Society of Petroleum Engineering Student Chapter Launched at TAMIU

The Petroleum Engineering Program at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU), part of the School of Engineering under the auspices of the College of Arts and Sciences, is proud to announce the addition of its newest professional student organization, The Society of Petroleum Engineering (SPE). 

The newly launched student chapter welcomed its newest group of 42 members this Spring 2024. 

Lauded as the largest community of petroleum engineers in the industry and academia, SPE hosts annual activities to discuss the latest technology, findings, and trends in the energy sector, explained Dr. Khaled A. Enab, TAMIU assistant professor of Engineering and SPE advisor.  

“SPE supports the education sector of petroleum engineering through many activities and workshops specially held and planned for young professionals and students. Those activities are constantly organized, led, and managed by the SPE local chapters from different universities. An example of this activity is the Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE), which 20 TAMIU students and myself attended last year in San Antonio,” explained Dr. Enab. 

Enab reiterated, “Having a local SPE student chapter at TAMIU will make our program recognized nationally and internationally. Our students will gain opportunities to network with industry leaders and vote on matters that affect students in the energy sector.”

Interest in forming a student chapter began when Enab and University students established the Petro Club. After a steady stream of projects and initiatives taken by student organization members, the organization decided to apply for SPE student chapter membership. 

“Launching the SPE student chapter at TAMIU is a fruitful cultivation of a four-year effort started in 2020. Establishing a local student SPE chapter required showing previous activity for the petroleum engineering students within an ABET-accredited program,” Enab explained. 

Enab and Petro Club student leaders organized many activities and seminars for the engineering students, introducing them to the oil and gas industry and its pivotal role in changing underrepresented communities. This included participation at the Hydrogen Storage Competition organized by Texas A&M University, where the University’s group secured fourth place among other teams from College Station. 

Four field trips were held for the Petroleum Engineering students to experience the fieldwork of petroleum engineers and to learn about the latest technologies. 

Through SPE, students will have first-hand access to various training, workshops, networking activities, and more. Students will also have an opportunity to participate in the PetroBowl, a fast-paced quiz competition on the technical and non-technical aspects of the oil and gas industry. Competitors come from countries around the world and throughout North America. 

STEM, or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics students interested in joining TAMIU’s SPE Chapter should email Enab at khaled.enab@tamiu.edu. Active participation in the SPE activities and events is needed to maintain membership. 

TAMIU currently offers various Engineering programs, with Bachelor of Science degrees in Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering and Petroleum Engineering. For more information on these degree programs, visit https://www.tamiu.edu/coas/soen/engprog.shtml. 

The Society of Petroleum Engineers is a not-for-profit professional association with 127,000 members across 145 countries engaged in the exploration and production of oil and gas and related energy resources. For more information on SPE, visit https://www.spe.org/en/ 

For more on TAMIU’s School of Engineering, call 956.326.2446 or visit offices in the Lamar Bruni Vergara Science Center, room 312. Additional information is also available at https://www.tamiu.edu/coas/soen/index.shtml.