Hi,

The study of petroleum engineering can be broadly divided into two sectors:

1. The Upstream Sector, deals with the exploration, production and exploitation of hydrocarbons (Petroleum and Natural gas).

2. The Downstream Sector, deals with refining, marketing distribution.

Most of the institutes in India offer petroleum engineering courses which cover the study of the upstream sector, whereas the downstream sector companies recruit chemical engineers. 

Jobs of a Petroleum Engineer:

A petroleum engineer is involved in nearly all of the stages of oil and gas field evaluation, development and production. The aim of their work is to maximise hydrocarbon recovery at minimum cost while maintaining a strong emphasis on reducing environmental impact.

Petroleum engineers are divided into several groups:

Petroleum geologists: who find hydrocarbons by analysing subsurface structures with geological and geophysical methods.

Reservoir engineers: who work to optimise production of oil and gas via proper well placement, production levels and enhanced oil recovery techniques. They use computer simulations to assist in the identification of risks and to make forecasts on reservoir potential.

Production engineers: who manage the interface between the reservoir and the well through such tasks as perforations, sand control, artificial lift, downhole flow control and downhole monitoring equipment. They also select surface equipment that separates the produced fluids (oil, natural gas and water).

Drilling engineers: who manage the technical aspects of drilling both production and injection wells. They work in multidisciplinary teams alongside other engineers, scientists, drilling teams and contractors