1. (a) Implementation.

   1. (1) The provisions of this section shall be implemented by school districts beginning with the 2020-2021 school year.
   2. (2) School districts shall implement the employability skills student expectations listed in §127.15(d)(2) of this chapter (relating to Career and Technical Education Employability Skills) as an integral part of this course.
2. (b) General requirements. This course is recommended for students in Grades 11 and 12. Prerequisite: Oil and Gas Production II. Students shall be awarded one credit for successful completion of this course.

3. (c) Introduction.

   1. (1) Career and technical education instruction provides content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills for students to further their education and succeed in current or emerging professions.
   2. (2) The Energy Career Cluster focuses on Texas's diverse economic landscape, geography and natural resources, including renewable energy potential, transportation system, labor force, and leadership in environmental research.
   3. (3) In Oil and Gas Production III, students will gain knowledge of hydraulic and pneumatic systems and skill requirements to work in oil and gas and related industries. Students complete an advance core curriculum that includes hydraulic and pneumatic systems involved in oil and gas production. This program is designed to train students in all areas of down and mid-stream operation skills.
   4. (4) Students are encouraged to participate in extended learning experiences such as career and technical student organizations and other organizations that foster leadership and career development in the profession such as student chapters of related professional associations.
   5. (5) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.

4. (d) Knowledge and skills.

   1. (1) The student identifies the importance of oil field hydraulics and its contributions to the oil and gas industry. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) identify companies that contributed to oil field hydraulics and fracturing and discuss those contributions;
      2. (B) explain the history of hydraulic fracturing and its importance to the oil field industry and the process of producing wells in North America;
      3. (C) describe the impact of hydraulics on energy in North America; and
      4. (D) explain the impact on new oil and natural gas production in North America as it relates to technology.

   2. (2) The student demonstrates an understanding of pneumatics and hydraulics and their significance and application in the petroleum engineering industry. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) describe and define the basic functional components of the pneumatic system and the function of a pneumatic schematic;
      2. (B) explain pneumatic pressure and identify its unit of measure during application procedures;
      3. (C) explain the importance of a hydraulic system and identify the hydraulic system's five basic components (hydraulic pump, control valves, actuators, reservoir, and accumulators), including the hydraulic system's significance in the petroleum engineering industry; and
      4. (D) define hydraulics and identify its unit of measure during application procedures.

   3. (3) The student explains and demonstrates the six pneumatic safety rules and the importance of the rules in the petroleum industry. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) explain the six pneumatic safety rules, including wearing safety glasses when building and operating pneumatics, keeping fingers clear of piston rods, never blowing compressed air at anyone, not turning the main air supply on until a circuit is connected, turning the air off if air is leaking from a joint, and turning the air off before altering a circuit;
      2. (B) demonstrate safety precaution measures in pneumatics and discuss the importance of safety equipment during this process; and
      3. (C) demonstrate and explain the importance of a pressure regulator in pneumatics, including the historical significance.

   4. (4) The student demonstrates an understanding of basic cylinder circuits and pneumatic cylinder circuits and their significance and applications in the petroleum engineering industry. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) explain the functions of the operation of a double acting pneumatic cylinder and each of its functions;
      2. (B) describe the operation of five-way three-position directional control valves (DCV);
      3. (C) describe the function of a pneumatic quick-connect fitting; and
      4. (D) demonstrate how to safely connect the pneumatic circuit with a quick-connect fitting.

   5. (5) The student understands the impact of a hydraulic schematic in oil field applications. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) describe ISO symbols and appropriately use them to draw a hydraulic schematic; and
      2. (B) create a hydraulic schematic.

   6. (6) The student identifies the principles of hydraulic pressure and flow and discusses the basic hydraulic cylinder circuits and their application. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) calculate the force output of an extending cylinder and the retraction force of a cylinder;
      2. (B) explain the relevance of Pascal's Law to hydraulics;
      3. (C) identify and discuss hydraulic motors and pumps; and
      4. (D) identify hydraulic cylinders and their impact on single and double acting circuits.

Source Note:The provisions of this §127.354 adopted to be effective August 1, 2025, 50 TexReg 4421.