Petroleum Engineering
With their senior design project, Petroleum Engineering students will develop advanced analytical, technical and cross-disciplinary skills to evaluate, model and enhance complex subsurface energy systems. These skills will be applied to their comprehensive capstone projects, which challenge them to maximize resource recovery, improve operational performance and optimize reservoir management strategies while thoughtfully addressing economic practicality, safety considerations, environmental stewardship and long-term sustainability.
Projects start in spring only and last 1 semester. Project proposals are due mid-October. Submit your proposal here:
Student Skills:
- Analytical & Critical Thinking: Interpreting complex technical data to generate meaningful insights.
- Data Management & Quality Control: Organizing, cleaning, and validating large technical datasets for reliable analysis.
- Applied Data Analytics: Using quantitative methods to evaluate trends, patterns and system behavior.
- Problem Solving & Diagnostic Skills: Identifying technical challenges and developing evidence-based solutions.
- Reservoir Simulation & Modeling: Building and analyzing simulation models to estimate reserves and forecast performance.
- Integrated Field Development Planning: Designing and comparing development scenarios under operational constraints.
- Strategic Decision-Making: Selecting optimal plans based on technical and economic trade-offs.
- Systems Thinking: Understanding the interaction between geology, reservoir performance, operations and economics.
- Techno-Economic Evaluation: Assessing capital investment, operating costs and financial viability.
- Professional & Technical Communication: Presenting complex engineering findings clearly and effectively.
Previous Projects:
Sector A, Fasken Oil and Ranch Field: An Integrated Case Study
This project evaluated the efficiency of waterflooding in the Grayburg Formation Fasken Oil and Ranch Field in Andrews County, Texas through an integrated analysis of nine producing wells and seven injection wells in Sector A. All of the required data were extracted from public databases and systematically imported, structured, filtered, cleaned and analyzed to ensure reliability and engineering-grade quality. Students applied strong data management and organizational practices to handle the technical datasets, remove inconsistencies and prepare the information for advanced quantitative evaluation.
Using a comprehensive suite of petroleum engineering tools, the team analyzed production and injection trends, evaluated reservoir heterogeneity, calculated original oil in place and assessed reservoir connectivity, well performance, reserves estimation and economic outcomes. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of waterflood, quantify fluid communication within the reservoir, diagnose well-level performance challenges and identify technically sound optimization strategies. Advanced analytical techniques were applied to derive meaningful trends and system-level insights, while integrated economic evaluation allowed students to assess project viability and identify opportunities to enhance recovery and long-term field performance. The result is a holistic assessment of reservoir behavior and waterflood performance that demonstrates the integration of rigorous data analysis with practical, field-oriented engineering decision-making.
Strategic Field Development Planning Through Integrated Simulation and Economic Assessment in the Permian Basin
This study provided an integrated evaluation of a proposed greenfield development in the Permian Basin, examining the technical, operational, safety and economic factors essential for effective field planning. A reservoir simulation model was developed to estimate recoverable reserves and assess multiple development scenarios with varying well configurations and operational strategies. Environmental considerations, including wastewater disposal, were incorporated into the overall evaluation. The technical findings were integrated into a comprehensive economic analysis, including capital investment and operating costs, to determine project feasibility. Among the scenarios evaluated, one development plan demonstrated the strongest recovery performance and the most favorable economic outcomes. Together, these analyses provide a structured framework for informed decision-making and strategic development planning