We are thrilled to announce that Nurassyl Zhumabayev, a third-year Petroleum Engineering student from the School of Mining and Geosciences at Nazarbayev University, has won First Place in the 2025 Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Russia and Caspian Regional Student Paper Contest (Undergraduate Division).
The SPE Student Paper Contest is an internationally recognized competition that showcases the technical excellence and research capabilities of petroleum engineering students. It is structured across three academic levels—Undergraduate, Master’s, and PhD—and held in 14 global regions. Regional winners earn the opportunity to compete on the international stage during the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE).
Nurassyl’s winning research, titled
“Optimizing Nanoparticle-Polymer Formulations for Enhanced Oil Recovery in High-Salinity, High-Temperature Reservoirs,”
focused on improving Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) techniques through the use of nanoparticle-stabilized polymer solutions. His work addresses the challenges of maintaining solution stability and performance under extreme reservoir conditions, such as high salinity and temperature.
About the Competition
The competition began with abstract submissions, which were evaluated for technical merit, relevance, and innovation by a panel of industry judges. Selected participants then delivered a detailed technical presentation followed by a rigorous Q&A session. Presentations were judged based on technical content, clarity, originality, and ability to defend the work.
Following his first-place regional win, Nurassyl will now represent the Russia and Caspian Region at the International Student Paper Contest at ATCE 2025 in Houston, USA—a premier event that brings together global professionals, researchers, and innovators in the oil and gas sector. His work will also be featured in OnePetro®, a leading online technical library for the industry.
The SPE provides regional contest winners with full support to attend the international event, including flights, accommodation, visa costs, and conference registration.
About the SPE Student Paper Contest
Organized by the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the contest highlights individual students' contributions to advancing petroleum engineering through original research. Students compete regionally, with the top presentations invited to submit a full technical paper and advance to the international level.
SPE currently recognizes 14 regional contests:
- Africa
- Asia Pacific
- Canada
- Eastern North America
- Europe
- Gulf Coast North America
- Middle East and North Africa
- Mid-Continent North America
- Rocky Mountain North America
- Russia and Caspian
- South America and Caribbean
- South Asia
- Southwestern North America
- Western North America
To learn more, visit the SPE Student Paper Contest page.