Purushothkumar Santhana Mahalingam is an accomplished petroleum engineer with extensive expertise in hydraulic fracturing, well stimulation, and petroleum engineering management. He began his career in the oil and gas industry as a Field Engineer focused on hydraulic fracturing. Subsequently, he transitioned to Procurement Engineer, responsible for procuring essential materials such as proppants, acids, and well stimulation chemicals for fracturing operations and managing district inventory. His responsibilities also include vendor negotiations and writing technical proposals.

Mahalingam has been a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers since 2011. He has actively participated in key industry conferences, serving as a technical reviewer for URTeC 2025, and is slated to serve as a session chair at the same conference. He was also a speaker for the SPE North American Student Symposium in February 2025 and a Judge in the 2025 North America Regional Petrobowl Competition.

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. To further enhance his credentials, he completed a Postgraduate program in Data Science and Business Analytics from the University of Texas at Austin. He gained proficiency in industry-relevant software such as FRACPRO, Meyers, Aspen HYSYS, and PROMAX.