The University of Texas Permian Basin College of Engineering has received a generous software donation from PE Limited (Petex), an international company that develops engineering software for the petroleum industry. As of September 1, 2026, the donated software is valued at $3,816,620.08. The software is used in petroleum engineering courses to enhance student learning in oil and gas production systems, including reservoirs, wells, and surface networks.
“UT Permian Basin’s College of Engineering is thrilled to offer this state-of-the-art software to our students. The Petroleum Experts software will allow hands-on training to support understanding of data while equipping students with skills they will need when they enter the workforce,” said Interim Dean of the College of Engineering, Dr. Joe Rencis. "UT Permian Basin engineering students will now be working with the same software that industry leaders use every day in the Permian Basin."
The donation of the software was secured thanks to the hard work of Dr. Ahmed Alzahabi, Assistant Professor of Petroleum Engineering. The software will challenge engineering students to determine the optimum setting to maximum production or revenue, taking account of all constraints that are set in the petroleum system. These results can then be used to implement adjustments at the field level to achieve the best results. In addition to the reservoir simulation, this software will also help students learn and model a petroleum production system more accurately. The software models will run together, allowing the engineer to design complete field models. The models can include the reservoir tanks, all the wells, and the surface gathering system. It can model and optimize the production and the water or gas injection system simultaneously.
Implementing the Petroleum Experts software is just another way UT Permian Basin's College of Engineering continues to serve our region by producing high-quality graduates. Recently, the College of Engineering was awarded the #1 Best Value Engineering School in Texas by bestvalueschools.org. To learn more about UTPB's College of Engineering or to apply, visit utpb.edu/engineering.
