The Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) has emerged the best in Sub-Saharan Africa and Second on the Continent in the 2023 Imperial Barrel Award Competition. The Imperial Barrel Award, IBA, is an annual competition organized by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG). It provides an opportunity for geosciences students from all over the world to showcase their knowledge, skills, and teamwork in evaluating a real-world exploration or production project.
Team FUTA comprised five geosciences students: Ifanegan Ayomide, Adeniran Matthew, Olagboye Olasunkanmi, Oyeniyi Isaac, and Odewale Paul. The team’s faculty advisor was Prof. John O. Amigun, and their mentor was Dr. David Anomneze, a senior geologist at Seplat Energy.
In the competition which requires participants to work on a dataset and present their findings to a panel of judges in 25 minutes, team FUTA proved their mettle by emerging the best from a pool of seven participating universities in Nigeria. And after it emerged the best in Nigeria, Team FUTA competed with Nine Universities in Sub-Saharan Africa and came first. However in the final grading, Team FUTA came second behind Matrouh University, Egypt in a pool of 12 universities from across the Continent.
The project is aimed at bridging the gap between academia and the oil and gas industry. To achieve the feat, Team FUTA worked tirelessly for four months, analyzing and interpreting data from a real-world dataset in the Taranaki Basin, New Zealand, provided by the AAPG. They used various software and geosciences techniques to evaluate the dataset, including geophysical interpretation, well-log analysis, reservoir characterization, and seismic interpretation. The team then presented their findings to a panel of judges in 25 minutes, showcasing their skills, knowledge, and teamwork.
The success of the FUTA team in the IBA competition is a testament to the quality of geosciences education at the institution. It also highlights the relevance of the competition in bridging the gap between academia and industry. The skills and knowledge acquired by the team will be invaluable in their future careers as geoscientists. The faculty advisor, Prof. John O. Amigun, and other members of the faculty at the School of Earth and Mineral Sciences played a crucial role in guiding and mentoring the team throughout the competition. Their vast knowledge and experience in the geosciences field were instrumental in helping the team develop their skills and achieve success in the competition.
The mentor, Dr. David Anomneze, also played a significant role in the team’s success. As a senior geologist at Seplat, he provided invaluable industry insights and helped the team develop a better understanding of the dataset and its implications in the real world.
The Vice Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji, has congratulated the team. She described the team members and their advisors as worthy ambassadors of FUTA. “Again FUTA has shown that its products can hold their own among their peers anywhere in the world. The success of the FUTA team in the IBA competition is a remarkable achievement. It is a testament to the quality of geosciences education at FUTA, the dedication and hard work of the students, the guidance of the faculty advisor, and the mentorship of industry professionals. The feat also validates the excellence of our faculty members and content of our academic programmes,” the Vice Chancellor stated in the congratulatory message.