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Career in Petroleum Engineering
As our global dependency on petroleum and gas increases, petroleum engineers become increasingly crucial to meeting the country’s energy needs. With the existing reserves depleting, the demand for advancements in extraction techniques has heightened. In India, the hype of engineering directs most students towards traditional engineering disciplines. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness regarding the several opportunities within petroleum engineering deprives many enthusiasts of considering this dynamic and globally relevant field
Petroleum engineering is a field of engineering that involves the extraction, refinement, and production of hydrocarbons, encompassing oil and natural gas. Individuals who are intrigued by energy exploration, advanced technology, and the exciting intersection of geology and engineering, would excel and enjoy a career in petroleum engineering. As our global dependency on petroleum and gas increases, petroleum engineers become increasingly crucial to meeting the country’s energy needs. With the existing reserves depleting, the demand for advancements in extraction techniques has heightened.
In India, the hype of engineering directs most students towards traditional engineering disciplines. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness regarding the several opportunities within petroleum engineering deprives many enthusiasts of considering this dynamic and globally relevant field.
Those who are intrigued by the discipline of petroleum engineering should have a strong base in mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Some of the most popular courses in Petroleum Engineering that equip students with the necessary skills include:
B.Tech Petroleum Engineering
The 4-year programme encompasses comprehensive subjects like exploration, production, reservoir, and drilling engineering, complemented by foundational courses in mathematics, physics, chemistry, geology, and computer science. To be eligible for this course, one must have appeared in JEE/MHTCET/PERA and have an aggregate score of a minimum of 50% in class 12 with physics, chemistry, and mathematics as their majors.
M.Tech Petroleum Engineering
The 2-year programme explores topics like subsurface oil and gas management, encompassing exploration, drilling, production, and resource oversight. Building on foundational knowledge, the curriculum focuses on designing and applying principles, tools, and systems for efficient extraction, processing, and refining.
Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering
The Ph.D. programme is available both full-time and part-time with a minimum duration of 3 years. This programme fosters scholarly excellence with an emphasis on reservoir engineering, production engineering, geothermal energy, and data analytics.
Petroleum engineering offers a diverse and lucrative range of career paths, with opportunities for professionals at every stage of their careers.
Here are some of the different career paths in petroleum engineering:
♦ Reservoir engineers: They use simulations to improve reservoir performance and production methods and analyze subsurface formations to maximize oil and gas extraction.
♦ Drilling engineers: They are responsible for choosing the tools and procedures for safe and effective drilling, ensuring smooth operations and well integrity. Their job also includes designing and supervising well construction.
♦ Production engineers: They oversee procedures to increase yield, reduce downtime, and uphold safety standards while managing the effective extraction of hydrocarbons from wells.
♦ Completion engineers: They are in charge of completing well construction, putting tools and methods in place to allow for oil and gas flow, and ensuring maximum well productivity.
♦ Petro-physicists: They analyze well data to identify the characteristics of the rock and fluid, assisting in the characterization of the reservoir and guiding drilling, production, and reservoir management decisions.
♦ Petroleum geologists: They use geological information to evaluate potential extraction sites and optimize exploration strategies. Their job also includes investigating subsurface formations to find oil and gas reservoirs.
♦ Project manager: They are responsible for supervising oil and gas operations, organizing teams, controlling spending, and guaranteeing on-time project completion while upholding safety and regulatory standards.
With innovative energy solutions constantly being debated about, Petroleum Engineering brings to you the realm of boundless possibilities. Each role is standing at the brink of innovation, waiting to the explored and touched with excellence!
(The author is Professor and Program Director, Department of Petroleum Engineering, MIT-WPU)
