Physics

Academics

Master of Science in Petrophysics


Petrophysics is the study of the physical and chemical properties of reservoirs (rocks and fluids). It is the first such program in North America and addresses properties of subsurface rock formations and the fluids within those strata with particular application to the petroleum exploration and production industry. The course work including the graduate research project is a multidisciplinary program with Geology, Physics, and Natural Gas Engineering courses

Required Coursework for MS in Petrophysics

Admission Requirements

A bachelor's degree in Geoscience, Mathematics, Physics, or Chemistry (or related areas) is required. Students not having enough background may need to take additional undergraduate courses.

Contact

If you are interested in pursuing this program, contact Dr. Subbarao Yelisetti, the graduate coordinator for the MS in Petrophysics.

Scholarships

Students entering the master’s degree program in Petrophysics at Texas A&M University-Kingsville may apply for graduate scholarships available in the department of Physics and Geosciences and the Natural Gas Engineering program. The scholarship amount is $1,000 per academic year and is awarded based on merit and additional criteria. Scholarship recipients may be eligible for non-resident tuition waiver. Scholarships may be renewable for second year if the student maintains a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Requirements for the scholarship are below:

  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Have an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or higher and a minimum GRE composite (Q+V) score of 294.
  • The student must maintain full-time status.
  • Students must demonstrate exceptional academic ability and achievement.
  • Students must demonstrate community/extracurricular involvement.
  • Students must demonstrate leadership abilities.
  • Students should list all awards and recognitions

To apply, students should submit their CV,  transcripts, test scores, recommendation letters from faculty members or supervisors to Dr. Subbarao Yelisetti (subbarao.yelisetti@tamuk.edu).

Deadline for scholarship application is June 1st for Fall admission and November 15th for Spring admission. 

Students currently enrolled in the master’s degree program in Petrophysics at Texas A&M University-Kingsville may apply for graduate scholarships available in the department of Physics and Geosciences and the Natural Gas Engineering program. The scholarship amount is $1,000 per academic year and is awarded based on merit and additional criteria. Scholarship recipients may be eligible for non-resident tuition waiver. Scholarships may be renewable for second year if the student maintains a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Requirements for the scholarship are below:

  • Have a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or higher in the petrophysics courses taken at TAMUK.
  • The student must maintain a full time status.
  • Student must demonstrate exceptional academic ability and achievement.
  • Students must demonstrate community/extracurricular involvement.
  • Students must demonstrate leadership abilities.
  • Students should list all awards and recognitions.

To apply, students should submit their CV,  transcripts, test scores, recommendation letters from faculty members or supervisors to Dr. Subbarao Yelisetti (subbarao.yelisetti@tamuk.edu).

Deadline for scholarship application is July 30th for Fall and December 22nd for Spring.

Students entering the master’s degree program in Petrophysics at Texas A&M University-Kingsville may apply for graduate scholarships available in the department of Physics and Geosciences. The scholarship amount is $1,000 per academic year and is awarded based on merit and additional criteria. Scholarship recipients may be eligible for non-resident tuition waiver. Scholarships may be renewable for second year if the student maintains a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Requirements for the scholarship are below:

  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Have an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or higher and a minimum GRE composite (Q+V) score of 294.
  • The student must maintain full-time status.
  • Students must demonstrate exceptional academic ability and achievement.
  • Students must demonstrate community/extracurricular involvement.
  • Students must demonstrate leadership abilities.
  • Students should list all awards and recognitions

To apply, students should submit their CV,  transcripts, test scores, recommendation letters from faculty members or supervisors to Dr. Subbarao Yelisetti (subbarao.yelisetti@tamuk.edu).

Deadline for scholarship application is June 1st for Fall admission and November 15th for Spring admission. 

Current Petrophysics Graduate Students

Student Name Expected Graduation Year
1 Tresia Shifugula 2026
2 Prudhvi Raj Kumar Chuduru 2026
3 Lasya Reddy Koyagura 2026
4 Papa Kwesi K Eshun 2026
5 Joan E Otoo  2027
6 Ambitious Lifasi 2027
7 Clement Nuamah  2027
8 Jared Campbell 2027

 Recent Petrophysics Graduate Students

Student Name Graduation Year Current Position Thesis Title
1 Erin Matthys 2020 Environmental Scientist, Atlas Technical Consultants, Houston Integrated reservoir analysis of the Oligocene, Frio Formation 10-A reservoir sand at Rita Field, Kenedy County, Texas
2 Howard Palacios 2020 Senior Petrophysicist, Oxy, Houston 3D Seismic Characterization And Prospect Assessment Of The Upper Miocene Interval, Virgo Block, Offshore Louisiana, Gulf Of Mexico
3 Ajibola Samo 2020 PhD Candidate, University of Houston Reservoir characterization of the Volve field, North Sea using rock-physics modeling
4 Monica Estrada 2020 Project Manager, RPS, Houston Correlating porosity, water saturation and hydrocarbon saturation characteristics of Miocene formation reservoirs from seismic and well log data in the Main Pass protraction area, Gulf of Mexico
5 Toluwalope Bamisile 2020 Technical Project Manager, Apple, California Seismic Structure and Gas Hydrate Studies on the Southern Cascadia Margin Using Multichannel Seismic Data
6 Jenny Pinilla Rivera 2022 Senior Petrophysicist, Frontera Energy Corp. Petrophysical Modeling of a Braided Fluvial Reservoir using Machine Learning
7 Richel Carlus 2022 Multichannel Seismic Velocity Analysis of Southern Cascadia Margin using Seismic Traveltime Tomography
8 Hailey Smith 2022 Geoscientist, ExxonMobil, Houston Oligocene Vicksburg Formation V-17 Reservoir Evaluation in the La Rucia North Field, Brooks County, Texas
9 William Cathey 2023 MS Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University-Kingsville Seismic characterization of the Cascadia margin
10 Taiwo Osunrinde 2023 Geologist II, Freeport-McMoRan, Tucson, Arizona The effect of depositional environment on sustaining a carbon storage site
11 Worlanyo Ablordeppey 2024 PhD Candidate, Oklahoma State University 3D Seismic Attributes and Petrophysical Analyses for Reservoir Characterization: Mississippian Osagian and Kinderhookian, Patterson Field, Kansas, USA
12 Iris Montero Rodriguez 2025 Chase Formation Evaluation, Hugoton Field, Kansas using Machine Learning
13 Ndeshihafela Kafidi 2025 Seismic tomography and gas hydrate potential assessment of the Cascadia margin
14 Jaime Diaz 2025 Reservoir Development Geologist, Canacol Energy, Colombia 3D Geological Modeling in a Gas Field in the Lower Magdalena Valley Basin, CDO Formation, Columbia