Students/education

SPE Student Chapter Spotlight: The University of the West Indies Chapter

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The collaborative series between TWA and SPE Student Chapters, “TWA Student Chapter Spotlight,” aims to feature award-winning SPE student chapters from around the world. Each article in the series will spotlight a student chapter and share some of the chapter’s main events and activities recently held.

The University of the West Indies Chapter 

  • St. Augustine, Trinidad And Tobago
  • Presidential Award for Outstanding Student Chapter 2020
  • Date Established: 01 Feb 1979

Tucker Energy Services Field Trip

The SPE University of West Indies (UWI) Student Chapter recently visited the Wireline Division of Tucker Energy Services. On arrival, the general manager briefly introduced us to the team of engineers who guided us through the various tools and equipment used.

The student group was exposed to the logging tools used, their function, the readings that would be taken using the tool, and the way in which the data observed was interpreted. Firstly, the gamma-ray tool with the sonic and density tools were observed and an overview was given. It was explained to the students that the gamma ray was used to determine rock formation while the sonic tool was used to determine porosity. Having learned about them in class, it was very beneficial to see the tool in real life and gain a better working knowledge of their function. Additionally, an actual log obtained from a well was shown to the group and we were informed that multiple readings of the same log was taken to ensure accuracy.

It was also interesting to note that the sizes of the tools varied depending on the parameters of the well specified by the client. The Tucker employees educated us on the various health and safety measures put in place for using the equipment, especially, the perforating guns which contained explosives. The team also had the opportunity to board the logging truck and experienced first-hand what on-the-job working was about.  Overall, the trip was very educational and proved to be an excellent learning experience.

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Energy4me Event

On the 24 August, the chapter held an Energy4me event in conjunction with the San Fernando District Sea Scouts. The morning commenced with an introductory session, which was very interactive and proved to be a fun and engaging way of introducing the oil and gas industry to the Sea Scouts. As the scouts consisted of secondary school students, each planned activity was broken down into a simple manner and the overall setting of the day was informal in order to facilitate ease of interaction.

After the introductory presentation, the scouts broke off into smaller groups and the day's practical activities began. The activities selected were Understanding Density, Understanding Porosity, Exploring Oil Seeps, Pump it Up, and Oil Reserves. These plan for these activities were obtained from the Energy4me website and were used to demonstrate key operations within the industry.

The Sea Scouts were encouraged to fully engage themselves in the activities by conducting some of the experiments under the guidance of the SPE members. The scouts enjoyed getting their hands dirty when carrying out various experiments while they simultaneously gained more knowledge.

The morning ended with the presentation of certificates for participation and a special thank you from the Sea Scouts in the form of their Hezaka, which is a celebratory chant given to a group that is being rewarded.

[The Spotlight Series articles are sourced by TWA Student Focus section editors Yogashri Pradhan, Nihal Mounir, Luis Enrique Valencia, and James Allotey-Okai.]