B.Tech Petrochemical Engineering is a 4-year undergraduate degree course. The admission eligibility asks for a pass in 12th grade with a minimum of 50% marks taken together in Physics, Mathematics, and Chemistry.

Top Institutes offering this course are:

• Andhra University College of Engineering, Visakhapatnam
• Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University
• Rajasthan Technological University, Kota
• BITS, Hyderabad
• Aligarh Muslim University
  The average tuition fee for a Petrochemical Engineer scales from INR 4, 20,000 to INR 6, 50,000.

It is a specialized branch of Chemical Engineering that deals with the production and refining of petroleum, natural gases, and crude oils. The course takes up four years for completion or in some cases three and half years, depending on the internship.

There are numerous reputed institutes that specialize in Petrochemical Engineering. It is mandatory to apply for and qualify in the Joint Entrance Examinations (J.E.E) to be eligible for admissions in the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).

There is a rising demand for petroleum engineers, at all levels, from both the public and private sector companies and organizations. This clearly shows the innumerable career opportunities in the field of petroleum engineering. The field is always in short supply of qualified entry-level professionals, making it one of the most reliable fields of engineering. The average salary for Industrial Biotechnologists ranges from INR 3, 60, 000 to INR 4, 80,000.

B.Tech Petrochemical Engineering: Course Highlights 

B.Tech Petrochemical Engineering: What is it About?

The term petrochemical refers to the organic chemicals which are obtained directly or indirectly from crude petroleum. It is the task of a petrochemical engineer to discover and extract these natural sources of oil, from the earth, refine them and make it usable. Petroleum engineering can be broken down into two major parts, the upstream sector, and the downstream sector.

The upstream sector comprises of exploration, production, and exploitation of oil and natural gases whereas the downstream sector deals with refining, marketing, and distribution of the various petroleum products. The refining process is crucial for an oil product as then only it can be used.

B. Tech in Petrochemical Engineering colleges in India

There are only a handful of institutes in India that offer an undergraduate degree in Petrochemical Engineering. Of the list, here are the top colleges and universities which are regarded to be the best.

B. Tech Petrochemical Engineering: Eligibility

The eligibility criteria for the B. Tech in Petrochemical Engineering is a pass in junior secondary board examinations and a minimum of 50% marks taken together in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry or any other or any technical vocational subject the senior secondary examinations. Universities and colleges have their distinct eligibility criteria for the admission process.  

B.Tech Petrochemical Engineering: Admission Process

Although some institutes provide direct merit-based admission based on the qualifying exams, the admission process in most of the institutes is based on entrance examinations held by the same.

Entrance

There are various entrance examinations conducted by distinct institutes with the levels ranging from state to national. These exams are recurring yearly and are regarded with high esteem. JEE Mains, BITSAT, SRMJEEE, and UPSEE are some of the examinations. Of all the engineering entrance examinations, the entrance exam for admission into the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) JEE is considered the hardest and at the same time the most efficient in evaluating the skills of the aspirant.

The candidates wishing to pursue B.Tech Petrochemical Engineering have to take up the Paper-1 of JEE Mains exam, which is conducted in both offline and online modes. JEE Mains has a fixed exam structure, with some changes occurring every few years. The duration of JEE is three hours and it contains negative marking for incorrect answers. The questionnaire consists of thirty multiple-choice questions in each of the three subjects, Physics, Chemistry, and Maths. Each correct answer is awarded four marks and every incorrect answer earns a deduction of 1 mark.

Selection Process

The screening process includes entrance exams and personal interview, with a few questions being asked based to test the personality. A few institutes are known to incorporate group discussions and two personal rounds for a psychological evaluation of the candidate.

B.Tech in Petrochemical Engineering Syllabus

The course structure for B.Tech in Petrochemical Engineering is same as any other B.Tech courses with subjects based on science and other electives are spread over 8 semesters, with a more focused course structure dealing with subjects related to chemical and mechanical engineering. The syllabus for B.Tech Petrochemical Engineering prescribed by and followed by the various Institutes and Universities that offer the course are spread over in the 8 semesters.

B.Tech Petrochemical Engineering: Who should opt?

Any student with a passion for science, chemistry, in particular, having an interest in the field of engineering can choose this stream of engineering as a profession. Young engineers who have the ability to think outside the box and a keen eye for details and challenging jobs would make efficient in the field of Petrochemical Engineering. A job profile that lets you solve problems no one knew existed. The truth, however, is that you are pushing back the edge of science and solving problems that never existed before. 

With the development of new technology every passing day, Petroleum Engineering has become prominent in the processes of extraction and refinement and marketing of petroleum products. The improvements in the techniques of computer modeling, the application of statistics, probability analysis, and the development of new innovative technologies like horizontal drilling and enhanced oil recovery, have also improved the toolbox of the petroleum engineer in recent decades. The demand for petrochemical engineers is always high and there is shortage always a shortage of talented engineers.  

B. Tech Petroleum Engineering: Career Prospects

Employment of petroleum engineers is projected to grow a minimum of 10 percent from 2014 to 2024, faster than the average for all occupations, in engineering and others. Oil and natural gas prices will be a major determinant of employment growth. As many petroleum engineers work in oil and gas extraction, any changes in oil prices will likely affect employment levels of petrochemical engineers.

Inflation in prices can cause oil and gas companies to drill in deeper waters and in less hospitable environments and return to existing wells to experiment new extraction methods. Oil drilling operations will likely become more complex in the upcoming future and will require more engineers to work on each drilling operation. Demand for petroleum engineers in support activities for mining will slowly climb, as oil and gas companies find it convenient and cost-effective to seek their services when the need arises.

There are various industries that offer a potential career for Petrochemical engineers. A few of them are:

• Oil and gas extraction
• Support activities for mining
• Educational Institutes
• Management of company and enterprises
• Petroleum and coal products manufacturing
• Engineering Services
• Materials Scientists
• Sales Engineers

The salary for engineers specialized in Petrochemical Engineering varies from INR 3, 60,000 to INR 4, 80,000 in India, where the demand is normal. However, in abroad the demand for petroleum engineers is ever so high and the salary package amounts to a good number. Petroleum Engineers can get themselves employed in various fields suiting to their specialization and interest and gets promoted from trainees and work independently on various projects.

Job prospects are expected to be favorable based on projected growth and because many petroleum engineers may retire or leave the occupation for other reasons over the next decade.