Past SMET members

Dr. Ashirgul Kozhagulova

(SMET member, Feb 2021 - December 2023)

Currently: Professor, Atyrau

Dr. Ashirgul Kozhagulova was post-doctoral researcher at NU. Her interests covered energy-related geomechanics with the involvement of laboratory work. Her expertise also included geomechanical element testing and supplementary analytical modeling.

Dr. Antoine Dillinger

(SMET member, July 2021 - July 2022)

Currently: Sentinel-ERM, Brisbane, Australia 

Dr. Antoine Dillinger was leading appraisal of geothermal prospects in Kazakhstan’s sedimentary basins as well as sedimentology and stratigraphy of uranium bearing Paleocene-Eocene strata in Chu-Sarisu basin. He is a sedimentologist and basin analyst specialised in the reconstruction of ancient sedimentary systems and stratigraphy, but with interests in sedimentary petrology, petrophysics, and detrital-zircon geochronology. He completed his MSc at the University of Strasbourg (France) and his PhD at the University of Western Australia. He worked for two years at the Energy Division of CSIRO (Australia), and completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Simon Fraser University (Canada). 

Mr. Sabber Khandoozigenareh (Khandoozi)


(SMET member, Jan 2022 - July 2023)


Currently: PhD student, USA


Sabber Khandoozigenareh (Khandoozi) was a Ph.D. Candidate in the School of Mining & Geosciences (co-supervised by Drs. Hazlett and Fustic). He finished his Bachelor's degree in Petroleum Engineering at Sabzevar University in 2013. Next, he obtained his Master's degree in Petroleum Engineering at Shiraz University (2018). After recognizing the adverse effect of climate change and global warming, he decided to start his research in the environment field in CO2 mineralization in mine wastes. 

Ms. Leyla Karabyanova

(SMET member August 2022 - January 2023) 

Currently: PhD Student at Texas A&M University, USA

Leila was a Research Assistant at SMET, focusing on the sedimentological evaluation of geothermal reservoirs. Her research interests included CO2 sequestration, geothermal energy production, and sequence stratigraphy. She is a graduate of Satbayev University with a Bachelor of Technology Degree in Geology and Exploration of Mineral Deposits and Nazarbayev University with a Master of Science Degree in Petroleum Engineering, both degrees were completed with distinction. From 2020 to 2022, she was a Research Assistant at Nazarbayev University in the development of hybrid EOR methods utilizing low salinity water in carbonate reservoirs. 

Ms. Gyuzel Yeltay

SMET member, Jan 2022 - Sep 2023

Currently: MSc Student, Manchester

 

Gyuzel Yeltay was a research associate at NU. She is an experienced geologist with a strong background in petroleum geochemistry, analyses of oil, water and rock including laboratory analyses (GC-MS, ICP, AES, Ion Chromatography, core analysis, Rock-eval) and interpretation, presentation of geochemical data. Previous studies and researches were done on obtaining data about source rocks and oil generation of different oil fields of Western Kazakhstan, Atyrau, Aktobe and Mangyshlak regions. Her research was focused mainly on evaluation and reassessment of oil origin and petroleum potential (including unconventional) of Precaspian basin supra-salt strata and Mangyshlak basin. 

Education:

Bachelor in Petroleum geology (Royal Holloway university of London) 2011-2014. 

Mr. Renat Iltukov  

(SMET part-time member, July 2020 - April 2021).

Currently: Head of Hydrogeology and Hydrodynamic modeling Department in GEOS, Katko JV

While in SMET Renat conducted a thorough study about the Mangistau stratigraphy with a focus on the characterization of organic-rich strata. His findings are presented at the International Association of Sedimentologists Annual Meeting in Prague, 2021. 

Currently: Magnetic Oil Limited, Aktau, 

Mr. Nurlan Abdrakhmanov 

(SMET member, February - November 2021)

Currently: North Caspian Oil Corporation (NCOC), Atyrau, Kazakhstan

Nurlan Andrakhmanov's research topic was “Stratigraphy and Sedimentology of Uranium Bearing Formations in Chu- Sarysu Basin with focus on KATCO Parcels and with Implications to Reservoir Modeling and Recovery Methods”. The study area includes Paleocene – Eocene sedimentary successions of the Chu-Sarysu Basin. The main focus of his research was to describe facies and facies association, and, as a result, interpret the environment of deposition of four stacked stratigraphic units (Kanjugan, Uyuk, Ikansk, and Intymak), and understand their internal reservoir architecture.

Ms. Madina Taubassova 

(SMET member, January 2022 - May 2022)

Currently: KMG Engineering 


Madina Taubassova worked on sedimentology of a Jurassic saline aquifer identified as a target for CO2 storage. 

Ms. Nurgul Kosnazarova   

(SMET part-time member, July 2020 - April 2021)

Currently: KMG Engineering

Ms. Alexia Proanec 

(SMET member, April 2022 - August 2022)

Currently: Élève-ingénieure ENSEGID, Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France 


Ms. Alexia Proanec was a limited time (5 months) visiting student from France. She worked on sedimentology of Kanjougan and Uyuk formations. The main goal was to characterize intra-formational low permeability geobodies and provide tools for their recognition and mapping in the subsurface.  

Alexia's research at SMET was co-supervised with Dr. Antoine Dillinger. 

Mr. Zhaksylyk Kabashev

SMET member, Feb - Dec, 2023

Currently: Senior student, NU 

Zhaksylyk was an undergraduate research assistant at SMET and was studying Chemical and Materials Engineering with a unique minor in Geology at Nazarbayev University. Zhaksylyk has previously conducted research on solid-state batteries and is now actively involved in the SMET research group. In SMET, he focused on the geochemistry of geothermal energy, combining his engineering and geology expertise to optimize resource extraction and minimize environmental impacts. 

Ms. Ayana Karakozhayeva

(SMET member, 2020 -  2023)

Currently: MSc Student at Nazarbayev university, SMG

Ayana is a junior Geology student who is keen on studying geothermal resources in Ili and Syrdarya sedimentary basins. She will be sorting important information from geothermal literature, calculating hydrogeological properties, investigating water chemistry in laboratories (Titration method, ICP-OES, and Metrohm)  and creating maps on ArcGIS.

Mr. Gleb Smirnov

Gleb is a junior Geology student who is interested in structural geology, stratigraphy, and paleontology yet looking forward to expanding and deepening his comprehension of geosciences while working on scientific projects.


Mr. Ilyas Raimkulov

Ilyas is 3rd year undergraduate student and RA, who took internship in KazMinerals company at Aktogay Copper-porphyry deposition. His project is in Uranium deposits of Chu-Sarysu basin, where he is mostly responsible in collecting and interpretation of porosity/permeability/grain size measurements. 

Mr. Aidyn Tileugabylov

(SMET part-time BSc student member, July 202o - May 2022)

Currently: PhD Student at Nazarbayev university, SMG

Aidyn is a NU graduated student. He worked with SMET on several projects including the morphodynamics of Rio de la Plata, pyrolysis analysis, and investigation of the evidence of PETM on sedimentary records in Chu-Sarisu Basin (BSc capstone project).

Ms. Saltanat Gabdullina

(SMET part-time BSc student member, May 202 1- February 2022)

Saltanat worked as a junior Geology student understanding the origin, transport, and deposition of sediments  in the Chu-Sarysu basin. 

Ms. Alin Yegeubayeva

(SMET full-time BSc student member, May 2020 - August 2021)


Ms. Makhabbat Duisekova

(SMET part-time BSc student member, April 2021 - August 2021)

Makhabbat is a senior Geology student. While in SMET she generated a high-quality polluter’s map in the ArcMap and supported senior researchers with technical documentation and translation of documents.