GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering (PE) 2025 is a set of topics needed for the upcoming exam. The questions in the GATE exam will be designed based on the GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering.

The GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering (PE) will be released by the conducting authority IIT Kanpur on its official website. Understanding the complete GATE Petroleum Engineering 2025 syllabus thoroughly is the key to mastering all the concepts.  GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering provides all the information that students need to prepare for the exam.

Read more: GATE Exam Pattern 2024 – Subject-Wise Question Paper Pattern, Marking Scheme

Free Gate Mock Tests
For EC, EE, IN, ME, CE, CS

1. 1 GATE past year’s paper with detailed solutions
2. 1 subject test
3. 2 chapter tests
4. Video solutions for all questions

P.S. Also, get access to 50+ hours of exclusive concept videos, masterclasses, workshops, and content.

Access My Free GATE Mock Test

Sections of the petroleum engineering syllabus

The GATE Petroleum Engineering 2025 consists of three sections including core discipline, general aptitude, and engineering mathematics. The general aptitude section constitutes 15% of the total weightage. Meanwhile, mathematics and petroleum engineering comprise 13% and 72% of weightage respectively.  

The various sections are mentioned below: 

• Oil and Gas Well Drilling Technology 
• Petroleum Exploration 
• Petroleum Formation Evaluation 
• Oil and Gas Well Testing 
• Offshore Drilling 
• Health Safety 
• Enhanced Oil Recovery Techniques 
• Latest trends in Petroleum Engineering 
• Environment in Petroleum Industry 
• Reservoir Engineering 
• Petroleum Production Operations 
• Production Practices 

Below are the sections of the GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering in detail: 

The GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering includes topics like integrals, differential equations, matrices, etc. 

• Engineering Mathematics 

This section of the GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering includes topics like integrals, differential equations, integrals, matrices, etc. Below are the topics in detail:

• Linear Algebra: The topics of this section are matrix algebra, consistency, and tank, systems of linear equations, and Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors. 
• Calculus: The topics covered in this section of calculus are theorems of integral calculus, mean value theorems, Fourier series, multiple integrals, line, surface, and volume integrals, vector identities, stokes, Gauss, and Green’s theorems.
  
• Analysis of complex variables: The topics included in this section are Cauchy’s integral theorem and integral formula, analytic functions, residue theorem, Taylor’s and Laurent’s series, and the solution of integrals.
  
• Differential Equations: The topics covered in this section are first-order equation (linear and non linear), second-order linear differential equations with constant coefficients, Cauchy’s and Euler’s equations, method of variation of parameters, initial and boundary value problems, solution of partial differential equations: Variable separable method.
  
• Probability and Statistics: The topics under the section of probability and statistics include conditional probability, sampling theorems, mean, median, mode, standard deviation, and variance, and random variables: Discrete and continuous distributions: Normal, Poisson, and binomial distributions.
  
• Numerical Methods: The topics of this section include matrix inversion, iterative methods for solving differential equations, solutions of nonlinear algebraic equations, regression, and correlation analysis.
• Petroleum Exploration
  The Petroleum Exploration section of the GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering includes topics such as the classification and description of some common rocks with special reference to clastic and non-clastic reservoir rocks. The other topics are the origin, migration, and accumulation of petroleum and petroleum exploration methods.
• Oil and Gas Well drilling technology
  This section of the GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering includes various topics like fluid maintenance, drill string, and drill bit types.

Below are the topics for the section on oil and gas well drilling technology: 

• Well-planned drilling methods, drilling rigs, and rig operating systems. 
• Drilling fluids function and properties and drilling fluid maintenance equipment. 
• Oil and gas well-cementing operations, drill bit types and their applications, drill string and casing string function, operations, selection, and design. 
• Drilling problems, their controls and remedies, directional drilling tools, and directional survey. Other topics include the application of horizontal, multi-lateral, extended reach, and slim wells.
  
• Reservoir Engineering
  The reservoir engineering section of the GATE Petroleum Engineering 2025 includes topics such as pressure measurements, water and gas coming, and reservoir drives. Below are the topics discussed below:
• Reservoir drives, drive mechanics, and recovery factors
• Petrophysical properties of reservoir rocks, Coring and core analysis 
• Phase behavior of hydrocarbon system 
• The flow of fluids through porous media. 
• Water and gas coming 
• Reserve estimation techniques 
• Reservoir pressure measurements 
• Reservoir fluid properties .

4. GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering – Petroleum Production Operations 

The petroleum production operations section of the GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering (PE) 2025 includes topics like storage tanks, the process of oil and gas, and formation damage. 

Below are the topics of this section: 

• Well equipment, well-completion techniques, well servicing and workover operations 
• Well simulation techniques, well production problems and mitigation 
• Production system analysis and optimization 
• Workover and completion of fluids 
• Storage and transportation of petroleum and petroleum products 
• Nodal system analysis 
• Formation damage 
• Metering and measurements of oil and gas 
• Pressure vessels, storage tanks, shell and tube heat exchangers 
• Artificial lift techniques 
• Field processing of oil and gas 
• Pumps and compressors 
• LNG value chain 
• Production testing 
• Multi-phase flow in tubing and flow lines. 

5. Offshore Drilling and Production Practices 

The offshore drilling and production practices section of the GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering (PE) 2025 includes sections like water injection platforms, well completion, SPM, etc. 

Below are the topics of this section: 

• Offshore oil and gas operations, ocean environment, offshore fixed platforms, offshore mobile units, station-keeping methods like mooring, and dynamic positioning system. 
• Offshore drilling from a fixed platform, jack-up, ships, and semi-submersibles. Other topics are the use of conductors and risers and offshore well completion. 
• Deepwater applications of subsea technology. Other topics are Offshore production which includes water injection platforms, oil processing platforms, storage, SPM and SBM transportation and utilities, deepwater drilling rigs, deepwater production systems, and emerging deepwater technologies. 

6. GATE 2025 Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering – Petroleum Formation Evaluation 

The petroleum formation evaluation section of the GATE 2025 Petroleum Engineering Syllabus includes topics like logging tools, SFT, NMR, and deepwater. 

Below are the topics of this section mentioned below: 

• NMR logging principles, casing inspection tools (principles, limitations, and applications). Formation micro scanner (FMS), NMR logging principles, and standard log interpretation methods. 
• Evaluation of petrophysical of sub-surface formations: Principles applications, advantages, and disadvantages of resistivity, SP, radioactive, types of tools used, and acoustic logo. 
• Casing inspection tools (Principles, applications and limitations), NMR logging principles, formations micro scanner (FMS), cross plotting methods, standard log, and interpretation methods.
  

7. GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering (PE) 2025: Oil and Gas Well Testing 

The topics of oil and gas well testing section of the GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering includes topics like

•  Diffusivity equation
• Derivation and solutions. 
• Diffusivity equation, derivation, and solutions
• The radius of investigation, principles of superposition
• Horner’s approximation
• Drill stem testing 
• Pressure transient tests : Drawdown and Build-up test analysis 
• Wellbore Effects 
• Multi-layer reservoirs 
• Injection well-testing 
• Interference Testing
• Pulse testing 
• Well-test analysis by use of type curves and Gas well testing. 

8. Health Safety and Environment in Petroleum Industry 

The health safety and environment section of the GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering Syllabus includes topics like oil spills, oil spill control and safety system. 

Below are the detailed topics discussed:

• Health hazards in Petroleum Industry: Toxicity, Physiological, Asphyxiation, respiratory, and skin effect of petroleum hydrocarbons and sour gases. 
• Safety System: Manual and automatic shutdown system, blowdown systems, and gas detection system. Other topics are fire detection and suppression systems, personal protection systems and measures, HSE policies, and disaster and crisis management in the petroleum industry. 
• Environment: The topics covered include environmental concepts and their impact on the ecosystem, air, water, and soil. 
• The impact of drilling and production operations on the environment, environmental transport of petroleum wastes, offshore environmental studies, offshore oil spill and oil spill control, and waste treatment methods. The other topics include environmental concepts and their impact on the ecosystem, water, soil, and air.
  

9. GATE Petroleum Engineering 2025 – Enhanced Oil Recovery Techniques 

The Enhanced Oil recovery techniques section of the GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering includes various topics like 

• Basic principles and mechanism of EOR
• Concept of pattern flooding
• Screening of the EOR process
• Permeability heterogeneity 
• Recovery Efficiency 
• Macroscopic and Microscopic displacement efficiency

• EOR Methods:
  1. Chemical Flooding
  2. Miscible Flooding
  3. Thermal Recoveries (Steam Simulation, hot water, and steam flooding and in-situ combustion), Microbial EOR. 

10. GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering (PE) 2025- Latest trends in Petroleum Engineering

      The latest trends in the GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering (PE) 2025 comprises of topics like shale gas, coal bed methane, oil shale, heavy oil and petroleum engineering, gas hydrate, and heavy oil and petroleum engineering.

Best books for GATE Petroleum Engineering Syllabus

This is a list of important books for the GATE Petroleum Engineering syllabus. It is recommended that candidates prepare only with books from reputable authors and publications. The following is a list of the books for the GATE syllabus for Petroleum Engineering, along with the author of each book:

Name of the book and author: 

• Petroleum Formation Evaluation: Edward J. Lynch 
• Elements of Petroleum Geology: Richard C. Selley 
• Petroleum Geology: FK North 
• Geology of Petroleum: A.I. Levorsen, 1954 
• Drilling Operation Practice Manual: ONGC Publications 

Read more: GATE Preparation Books – Best Books For GATE 2024

FAQs on GATE 2025 Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering

1. What are the sections of the GATE 2025 Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering? 

The sections included in the GATE 2025 Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering are engineering mathematics, general aptitude, and petroleum engineering.

2. What are the topics included in the general aptitude section of the GATE Syllabus?

The topics included in the general aptitude section of the GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering  (PE) 2025 are spatial aptitude, verbal aptitude, analytical aptitude, and quantitative aptitude.

3. What are books recommended for the Petroleum Engineering syllabus of GATE

 The GATE Petroleum Engineering 2025 can be prepared by referring to the books mentioned below: 

1. Applied Petroleum Reservoir Engineering by Ronald. E. Terry 
2. Introduction to Petroleum Engineering- John R. Fanchi 
3. Applied Petroleum, Reservoir Engineering- Ronald E. Terry.
   

4. What is the sectional weightage of the GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering?

The section-wise weightage of the GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering are: 

1. Oil and Gas well drilling technology- 10 
2. Petroleum Exploration – 5 
3. Petroleum Production Operations – 11 
4. Reservoir Engineering- 8 
5. Petroleum Formation Evaluation – 8 
6. Offshore Drilling and Production Practices- 6 
7. Oil and Gas Well Testing – 6 
8. Health Safety and Environment in Petroleum Industry- 5
9. Enhanced Oil Recovery Techniques – 7 
10. Latest trends in Petroleum Engineering – 4 

5. How should one prepare for the GATE Petroleum engineering 2025 syllabus in three months? 

You can prepare for the complete GATE Petroleum Engineering 2025 syllabus in three months by following the tips and tricks mentioned below:

• Get acquainted with the GATE Syllabus for Petroleum Engineering
• Continue solving and analyzing the previous year’s question papers
• Read good study material for clearing the basic concepts.

Read more: How To Prepare For GATE 2024 In 3 Months, Tips & Tricks

6. What are the main topics of the GATE 2025 Syllabus for Petroleum engineering? 

The key topics of the GATE Syllabus of the GATE 2025 Syllabus for petroleum engineering are petroleum production operations, oil and gas drilling technology, reservoir engineering, EOR techniques, and formation evaluation.