B.Tech. Petroleum Engineering details, eligibility, scope and jobs

Last Updated on July 31, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar

In this article, I will analyze Petroleum Engineering course. We will cover details related to the course such as types of courses, job opportunities, additional courses that may add more value etc. Please read the entire article to grab all the details. Also, I’ll be dealing with B.Tech. Petroleum Engineering program in depth. An entire section has been devoted to the B.Tech. program.

Oil Refinery — Find details about B.Tech. Petroleum Engineering course in this article-

What is Petroleum Engineering course all about?

Basically, it is all about Crude oil extraction, processing, production, different types of products produced, processes involved, devices used etc. Let us take a deeper look into these aspects.

The course covers details like procedures involved in exploration, extraction and transportation of Crude oil to begin with. Then, it covers details related to refining of this crude oil and producing the primary product- petroleum! Also, along with petroleum, myriads of other products such as plastic granules, gas, tar etc are also produced. The course also deals with these products, their processing, extraction, usage etc.

For all these processes to take place, a number of sophisticated devices are also used. The course also deals in detail with equipment and machinery being used in refineries. It also takes into consideration latest techniques and machinery used in this field too (depends on the course material).

Also, nuances associated with transporting petroleum and other by products is also covered in this course. Thus, basically, it deals with all the activities that takes place in a refinery, even the installation and construction of a refinery!

Apart from the above mentioned details, research and development in this field is also a crucial part of this course. But normally, it is covered in PhD level course or Masters Degree of this course.

Different formats of Petroleum Engineering course-

Here, we will take a look at the main formats of the course. These are regular classroom courses.

Diploma in Petroleum Engineering- 3 years course
B.E./B.Tech. in Petroleum Engineering- 4 years
M.E./M.Tech. in Petroleum Engineering- 2 years course (PG)
PhD in Petroleum Science
B.Sc. in Petroleum Science- 3 years course
M.Sc. in Petroleum Science- 2 years course
Integrated M.Sc.- PhD course

Let us now focus on B.Tech. Petroleum Engineering program. I will provide basic course details, eligibility criteria, syllabus and career prospects. Let us start-

B.Tech. Petroleum Engineering: Basic details-

It is a 4 years long Undergraduate Level Bachelor’s Degree program. The 4 years’ duration is divided into 8 semesters. Each semester lasts a period of 6 months. During each semester, a student will have to face a different set of theoretical subjects as well as practical lab sessions.

As mentioned before, this B.Tech. program focuses on exploration, drilling, processing and production, refining, distribution and storage of oil and petroleum. The Petroleum Industry can be divided into three main sectors-

Upstream
Midstream
Downstream

Upstream sector focuses mainly on exploration and extraction of crude oil and natural gas. Midstream sector focuses on transportation of these resources. In the end, the Downstream branch is all about refining of petroleum.

Based on these three main sectors, the B.Tech. course can also be divided into two main sectors- Upstream and Downstream courses. A student will have to choose one of the two streams mentioned above (during 5th semester). It is like specializing in one particular stream.

Let us take a look at the Syllabus and list of important subjects. This will help us understand the nature of the course in a much better way!

B.Tech. Petroleum Engineering: Syllabus and Important subjects

In case of first year (1st and 2nd semesters), a student will face set of Common Engineering subjects. Along with theory classes, some subjects will also have practical lab sessions associated with them. A workshop session is also present in 1st year. The set of Common Engineering subjects are-

Engineering Mathematics
Engineering Physics
Engineering Graphics/Drawing
Elements of Electrical Engineering
Elements of Civil Engineering
Elements of Mechanical Engineering
Mechanics of Solids
Communication Skills
Computer Programming and Utilization
Workshop
Chemistry
Environmental Science

From 3rd semester onward, subjects focusing on Petroleum, Oil and Natural Gas will be introduced. In case of 2nd year (3rd and 4th semesters), concepts of both Upstream and Downstream sectors are present. The important subjects present in 2nd year are-

Engineering Mathematics (3rd part, recurring subject)
Engineering Measurement and Control
Thermodynamics of Reservoir Fluids
Energy Resources
Petroleum Geology
Earth Science
Petroleum Exploration
Drilling Fluids
Strength of Material
Drilling and Well Completion
Geo Mechanics

In 5th semester, a student will have select one of the two sectors- Upstream or Downstream. The list of subjects will be different in case of the above mentioned sectors. Let us check out Upstream sector subjects first-

Upstream sector important subjects-

Petroleum Production Engineering
Transportation
Natural Gas Engineering
Reservoir Engineering
Surface Production Engineering
Advanced Drilling
Pumps and Compressors
Machines and Equipment
Equipment Design
Reservoir Management
Reservoir Modelling
Artificial Lift Techniques

Downstream sector important subjects-

Petroleum Processing Operations
Oil Recovery
Transportation
Natural Gas Processing
Polymer Science
Petrochemical Engineering (recurring subject)
Petroleum Refinery Engineering
Product Testing
Equipment Design
Marketing (of Petroleum Products)
Chemical Reaction Engineering
Pipeline Engineering
Safety Technology

In case of both sectors, in final year, there will be Project work involved. Also, Industrial visit and training will also form an important part of the syllabus.

Eligibility Criteria-

Students who have passed 12th standard (Science stream with Physics and Mathematics subjects) from a recognized board are eligible to pursue this course. To take part in the admission process, a student must have appeared for State and/or National Level Entrance examinations.

Job opportunities after B.Tech. Petroleum Engineering-

The main job opportunity is as an Engineer in a Petroleum refinery. There are number of Private as well as Government refineries. One may apply for the post of an Engineer after graduation. Some big Petroleum Refineries in India are- Reliance Refinery (Jamnagar), Essar (Jamnagar), Cochin Refinery etc. One may also become an Engineer in Government enterprises such as ONGC and OIL!

Crude oil exploration and extraction business sector is also one such field where graduates may find jobs. One may also get work in Consultation business also, which deals with Oil and natural gas as well as Petroleum resources.

Some Chemical Industries (especially Fertilizer and Plastics Industries) also deals with oil and petroleum to a large extent. One may also find job in such Chemical Factories.

Also, to a small extent, pharmaceutical sector also provided job opportunities. This is due to the fact that some medicines make use of Petroleum and its related by products to an extent.

Research and Development is another field that offers jobs to graduates and post graduates. Post graduates stand a better chance at landing a job in this sector. This field has lots of potential because since crude oil is an exhaustible resource, research and development related to it is given more importance!

Some common job posts available in front of Graduates after completing B.Tech. Petroleum Engineering are-

Petroleum Engineer
Product Testing Engineer
Exploration Engineer
Marketing Head
Refinery Manager
Production Manager
Transport and Storage specialist

Additional courses that adds to the value of this course (what after B.Tech. Petroleum Engineering?)-

These days, head hunters look for something ‘extra’ in Graduates and Post Graduates who apply for job. So, if one has some skill or industry oriented course added to one’s CV along with this Degree, it will be of much help. Here are some extra courses that one may pursue after Petroleum Engineering to add value to Degree-

Piping Engineering Course
MBA in Industrial Management/Production/Logistics etc

The advantage of piping engineering course is that it can be completed in a short time- 6 months to 1 year on average. Also, piping is very integral part of a refinery. Kilometers of pipes are laid out in a refinery. Piping technicians are in high demand in this sector. So, if you add this skill to your skill set, your value is bound to rise!

Also read: Piping Engineering/Technical course details

Talking about MBA, the advantage of pursuing this course is that it adds to your management skills. A good mix of technical and management skills is what employers seek in employees these days. An MBA Degree helps add management skills to one’s skill set. Try to pursue an MBA Degree focusing on Industrial Production or Logistics since they form an integral part of petroleum refinery Industry.

Engineering aspirants have been asking questions about the job prospects associated with Petroleum Science and Engineering for a while now. They think that since Petrol, Crude Oil etc are non-renewable resources, the job opportunities in this field will diminish considerably in the future. So, I decided to devote an entire section towards describing the ‘scope’ of B.Tech. Petroleum Engineering course.

B.Tech. Petroleum Engineering: Scope in India and abroad

Oil Well — Know more about Petroleum Engineering’s Job scope-

While it is true that Crude Oil is non renewable source of Energy and that it will get exhausted one day, that scenario won’t arrive all of a sudden! So, one doesn’t need to worry about lack of jobs in this field in near future!

The job market saturation in case of Petroleum Engineering graduates is relatively very low! Yes, when it comes to other branches like IT, CS, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering etc, the job market is too saturated. Each year, loads of Engineering Graduates pass out from Colleges, crowding the job market. In case of this Engineering Branch, job market saturation should not bother you much. This means there is a better chance of landing a good job when compared to other Engineering streams!

Since Oil and Petroleum resources are being exploited and getting used up, authorities around the world are not only investing in renewable sources of energy. They are also investing heavily towards research and development in the field of Crude Oil extraction, Processing, Technology etc. In short, you may also build a rewarding career in R&D field (Research and Development) after Graduation.

Last, but not the least, chances of working abroad, especially in Gulf Countries is an attractive prospect! A Graduate may initially take up a job in any Indian refinery. India has some huge crude oil refineries like- Reliance, Essar etc.