The oil industry is notoriously male-dominated – but there was a surge in the number of jobs given to women earlier this year.

Women made up nearly half (46%) of all new jobs in the US oil industry in the first three months of 2013, according to new analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The roles ranged from advanced petroleum engineering to more traditional work on drilling rigs and pipelines.

Jenny Stevens, Director of Commercial Ventures for oil workers accommodation firm North Dakota Developments said: “I’ve worked in and around the industry for over 17 years now and the changes are beginning to become really apparent. We’re seeing women in roles across the oil sector, from rig work to computer-assisted exploration.”

Less than a fifth of the overall US oil workforce is female according to news website Rigzone.