The Ganesha Dansk Energy team consists of Master’s students in Geological Engineering Arieq Bagus Putradinanti (2024), Dinda Putri Khamisah (2025), and Mohammad Maghantis Taqy (2025); undergraduate Geological Engineering student Fathan Khoiri Nujaih Siregar (2021); and Master’s student in Geophysical Engineering Hammam Muhammad (2024).

The Imperial Barrel Award is an annual program organized by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), bringing together geoscience students from universities around the world. The competition simulates the energy exploration evaluation process, in which participants receive real-world datasets to analyze and present their findings as if they were proposing an exploration project to investors.

Each team is given approximately ten weeks to analyze geological, geophysical, and other supporting data. The results are then presented in a 25-minute presentation before a panel of industry experts. Evaluation is based not only on technical quality, but also on originality, teamwork, and the ability to communicate analytical findings in an engaging way.

From Asia Pacific to the Global Stage

Ganesha Dansk Energy’s journey began with an internal ITB selection process, followed by more than six months of preparation. The team studied the experiences of previous IBA participants, strengthened their technical skills, and built team cohesion to ensure effective collaboration.

The dataset for the regional round was provided in February 2026. The team worked on it for ten weeks before presenting their analysis online on April 24, 2026. Ganesha Dansk Energy went on to win first place in the Asia Pacific region, earning the opportunity to represent the region at the global final in the United States.

“ITB had already won at the Asia Pacific level, so we became motivated to see whether we could make it to the global stage. We also wanted to gain experience, recognition, and networking opportunities to support our future careers,” said Fathan.

Evaluating Energy Potential in the North Sea

For the competition, Ganesha Dansk Energy received a dataset covering the North Sea region. The team analyzed the region’s geological and structural characteristics, petroleum system, and hydrocarbon potential.

The analysis was conducted both qualitatively and quantitatively. The team evaluated several drilling strategies, target formations or reservoirs, and potential production volumes measured in thousands of barrels. The study was also complemented by recommendations regarding development sustainability and environmental risks.

The team’s biggest challenge was not simply processing the data, but transforming complex technical analyses into a story that could be clearly understood within a 25-minute presentation.

“We had to shift our mindset from an academic or project-based approach to pitching. All the technical analyses had to be packaged into a story that was informative, engaging, and easy for the judges to understand,” Arieq explained.

During the global final, the team even reviewed its presentation in detail to identify ways to stand out. As the final team to present, they used three red, yellow, and green cards as part of their interaction with the judges. The strategy helped maintain the judges’ attention while adding a distinctive element to their presentation.

Growing Through the Pressure of Competition

Beyond technical skills, IBA provided the team members with an opportunity to learn software they had not previously used and integrate analytical results from different disciplines.

“For me, we grew from zero to around 90. The pressure throughout those ten weeks eventually became a privilege because things we did not know before became things we understood,” Arieq said.

The achievement was also made possible through the support of many parties. The team expressed its appreciation to Prof. Ir. Benyamin Sapiie, Ph.D.; previous ITB IBA teams; AAPG Indonesia; the Indonesian Ambassador to the United States, Indro Susilo; the AAPG organizing committee; as well as their families and everyone who supported their journey.

“Thank you to everyone who helped us. From Bandung all the way to the United States, your support meant a lot to us. At last, we got to bring back the gold,” Arieq said.

Ganesha Dansk Energy’s achievement marks an important milestone for ITB after years of success at the Asia Pacific regional level. Their victory demonstrates how technical expertise, collaboration, communication, and strategy can come together to enable Indonesian students to compete and excel on the global stage.

Reporter: Chysara Rabani (Mining Engineering, 2022)