Petroleum Engineering

What is Petroleum Engineering

Petroleum engineering courses are highly interdisciplinary. Petroleum Engineering is the branch of engineering that is involved in the activities associated with the production of various hydrocarbons like natural gas or petroleum. Aspirants can pursue petroleum engineering either directly after 10+2 ( undergraduate degree (B.Tech)) or take one of the other engineering branches and do an M.Tech in petroleum engineering. There is also a huge scope for research-based programs in petroleum engineering upon the completion of post-graduation from a reputable petroleum engineering institute. Some of the major subjects taught in a petroleum engineering course are physics, chemistry, mathematics, geology, thermodynamics, computation, applied mechanics, and structural engineering.

A certified petroleum engineer is well equipped with the skills and knowledge of everything pertaining to extracted mineral oil and gas from the earth’s core. Some of the advantages of pursuing this specialized course of engineering apart from the exciting curriculum are the opportunity to stay and work in remote locations like in the middle of the sea or desert or islands, the fact that it is one of the highest-paid branches of engineering and that it has got evergreen job prospects! Read on, to know more about Petroleum Engineering scope, branches, admission process and more: 

Petroleum Engineering-: Course Highlights

Petroleum Engineering Degrees and Levels:

Diploma level (3 years courses)- A diploma in petroleum engineering can be pursued after the completion of Class 10th. It equips students with basic engineering skills required for executing entry-level jobs in the petroleum industry.

Undergraduate level (4-year courses)- Candidates can opt for B.Tech or B.E. in Petroleum Engineering (PE), B.Tech or B.E. in Petroleum Reservoir and Production Engineering and  B.Tech or B.E. in Applied Petroleum Engineering

Postgraduate level (2-year courses)- Candidates can opt for M.Tech or M.E. in Petroleum Engineering or M.Tech or M.E. in Petroleum Refinery Engineering

Dual degree covering both undergraduate and postgraduate levels (5-year course)- Specialised B.Tech + M.Tech courses in petroleum engineering provide dual degree exits with a specialization in a sub-field of PE.

Postgraduate level (Research-based)- M.S in PE or related fields can be obtained after a post-graduate level research thesis is completed with minimum course work. The eligibility for enrolling in this postgraduate degree course is graduation in any branch having relevance in petroleum engineering.

Doctoral program (Research-based)- PhD with a specialization in petroleum engineering and related areas can be obtained after writing a novel research thesis in the particular field. This is typically pursued if one is passionate about research and in PE. A postgraduate level qualification is needed in any subfield of PE for this program. A candidate must strive to secure a seat in one of the best petroleum engineering colleges under a central university in order to get a doctoral degree.

Minimum and Maximum Duration of a Petroleum Engineering (in Months)

The course duration of Petroleum Engineering (PE) varies based on the degree and the level. A diploma is pursued immediately after Class 10 and is of minimum 3 years duration. Graduation requires at least 4 years to complete, while post graduation is obtained in a minimum of 2 years. The research-based programs vary based on the progress made in scientific research and publication. It is typically 3 years for M.S and 4-5 years for PhD students.

The maximum duration depends on the PE college where relaxation is provided for graduation. It is typically 4-6 years for diploma and undergraduate level courses of petroleum engineering. The research-based programs can take as long as 7-8 years and depend entirely on the research circumstances, research advisor, and the progress made.  

Eligibility Criteria (UG & PG) of Petroleum Engineering

The eligibility for the diploma course in petroleum engineering is a minimum of 55% aggregate marks in the Class 10 board examination. The required percentage of marks is relaxed for SC/ST/PwD category candidates.

For undergraduate programs, the minimum eligibility into government colleges is 75% in Class 12 with the subjects Maths, Physics and Chemistry. However, some have the eligibility as 60% in both Class 10 and Class 12 from the recognised Examination Board. The eligibility is reduced by 5% for SC/ST/PwD category students. The requirements also vary greatly for private colleges.

The postgraduate (M.Tech) petroleum engineering course(s) has the minimum requirements for admission.The eligibility criteria include an undergraduate B.E or B.Tech degree with a minimum of first-class (60%) marks or 6.0 (out of 10.0) Grade Point Average (GPA) in the disciplines of Petroleum Engineering from an AICTE approved institution or Parliamentary Act approved central or state university.

Admission Criteria for Petroleum Engineering after Class 12

In order to apply for the course, candidates need to qualify the entrance examination apart from having passing grade in class 12. Different universities/colleges accept scores of different entrance examinations for UG and PG courses. Mentioned below is the detail of the entrance exam for petroleum engineering. 

Entrance Examinations for Petroleum Engineering

There are different types of entrance examinations based on the level one aspires to gain admission into. For petroleum engineering diploma programs, individuals have to qualify college-based admission tests. For undergraduate petroleum engineering courses, the score of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE ) Main is considered valid by many colleges and universities. The JEE Advanced is for getting admission in the Indian Institute of Petroleum Engineering (IIPE) and IITs. It is to be noted here that only very few IITs offer B.Tech in Petroleum Engineering. There is also the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun, which considers UPESEAT examination scores for admission. For postgraduate programs, the major entrance exam is the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) the score of which is used by almost all reputed colleges.

Fees and Expenses of Petroleum Engineering Courses

The tuition fee and college expenses for popular petroleum engineering courses are as follows:

Diploma level: Total fee is in the range of Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 1,30,000. As of now, there are no government polytechnic colleges for Diploma in PE.

Undergraduate level: Total fee entirely depends on the college and it varies a lot. It is typically between Rs. 45,000 and Rs. 11,00,000 for the 4 years of the program.

Postgraduate and research: The fee for postgraduate programs is often lower compared to the undergraduate courses. And postgraduate students also get a stipend. The fee is in the range of Rs. 1,15,000 to Rs. 3,45,000 for the entire duration of 2 years. There is a decent stipend allocated for MS and PhD students of PE as well; it can be anything between Rs. 12,000 and Rs. 45,000 per month.

Required Skillset for Petroleum Engineering

• Strong technical skills- Petroleum engineers typically work with fundamental engineering problems and this requires solid foundation in core engineering areas. It includes some background in physics, mathematics and chemistry, which can be developed in the course.
  
  

• Team working skills- The heavy project environment of petroleum engineering always requires the tasks to be broken down into small pieces and handled by team members. Team working skills become very important when solving engineering problems that are hard to crack individually.
  
  

• Problem-solving skills- In order to pursue any core engineering related courses, the ability to analytically think and solve problems is very essential. The ability to come up with solutions to challenges is an everyday task for petroleum engineers.
  
  

• Ability to work under pressure- Career prospects of petroleum engineering are often field assignments and they require ability to cope up pressure and on-field demands. The field tasks can be often very demanding and it is required to be ready to face challenges and be able to solve problems under pressure.
  
  

• Drive and enthusiasm- Any professional commitment is difficult to pursue without an interest for it, more so for petroleum engineers because of the work environment and demanding nature of it. So the drive and enthusiasm to carry forward with passion and dedication to the field are very important.
  
  

• Numerical and analytical skills- As an engineer, the routine tasks often involve rigorous mathematical computations which need one to be quick and accurate over numerical calculations. Complex problem solving often requires strong analytical skills.
  
  

• Good health and fitness- The nature of the job, being an on-field role demands your body to be able to be sound and healthy. Locations of work can be either remote deserts or off the shore in sea, these kinds of adventurous on field jobs require your full fitness.