Yang Zhao | Intelligent Material Development for CCUS | Best Researcher Award

Published on by Petroleum Engineering

Prof. Dr. Yang Zhao | Intelligent Material Development for CCUS | Best Researcher Award

Associate Professor at China University of Petroleum-Beijing, China

Dr. Yang Zhao is an Associate Professor of Petroleum Engineering at the China University of Petroleum–Beijing. A specialist in sustainable oil and gas development, CO₂-enhanced oil recovery (EOR), and geological sequestration, his work blends innovation in chemical materials with practical solutions for conformance control and carbon storage. With a career bridging the U.S. and China, Dr. Zhao contributes to both academia and industry through editorial roles, patents, and international project collaborations. His multi-disciplinary expertise positions him as a thought leader in carbon management technologies, especially for deep water and fractured reservoirs in complex field environments.

Profile

Scopus

Education

Dr. Zhao earned his Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology (USA) in 2021, where he gained deep expertise in CO₂ EOR and microgel-based reservoir treatment. Prior to that, he completed both his Master’s (2017) and Bachelor’s (2014) degrees in Petroleum Engineering at the China University of Petroleum Huadong. His educational journey combined rigorous laboratory research, numerical simulation, and field-scale applications, equipping him with strong theoretical foundations and practical skills in flow assurance, reservoir engineering, and environmental mitigation, particularly in low-permeability and offshore conditions.

Experience

Since 2022, Dr. Zhao has been serving as an Associate Professor at China University of Petroleum–Beijing. He leads national and ministerial projects on CO₂ channeling control, conformance enhancement, and the development of novel in situ gel systems for high-temperature offshore reservoirs. Previously, he worked with internationally recognized researchers in the U.S. and contributed to pioneering studies on microgel propagation and enhanced heavy oil recovery techniques. Dr. Zhao’s broad professional engagements also include editorial roles, symposium organization, and collaborative research with energy corporations, ensuring a practical orientation to his scientific endeavors.

Research Interest

Dr. Zhao’s research interests focus on carbon dioxide EOR, geological storage, chemical conformance control, and novel materials for flow assurance. His work explores CO₂-responsive gels, microgel behavior in super permeable channels, and hybrid chemical techniques that integrate stimulation, storage, and recovery processes. He has also made significant contributions to hydrate blockage prediction in subsea gas pipelines. His innovative thinking bridges laboratory experiments and field-scale applications, aiming to maximize oil recovery while ensuring environmental sustainability. Recent efforts target megaton-scale CCUS projects, particularly in large-pore-volume reservoirs and tight formations that present unique engineering challenges.

Awards

Dr. Zhao has received multiple accolades recognizing his research excellence and scientific impact. Notably, he was awarded Best Paper at URTeC 2020 and multiple international conferences, including the Offshore Technology Conference and the National Conference on Hydrodynamics. He was honored for Outstanding Review Contributions by the Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering and selected as Session Chairperson at the MIT A+B Energy Symposium and International CCUS Conference. His participation as a technical editor and guest editor for over ten leading journals further underscores his professional distinction and global academic influence.

Publications

Dr. Zhao has authored numerous impactful articles across top-tier journals. Below are seven selected publications with citation impact:

  1. Zhao, Y., Wen, X., Rui, Z.H. et al. “A novel dual-network CO₂-responsive particle gel…” Chemical Engineering Journal, 2024 – Cited by 35 articles.

  2. Zhao, Y. et al. “Importance of conformance control in reinforcing synergy of CO₂ EOR…” Petroleum Science, 2022 – Cited by 65 articles.

  3. Zhao, Y. et al. “Enhancing heavy oil recovery by combining low salinity water and polymer flooding.” SPE Journal, 2021 – Cited by 97 articles.

  4. Zhao, Y., Bai, B. “Transport behavior of swell able microgel particles…” SPE Journal, 2022 – Cited by 54 articles.

  5. Zhao, Y. et al. “Microgel conformance control treatment for polymer flooding reservoirs…” SPE Journal, 2021 – Cited by 46 articles.

  6. Zhao, Y. et al. “Hydrate-blockage assessment during deep water gas-well testing.” SPE Journal, 2018 – Cited by 88 articles.

  7. Ding, Y., Zhao, Y, Wen, X. et al. “Development and applications of CO₂-responsive gels…” Gels, 2023 – Cited by 22 articles.

These publications reflect a consistent record of innovation, technical depth, and field relevance.

Conclusion

Dr. Yang Zhao is a visionary petroleum engineer whose work advances the frontier of low-carbon energy production and reservoir sustainability. His pioneering contributions to CO₂-responsive gel systems, hydrate control, and EOR-geo-sequestration synergy have influenced global CCUS practices. Bridging fundamental research with industrial implementation, Dr. Zhao continues to shape academic discourse and engineering solutions for future energy systems. Through teaching, research leadership, and interdisciplinary collaborations, he cultivates the next generation of petroleum engineers committed to sustainability and innovation. His career trajectory reflects scientific rigor, practical relevance, and an unwavering dedication to addressing energy and environmental challenges.

Rashed Sahraeian | Sustainability in Oil and Gas | Best Scholar Award

Published on by Petroleum Engineering

Prof. Dr. Rashed Sahraeian | Sustainability in Oil and Gas | Best Scholar Award

Professor at Shahed University, Iran

Professor Rashed Sahraeian is a distinguished full professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering at Shahed University, Tehran, Iran. His career reflects a deep dedication to the fields of optimization, supply chain management (SCM), facility location problems (FLP), and location-routing problems (LRP). Professor Sahraeian is widely recognized for his extensive contributions to academia through impactful research, prolific publications, mentorship of graduate students, and active participation in peer reviewing for top international journals. His scholarly excellence and commitment to industrial engineering have made him a prominent figure both nationally and internationally.

Profile

Google Scholar

Education

Professor Sahraeian’s educational foundation is rooted in industrial engineering, where he specialized in operations research and optimization methodologies. Throughout his academic training, he developed a keen interest in complex decision-making models, quantitative analysis, and supply chain design. His formal education provided him with advanced competencies in mathematical modeling, computational techniques, and logistics systems, setting a robust stage for his future contributions to the domain.

Experience

With an academic career spanning over two decades, Professor Sahraeian has amassed extensive experience in teaching, research, and supervision. He has taught specialized courses including Facility Layout and Location, Supply Chain Management, Scheduling and Sequencing, and Integer Programming. As a dedicated mentor, he has supervised over 55 Master’s theses and 12 Ph.D. dissertations, nurturing the next generation of engineers and researchers. His practical involvement extends beyond academia, where he applies his research findings to real-world industrial problems, emphasizing sustainable and resilient supply chain solutions. Furthermore, his active role as a reviewer for high-impact journals underscores his expertise and reputation in the global academic community.

Research Interest

Professor Sahraeian’s primary research interests encompass optimization in industrial systems, closed-loop supply chain design, facility location under uncertainty, and robust scheduling. He is particularly passionate about solving multi-objective optimization problems in logistics and production environments, employing innovative methods such as hybrid evolutionary algorithms, constraint programming, and grey system theory. His recent work also extends into sustainable supply chain network design, considering environmental factors and resilience against disruptions, aligning closely with contemporary industrial needs and global sustainability goals.

Award

Throughout his academic journey, Professor Sahraeian has been recognized for his outstanding research and educational contributions. He has earned awards and acknowledgments for his significant role in advancing industrial engineering, particularly for his impactful publications and excellence in student supervision. His recognition as a leading figure in optimization and supply chain management is further evidenced by his continuous invitations to review papers for prestigious journals such as the Journal of Cleaner Production, Computers & Industrial Engineering, and Applied Mathematical Modelling.

Publication

Among his many publications, seven notable works illustrate his influential contributions.

(1) In 2012, he co-authored “An interactive possibilistic programming approach for a multi-objective closed-loop supply chain network under uncertainty” in Applied Mathematical Modelling (cited by 340 articles).

(2) In 2013, he published “The hierarchical hub covering problem with an innovative allocation procedure covering radiuses” in Scientia Iranica (cited by 85 articles).

(3) In 2014, his study on “Dynamic multi-commodity inventory and facility location problem in steel supply chain network design” appeared in the International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (cited by 110 articles).

(4) In 2015, he explored “Optimal modeling and evaluation of job shops with a total weighted tardiness objective” in Applied Mathematical Modelling (cited by 92 articles).

(5) That same year, he co-authored “Augmented ε-constraint method in multi-objective flow shop problem with past sequence setup times” in the International Journal of Production Research (cited by 70 articles).

(6) In 2016, he contributed “MULTI-OBJECTIVE OPTIMIZATION OF INTEGRATED LOT-SIZING AND SCHEDULING PROBLEM IN FLEXIBLE JOB SHOPS” to RAIRO Operations Research (cited by 60 articles).

(7) In 2024, he published “Decision-Making Approach to Design a Sustainable Photovoltaic Closed-Loop Supply Chain Considering Market Share for Electric Vehicle Energy” in Sustainability (garnering growing citations). These selected publications emphasize his research depth and broad application impact.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Professor Rashed Sahraeian has made outstanding contributions to the advancement of industrial engineering, particularly in optimization and supply chain network design. His research innovations, leadership in education, and strong publication record position him as a leading figure in his field. Through a combination of theoretical rigor and practical relevance, he continues to influence the discipline of industrial engineering, inspiring students and colleagues alike. His career trajectory exemplifies academic excellence, practical relevance, and a deep commitment to solving real-world industrial challenges through advanced research methodologies.