Why will petroleum engineers be in high demand in the future

With the rising energy needs of the world, the scope of petroleum engineering continues to expand, opening new career opportunities. UPES, with its multidisciplinary and holistic learning approach, paired with a consistent focus on industry learning, is helping shape students’ careers in the field.

The purpose of education is to prepare young minds to become leaders of the future. With the constant advancement in technology, curricula and education, too, need to evolve. This will ensure that what the budding graduates study today remains relevant to the industry and vital to their growth. University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) recognises this constant paradigm shift and offers specialised courses across schools, which are in sync with the growing industry needs.

This holds true especially in the field of engineering, given the rise in global knowledge sharing. Understanding the interconnection between various fields and opening unconventional career routes, the UPES School of Engineering offers a new-age BTech. specialisations for students such as:

- Applied Petroleum Engineering with Upstream Specialisation

- Aerospace Engineering with Specialisation in Avionics

- Fire and Safety Engineering

- Electronics and Communications Engineering in 5G Communications and Technology

- Chemical Engineering in Process Design and Intensification

- Applied Petroleum Engineering with Specialisation in Gas

Production of and exploration for oil and gas is one of the biggest industries in the world, constantly advancing with rising demands. This has resulted in a scarcity of petroleum products and a rise in the need for petroleum engineers. Here’s looking at the future of petroleum engineers:

1. The growing need for energy

The main role of petroleum engineers involves using and inventing technology for locating resources, oil-drilling, and sourcing. As energy demand increases and resources continue to deplete, petroleum engineers will be constantly required to source oil and/or find alternatives that suffice the demand. Through courses in petroleum engineering with diverse specializations, UPES is preparing future engineers to fuel this demand as global leaders of the field.

2. Safety first

While the job of a petroleum engineer involves drilling oil and resources, they are equally responsible for ensuring that this is done keeping in mind the safety of communities, wildlife, and the environment. This also puts the responsibility of maintaining the world’s reserves of oil and gas in their hands. And while petroleum is required for many activities, it also serves as a raw material for a variety of products like rubber, perfume, paints, cosmetics, to name a few. This makes petroleum engineers increasingly important for ensuring compliance with best practices, industry standards, and environmental and safety regulations.

3. Technological growth

With the improvement in people’s spending power, constantly increasing population, and changes in demand and production of oil and natural gas, it is crucial for petroleum engineers to find creative solutions through innovative technology that benefits the environment while sufficing the energy needs.

Recognising this need for new-age engineers, UPES has developed a comprehensive academic framework that allows students to design their own learning curve. Divided into four segments, the framework gives students the opportunity to study their core specialization, a minor/exploratory subject from across the seven UPES schools, signature and life skills from the newly introduced UPES School for Life, and compulsory participation in social internships.

As the scope of petroleum engineering continues to expand, it is essential for universities to evolve with changes in the field and provide students with relevant experience and education. UPES, with its multidisciplinary and holistic learning approach, paired with a consistent focus on practical learning, is shaping the future leaders of petroleum engineering.

 

Note: The views expressed in this article are that of the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha