Muscat – A team from Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) has won the Middle East edition of the Imperial Barrel Award (IBA), a global geoscience competition organised by American Association of Petroleum Geologists. Following the win, the team will represent the region at the IBA global finals this month, competing against universities from five continents.

The team includes Anas Rashid al Maamari, Maather Ibrahim al Rawahy, Zainab Ali al Mahdali and Ayman Mohammed al Ghafri from College of Science, with Qasim Yousef Abbas Ibrahim from College of Engineering. The group was mentored by Dr Mohammed Farfour, Associate Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at College of Science.

Speaking to Muscat Daily, Ghafri described IBA as “a prestigious international competition held annually to simulate real-world decision-making processes within oil and gas companies”. He informed that participants work in teams, analysing geological and geophysical data to identify potential drilling sites.

“Our team was united by a strong spirit of cooperation and task integration, allowing us to draw on diverse expertise and maximise knowledge exchange,” Ghafri said. “This synergy enabled us to deliver a comprehensive project that included a detailed analysis of rock and reservoir properties, an accurate estimation of hydrocarbon resources, and a strategic exploration plan.”

The final round of the regional competition was held at Abu Dhabi Energy Center. The SQU team was chosen winner after presenting its findings to a panel of industry experts. Competing teams included those from Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait and the UAE.

“Our determination and confidence in our project helped overcome the intense competition,” Ghafri said. “We’re proud to have reached this stage of the Imperial Barrel Award programme and hope to win the first place at the global finals this month.”