Texas A&M at Qatar faculty researchers receive TEES Engineering Genesis Awards
Published Dec 07, 2016
Two faculty members from Texas A&M University at Qatar were recognized with the Engineering Genesis Award for Multidisciplinary Research from the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES).
Dr. Nimir Elbashir and Dr. Shehab Ahmed each received the award, which is presented to TEES researchers who have secured significant research grants of $1 million or more.
Elbashir is professor in the Chemical Engineering Program and the Petroleum Engineering Program at Texas A&M at Qatar and director of the TEES Gas and Fuels Research Center. His research team includes co-principal investigators Dr. Konstantinos Kakosimos, Dr. Dragomir Bukur and Dr. Patrick Linke, all from Texas A&M at Qatar, and Dr. Mahmoud El-Halwagi from Texas A&M’s main campus in College Station, Texas (USA).
The researchers were recognized for research excellence in building up unique global research collaboration models between academia and industry to develop novel technologies for CO2 utilization. One of these research projects is a $4.8 million project funded by the Qatar National Research Fund under the National Priority Research Fund-Exceptional Proposal in collaboration with Total, Northwestern University and Qatar University. The Gas and Fuels Research Center has established world-class research facilities and expertise to support this project and to build other collaborations global wise aiming at proper utilization of Qatar's natural gas and CO2 in the production of ultra-clean fuels and petrochemical industry.
Ahmed is an associate professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Program at Texas A&M at Qatar. He was awarded a grant from RasGas Company Limited for his proposal, “An Intelligent Open Hole Wireline Tool Conveyance System” with co-PI is Dr. Hussein Alnuweiri.
Their research is focused on developing an intelligent open hole wireline tool conveyance system to overcome challenges in deploying logging tools in deviated and horizontal wellbores. The proposed intelligent wireline system can potentially save significant rig and crew time, which contributes to a safer and more cost-effective operation.
Dr. César O. Malavé, dean of Texas A&M at Qatar, said, “Part of our mission is to lead efforts that build research capacity in Qatar and contribute to Qatar’s goal of becoming a knowledge-based economy. These TEES awards are proof that our faculty compete well on a global scale and do so much to foster collaboration with experts in Qatar and around the world.”
TEES is an engineering research agency of the State of Texas. For more than 100 years, TEES researchers have conducted relevant research and provided practical answers to critical state, national and international needs.