India has one of the richest resources of mineral wealth, which professionals in mining explore, extract and process. Mining engineers are involved in finding the source of valuable mineral deposits located beneath the earth’s surface or water and are involved in removing them in the most economical way separating as much as possible of the worth less materials from the valuable. Minerals include energy minerals, such as coal, non metallic minerals, such as limestone, and metallic minerals such as iron ore. The Mining industry is essentially a support industry. It provides the basic raw material for a very large range of industries. Thus job opportunities are in the private and public sectors. The mining industry employs engineers for production, safety and design. The industry also employs geologists, metallurgists for exploration and specialists for the mining of different minerals.
Petroleum engineers apply the principles of geology, physics and engineering sciences for the recovery development and processing of petroleum. Exploration work involves locating oil and gas sources. Petroleum engineers begin by determining the best location for drilling new wells and conduct feasibility studies for their economical running.They are involved in the operation of the oil and gas facilities, monitoring and forecasting reservoir performance and utilising their enhanced capacity. The optimum recovery of oil and natural gas from reservoirs is their major task. Since only a small proportion of oil and gas flow out in the natural course from reservoirs, petroleum engineers develop and use advanced recovery methods for maximum output.
Nature of Work
Mining engineers
Mining Engineers are involved in the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources, improvement in mining and the development of new operating and engineering practices. This may cover planning, designing, safety operation, excavation of minerals and their transportation, maintenance of mines, air circulation and removal of toxic gases from the mines. Mining industry offers a wide range of opportunities to Mining Engineers. These are in :
w Prospecting and Exploration [Geological, Airborne, Drilling and Sampling Surveys]
w Development (underground and surface)
w Exploitation (underground and surface)
w Mineral Refining
w Marketing
w Auxiliary Services required by the industry
Planning, Exploration - The method of mining depends on geographical factors and the mineral to be extracted. Mining engineers hence need to study the form of rock and the rock strata in order to determine the possible deposits and the best methods for its extraction. Mining engineers hence work with geologists and metallurgical engineers to locate and appraise new ore deposits.
Designing - Mining technologists design and supervise the construction of open pit and underground mines, supervise the construction of mine shafts and tunnels in underground operations, and devise methods for transporting minerals to processing plants.Mining engineers are responsible for the safe, economical and environmentally sound operation of mines.
Excavation, Refining - Mining engineers frequently specialise in the mining of one mineral, such as coal, gold, mica etc. They may work in direct mineral processing operations and also separate minerals from dirt, rocks and other materials mixed with it. The separated metallic content is stored for transportation to the manufacturing units where they are used in the manufacture of products like steel and petrol etc.
Research and Development - Mining engineers are also involved in the development of new equipment. These design engineers work on ventilation systems, earth and rock moving conveyors, underground railroads and elevators, rock and chipping equipments, explosive materials for blasting and locating these is their technical speciality.
Environmental protection - With growing concerns in environmental pollution many mining engineers work to solve problems related to land reclamation and water and air pollution.
Sales - Mining engineers are employed as sales managers to market mining equipments and supplies.
Petroleum engineers
Petroleum engineers determine and develop the most efficient production methods. These include injecting water, chemicals or steam into an oil reservoir to push out more oil, and horizontal drilling or fracturing to connect a gas reservoir to a well. The best methods used today are yet not absolutely efficient and hence petroleum engineers work to find ways to increase production, pipeline engineering etc. Their work includes design work, cost estimates, scheduling and supervision. Most of the work goes on at drilling sites or platforms set up on the ocean. Planning and administration work is carried out at urban centres - the main being at Mumbai, Assam and Chennai.
Petrolem engineering encompasses several specialities each one playing an important part in oil exploration, drilling and recovery. The oil recovery process begins with the analysing of cost factors to monitoring production rate and repacking the well after completion of the depletion work.
Geoscience engineers - Geo-science engineering is closely associated to this discipline and is concerned with exploration of prospective sites in collaboration with geophysicists and geologists. The geoscience engineer puts together the information of the geologist's environmental and seismic studies with the field engineers analysis and prepare estimates of the size of the reservoir.
Petrophysical specialist - The petrophysical specialist studies the formations and the oil content in the rock.
Field petroleum engineer - Field petroleum engineers analyse the oil bearing rock sediment and study the productivity. Field petroleum engineers are incharge of drilling operations and when significant oil is located they aim to maximise the oil production at the site.The specialists at the site are drilling engineers, production engineers and reservoir engineers.
Drilling Engineer - Drilling engineers design and supervise drilling operations.They supervise the building of the drilling platform, decide upon drilling equipment and methods.
Production engineer - Production engineers determine the most efficient methods and equipment to optimise oil and gas production. They plan primary, secondary and tertiary recovery methods.
Reservoir engineer - Reservoir engineers prepare estimates of the commercial viability for exploring oil reserves in wells located and determine the most effective methods of exploration.They work on evaluating the value of fresh sites due for commercial exploration .
Other specialists working in this field are research engineers, services
and sales personnel. These specialists generally have a higher relevant qualification.
Work Environment
Mining engineers work where the mineral deposits are located generally in small and remote places. In research, consultancy, teaching, sales the job is carried out in urban locations.
Those engineers who work on the site have to work in difficult conditions when in underground mines and also face danger of the hazards mining poses. Working in artificial light, poor ventilation, in humid atmosphere can be tough.
Petroleum engineers work in oil exploration on the high seas, forests, deserts, plains and mountains. The job of a drilling engineer is carried out at the site and involves a lot of leg work and stamina to work under difficult conditions of both terrain and climate. Petroleum engineers in planning, exploration, administration and sales, work in offices with occasional visits to the site. Research engineers work in laboratories. In the government, economics, consulting and management, petroleum engineers may be located in large cities.
Personal Characteristics
Mining engineers must be able to put their theoretical knowledge to practical use.Their approach should be practical and analytical and mechanical reasoning is required. Patience, responsible approach to work, endurance are critical assests of mining engineers.
Petroleum engineering is a branch which students must enter if they enjoy maths and earth sciences. They must innovate ways for getting work done and for solving problems. They must have curiosity to understand the complex ways of handling a task , an eye for detail, an ability to take responsibility and work with a team.
Employment Avenues
The nationalisation of mines and the National Mineral Policy confined job opportunities to public sector firms such as ONGC, Coal India Ltd., and National Mineral Devlopment. Now, however the sector has been opened to private companies in mineral exploration and extraction.
Mining engineers are usually employed at the location of mineral deposits and oil explorations. But the jobs in urban centres are the most sought after. Those in research and development, management, and consultancy are located in metropolitan areas. Most mining industries have their corporate offices in the capital town. Mining engineers work in mining industry, in engineering consultation firms, government agencies, in teaching and research institutions. The central mining research station at Dhanbad and at Kolar offers positions in research. Mining engineers find jobs with agencies like Manganese Ore India Ltd., Tata Iron & Steel Co., Khudremukh, Coal India Ltd., Steel Authority of India Ltd., India Iron and Steel Co. Ltd., ACS Ltd., Uranium Corporation of India Ltd., Mining & Allied Machinery Corporation, Government mining corporations i.e., Central Mining Research Station, Dhanbad; Indian Explosives Ltd., Indian Detonators Ltd., IBP Ltd. in the manufacture of mining machinery and in allied organizations who employ them as research and design engineers. Recent addition to the list of employees are companies like Reliance, TISCO, TELCO and MNC's like British Gas, Schlumberger and Halliburtion.
Petroleum engineers work largely with the petroleum industry, the major employees being oil companies, oil exploration, production and service companies. Engineering consulting firms, government agencies, oil field services, and equipment suppliers employ petroleum engineers. ONGC, Indian Oil, Oil India and Bharat Petroleum are the main employers. Petroleum engineers also work as consultants.
