Petroleum Engineer
Designs methods for extracting oil and gas from deposits below the Earth's surface.
Overview
Petroleum Engineers help find oil and gas for the country's energy needs. Petroleum Engineers design and develop methods for extracting oil and gas from deposits below the Earth's surface. Petroleum Engineers also find new ways to extract oil and gas from older wells.
Where they work
- Onshore and offshore Oil and Gas companies
- Petroleum and Petrol refining companies across India
Work environment
This job generally involves travel. You will usually work for 5 to 6 days a week and 8 to 9 hours everyday. This may vary from company to company. Shift system might be applicable.
Opportunities for differently abled exist in this field.
Skills and interests
This career might suit you if…
- You like to assemble things
- You like to do experiments
- You like Science and Maths
- You like working outdoors
Eligibility and education roadmap
Please check the duration of the course during enrolment.
Route 1
- 1Complete 10+2 in the Science stream.
- 2Complete Bachelor's degree (B.E./B.Tech./B.Sc.) in Petroleum Engineering
Alternative route 2
- 1Complete Bachelor's degree and follow it up with Master's degree (M.E./M.Tech./M.Sc.) in the same discipline
Alternative route 3
- 1Complete Diploma in Petroleum Engineering and follow it up with M.S. in Research Petroleum Refining and Petrochemicals.
Forms, exams and applications
For admissions, you must qualify entrance examination conducted at national level (JEE Main, JEE Advanced etc.) or state level (WBJEE, AP EAMCET etc.) or institute level (VET, IP etc.) conducted by respective state governments such as WBJEE or AP EAMCET. Check the official notification for current eligibility and dates.
Exam names above are as printed in the source card. Application windows, eligibility and syllabi change — always check the official notification for current dates.
Where to apply
This course is offered by the Department of Chemical Engineering. This list of institutes is indicative only.
Government institutes
- Mugneeram Bangur Memorial University (MBM University), Jodhpur, Rajasthan
- Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University College of Engineering, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh
- Alagappa College of Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
- Zakir Husain College of Engineering and Technology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh
- Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
- Government Polytechnic College, Jodhpur, Rajasthan
- Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology, Amethi, Uttar Pradesh
- Dibrugarh University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Dibrugarh, Assam
Private institutes
Please check if the institute is affiliated and accredited before applying.
- Presidency University, Bengaluru, Karnataka
- School of Engineering, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
- Manipal University, Jaipur, Rajasthan
- MIT WPU Faculty of Engineering, Pune, Maharashtra
- Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
- Aditya Engineering College, Surampalem, Andhra Pradesh
- National Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS University), Jaipur, Rajasthan
- Institute of Technology and Management (ITM University), Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh
Distance learning
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
These institute lists are indicative examples from the source card, not a ranked or complete directory. Always verify accreditation on the institute's official website.
Career outcomes
Growth path
- 1Associate Chemical Engineer
- 2Petroleum Engineer
- 3Senior Chemical Engineer, Petroleum
Related careers to explore
Chemical Engineer
Turns raw materials into useful products, designing and running the plants and machinery that do it.
Mining Engineer
Extracts minerals from the earth and keeps mines and surface operations safe and efficient.
Student action plan
What you can do this month
- Read this whole roadmap and note any subjects, exams or institutes you don't recognise yet.
- Talk to a teacher or school counsellor about how your current subjects connect to Science, Maths.
- Look for a school club, competition or online course related to building.
- Shortlist 2–3 institutes from the list above and check their official website for current admission details.
- Save this career and compare it with 1–2 others you're considering.
Example from the field
Sanchita Banerjee — The first woman engineer of Oil India Ltd. An alumni of Calcutta University where she studied engineering. She then joined Oil India Limited and started working as shift engineer at the Extraction plant of LPG from Natural Gas through cryogenic process in Assam. Within the organization, she has been instrumental in bringing about policies on maternity leave, child care leave and worked on issues of foreign training and foreign posting for women employees, management training for junior employees, and so on. She is now a retired executive director at Oil India Ltd.
SourceThis profile is shared for training/educational purposes only, as printed in the source card.
Sources and update notice
- Career card source: Exploring Career Paths with Career Cards, Volume 2, printed page 517 (NCERT / UNICEF India / PSSCIVE Bhopal, First Edition, April 2025).
- Income source: https://www.ambitionbox.com/profile/petroleum-engineer-salary
- Last reviewed on this site: 2026-08-21
Eligibility, fees, exam patterns and admissions change often. Always verify current details on official institute, exam-body or government websites before making decisions.