Careers in the Oil and Gas industry

According to a media report, oil comprised 36 percent of India’s primary energy consumption in 2005. Today, this is expected to grow both in absolute and percentage terms driven by overall economic growth. In fact, the demand is expected to grow to mammoth proportions and the figures expected are to the tune of 196 million metric tonne in 2011-2012 and 250 million metric tonne in 2024-25. Oil prices may have been playing a game of hide seek for a couple of years especially during the economic depression however things are now looking up and the oil and gas industry seems to be on a successful run globally.

The Indian petroleum industry has come a long way from its humble beginnings in Digboi in the year 1890. The discovery of Bombay High changed the entire production and exploration business after 1970. Though most Indian expeditions continued to be government held, post liberalisation the policies underwent a change. To be precise it was in 1991 that the government started allowing the Indian Petroleum Industry to go into private as well as government-private joint ventures. The deregulation process in the Indian petroleum industry got a boost in the year 1997 when it was decided that the process of liberalisation and deregulation would be accelerated in this industry and all the regulations would go away from the month of April in the year 2002.

All this was history if one were to look towards the future this sector needs several skilled manpower. This would be more in technical and research and also a new breed of managerial talent.

Riding on this wave of opportunity are specialised management institutes who offer management programmes for professionals coming from this sector. The school of petroleum management), Gandhinagar which comes under Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU) (a government of Gujarat undertaking) has been offering a flagship programme called an MBA (focussed on oil and gas sector) programme since 2005-06. This is a two year fulltime programme and the course addresses topics like management, economics, supply chain, and international geo-political affairs, project management, oil & gas accounting & finance and laws of the oil & gas sector. Admissions are done based on an individual’s CAT scores, group discussion and a personal interview. The school also offers special programmes for working executives. Some of the major recruiters on campus include Schlumberger, KPMG, HPCL, IOCL, GSPC & its Group Companies, ICICI Lombard, E & Y etc.

The Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (RGIPT), Rae Bareli also offers an MBA in petroleum and energy management. This again is a two year fulltime programme meant for aspirants to the oil and gas sector. The institute also offers executive MBA programmes and other sector related PG Diploma courses. The eligibility criteria to these courses expect candidates to have a Bachelor’s in engineering/technology/mathematics.

The University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun offers several sector specific technical and management programmes. In the oil and gas sector the university offers an MBA in oil and gas management and also an MBA in energy trading. Both these programmes are fulltime courses.

All the above mentioned specialise courses can certainly be a starting point for aspirants to enter the petroleum and oil and gas industry. But it must be noted that most general MBA candidates with the right work experience are also considered for similar positions.

The industry usually prefers graduates who have had prior experience in the industry and they are usually considered for roles in procurement, project management, supply chain, operations, finance, marketing etc. The jobs are generally very lucrative and individuals need to be open to work in a global work environment.