AAPG-KFUPM Student Chapter

The AAPG-KFUPM Student Chapter was established in 2010 in the Department of Geosciences at the King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) by Dr. Khalid Al-Ramadan, who has assumed the role of faculty advisor from the time of its inception to this very day. The objectives of the student chapter are to provide a space, whereby students from a variety of different disciplines who have an interest in the field of petroleum geology or geosciences in general, may come together and discover more about the field via the various extra-curricular activities that are organized by the chapter. With the support of several funding agents that include banks, oil & gas service companies, oil & gas operating companies and the academic institution itself, the student chapter was able to consistently secure a healthy budget in order to fund its several extra-curricular activities. Several international field trips were conducted under the supervision of the faculty advisor to major geological provinces such as Bornholm Island located to the east of Denmark and the coastal area of Boulonnais located in northern France. Moreover, the chapter successfully conducted field excursions to Turkey, Denmark and Spain between 2011 and 2017. The chapter also holds several local field trips and events that are aimed to expose the students to geologic regions in Saudi Arabia as well as providing a platform for the students to spend time with their professors in a more laid-back non-academic setting. Members of the AAPG-KFUPM Student Chapter who display exceptional academic performance and a keenness to the understanding of petroleum geology and geophysics are also provided with the chance to participate in the yearly held student competition organized by AAPG International, the AAPG Imperial Barrel Award (IBA) Program. The chapter aims to continue to provide a chance for motivated students to develop their understanding and skills via the participation in its diverse activities.