11.11: PI Geosciences Students 4th in the world at the SEG Challenge Bowl competition in Las Vegas.
Regional finalists from around the world were ready to fight for the global championship at the SEG Challenge Bowl Finals on 10 November in Las Vegas, Nevada (USA).
Geosciences Undergraduate students Ahmed Al Kaabi and S. Shahryar Kimiagar, the only team from the Middle East, represented the PI in this years’ SEG (Society of Exploration Geophysicists) Challenge Bowl competition in Las Vegas. Their team won the 4th place and was congratulated by the current SEG president (2007-2008), as well as the 2006-2007 and the 2008-2009 presidents of the society and many others from the industry including top ranking representatives from leading companies and universities around the world.
S. Shahryar Kimiagar says: “It was an honor to represent the Petroleum Institute and we feel very proud to have won this title. We would like to acknowledge the role of Mr. Khalid Obaid who took part in the regional competition, playing a key role in the qualifying round to Las Vegas, and also thank all those at the PI who supported us prior to the competition”
There were 12 teams from across the world, including teams from China, Russia, USA, Canada, Venezuela and Italy, all of whom were chosen to be in Las Vegas after winning their own respective regional competitions (most of whom were MSc or PhD students).
The SEG Challenge Bowl gets its inspiration from a 2004 Society of Petroleum Geophysicists (India) meeting in Hyderabad which Peter Duncan attended as SEG President. He was impressed with a quiz show-style contest they organized in which nine university teams of two persons each answered geoscience questions. Peter brought this idea to SEG and since its inception in 2006, the SEG Challenge Bowl has grown tremendously.
The first Challenge Bowl had eight teams from the United States, Scotland, India, and Egypt. This year, 11 qualifying events were held, including first time events in Cartagena, Colombia; Tyumen, Russia; Rome, Italy; Nova Scotia, Canada; Beijing, China; and Moscow, Russia.
The SEG Challenge Bowl, after a series of regional preliminary contests, will bring together an international set of finalist teams to the SEG Annual Meeting in Las Vegas in November. They will compete for the global championship and cash prizes in the third SEG Challenge Bowl Finals, scheduled for 3–6 p.m. on 10 November at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center Ballroom B. More information will be in the Official Program given to all registered delegates.
The students will be attending the exhibition and technical SEG talks for another two days and then return to Abu Dhabi.
Visit the Petroelum Geosciences Program.
