CPG

Dr. SanLinn I. Kaka

Tel: +966 (013) 860-8641
Fax: +966 (013) 860-2595

Location: Bldg. 76, Rm. 2145/2212-1

Dr. SanLinn I. Kaka

Associate Professor, Graduate Coordinator, CPG Student Affairs Office, Department of Geosciences

Dr. SANLINN I. KAKA received his Ph.D. degree in Earth Sciences from Carleton University,  Ottawa, Canada in 2006. Currently, he is a faculty member and graduate coordinator in the Department of Geosciences at King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals. His research interests are in the areas of engineering seismology, reservoir characterization and monitoring, ground-motions relations and near-surface geophysics. His recent research focuses on applications of microseismic monitoring systems, enhancement, detection and localization of microseismic events as well as understanding fracture growth and the role of pre-existing fractures during multi-stage hydraulic fracture stimulation of shale gas reservoirs

Educational Qualification

  • Ph.D., Earth Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, 2006.

Research Interests

  • Applications of AI in Geophysics
  • Application of advanced signal processing techniques
  • Analysis of microseismic data for reservoir monitoring and characterization
  • Near surface geophysics
  • Probabilistic seismic hazard analysis & Empirical ground motion relations

Selected Publications

Extended Publications (+)

  • S L Kaka, “Stress Mechanism of Microseismic Events During Hydraulic Fracture Stimulation for Unconventional Hydrocarbon Reservoirs”, 82nd EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition  (1), 1-14, 2020.
  • Sağır, Ç., Kurtuluş, B., Soupios, P., Ayrancı, K., Düztaş, E., Aksoy, M.E., Avşar, Ö.,Erdem, G.,  Pekkan, E., Canoğlu, M.C., Kaka, S.I., Razack, M, “Investigating the Structure of a Coastal Karstic Aquifer through the Hydrogeological Characterization of Springs Using Geophysical Methods and Field Investigation, Gökova Bay, SW Turkey”  Water   12, 3343, 2020.
  • Dmitry Alexandrov, Leo Eisner, Umair bin Waheed, SanLinn I. Kaka and Stewart Alan Greenhalgh, “Detection, location and source mechanism determination with large noise variations in surface microseismic monitoring”, Geophysics, 85 (6), 1-37, 2020.
  • Dmitry Alexandrov, Leo Eisner, SanLinn Kaka, Stewart Greenhalgh and Umair ben Waheed, “Normal faulting activated by hydraulic fracturing: A case study from the Barnett Shale, Fort Worth Basin, Texas, USA” accepted, the Leading Edge, 39 (3), 204-211. 2020.
  • RC Sidle, B Jarihani, S L I Kaka, J Koci, A Al-Shaibani, “ Hydrogeomorphic processes affecting dryland gully erosion: Implications for modelling”, Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment 43 (1), 46-64, 2019.
  • RC Sidle, AM Al‐Shaibani, S L I Kaka, “Geomorphic hazards in south‐west Saudi Arabia: The human–environmental nexus”, Area 51 (4), 670-680, 2019.
  • N Iqbal, B Liu, M Deriche, A Al-Shuhail, S L Kaka, A Zerguine,  “Blind noise estimation and denoising filter for recovery of microquake signals”, Exploration Geophysics 50 (5), 502-513, 2019.
  • M Al‐Marzooq, MS Diallo, V Etienne, T Tonellot, S L I Kaka, “Mitigating the effects of sand dunes on seismic data from the Rub al Khali basin, Saudi Arabia”, Geophysical Prospecting 67 (7), 1825-1837, 2019.
  • AO Adelu, AA Aderemi, AO Akanji, OA Sanuade, S L I Kaka, O Afolabi, “Application of 3D static modeling for optimal reservoir characterization”, Journal of African Earth Sciences 152, 184-196, 2019.
  • N Iqbal, A . Zerguine, A. Al-Shuhail and S. Kaka, “Blind noise estimation and denoising filter for recovery of microquake signals”, Exploration Geophysics, 50 (5), 502-531, 2019.
  • Ashadi A and S. I. Kaka, “Ground-Motion Relations for Subduction-Zone Earthquakes in Java Island, Indonesia”, AJSE, 44 (1), 449-465,  2018.
  • Iqbal , E. Liu, J.H. McClellan, A. A. Al-Shuhail, S. I. Kaka and A . Zerguine “Detection and Denoising of Microseismic Events using Tensor Decomposition and Time-frequency Representation”, IEEE Access 6, 22993-23006, 2018.

Awards & Honors

  • Associate Professor/Graduate Coordinator (Geosciences) / Head, CPG Student Affairs
  • Scientific Advisory Board Member, Science and Technology for Exploration and Production Solutions (STEPS)
Tel: +966 (013) 860-7643 / 8317
Fax: +966 (013) 860-2595

Location: Bldg. 76, Rm. 2131

Dr. Bassam S. Tawabini

Associate Professor, Department of Geosciences

Dr. Bassam has been an associate professor at Geosciences Department at CPG, KFUPM since 2007 in addition to his incumbency as an Acting Director, Environment and Sustainability Section, Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Dept. KFUPM since 2014. From 1987 till 2005 he had assumed the role of Senior Research Engineer, Center for Environment and Water (CEW), Research Institute, KFUPM. Between 2005 – 07 he was appointed as Manager of Central Analytical Laboratory (CAL), Center for Environment and Water (CEW), Research Institute, KFUPM.

Educational Qualification

  • Ph.D., Civil Engineering (Water Resources & Environmental Engineering), KFUPM, KSA, 2002.
  • High Diploma, “Sustainable Development” Middle East University at Boston College, Boston, USA, 2001.
  • M.Sc., Civil Engineering, KFUPM, KSA, 1987.
  • B.Sc., (Hons.), Civil Engineering. KFUPM, KSA, 1984.

Research Interests

  • Investigating the fate of pollutants in the water, wastewater, marine, air, and soil
  • Assessment, monitoring, and treatment of water, soils, and air contaminated with hazardous pollutants.
  • Developing innovative treatment technologies for industrial wastewater using electrochemical –based treatment technologies.
  • Developing advanced oxidation and photocatalytic technologies for the ex-situ and in-situ remediation of groundwater contaminated with trace metals and hydrocarbons using the combination of UV, H2O2, TiO2, Cl2, and O3.
  • Developing novel nano-based synthetic adsorbents (i.e. Graphene, CNTs, CNFs, TiO2…etc.) and natural adsorbents (i.e. fly ash, sewage sludge) for the removal of pollutants from the environment.
  • Developing advanced technologies for remediation of contaminated sites with hydrocarbons and trace metals using bio-treatment and phytoremediation technologies
  • Developing novel for the removal of trace metals and hydrocarbons from contaminated environment.
  • Assessing the fate of the Disinfection By-products (DBPs) formation using chlorine (Cl2), ozone (O3), and chlorine dioxide (ClO2).
  • Assessing the spatial distribution of air pollutants (NOx, SOx, PMs, VOCs…etc.) and soil pollutants (heavy/trace metals) in the Arabian Gulf region.
  • Developing best practices and methods for the management of municipal, industrial and hazardous wastes.
  • Assessing the sustainable utilization of natural resources (i.e. water, soil, energy, minerals, and biota)

Selected Publications

  • Bassam S. Tawabini, Ole J. Nielsen and Theis I. Sølling. Theoretical study of hydroxyl radical (OH·) induced decomposition of tert-butyl methyl ether (MTBE). Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts – EM-ART-12-2019-000588 (ISI, Q2, IF = 3.238).
  • S. Tawabin, K. V. Plakas and A. J. Karabelas. A pilot study of BTEX removal from highly saline waters by an advanced electrochemical process. Journal of Water Process Engineering 37 (2020) 101472. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2020.101427. (ISI, Q1, IF = 3.47).
  • Tajudeen A. Oyehan, Fatai A. Olabemiwo, Bassam S. Tawabini, Tawfik A. Saleh (2020). The capacity of mesoporous fly ash grafted with ultrathin film of polydiallyldimethyl ammonium for enhanced removal of phenol from aqueous solutions. Journal of Cleaner Production. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121280. (ISI, Q1, IF = 7.05).
  • Abid Khogali , Peter Birkle, Abdulaziz Al-Shaibani, Martin Keller, Bassam Tawabini and Mohammad Makkawi. Geochemical Assessment of Potential Sources for Nitrate in the Wasia Aquifer, Al Kharj Area, Central Saudi Arabia. Water 2020, 12, 1479; doi:10.3390/w12051479. (ISI, Q2, IF = 2.52 ).
  • Amjad Khalil; Bassam Abu Baker; Bassam Tawabini; Mazen Nazal; Jameel Al-Thaqfi (2020).. Efficiency of Thermophilic Bacteria in Wastewater Treatment. Arabian Journal of Science and Engineering (AJSE), https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-020-04830-x (ISI, Q3, IF = 1.71 ).
  • M. Siddiq · B. S. Tawabini · P. Soupios · D. Ntarlagiannis. Removal of arsenic from contaminated groundwater using biochar: a technical review. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-020-03116-x. (ISI, Q2, IF = 2.54).

Research Profile – Google Scholar

  • Citations        1033
  • h-index          15
  • i10-index       22

Extended Publications (+)

  • A. Liadi, B. Tawabini, R. Shawabkeh, N. Jaraah, A. Shaibani and M. Makkawi. The Potentials of Sewage Sludge-Derived Activated Carbon in Treating the MTBE-contaminated Water. Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2018) Oct;25(29):29397-29407. doi: 10.1007/s11356-018-2737-0. Epub 2018 Aug 20. (ISI, Q2, IF = 2.914)
  • Akeem O. Bello, Bassam S. Tawabini, Amjad B. Khalil, Christopher R. Bolandand Tawfik A. Saleh. Phytoremediation of cadmium-, lead- and nickel-contaminated water by Phragmites australis in hydroponic systems. Ecological Engineering 120 (2018). Pages 126-133. September 2018. (ISI, Q2, IF= 3.4)
  • Akere Taiwo Hassana, Karuppasamy Manikandanb, BassamTawabini, Chanbasha Basheera, Krishnakumar Periyadanb, Mohammed Qurban. Assessment of the organotin pollution in the coastal sediments of the Western Arabian Gulf, Saudi Arabia. Marine Pollution Bulletin journal 139 (2019) 174-180. (ISI, Q1, IF = 3.78).
  • Sudibyo S.Sardi, Mohammed A.Qurban, Wenzhao Li, Krishnakumar P. Kadinjappalli, Karuppasamy Manikandana Mustafa M.Haririb, Bassam S. Al-Tawabini, Amjad B.Khalil, Hesham El-Askary. Assessment of areas environmentally sensitive to oil spills in the Western Arabian Gulf, Saudi Arabia, for planning and undertaking an effective response. Marine Pollution Bulletin (2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110588.  (ISI Q1, IF = 3.782).
  • Mohammed Al Otaibi, Ashraf Farahat, Bassam Tawabini, Hafidz Omar, Emad Ramadan, Abdelgadir Abuelgasim, and Ramesh P. Singh (2019). Long-Term Aerosol Trends and Variability over Central Saudi Arabia Using Optical Characteristics from Solar Village AERONET Measurements. Atmosphere 10(12):752.
  • Abideen O. Salawudeen, Bassam S. Tawabini, Abdulaziz M. Al-Shaibani, Tawfik A. Saleh (2020). Poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) grafted graphene oxide for cadmium removal from water with Interaction mechanisms. Environmental Nanotechnology, Monitoring & Management. Volume 13, May 2020, 100288.

 

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ixanLJ4AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=6508032548

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0096-2723

Awards & Honors

  • Award for obtaining 3 US Patents, 2019
  • Best Teaching Award. College of Sciences, KFUPM. 2011.
  • Nominee for the Best Research Award. Center for Environment and Water, Research Institute, KFUPM, 2007.
  • Long Services Award, KFUPM. Dhahran, KSA. 1994.
  • Nominee for the Best Academic Advisor for the College of Petroleum and Geosciences (2016)
  • The 1st place at the 5th Saudi Water Arabia conference held between 17-19 of October 2017 in Saudi Arabia. The paper titled’ Assessment of Polyelectrolyte Coated Fly Ash for Cadmium Removal in Polluted Water”.
Tel: +966 (013) 860 2993

Location: Bldg. 76, Rm. 1245

Dr. Scott Whattam

Associate Professor, Department of Geosciences

Educational Qualification

  • Ph.D. The University of Hong Kong
  • B.S. (Hons) Carleton University

Research Interests

  • Igneous Petrology
  • Cosmochemistry
  • Plate Tectonics

Selected Publications

  • Azizi, H., Daneshvar, N., Mohammad, A., Asahara, Y., Whattam, S.A., Tsuboi, M., & Minami, M., 2021. Early Miocene Post-Collision Andesite In The Takab Area, Northwest Iran. Journal Of Petrology, In Press.
  • Shervais, J.W., Reagan, M., Godard, Prytulak, J., Ryan, J.G. Pearce, J.A., Almeev, R.,Haugen, E., Chapman, T., Kurz, W., Nelson, W.R. Heaton, D., Kirchenbaur, M., Shimizu, K., Sakuyama, T., Vetter, S.K., Li, Y., &. Whattam, S.A., 2021. Magmatic Response To Subduction Initiation, Part II: Boninites And Related Rocks Of The Izu-Bonin Arc From IOPD Expedition 352, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (G3), https://doi.org/10.1029/2020gc009093
  • Whattam, S.A., Shervais, J.W., Reagan, M.K., Coultard, D.A., Pearce, J.A., Jones, P.J., Seo, J., Putirka, K., Chapman, T., Heaton, D., Li, H., Nelson, W.R., Shimizu, K., & Stern, R.J., 2020. Mineral Compositions And Thermobarometry Of Basalts And Boninites Recovered During IODP Expedition 352 To The Bonin Forearc, American Mineralogist, https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2020-6640.
  • Whattam, S.A. Montes, C., & Stern, R.J., 2020. Early Central American Forearc Follows The Subduction Initiation Rule, Gondwana Research, https://doi.org/10.1016/J.Gr.2019.10.002.
  • Pandey, D.K., Pandey, A. & Whattam, S.A., 2020. Reply To ‘Evidence For Simple Volcanic Rifting Not Complex Subduction Initiation In The Laxmi Basin’, Nature Communications, https://doi.org/10.1038/S41467-020-16570-5.
  • Moghadam, H. S., Stern, R.J., Griffin, W.L., Khedr, M.Z., Kirchenbaur, M., Ottley, C.J., Whattam, S.A., Kimura, J.-I., Ghorbani, G., Gain, S., O’Reilly, S.Y., & Tamura, A., 2019. Subduction Initiation And Back-Arc Opening North Of Neo-Tethys: Evidence From The Late Cretaceous Torbat-E-Heydarieh Ophiolite Of Ne Iran, Geological Society Of America Bulletin, https://doi.org/10.1130/B35065.1.
  • Pandey, D.K., Pandey, A. & Whattam, S.A., 2019. Discovery Of Relict Subduction Initiation In The Laxmi Basin, Northwest Indian Ocean, Nature Communications, https://doi.org/10.1038/S41467-019-10227-8.
  • Shervais, J.W., Reagan, M., Haugen, E., Almeev, R., Pearce, J.A., Prytulak, J., Ryan, J.G., Whattam, S.A., Godard, M., Chapman, T., Li, H., Kurz, W., Nelson, W.R. Heaton, D., Kirchenbaur, M., Shimizu, K., Sakuyama, T., Li, Y., & Vetter, S.K., 2019. Magmatic Response To Subduction Initiation, Part I: Fore-Arc Basalts Of The Izu-Bonin Arc From IODP Expedition 352, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (G3), Doi: 10.1029/2018gc007731.

Extended Publications (+)

Tel: +966 (013) 860-​2195

Location: Bldg. 76, Rm. 2219

Dr. Husam Baalousha

Associate Professor, Department of Geosciences

Dr. Husam Baalousha is an Associate Professor at the Department of Geosciences, College of Petroleum and Geosciences (CPG), at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). He earned his BSc Degree in Civil Engineering from Birzeit University, Palestine, his MSc Degree in Hydrological Engineering from Delft, the Netherlands, and his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Aachen University of Technology (RWTH) in Germany.   He also earned a HDR degree (Habilitation degree) in hydrogeology from the University of Strasbourg,

His work experience spans more than 25 years, where he fulfilled a wide variety of roles in academia, industry, and governmental institutions. His experiences include hydrogeology, geoscience, modelling, integrated water resources management, and environmental protection. He made more than 70 scholarly contributions including journal papers, books, conference proceedings, and book chapters.  Dr. Baalousha has completed projects in Germany, New Zealand, and in the Middle East. He is an Associate Editor of Hydrogeology Journal and Chief Editor of the International Journal of Hydraulic Engineering. He is a member of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH), Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand (MODSIM), and the New Zealand Hydrological Society (NZHS).

Educational Qualification

  • HDR., Hydrogeology, Laboratory of Hydrology and Geochemistry, University of Strasbourg, France, 2020.
  • Ph.D., Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Aachen University of Technology (RWTH), Germany, 2003
  • MSc., Hydrological Engineering, UNESCO IHE-Delft, The Netherlands, 1998.
  • BSC., Civil Engineering, Birzeit University, Palestine, 1996.

Research Interests

  • Hydrogeology.
  • Environmental management.
  • Vulnerability, and risk assessment.
  • Flow in porous media.
  • Numerical modelling.
  • Uncertainty analysis, and stochastic hydrogeology.

Selected Publications

  • Baalousha, H. M.; Tawabini, B.; Seers, T. D. Fuzzy or Non-Fuzzy? A Comparison between Fuzzy Logic-Based Vulnerability Mapping and DRASTIC Approach Using a Numerical Model. A Case Study from Qatar. Water 2021, 13 (9), 1288. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13091288.
  • Baalousha, H.; Fahs, M.; Ramasomanana, F.; Younes, A. Effect of Pilot-Points Location on Model Calibration: Application to the Northern Karst Aquifer of Qatar. Water 2019, 11 (4), 679. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11040679.
  • Younes, A.; Mara, T. A.; Voltz, M.; Guellouz, L.; Musa Baalousha, H.; Fahs, M. A New Efficient Bayesian Parameter Inference Strategy: Application to Flow and Pesticide Transport through Unsaturated Porous Media. Journal of Hydrology 2018, 563, 887–899. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.06.043.
  • Baalousha, H. M. Vulnerability, Probability and Groundwater Contamination Risk. Environmental Earth Sciences 2017, 76 (11). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-017-6634-5.
  • Baalousha, H. M. Groundwater Vulnerability Mapping of Qatar Aquifers. Journal of African Earth Sciences 2016, 124, 75–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2016.09.017.

Extended Publications (+)

Tel: +966 (013) 860-3765

Location: Bldg. 76, Rm. 1251

Dr. Sherif M. H. Mahmoud

Associate Professor, Program Leader – Geophysics, Department of Geosciences

Sherif M. Hanafy is currently a visiting associate professor at KFUPM, he was a senior research scientist at KAUST from 2009 until July 2018, during this time he was the founder and in charge of the geophysical field program (Seismology Lab). His research interest includes geophysical field methods, seismic interferometry, traveltime tomography, early arrival tomography, seismic modeling, seismic inversion and migration, data interpolation/extrapolation, and shallow application of resistivity and GPR methods. In the last year, he got more involved in machine learning especially in the processing and interpretation of seismic and GPR data.

Educational Qualification

  • Ph.D. in Geophysics (Kiel University, Germany – Cairo University, Egypt), 2002.
  • M.S. in Geophysics – Seismic (Cairo University, Egypt), 1996.
  • B.S. In Geophysics (Cairo University, Egypt), 1993.

Research Interests

  • Geophysical field methods
  • Seismic interferometry
  • Traveltime tomography
  • Seismic modeling, seismic inversion, and migration
  • Data interpolation/extrapolation
  • Shallow application of resistivity and GPR methods
  • Machine learning

Selected Publications

  • Hanafy S.M., 2020. Seismic, Super-Virtual Refraction Interferometry. In: Gupta H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Solid Earth Geophysics. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-10475-7.
  • Iqbal, N., A. B. Othman, U. Waheed, and S. M. Hanafy, 2021. Automated event detection and denoising method for passive seismic data using residual deep convolutional neural networks. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing (TGRS), DOI: 10.1109/TGRS.2021.3054071. 
  • Yu H., Y. Chen, S. M. Hanafy, G.T. Schuster, 2021. Skeletonized Wave-equation Refraction Inversion with Auto-encoded Waveforms. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing (TGRS), 10.1109/TGRS.2020.3046093.
  • Edigbue P. I., A. Al-Shuhail, and S. M. Hanafy, 2021. Three-dimensional supervirtual seismic refraction interferometry: a case study in western Saudi Arabia. Accepted for publication in Geophysics.
  • Hanafy S. M., A. El-Husseiny, M. Benaafi, A. Al-Shuhail, and J. Dvorkin, 2020. P-wave velocity profile at very shallow depths in sand dunes. Geophysics, 85, 1-9, DOI: 10.1190/GEO2019-0734.1
  • Lu, K., Z. Liu, S. M. Hanafy, and G. T. Schuster, 2020. Noise Reduction with Reflection Supervirtual Interferometry. Geophysics, 85(3), 1-37.

Extended Publications (+)

  • Han Yu, S. M. Hanafy, and G. T. Schuster, 2018. Wave-equation traveltime inversion with multifrequency bands: Synthetic and land data examples. Geophysics, 83, 6, B305–B315.
  • Li, J., S. M. Hanafy, and G. T. Schuster, 2018. Wave-Equation Dispersion Inversion of Guided P Waves in a Waveguide of Arbitrary Geometry. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth. P. 7760-7774, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JB016127.
  • Hanafy, S. M. and G. Schuster, 2017. Parsimonious refraction interferometry and tomography. GJI, 209, 695–712, doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggx042. 
  • Hanafy, S. M., A. Mattson, R. L. Bruhn, S. Liu, and G. Schuster, 2015. Outcrops and well logs as a practicum for calibrating the accuracy of traveltime tomograms. Interpretation, 3, SY27-SY40.
  • Al-Hagan, O., S. M. Hanafy, and G. Schuster, 2014. Iterative supervirtual refraction interferometry. Geophysics, 79, Q21-Q30, doi: 10.1190/GEO2013-0210.1.
  • Hanafy, S. M and G. Schuster, 2014. Interferometric interpolation of sparse marine data. Geophysical Prospecting, 62, 1-16, doi: 10.1111/1365-2478.12066.
  • Hanafy, S. M. and O. Al-Hagan, 2012. Super-virtual refraction interferometry: an engineering field data example. Near Surface Geophysics, 10, 443-449.
  • Schuster, G., S. M. Hanafy, and Y. Haung, 2012. Theory and feasibility tests for a seismic scanning tunneling macroscope. Geophysical Journal International, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-246X.2012.05564.x.
  • Hanafy, S. M., W. Cao, M. McCarter, and G. Schuster, 2009. Using super-stacking and super-resolution properties of time-reversal mirrors to locate trapped miners. The Leading Edge, 28, 302-307.
  • Hanafy, S. M. and S. A. Hagrey, 2006. Ground-penetrating radar tomography for soil-moisture heterogeneity. Geophysics, 71, K9–K18

Awards & Honors

  • 2020 – 2023 Elected “Director at Large” member at the board of directors, SEG
  • 2019 – 2020: District 10 representative at the SEG
  • 2017: The SEG Honorary Lecturer in the Middle East and Africa.
  • 2015 – Present: Associate editor at the SEG (Geophysics).
  • 2013 – Present: Member of the “Continuing Education Committee” at the SEG.
  • 2013 – 2015: Special editor at the SEG.
  • 2013 & 2015: Member of the organizing committee of the 1st (2013) and 2nd (2015) SEG/DGS workshop at Bahrain “Near Surface Modeling and Imaging”.
  • 2012 – 2016: Key contact of the “Seismic Theory” sessions at the SEG annual meetings.
  • 2010: Co-founder of the CSIM, KAUST.
  • 2005: Founder and Advisor (until 2007) of the SEG Cairo University Student Chapter.
  • 2004 – 2005: Fulbright scholarship.
  • 2004: Best paper at the 2004 EGS meeting (Abdelhady, Morsy, and Hanafy).
  • 2004: Best presentation at the 2004 EGS meeting (Abdelhady, Hanafy, and Morsy).
  • 1999 – 2002: Ph.D. scholarship, DAAD, Germany.
Tel: +966 (013) 860-2297
Fax: +966 (013) 860-2595

Location: Bldg. 76, Rm. 1254

Dr. Umair bin Waheed

Associate Professor, Department of Geosciences

Umair bin Waheed is an Assistant Professor of Geophysics at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). His research interests are broadly in the area of computational geosciences. Specifically, he is interested in automating and improving workflows through the use of smart algorithms for enhanced decision-making in subsurface energy systems. Umair graduated from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology with a Ph.D. in Earth Science & Engineering in 2015. Prior to joining KFUPM in 2017, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, and a Writing in Science and Engineering fellow at the Princeton Writing Program.

Personal Page: umairbinwaheed.com

Educational Qualification

  • Ph.D., Earth Sciences & Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia, 2015
  • M.S., Electronic Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Italy & Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium, 2010
  • B.E., Electronic Engineering, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Pakistan, 2008

Research Interests

  • Physics- and data-driven machine learning
  • Geophysical modeling
  • Inverse problems
  • Induced seismicity
  • Geothermal exploration

Selected Publications

  • Alexandrov, D., U. Waheed, and L. Eisner. Microseismic location error due to eikonal traveltime calculation .” Applied Sciences, 11.3 (2021), doi.org/10.3390/app11030982
  • Song, C., T. Alkhalifah, and U. Waheed. Solving the frequency-domain acoustic VTI wave equation using physics-informed neural networks.” Geophysical Journal International, 225.2 (2021), doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggab010
  • Ketcheson, D., H. Ranocha, M. Parsani, U. Waheed, and Y. Hadjimichael. NodePy: A package for the analysis of numerical ODE solvers.” Journal of Open Source Software, 55.5 (2020): 2515, doi.org/10.21105/joss.02515
  • Waheed, U. A fast marching algorithm for the tilted transversely isotropic media.” Geophysics, 85.6 (2020): S385-S393, doi.org/10.1190/geo2019-0799.1
  • Stovas, A., T. Alkhalifah, and U. Waheed. Pure P-and S-wave equations in transversely isotropic media.” Geophysical Prospecting, 68.9 (2020): 2762-2769, doi.org/10.1111/1365-2478.13026
  • Alexandrov, D., L. Eisner, U. Waheed, S. Kaka, and S. Greenhalgh. Detection, location, and source mechanism determination with large noise variations in surface microseismic monitoring.” Geophysics, 85.6 (2020), KS197-KS205, doi.org/10.1190/geo2019-0841.1
  • Alexandrov, D., L. Eisner, U. Waheed, S. Kaka, and S. Greenhalgh. Normal faulting activated by hydraulic fracturing: A case study from the Barnett Shale, Fort Worth Basin, Texas, USA.” The Leading Edge, 39.3 (2020), 204-211, doi.org/10.1190/tle39030204.1
  • Hao, Q., U. Waheed, and T. Alkhalifah. P-wave complex-valued traveltimes in homogeneous attenuating transversely isotropic media.” Geophysical Prospecting, 67.9 (2019): 2402-2413, doi.org/10.1111/1365-2478.12869

Extended Publications (+)

  • Waheed, U., & Alkhalifah, T. (2017). A fast sweeping algorithm for accurate solution of the tilted transversely isotropic eikonal equation using factorization. Geophysics, 82(6), WB1-WB8.
  • Waheed, U., Stovas, A., & Alkhalifah, T. (2016). Anisotropy parameter inversion in vertical axis of symmetry media using diffractions. Geophysical Prospecting, 65(1), 194-203.
  • Waheed, U., Flagg, G., & Yarman, C. E. (2016). First-arrival traveltime tomography for anisotropic media using the adjoint-state method. Geophysics, 81(4), R147-R155.
  • Waheed, U., & Alkhalifah, T. (2016). Effective ellipsoidal models for wavefield extrapolation in tilted orthorhombic media. Studia Geophysica et Geodaetica, 60(3), 349-369.
  • Waheed, U., Yarman, C. E., & Flagg, G. (2015). An iterative, fast-sweeping-based eikonal solver for 3D tilted anisotropic media. Geophysics, 80(3), C49-C58.
  • Waheed, U., & Alkhalifah, T. (2015). An efficient wave extrapolation method for anisotropic media with tilt. Geophysical Prospecting, 63(5), 1126-1141.
  • Waheed, U., Alkhalifah, T., & Wang, H. (2015). Efficient traveltime solutions of the acoustic TI eikonal equation. Journal of Computational Physics, 282, 62-76.
  • Ketcheson, D., & Waheed, U. (2014). A comparison of high-order explicit Runge–Kutta, extrapolation, and deferred correction methods in serial and parallel. Communications in Applied Mathematics and Computational Science, 9(2), 175-200.
  • Ibanez-Jacome, W., Alkhalifah, T., & Waheed, U. (2014). Effective orthorhombic anisotropic models for wavefield extrapolation. Geophysical Journal International, 198(3), 1653-1661.
  • Waheed, U., Pšenčík, I., Červený, V., Iversen, E., & Alkhalifah, T. (2013). Two-point paraxial traveltime formula for inhomogeneous isotropic and anisotropic media: Tests of accuracy. Geophysics, 78(5), WC65-WC80.
  • Waheed, U., Alkhalifah, T., & Stovas, A. (2013). Diffraction traveltime approximation for TI media with an inhomogeneous background. Geophysics, 78(5), WC103-WC111.

Journal Papers

  • [30] Guo, G., Lan, H., Zhou, X., Liu, Y., Waheed, U., Chen, J. (2021). Topography-dependent eikonal tomography based on the fast sweeping scheme and the adjoint-state technique. Geophysics, 87(2), 1-51.
  • [29] Alkhalifah, T., Song, C., Waheed, U., Hao, Q. (2021). Wavefield solutions from machine learned functions. Artificial Intelligence in Geosciences, 2, 11-19.
  • [28] Song, C., Alkhalifah, T., Waheed, U. (2021). A versatile framework to solve the Helmholtz equation using physics-informed neural networks. Geophysical Journal International, doi: 10.1109/TGRS.2021.3054071.
  • [27] Wang, H., Alkhalifah, T., Waheed, U., Birnie, C. (2021). Data-driven microseismic event localization: Application to the Oklahoma Arkoma Basin hydraulic fracturing data. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, doi: 10.1109/TGRS.2021.3120546.
  • [26] Ayranci, K., Yildrim, I., Waheed, U., MacEachern, J. (2021). Deep learning applications in Geosciences: Insights into ichnological analysis. Applied Sciences, 11(16), 7736,
  • [25] Waheed, U., Haghighat, E., Alkhalifah, T., Song, C., Hao, Q. (2021). PINNeik: Eikonal solution using physics-informed neural networks. Computers and Geosciences, 155, 104833.
  • [24] Tariq, Z., Hassan, A.,Waheed, U., Mahmoud, M., Al-Shehri, D., Abdulraheem, A., Mokheimer, E. M. (2021). A data-driven machine learning approach to predict the natural gas density of pure and mixed hydrocarbons. Journal of Energy Resources Technology, 143(9), 092801.
  • [23] Zhou, X., Lan, H., Chen, L., Guo, G., Lei, Y., Waheed, U., Shulin, P. (2021). An iterative, factored topography dependent eikonal solver for anisotropic media. Geophysics, 86(5), 1-58.
  • [22] Almadani, M., Waheed, U., Masood, M., Chen, Y. (2021). Dictionary learning with convolutional structure for seismic data denoising and interpolation. Geophysics, 86(5), 1-102.
  • [21] Song, C., Alkhalifah, T., Waheed, U. (2021). Solving the frequency-domain acoustic VTI wave equation using physics-informed neural networks. Geophysical Journal International, 225(2), 846-859. 
  • [20] Othman, A., Iqbal, N., Hanafy, S. M., Waheed, U. (2021). Automated event detection and denoising method for passive seismic data using residual deep convolutional neural networks. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, doi: 10.1109/TGRS.2021.30540 1.
  • [19] Alsamadony, K. L., Yildirim, E. U., Glatz, G., Waheed, U., Hanafy, S. M. (2021). Deep learning driven noise reduction for reduced flux computed tomography. Sensors, 21(5), 1921.
  • [18] Alexandrov, D., Waheed, U., Eisner, L. (2021). Microseismic location error due to eikonal traveltime calculation. Applied Sciences, 11(3), 982.
  • [17] Ketcheson, D. I., Ranocha, H., Parsani, M., Waheed, U., Hadjimichael, Y. (2020). NodePy: A package for the analysis of numerical ODE solvers. Journal of Open Source Software, 5(55), 2515.
  • [16] Waheed, U. (2020). A fast-marching eikonal solver for tilted transversely isotropic media. Geophysics, 85(6), S385-S393.
  • [15] Alexandrov, D., Eisner, L., Waheed, U., Kaka, S. I., Greenhalgh, S. A. (2020). Detection, location, and source mechanism determination with large noise variations in surface microseismic monitoring. Geophysics, 85(6), KS197-KS206.
  • [14] Stovas, A., Alkhalifah, T., Waheed, U. (2020). Pure P-and S-wave equations in transversely isotropic media. Geophysical Prospecting, 68(9), 2762-2769.
  • [13] Alexandrov, D., Eisner, L., Waheed, U., Kaka, S. I., Greenhalgh, S. A. (2020). Normal faulting activated by hydraulic fracturing: A case study from the Barnett Shale, Fort Worth Basin. The Leading Edge, 39(3), 204-211.
  • [12] Hao, Q., Waheed, U., Alkhalifah, T. (2019). P-wave complex-valued traveltimes in homogeneous attenuating transversely isotropic media. Geophysical prospecting, 67(9), 2402-2413.
  • [11] Waheed, U., Alkhalifah, T. (2017). A fast sweeping algorithm for accurate solution of the tilted transversely isotropic eikonal equation using factorization. Geophysics, 82(6), WB1-WB8.
  • [10] Waheed, U., Stovas, A., Alkhalifah, T. (2017). Anisotropy parameter inversion in vertical axis of symmetry media using diffractions. Geophysical Prospecting, 65(1), 194-203.
  • [9] Waheed, U., Flagg, G., Yarman, C. E. (2016). First arrival traveltime tomography for anisotropic media using the adjoint-state method. Geophysics, 81(4), R147-R155.
  • [8] Waheed, U., Alkhalifah, T. (2016). Effective ellipsoidal models for wavefield extrapolation in tilted orthorhombic media. Studia Geophysica et Geodaetica, 60(3), 349-369.
  • [7] Waheed, U., Yarman, C. E., Flagg, G. (2015). An iterative, fast-sweeping-based eikonal solver for 3D tilted anisotropic media. Geophysics, 80(3), C49-C58.
  • [6] Waheed, U., Alkhalifah, T. (2015). An efficient wave extrapolation method for anisotropic media with tilt. Geophysical Prospecting, 63(5), 1126-1141.
  • [5] Waheed, U., Alkhalifah, T., Wang, H. (2015). Efficient traveltime solutions of the acoustic TI eikonal equation. Journal of Computational Physics, 282, 62-76.
  • [4] Ketcheson, D., Waheed, U. (2014). A comparison of high-order explicit Runge-Kutta, extrapolation, and deferred correction methods in serial and parallel. Communications in Applied Mathematics and Computational Science, 9(2), 175-200.
  • [3] Ibanez-Jacome, W., Alkhalifah, T., Waheed, U. (2014). Effective orthorhombic anisotropic models for wavefield extrapolation. Geophysical Journal International, 198(3), 1653-1661.
  • [2] Waheed, U., Psencik, I.,  Cerveny, V., Iversen, E., Alkhalifah, T. (2013). Two-point paraxial traveltime formula for inhomogeneous isotropic and anisotropic media: Tests of accuracy. Geophysics, 78(5), WC65-WC80.
  • [1] Waheed, U., Alkhalifah, T., Stovas, A. (2013). Diffraction traveltime approximation for TI media with an inhomogeneous background. Geophysics, 78(5), WC103-WC111.

Awards & Honors

  • SEG continuing education course instructor
  • Writing in Science and Engineering Fellowship, Princeton University, 2016-2017
  • Best student poster award, EAGE student and YP forum, 2014 
  • Runners up, EAGE Geo-creativity prize competition, 2014
  • Third place, SIAM ‘Math Matters, Apply It!’ competition, 2013
Tel: +966 (013) 860-2625
Fax: +966 (013) 860-2595

Location: Bldg. 76, Rm. 2239

Dr. Ammar El-Husseiny

Associate Professor, Program Leader – Petrophysics/Rockphysics, CIPR, Department of Geosciences

Educational Qualification

  • Ph.D. in Geophysics, Stanford University, USA, 2016
  • M.S. in Geophysics, Stanford University, USA, 2013
  • B.S. (Honor) in Petroleum Geosciences, The Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 2010

Research Interests

  • Rock physics of carbonates characterizing their transport and elastic properties.
  • Fluid substitution and time-lapse seismic interpretation
  • The use of NMR for pore structure characterization

Selected Publications

  • El Husseiny, A. and Vanorio, T., 2017, Porosity-permeability relationship in dual porosity carbonate analogs, Geophysics, vol. 82, no. 1, MR65-MR74, doi: 10.1190/geo2015-0649.1
  • El Husseiny, A., Nizamuddin, S., Raheem, O., and Vega, S., 2019, The effect of pore structure complexity and saturation history on the variations of acoustic velocity as function of brine and oil saturation in carbonates, Journal of Petroleum Sciences and Engineering, 179, pp. 180-191
  • El Husseiny, A., Vanorio, T., and Mavko, G., 2019, Predicting porosity of binary mixtures made out of irregular nonspherical particles: Application to natural sediments, Advanced powder technology, Vol. 30, no. 8, 1558-1566. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apt.2019.05.001
  • Elsayed, M., Mahmoud, M., El-Husseiny, A., Kamal, M. S., Al-Garadi, K., 2020, A New Method to Evaluate Reaction Kinetics of Acids with Carbonate Rocks Using NMR Diffusion Measurements, Energy and Fuel,  34, 1, 787-797, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.9b03784
  • El-Husseiny, A., 2020, Improved Packing Model for Functionally Graded Sand-Fines Mixtures: Incorporation of Fines Cohesive Packing Behavior, Applied Sciences, 10(2), 562

Extended Publications (+)

 

Awards & Honors

  • Awarded the EAGE annual meeting Travel Grant, Vienna, Austria, May 2011
  • Graduation from The Petroleum Institute with GPA of 4.0 out of 4.0 (honor with distinction), 2010.
  • First place in the “SEG Challenge Bowl” regional competition in the Middle East, The Petroleum Institute, 2009.
Tel: +966 (013) 860-2586
Fax: +966 (013) 860-4447

Location: Bldg. 76, Rm. 2161

Dr. Abdullah Sultan

Associate Professor, Department of Petroleum Engineering

Dr. Sultan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Petroleum Engineering. His research group focuses on complex and reactive fluids to address problems in the oil and gas industry with a focus on enhanced oil/gas recovery, drilling fluids, well stimulation, gel, emulsions, and flow assurance. He established the Complex and Reactive Fluids (CRF) Lab at KFUPM. Dr. Sultan has numerous publications in refereed journals and conferences. He served as Director for the Center of Petroleum & Minerals, Research Institute at KFUPM (2010 – 2015), and Chairman for the Department of Petroleum Engineering (2012 – 2017).

Educational Qualification

  • Ph.D., Petroleum Engineering, Texas A&M University, USA, 2009.
  • M.S., Chemical Engineering, KFUPM, KSA. 2004.
  • B.S., Chemical Engineering, KFUPM, KSA, 2002.

Research Interests

Complex and Reactive Fluids for oil and gas applications.

Selected Publications

  • Abdulmajeeb T. Onawole, Ibnelwaleed Hussein, Abdullah S. Sultan, Safwat Abdel-Azeim, Mohamed Mahmoud, Mohammed A. Saad. (2019). Molecular and Electronic Structure Elucidation of Fe2+/Fe3+ complexed Chelators used in iron sulfides Scale removal in oil and gas wells. Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol. 9999. DOI: 1002/cjce.23463
  • Mohammad H. Alqam, Sidqi A. Abu-Khamsin, Abdullah S. Sultan, Taha M. Okasha, and Hasan O. Yildiz. (2019). Effect of Rock Mineralogy and Oil Composition on Wettability Alteration and Interfacial Tension by Brine and Carbonated Water. Energy Fuels, 2019, 33 (3), pp 1983–1989. DOI: 1021/acs.energyfuels.8b04143.
  • Abdullah Sultan. (2018). Stability of PAM/PEI emulsified gels under HTHS conditions for water shut-off treatment. Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production (accepted). DOI: 1007/s13202-018-0597-2.
  • Lionel T. Fogang, Abdullah S. Sultan and Muhammad S. Kamal. (2018). Understanding viscosity reduction of a long-tail sulfobetaine viscoelastic surfactant by organic compounds. RSC Advances, Vol 8, pp 4455-4463. DOI: 1039/C7RA12538K.
  • Abdelhalim I. A. Mohamed, Ibnelwaleed A. Hussein, Abdullah S. Sultan*, and Ghaithan A. Al-Muntasheri. (2018). Gelation of Emulsified Polyacrylamide/Polyethylenimine under High-Temperature, High-Salinity Conditions: Rheological Investigation. Eng. Chem. Res., 2018, 57(36), pp 12278–12287. DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.8b02571.
  • Abdelhalim I.A. Mohamed, Ibnelwaleed A. Hussein, Abdullah S. Sultan, Ghaithan A. Al-Muntasheri. (2018). Use of organoclay as a stabilizer for water-in-oil emulsions under high-temperature high-salinity conditions. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, Vol: 160 pp: 302-312. DOI: 1016/j.petrol.2017.10.077.
  • Muhammad Shahzad Kamal, Ibnelwaleed Hussein, Mohamed Mahmoud, Abdullah S. Sultan, and Mohammed A.S. Saad. (2018). Oilfield scale formation and chemical removal: A review. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, Vol: 171 pp: 127-139. DOI:1016/j.petrol.2018.07.037. ISI/Scopus:
  • A. Adewunmi, S. Ismail, and A. S. Sultan. (2018). Crosslinked Polyacrylamide Composite Hydrogels Impregnated with Fly Ash: Synthesis, Characterization and Their Application as Fractures Sealant for High Water Producing Zones in Oil and Gas Wells. Journal of Polymers and Environment, Vol 26(8), pp 3294-3306. DOI: 10.1007/s10924-018-1204-9. ISI/Scopus: Impact Factor: 1.971.
  • Mohammed Eliebid, Mohamed Mahmoud, Ibnelwaleed Hussein, Salaheldin Elkatatny, Reyad Shawabkeh, Abdullah Sultan, and Mohammed J. Al-Marri. (2018). Impact of Surfactant on the Retention of CO2and Methane in Carbonate Reservoirs. Energy Fuels, Vol 32 (4), pp 5355-5363. DOI: 1021/acs.energyfuels.8b00213.
  • Ahmad A. Adewunmi, Suzylawati Ismail, Taoreed O. Owolabi, Abdullah S. Sultan, Sunday O. Olatunji, Zulkifli Ahmad. (2018). Hybrid Intelligent Modelling of the Viscoelastic Moduli of Coal Fly Ash Based Polymer Gel System for Water Shutoff Treatment in Oil and Gas Wells. Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering (published online). DOI:/10.1002/cjce.23436.
  • Jun Li and Abdullah S. Sultan. (2017). Klinkenberg slippage effect in the permeability computations of shale gas by the pore-scale simulations. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, Vol 48, pp 197-202. DOI: 1016/j.jngse.2016.07.041.
  • Abdelhalim I. A. Mohamed, Abdullah S. Sultan*, Ibnelwaleed A. Hussein, and Ghaithan A. Al-Muntasheri. (2017). Influence of Surfactant Structure on the Stability of Water-in-Oil Emulsions under High-Temperature High-Salinity Conditions. Journal of Chemistry, Vol. 2017, Article ID 5471376, 11 pages. DOI: 1155/2017/5471376.
  • Mohamed E. Kandil, Nayef M. Al-Saifi, Abdullah S. Sultan. (2016). Simulation and measurements of volumetric and phase behavior of carbon dioxide + higher alkanes at high pressure: CO2+ n-decane at temperatures (313–410) K and pressures up to 76 MPa. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. 53, pp 198–206. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2016.07.045.

Awards & Honors

  • University Advising Award for the College of Petroleum Engineering and Geosciences, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (2018).
  • SPE Regional Distinguished Achievement Award for Petroleum Engineering Faculty (2018).
Tel: +966 (013) 860-2511
Fax: +966 (013) 860-4447

Location: Bldg. 76, Rm. 2147

Dr. Rahul N. Gajbhiye

Associate Professor, Department of Petroleum Engineering

Dr. Rahul is an Associate Professor holding a Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering from Louisiana State University. He worked as a postdoctoral research associate at Tulsa University Drilling Research Project (TUDRP) at Tulsa University, Oklahoma. He also served as a Lecturer at the Department of Petroleum Engineering, Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Pune, India. Dr. Rahul is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineering and the American Association of Drilling Engineers (AADE).

Educational Qualification

  • Ph.D., Petroleum Engineering, Louisiana State University, USA, 2011
  • B.S., Petroleum Engineering, Maharashtra Institute of Technology, India, 1999

Research Interests

  • Enhanced Oil Recovery
  • Multiphase Flow in Pipes
  • Fracturing
  • Drilling Fluids and Cementation

Selected Publications

  • Hicham Ferroudji, Mohammad Azizur Rahman, Ahmed Hadjadj, Titus Ntow Ofei, Mohamed Shafik Khaled, Sayeed Rushd, Rahul Narayanrao Gajbhiye, “3D Numerical and Experimental Modelling of Multiphase Flow Through an Annular Geometry Applied for Cuttings Transport”, International Journal of Multiphase Flow, Volume 151, June 2022, 104044 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2022.104044AL-Dogail, Ala, Gajbhiye, Rahul, AlNajim, Abdullatif, and Mustafa AlNaser. “Dimensionless Artificial Intelligence-Based Model for Multiphase Flow Pattern Recognition in Horizontal Pipe.” SPE Prod & Oper 37 (2022): 244–262. doi: https://doi.org/10.2118/209198-PA
  • AL-Dogail, Ala, Gajbhiye, Rahul, AlNaser, Mustafa, AlNajim, Abdullatif, and Mohamed Mahmoud. “Intelligent Approach for Gas-Oil Separation Plant Oil Recovery Enhancement.” SPE Prod & Oper (2022;): doi: https://doi.org/10.2118/210565-PA
  • H Ferroudji, A Hadjadj, TN Ofei, RN Gajbhiye, MA Rahman, MF Qureshi, “Effect of Drill Pipe Orbital Motion on non-Newtonian Fluid Flow in an Eccentric Wellbore: A Study with Computational Fluid Dynamics”, J Petrol Explor Prod Technol 12, 1383–1402 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13202-021-01403-y
  • R Gajbhiye, A AlDogail, B AlDossary Badr, M Al-Naser, M Mahmoud, “Method for Optimizing Gas Oil Separation Plant Parameters to Maximize Oil Recovery”, US Patent App. 17/022,81622, March 2022.
  • Ala S. AL-Dogail, Rahul N. Gajbhiye, “Effects of Density, Viscosity and Surface Tension on Flow Regimes and Pressure Drop of Two-Phase Flow in Horizontal Pipes”, Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, Volume 205, 2021, 108719, ISSN 0920-4105, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2021.108719.
  • S Kalam, SA Abu-Khamsin, HY Al-Yousef, R Gajbhiye, “A Novel Empirical Correlation for Waterflooding Performance Prediction in Stratified Reservoirs Using Artificial Intelligence”, Neural Comput & Applic 33, 2497–2514 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00521-020-05158-1

Extended Publications (+)

  • S. Elkatatny, R.N. Gajbhiye, Anas Ahmed, and Ahmed Abdulhamid, “Enhancing the Cement Quality Using Polypropylene Fibers”, Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology, PEPT-D-19-00037-2019
  • Ahmed Abdulhamid Mahmoud, Salaheldin Elkatatny, Abdulmalek Ahmed and Rahul Gajbhiye, “Influence of Nanoclay Content on Cement Matrix for Oil Wells Subjected to Cyclic Steam Injection” Materials 2019, 12(9), 1452; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12091452
  • A. Homoud, R. Gajbhiye, D. Al-Shehri, “Transient Wellbore Pressure Build-Up Correlation Helps Engineers to Ensure HIPPS Safe Operation” SPE-199342-PA, SPE Production & Operations, 2019.
  • M. Siddiqui, R.N. Gajbhiye, “Stability and Texture of CO2/N2 in Sandstone” Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects COLSUA_21561. Volume 534, Pages 26-37, December 2017.
  • A. Edrisi, R.N. Gajbhiye, and S. I. Kam, “Experimental Study of Polymer-free and Polymer-added Foams for Underbalanced Drilling: Are Two Foam-Flow Regimes Still There?” SPE Journal, p. 55-68, Vol. 19, Issue 1, 2014.

Awards & Honors

  • Excellence in Teaching Award 2021-2022
  • Outstanding Students Advising KFUPM 7th Senior Design Expo, 12 May 2022
  • SPE Regional Service Award 2020
  • Awards for presentations at the GOM Deepwater Technical Symposium, New Orleans (2009), and the AADE (Premier Fluid Conference), Houston (2010).
Tel: +966 (013) 860-3117

Location: Bldg. 76, Rm. 2115

Dr. Saad F. Alafnan

Associate Professor, Department of Petroleum Engineering

Educational Qualification

  • Ph.D., in Petroleum Engineering, Texas A&M University – 2014-2017.
  • M.S. in Petroleum Engineering, University of Southern California – 2012-2014
  • B.S. in Chemical Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals – 2007-2011

Research Interests

  • Unconventional Reservoirs
  • Mesoporous and Nanoporous Materials
  • Multiscale Transport in Porous Media
  • Enhanced Recovery From Shales

Selected Publications

  • Saad Alafnan. “Utilization of supercritical carbon dioxide for mechanical degradation of organic matters contained in shales.” Fuel 316 (2022) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2022.123427.
  • Saad Alafnan. “The self-diffusivity of natural gas in the organic nanopores of source rocks.” Physics of Fluids 34, 042004 (2022) https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0081258.
  • Saad Alafnan. “Adsorption–Desorption Hysteresis in Shale Formation: New Insights into the Underlying Mechanisms” Energy & Fuels 36 (2022) https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.2c00444.
  • Saad Alafnan. “Utilization of depleted heavy oil reservoirs for carbon dioxide storage and sequestration: A molecular level assessment.” International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 119 (2022) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijggc.2022.103741.
  • Clement Afagwu, Saad Alafnan, Mohamed Mahmoud, I. Yucel Akkutlu. “Modeling of natural gas self-diffusion in the micro-pores of organic-rich shales coupling sorption and geomechanical effects.”  Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering 106 (2022) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jngse.2022.104757.
  • Guenther Glatz, Saad Alafnan, Raoof Gholami, Arshad Raza, Mohamed Mahmoud, Khaled Al-Azani, Abeeb Awotunde. “Effect of kerogen maturity on the adsorption capacity of CO2 and CH4: A molecular investigation.” Fuel 327 (2022) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2022.125188.  
  • Arshad Raza, Guenther Glatz, Raoof Gholami, Mohamed Mahmoud, Saad Alafnan. “Carbon mineralization and geological storage of CO2 in basalt: Mechanisms and technical challenges.” Earth-Science Reviews 229 (2022) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2022.104036.

Extended Publications (+)

  • Alqam, Mohammad H., Abu-Khamsin, Sidqi A., Alafnan, Saad F., Sultan, Abdullah S., Al-Majed, Abdulaziz, and Taha Okasha. “The Impact of Carbonated Water on Wettability: Combined Experimental and Molecular Simulation Approach.” SPE J. 27 (2022) https://doi.org/10.2118/208594-PA
  • Clement Afagwu, Saad Al-Afnan, Shirish Patil, Jaber Aljaberi, Mohamed A. Mahmoud, Jun Li, “The impact of pore structure and adsorption behavior on kerogen tortuosity”, Fuel, Volume 303, 2021, 121261, ISSN 0016-2361, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2021.121261.
  • Aljaberi, Jaber , Alafnan, Saad , Glatz, Guenther , Sultan, Abdullah S., and Clement Afagwu. “The Impact of Kerogen Tortuosity on Shale Permeability.” SPE J. (2020;): doi: https://doi.org/10.2118/204469-PA
  • Saad Alafnan, Abeeb Awotunde, Guenther Glatz, Stephen Adjei, Ibrahim Alrumaih, Ahmed Gowida, “Langmuir adsorption isotherm in unconventional resources: Applicability and limitations.” Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 207 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2021.109172.
  • Mohammed, I., Olayiwola, T.O., Alkathim, M., Abeeb A. Awotunde, Saad F. Alafnan.  “A review of pressure transient analysis in reservoirs with natural fractures, vugs and/or caves.” Petroleum Science 18 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12182-020-00505-2
  • Clement Afagwu, Isah Abubakar, Shams Kalam, Saad F. Al-Afnan, Abeeb A. Awotunde “Pressure-transient analysis in shale gas reservoirs: A review.” Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering 78, (2020) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jngse.2020.103319.
  • Alafnan, S., and Yucel Akkutlu, I. “The Transport Mechanisms and Dynamics of Shale via Multiscale Multiphysics Pore Network Modeling.” ASME. J. Energy Resour. Technol. 142 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4046522.
  • Alafnan, Saad & Aljawad, Murtada & Alismail, Fahad & Almajed, Abdulaziz. (2019). “Enhanced Recovery from Gas Condensate Reservoir through Renewable Energy Sources”. Energy Fuels. 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.9b01761.
  • K. Alafnan, Saad & Akkutlu, I. Yucel. “Matrix–Fracture Interactions During Flow in Organic Nanoporous Materials Under Loading”. Transport in Porous Media 121 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-017-0948-3.

Books

  • Alafnan, S., & Akkutlu, Y. (2020). Transport in Nanoporous Materials. In 948916750 740229742 K. D. Sattler (Author), 21st century nanoscience a handbook (Vol. 5, pp. 12-1-12-6). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
X