Petroleum engineering students at the University of Eduardo Mondlane (UEM) in Maputo, Mozambique recently started the country’s first SPE student chapter. The chapter comprises 44 members and includes the first class of students to enroll in an advanced-degree petroleum engineering program at an institution in Mozambique.
The formation of UEM’s master’s degree program in petroleum engineering was made possible with help from Anadarko Petroleum and various partners within Mozambique. Anadarko worked alongside UEM faculty and professors from US universities with active petroleum programs to develop the Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering degree curriculum at UEM. The company also provided funds for substantial infrastructure upgrades to the university’s engineering department.
Anadarko’s P.K. Pande, Roger Reagan, and Tom Griffith, as well as professors from US universities—Erdal Ozkan, Colorado School of Mines; Turgay Ertekin, Pennsylvania State University; Tom Blasingame, Maria Barrufet, and Walt Ayers, Texas A&M University; Lloyd Heinze, Texas Tech University; Tom Holley, University of Houston; and Mauricio Prado and Mohan Kelkar, University of Tulsa—have been involved in the development of the program.
The program, which began its inaugural session in February 2014, is a 2-year course of study, and includes instruction in eight subjects, technical seminars, and a research dissertation project. Prior to admission into the program, participating students take a 1-year prerequisite petroleum engineering core program in basic petroleum concepts.
