What if calculating oil reserves could be faster and more accurate? What if porous rocks held the key to clean hydrogen storage? At Texas A&M University, graduate students are answering questions that could redefine the future of energy.
For over thirty years, Texas A&M has held Student Research Week (SRW) annually to recognize and celebrate the impactful research students are conducting. This year, two graduate students from the Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering earned first place in their respective categories.
Corine Guemdjo Kamtchuen, a Ph.D. candidate, earned first place in the graduate oral presentation category.
Guemdjo’s presentation, “Direct Estimation of EUR During Boundary-Dominated Flow Conditions Using Straight-Line Plotting Techniques,” centered around innovative techniques for direct evaluation of oil and gas reserves applicable in conventional reservoirs.
Through her research, Guemdjo uncovered a set of straight-line plotting functions that simplify reserve estimation by making key production trends easier to interpret and extrapolate.
“The novelty of my research is that these straight-line plotting functions were hiding in plain sight,” Guemdjo said. “They are derived from functions that have been used in the industry for decades but have never been formulated in this fashion.”
Galvis’ presentation, “Subsurface Porous Media Potential for Engineering Hydrogen Storage and Generation Systems,” focused on the importance of porous rocks for hydrogen systems, specifically for safely storing hydrogen underground and collecting natural hydrogen that forms through serpentinization.
By integrating subsurface modeling with lab experiments, Galvis’ research assessed hydrogen generation and storage potential in porous rocks, as well as cap rock integrity.
“These findings are relevant because they are a key step toward unlocking the hidden value of the subsurface for future hydrogen resource development,” said Galvis. “By understanding how hydrogen can be generated, stored, and sealed underground, we’re helping lay the groundwork for the global transition to sustainable energy.”
As the largest student-run research symposium in the country, SRW is where innovation and excellence collide. Student research in the classroom will translate to cutting-edge industry solutions and have significant impacts.