The team consists of Ghifari Jauhar Yajri and Ambrosius Imanuel Dannes, students of the Petroleum Engineering Study Program, Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering (FMPE), class of 2022 and 2020, respectively, along with I Gusti Parama Dwityamaja, student of the Chemical Engineering Study Program, Faculty of Industrial Engineering (FIT), class of 2021.

The 2024 Inception Competition is an international case study competition that offers undergraduate students the opportunity to demonstrate their critical thinking and innovative problem-solving skills in addressing issues related to the oil and gas industry. This year’s theme was “Enhancing Oil and Gas Production Through Technological Advancements to Address Environmental Energy Challenges.”

Ghifari Jauhar Yajri, a team member, expressed his interest in the oil and gas industry, which also served as his main motivation for participating in this competition. The alignment of their academic program with the competition’s theme provided an excellent opportunity for them to sharpen their skills and expand their network with universities from different countries.

The competition coincided with midterm examination week, making time management their biggest challenge. “I had to divide my time between academic priorities and competition priorities. The key for me is to balance so that nothing is sacrificed,” Ghifari said.

Drawing on their experiences and evaluations from previous competitions, Petropower began to strategize for victory by seeking a competition mentor. They received guidance, engaged in discussions, and directly interacted with Mohammad Galang Merdeka, S.T., M.Sc., a petroleum engineering lecturer. With all the strategies and preparations in place, Petropower developed a solution paper titled “Eco-Conscious Hydraulic Fracturing: Revitalizing Oil and Gas Extraction Efficiency with Environmental Responsibility,” helping them clinch second place in the competition.

“It is a personal pride for me to dignify the name of ITB in the city of Semarang. Additionally, this competition was my first opportunity to win a Ganesha Award in the Ganesha Karya category—an award for innovation—and a valuable chance for me to learn a lot from the 2024 Inception Competition,” said Ghifari enthusiastically.

“The advice and tips I can offer are to not be afraid to try because fundamentally everyone has the same opportunity, but it comes down again to whether one is brave enough to face failure and rise again, as it is not uncommon for people to be afraid before they even try,” he added.

The Petropower Team takes great pride in their victory. They gained numerous lessons and insights throughout the competition, from properly structuring a paper to enhancing their public speaking skills, as well as sharpening their expertise in the oil and gas field through direct real-case studies from their case collaborator, Baker Hughes. The team also learned the value of perseverance, the importance of having an indomitable spirit, and how to accept the decisions given.

Reporter: Nattaya Putri Syailendra (Forestry Engineering ‘22)
Translator: Anggi Nurdiani (Management ‘24)
Editor: Ariq Ramadhan Teruna (Chemical Engineering ‘21)