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In a dazzling display of scientific integration and teamwork, the KAUST student team has secured first place in the 2025 Laurie Dake Challenge—an international competition organized by the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE) that invites students globally to solve a real-world energy/geoscience challenge.
About the Laurie Dake Challenge
The Laurie Dake Challenge—launched in 2011 and named after one of the most prominent figures in petroleum engineering and geosciences—is a proving ground for the next generation of geoscientists and reservoir engineers.
Meet the Champions
- Abdirizak Ali Omar
- Rayhan Nugroho
- Zakaria Alghamdi
- Mariia Solodiankina
- Akshith Suresh
The winning KAUST team brought together exceptional talent and interdisciplinary expertise in the ESSE Program. Their collaboration reflects the very essence of the challenge: cross-disciplinary integration, grounded scientific rigor, and deep understanding of the reservoir’s dynamics—all aiming to address critical issues in energy and sustainability.
The team was supervised by Professor Hussein Hoteit, mentored by Dr. Mouadh Addassi and Dr. Eric Oelkers, and supported by Professor Thomas Finkbeiner, a member of EAGE’s student advisory board for nine years. Prof. Finkbeiner announced the award saying, “We are ‘breeding’ truly excellent engineers and geoscientists at KAUST!”
A Legacy of Excellence
Laurence Patrick (Laurie) Dake was a visionary. His books, The Fundamentals of Reservoir Engineering and The Practice of Reservoir Engineering, are considered staples by field experts. Dake emphasized critical thinking over blind reliance on simulations and prioritized the physical reality behind models.
2025 Challenge Focus
This year’s challenge focused on the potential of CO2 mineralization in basaltic rocks—an approach that sustainably, scalably, and safely neutralizes CO2, providing an important removal pathway toward net-zero emissions.
From over 38 teams worldwide, ten advanced to the semi-finals. Six were selected for the final round, where they developed integrated strategies for subsurface CO2 mineralization, showcasing technical, economic, and policy feasibility. The KAUST team’s approach stood out for its precision, clarity, technical depth, and holistic completeness.
Why This Matters
In an era where digital tools often overshadow foundational knowledge, the KAUST team’s success reaffirms the enduring value of scientific grounding, interdisciplinary collaboration, and hands-on problem solving. This win represents a triumph for holistic engineering, honors Laurie Dake’s legacy, and illuminates a promising future for energy and sustainability.
