Two students awarded first place in 2021 SPE paper contest
Energy resources engineering student Dylan Crain received first place in the MS category and electrical engineering student Tim Anderson received first place in the PhD category.
Two Stanford Earth students have received first place in the 2021 Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Western Regional meeting student paper contest, which was held virtually from April 20-22. Dylan Crain, an energy resources engineering student advised by professor Lou Durlofsky, received first place in the MS category, and Tim Anderson, an electrical engineering student advised by professor Tony Kovscek, received first place in the PhD category.
The student paper contest is a long-running tradition among the schools in the western region. For at least 50 years, students have been sharing their engineering science in this competitive but friendly rivalry. The prize winners earn the opportunity to write a paper about their research for a volume of proceedings, bringing science and prestige to their home department.
Crain’s research aims to improve the efficiency of uncertainty quantification simulations, a process that can be very computationally expensive. The methodology is used to combine models and create more accurate simulations of reservoirs in the subsurface.
Anderson’s project involves improving imaging methods for the characterization of porous media. His work aims to enhance images of source rocks or synthesize porous media images when limited data is available, with a focus on the characterization of shales.
As regional winners, Crain and Anderson winners will compete in the international contest in September amongst first place winners from all regions of the world.
