Teaching

GEOE 461/561: Drilling and Production Engineering (Spring, 3 credits)

• Course Description: This course introduces the engineering principles of well drilling and production engineering for modern subsurface energy extraction (e.g., oil &  gas, geothermal). Drilling topics include drilling facilities, drilling bits, drilling fluids, casing, cementing, directional drilling, and completion of geothermal and hydrocarbon wells. Production topics include petroleum production systems, well in-flow performance, formation damage, artificial lift, stimulation, and well test design and data acquisition. 

• Course Delivery Method: This course combines classroom lectures with practical homework assignments, a hands-on term project, and an immersive field trip experience. Students will also benefit from insightful guest lectures delivered by industry experts, providing real-world perspectives and enhancing the connection between theoretical concepts and current industry practices.

• Recent Student Course Evaluation: 4.9 out of 5.0 (2025 Spring)

GEOE 467/567: Introduction to Geomechanics (Fall, 3 credits)

• Course Description: An introduction to topics relevant to reservoir geomechanics as they pertain to geological, mining, and subsurface energy engineering. This includes discussions of geologic structural discontinuities, in-situ stress, rock rheology and stress concentration, Anderson classification of faults and stress regimes, hoop stresses and wellbore deformation, pore pressure and fluid injection, and their effects on reservoirs and petroleum exploration and production. This course offers cross-disciplinary exchange of ideas and experience. Students will gain fundamental knowledge and skills that are required by a wide range of geoengineering applications.

• Course Delivery Method: This course combines classroom lectures, practical homework assignments, a hands-on term project, an industry lab visit, and guest lectures by geomechanics experts.

• Recent Student Course Evaluation: 4.4 out of 5.0 (2024 Fall)

GEOE 720/720L: Experimental Rock Deformation (Spring, 3 credits)

• Course Description: Explore the physical properties of earth materials through experimental rock deformation, focusing on laboratory experiments to understand rock behavior under various subsurface processes. Key focuses will include the interplay between laboratory experiments and theoretical models in geoscientific and geoengineering fields such as geomechanics, structural geology, geophysics, and engineering applications. Students will learn the philosophy of scientific experimentation, encompassing experimental methods, apparatus, sensors, data acquisition and analysis, and the critical extrapolation of findings to real-world scenarios.

• Course Delivery Method: This course is delivered by integrating in-class lectures, hands-on laboratory work, technical report writing, and scientific presentations. Key topics include uniaxial and triaxial rock deformation, brittle failure, rock friction, creep, and fluid flow. Students will complete three major experimental projects focused on mechanical rock deformation, fluid transport, and fault slip and friction.

• Recent Student Course Evaluation: 5.0 out of 5.0 (2025 Spring)