Welcome to the Petroleum Studies Group!

 

We offer one (1) BSc programme in Petroleum Geoscience and three (3) MSc programmes in Petroleum Engineering, Reservoir Engineering, and Petroleum Engineering and Management. We also offer MPhil/PhD research degrees.

 

About the Petroleum Geoscience (PGSC) Programme

Petroleum Geoscience is concerned with understanding the structure of the earth to depths ranging sometimes above five miles for identification of potential areas of hydrocarbon deposits and to identify the hydrocarbon bearing zones, fault patterns and water ingress, in order to model them in sufficient detail so as to be able to design development programmes for economic exploitation. The Petroleum Geoscience degree programme majors in quantitative petroleum geology and geophysics courses, but also includes significant basic training in petrophysics and reservoir engineering. It is expected to attract science students fascinated with the earth and wishing to have a productive industrial career in their areas of interest.
 
The BSc programme in Petroleum Geoscience is accredited by the Geological Society of London for 6 years from February 2022 to February 2028. The programme was first accredited by The Geological Society in 2004, becoming the first overseas programme to receive accreditation by the society's world standard accreditation scheme (The Geological Society: Accredited degrees and Universities). The programme has maintained accreditation with the GSL since 2004. (Click the logo to view accreditation status from the Geological Society of London.)
 

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The BSc Petroleum Geoscience is accredited by the Energy Institute (EI) of London for partially meeting the requirements for CEng for 3 years from September 2023 to August 2026. (Click the logo to view accreditation status from the EI UK through through Engineering Council.)

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For more information about our Petroleum Geoscience programme courses, click here.

 

About the Petroleum Engineering (PENG) Programmes

Petroleum and Reservoir Engineering

Petroleum Engineering involves the application of earth and physical sciences to the evaluation and exploitation of natural hydrocarbon resources. The dominant problems of the petroleum engineer are those of flow and equilibrium in porous media, in vertical and horizontal well bores, in surface pipelines and in primary process equipment. The complexity of the hydrocarbon fluids, and the geological strata involved in flow in reservoirs and production systems raises problems requiring sophisticated numerical techniques for their solution. In the practical field, drilling and production engineering continually pose new engineering problems requiring engineered solutions. This is a conversion programme from other engineering and science-based degree foundations into the specialities of petroleum engineering. It is intended to provide the necessary background for employment in the oil and gas industry, or springboard for a research degree, as well as serving as a refresher for those already working in industry.
 
Reservoir Engineering is a sub-set of Petroleum Engineering where understanding of the reservoir is studied in more detail in order to economically optimise the exploration of the reservoir.
 
The MSc Petroleum Engineering is accredited by the Energy Institute (EI) of London for further learning for CEng for 3 years from September 2023 to August 2026. (Click the logo to view accreditation status from the EI UK through through Engineering Council.)
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The MSc Reservoir Engineering is accredited by the Energy Institute (EI) of London for further learning for CEng for 3 years from September 2023 to August 2026. (Click the logo to view accreditation status from the EI UK through through Engineering Council.)

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Petroleum Engineering and Management

The Petroleum Studies Unit re-introduced the MSc in Petroleum Engineering and Management in Semester 1 of 2017/2018 academic year. It provides the option to study the management and commercial aspect of the petroleum industry. Decision-making, contractual negotiations and arrangements, financial implications and manpower management must be well understood and executed at various stages of the petroleum sector. The re-introduction of this programme is a response to the current needs of the oil and gas industry that is entering a new phase of development, needing more qualified persons who are trained in the management aspect of the sector. The MSc will also provide the necessary springboard for a research degree in Petroleum Engineering, as well as serve as a refresher for those already working in industry and who wish to have a more defined knowledge of the management aspect.
 
The MSc Petroleum Engineering and Management is accredited by the Energy Institute (EI) of London for further learning for CEng for 3 years from September 2023 to August 2026. (Click the logo to view accreditation status from the EI UK through through Engineering Council.)
 

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For more information about our Petroleum and Reservoir Engineering programmes, click here.

 

STAFF

Petroleum Studies Group Leader

Mr. Paul Singh
 

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Paul Singh has been lecturing at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus (The UWI) in Petroleum Engineering since 2021. He holds BSc (Hons.) and MSc degrees in Petroleum Geoscience and Petroleum Engineering & Management respectively from The UWI. Paul currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the Energy Institute UK Caribbean Community and has served in past roles as the Finance Chairperson (2024/2025) and Membership Chairperson (2022/2023 & 2023/2024) of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Trinidad & Tobago Section, and on the SPE International YMEC PetroBowl® Planning Committee. In 2026 he was awarded the Society of Petroleum Engineers Young Professionl Member Outstanding Service Award. Paul believes energy stewardship and environmental sustainability are two great challenges of our time and is committed to helping current students and recent graduates embrace their role as change agents and future leaders in the energy space. As a Christian, he strives to live a life as exemplified by Jesus Christ and believes that the most noble human values are the practice of integrity, and treating our fellow human beings with dignity.

 

COORDINATOR of the Petroleum Engineering Programmes

Dr. Oyinkepreye Orodu
 

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Oyinkepreye David Orodu has varied experience in the oil and gas industry and academia, covering field operations in facilities integrity and extensive reservoir studies in the Far East. He holds a B.Eng. in Chemical Engineering (University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria), an MSc in Oil & Gas Engineering (Robert Gordon University, UK), and a PhD in Oil & Natural Gas Engineering (China University of Geosciences, China). He has contributed to the World Bank Centre of Excellence in Oilfield Chemicals Research at the University of Port Harcourt and, in 2015, was selected for the EducationUSA Leadership Institute on Energy Sector Partnerships in Denver, Colorado, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State. His research expertise spans reservoir engineering and characterisation, reservoir fluid characterisation, and petroleum production economics with interest petroleum data analytics. He has authored and co-authored numerous journal articles and conference papers, serves as a peer reviewer for leading journals, and is an editorial board member of Scientific Reports. He has also successfully supervised several PhD candidates. Professor Orodu is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and a registered engineer (R.Eng., COREN) in Nigeria.

 

COORDINATOR of the Petroleum Geoscience Programme

Dr. Hasley Vincent
 

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Dr. Hasley Vincent is the Coordinator of the BSc Petroleum Geoscience Programme. He received his BSc from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica, and a master’s degree in Petroleum Geoscience from Imperial College, London.  Hasley holds a PhD in sedimentology from Dalhousie University, Canada, where he maintains an affiliation as an adjunct professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.  He has over 20 years of experience as a petroleum geologist within various state and multinational entities and has experienced the complete oil and gas cycle from exploration scoping to development well operations.  Hasley is a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), the Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM) and the Geological Society of Trinidad and Tobago (GSTT).  He is an avid field geologist and has published several papers on the geology of Trinidad.

 

PROFESSOR EMERITUS
 

Dawe, Richard
Credentials: BA, MA, DPhil (Oxford)
Professional Titles: Eur Eng, CEng, CSc, CGeol, FEI, CChem, FRSC, FGS.
Focus Areas: Reservoir Engineering, Hydrocarbon Thermodynamics, Improved Oil Recovery
Email: richard.dawe@uwi.edu

 

 
 

 

PROFESSOR
 

Blake, Oshaine
Credentials: BSc (UWI), PhD (University of Liverpool)
Focus Areas: Petroleum Geophysics, Rock Mechanics
Location: Block 7, 1st Floor, Petroleum Geoscience
Phone: 868-662-2002 Ext. 84431
Email: oshaine.blake@uwi.edu

 

 
 

 

 

SENIOR LECTURER
 

Orodu, Preye David
Credentials: BEng Chemical Engineering (UNIPORT), MSc (RGU), PhD Petroleum Engineering (CUG)
Professional Titles: MEI, Interim Chartered Engineer with Engineering Council UK
Focus Areas: Enhanced Oil Recovery, Reservoir Engineering
Location: Block 13, 1st Floor, Petroleum Studies Unit Office
Phone: 868-662-2002 Ext. 83078
Email: oyinkepreye.orodu@uwi.edu

 

Vincent, Hasley
Credentials: BSc (UWI, Mona), MSc (Imperial), PhD Sedimentology (Dalhousie)
Focus Areas: Advanced Petroleum Geology, Sedimentology
Location: Block 7, 1st Floor, Petroleum Geoscience
Phone: 868-662-2002 Ext. 83496
​Email: hasley.vincent@uwi.edu

 

 

LECTURER
 

Sobers, Lorraine
Credentials: BSc and MSc (Texas Tech University), PhD Petroleum Engineering (Imperial College)
Focus Areas: Carbon Storage, Enhanced Oil Recovery
Location: Block 13, 1st Floor, Petroleum Studies Unit Office
Phone: 868-662-2002 Ext. 83284
Email: lorraine.sobers@uwi.edu

 

Baboolal, Anastasia
Credentials: BSc Major Physics, Minor Environmental Physics and Material Science (UWI), MPhil Physics/Petrology (UWI), PhD Petroleum Geoscience (UWI)
Focus Areas: Petrology, Geochemistry
Location: Block 7, 1st Floor, Petroleum Geoscience
Phone: 868-662-2002 Ext. 83676
Email: anastasia.baboolal@uwi.edu

 

Osman, Ariana
Credentials: BSc Geology (University of Western Ontario), MSc Geology (University of Texas), PhD Geoscience (UWI)
Focus Areas: Sedimentology, Stratigraphy
Location: Block 7, 1st Floor, Petroleum Geoscience
Phone: 868-662-2002 Ext. 83537
Email: ariana.osman@uwi.edu

 

Khan, Saeed
Credentials: BSc (Hons.) Petroleum Geoscience (UWI), PhD Geoscience (UWI)
Focus Areas: Sedimentology
Location: Block 7, 1st Floor, Petroleum Geoscience
Phone: 868-662-2002 Ext. TBD.
Email: saeed.khan@uwi.edu

 

 

ASSISTANT LECTURER
 

Singh, Paul
Credentials: BSc (Hons.) and MSc (UWI)
Professional Titles: MEI, Interim Chartered Engineer with Engineering Council UK (EngC UK Reg. No. 729866)
Focus Areas: Natural Gas Engineering, Advanced Well Testing, Reservoir Engineering
Location: Block 13, 1st Floor, Petroleum Studies Unit Office
Phone: 868-662-2002 Ext. 83679
Email: paul.singh@uwi.edu

 

 
 

 

 

PART-TIME LECTURERS
 

Bradshaw-Niles, Penelope
Credentials: BSc Chemical Engineering (UWI), MBA Petroleum Management (University of Kansas)
Professional Titles: TBA
Role: Former PS of Ministry of Energy & Energy Industries
Focus Areas: Strategic Petroleum Planning and Management

 

Maharaj, Sanjeev
Credentials: BSc (Hons.) Petroleum Geoscience (UWI), MSc Petroleum Engineering (UWI)
Professional Titles: MEI
Role: Production Engineer at bp
Focus Areas: Production Engineering

 

Durham, Kevin
Credentials: BSc (Hons.) NQF L6 (City & Guilds of London, UK), MSc (UWI)
Professional Titles: IEng MEI, Interim Chartered Engineer with Engineering Council UK
Role: Well Integrity Engineer at HPCL
Focus Areas: Drilling & Completions Engineering

 

Roopa, Iannie
Credentials: BSc Chemical Engineering (UWI), MSc Petroleum Engineering (UWI)
Professional Titles: TBA
Role: Reservoir Lead at bp
Focus Areas: Natural Gas Engineering

 

Charles, Donald Gregory
Credentials: BSc (Hons.) (UWI), MSc (NexT)
Professional Titles: TBA
Role: Retired Petrophysicist at bp
Focus Areas: Petrophysics, Formation Evaluation
 

 

Hosein, Natalie
Credentials: BSc (UWI), MSc (Leeds)
Professional Titles: TBA
Role: Consultant Geophysicist
Focus Areas: Geophysics

 

 

 

 

 

 

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