Aref Seyyed Najafi

Oil Sands Tailings Specialist

 

M. Eng. Reservoir Engineering
PhD Candidate, Chemical Engineering

Phone: (Cell) +1 (780)788-0024
Email: arefs@ualberta.ca

SUMMARY

·         I am a Ph.D. Candidate in the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Alberta. I started my program in September 2003 and I have completed four years of research towards my Ph.D. degree in Oil Sand processing and extraction under the supervision of the NSERC Oil Sand Research Chair Prof. Jacob Masliyah. I have a M.Eng. degree in the area of Reservoir Engineering (University of Calgary, 2002) and five years experience in upstream and downstream fields of oil industry.

·         A range of skills I have gained over the past 10 years gives me confidence to work in a wide area of upstream and downstream oil productions. I have knowledge in exploration, drilling, production, piping, refining, and production of downstream product in petrochemical processes. I have also extensive knowledge in Quality and Safety Management. My experience includes both in situ production from deep reservoirs and oil sand processing for open pit mining.

·         I have strong management, decision making, trouble shooting, teaching and presentation skills.

·         I am a Permanent Resident of Canada and I have recently applied for a Canadian Citizenship.

 

Education

Ph.D. candidate student, Oil Sand Processing Research Group at the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta (started 09/2003; expect to complete by 05/2008).

Thesis title: Theoretical and experimental studies on bubble sliding velocity and induction time

Supervisors: Drs. Jacob Masliyah and Zenghei Xu

Projects:

·         Studies on the effect of design and process variables on the overall efficiency of processes.

·         Studies on the surface properties of particles and bubbles (interfacial phenomena).

·         Prediction behavior of bubbles and particles in flotation columns.

·         Effect of pH, calcium ions and surfactants on the aeration and attachment of bitumen to bubbles.

 

M.Eng. (course-based program with specialization in Petroleum Reservoir Engineering) at the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Canada (06/2003)

Following courses were taken:

-      Thermal recovery

-      Production engineering

-      Advanced production engineering

-      Horizontal drilling technology

-      Reservoir simulation

-      Water flooding

-      Secondary and tertiary oil recovery

-      Natural gas engineering

-      Thermodynamic and phase behavior

-      Fractured reservoir

 

Project title: Fluid flow in porous media and in situ cold production process (foamy oil production)

Supervisor: Dr. Brij Maini

 

B.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering at the Petroleum University of Technology (PUT), Ahwaz, Iran (04/1995)

Thesis title: Contact Angle Measurements

Supervisor: Dr. Riyaz Kharrat

 

Professional Training

Certificates:

·         Lead Auditor, Quality Assurance Management Systems (ISO 9000), Quality Management Institute of Canada (QMI), 10/10/1998

·         Auditor, Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14000), SGS SWISS, 07/11/1999

·         Introduction to Pumps and Their Applications, National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), 01/09/1999

·         Introduction to Compressors and Their Applications, NIOC, 01/09/1997

·         Introduction to Heat Exchangers and Their Applications, NIOC, 1997

·         Introduction to Furnaces and Their Applications, NIOC, 1997

·         Calibration of Measurement Tools based on ISO 10011, 1997

 

Internship:

·         National Iranian Drilling Company, 1994

·         Petrophysic Department of National Iranian Oil Company, 1993

 

Computer Skills:

Software:     Word/data processing Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access;

                     Image treatment                      Photoshop, CorelDraw, Adobe Illustrator;

                     Industrial drawing                   Visio, SmartDraw, AutoCAD;

                                       Modelling & Simulation          Terasim (reservoir simulations), Matlab, Femlab, Hysys, CHEMCAD, PolyMath, Sigma Plot:

           Internet and Web design          FrontPage, DreamViewer, SiteBuilder.

 

Employment history

Research:

Research Assistant, Oil Sand Processing Research Group at the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta (09/2003-present)

Responsibilities:

·         Literature review, conduct research, analyze data, conduct computer-based modeling and simulations, write up project reports and publications;

·         Participation in research seminars and development of strong language, presentation and communication skills.

 

Teaching:

Instructional Skills Teaching Program University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (2005-2008).

 

Teaching Assistant at the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Alberta (2005-2008). Courses:

CHE 318 (Mass Transfer);

CHE 354 (Chemical Reactor Analysis);

CHE 351 (Chemical Engineering Laboratory);

CHE 454 (Chemical Engineering Project Laboratory).

 

Teaching Assistant at the Department of Petroleum Engineering, Petroleum University of Technology, Iran (1992-1996). Courses:

Rock and Fluid Properties;

Petroleum Geology;

Physics.

 

Part-time teacher of Algebra at Banitorf High School, Ahwaz, Iran (1994-1995).

 

Industry:

Process Engineer, Urmia Petrochemical Company (1997-2001)

Responsibilities:

·         Supervision of a production line at a petrochemical plant;

·         Mentoring junior engineers and technologists in an understanding of plant equipment, process conditions, failure mechanisms and repair procedures;

·         Implementation of various quality control policies in the process area;

·         Supervision of process operators and instrument technicians in troubleshoot and investigation of operation related plant issues;

·         Coordination with maintenance and engineering departments for execution of ASME & ASTM codes;

·         Conduction and review of in house training for new employees;

·         Development of advanced/regulatory application programs to control and optimize production in a safe and cost effective direction;

·         Preparation and overview of safe operating procedures and standard work practices for a better and safer working environment.

 

Head of the Non-Predictable Accident Control Team and Head of Safety and Fire Fighting Department in Urmia Petrochemical Company (1999-12/2001)

Responsibilities:

·         Organization and participation in HAZOP studies;

·         Making liaisons with process/instrument engineers on safeguarding/relief/etc.;

·         Area classification to IP15, including preparation of hazardous equipment schedules and hazardous area classification layouts;

·         Research on flammable releases, including: fire release/dispersion/explosion/radiation calculations; event tree analysis and risk assessment;

·         Preparation of procedure for non-predictable accidents such as natural disasters and terror attacks;

·         Organization of workshops and trainings for fire fighters to keep them ready and prepared.

 

Management Representative for Implementations of Quality Assurance System (ISO 9000), Urmia Petrochemical Company (1999-12/2001)

Responsibilities:

·         To ensure that the quality system is implemented and maintained in accordance with requirements of ISO 9000 and subjected to a regular audit and review;

·         To ensure that the staff is familiar with the fundamental operational systems and have a ready access to the procedures describing the quality management system;

·         Monitoring of various stages of design, formal documentation overviews of the design results to ensure that design stages output meet the design input requirements;

·         Operation of an internal audit program, development of qualified personnel independent from the area;

·         Performing internal and external quality assessments of design, procurement, and construction contractors. Verification and monitoring of quality operating system implementation.

 

Management Representative for Implementations of Environmental Management System (ISO 14000), Urmia Petrochemical Company (1999-12/2001)

Responsibilities:

·         Plan, organize and lead assessment teams. Develop, maintain and implement environmental standards on the base of ISO 14000 procedures; typical inspection plans and checklists;

·         Perform internal and external quality assessments of design, procurement, and construction contractors;

·         Initiate and engage in quality and process improvements and implementation to improve environmental values.

 

Shift Engineer at the National Iranian Drilling Company for 6 month (1995)

 

Founder and Director Manager of the Sepehr Sanat Azaran Engineering Service Company (1995-12/2001)

·         General management responsibilities;

·         Development of a production line of the hydrochloric acid from the sulfuric acid.

 

Internal Auditor of the Behineh Sazan Keyfiyat Management Consulting Company (1999-12/2001)

 

Consulting for Implementations of Quality Management System in the San San Shahd Juice and Nectar Company (2000)

 

Consultant in Research and Development Office of the Tabriz – and the Urmia Petrochemical Companies for Energy Management Implementations (1998-12/2001); Offering Modification of Operation Line for Waste Reduction (1999); Trouble Shooting of Distillation Tower T-301 (2000)

 

Affiliations

·         Member of the Chemical Institute of Canada

 

AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

·         First Place Poster Award on 3rd Annual Graduate Research Symposium, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, May 29, 2007

·         The Scholarship of the National Iranian Oil Company 2001-2002

 

CONFERENCES

·         57th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, October 28-31, 2007

·         Oilsands 2006 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, February 22 - 24, 2006

·         Annual Graduate Research Symposium University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, 2004 - 2007

 

publications AND PresENTATIONS

Refereed contributions:

·         Seyyed Najafi A., Drelich J., Yeung A., Xu Z., and Masliyah J., A novel method of measuring electrophoretic mobility of gas bubbles, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 308, 2, 344-350, 15 April 2007.

·         Seyyed Najafi A., Xu Z., and Masliyah J. Single micro bubble generation by pressure pulse technique, 2008 published online in the Journal of Chemical Engineering Science, 10.1016/j.ces.2007.12.013.

·         Seyyed Najafi A., Xu Z., and Masliyah J. Measurement of sliding velocity of a single micro bubble under an inclined collector surface (will be published in the special edition of the Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering on May 2008).

·         Seyyed Najafi A., et.al. Modeling of a sliding velocity of a single microbubble (in preparation).

 

Abstracts & Poster Presentations:

·         A.Seyyed Najafi, J.H.Masliyah, Z.Xu, - Interaction of single micro bubble with an inclined collector surface - 57th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference’s Abstract Book, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, October 28-31, 2007.

·         Najafi, A., - A novel method for zeta potential measurement of gas bubbles - Oilsands 2006 Abstract Book, Edmonton, AB, Canada, February 22 - 24, 2006.

·         Najafi, A., - Measurement of sliding velocity of a single microbubble under an inclined collector surface - Oilsands 2006 Abstract Book, Edmonton, AB, Canada, February 22 - 24, 2006.

·         Najafi, A., - Single microbubble generation by pressure pulse technique - Oilsands 2006 Abstract Book, Edmonton, AB, Canada, February 22 - 24, 2006.

 

Oral Presentations:

·         Aref Seyyed Najafi - Generation, sliding and attachment of a single micro bubble, Sinchrude Research Centre, Edmonton, AB, Canada, January 2006.

 

Back