A quick guide to becoming a petroleum or power engineer

It’s a profession only a few know about, much less considered. However, many are now turning to the power, oil or natural gas sector for the relatively high salaries they offer. In order to cater to this demand, universities and engineering colleges across India have begun to offer specialised courses in this discipline. In the power sector, students can specialise in electrical engineering, electronics and communications, or power system engineering.

The requirements

“Students must have an aptitude for Maths and Physics, and should be keen to learn new technologies and be ready to take on field jobs,” says Aastha Sharma, an alumna of the University of Petroleum & Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun. While the admission procedure in universities and colleges offering courses in this discipline varies, students need to have at least 60 per cent in Class 12, and have taken up Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics to be eligible. Although some institutions offer admission on merit, many take into consideration JEE (Advanced) scores or the result of other entrance tests such as CET conducted by Delhi-based IP University.

Job prospects

“After graduation, one can work either as a petroleum engineer or in the specific domain of reservoir, drilling, or production,” says Sharma who works as a project engineer at Techno Canada Inc, a Canadian company that runs oil fields. In the power sector, one can be a power plant design engineer or handle operations and distribution. Although the oil and power sector is known for paying well and affording opportunities for travel, it is important to consider that the working conditions can be difficult.

As Megha Tangri, an alumnus of UPES recently posted on Quora, that an engineer in the oil field, working upstream, needs to work for 21 days at a stretch — 21 days of working tirelessly in an atmosphere that is known to be carcinogenic. Another key concern marring job prospects in the oil sector is the volatility in global crude oil prices, which may raise doubts about job prospects.

VARSITIES/COLLEGES OFFERING COURSES

• University of Petroleum & Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun
   
• National Power Training Institute, Faridabad
   
• Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Pune
   
• Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (RGIPT), Amethi,
   
• Engineering Staff College of India, Hyderabad
   
• Andhra University, Visakhapatnam
   
• Indian School of Mines, IIT Dhanbad, Jharkhand
   
• West Bengal Institute of Technology, Kolkata
   
• Shivaji University, Kolhapur
   
• Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, Gandhinagar
   
• Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar