After winning first place in the Middle East regional round, a student team from Sultan Qaboos University has achieved a remarkable global milestone in the Imperial Barrel Award (IBA), a leading international competition in petroleum geoscience. The team secured second place worldwide overall and clinched first place in the Petroleum Geology division.

Organised by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), the IBA simulates real-world decision-making in oil and gas companies. Competing teams analyse geological and geophysical data to identify optimal drilling sites and develop comprehensive exploration and field development plans.

The SQU team consisted of Anas Al-Maamari, Maathir Al-Rawahi, Zainab Al-Mahdali, Ayman Al-Ghafri—all from the College of Science—and Qasim Abbas Mulla Ibrahim from the College of Engineering. They were supervised by Dr. Mohammed Farfour, who provided expert guidance throughout the project.

Their advanced project included a detailed analysis of reservoir characteristics, precise estimation of hydrocarbon resources, and the design of an integrated exploration strategy.

Following their regional win in Abu Dhabi, the global final was held remotely, with judging conducted by leading industry experts from top international oil and gas companies. The team received high praise for their analytical skills and professional presentation.

This outstanding result highlights SQU’s strong presence on the global stage and its students’ ability to compete with the world’s best universities in applied geosciences.