In today's rapidly evolving world, the demand for petroleum products and related industries continues to grow, highlighting the increasing relevance of petroleum engineering studies.

Petroleum, a natural resource found beneath the earth's surface, is a vital source of energy. This field of study covers the exploration and extraction of petroleum reserves, their locations, refining processes, raw material handling, and the operation of related machinery. The core subjects include Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.

Branches of Petroleum Engineering
Upstream
The 'upstream' segment focuses on locating and extracting crude oil, which has formed underground or beneath the seabed over millions of years. Through geological studies, students learn about rock formations, types, and properties. Similar to groundwater extraction, drilling techniques teach how to identify crude oil reserves and bore wells through rock layers. The curriculum covers methods for efficient extraction and recovery of additional oil resources over a four-year program.

Downstream
The 'downstream' segment involves refining the extracted crude oil to produce products like petrol, diesel, gas, kerosene, and tar. Students learn about refinery operations, as well as storage and distribution of these products.

Midstream
'Midstream' operations bridge the gap between 'upstream' and 'downstream'. This area deals with the transportation of crude oil from extraction sites to refineries or distribution centers. The curriculum includes studying various transportation methods, such as pipelines, tankers, ships, and trains.

In most institutions, the primary focus is on 'upstream' processes, providing students with in-depth knowledge of crude oil exploration and extraction.

Eligibility
Candidates must have completed their 10th and 12th grades with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as core subjects, securing a minimum of 50% marks.

Courses Offered
Available programs include B.E./B.Tech. and M.E./M.Tech. in Petroleum Engineering, along with Ph.D. options for advanced research.

Career Opportunities
Graduates can find employment both in India and abroad in roles such as Drilling Engineer, Production Engineer, Industrial Engineer, Reservoir Engineer, Material Scientist, Refinery Manager, and Pipeline Transportation Manager. Leading companies like Indian Oil, HP, Reliance, ONGC, and Bharat Petroleum offer ample career prospects in this dynamic field.