Petroleum Engineering: Where to study, entrance exams, eligibility and job roles

With energy playing a key role in modern civilisation, the liquid fossil fuel industry literally runs the world. Entering this industry demands a lot of practical knowledge as well as a strong grasp of Maths, Physics and Geology. The best starting point for you in this sector could be a degree in Petroleum Engineering (PE) courses.

What is Petroleum Engineering

This Engineering discipline deals with the activities involved in the production of hydrocarbons such as natural gas and petroleum. Physics, Chemistry, Maths, Geology, Thermodynamics, Computation, Applied Mechanics and Structural Engineering are some of the primary areas covered in this specific course. Petroleum engineers combine innovation, exploration and expansion to address and solve issues to secure energy security.

Studying Petroleum Engineering:

• You need to clear your Class XII board exams or an equivalent exam with Physics, Chemistry, Maths as compulsory subjects. You need at least 75% marks for admission to IITs, NITs and GFTIs.
• You need to clear JEE Mains, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), for admission to NITs, CFTIs and other engineering institutes.
• You need to clear JEE Advanced to get into IITs and IIT (ISM) Dhanbad. To be eligible for JEE Advanced, you need to be among the top 2,50,000 successful candidates (across all categories) in the BE/BTech paper of JEE Mains.
• You can get a Petroleum Engineering degree by clearing any of the state joint entrance exams.
• For a master’s degree in Petroleum Engineering, you need to clear GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering).

Institutes that offer courses in Petroleum Engineering:

IIT Kharagpur, West Bengal

Course: Integrated BTech in Petroleum Engineering.

• Duration: Five years.
• Admission: Depends on your rank in JEE Advanced.

Course: MTech in Petroleum Engineering.

• Duration: Two years.
• Admission: Depends on your GATE rank.

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Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE), Andhra Pradesh

Course: BTech in Petroleum Engineering.

• Duration: Four years.
• Admission: Depends on your rank in JEE Mains.

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IIT Madras, Tamil Nadu

Course: MTech in Petroleum Engineering.

• Duration: Two years.
• Admission: Depends on your GATE rank.

Course: MS in Petroleum Engineering.

• Duration: Two years.
• Admission: Depends on your GATE rank.

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University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun, Uttarakhand

Course: BTech in Applied Petroleum Engineering Upstream (Exploration & Production Data Management).

• Duration: Four years.
• Admission: Depends on your rank in JEE Mains.

Course: BTech in Applied Petroleum Engineering Upstream (Digital Oilfield).

• Duration: Four years.
• Admission: Depends on your rank in JEE Mains.

Course: BTech in Applied Petroleum Engineering Upstream (Integrated Reservoir Management).

• Duration: Four years.
• Admission: Depends on your rank in JEE Mains.

Course: BTech in Applied Petroleum Engineering Upstream (Intelligent Drilling & Production System).

• Duration: Four years.
• Admission: Depends on your rank in JEE Mains.

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Studying abroad:

Petroleum Engineering is one of the most highly rated engineering courses around the world. Here’s a list of foreign institutes that offer such courses:

• Harvard University, US
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), US
• Stanford University, US
• Imperial College London, UK
• National University of Singapore, Singapore

Job roles with a degree in Petroleum Engineering:

• Project manager: They are in charge of the full operation and management of a project segment. They are responsible for executing the project in an appropriate manner to deliver maximum value to the organisation and the client.

• Testing manager: They handle a variety of sophisticated machines with several components that must perform at various levels. A testing manager performs a supervisory role by managing a small team to carry out field operations at a petroleum refinery.

• Researcher: Working on research projects to find something may be used by industries and collaborators is a requirement of this position. It necessitates a PhD degree or postgraduate research experience.

• Consultant: The job entails giving technical and expert advice on how to solve serious difficulties. This position is best suited for a seasoned specialist in this sector.

• Junior engineer: A junior engineer's job is to deal with technical issues that arise during a project's ground-level execution. It can be either the structure's design or its implementation.

• Technician: This position requires managing the petroleum refinery equipment and machinery. It is a skilled job that necessitates well-trained and knowledgeable employees to ensure that the company's operations run smoothly.