Dr. Ibrahim Ashour
Asocciate Professor and Head of the Department
Welcome to the website of the Department of Petroleum & Chemical Engineering (PCE) at Sultan Qaboos University. Please take time to explore the site. We welcome any comments you might have about the format and contents of this site. The Department of Petroleum and Chemical Engineering (PCE) in the College of Engineering at Sultan Qaboos University started in 1986 as the Department of Petroleum Engineering. Noting the importance of mining to the country, a mining section was added in 1989 and the name was changed to Petroleum and Mining Engineering. With the country’s development in the gas industry and plans to expand the down stream industrialization, the department added chemical and petrochemical as well as metallurgical (materials) and industrial minerals engineering.
In 2003, a comprehensive self-study resulted in restructuring the Petroleum and Mineral Resources Engineering undergraduate program into two independent undergraduate Bachelor of Engineering degree programs in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering (PNGE), and Chemical and Process Engineering (CHPE). A Graduate degree program at the Master level (MEng) is also offered in PNGE. These degrees prepare students for careers in the petroleum, chemical and process industries, as well as in a variety of related fields. The department offers two ten-semester Bachelor Degrees in:
- Petroleum & Natural Gas Engineering.
- Chemical & Process Engineering.
Students are required to select a specialization during the second semester of their study, thus, allowing the flexibility for subsequent adaptation to the future needs and market trends in the Sultanate of Oman. The central philosophy of the department is student learning.
Employment
The job market for an SQU Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, and Chemical and Process Engineering graduate is vast. A graduate can work in the public or private sector. Prospective employers in Oman include: Ministries, Municipalities, PDO, Oman LNG, Refineries, Oil companies (Schlumberger, Halliburton, British Petroleum, Shell, etc…), Chemical, Petrochemical, Food Companies, Desalination Plants, Power Generation Companies, and many Consulting companies.