Petroleum Engineering as a Career in India After 12th

Last Modified: 27 Apr 2024

Petroleum Engineering deals with production and extraction of resources like natural gas and crude oil. Engineers in this field discover, extract, produce, process, transport and store crude oil and natural gas.

Petroleum engineers are of three main kinds: -

Reservoir Engineers – They measure and analyse how much oil to be drilled from underground reservoirs or deposits.

Drilling Engineers – They find out the best and unique ways to drill oil and gas wells by taking care of all the technical aspects.

Production Engineers – They observe the process of oil and gas productions once drilling of wells is complete. They also keep track of the total amount of extracted resources. If the amount of oil extracted is not up to their expectations then they figure out ways to increase the production.

Eligibility Criteria for Petroleum Engineering

The job of a petroleum engineer is both creative and hectic, so to pursue petroleum engineering courses, every student requires to fulfil specific criteria:-

  • Only students who have cleared class 12th with Science (PCM) can apply for the undergraduate programme.
  • Mathematics, Chemistry, and Physics are the compulsory subjects to pursue degree courses in Petroleum Engineering.
  • To apply for a Masters programme, having a Bachelors Degree in Petroleum Engineering is a must.

Important Courses and Subjects

There are diverse graduate and postgraduate courses in petroleum engineering. They are:-

Undergraduate Courses

  • B.E./B.Tech in Petroleum Engineering
  • B.Tech in Petroleum Reservoir and Production Engineering
  • B.Tech in Petrochemical Engineering

Postgraduate Courses

  • Master of Technology (M.Tech) in Petroleum Structural Design
  • M.Tech in Petroleum Reservoir and Production Engineering
  • M.Tech in Petrochemical Engineering

A range of subjects under Petroleum Engineering are: -

  • Applied Geology
  • Mechanics of Solids
  • Heat Transfer Processes
  • Environmental Studies
  • Fluid Mechanics
  • Introduction to Petroleum Operations
  • Drilling Engineering & Well Completion
  • Surveying
  • Well Log Analysis and Well Testing
  • Reservoir Engineering
  • Production Engineering
  • Natural Gas Engineering
  • Material Science
  • Chemical thermodynamics

Duration for Undergraduate & Postgraduate Courses

The duration for a bachelors and masters course in Petroleum Engineering are:-

  • B.E or B.Tech – 4 years
  • M.E or M.Tech - 2 years

Top Engineering Entrance Exams

To study petroleum engineering from India’s top institutes, students require to clear an entrance exam. The entrance exams of reputed colleges take place at a National, State and University level. A lot of educational institutions also offer admissions based on the merit list of JEE Main.

Here’s a list of top entrance exams for Petroleum Engineering: -

  • JEE Main 2019 (All India Joint Entrance Examination)
  • JEE Advanced 2019 (All India Entrance Examination)
  • GATE 2019 (Graduate Aptitude Test for Engineering)
  • UPESEAT 2019 (University of Petroleum and Energy Studies)
  • COMEDK UGET 2019 (Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka)

Top Universities & Colleges in India

Top Colleges and Universities offering admissions in Petroleum Engineering are: - 

  • Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay
  • Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Chennai
  • University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun
  • Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, Gujarat  
  • Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology, Uttar Pradesh
  • Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad
  • Anna University, Chennai

Jobs and Career

Demand for petroleum engineers is huge, both at the domestic level as well as at the global level. They can find jobs in Gulf regions, energy firms, refineries, oil and natural gas firms.

Job Titles of Petroleum Engineering: -

  • Petroleum Engineer
  • Production Engineer
  • Project Manager
  • Drilling Specialist
  • Planning and Design Officer
  • Purchase and Quality Control Executive
  • Consultant
  • Site Engineer
  • Assistant Project Manager
  • Senior Petro Physicist
  • Reservoir Engineer
  • Assistant Petroleum Engineer

Salary

The salary packages for freshers in the field of petroleum engineering ranges from ₹4 lakhs to ₹5 lakhs. Compared to other branches of engineering, this field offers handsome pay packages.

Petroleum engineers in India enjoy great salary packages as there will always be a need for petroleum. Experienced engineers get even better packages from companies abroad ranging from $140,000 to $200,000 per annum.

Top Companies

Famous companies from different sectors that hire Petroleum engineers are:-

  • Indian Oil Corporation Limited
  • ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited)
  • Derrick Petroleum
  • Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited)
  • HPCL (Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited)
  • Schlumberger Asia Services Ltd
  • Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited
  • GAIL
  • Halliburton
  • Hindustan Oil Exploration Company Ltd
  • Haldia Petrochemicals
  • Essar Oil

0 Comments