The 16th China Petroleum Engineering Design Competition concluded successfully on May 23, 2026. OUATTARA MOUSSA, an international student from Côte d’Ivoire enrolled at the International Education College (IEC), China University of Geosciences (CUG), won a Merit Award owing to his solid academic expertise and innovative practical capabilities.
Co-organized by the National Committee of World Petroleum Council-China, Chinese Petroleum Society and China Petroleum Education Society, the event stands as one of China’s most influential specialized contests in petroleum engineering. Designed as an academic exchange and talent incubation platform for innovative professionals across the sector, it drew competing teams from may universities nationwide.
Moussa’s entry was titled Pore-Scale Heterogeneity and CO₂ Migration Kinetics: Implications for Geological Storage Safety. Integrating lab tests, numerical simulation and statistical analysis, his research centers on CO₂ migration patterns at the pore scale. Departing from conventional assumptions of homogeneous pore networks, the study verifies that connectivity of macropores and pore-scale heterogeneity constitute core contributors to preferential flow pathways. The findings elaborate on microscopic CO₂ transport mechanisms and deliver practical references for the safety, efficiency and monitoring-system design of geological carbon sequestration.
“This competition has been a valuable experience for learning and personal development. I am sincerely grateful to my supervisor Assoc Prof. ZOU Shuangmei and IEC for consistent guidance and encouragement, as well as all competition organizers for their diligent work to stage this event,” said Moussa. He added that the competition deepened his insights into China’s petroleum engineering industry while markedly sharpening his engineering proficiency and cross-cultural communication skills. In the future he intends to further advance his academic research and facilitate energy cooperation exchanges between China and Côte d’Ivoire with his professional knowledge.
In recent years, IEC has prioritized discipline training and hands-on innovative education for international students. The college actively encourages overseas students to take part in various academic competitions and scholarly exchanges while delivering comprehensive tutoring and logistic support.
