Two faculty members from Texas A&M University at Qatar were recognised 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 $1mn or more.
Elbashir is a professor in the Chemical Engineering and the Petroleum Engineering Programme at Texas A&M at Qatar and director of the TEES Gas and Fuels Research Centre. 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. 
The researchers were recognised for research excellence in building up unique global research collaboration models between academia and industry to develop novel technologies for CO2 utilisation. One of these research projects is a $4.8mn 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 Centre has established world-class research facilities and expertise to support this project and to build other collaborations global wise aiming at proper utilisation 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 Programme 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.”


Related Story