Insights and Highlights from SPE North America Student Symposium and PetroBowl Regional Qualifier 2025
In February 2025, I had the distinct pleasure of participating as a speaker in the SPE North America Student Symposium and Judge in the PetroBowl Regional Qualifier, both held at the University of Southern California. These events provided profound insight into the petroleum engineering industry’s current and future landscape, showcasing a blend of academic rigor and professional expertise.
North American Student Symposium: A Convergence of Minds and Ideas
The symposium kicked off with a warm welcome from Dr. Iraj Ershaghi, setting the tone for a series of intellectually stimulating presentations. Dr. Jennifer Miskimins captivated the audience with her talk on “Energizing Tomorrow: Solutions, People, Energy,” which emphasized innovative approaches to sustainable energy practices. Following suit, Dr. Don Paul delivered a compelling keynote on “Digital Transformation & Energy Transition,” discussing the transformative changes reshaping the oil and gas industry through digital technologies.
This victory secured them a spot at the 2025 Championship, slated for October at the SPE Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition in Houston, Texas.
A standout feature of the symposium was the early career panel, expertly moderated by Terry Palisch. This panel provided invaluable career insights and advice to young professionals navigating the complexities of the industry. The discussions were deeply engaging, offering perspectives on career growth and professional development within the evolving energy sector.
The technical sessions that ensued were equally enriching. I had the opportunity to interact with bright minds from Kansas University and the University of Southern California. We delved into discussions about cutting-edge technologies and recent research advancements that are set to redefine industry standards. The session featured six technical presentations across two breakout rooms, where experts like Carlos Torres, Zach Evans, and Dr. Linda Battalora presented varied topics from operational challenges to technological innovations in oil recovery.
My presentation, scheduled at 2:00 PM, focused on “Sustainability: Review of Hydraulic Fracturing.” I discussed the comprehensive steps involved in oil and gas field development, highlighting the critical role of hydraulic fracturing. The talk covered the use of various proppants, the dynamics at well sites during stimulation, and the deployment of complex well stimulation equipment such as hydration units, blenders, and fracturing pumps. A significant portion of my presentation was dedicated to environmental strategies, emphasizing the recycling of fracturing fluids and the innovative use of Dynamic Gas Blending (DGB) technologies. These technologies not only help in reducing costs but also mitigate environmental impacts by utilizing natural gas extracted directly from wells.
The symposium concluded with insightful closing remarks from Dr. Iraj Ershaghi, emphasizing the industry’s ongoing commitment to innovation and sustainability. A following networking event allowed students and professionals to discuss future collaborations and career opportunities.
PetroBowl Regional Qualifier: A Showcase of Competitive Excellence
PetroBowl Regional Qualifier unfolded with an impressive display of knowledge and quick-wittedness by student teams across North America. The event featured intense competition among 22 teams, segmented into four pools. As a judge in Pool A, I observed outstanding performances from teams, including Missouri University of Science & Technology and Texas A&M International University, who advanced from the preliminary rounds.
The final rounds of the competition were charged with excitement, culminating in a riveting finale where Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México triumphed over Missouri University of Science & Technology. This victory secured them a spot at the 2025 Championship, slated for October at the SPE Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition in Houston, Texas. The five teams advancing to the championship are Universidad Nacional Autónoma De Mexico, Missouri University of Science & Technology, University of Louisiana- Lafayette, Texas A&M University, and University of Houston.
The event concluded great, and the energy was amazing.
Purushothkumar Santhana Mahalingam is a petroleum engineer with nine years of experience in hydraulic fracturing, acid fracturing, and well stimulation across the Permian and Delaware basins. He currently works as Region Engineer I at Cudd Energy Services, where he develops stimulation designs and technical proposals, leads bid response development, and acts as completion engineering focal point during job preparation and execution. He began his career as a Field Engineer I focused on hydraulic fracturing and later worked as Field Engineer II / Procurement Engineer, managing district inventory of proppants, acids, and stimulation chemicals, along with vendor negotiations and technical proposal writing.
A member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers since 2011, Mahalingam served as Completions and Operations Co-Lead for the SPE Permian Basin Section (2025–2026) and serves as a member of the SPE ATCE 2026 Completions Subcommittee. He served as Session Co-Chair and technical reviewer for URTeC 2025, was an Honorary Speaker at the SPE North American Student Symposium in 2025, and has judged the North America PetroBowl, SPE regional student paper contests, and the Giovanni Paccaloni Young Professional Service Award.
He earned a Master's in Natural Gas Engineering from Texas A&M University–Kingsville and a Bachelor's degree in Petrochemical Technology from Anna University, Tiruchirappalli, and completed a postgraduate program in Data Science and Business Analytics at the University of Texas at Austin. He is proficient in industry software including FRACPRO, Meyers, Aspen HYSYS, and PROMAX.
