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PCM streamEntrance: JEE MainEnergy, earth & environment

Petroleum Engineer

Petroleum engineers find the best ways to drill for and produce oil and gas, and work on refining and carbon-capture technologies.

Class 11–12 subjectsPhysics, Chemistry, Maths

Entrance / admissionJEE Main / JEE Advanced

DegreeB.Tech Petroleum Engineering

Duration4 years

Your route, step by step

1Class 11–12: take PCMPhysics (fluids, pressure) and Chemistry (hydrocarbons) are both important here.
2Write the entrance examsJEE Main for NITs and many colleges, JEE Advanced for IITs. In Tamil Nadu, TNEA counselling uses your Class 12 marks.
3B.E. / B.Tech Petroleum Engineering · 4 yearsOffered by IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, RGIPT and Alagappa College of Technology, among others.
4Work or specialiseField, drilling or reservoir roles; PSUs often recruit through GATE.

What a petroleum engineer does

Plan wells and drilling operations
Estimate oil and gas reserves
Improve production from fields
Work on safety and environmental controls

Entrance exams & admission

JEE MainNITs, IIITs and many colleges
JEE AdvancedIITs, after qualifying JEE Main
TNEATamil Nadu engineering seats, on Class 12 marks

Where you may work

ONGC, Oil India, private oil companies, oilfield service firms, refineries and offshore rigs, in India and abroad.

Well-known colleges in and near Tamil Nadu

Alagappa College of Technology (Anna University)
IIT (ISM) Dhanbad
Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology

Official links

Exam / admissionJEE Main (National Testing Agency) (opens in a new tab)jeemain.nta.nic.in
Exam / admissionJEE Advanced (for IITs) (opens in a new tab)jeeadv.ac.in
Exam / admissionJoSAA — IIT, NIT, IIIT seat allocation (opens in a new tab)josaa.nic.in
Exam / admissionTNEA — Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions (opens in a new tab)tneaonline.org
CollegeIIT (ISM) Dhanbad (opens in a new tab)iitism.ac.in
CollegeRajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (opens in a new tab)rgipt.ac.in
Official bodyONGC (opens in a new tab)ongcindia.com

Links checked: Oct 2026. Always confirm dates and rules on the official site.

Outlook

Oil and gas will be needed for years, but the energy transition is changing the industry — skills in gas, CCS and geothermal help.

Specialise later

Drilling engineering
Reservoir engineering
Production engineering
Refining
Carbon capture & storage