Home Articles Petroleum Engineering: Courses, Career Paths, Salary, and Everything You Need to Know

Petroleum Engineering: Courses, Career Paths, Salary, and Everything You Need to Know

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Adya Trivedi
Adya Trivedi
Petroleum Engineering: Courses, Career Paths, Salary, and Everything You Need to Know

Overview of Petroleum Engineering Courses

Petroleum Engineering courses, also known as Oil Engineering courses, are programs that aim to teach about oil and natural gas in our world. The courses for Petroleum Engineering teach about the importance of oil and natural gas, the ways they are extracted, the technologies used and a lot more. Oil and natural gas play an important role in the huge economy of the world, and these courses teach students about the importance, extraction and sustainable use of these resources.

A lot of different colleges offer Petroleum Engineering courses. These courses for Petroleum Engineering are taught at diploma, BTech, MTech and PhD levels. The average fees for most colleges for Petroleum Engineering ranges between INR 5 to 10 lakhs per year

While doing a Petroleum Engineering course, students can specialize in different topics. These include Drilling Engineering and Production Engineering. Some subjects of the Petroleum Engineering syllabus are Petroleum Geology, Plant Design and Asset Management. All of these subjects help students build their understanding of the field. Some of the top colleges for Petroleum Engineering include IIT Bombay, IIT Madras and NIMS Jaipur. To be eligible for these colleges, students should ideally have a background in the science stream with good grades. Entrance exams such as JEE, CUET or EAMCET will also need to be taken to get into the top colleges. 

After the course, a lot of different jobs are available to students. These jobs include becoming Petroleum Engineers, Geoscientists or Production Engineers and earn between INR 6 to 10 lakhs a year. However, with more experience in Petroleum Engineering, there is potential to earn and do more. 

Also read - Petroleum Engineering Salary

Petroleum Engineering Course Highlights

Listed below are some of the need-to-know details about Petroleum Engineering courses in India:

Course Name

Petroleum Engineering

Course Type

Diploma, Undergraduate, Postgraduate, PhD

Undergraduate Courses

BTech Petroleum Engineering

Postgraduate Courses

MTech Petroleum Engineering, MTech Petrochemical Engineering

Subjects

Petroleum Geology, Thermodynamics, Plant Design, Asset Management

Entrance Exams

JEE Mains, CUET, GATE, TS EAMCET

Top Colleges

IIT Bombay, NIMS Jaipur, IIT Madras, MIT-WPU Pune 

Average Course Fees

INR 5 - 10 lakhs per annum

Top Jobs

Drilling Engineer, Petroleum Engineer, Geoscientist, Production Engineer

Average Salary

INR 6 - 10 lakhs per annum

Top Recruiters

Bharat Petroleum, Adani Group, Oil India, Aquarius International 

Types of Petroleum Engineering Courses

The different types of Petroleum Engineering courses in India are as follows:

Petroleum Engineering Diploma Courses

Diploma courses for Petroleum Engineering can be taken by younger students. These courses aim to teach younger students about the basics of the petroleum industry. These courses teach other related topics about petroleum. These include subjects about crude oil, reservoirs, manufacturing, methods and many more. Diploma courses for petroleum engineering are usually for 3 years and have 6 semesters. Some top colleges that offer diploma courses for Petroleum Engineering are NIM Jaipur and VELS Institute of Science Chennai.

Petroleum Engineering Undergraduate Courses

The most common course offered for undergraduates in Petroleum Engineering is the BTech Petroleum Engineering course. The BTech Petroleum Engineering course is a 4 year long program. The course goes in-depth into the needs of oil and natural gas. The course also covers different mining and drilling methods. These methods could be applied to extracting oil and natural gas from the earth or the sea. 

Petroleum Engineering Postgraduate Courses

The 2 most popular postgraduate courses for Petroleum Engineering are as follows:

MTech in Petroleum Engineering

The MTech in Petroleum Engineering course is a 2 year course. It offers more specialized knowledge in the field of Petroleum Engineering. The course focuses on in depth study of oil, natural gas, removal and reservoir modelling. 

MTech in Petrochemical Engineering

The MTech in Petrochemical Engineering is also a 2 year program. This course focuses more on conversion processes of oils and gases. It studies the creation of products such as plastics, medicines or fertilizers that are created from oil or natural gas. 

Petroleum Engineering PhD Courses

Students looking to have an in-depth specialization in the Petroleum Engineering field can pursue a doctorate. PhD courses are aimed at scholars. During the PhD programs of Petroleum Engineering, students can contribute to research on different topics such as sustainable energy or oil recovery. Most PhD programs for Petroleum Energy last between 3 to 6 years. 

Petroleum Engineering Courses Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for Petroleum Engineering courses can vary depending on the type of course. Listed below are general overviews of the eligibility criteria of the different Petroleum Engineering courses.The eligibility criteria are as follows:

Type of Course

Eligibility Criteria

Diploma

  • Completion of Class 10 with a 50% score from a recognized board to be considered eligible.

Undergraduate (BTech)

  • Students must have a background in Science with Physics, Chemistry and Maths.
  • Must have completed their 10+2 from a recognized board.
  • Must have scored a minimum 50-60% score in board exams.

Postgraduate (MTech)

  • Must have completed their B.Tech in Petroleum Engineering or a similar program.
  • Must have scored a minimum 60% score in their undergraduation.

PhD

  • Must have earned their master’s degree in Petroleum Engineering or similar field from a recognized university.
  • Must have scored minimum 55 - 60% marks to be considered eligible. 
  • Having relevant work-experience and contributing to academic research is preferred. 

Petroleum Engineering Admission Process

The admission process for Petroleum Engineering courses is different from one course to another. However, listed below is a general idea of the admission process for Petroleum Engineering courses that students can follow:

  1. Eligibility: Students should check whether they are eligible for the course of choice. Checking criteria such as having a science background, board exam scores etc.
  2. Research: Research should be done on which colleges to apply for. Research also includes checking a college’s courses, entrance exams, placements and other important factors.
  3. Entrance Exams: Scoring high ranks in specified national or state-level exams is important to gain admission to Petroleum Engineering courses.
  4. Applications: Applications should be sent out to the chosen colleges. Applications should have entrance exam scores, board exam scores, educational background and other documents. Application fees should also be paid.
  5. Admission: Selected students are notified about their selection through email and an offer letter. Upon confirming admission, students must pay the course fees and prepare for the first semester. 

Petroleum Engineering Entrance Exams 

There are various entrance exams students have to give to get admission to Petroleum Engineering courses. Entrance exams can be given for undergraduate (BTech) or postgraduate (MTech) courses at various top colleges in India. Entrance exams could be both state or national level exams. Listed below are some of the top entrance exams for Petroleum Engineering courses in India with relevant dates: 

Entrance Exam

Exam Date

JEE Mains

Session II: April 1st - April 8th, 2025

JEE Advanced

May 18th, 2025

CUET UG 2025

May 15th - May 24th, 2025

UPESEAT

April, 2025

TS EAMCET

2nd May - 5th May, 2025

AMUEE 2025

20th April, 2025

CUET PG 2025

March 13th - April 1st, 2025

Petroleum Engineering specializations 

There are different specializations that students can do while studying Petroleum Engineering courses. The following are some of the specializations students can pursue:

Specialization

Details

Reservoir Engineering

This specialization helps in the development of oil and gas reservoirs. It also focuses on the study of flow of oil and its principles.

Drilling Engineering

This specialization of petroleum engineering mainly deals with the construction and drilling of wells. It explores various drilling techniques and consequences. 

Production Engineering

The Production Engineering specialization deals with the manufacturing of products from raw materials. Students study various production processes and techniques. This specialization also focuses on maintaining and handling manufacturing.

Petroleum Engineering Course Syllabus

The syllabus for the Petroleum Engineering courses can be different depending on the type and education level of the course. However, there are some common subjects that are taught at diploma, undergrad or postgrad levels. Listed below is the syllabus for the BTech Petroleum Engineering course to provide a general overview of the subjects of the Petroleum Engineering courses. The syllabus for BTech Petroleum Engineering is as follows:

Petroleum Engineering First Year Syllabus

Semester I

Semester II

Engineering Chemistry

Elements of Mechanical Engineering

Computer Programing

Geology

Maths

Engineering Physics

English

Engineering Drawing

Petroleum Engineering Second Year Syllabus

Semester III

Semester IV

Chemical Processes Calculations

Thermodynamics

Surveying and Offshore Structures

Petroleum Geology

Material Science and Engineering

Statistics

Complex Variables

Momentum Transfer

Petroleum Engineering Third Year Syllabus

Semester V

Semester VI

Process and Dynamics Control

Petroleum Production Engineering

Well Logging and Formation Development

Petroleum Reservoir Engineering

Management Systems

Alternative Energy Sources

Petroleum Engineering Fourth Year Syllabus

Semester VII

Semester VIII

Asset Management

Petroleum Economics, Policy and Regulations

Oil and Gas Processing Plant Design

EOR Techniques

Surface Production Operations

HSE and FE in Petroleum Industry

Oil and Gas Processing Plant Design

-

Petroleum Engineering Top Colleges

There are a lot of top government and private colleges that offer Petroleum Engineering courses. These courses are at different educational levels including undergraduate or postgraduate courses. The average course salaries for Petroleum Engineering courses in India ranges between INR 5 to 10 lakhs per annum. Listed below are some of  the top private and public colleges for Petroleum Engineering courses:

Petroleum Engineering Top Government Colleges

Listed below are some of the top government colleges for Petroleum Engineering courses in India:

College Name

Average Fees in INR

IIT Guwahati

INR 1,14,000

IIT Bombay

INR 2,70,000

Nagpur University

INR 1,20,000

Samrat Ashoka University

INR 1,35,000

IIT Dhanbad

INR 60,000

Anna University

INR 50,000

IIT Madras

INR 20,000

IIPE Visakhapatnam

INR 6,40,000

Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology

INR 40,000

Also read - Top Engineering Petroleum Engineering Colleges 

Petroleum Engineering Top Private Colleges

Listed below are some of the top private colleges that offer Petroleum Engineering colleges in India:

College Name

Average Fees per annum in INR

NIMS University, Jaipur

INR 4,00,000

MIT-WPU, Pune

INR 3,00,000

Presidency University, Bangalore

INR 4,80,000

DIT University, Dehradun

INR 2,92,000

LPU, Delhi

INR 5,40,000

Paul Institute of Technology, Gujarat

INR 6,00,000

Graphic Era University, Dehradun

INR 10,00,000

Manipal University, Jaipur

INR 12,00,000

Aditya Engineering College, Andhra Pradesh

INR  72,000

Petroleum Engineering Courses Top Jobs and Salaries

There are a lot of top jobs that students can aim to do in the field of Petroleum Engineering. Depending on their interests, there are a lot of well-paying and satisfying jobs for students in the field. The average salary for those working in Petroleum Engineering ranges between INR 6 to 10 lakhs per annum. However, with a higher education and more work experience, the scope of job opportunities and salaries go up for students in the field. Listed below are some of the top jobs in the field of Petroleum Engineering along with job details and salaries:

Job Title 

Job Details

Average Salaries per Annum 

Drilling Engineers

Design, manage and supervise drilling operations. Also ensure compliance of drill operations with safety regulations. 

INR 6,50,000

Reservoir Engineers

Jobs mainly require them to analyze reserves of oil and natural gas. Creating recovery techniques to maximize production. 

INR 7,50,000

Pipeline Transport Engineer

Designing and maintaining pipelines. Also required to optimize pipe flow efficiency and integrity.

INR 10,00,000

Refinery Manager

Jobs mainly require them to handle the workforce and budget. Refinery Managers also have to manage production schedules and oversee the refinement process.

INR 12,00,000

Instrumentation Engineer

Instrumentation Engineers are required to develop control systems for oil or gas operations. They create sensors and monitoring tools to help  ensure safety. 

INR 6,00,000

Petroleum Engineers

Petroleum Engineers develop different extraction methods for oils and natural gases. They overlook operations and ensure cost-effective and safe operations.

INR 9,00,000

Production Engineers

Production Engineers ensure the safety and maintenance of mining equipment. They also implement recovery techniques for better outputs as well.

INR 9,00,000

Geoscientist

Geoscientists study geological data. They provide advice for extraction projects and use softwares to create geological models.

INR 3,00,000

Completion Engineers

Completion Engineers design completion strategies after drilling. They ensure a smooth management process as well as work on other post-drill logistics. 

INR 8,00,000

Also read - Petrochemical Engineering Salary

Petroleum Engineering Top Recruiters

The top recruiters for the Petroleum Engineering course mainly work with drilling and mining of oils and natural gas. The drilling and extraction usually takes place in the sea or earth, depending on the recruiter.

The following are some of the top recruiters for the Petroleum Engineering courses in India:

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited

Oil India

Reliance Industries

Bharat Petroleum

Adani Group

Aquarius International

Bharat Oil and Waste Management

Cairn India

Abhay Ocean India

Bengal Sun Solar Energy India 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the types of courses for Petroleum Engineering?

There are diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate types of courses available for Petroleum Engineering in India.

What is the average salary for those working in Petroleum Engineering?

The average salary for those working in the field of Petroleum Engineering ranges between INR 6 to 10 lakhs per year.

Do I need a background in Science for pursuing Petroleum Engineering?

Yes, aspiring students need a background in the stream of science in their 10+2 to pursue Petroleum Engineering courses.

What are some of the top recruiters for Petroleum Engineering?

Aquarius International, Bharat Petroleum, Oil India and Adani Group are some of the top recruiters for students with a background in Petroleum Engineering.

What are some of the top jobs in the field of Petroleum Engineering?

Drilling Engineer, Geoscientist and Production Engineers are some of the top jobs for students in the field of Petroleum Engineering.

What is the duration of an MTech in Petroleum Engineering?

An MTech in Petroleum Engineering is for the duration of 2 years with 4 semesters.

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