Piping Engineer: Education and Career Roadmap

Piping engineer also known by the name petroleum engineer is a part of the team that is responsible for constructing, replacing as well repairing oil and natural gas pipelines, stations and pump. It is a good career choice for those who like to use their creativity to build things and are also good at science and maths. The engineers should also be able to work outdoors in all kinds of weather and often needs to spend lot of time away from home too.

In order to become a piping engineer one need to have certain educational qualification, have a set of skills, experience as well as fulfil certain licence criteria requirements. There are few essential steps that need to be followed if aspiring to be a piping engineer.

All pipeline engineers should possess a four year bachelor's degree in engineering discipline. Major in civil, chemical and mechanical engineering is usually preferred by employers. However, sometimes other types of engineering may also meet the employer’s requirements. Those who have a master’s degree in engineering or a diploma in chemical, mechanical and production engineering may also apply for piping engineering course.

After passing the four years engineering degree the engineers can apply for the course of piping engineering. During the course the engineers are taught extensively about piping engineering. It usually deals with various areas such as piping layout engineering, piping design, pipe stress analysis for piping engineering, PDMS and Auto Cadd for piping design and so on. The course also ensures that practical piping engineering exercises are carried out so that the engineers get hands on experience about what they have already been thought in books.

The piping design engineering courses is usually thought by experienced pipeline engineers or experts who have requisite qualification as well as. Many of the education centres also provide distance education to those who are not able to attend the class room sessions.

Once the piping engineering course is over there are many institutes who arrange for internship for a certain period of time under licensed, experienced piping engineers to gain sufficient experience. When sufficient experience is gained the fresh graduates can start working as independent piping engineers in various industries.

It is not unknown that almost 25% of the total investment in LPG/ CNG Plant, chemical, process, oil and pharmaceutical plants belongs to piping engineering and its equipments. Hence, piping engineering play a crucial role in plant design.

The scope in piping engineering is wide. After completing graduation in engineering and gaining sufficient experience piping engineers may be required in various areas such as design of piping engineering, support in refinery, petrochemical, field engineering of piping, technical sales of piping, analytical maintenance of piping system, layout of piping, operation controller, piping design project, project manager of piping engineering and so on.

Some of the major industries where piping engineers plays a major role are, Petro Chemical Complex, Petro Chemical Complex, Oil & gas, Refinery, Off shore Industry, Industrial plants, Chemical process, Energy sector, EPC industry, Pharmaceutical industry, Cement and Fertilizer and Project & Construction are some of them.