UTM’s undergraduate Petroleum Engineering Programme was the first Petroleum Engineering Programme offered in this country by the Department of Petroleum Engineering, UTM way back in 1975. The goal of the Programme is to provide undergraduate students with a world-class petroleum engineering education that will equip them with the technical and generic skills as required by the global oil and gas industry. Our undergraduate Programme is fully accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) and Washington Accord. In addition, the Programme has also been benchmarked against ABET Programme criteria for petroleum and similarly named engineering Programmes, Society of Petroleum Engineering competency matrix for Petroleum Engineers, and six ABET-accredited institutions of higher learning in the United States of America (USA).

Petroleum engineering graduates are involved in the wide spectrum of the exploration and production business; from making discoveries and developing reservoirs to optimizing production and making commercial evaluations, determining the drilling methods to be used, and monitoring the drilling and production activities. They also work on designing tools and operational procedures in order to gain efficiency in the recovery of oil and gas. Simulation Programmes are used extensively by petroleum engineers to determine the best possible method of recovery of petroleum from different reservoirs. Models and designs of drilling and other equipment are also simulated on computers. The aim is to maximize hydrocarbon recovery at minimum cost while maintaining a strong emphasis on reducing environmental impact.

Over the years, we have been assisted by experienced advisory panels from oil and gas industry and renowned universities in improving our academic curriculum so that it is of high quality and relevant to the needs of oil and gas industry. Industry practitioners are invited every semester to give professional talks to all petroleum students on latest technology and contemporary oil and gas related issues. There are numerous opportunities for our students to participate in student organizations. The Society of Petroleum Engineers’ Student Chapter (SPE-UTM) has been among the most active in the Asia-Pacific region over the past few years. The presence of international students from Kazakhstan, Yemen, Somalia, Singapore, Nigeria, China, Sudan, Indonesia, Iran, Uganda, Indonesia, etc. at the Department of Petroleum Engineering has further complemented our effort in producing well-rounded petroleum graduates who are ready to face the challenges in global oil and gas industry.