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Petroleum Engineer

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our greatest natural resource.

The Newcastle Field Office manages the public lands in Crook, Weston and Niobrara counties in northeast Wyoming, as well as public lands in Nebraska. The major programs managed by the Newcastle Field Office are oil and gas, livestock grazing, and lands and realty.

For information on the city of Newcastle, please go to:  Newcastle, WY.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
03/12/2019 to 03/29/2019
Salary
$46,609 to - $68,711 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 07 - 09
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Newcastle, WY
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Travel and relocation expenses will be paid consistent with the Federal Travel Regulation, Chapter 302, and Departmental policy. The use of a relocation service company and home marketing incentive will not be offered. Selectee will be responsible for tax obligations related to payments for moving expenses - 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act, Public Law 115-97.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Q Access Authorization
Drug test
No
Announcement number
WY-DEU-2019-0035
Control number
527079900

Duties

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Duties listed are at the full performance level, GS-12. Duties will be of a more limited scope at the GS-07 and -09 levels. You will be responsible for analyzing, reviewing and promoting the use of more complex drilling rigs and drilling techniques and technology including automated drilling systems, circulating fluid type and handling directional and horizontal well bores to limit environmental disruption. You will perform technical review and make recommendations for approval of all down-hole operations. You will review applications for permit to drill (APDs) for completeness and accuracy. You will provide professional review of Sundry Notice applications or oil and gas operations. You will provide technical expertise and support to staff members concerning oil and gas inspection and enforcement issues.

Physical Demands: Occasional field work will require travel over rough roads, hiking or climbing in rough terrain, and carrying field equipment.

Work Environment: Most work is performed in an office setting. However, field work will involve exposure to a range of climatic conditions including wind, precipitation, and extreme temperatures.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required. Direct Deposit required.
  • Be sure to read the "How to Apply" and "Required Documents" Sections.
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license; nor can you
  • have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Land.
  • Background Investigation required.

This position has a positive education requirement which is described in the qualifications section of this announcement. Additionally, applicants must qualify for this position based on education OR a combination of education and experience. You will need to clearly state your undergraduate/graduate degree(s) and submit your college transcripts or a listing of your college courses that includes hours and grades.

Qualifications

This position has a positive education requirement which requires that you have a degree in professional engineering. The curriculum must: (1) be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; OR (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics. You may also meet the basic requirement with a combination of education and experience: college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying professional engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following: Current professional registration as a Petroleum Engineer in any U.S. state, D.C., Guam, or Puerto Rico. Evidence of having successfully passed the Engineer-in-Training (EIT) examination, or the written test required for professional registration. Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and in engineering that included the courses specified in the basic requirements. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of a professional engineering curriculum as described above. Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in engineering technology or in an appropriate professional field, e.g., physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions.  

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement - please be sure to include this information in your resume. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade of the position to be filled.  

To qualify for the GS-07 level, you must meet the basic education requirement above AND ONE of the following: (1) Superior Academic Achievement, (2) One year of graduate level education in a related field, (3) One year specialized experience at the GS-05 level in the federal service, (4) an equivalent combination of education and specialized experience as described in (2) and (3). Specialized experience for the GS-07 level is defined as: Experience in production or operation of gas and oil wells or in completing Applications for Permit to Drill (APD) for government approval, or reviewing APDs, identifying deficiencies, and conducting technical reviews for approval by a senior engineer. Reviewing operators' bonds to determine if they are appropriate.

To qualify for the GS-09 level, in addition to meeting the basic education requirements, applicants must have: One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade in the Federal Service (GS-07), OR have completed two (2) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree, OR an equivalent combination of education and experience. Specialized experience for the GS-09 is defined as experience assisting higher level petroleum engineers in the exploration, development and production of oil and gas resources including well design, well completion and workovers; completing/reviewing Applications for Permit to Drill (APDs), identifying deficiencies, and conducting technical reviews for approval by a senior engineer.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement. 

Additional information

SELECTIVE SERVICE: Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must certify that they have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. To register or verify your registration go to the Selective Service System website.

May require completion of a 1 year probationary period.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources website at CTAP or ICTAP. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration or that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) This vacancy is within your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility; 2) You apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) You are found well qualified for this vacancy. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form. CTAP and ICTAP eligibles will be considered well qualified if they fall within the Well or Best Qualified categories on the rating criteria for this position.

BLM may use certain incentives, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract high quality applicants.

If selected for this position, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450 within 30 days of reporting to duty.  You will be required to provide this information annually.

At the GS-07, and -09 levels, this position is subject to Special Salary Rate Table 0415. The salary is higher than the standard Rest of United States locality table and is reflected in the amounts listed in this announcement. Pay for employees new to the federal government will be set at the step 1 on the pay scale.

This announcement is being advertised concurrently at the GS-11 level under WY-DEU-2019-0036 open to all US Citizens, at the GS-11 level under WY-Merit-2019-0073 and at the and at the -07 and -09 levels under WY-Merit-2019-0075 for current and former federal employees serving under a competitive service career or career-conditional appointment or reinstatement eligible. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under all grades and recruitment methods.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Upon receipt of your complete application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. Your rating will be based on your responses to the Job Specific Questionnaire and the information stated in your resume. If you meet the qualification requirements, you application will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. In addition, interviews may be conducted for this position. The interviews may be conducted on a pass/fail basis or may be scored. The job specific questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, and abilities required to do the work of this position:

* Knowledge of the principles, theories and practices of petroleum engineering.

* Knowledge of oil and gas drilling equipment, methods and operations.

* Ability to communicate orally and in writing.

* Skill in using automated software.
To preview questions please click here.

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