From Inexperience to Victory: The Story of the Kings of PATRA Team in the Well Design Competition at IPFEST 2025
By Rayhan Adri Fulvian - Mahasiswa Teknik Geofisika, 2021
Editor M. Naufal Hafizh, S.S.
BANDUNG, itb.ac.id – The student team from Petroleum Engineering Department of ITB won first place in the Well Design Competition, which is part of the Integrated Petroleum Festival (IPFEST) 2025. This competition was organized by HMTM “PATRA” ITB in collaboration with IATMI SM ITB and SPE ITB SC, with the grand finale held on Saturday (February 22, 2025).
The team "Kings of PATRA," consisting of Adam Adrian Novaldino, Akhmad Mamduuh Naayif, Azhar Nurzaman, Kevyn Rhasyad Putra S., and Nanda Rizqy Khidru, successfully emerged as the best team among participants from various universities across two stages of the competition: the preliminary and final rounds.
This year's competition carried the subtheme "Innovative Injection Well Design: Optimizing Abandonment Well," challenging participants to design an injection well from a non-producing well. The focus was on innovation, considering injection efficiency and geological characteristics, from casing and cement design to well trajectory planning. The solutions were then presented to a panel of professional judges.
“Our motivation for participating in this competition is actually simple. We wanted to test how much of the knowledge we’ve learned can be applied to real-world cases. So, this is both a proof and a practice before diving directly into the industry,” said Nanda.
Naayif, another member of the team, added, “Moreover, the competition topic is highly relevant to current industry issues, especially well conversion to injection wells for CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage). In the efforts towards Net Zero Emissions, the ability to design conversion programs like this is extremely important.”
This victory was not achieved instantly. Kevyn, another team member, emphasized the importance of planning and team management. “The most important thing is to have a clear workflow, knowing what needs to be done, how to do it, and the commitment to complete everything. Choosing team members should also be strategic, making sure each person has different skills that complement each other,” he said.
Despite their enthusiasm, the preparation process was not without its challenges. Kevyn mentioned that the competition schedule overlapped with academic obligations such as major assignments, exams, and thesis supervision. “We had to be smart about managing our time and stay committed,” he added.
They also expressed their gratitude for the help from senior members who assisted in the process. “We are thankful to Mas Steven, Mas Daton, as well as seniors like Bang Devanto, Bang Andre, Bang Ivan, Bang Reifandi, and Bang Yasir. Their feedback and guidance were very helpful, especially when we got stuck on certain parts of the design,” said Azhar.
Interestingly, Adam admitted that when they first registered, they had no experience in well design at all. “That was actually the reason we joined. We wanted to learn. Many people join competitions because they want to win, but for us, participating is about the learning process. So, even though we didn’t know anything at first, we believed we could grow through this competition,” he said.
Reporter: Rayhan Adri Fulvian (Teknik Geofisika, 2021).
Translator: Indira Akmalia Hendri
