Shahab Mohaghegh, professor of petroleum and natural gas engineering at West Virginia University, has been re-appointed to the Department of Energy’s Unconventional Resources Technology Advisory Committee by Secretary of Energy Steven Chu.

The committee was established to advise Chu on the development and implementation of activities related to onshore, unconventional natural gas and other petroleum resource exploration. Its 17 members represent academia, environmental concerns and industry.

During the two-year term, Mohaghegh and his colleagues will carry out a program of research, development, demonstration and commercial application of technologies for onshore, unconventional natural gas and other petroleum resource exploration and production, including addressing the technology challenges for small producers, safe operations, and environmental mitigation.

“I am honored to be asked to once again serve on this important national committee,” said Mohaghegh. “Unconventional resources like those found in the Marcellus and Utica shale formations represent our country’s best hope for supplying our growing energy needs, while decreasing our dependency on foreign energy sources.”

Mohaghegh is a pioneer in data-driven predictive well modeling. Utilizing a technique he developed called Top-Down Modeling, Mohaghegh uses artificial intelligence and data mining to generate full-field models in all aspects of upstream exploration and production.

Mohaghegh earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in natural gas engineering from Texas A&I University and his doctorate in petroleum and natural gas engineering from Penn State University.

—WVU—

mcd/08/21/12

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CONTACT: Mary C. Dillon
304-293-4086; mary.dillon@mail.wvu.edu