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Career Paths in Petroleum and Petrochemical Engineering: Opportunities and Challenges

career as a petroleum and petrochemical engineering

Well many of us might have broken down our toys to check what were inside when we were toddlers. That was simple curiosity. But has that tendency to break apart things stayed with you even now when you are a teenager? Do you like to disassemble stuff and attempt to assemble again? Are you the guy at your school or at your home who would first try to fix a device or equipment when something goes wrong in them? Are you very good in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics? Petroleum and Petrochemcial Engineering could be a good option for you.

A Petroleumm Engineer is involved in extraction of petroleum and natural gas from onshore or offshore (at the sea) wells. They design and construct terminals for oil and natural gas exploration and extraction. Petrochemical Engineers are involved in refining of of crude petroleum to process various products such as petrol, diesel and kerosene oil. Both the Engineers can work in petroleum exploration, drilling (to find and extract petroleum from the rocks underneath earth’s surface), extraction and processing.

Why become a Petroleum and Petrochemical Engineer?

A Petroleum Engineer is involved in most of the stages of oil and natural gas field extraction. As a petroleum engineer, you are expected to know about the equipment used for extracting crude oil in a safe and economical manner, the way it needs to be processed and also the way in which the inflow and outflow take place. 

A Petroleum Engineer is generally involved in designing and developing different methods to extract gas and oil from deposits under the Earth. They must also check the structural integrity and also develop safety policies for both the refineries and the workers working in it.  

On the other hand, a Petrochemical Engineer is involved in refining the crude oil and producing an end-product. Petrochemical Engineers should be able to break down oil or natural gas into its base components and then, they will be able to reconstruct it into specific types of oil products such as auto fuel, as well as polymers, plastics and other compounds found in our everyday products. 

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  1. Petroleum Upstream Engineers are focussed on the exploration and production of gas and oil from the oil and gas wells. As a petroleum Upstream engineer, you will be expected to explore different gas and oil reserves and help in the extraction of crude oil.
  2. Petroleum Downstream Engineering refers to the practical techniques used to process the extracted crude oil so as to refine it and develop it into different end products. As a petrochemical engineer, you will be expected to know the ways to refine crude oil into different kinds of fuel, estimate necessary costs and also engage in budgeting.
  3. Reservoir Engineer: Reservoir engineering is related to the assessment of gas and oil deposits and estimation of the reservoir present in these places. As a reservoir engineer, you will learn the different tools necessary for surveillance and analyses of different reservoir and the capacity they can hold. involves the assessment of oil and gas deposits, preferably focusing on the estimation part of the reservoirs. It includes surveillance engineers, production engineers, simulation engineers and geothermal engineers. 
  4. Drilling Engineers monitor the drilling processes and make sure that it is the most safe and economic way of drilling. As a drilling engineer, you can work in close association with geologists, service contractors, compliance personnel, and technical specialists. Drilling engineers can work either in office or on offshore sites.

What does Petroleum and Petrochemical Engineer do? 

Every Petrochemical Engineer has to learn these basic tasks which include:

  • Applying Chemical engineering principals like vapor-liquid equilibria,  heat transfer and thermodynamics in the process design 
  • Performing various design calculations using the known standard simulation programs 
  • Using different relief calculation methodologies while complying with the industry codes and standards which is applicable to pressure relief design. 
  • Developing relief load calculations, relief load calculations and relief valve data sheets.
  • Develop all the different process engineering deliverables like Heat and Material Balances, PFD’s, Utility Summaries, Equipment Datasheets, and other process deliverables required for the facility design.
  • Designing the equipment for safe extraction of oil and gas from both onshore and offshore reserves. 
  • Developing proper plans to drill and recover oil and gas from reserves.
  • Inspecting and determining whether the installations in gas wells or oil wells have been properly done according to the set guidelines.
  • Developing proper ways to inject chemicals, water, or gases into the reserve to force out more oil. 
  • Selecting the correct equipment and size for proper extraction. 
  • Evaluating whether the oilfield equipment that is installed, is operating properly and is maintained or not. 
  • Reviewing deliverables from licensors and other disciplines and suppliers during the final execution of the project.
  • Interpreting the information on drilling and testing and conveying the same to other personnel.
  • Checking and evaluating the production of wells and this is done through testings, surveys or analyses.
  • Conferring with engineering and technical personnel to find out resolve issues or engage in testing or research.
  • Identify issues in the design work and clarifying areas of complexity.

How to become a Petroleum and Petrochemical Engineer – Eligibility criteria 

Undergraduate studies after school:

  • It is necessary to have a bachelor’s degree to become a successful Petroleum Engineer. A 4- years B.Tech / B.E. in Petroleum or Petrochemical Engineering will make you eligible for positions of a Graduate Engineering Trainee. 
  • You can also opt for B.Tech. / B.E. in Chemical Engineering. This will get you an entry level job.  

Post Graduate studies:

  • For specialized knowledge of Petroleum Engineering, you need to have an M.Tech in Petrochemical / Petroleum Engineering. This will open up a lot of opportunities for you in the petroleum industry.

Doctoral Studies:

  • A Doctorate Degree in Petroleum Engineering is the highest degree in the field of study. It is necessary to have an M.Tech in Petrochemical / Petroleum/ C hemical Engineering before you can go for a Doctorate degree in Petroleum / Petrochemical Engineering. This is open up high-grossing opportunities in the field and also, open up opportunities to go for a position as a Research scientist or a professor.

Educational Fees

The educational fees for becoming a Petroleum and Petrochemical Engineer in India can vary depending on the institution and program you choose. Here are some estimated fees for undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Petroleum and Petrochemical Engineering in some of the top institutions in India:

Undergraduate Programs:

  1. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay – Approximately INR 10 lakhs for the entire program.
  2. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras – Approximately INR 9 lakhs for the entire program.
  3. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi – Approximately INR 9.5 lakhs for the entire program.
  4. Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani – Approximately INR 18 lakhs for the entire program.
  5. University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun – Approximately INR 16 lakhs for the entire program.

Postgraduate Programs:

  1. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay – Approximately INR 6 lakhs for the entire program.
  2. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi – Approximately INR 6 lakhs for the entire program.
  3. Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad – Approximately INR 2 lakhs for the entire program.
  4. University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun – Approximately INR 13 lakhs for the entire program.
  5. Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU), Gandhinagar – Approximately INR 12 lakhs for the entire program.

Job Opportunities

When you complete your undergraduate degree, you can start your career as a Graduate Entry Trainee (GET) or a similar position in Oil and Gas Companies like Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation, Oil India Limited, etc. 

After your post-graduation, you can start your career as an Assistant Engineer. 

For Ph.D. holders, you will be able to start off as a Research Scientist / Research Engineer.

Salary of Petroleum and Petrochemical Engineer

  • At the beginning of your career as a Graduate Engineering Trainee, you will be earning about Rs. 60,000-90,000 per month. 
  • After 2-3 years of experience and after getting your post-graduate degree, you will be getting about Rs. 80,000-1,10,000 per month. 
  • When you acquire about 8-12 years of experience and become a Senior Engineer, you can earn about Rs. 1,70,000-5,00,000 or even more per month.
  • At the senior level, when you have about 15-20 years of experience and are working as a Chief Engineer/Principal Engineer/Vice President or similar position, you can get about Rs. 2,50,000-12,00,000 or more per month.
  • The higher salaries mentioned above are offered by companies which are located in the Middle Eastern companies or abroad in other countries.

Read Also: About The Toughest Branch in Engineering

Career Progression in Petroleum and Petrochemical Engineer Profession  

At first, junior petroleum engineers need to work under the supervision of senior engineers after their B.Tech. In the major companies, they will be employed as a Graduate Engineering Trainee where they will receive formal training. 

With 2-3 years of experience and after doing a post-graduate degree, they can handle difficult projects as Assistant Engineer.

Eventually, with 8-12 years of experience, you can grow into the role of a or Senior Engineer and hand independent projects and supervise your team of engineers and technicians. 

With about 15-20 years of experience, you can work as a Chief Engineer/Principal Engineer/Vice President or similar position/

You can also move into technical specialties like field engineer, project engineer, etc. Plus, petroleum engineers might enter into sales and use their engineering background to provide technical support.

What does industry trends say – Future Prospects

The petroleum industry is the backbone of several other industries which includes textiles, healthcare, agriculture, etc. As of now, the petrochemical industry contributes about 30 percent of raw material to the chemical industry which is expected to reach $250 billion by 2020. The petrochemical industry itself is expected to get to $100 billion by 2020 at a compound annual growth rate of 14%. The three major public sector oil companies, Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd, Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd, and Indian Oil Corp Ltd had also built one of the world’s largest integrated refinery complex in Maharashtra. It is expected to be commissioned by 2022. The government has also finalized a 55 million tonne refinery expansion at the existing refineries and a new unit is planned at Barmer, Rajasthan. So, there is a growth potential in the petrochemical industry which will result in an increase in the demand of petroleum engineers.

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