On 14 March, students from Emirates International University (EIU) in Sana’a, Yemen, went on the first geological field trip following the establishment of the university's SPE student chapter. The trip was organized with the support of the Department of Oil and Gas Engineering at EIU and was supervised by the university staff Mahyoub Abdul Rahman, Irfan Alzeraai, and Muhammad Osama. The group headed to Shibam Kawkaban and other areas west of Yemen's capital, Sana'a, to learn and understand the country’s geology.
During the trip, the first- and second-year students of the department and visited several Yemeni regions, including Shibam Kawkaban, Shamlan, and Hamedan, which are characterized by their distinct geological characteristics. This was the main objective of the trip—introducing students to the geological formations they will explore and exploit in Yemen after graduation and enrolment in the industry, particularly the study of "the formation of the Tawila Sandstone Group" and the study of Yemen's volcanic rocks during "the Triangular and the Quaternary eras."
The itinerary featured four sites: Shamlan and Hamdan, Shibam Kawkaban, the old city of Kawkaban, and Kawkaban Majz and Al-Hajr. Professors offered students an overview of Yemen's structural and stratigraphic aspects, as well as of the visited specific regions. Students were able to have conversations with the professors and understand the geology and its link to the main petroleum systems. The geological trip allowed students to leave the lecture theatre and participate in practical learning activities that exposed them to various field approaches for identifying the structural units and stratigraphy of formations and sedimentary rocks.
This trip was part of the EIU Student Chapter's efforts to collect, disseminate, and exchange technical knowledge about the oil and gas and energy industries with students who will be the industry's next generation of professionals.