Mining engineering is an engineering discipline that involves the practice, the

theory, the science, the technology, and application of extracting and processin
g minerals from a naturally occurring environment. Mining engineering also inclu
des processing minerals for additional value.
Mineral extraction is essential to modern society. Mining activities by their na
ture cause a disturbance of the environment in and around which the minerals are
located. Mining engineers must therefore be concerned not only with the product
ion and processing of mineral commodities, but also with the mitigation of damag
e to the environment as a result of that production and processing.

AND
Petroleum engineering is a field of engineering concerned with the activities re
lated to the production of hydrocarbons, which can be either crude oil or natura
l gas. Exploration and Production are deemed to fall within the upstream sector
of the oil and gas industry. Exploration, by earth scientists, and petroleum eng
ineering are the oil and gas industry's two main subsurface disciplines, which f
ocus on maximizing economic recovery of hydrocarbons from subsurface reservoirs.
Petroleum geology and geophysics focus on provision of a static description of
the hydrocarbon reservoir rock, while petroleum engineering focuses on estimatio
n of the recoverable volume of this resource using a detailed understanding of t
he physical behavior of oil, water and gas within porous rock at very high press
ure.