Growing up in Libya, a country with some of the largest oil reserves in Africa, Mohamed Ammar was naturally drawn to pursue a career in that industry. That path has brought him to the University of Houston to earn his doctorate.
After receiving his bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering at the University of Tripoli, Ammar came to Texas Tech to obtain his master’s in petroleum engineering. On his way to his master’s in Lubbock, Houston became the first city he visited when he came to the U.S.
“I was impressed by its vibrant energy industry, as it is the global hub for oil and gas,” Ammar said. “The Petroleum Engineering graduate program at the University of Houston has achieved national recognition, so this reputation coupled with my familiarity with the city, made Houston the ideal choice for my Ph.D.”
After nine years back home in Libya where he worked with Total Energies, Houston beckoned Mohamed to come back to the U.S. in 2022 when he joined the U.H. graduate program.
Under research advisor and professor Birol Dindoruk, Ammar is part of a team of engineers working to develop new techniques that optimize the minimum miscibility pressure and sequestration.
“What we do is inject CO₂ into the oil in order to improve the properties for the oil,” Ammar said. “So, it will improve the viscosity and the density of oil and make it more movable.”
By injecting CO₂, the greenhouse effect is reduced and carbon dioxide is sequestered in the reservoir. Optimizing the minimum miscibility pressure would allow engineers to take more CO₂ from our atmosphere and use it to help extract more oil, and then store it underground in the depleted oil reservoir.
“I believe my research will progress the carbon dioxide utilization and improve the use of it for better recovery and pave the way for potentially better ideas of using the CO₂ as storage and as enhanced oil recovery,” Ammar said.
Ammar is also part of the cohort for the 2024–2025 UH-Chenron Energy Graduate Flelow program. Being recognized as one of the most renowned oil and gas companies in the world, Ammar was drawn to the Chevron fellowship as they actively support student research that aims to improve energy efficiency while reducing environmental impact.
The program has allowed Ammar to work alongside field leaders to develop solutions that improve energy efficiency while reducing environmental impact.
“My primary goal as a Chevron fellow is to contribute to the enhancement of sustainable energy practices through innovative research and impactful solutions,” Ammar said. “With a focus on the scaling of the application of CO₂ injection in both conventional and unconventional reservoirs and residual oil zones.”
Besides the fellowship, Ammar is a member of the UH chapter of the Society of Petroleum Engineering. The UH chapter is among the most renowned of the more than 400 chapters, as it was awarded the 2024 Presidential Award for Outstanding Student Chapter.
Ammar credited his family for their constant support throughout his academic journey along with Dindoruk, his research advisor, whose dedication to pushing the boundaries of engineering has encouraged him to achieve that same level of commitment.
“Working together across academia, industry, and government, we can create sustainable solutions that not only address today’s energy challenges but also pave the way for a cleaner and more efficient future,” Ammar said.