Rita Esuru Okoroafor

Rita Esuru Okoroafor, SPE, is an assistant professor at Texas A&M University, specializing in applying oil and gas skills and techniques to address challenges associated with low-carbon energy technologies. Before joining Texas A&M, she was a principal reservoir engineer at SLB, an organization she worked with for 13 years. During Okoroafor’s tenure, she contributed her expertise to different product lines and locations, covering various aspects of the oil and gas industry value chain. Her current research encompasses geothermal reservoir engineering, CO2 storage and use, geologic storage of hydrogen, natural hydrogen, and reservoir geomechanics. By exploring these domains, Okoroafor aims to unlock new possibilities for sustainable energy sources and improve the understanding and management of crucial energy resources. She is an author of several technical papers and holds two patents. Okoroafor was an SPE Distinguished Lecturer in the 2023–24 season. She holds a BEng degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Port Harcourt, an MS degree in petroleum engineering and project development from the Institute of Petroleum Studies, and a PhD degree with postdoctoral work in energy resources engineering from Stanford University.