scientists and computational engineers for all of energy’s sectors. As a global enterprise, energy has no equal, he says. It is
the largest sector of the global and U.S. economy, and creates growth and environmental improvements.
The Livermore technologist believes that the top emerging sector is that producing and converting tight hydrocarbons, for example shale gas. “It requires expertise in geological and reser- voir engineering, drilling and completion engineers, mechanical engineers (notable structural mechanics experts and designers of down-hole equipment) and chemical engineers (from designing frack fluids to converting methane to liq- uid fuels). Although not yet as obvious, material scien- tists and material engineers will grow swiftly around this industry, including metallurgists and polymer scientists. In all cases, a fa- miliarity with computational methods, coding, and ad- vanced modeling/simulation are of additional substantial value,” he said.
Giving advice, Fried-
mann urges students to understand and learn that one’s preconceptions are not as valid as they be- lieve. He said that, “Most
Julio Friedmann, chief energy technologist, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
people think better of one kind of energy supply or use than others, largely without grounds. But any low-footprint, carbon- free Joule looks the same regardless of how it is produced or avoided. Be open minded and realistic about cost, permitting, time to market, environmental footprint and other key issues.” To stay current, Friendmann suggests that students read on-line publications such as E&ENews, Greenwire, Platts, Intelligent Utility, and EnergyBiz. Oil and gas sector devotees, especially in tight hydrocarbons, should consider Oil and Gas News and AAPG Explorer. Memberships should also be sought in the AiCHE for chemical engineering, and IEEE, and for oil and gas mavens, the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Additionally, he hopes that as students take time to appreci- ate how very good the scientists and engineers in energy sector are, and should not make “assumptions about the relative merit of (their) knowledge base compared to (the professionals).”
Energy hiring power
This is the voracious sector that needs a continuous supply of engineers, chemists, geologists, and environmental experts to lead and manage utility, petroleum refining, oil and natural gas equipment services, refining, exploration, distribution, mining and crude oil production companies. Which means members of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and other organizations, with expertise in fracking and horizontal drilling are in demand.
The U.S. and the North American energy sectors have been revitalized by shale oil and natural gas production, and these areas can’t be exported, or easily replicable by foreign competi- tors.
That means that to keep those relatively cheap energy prod- ucts flowing related industries, and America’s service, manufac- turing, and other industrial sectors are likely to hire more STEM employees to increase production to meet demand, and continue research.
Bolstering such optimism on December 5, 2012, the U.S.
Energy Information Administration released its Energy Outlook 2013. Findings project that:
• Domestic oil production will rise from 6 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2011 to 7.5 million bpd in 2019. • The United States will become a net exporter “of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2016 and a net exporter of total natural gas (including via pipelines) in 2020.”
• “The share of electricity generation from renewables grows to 16 percent in 2040 from 13 percent in 2011.”
Don’t Panic: We’re From the Government and Here to Hire You Last December, Government Executive magazine published
The Technologist’s Guide to 2013. The article highlighted six ar- eas of growth that current STEM students and graduates should investigate for potential employment in the federal government, or as a contractor to it. A snapshot of each area is below. • Big Data: The business software company, SAS, defines big data as the “popular term used to describe the exponential growth, availability and use of information, both structured and unstructured.” In 2013, Gartner, an IT research and advisory company projects that big data will equal $28 billion in project- ed IT spending out of $34 billion total.
Federal agencies must recruit and train workers to manage, analyze, and use the big data the federal government gathers. Currently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that “only five percent of the federal workforce is classified to be in computer or math-related professions.” • Data Center Consolidation: The federal government’s Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative will need computer
www.blackengineer.com USBE&IT I WINTER 2013 105
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