Carrier Future in Petroleum Engineering Sector!!

Introduction Petroleum Carrier..

Petroleum engineering is a field of engineering concerned with the activities related to the production of hydrocarbons, which can be either crude oil or natural gas.Energy is a key component in our everyday lives. A secure energy future requires a balance between environmental impact and affordable supply. Petroleum and Geosystems engineers are able to address and solve important issues that will lead to energy security and thus are in high demand.   Petroleum engineers have a future full of challenges and opportunities. They must develop and apply new technology to recover hydrocarbons from oil shale, tar sands, and offshore oil and gas fields. They must also devise new techniques to recover oil left in the ground after application of conventional producing techniques.

Despite the fact that petroleum engineering is an attractive and high paying career option, not much information is available on it. Typically, a petroleum engineering graduate is given the job to discover natural sources of oil and examine the same. Similarly, developing the latest machines and equipments which can be used in the extraction and processing of oil is part of the job of a petroleum engineer. Petroleum engineers have global career and are hired by global oil companies.

Since many petroleum companies conduct worldwide operations, petroleum engineers have the opportunity for assignments all over the world. Petroleum engineers must solve, the variety of technological, political, and economic problems encountered in these assignments. These exciting challenges combine to offer a petroleum engineer a most rewarding career.

The petroleum Engineering is divided into two parts.

A Petroleum engineer’s work involves bringing oil or gas from the reservoir to the surface economically, safely and with minimum damage to the reservoir and facilities. 

Other activities include management of material resources and contractor relationships and also supervising drilling personnel.

They work in multidisciplinary teams alongside other engineers, scientists, drilling teams and contractors.

Despite the low number of potential job openings for petroleum engineers, the field is always in short supply of qualified entry level professionals. 

Upstream Sector

The upstream sector consists of activities like exploration, production and exploitation of oil and natural gases. After gaining a qualification in petroleum engineering, the engineers work in the exploration and production activities of petroleum and other related products. Using the latest drilling technology and geophysics for the exploration of oil reservoirs, they exploit the same for maximum output.

Downstream Sector

The downstream sector consist activities such as the refining, marketing and distributing of petroleum products. Production is not the only work carried out in a petroleum company and the job of petroleum engineer does not get over as the oil is produced, rather, it starts at this stage. Refining process is crucial for an oil product as then only it can be used. Marketing and distributing department may require a petroleum engineer to have some management degree.

Step-by-Step

As the world is highly dependent upon petroleum as a source of energy, a career in the field is bound to be attractive and challenging. An aspirant can do a BTech in petroleum engineering after completing 10+2 in the science stream.

Similarly, post graduate program in the field can be done after the completion of BE/BTech degree in the relevant subject. If you are an MSc in Chemistry then that also makes you eligible to do post graduation in petroleum engineering. Research can be done in the fields of petroleum refining and petrochemicals, petroleum exploration and production and mechanical or petroleum science, etc.

Start Early

Considering the inclination towards petroleum engineering one should start preparing for entrance exams which are conducted by various engineering colleges. As Petroleum is available in areas which are geographically isolated places, it could be challenging to work in such a place. However, it is a highly paid career and money attracts lots of students to pursue this field of study in engineering colleges.

Is it the Right Career for Me?

Asking the question to self might answer whether you are right in selecting petroleum engineering as your career. Before opting for a career in petroleum engineering analyse yourself, your interests, long term goals, affordability of staying in foreign lands and many other related issues. Considering your decision you will be required to study and complete your education so that you are eligible to do a course in petroleum engineering.

What would it Cost Me?

Doing a course in petroleum engineering is expensive. One reason for high fee structure may be because the course requires lots of experiments and equipments. BTech or BE in Petroleum Engineering can cost between Rs 6 to Rs 8 lakhs. Similarly, MTech in petroleum engineering can cost more than Rs 3 lakhs.

Funding and Scholarship

Despite high costs, courses in petroleum engineering attract lots of bright students. Students can get education loans from various nationalised banks or private banks which are being made available at low interest rates. Scholarships are available for meritorious students, particularly for those who excel in entrance exams. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) scholarships are offered to SC/ST students who want to do research in engineering.

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd offers attractive scholarships for engineering students interested in doing research in petroleum energy. Indian Oil Corporation under its corporate social responsibility offers 100 scholarships to engineering students wherein students can avail Rs 2000 per month for four years bachelor degree.

Job Prospects

Career prospects are quite attractive in petroleum sector as petroleum companies have great influence and offer attractive salaries to employees. The demand for petroleum and petroleum products is only expected to increase and the increase would lead to creation of new jobs. In fact, there is great demand of efficient petroleum engineers and almost every young graduate in petroleum engineering gets a job offer from petrol and gas companies from India and overseas.

Whereas private petroleum companies offer attractive salaries to petroleum engineers, government sector oil companies are not far behind in terms of paying attractive salaries and bonuses to employees.

Pay Packet

As in every other industry, remuneration in petroleum engineering is determined according to the knowledge, skills, qualification, capabilities and experience of the candidate. Moreover, if the candidate is from top notch engineering college he may get a job which can pay salary between Rs 35,000 and Rs 50,000 per month. People working in petroleum producing MNCs get a median annual salary of around $100, 000.

Demand and Supply

The expanding demand for petroleum products would require exploitation of oil reservoirs which consequently would need trained petroleum engineers. Currently, there is big mismatch in the demand and supply of trained petroleum engineers in India. When Indian oil companies are going overseas and setting up oil producing units, jobs in the petroleum sector are bound to increase. Moreover, India is the newest in imparting training skills in petroleum engineering to its youths. More than India, it is MNCs from overseas who hire Indian petroleum engineers for their various projects.

Market Watch

Despite the fact that oil fields and reservoirs are diminishing, the consumption of oil is increasing rapidly. According to Exxon Mobile sources, global liquid fuels consumption rose to approximately 85 million barrels per day in the first half of 2010. It is more than 1 million barrels per day higher than the first half of 2009.  There would be jobs coming up in the US oil companies but not in the US, in gulf countries and other parts of Central Asia.

Jobs in Russian petroleum firms would be coming up in a big way as the country is trying to exploit its huge oil reservoirs to sell out its petroleum products. Moreover, attractive job options would be available to young petroleum engineers once production starts at Krishna-Godavari basin in India. Companies involved in oil extraction hire Indian petroleum engineers for they work at lower salaries than engineers from other countries.

International Focus

Besides getting jobs in Indian petroleum companies, candidates with qualification in petroleum engineering get jobs in Reliance Industries Ltd, ONGC, Schlumberger, British Gas, Halliburton Services, Essar Oil, GSPC, Shell, OIL, Gas Authority of India Ltd, Cairn Energy, IOCL, Essar Oil Ltd, NIKO Resources, GEOENPRO, MECOM Ltd, Baker Hughes, Reliance Energy, etc amongst many others.

Those who have done masters or research in petroleum engineering can work in research activities of various multinational oil companies in various R&D projects.

Positives and Negatives

Whereas a golden future in exploitation of ‘liquid gold’ attracts every young engineer, risks involved in it can deter many not to opt for such a career. In order to search new oilfields, at times, petroleum engineers are required to stay in remote and distant areas which are not only difficult but unattractive too. When compared with other sophisticated engineering branches such as IT, petroleum engineering professionals face numerous difficulties. No one would wish to work in remote and arid area where life becomes difficult.

On the positive side, it is a highly rewarding career and also provides opportunities to travel to distant places.

Different Roles, Different Names..

Depending upon the qualification, skills and experience, roles and designations differ in the field. Some of the positions offered are Reservoir Engineer, Technical Support Engineer, Senior Geoscientist, Drill Bits System Field Engineer, Petroleum Technologist and Drilling Engineer. Other positions are Principal Reservoir Petro Physicist, Technical Support Specialist, Tender and Quotations Analyst, Geosciences Pressure Expert, Senior Petro Physicist, Senior Exploration Geologist and Process Engineer.

Top Oil Companies in India..

• Indian Oil Corporation
• IBP Co. Limited
• Lubricants India
• Oil Gas India
• Petrosil Group
• Shiv-Vani Universal
• ONGC
• Bharat Petroleum
• Reliance Petroleum Limited
• Essar Oil Limited
• Gas Authority of India
• Hindustan Petroleum Corporation
• Aban
• Oil India Limited
• Tata Petrodyne
• Bongaigaon Refinery
• Gas Projects (India) Private Limited
• Hindustan Oil Exploration Company Limited
• India LPG
• Kochi Refineries Limited

Students interested in pursuing courses in petroleum engineering can do the following:
• BE Petroleum Engineering
• BTech Applied Petroleum Engineering
• BTech Petrochemical Engineering
• BTech Petroleum Engineering
• BTech Petroleum Refining and Petrochemicals Engineering
• BTech Petroleum Refining Engineering
• BTech Petroleum Reservoir And Production Engineering
• ME Petroleum Engineering
• MTech Petroleum Engineering
• MTech Petroleum Exploration
• MTech Petroleum Refinery Engineering
• MTech Petroleum Refining and Petrochemical Engineering

I have mentioned the best colleges below which are providing Petroleum Engineering courses you can apply for any one of them:-

Top Institutes...

The following institutes offer academic qualifications in petroleum engineering:

In Tamilnadu..

1,A.M.E.T. University

No. 135, East Coast Road, Kanathur Chennai, Tamil Nadu

(044) 32557575, 27472905, 27473257, 27477002, 27477030

9444952565, 9443970038 (044) 27472804, 26162827. 2,J.C.T. College of Engineering and  Technology, Pichanur Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu (0422) 3232421, 2636900 (0422) 2636901

3, Bharathisadan Institute of Engineering and Technology

Constituent College of Anna University,

Tiruchirappalli-620024.

91 431 2407272, 91 431 2407575

http://www.bdu.ac.in/

All over India..

Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology
Ratapur Chowk 
Rae Bareli,Uttar Pradesh
Phone : (0535) 2217427 

Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU)
Raisan Village,
Gandhinagar,Gujarat
Phone : (079) 23275109, 23275020, 23275030, 23275060 

Indian School of Mines University
Dhanbad,Jharkhand
Phone : (0326) 2296559, 2296560, 2296561, 2296562 
Mobile : 9430352782 

Dibrugarh University
National Highway,Dibrugarh 
Dibrugarh,Assam
Phone : (0373) 2370231, 2370336, 2370239, 2371040 
Mobile : 9954480932, 9435331532, 8011050097 

Bhagwant University
Sikar Road 
Ajmer,Rajasthan
Phone : (0145) 2300144, 2300145, 2300628 
Mobile : 9414708220, 9414708322 

Aryabhatta Knowledge University (AKU)
Chanakya National Law University Campus,Near Mithapur Bus Stand,Mithapur 
Patna,Bihar
Phone : (0612) 2362270, 2351919 

Graphic Era University
566/6,Bell Road Clemnt Town,
Dehradun,Uttarakhand
Phone : (0135) 2642799, 2642727 

Singhania University
Dist.Jhunjhunu 
Pacheri Bari,Rajasthan
Phone : (01593) 271299, 271300, 271005 
Mobile : 9784343208, 9251604020, 9416903103 

University of Technology and Management (UTM)
Bijni Complex (Old NEHU Campus),Don Gordon Bhagyakul,Laitumkhrah 
Shillong,Meghalaya
Phone : (0364) 2500969, 2500975, 2500980.

• BR Ambedkar Technological University
• Maharashtra Institute of Technology
• Institute of Petroleum Studies and Chemical Engineering
• Nowrosjee Wadia College
• University of Petroleum Studies
• Institute of Cheminformatics Studies
• Dr. Harising Gour University

List of colleges offering M.E Petroleum Engineering in India :-


Adikavi Nannaya University , Rajahnubdry

Akigarh Muslim University , Aligarh

Anna University , Chennai

Dr MGR University , Chennai

Dibrugarh University

Hindustan College of Arts & Science , Chennai

Hi Tech Institute of Engineering & Technology , Ghaziabad

Indian Institute of Technology - IIT Guwahati

Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University

Maharashtra Institute of Technology , Pune

Nagpur University , Nagpur

Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University

Pune University , Pune

Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology

Sachdeva Institute of Technology , Delhi

Sastra University , Chennai

Singhania University

School of Petroleum Technology

Vishwakarma Govt Engineering College , Ahmedabad

Tips for getting hired..

An international career is much attractive and young engineers willing to explore can work in global oil companies and get international exposure; however, here are few things which can help in building a successful career:

•Regarding the Salaries so mostly it depends on the type of companies which is recruiting you as well as your percentage in Final Degree Programme.

• Excellent academic record in BTech in Petroleum Engineering is a must.
• Technical exposure during various projects carried out during the course shows that the candidate can work effectively when exposed to real scenarios.
• Excellent numerical and computer skills are expected from petroleum engineers as most of the time there would be computer simulation required for further analysis.
• Skills to plan out project and execute them with team spirit are further requirements.

Sound communication skills in English language would enhance the chances of getting international exposure and higher position within the organization.

Prepared & Collection by M. Ajmal Khan.