diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 761ed18..fa0e890 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -24,14 +24,15 @@ Download Miniconda3 from the [conda website](https://conda.io/miniconda.html)
 ```csh
 bash Miniconda3-latest-Linux-x86_64.sh
 (specify .miniconda3 and not miniconda3 as target dir for conda)
-bash
+
 conda update conda
-conda create --name petsc python
+```
+
+Create the conda environment from the `enviroment.yml` file, and activate the new environment for use.
+```csh
+conda env create -f environment.yml
+
 source activate petsc
-conda install -c conda-forge petsc4py
-conda install -c conda-forge netcdf4
-conda install -c conda-forge matplotlib
-conda install -c conda-forge snakeviz
 ```
 
 # Run on datarmor
diff --git a/environment.yml b/environment.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..431b31d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/environment.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+name: petsc
+
+channels:
+        - defaults
+        - conda-forge
+
+dependencies:
+            - python=3.6
+            - netcdf4
+            - matplotlib
+            - snakeviz
+            - conda-forge::petsc4py