CPG

Dr. Ali AlYousef

Tel: +966 (013) 860-8662
Fax: +966 (013) 860-8663

Location: Bldg. 76, Rm. 2204

Dr. Ali AlYousef

Dean, Dean’s Office

Dr. Ali AlYousef is the second Dean of College of Petroleum Engineering & Geosciences (CPG), KFUPM. He was a Principal Petroleum Engineering Professional and Chief Technologist of Reservoir Engineering Technology Division at Saudi Aramco Upstream Research Centre. He has more than 30 years of experience in upstream research and technology, decarbonization, CCUS, Advanced reservoir evaluation and monitoring, Advanced Petrophysics, and Advanced Materials and IOR/EOR.

He has written over 100 technical papers, and has 61 granted patents. He is an active member of Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and received the Saudi Aramco President & CEO Excellence Award in 2015 in recognition of significant contributions towards IOR/EOR research. Dr. Ali AlYousef is also the recipient of IOR Pioneer Award received in 2016 for his significant contributions made to the advancement of recovery technologies. He is recognized by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in 2018 for his pioneering invention on SmartWater flooding technology. More recently, the technology on zero liquid discharge (ZLD) water management solution that he co-invented has received World Oil’s 2020 Best Water Management Technology Award. He is also recipient of International SPE’s Distinguished Membership at 2021 SPE ATCE for his technical commitment for the industry and the society. Dr. Ali AlYousef has also been elected as 2021 Fellow of Energy Institute (FEI).

Educational Qualification

  • Ph.D., Petroleum Engineering, University of Texas at Austin – 2006
  • M.S., Petroleum Engineering, University of Texas at Austin – 2001
  • B.S., Chemical Engineering, KFUPM – 1995

Research Interests

  • Reservoir Engineering
  • Formation Evaluation
  • Water flooding
  • Improved/Enhanced Oil Recovery
  • Nanotechnology
  • Unconventional Resources
  • Produced Water Management
  • Mineral Extraction
  • Carbon capture and sequestration
  • CO2 mineralization
  • Energy Transition
  • Hydrogen
  • Geothermal Energy

Selected Publications

  • A. AlOmier, D.K. Cha, S.C. Ayirala, A.A Yousef, and H. Hoteit; Novel Fabrication of Mixed Wettability Micromodels for Pore-Scale Studies of Fluid-Rock Interactions, Lab On a Chip, 2024
  • X. Rao, S. Guo, X. He, H. Kwak, A.A Yousef, H. Hoteit; Hybrid Mimetic Finite Difference and Streamline Methods for Numerical Simulation of Two-phase Flow in Fractured Reservoirs, Computers and Geotechnics, 2024
  • X. Rao, X. He, H. Kwak, A.A Yousef, H. Hoteit; A Novel Streamline Simulation Method for Fractured Reservoirs with Full-tensor Permeability, Physics of Fluids, 2024
  • M. Duits, D. Le-Anh, S.C. Ayirala, M.B. AlOtaibi, H. Gardeniers, A.A Yousef, and F. Mugele; Microfluidics for Carbonate Rock IOR: Some Lessons from Fabrication, Operation and Image Analysis, SPE Journal, Sept. 2023
  • T. Qin, P. Fenter, M. B. AlOtaibi, S.C. Ayirala, and A.A. Yousef; Is Enhanced Oil Recovery Controlled by Ion Adsorption at the Carbonate-Brine Interface? Scientific Reports, 2023
  • S. Abdel-Azeim, A. Al-Yaseri, K. Norrman, P. Patil, A. Qasim, A.A. Yousef; Wettability of Caprock–H2–Water: Insights from Molecular Dynamic Simulations and Sessile-Drop Experiment, Energy Fuels, 2023
  • A. Binabdi, T. Solling, A. El Zohry, S.C. Ayirala, A. Gmira, A.A. Yousef; Fundamentals of Crystallization at Oil-Brine Interfaces for Conformance Control and Oil Spill Remediation Applications, Journal of Geoenergy Science and Engineering, 2023
  • S.C. Ayirala, M.A. Alsaud, and A.A. Yousef; Multiscale Modeling Workflow of Advanced Waterflooding, US Patent No. 11604910, 2023
  • A.O. Alghamdi, S.C. Ayirala, and A.A. Yousef; Down-hole Selective Ion Removal Water Ionizer System for Subsurface Applications, US Patent No. 11,788,392, 2023
  • A. Aljedaani, M.B. Alotaibi, S.C. Ayirala, and A.A. Yousef; Humidification and Dehumidification Processes using Waste Heat Extracted from Abandoned Well, US Patent No. 11548796, 2023

For detailed list of Publications, Patents, Text Books, Regional/International Awards, Journal Publications and Conference Papers click here.

Extended Publications (+)

  • A. Al-Qasim, S.C. Ayirala, and A.A. Yousef; Enhanced Hydrocarbon Recovery with Electric Current, US Patent No. 11352867, 2022
  • M.B. Otaibi, D.K. Cha, and A.A. Yousef; Artificial Rain to Support Water Flooding in Remote Oil Fields, US Patent No. 11274534, 2022
  • S.C. Ayirala, M.A. Alsaud, and A.A. Yousef; Low pH-based Oil Recovery Method for Carbonate Reservoirs, US Patent No. 11214730, 2022
  • S. Kumar, P. Cats, M.B. Alotaibi, S.C. Ayirala, A.A. Yousef, R. van Roij, I. Siretanu, F. Mugele; Absence of Anomalous Underscreening in Highly Concentrated Aqueous Electrolytes Confined Between Smooth Silica Surfaces, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2022
  • D. Le-Anh, A. Rao, S. Schlautmann, A. Stetten, S.C. Ayirala, M.B. Alotaibi, M. Duits, H. Gardeniers, A.A. Yousef, and F. Mugele; Effects of Fluid Aging and Reservoir Temperature on Waterflooding in 2.5D Glass Micromodels, Energy & Fuels, 2022
  • S.C. Ayirala, A.M. AlSofi, Z. AlYousef, J. Wang, M.A. Alsaud, A.A. Yousef; SmartWater-Based Synergistic Technologies for Enhanced Oil Recovery, Fuel, 2022
  • S. Kumar, A. Rao, M.B. Alotaibi, S.C. Ayirala, A.A. Yousef, I. Siretanu, and F. Mugele; Response of Crude Oil Deposited Organic Layers to Brines of Different Salinity: An Atomic Force Microscopy Study on Carbonate Surfaces, Fuel, 2021
  • A. Rao, S. Kumar, C. Annink, D. Le-Anh, S.C. Ayirala, M.B. Alotaibi, I. Siretanu, M.H.G. Duits, A.A. Yousef, and F. Mugele; Nonmonotonic Coupled Dissolution-Precipitation Reactions at the Mineral–Water Interface, Advanced Functional Materials, 2021
  • A.O. Alghamdi, S.C. Ayirala, M.B. Al-Otaibi, and A.A. Yousef; Electro-kinetically Tailored Interfaces for Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery in Carbonates, Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2021
  • P. Fenter, T. Qin, S. Soo Lee, M.B. AlOtaibi, S.C. Ayirala and A.A. Yousef; Molecular-Scale Origins of Wettability at Petroleum-Brine-Carbonate Interfaces, Nature Scientific Reports, 2020
  • A. Rao, S. Kumar, C. Annink, D. Le-Anh, S.C. Ayirala, M.B. Alotaibi, I. Siretanu, M. H.G. Duits, A.A. Yousef, and F. Mugele; Mineral Interfaces and Oil Recovery: A Microscopic View on Surface Reconstruction, Organic Modification, and Wettability Alteration of Carbonates, Energy & Fuels, April 2020
  • S.C. Ayirala, A. Alghamdi, A. Gmira, D.K. Cha, Abu Alsaud, and A.A. Yousef; Linking Pore Scale Mechanisms with Macroscopic to Core Scale Effects in Controlled Ionic Composition Low Salinity Waterflooding Processes, Fuel, March 2020
  • Z. Li, S.C. Ayirala, R. Mariath, A.M. AlSofi, Z. Xu, and A.A. Yousef; Microscale Effects of Polymer on Wettability Alteration in Carbonates, SPE Journal, August 2020
  • S.C. Ayirala and A.A. Yousef; Water Treatment Schemes for Injection Water Flooding Recovery Processes in Carbonate Reservoirs, US Patent No. 10,479,928, 2019
  • S.C. Ayirala, A.M. Sofi, and A.A. Yousef, and J. Wang; Polymer Flooding Processes for Viscous Oil Recovery in Carbonates, US Patent No. 10,457,851, 2019
  • A.M. AlSofi, J. Wang, A.M. AlBoqmi, M.B. AlOtaibi, S.C. Ayirala, and A.A. Yousef; Smartwater Synergy with Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery: Polymer Effects on Smartwater, SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering, 2019
  • P. Mahzari, P. Tsolis, M. Sohrabi, S. Enezi, A.A. Yousef, and A. Eidan; Carbonated Water Injection Under Reservoir Conditions; In-Situ WAG-type EOR, Fuel, 2018
  • S.C. Ayirala, A.M. Sofi, and A.A. Yousef; Oil Recovery Process Using an Oil Recovery Composition of Aqueous Salt Solution and Dilute Polymer for Carbonate Reservoirs, US Patent 10,106,726, 2018
  • H.T. Kwak, A.A. Yousef, and S.H. Saleh; Measuring Connectivity Between Different Pore Types in Porous Media, US Patent No. 10,156,531, 2018
  • A.A. Yousef and S.C. Ayirala; Smart Water Flooding Processes for Increasing Hydrocarbon Recovery, US Patent 10,000,687, 2018
  • M.B. AlOtaibi and A.A. Yousef; The Role of Individual and Combined Ions in Waterflooding Carbonate Reservoirs: Electokinetic Study, SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering, 2017
  • Chen, Y., Kaufman, K., Kristiansen, D., Seo, A.M., Schrader, M.B. Alotaibi, H.A. Dobbs, N.A. Cadirov, J.R. Boles, S.C. Ayirala, J.N. Israelachvili, and A.A. Yousef; Effects of Salinity on Oil Recovery (the ‘Dilution Effect’): Experimental and Theoretical Studies of Crude Oil/Brine/Carbonate Surface Restructuring, Energy & Fuels, 2017
  • S.C. Ayirala and A.A. Yousef; A State-of-the-Art Review to Develop Injection Water Chemistry Requirement Guidelines for IOR/EOR Projects, SPE Production and Operations, 2015
  • A.A. Yousef, M. Han, and S.H. Saleh; Oil Recovery Process for Carbonate Reservoirs, US Patent 8,550,164, 2013
  • A.A. Yousef, A.O. Al-Kaabi, and S.H. Saleh; Oil Recovery Process for Carbonate Reservoirs, US Patent 8,550,163, 2013
  • A.A. Yousef, S. Saleh, A. Al-Kaabi, and M. Al-Jawfi; Laboratory Investigation of the Impact of Injection-Water Salinity and Ionic Content on Oil Recovery from Carbonate Reservoirs, SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering, 2011
  • A.A. Yousef and L.W. Lake; A Capacitance Model to Infer Interwell Connectivity from Production and Injection Rate Fluctuations, SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering Journal, 9 (5): 630-646, 2006
  • S.C. Ayirala, P. Muradov, A.A. Yousef, and K. Aziz; Advanced Characterization of Wettability Alteration by Surfactants in Carbonate Rocks, Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2003
  • A.A. Yousef, L.W. Lake, and T.S. Thompson; Effects of Scaling on Surfactant Performance in Carbonates, Journal of Petroleum Technology, 2002
  • A. Yousef and L.W. Lake; A Streamline-Based Approach for Determining Sweep Efficiency in Carbonates, SPE Journal, 2001

Awards & Honors

 

  • 2024 Hart Energy Special Meritorious Award for Engineering Innovation (MEA) on the World’s First Produced Water Management Project with Unconventional Frac Flow-Back Water
  • 2023 Global Energy Show Suzanne West Environmental Excellence Award for A Sustainable Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) Produced Water Management Solution for Recycling of Wastewater Streams
  • 2023 Hart Energy Special Meritorious Award for Engineering Innovation (MEA) on the Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) Produced Water Management Project
  • 2023 Gulf Energy Excellence Award for the Best EOR Technology on SmartWater Flooding- A Sustainable EOR Technology
  • 2023 Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Distinguished Service Award
  • 2022 Saudi Aramco Excellence Award for the Innovation and Field Demonstration of Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) Produced Water Management Technology
  • 2022 World Oil Award for the Best Water Management Technology on Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) Produced Water Management Field Demonstration Project
  • 2021 Fellow of Energy Institute (FEI), the highest level of EI recognition awarded to Energy’s leaders and influencers.
  • 2020 Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Distinguished Membership Award
  • 2020 World Oil Award for the Best Water Management Technology on Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) Produced Water Management Innovation
  • 2017 Custodian of Two Holy Mosques Award for Inventors and the Gifted in recognition of the breakthrough invention on SmartWater flooding technology
  • 2016 SPE IOR Pioneer Award for pioneering contributions made to the advancement of recovery technologies in the field of IOR/EOR
  • 2015 Saudi Aramco President & CEO Excellence Award on IOR/EOR research advancements
  • 2011 ADIPEC Best Oil and Gas Innovation and Technology Award for SmartWater Flooding technology

Dr. Mazen Kanj

Consultant, Dean’s Office

Dr. Mazen Y. Kanj is a Consultant at College of Petroleum Engineering & Geosciences. He was a Petroleum Engineering Consultant at Saudi Aramco and former Director of the Center for Integrative Petroleum Research (CIPR) at the newly founded College of Petroleum Engineering & Geosciences (CPG) at KFUPM. He was a founding member and team lead for the In-Situ Sensing and Intervention (ISSI) focus area of the Reservoir Engineering Technology Division of EXPEC ARC. He developed the concept of Resbots for reservoir use an application to solve the challenges in formation evaluation, reservoir monitoring, and enhanced recovery. He further coined the concept of reservoir nanoagents (Resbots) and developed the reservoir nanoagents suite with two successful nanoparticle field demonstrations for the company. Dr. Kanj has close to 24 years of industry and academic research experience outside his graduate study, 13 of which are with Saudi Aramco.

Educational Qualification

  • Ph.D., Civil Engineering, the University of Oklahoma, USA, 1995.
  • ME, Civil Engineering (Structural Engineering), the American University, Beirut, Lebanon, 1990.
  • BE, Civil Engineering, Beirut, Lebanon, 1988.

Research Interests

  • Rigid Body Mechanics
  • Structural Analysis I
  • Numerical Methods in Engineering
  • Rock Mechanics

Selected Publications

  • Chuang Y-J, Liu F, Wang W, Kanj MY, Poitzsch ME, and Pan Z., “Ultra-sensitive in-situ detection of near-infrared persistent luminescent tracer nanoagents in crude oil-water mixtures”, Scientific Reports. 2016; 6:27993. doi:10.1038/srep27993.
  • Kanj, M.Y. and Abousleiman, Y., “Taming Complexities of Coupled-Geomechanics in Rock Testing: From Assessing Reservoir Compaction to Analyzing Stability of Expandable Sand Screens and Solid Tubulars”, SPE Journal, Sep. 2007, v. 12, No. 3, pp. 293-303.

Awards & Honors

  • Featured article in SPE JPT “Illuminating Saudi Reservoirs.” Jun. 2012.
  • EXPEC ARC Milestone Award Saudi Aramco 2010.
  • Service Award SPE Associate Editor of the Editorial Review Committee; SPE Journal, 2009.
  • 2008 World Oil New Horizons Idea Award for the Reservoir Nanoagent (Resbots) concept.
Tel: +966 (013) 860-4849
Fax: +966 (013) 860-2595

Location: Bldg. 78, Rm. 3044

Mushabbab Q. Al Raqdi

Project Management Consultant, Dean’s Office

Educational Qualification

  • B.S., Business Management, Imam Abdulrahman University Dammam, KSA, 2016.
  • Tech. Diploma, Geology, King Abdul Aziz University, 1987.
Tel: +966 (013) 860-7937
Fax: +966 (013) 860-2595

Location: Bldg. 76, Rm. 2107

Yousef H. Botwaibah

Communication Administrator, Dean’s Office

Having a vast experience in various major governmental organizations including Saudi Arabian National Guard (1984-90) and Saudi TV channel 2, Yousef joined CPG in 2017, working as CPG Communication Administrator. Prior to joining CPG, he was working as PR Specialist & Government Affairs Staff Advisor at Saudi Aramco from 1991 and retired in 2016 as Career Counselor.

Educational Qualification

  • B.A, Double Major in English Inter-Personal Communication & French Linguistics, Sonoma State University, 1983, California, USA.

Courses:

  • French Language Training (summer classes) 1980-1982, University of Nice, France.
  • French Language Training (summer classes) 1983, International Center for Language, Besançon, France
  • Human Resources Development Program   September 16-18, 1987, American Management Association, New York.
  • Personnel Administration:  Principles and Techniques   June 18-30, 1988, MEIRC, Athens, Greece
  • Compensation and Benefits   August 5-7, 1989, MEIRC, Athens, Greece
  • Recruitment and Selection Skills    July 6-11, 1990, Human Resources Dev. Corp. Sousse, Tunisia
  • Contract Administration Seminar   November 21-23, 1992
  • Coaching for Performance August 24-27, 1996
  • Situational Leadership   November 30-December 2, 1997
  • 7 Habits of Highly Effective People   December 23-26, 2001
  • Energizing & Empowering Employees May 28, 2006
  • PR Protocol   March 17-20, 2007
  • 2nd Kuwait Conference on PR    February 12-13, 2008                                          
  • Fikr 7 Cairo 2008   November 13-16, 2008                                                                         
  • 10th ASHRM International Conference & Exhibition March 29-31, 2010                  
  • Specialist Social Responsibility Dec.15-19, 2013                                                                                        
  • Conflict of Interest & Bus. Ethics June 25, 2014    
Sayed-Masroor-Bakht
Tel: +966 (013) 860-​8662
Fax: +966 (013) 860-8663

Location: Bldg. 76, Rm. 2206

Sayed Masroor Bakht

Secretary, Dean’s Office

Sayed is a Secretary to the office of Dean at CPG and carries out a range of administrative and organizational duties.

Educational Qualification

  • MA, Delhi University, India, 1988
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