In PETROLIDA, the team focused on preparing a Plan of Development (POD), which is a comprehensive oil field development plan. Through this competition, participants were required to design field development starting from subsurface reservoir characterization, reserve estimation, production simulation, drilling design, production facilities, and environmental safety aspects. The team divided the project according to each member’s area of expertise to ensure that every aspect could be well integrated. Naufal Herdian Saputra was responsible for surface facility and pipeline network, Naufal Abiyyu Partowijoyo handled the drilling and completion program, Rayhan Andrasakti, Kevin Akbar Nasution, and Muhammad Reza Muhtadi worked on subsurface and field development, while Gabriel Chris Palanza Sihotang focused on geomechanics and petrophysics analysis.

According to the team, their main motivation for participating in the competition was to gain experience while measuring their ability to solve complex problems in petroleum engineering. During the project development process, they faced challenges related to heterogeneous carbonate reservoirs, which posed risks of inefficient oil production. To overcome these challenges, the team designed a field development strategy using a combination of water and CO₂ injection integrated with automatic flow control technology to optimize production distribution within the wells. In addition, they built a reservoir simulation model from scratch because the available initial data were still relatively simple, while CO₂ injection simulation required a much more detailed and complex model.

The main strength of the project lay in its multidisciplinary integration, which was arranged systematically and interconnected across all stages of development. The project covered reservoir analysis, production simulation, drilling design, surface production facilities, economic analysis, and carbon trading potential. This approach successfully improved oil production significantly while also demonstrating that oil and gas field development can still prioritize environmental sustainability. Besides being technically and economically feasible, the project also supported carbon emission reduction efforts through permanent CO₂ storage and future carbon trading opportunities.

Behind the achievement, the team faced various challenges throughout the competition process, especially in balancing academic responsibilities during their final years of study. Limitations in devices capable of running complex field simulations also became one of the obstacles, as the simulations required high-specification hardware. “The simulation process took quite a long time because of the limitations of the laptops we used. Eventually, we contacted the Head of Petroleum Engineering Study Program, Mr. Dedy Irawan, to borrow a room and devices that could support the simulation work,” said Naufal Herdian Saputra. Besides facility support, the team also received valuable insights from senior students and alumni, particularly regarding presentation strategies and how to answer judges’ technical questions effectively. Discussions with industry practitioners also helped the team understand how professional approaches are applied in solving real field problems.

For the team, the competition provided valuable lessons, especially in developing the courage to face challenges beyond classroom materials. “This competition really pushed us to learn beyond what is taught in class. We also learned to confidently answer technical questions from the judges and improve our time management skills because there were many responsibilities to handle within a single week,” said Naufal Herdian Saputra.

Through this competition, the team gained important insights into the significance of teamwork, time management, and the ability to develop integrated solutions. The experience not only improved their technical capabilities but also strengthened their confidence in facing challenges and presenting ideas professionally. Through this achievement, the team hopes that other students will also participate in various competitions in petroleum engineering and other fields. “We hope students from the same major will continue learning and improving their skills so they can continue achieving accomplishments in similar competitions. In our opinion, TOD is a competition that provides many valuable experiences,” said Gabriel Chris Palanza Sihotang.

Reporter: Indah Marcelinawati (Urban and Regional Planning, 2022)