Statement of Purpose

Applicant: Prakhar Sarkar

Course: Petroleum Engineering at Centre for Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering,
University of Texas at Austin
Oil and Gas was and shall continue to remain a critical lifeblood for global energy demand for years to
come no matter the upheavals it goes through. The industry, I believe shall continue to provide a
plethora of opportunities for pursuit of petroleum engineering based subjects. The last few years as a
student and recently as part of my work in the industry has enabled me to develop a keen understanding
of the nuances of Reservoir Engineering, application of Mathematics and Numerical methods, computer
programming, and data analytics for efficient decision making. With this outlook I strive to gain
admission in the MS program in Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, which I believe shall prepare
me well for achieving my objective of becoming a successful researcher in the field of Reservoir
Engineering. My aim is to excel in the use of modeling, simulation and other techniques like Well Testing
etc. relevant to this discipline to help maximise extraction and returns from reservoirs.

I had decided to pursue a course on petroleum engineering for my bachelor’s degree since it is an
unique amalgamation of all STEM subjects, all of which interested me since school. During this time, I
had taken up internships and participated in competitions both in industry and academia to get a hands-
on experience of both aspects. During one such exercise I tried participating in the annual OCEAN Plugin
Competition by Schlumberger which gave me the opportunity to see the immense possibilities the use of
Software and Computational Methods for work as a Petroleum Engineer. This inspired me to acquire
skills in varied software and try to apply them in almost all aspects relevant to the Oil Industry
specifically, Reservoir and Production Engineering. However since the opportunities to apply them in
meaningful research in the field are few in India, I took up a job as a process data engineer for
petrophysical and reservoir engineering data at Shell upon graduation. However, a few months into my
job, I feel could use my abilities better if I could do research.
University of Texas at Austin has been a pioneer in research into the frontiers on Reservoir Engineering
and it provides an environment where highly motivated group of people work in collaboration. I am
especially fascinated by the work being carried out on Reservoir Simulation under the Joint Industry
Project in Reservoir Simulation Under Professor Kamy Sepehrnoori. I am inspired by my sister who is
pursuing research on strategies to tackle antimicrobial resistance in the field of Medicine at the Indian
Institute of Science. Like her I seek to do something similar in my field. I believe that my proficiency in
Reservoir Engineering techniques for subsurface characterization, simulation, modeling and testing as
well as my background as a data engineer with an understanding of use of computational techniques
using software make me well placed to carry on research in this field. Given a lot of research in this
direction is already being done at the university, I believe I shall be able to contribute actively in this
direction. Graduate School presents an opportunity where I can not only contribute through my abilities
but also hone myself to be ready for roles I can play in the future.
My undergraduate program at the School of Petroleum Technology (Pandit Deendayal Petroleum
University) helped lay a strong foundation for my career. I was especially interested in the study of
courses that closely encompass the discipline of Reservoir Engineering including Fluid Flow in Porous
Media, Well Testing, Geomechanics, Petrophysics, Reservoir Thermodynamics, Petroleum Chemistry,
Reservoir Simulation etc. Additionally, I have garnered skills in programming in Matlab, Python, C, VBA,
and R and to utilize them in various statistical and numerical methods in projects both during my UG and
at work. I took initiative in learning the Mathematical Reservoir Simulation Toolbox at university. My
final year thesis involved the exploration and understanding low enthalpy geothermal reservoirs in the
State of Gujarat. I was part of a dedicated team that was striving to understand the geothermal
reservoirs in the state of Gujarat so as to allow there commercial exploitation. The project was of first of
its kind in India, and we as a team of only 5 undergraduate students contributed actively to its
objectives. We carried out exploration to understand potential areas for implementation of pilot
projects that could pave the way for bigger projects of scale. We presented our results in Inter-college
level competitions and in various forums for companies and were adjudged to be among the best. My
work in the project gave me an opportunity to work first hand on Data encountered in Geophysics,
Reservoir and Production Engineering. The success in this project and appreciation from examiners
bolstered my confidence to pursue a career in Reservoir Engineering. Some of our work are in the
process of publishing our research in reputed journals. Throughout the UG program I was among the top
7% of my class. During the recently concluded Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering for Petroleum
Engineers, I secured a rank that placed me in the 97th Percentile among all students of this discipline in
India. Recognizing my potential for contribution to the field, the Society of Petroleum Engineers awarded
me the Star Scholarship in my sophomore year.
In an internship at the state-run Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC), I helped develop an
automated program to calculate Rod Pump parameters for implementation in the company’s mature
fields. This was followed up with a study of the rheological properties of Crude Oils from one of India's
most prolific hydrocarbon producing areas on behalf of the premier engineering institution, IIT Madras.
This paper titled “Rheological properties of Cambay Basin Crude Oils” was published in the conference
proceedings of IIT Madras and was selected as one of the Best Student Papers. As a result of another
research endeavor, I presented my research paper on a cyclone based artificial lift system for use with
Gas Lift Technologies for increasing the efficiency of production operations in mature wells at ATCE
2016. As part of my training program at Halliburton Logging Services, I’ve also worked in Logging
operations as a Trainee. I’ve also led a 5 member Geological Field Expedition team in the Kutch area of
Gujarat (India) for gaining an understanding of the morphological patterns of the formations exposed
there at the surface. This prepared me for work as a Field Engineer. All of these experiences helped form
the bedrock for me to develop my practical skills as a Petroleum Engineer and familiarize me with the
challenges of rigorous and effective field work. Moreover, these occasions also provided opportunities
where I took proactive steps and functioned effectively as a leader and team-worker.
My participation in extracurricular activities has served to aid my growth as an academically oriented,
innovative, and proactive professional too. I have won many accolades for active participation and
organization of numerous quiz programs. I was instrumental in the genesis a successfully fest for
petroleum engineering students - PDPU SPE fest. I also helped set-up a TEDx community in our university
to lead the organizing of our university's first TEDx Idea sharing event. I was selected for the MIT Media
Lab 2015 for Developing and Incubating Ideas that have helped me hone my skills in Software. I also took
the lead in our university chapter of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. As Secretary of the chapter, I
helped my university SPE Outstanding Chapter award. Besides these, I undertook a number of initiatives
to mentor students including organizing a training session for orienting new students joining my UG
department and preparatory sessions for participants of the SPE Petrobowl Technical quiz competition in
which I myself had participated. I worked at the Joint Forest Management Centre of the Ramakrishna
Mission to look after the needs of Tribals and extremely backward communities in the district of Purulia,
India.
My profession has allowed me to work with people of diverse skill sets and witness how this enables the
team to maximize work value. I look forward to similar enriching experiences during the MS program. In
the long term, I plan to pursue a career in academia as a successful researcher involved in analyzing
complicated reservoirs and optimizing recovery. I would also like to provide these services in Oil and Gas
technology startups. I believe that studying at the University of Texas at Austin would take me a step
closer to this dream. I am confident that on admission to the Institute, I would not only enhance my
career as a scientist but also contribute richly to the research environment of the school. Given my
broad range of interests, experience and ability to work in different research teams, I feel that my
candidacy will be an asset. I look forward to being a member of your academic community from next fall
with financial aid if possible.