Introduction Proposed changes in registration procedures by some states could threaten the professional status of petroleum engineers. Whether or not they are aware of it, all petroleum engineers are allowed to practice their profession at the discretion of the various states. As a discipline, petroleum engineering has little public image and exerts almost no influence on the regulatory bodies that control its destiny. The problem is not with the "system," but with petroleum engineers' not recognizing their professional responsibilities, including registration. Most petroleum engineers are not registered. They work under industrial exemptions and take the registration procedure for granted. Even registered engineers tend to view it as a requirement to be met without relating their status as a professional to their responsibility to the public's health, safety, and welfare. . Our society has become increasingly consumer-oriented and environmentally conscious; the resulting changes are affecting engineering registration. Periodically, industrial exemptions come under question. Petroleum engineering is particularly vulnerable to these changes, since it lacks a well-defined professional image and large numbers of registrants. The practice of engineering is not a natural or constitutional right; each state has the authority to determine who is qualified to practice as an engineer. If most petroleum engineers are content to earn a pay check and achieve passable competency in a limited area with little regard for the broader aspects of professionalism, we may lack sufficient credibility as a discipline to control our destiny.
Professional Registration in the United States is continuing to become more important for Petroleum Engineers. It has seen some drastic changes since its implementation unto the national scene in 1973. The requirements to become registered have gradually become stiffer. An engineering, math or science degree is fast becoming the norm to be a licensing engineer. Continuing Education requirements are also being implemented. The Petroleum Professional Registration Exam is changing. As we enter the 21st Century, the PE Exam is being offered as a full multiple choice exam. The format of the exam is evolving towards an exam that can be administered eventually via the computer. Tomorrows average Petroleum PE examinees will be better qualified than their counterparts of previous years. Projections are made for the next century. Introduction Professional Registration did not exist at the beginning of the 20th Century. Petroleum Engineers joined the registration process in the latter half of the 20th Century. The state boards began forming in the early 1900's. This was accomplished in four decades (Fig. 1). Each state board set up their own requirements for professional registration. At first, these just consisted of getting one's education and work experience verified. This was the so-called Grandfathering Era. After World War II, many states implemented, at first a basic, or fundamental test given near college graduation, and then a second, more practical oriented exam that was given after a few years of work experience. This latter exam became known as the Professional Engineering Exam. In itself, it has gone through its own metamorphous. Before taking a look at the 21st Century, we need to take a look at how the current national Professional Registration evolved. Professional Registration State Boards. The first Professional Engineering state board was created in Wyoming in 1907. Louisiana followed the next year and enacted their Professional Engineering state board in 1908. The rest of the states waited until after the World War I years to get their state boards over the next four decades. Ironically, Wyoming's neighbor, Montana, completed the full 50 states in 1947. California enacted in 1929. Grandfathering Era At the outset of the enacted laws in each state, getting registered consisted of completing an application that showed ones education and work experience. The state board would verify these. Most tended to accept a high school education as the minimum level of education. The work experience years needed simply depended upon some varying time-scale based upon completed education. Examination Era Fundamentals Engineering Exam. Sometime in the post World War II years, the states set up and started requiring a basic, or Fundamentals Engineering (FE) Exam for college graduates. Passing this exam had the primary affect of shortening the time frame to become a full Professional Engineer. Gradually, states started combining their duplicating exam resources to get, at first, several regional exams, and then they finally starting agreeing to one uniform national FE exam in 1965.
Professional recognition for the Petroleum Engineering profession began developing in the early 20th century1,2. Professional Registration for the Petroleum Engineer has seen some drastic changes since its implementation unto the national scene in 1907. Most of these changes occurred through the nationally administered National Council of Engineering and Land Surveyors (NCEES). The national Petroleum Engineering Professional Exam began in 1973 when NCEES started offering it to all states. The requirements to become registered gradually became stiffer. The advent of the Sunset Legislation fad in the 1980's really changed the state requirements. In 1973, the PE Exam began as a twenty problem offered, choose eight to work, objective style exam. By 1999, it had evolved to an eighty question, no choice, all multiple choice exam. As we enter the 21st century, computers will eventually administer the PE Exam. Introduction Professional Registration did not exist at the birth of the 20th Century. It started because of devious means being used by so called irresponsible individuals and/or groups that exploited the lack of any governing control over their known inexperience of details important to the public. Qualified groups began approaching the states to step in and create an acting legal agency to properly police the actions of obvious engineering and land surveying concerns. The state boards began forming in the early 1900's. This was accomplished in four decades (Fig. 1). Each state board set up their own requirements for professional registration. At first, these just consisted of getting one's education and work experience verified. This was the so-called Grandfathering Era. After World War II, many states implemented, at first a basic, or fundamental test given near college graduation, and then a second, more practical oriented exam that was given after a few years of work experience. This latter exam became known as the Professional Engineering Exam. In itself, it has gone through its own metamorphous. Formative Era Laws Enacted. The first Professional Engineering state board was created in Wyoming in 1907. It was an attempt to regulate the misdeeds of filing for water rights. Most of these were being filed by competent Civil Engineers, but there were also filings by incompetent lawyers, real estate agents, notaries, insurance agents and pawn brokers. Wyoming wanted to set up a state registry of those who had demonstrated their necessary qualifications. Louisiana followed the next year and enacted their Professional Engineering state board in 1908. The rest of the states waited until after the World War I years to get their state boards over the next four decades. Ironically, Wyoming's neighbor, Montana, completed the full 50 states in 1947. Oklahoma enacted in 1935 and Texas enacted in 1937. All the protectorates and territories enacted their PE laws by 1968 when the Virgin Islands finally enacted theirs. National Societies. In 1916, the five engineering founder societies formed a federation. These were the Civil, Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical societies and the combined Mining and Metallurgical (AIME) society. Petroleum Engineering joined AIME later. This group became the American Engineering Council in 1921.3 Herbert Hoover, an AIME member, and then Secretary of Commerce, was its first president.3 The National Council of State Boards of Engineering Examiners was founded in 1920.3 The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) was formed in 1934.3 In 1932, the Engineers Council for Professional Development (ECPD) was formed.3,6 They began accrediting engineering schools in 1935. This is today's American Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET). (Figure 2).
The past decade has seen monumental gains in the Society of Petroleum Engineer's efforts to facilitate and increase the registration of its members as professional engineers. The Society gained professional engineers. The Society gained acceptance as one of twelve engineering disciplines participating in the uniform national exams. The participating in the uniform national exams. The exams became more practical and the number of registrants increased. The future will see the Society encouraging increased registration, developing a study guide and pursuing the registration of petroleum engineers as such. Introduction Engineers are pathfinders, pioneers, the forward-edge thrusters in almost everything they do except securing professional registration. Petroleum Engineers have not had the dealings with the public that leads to professional registration until the past decade. The environmental and consumer era of past decade. The environmental and consumer era of the past decade caused the public to have a greater awareness of pollution, energy and the need for more and better public protection means. Professional registration of engineers has been influenced by this era and more engineers have recognized the trend of events and have sought registration; however, petroleum engineers found this task not an easy one at the beginning of the seventies except in a few states. Most states required from 8 to 16 hours of examination and petroleum engineers found that professional petroleum engineering exams were practically non-existent. A few states did secure and offer locally prepared exams for the few petroleum engineer applicants. Today things have petroleum engineer applicants. Today things have changed. The consumer era has caused most state boards of registration to tighten their laws — all but Texas now require examination. Along with this change in times, the Society of Petroleum Engineers succeeded in becoming a member of Petroleum Engineers succeeded in becoming a member of a recognized national examination body called the National Council of Engineering Examiners (NCEE) in 1973. Since then most state registration boards offer petroleum engineer applicants a petroleum engineering exam. WHY REGISTER? Most petroleum engineers have not been faced with the necessity of becoming registered. They hold positions that do not at present require a positions that do not at present require a professional license. A large number are riding professional license. A large number are riding behind the so called "exemptions". Under current state registration laws there are 3 classifications of exemptions whereby engineers are exempt from licensure requirements:engineers working in a corporation engaged in the interstate commerce,engineers working in a manufacturing corporation andengineers working in a public service corporation (public utility). Times are changing. The 1969 Santa Barbara Channel oil spill mushroomed into an industry and national catastrophe. The Environmental Age in America had arrived. The general public got aroused and the almost battle cry phrase of "Protect the consumer!" was heard. Friends of the Earth, OSHA, the Environmental Protection Agency (ERA) and other elements become a part of the American scene. The engineering professions felt the pressure. Several state boards upgraded their standards and made the process of registration more difficult. In some cases they also made it more expensive. The State of Louisiana, for example, increased its examination requirements from 8 to 16 hours. The long-range effects of the spill were also felt by the Society of Petroleum Engineers. An element of the Society felt the consumer pressure might get restrictive with petroleum engineers and the highly unfavorable theme of "Certification" was pursued for several years. It was finally dropped pursued for several years. It was finally dropped from consideration by the Society in 1975. Today, more petroleum engineers are aware of their responsibilities to the public. The thought that registration has been an option and not a necessity may soon go the way of the extinct passenger pigeon. The "industrial exemptions" may soon disappear perhaps within a decade. perhaps within a decade.
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