Student News & Organizations

Department Overview "A View from My Window"
By Lloyd Heinze, P.E., Ph.D.

Petroleum Engineering at Texas Tech is alive and well! Two and half years (February 2014-October 2016) after moving into our new Terry Fuller Petroleum Engineering Research Building, the faculty, staff and students are settled into our new home. Most of all the "new bugs" are worked out! I have observed numerous changes over my tenue at TTU.

Enrollment:
As I start my twenty sixth year at TTU, I thought a reflection on our enrollment is due. Enrollment has grown to a peak of 812 undergraduate and 85 graduate students in Fall of 2015.

As we begin Academic Year 2016-2017, we note a reduction in enrollment. The table below provides the breakdown of the classification and provides a description of each population:

 
The enrollment reduction is the result of both the increase of the undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA) minimum requirement AND a significant decrease in oil prices. In addition, our department no longer teaches Freshman level classes. The table below illustrates how the new GPA minimum requirements have affected student population, student to faculty ratios and the number of degrees awarded:

 
The midyear oil price, TTU BS PE degrees granted and Junior/Senior enrollment plot indicates upper division enrollment and degrees lag oil prices by two years as illustrated in the chart below.

This is lag between degrees awarded and drop in oil price is due to the course/time spent after two years into the program making it difficult for the individual to change his/her major. The department facilities, faculty and staff are sized to accommodate an undergraduate population (including sophomores, juniors, and seniors) of 300 – 400 students and a graduate enrollment of 75 – 80 students.

Ideal faculty student to faculty ratios are the following:

• undergraduate student to faculty ratio 20 – 30
• graduate student to faculty ratio 5 – 6

The ideal number of degrees granted each year are the following:

• BS- 100 degrees
• MS- 15 degrees
• PhD- 5-7 degrees

 

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AADE is currently comprised of 148 members. Last Spring, the student organization was very active both in the community and at the university. In February, AADE held a townhall meeting, volunteered at the Lubbock Pancake Festival and hosted a Completions presentation by Pioneer. In March, members volunteered at the South Plains Food Bank, hosted a Bioremediation presentation by SOS Environmental and twelve organization members took a Well Control course offered by Wild Well Control. In April, AADE hosted a BHA technical presentation given by Toemax and eight organization members attended the AADE National Fluids Technical Conference and Exhibition in Houston where members attended technical paper presentations and speeches by industry experts, as well as met with recruiters and AADE professionals.

The organization plans to have an equally busy fall season and has already recruited members and sold SGA sponsored t-shirts at the Engineering Kickoff event on September 9th this fall. AADE also has participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, had a group discussion and traveled to see the movie Deepwater Horizon, and hosted tailgates during football season. Additionally, AADE plans to host three alumni luncheons and host a drill bit presentation by PDC Logic along with other technical presentations.

AADE members at Wild Well Control Course 2016.

AADE members attending AADE Conference in 2016, Houston, Texas.

SPE As the new fiscal year begins, the Texas Tech University Society of Petroleum Engineers carries forward the strong momentum from the 2015-2016 academic year as it still holds the title of the largest engineering student organization at Texas Tech. The TTU SPE chapter is devoted to current students of Texas Tech planning to work in the oil and gas industry. Through TTU SPE, students are offered the opportunity to volunteer, become more involved through the organization with tailgates, presentations, and to meet TTU Petroleum Engineering alumni and hear about their current experiences in the oil and gas industry.

Anadarko Engineers- TTU Alumni throwing their Guns Up post-info session.

TTU SPE members enjoy their evening at the Concho Welcome Back Event hosted at The Range.

This semester SPE will offer a speaker series and technical schooling of artificial lift, two events new to the TTU SPE portfolio. The speaker series will be comprised of professionals, practicing and retired, and current professors that have worked in different branches of the Oil and Gas industry. The speakers will cover topics from land and lease acquisition to production of hydrocarbons; the series will parallel the development of a lease for our members to envision the efforts and skills that are applied in ultimately recovering hydrocarbons. Speakers from Energy Commerce, Environmental Engineering, the Law School, Petroleum Engineering, Geology etc. will be invited for an evening to share their experience, work, and learnings in the Oil & Gas industry. To support member's learning in Petroleum Engineering classes, TTU SPE will host industry training and presentations. Industry professionals join TTU SPE in bringing the membership artificial lift schools, and software training which helps to build a well-prepared and well-rounded engineer.

TTU SPE is dedicated to putting its best foot forward to giving back to the Lubbock community. Both semesters students have the opportunity to volunteer at organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Haven Animal Shelter, Adopt – A – Highway and others in the Lubbock area.

TTU SPE volunteers keep Lubbock beautiful at the adopted section of highway in Lubbock.

TTU SPE volunteers assisting the Lubbock Mardi Gras Meals on Wheels event.

This school year will be the second year TTU SPE will be conducting their Development and Outreach program for schools in Lubbock. The purpose of the TTU SPE Development and Outreach program is to deliver knowledge the Oil & Gas industry and the fruits an engineering degree has to offer. The Development and Outreach committee visits schools in Lubbock to present information and entertaining the students with activities, with the purpose of both for the enrichment of engineering knowledge.

Lubbock ISD students are not bounded by their classroom to learn of engineering and the Oil & Gas industry; TTU SPE hosts school visits to the Terry Fuller Petroleum Engineering Research building where they have the opportunity to tour the new petroleum engineering building and absorb wisdom from speakers. TTU SPE is currently planning to host a Lubbock ISD school visit to the Petroleum Engineering department this semester in continuing to enrich with knowledge the younger generations.

Smylie Wilson Middle School visit to the Petroleum Engineering Department in April 2016.

Dr. Watson participating in the Development and Outreach as he speaks with the visiting students from Smylie Wilson Middle School.

SPWLA The Texas Tech student chapter of the Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA) continues to grow, with 20 new members joining this semester for a current total of 58 members. Since Petrophysics is foundational to both Petroleum Engineers and Petroleum Geologists, we are actively collaborating with the Geosciences Department for the chapter. This will not only open the opportunity to more interested students, but will also leverage the capabilities and interests of both departments.

Last year, we were nominated for the Outstanding Student Chapter award and plan to continue with that model of excellence. This summer, 11 of our members attended the 2016 SPWLA Short Course – Introduction to Wellbore Analysis in Midland, Texas. While in Midland, we also visited the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum. The Engineering Kickoff event on September 9 was a success, with over 40 students signing up with interest in the organization. There are a variety of events planned, including: presentations from Industry experts, providing short courses on-site, as well as attending industry conferences.

With Professor Richard Bateman's retirement, we are happy to announce that Dr. Steven Henderson has joined as our new Faculty Advisor. We appreciate all that Professor Bateman brought to our chapter, as both an inspiration and as a guide.

SPWLA members attending the SPWLA Short Course.

Petroleum Engineering Honor Society
Petroleum Honor Society (Pi Epsilon Tau) Petroleum Engineering's honor society, Pi Epsilon Tau, was founded at the University of Oklahoma in 1947. Paul S. Johnston led a group of petroleum engineers who shared a sincere desire to create for the petroleum industry an organization that fosters loyalty, good fellowship and mutual cooperation. The society's objectives are to create a closer bond between its student members and industry, to broaden the scope of activities of members, and to maintain the high ideals and standards of the engineering profession.

Active members are chosen on the basis of their scholastic accomplishments, leadership, and sociability. Students are selected from the Junior and Senior Undergraduate classes of the Petroleum Engineering Department at TTU as well as current graduate students.

Requirements to Join:

• Degree in Petroleum Engineering (Bachelors, Masters, PhD)
• 15 hours PETE course work completed
• 3.50 GPA for Undergraduate Students
• 3.75 GPA for Graduate Students
• Pay $ 75 membership fee

(All inductees must pay $75 for the National membership fee, certificate, and rent. Make a check payable to Pi Epsilon Tau and give it to any Pi Ep T officer.)

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