Proof of Concept: Offshore Workforce Development Using YouTube Methods

Heidar A Malki

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Conference: 2025 ASEE -GSW Annual Conference
Location: Arlington, TX, Texas
Publication Date: March 9, 2025
Start Date: March 9, 2025
End Date: March 11, 2025
Page Count: 10
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--55071
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/55071
Download Count: 9

Paper Authors

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Heidar A Malki University of Houston - COE

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Heidar A. Malki is currently a Professor and chair of Engineering Technology Department at the College of Technology. He also has a joint appointment with Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at UH. He holds a PhD. degree in Electrical Engineeri

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Abstract

Session: Enhancing the Student Experience

Proof of Concept: Offshore Workforce Development Using YouTube Methods Jack H. Christiansen, Heidar A. Malki, Ali A. Maleki Cullen College of Engineering: Technology Division University of Houston

E. Kurt Albaugh Petroleum Industry Consulting Engineer Home Office, Houston Texas Abstract

This initiative leverages free, globally accessible YouTube channels to curate video compilations aimed at enhancing the understanding of hydrocarbon and renewable energy topics. By organizing and improving the delivery of these channels, the initiative facilitates the grasp of macro-concepts are critical to the energy value chain and its components. The curated collections supplement academic knowledge with practical insights into the operations of the energy industry, equipping graduates to deliver value to employers earlier in their careers.

The methodology begins with experienced industry subject matter experts identifying main topics and subtopics to address key issues and supplement academic learning. A structured work breakdown schedule is created in Excel, and students are guided with keywords to identify publicly available educational videos. Through collaborative discussions, relevant video links are selected, refined, and uploaded to YouTube channels, currently featuring over 1,000 links for offshore petroleum energy and 750 links for offshore renewable energy. For instance, the channel “Renewable Energy: Wind Farms and Floating Concepts” (https://www.youtube.com/@RNENERGYWINDFARMSFLOATINGCPTS) serves as a hub for exploring renewable energy topics.

The collaboration between industry experts and academia highlights the complexity and challenges of energy development while promoting continuous learning. This scalable and innovative approach offers a valuable resource for both educational institutions and industry stakeholders seeking to enhance their in-house workforce training programs for their staff and subcontractors.

This paper presents integration of academic principles with real-world applications, providing students with visual examples of exploration and production operations. The structured format allows learners to explore multiple solutions, fostering deeper understanding and professional development. The accessible and self-paced nature of the curated videos creates a personalized learning experience that benefits both students and professionals worldwide.

Links to 6 active UH YouTube Channels for workforce training:

https://www.youtube.com/@SUBSEAPRODUCTIONSYSTEMS

https://www.youtube.com/@HEAVYMARINETRANSPORTVESSELS

https://www.youtube.com/@OFFSHOREOILGASFIELDDEVELOPMENT

https://www.youtube.com/@OFFSHOREMOORINGSYSTEMS

https://www.youtube.com/@RNENERGYWINDFARMSFLOATINGCPTS

https://www.youtube.com/@OFFSHOREWAVEENERGYCONVERTERS

Biographies

E. Kurt Albaugh, PE is a Consulting Engineer who has worked over 45+ years in the Upstream and Mid-Stream oil and gas industry. For over 25 years he was Poster Editor for Offshore Magazine. Over 4.0 MM+ posters were distributed worldwide as educational tools on various topics. He also worked for the UH Petroleum Technology Initiative as an adjunct instructor for training courses for Lukoil, Iraq and PDVSA. While working at BHP Billiton, he was the Team Lead for the establishment of a Deepwater Technology Program in Mexico and the US for PEMEX executives, managers and engineers. He was also a co-founder of the Offshore Learning Center which was jointly developed by Offshore Magazine and University of Houston. The Offshore Learning Center was a web based video training system that later became the basis for the architecture of the UH YouTube Channels for oil & gas training.

Jack Christiansen is the visionary and founder of the Petroleum Technology Initiative (2007 – present) at the University of Houston, Cullen College of Engineering, Technology Division. He was awarded the ASME Petroleum Division Ross Kastor Educator’s Award in 2013. He earned a B.Sc. degree from St. Lawrence University in 1967 and a M.A. degree from Indiana University in 1970. Jack has over 35 years' domestic and international experience with Texaco and ChevronTexaco, 20 years of which were devoted to the North Sea exploration, engineering and production departments in the United Kingdom. He began his career as a geophysicist, later geologist and manager of development geoscience. Returning to the US and working in Houston he became manager of reservoir engineering for major projects in Southeast Asia and South America.. Jack has experience in most upstream project areas with emphasis on creating value while taking projects from exploration to commercialization, production and abandonment.

Ali A. Maleki is a graduate of the Master’s in Engineering Data Science from the University of Houston. He also holds a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering and a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering. Ali currently serves as a Research Assistant at the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering, contributing to the Petroleum Technology Initiative under Professor Jack Christiansen. His work includes developing online training resources and curating YouTube content for the energy industry.

Heidar A. Malki is currently a Professor of the Engineering Technology Department and Dean of the Technology Division of the Cullen College of Engineering at the University of Houston. He also has a joint appointment with the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at UH. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He is a senior member of IEEE and associate editor for the IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy Systems. Dr. Malki was the general chair for the 1997 ASEE/GSW Conference and one of the co-chairs of the 1997 ICNN-IEEE International Conference on Neural Networks. His research interests include applications of neural networks and fuzzy logic-based controllers.

Citation
Format

Malki, H. A. (2025, March), Proof of Concept: Offshore Workforce Development Using YouTube Methods Paper presented at 2025 ASEE -GSW Annual Conference, Arlington, TX, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--55071

TY - CPAPER
AB - Session: Enhancing the Student Experience

Proof of Concept: Offshore Workforce Development Using YouTube Methods

Jack H. Christiansen, Heidar A. Malki, Ali A. Maleki
Cullen College of Engineering: Technology Division
University of Houston

E. Kurt Albaugh
Petroleum Industry Consulting Engineer
Home Office, Houston Texas

Abstract

This initiative leverages free, globally accessible YouTube channels to curate video compilations aimed at enhancing the understanding of hydrocarbon and renewable energy topics. By organizing and improving the delivery of these channels, the initiative facilitates the grasp of
macro-concepts are critical to the energy value chain and its components. The curated collections
supplement academic knowledge with practical insights into the operations of the energy
industry, equipping graduates to deliver value to employers earlier in their careers.

The methodology begins with experienced industry subject matter experts identifying main
topics and subtopics to address key issues and supplement academic learning. A structured work
breakdown schedule is created in Excel, and students are guided with keywords to identify
publicly available educational videos. Through collaborative discussions, relevant video links are
selected, refined, and uploaded to YouTube channels, currently featuring over 1,000 links for
offshore petroleum energy and 750 links for offshore renewable energy. For instance, the channel
“Renewable Energy: Wind Farms and Floating Concepts”
(https://www.youtube.com/@RNENERGYWINDFARMSFLOATINGCPTS) serves as a hub for exploring renewable energy topics.

The collaboration between industry experts and academia highlights the complexity and
challenges of energy development while promoting continuous learning. This scalable and
innovative approach offers a valuable resource for both educational institutions and industry
stakeholders seeking to enhance their in-house workforce training programs for their staff and subcontractors.

This paper presents integration of academic principles with real-world applications, providing
students with visual examples of exploration and production operations. The structured format
allows learners to explore multiple solutions, fostering deeper understanding and professional
development. The accessible and self-paced nature of the curated videos creates a personalized
learning experience that benefits both students and professionals worldwide.

Links to 6 active UH YouTube Channels for workforce training:

https://www.youtube.com/@SUBSEAPRODUCTIONSYSTEMS

https://www.youtube.com/@HEAVYMARINETRANSPORTVESSELS

https://www.youtube.com/@OFFSHOREOILGASFIELDDEVELOPMENT

https://www.youtube.com/@OFFSHOREMOORINGSYSTEMS

https://www.youtube.com/@RNENERGYWINDFARMSFLOATINGCPTS

https://www.youtube.com/@OFFSHOREWAVEENERGYCONVERTERS

Biographies

E. Kurt Albaugh, PE is a Consulting Engineer who has worked over 45+ years in the Upstream
and Mid-Stream oil and gas industry. For over 25 years he was Poster Editor for Offshore
Magazine. Over 4.0 MM+ posters were distributed worldwide as educational tools on various
topics. He also worked for the UH Petroleum Technology Initiative as an adjunct instructor for
training courses for Lukoil, Iraq and PDVSA. While working at BHP Billiton, he was the Team
Lead for the establishment of a Deepwater Technology Program in Mexico and the US for PEMEX
executives, managers and engineers. He was also a co-founder of the Offshore Learning Center
which was jointly developed by Offshore Magazine and University of Houston. The Offshore
Learning Center was a web based video training system that later became the basis for the
architecture of the UH YouTube Channels for oil &amp;amp; gas training.

Jack Christiansen is the visionary and founder of the Petroleum Technology Initiative (2007 – present) at the University of Houston, Cullen College of Engineering, Technology Division. He
was awarded the ASME Petroleum Division Ross Kastor Educator’s Award in 2013. He earned a
B.Sc. degree from St. Lawrence University in 1967 and a M.A. degree from Indiana University in
1970. Jack has over 35 years&#39; domestic and international experience with Texaco and
ChevronTexaco, 20 years of which were devoted to the North Sea exploration, engineering and
production departments in the United Kingdom. He began his career as a geophysicist, later
geologist and manager of development geoscience. Returning to the US and working in Houston he
became manager of reservoir engineering for major projects in Southeast Asia and South America..
Jack has experience in most upstream project areas with emphasis on creating value while taking
projects from exploration to commercialization, production and abandonment.

Ali A. Maleki is a graduate of the Master’s in Engineering Data Science from the University of
Houston. He also holds a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering and a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering. Ali currently serves as a Research Assistant at the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering, contributing to the Petroleum Technology Initiative under Professor Jack Christiansen. His work includes developing online training resources and curating YouTube content for the energy industry.

Heidar A. Malki is currently a Professor of the Engineering Technology Department and Dean of the Technology Division of the Cullen College of Engineering at the University of Houston. He also has a joint appointment with the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at UH. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He is a senior member of IEEE and associate editor for the IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy Systems. Dr. Malki was the general chair for the 1997 ASEE/GSW Conference and one of the co-chairs of the 1997 ICNN-IEEE International Conference on Neural Networks. His research interests include applications of neural networks and fuzzy logic-based controllers.

AU - Heidar A Malki
CY - Arlington, TX, Texas
DA - 2025/03/09
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Proof of Concept: Offshore Workforce Development Using YouTube Methods
UR - https://peer.asee.org/55071
DO - 10.18260/1-2--55071
ER -