsibility.

Student Outcomes

Upon completion of the B.E. in Petroleum Engineering, students will acquire:

an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

Admission Requirements

The application process is the same as for all undergraduate programs (see Admissions). Applicants will be evaluated by the School of Engineering Admissions Council and final acceptance will be based on each applicant’s qualifications and the availability of places.

Curriculum

The total number of credits required for graduation is 150 credits, distributed as follows:

Petroleum Engineering Major Requirements (80 credits)
Mathematics and Science Requirements (18 credits)
General Engineering Requirements (34 credits)
LAS Requirements (18 credits)

These include:

6 Technical Elective courses for emphasis, depending on students’ interests and current market needs
8 courses with a separate industry standard software laboratory or physical laboratory sessions to enhance the learning experience and improve employment opportunity
A minimum residency of four years, including three summer terms

Petroleum Engineering Major Requirements (80 credits)

PTE200 Introduction to Petroleum Engineering (3 cr.)
PTE310 Transport Processes Through Porous Media (3 cr.)
PTE320 Reservoir Petrophysics (3 cr.)
PTE321 Petroleum Engineering - LAB (1 cr.)
PTE322 Fundamentals of Reservoir Engineering (3 cr.)
PTE330 Well Drilling (3 cr.)
PTE331 Drilling Fluids - Lab (1 cr.)
PTE340 Financial Management of Engineered Assets (3 cr.)
PTE431 Fundamentals of Well Test Analysis (3 cr.)
PTE432 Well Logging and Formation Evaluation (3 cr.)
PTE441 Petroleum Leasing Regulations & Practices (3 cr.)
PTE450 Introduction to Process Engineering (3 cr.)
PTE451 Petroleum Production Engineering (3 cr.)
PTE452 Petroleum Production - Lab (1 cr.)
PTE460 Natural Gas Engineering (3 cr.)
PTE461 Natural Gas - Lab (1 cr.)
PTE470 Petroleum Engineering Design (3 cr.)
PTE471 The Petroleum Engineering Profession (2 cr.)
PTE472 Modeling & Computer Applications (3 cr.)
PTE498 Professional Experience (6 cr.)
PTE543 Life Cycle & Risk Management (3 cr.)
PTE573 Detailing for Petroleum Engineers (2 cr.)
PTE499 Capstone Design Project (3 cr.)
Technical Elective Courses (18cr) ¹

¹ Technical Elective Courses (18 credits)

PTE510 Structural Engineering of Offshore Platforms (3 cr.)
PTE511 Fundamentals of Subsurface Environmental Engineering (3 cr.)
PTE512 Fixed Offshore Structures (3 cr.)
PTE513 Piping Systems (3 cr.)
PTE514 Offshore Development Practices (3 cr.)
PTE515 Thermal Recovery (3 cr.)
PTE516 Process Control & Instrumentation (3 cr.)
PTE517 Industrial Process Management (3 cr.)
PTE518 Offshore Technologies and Corresponding Piping Systems (3 cr.)
PTE523 Advanced Reservoir Engineering (3 cr.)
PTE524 Reservoir Simulation (3 cr.)
PTE533 Advanced Drilling Engineering (3 cr.)
PTE534 Advanced Well Test Analysis (3 cr.)
PTE544 Petroleum Project Evaluation (3 cr.)
PTE545 Energy Finance (3 cr.)
PTE553 Advanced Production Mechanics (3 cr.)
PTE563 Unconventional Oil Exploitation (3 cr.)
PTE564 Unconventional Gas Exploitation (3 cr.)
PTE565 Water Flooding & Enhanced Oil Recovery (3 cr.)
PTE566 Unconventional Oil and Gas Exploration (3 cr.)
PTE574 Artificial Lift Design (3 cr.)
PTE594 Undergraduate Research Project (3cr.)
PTE599 Directed Studies in Petroleum Engineering (3 cr.)
PTE600 Topics (3 cr.)
or any other Technical Elective course approved by the Program Steering Committee

Note that all Technical Elective courses require at least senior standing in addition to their relevant prerequisites.

Mathematics and Science Requirements (18 credits)

CHM205 Fundamentals of Chemistry (3 cr.)
GNE331 Probability & Statistics (3 cr.)
MTH201 Calculus III (3 cr.)
MTH206 Calculus IV (3 cr.)
MTH304 Differential Equations (3 cr.)
MEE241 Dynamics (3 cr.)

General Engineering Requirements (34 credits)

CIE200 Statics (3 cr.)
CIE202 Mechanics of Materials (3 cr.)
CIE302 Structural Analysis (3 cr.)
CIE303 Structural Analysis - SOFT (1 cr.)
CIE320 Fluid Mechanics (3 cr.)
CIE321 Fluid Mechanics - Lab (1 cr.)
COE201 Computer Proficiency (1 cr.)
GNE301 Professional Communication (2 cr.)
GNE303 Engineering Ethics (2 cr.)
INE320 Engineering Economy (3 cr.)
MEE301 Thermodynamics (3 cr.)
PTE204 Geology for Petroleum Engineers (3 cr.)
SOE Signature Course 1/2 (3cr.)
SOE Signature Course 2/2 (3cr.)

LAS Requirements (18 credits)

Core Courses (6 credits)

ENG202 Advanced Academic English (3 cr.)
COM203 Art of Public Communication (3 cr.)

Elective Courses (12 credits)

The additional 12 credits of Liberal Arts Electives should be taken as described here.

Recommended Study Plan

Year One

Fall (16 credits)

MTH201 Calculus III (3 cr.)
CHM005 Preparatory Chemistry (0 cr.)
CHM205 Fundamentals of Chemistry (3 cr.)
CIE200 Statics (3 cr.)
PTE200 Introduction to Petroleum Engineering (3 cr.)
COE201 Computer Proficiency (1 cr.)
ENG202 Advanced Academic English (3 cr.)

Spring (15 credits)

CIE202 Mechanics of Materials (3 cr.)
MTH206 Calculus IV (3 cr.)
MEE241 Dynamics (3 cr.)
PTE204 Geology for Petroleum Engineers (3 cr.)
LAS Elective (3 cr.)

Summer (9 credits)

MTH304 Differential Equations (3 cr.)
GNE331 Probability & Statistics (3 cr.)
LAS Elective (3 cr.)

Year Two

Fall (18 credits)

CIE302 Structural Analysis (3 cr.)
CIE303 Structural Analysis - SOFT (1 cr.)
CIE320 Fluid Mechanics (3 cr.)
CIE321 Fluid Mechanics - Lab (1 cr.)
MEE301 Thermodynamics (3 cr.)
PTE320 Reservoir Petrophysics (3 cr.)
PTE321 Petroleum Engineering Lab (1 cr.)
INE320 Engineering Economy (3 cr.)
GNE331 Probability & Statistics (3 cr.)

Spring (16 credits)

COM203 Art of Public Communication (3 cr.)
PTE310 Transport Processes Through Porous Media (3 cr.)
PTE322 Fundamentals of Reservoir Engineering (3 cr.)
PTE330 Well Drilling (3 cr.)
PTE331 Drilling Fluids - Lab (1 cr.)
PTE340 Financial Management of Engineered Assets (3 cr.)

Summer (8 credits)

GNE301 Professional Communication (2 cr.)
LAS Elective (3 cr.)
LAS Elective (3 cr.)

Year Three

Fall (17 credits)

PTE431 Fundamentals of Well Test Analysis (3 cr.)
PTE432 Well Logging and Formation Evaluation (3 cr.)
PTE441 Petroleum Leasing Regulations & Practices (3 cr.)
PTE450 Introduction to Process Engineering (3 cr.)
PTE470 Petroleum Engineering Design (3 cr.)
GNE303 Engineering Ethics (2 cr.)