Alumni/Graduates

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Tomsk Learning Partner Continues to deliver Petroleum Courses

To sum up the results of Heriot-Watt's Approved Learning Centre in Tomsk in last three years; this unique and innovative institution which prepares petroleum engineers with internationally respected degrees is continuously delivering what oil and engineering companies require and even more.

The Heriot-Watt Centre was established in September 2001 by collaboration of Tomsk Polytechnic University, Heriot-Watt Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Tomskneft, Samaraneftegaz, Yuganzkneftegaz Oil Companies and Petroleum Project Institutions from Tomsk, Samara and Ufa. Admitted graduates from technical universities study for one year in Tomsk and are able to obtain Heriot-Watt Petroleum Engineering or Reservoir Evaluation and Management (Petroleum Geoengineering) MSc Degrees, together with TPU diploma of professional re-training. The first Heriot-Watt Tomsk graduates were exclusively attracted and selected by the companies – partners of both Universities. Since 2005, the admitted students have been also sponsored by petroleum companies including TNK-BP, Rosneft, Gazpromneft, Baker Hughes, Schlumberger, TomskNIPIneft, and many others. The number of applicants for Master's courses has grown to 800 - 1000 per year with 55 PE and 22 REM MSc students for 2009-2010 year of study.

During the last three years the Centre increased the volumes of all its programmes. The number of field development projects, reservoir modeling and simulation projects which the Centre provides for the Petroleum Industry has greatly increased. For instance, in July 2009, specialists from the Centre; Tatyana Deyeva (Petroleum Engineering Course Director) and Tikhon Kuzmin (Deputy Director on Research and Development) successfully approved, through the Central Development Committee Rosnedra (Moscow), the Pilot Field Development Project of Vasilievskoye oil field for the Samara-Nafta oil company (a branch of Hess Corporation).

Andrey Dmitriev, PhD, Director of the Centre, says:

"High-quality levels of training require significant funds. Although we have not increased the training fees for the last four years or so, now during the financial crisis, certain financial issues are harder to solve. We discussed the situation with each of the sponsors, no one is going to back out, they are just asking to put it on hold for a while, until the situation becomes clearer. In the meantime, the Centre is funded in other ways. For example, we are designing field development projects for Vostokgazprom. Last year we started a new division dealing with well construction design, and TNK-BP/NovosibirskNeftegaz have put together four projects so far. Also, we deliver short courses to Petroleum Industry professionals, and this line of work is also expanding."

Further to this, an evaluation of personnel's technical competences by Petroleum Companies was introduced in 2005. The Centre is also planning to run a few new programmes; among them distance learning and personnel recruitment services.

Boris Fionov, Project Engineer in "Peregovorshik" and one of the first set of HW Tomsk REM Alumni (2004) says: "One more positive of studying at the Centre for students is the learning of new, modern technologies in nature and being responsible enough to apply these in practical work within Russian oilfields, after graduation. Studying at Heriot-Watt provided excellent practical skills and background for me, and was very helpful for applying new core studies standards and procedures for the gas-condensate Kovyktinskoye Field, which is one of the biggest reserves worldwide (OJSC RUSIA Petroleum, TNK-BP is majority shareholder). For example, the programme to reduce uncertainty in petrophysical information was executed and realised. Furthermore, the Centre itself stabilised the core in rezin from one of the exploration wells, which is a novel project for Russian Industry".

"The leading Russian Universities (like Novosibirsk State, Tomsk Polytechnic, Tomsk State, Bashkirsky State, Samarsky State Technical Universities, Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas and a few others), give fundamental technical education, which enhanced with a practical MSc from the internationally respected Heriot-Watt provides alumni a chance to build an excellent career in the Petroleum Industry. Even those alumni who changed their area of work from a technical to commercial role are known as good technical managers because of their acquired practical skills. The successful work of alumni is valuable promotion of the excellent reputation of either Alma Mater"

Pavel Im, Director in SIAM-Engineering (PE 2004) comments: "HW Petroleum Learning Centre in Tomsk provides an invaluable impact to attract, educate and develop high-quality geology and oil & gas field development professionals. Most alumni are well recommended and work successfully in major oil and service companies in Russia, with many of them holding leading positions. More than 20 Petroleum Engineering and Reservoir Evaluation and Management alumni are working in our company, which in conjunction with "old school" professionals is helping to achieve great success in the market. We wish that HW Centre will continue to develop in spite of the world crisis and will continue to attract and educate top quality professionals for the Petroleum Industry Worldwide."