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EDUCATION OIL & NATURAL GAS IN NEW MEXICO New Mexico’s universities and training institutes have programs tailored to the oil and gas industry, providing companies with employees trained in the specific skills that they need. These programs offer training for engineers, CDL drivers, pump technicians, and instrumentation and controls technicians. They can also quickly create customized training based on a company’s needs. New Mexico Tech’s Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering offers both undergraduate and graduate programs in Petroleum Engineering; a broad-based discipline primarily concerned with the development, exploration, and conservation of oil and gas resources. San Juan College’s School of Energy has degree and certificate programs in the Fundamentals of Petroleum Production Operations, Natural Gas Compression, and Well Control. In addition, the school offers one-day oil and gas industry training designed for anyone currently employed in the industry who wants to acquire knowledge and improve skills. New Mexico Junior College’s Energy Technology program offers an Associate of Applied Science in Energy Technology and certificate programs for Energy Technicians, Petroleum Technicians, and Nuclear Energy Technicians. The goal of these programs is to provide education and training so that upon graduation students are prepared to enter the workforce as entry level technicians. Texas Tech University’s Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering in Lubbock has both graduate and undergraduate programs in petroleum engineering accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The programs focus on practical application of the mathematics, geology, physics, and chemistry and all of the engineering sciences to the discovery, development, and production, and transportation of petroleum. New Mexico is a global leader in oil and natural gas production thanks to massive deposits, located in the Permian (in the southeast) and San Juan (in the northwest) Basins. The state is currently 3rd in oil production in the United States and 10th in Natural Gas production. New Mexico has three oil refineries in Artesia, Lovington, and Gallup, and uses several petroleum product pipelines to connect the refineries to local and national markets.
