Even with an increase in the consumption of renewable energy resources, petroleum and natural gas continue to fuel the development of the human race. Apart from coal, petroleum and its derivatives are used as energy resources across all countries and industries. Therefore, the global petroleum engineering industry can be expected to thrive even in the future.

Petroleum engineering encompasses different kinds of operations pertaining to the extraction of crude oil to the logistics and transportation of petroleum and its derivatives. With new petroleum reserves being found in different countries, there is a thriving demand for mining and petroleum engineers who can maximise the production of this costly natural resource.

Thus, it can be a great idea to tap into the global demand for petroleum engineers by investing in a petroleum engineering programme. Read ahead to learn more about the career prospects and opportunities available in the petroleum engineering field.

What are the career prospects for petroleum engineering graduates ?

You can be assured of excellent career prospects if you graduate as a petroleum engineering graduate. According to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS), the growth rates of different occupations in the petroleum management industry are projected to be consistently high for the upcoming years.

A degree in the subject can also help you earn a decent income in India and abroad. According to Glassdoor.in, an average petroleum engineer in the country can earn around Rs 10 lakhs per annum.

You can expect even higher compensation rates if you want to work abroad. The BLS reports median salaries of $ 78,470 to $ 114,080 for petroleum engineers in North America.

What kind of job opportunities can you expect in the petroleum engineering field ?

Immense job diversity is another major advantage of graduating from a petroleum engineering programme. You can choose from multiple roles in the industry depending upon your interests and career goals.

Here are some of the most common petroleum engineering positions available in the industry.

• Reservoir Engineers: Reservoir engineers are responsible for using different computational and modelling techniques to determine the size and location of oil and gas reserves in the subsurface of the earth. They also evaluate the 3D distribution of the reserve and the best possible ways to extract the crude oil.
• Drilling Engineers: Drilling engineers are stationed at different oil rigs to look after the operations pertaining to the drilling and extraction of the oil. Their responsibilities include designing oil wells, choosing the drilling muds and sustainable discarding of waste products.
• Production Engineers: Production engineers take over once the drilling for an oil rig is complete. They look after the management of the oil and gas wells as well as controlling the production rates.

Apart from these roles, you can also get other interesting roles like offshore petroleum engineers, chief plant officers and petroleum and gas exports. Other positions include environmental engineers, petroleum plant designers and soil scientists.

With the consistent dependence on petroleum and natural gas reserves for energy or plastic production, the career scope for petroleum engineers would continue to be bright even in the future. A career in this field can ensure great pay, an exciting work-life and an immense sense of satisfaction.

Invest in a good petroleum engineering programme from a reputed university today to establish a successful career in the energy management domain.