Education
| Degree | Discipline | Institution | Year |
| Ph.D. | Petroleum Engineering | The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA | 2003 |
| M.Sc. | Math& Sci. Education | The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA | 2003 |
| M.Sc. | Petroleum Engineering | The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, USA | 1999 |
| B.Sc. | Petroleum Engineering | The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA | 1995 |
Research Interests
My research interests include petroleum and energy production and transportation, multiphase flow in energy systems, flow assurance, artificial lift in oil wells, under-balanced drilling, thermal hydraulics and multiphase flow in nuclear applications, and mathematics and science education. I am the Founder and Director of the Kuwait University International Collaborative Research Program and the Co-director and Co-founder of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Drilling and Production Research Consortium.
Courses Taught
PE
411
Petroleum Production Engineering
PE
435
Artificial Left and Production Equipment Design
PE
425
Natural Gas Reservoir Engineering
PE
241
Fluid Mechanics
PE
301
Fundamentals of Petroleum Engineering
PE
450
Industrial Training
Selected Publications
- Al-Safran, E., Aql, A., Ghasemi, M., Shamsaldeen, M., Al-Hamad, B., and Qubian, A.: “Asphaltene Integrated Model (AIMTM) simulator for Asphaltene Deposition Management in Kuwait Oil Fields,” poster presented at Kuwait University Scientific Research Conference, Kuwait, 2025.
- Duong, H., Nguyen, T., Pham, D., Dong, T., Hoang, K., Al-Safran, E.: “Strategic Design Optimization of CO2 Transportation: A Case Study for Lobos Pipeline in New Mexico,” SPE-224350-MS, paper presented at SPE Oklahoma City Oil and Gas Symposium, OK, USA, 2025.
- Al-Safran, E., Aql, A., and Ghasemi, M.: “Investigating Asphaltene Deposition Behavior During Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Injection Using the Asphaltene Integrated Model (AIM),” SPE-224842-MS, paper presented in the SPE Oman Petroleum and Energy Show, Muscat, Oman, 2025.
- Al-Safran, E., Aql, A., and Ghasemi, M., Shamsaldeen, M., Al-Hamad, B.: “Asphaltene Integrated Model (AIM): A Simulation Tool for Asphaltene Deposition Behavior in Oil Production Systems,” the 21st Int. Conference on Multiphase Production Technology, Lisbon, Portugal, 2025.
- Naser, F., Almutawa, Z., Harfoush, K., Al-Azmi, A., Al-Safran, E.: “The Heat Beneath Our Feet: Extraction of Geothermal Energy through Optimized Well Design and Operation Toward Net Zero,” Poster presented in the 8th World Petroleum Congress-Energy Youth Forum, Kuwait City, Kuwait, 2025.
Work Experience
Academic Experience
| Institution | Designation | Year/Period |
| Kuwait University | Professor | 2018-present |
| Kuwait University | Vice Dean for Research and Academic Affairs | 2012-2016 |
| Kuwait University | Associate Professor | 2010-2018 |
| MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (Cambridge, MA, USA) | Visiting Professor in Nuclear Sci. and Eng. Dept. | 2016-2017 |
Industry Experience
Basic Oil Study (KOC).
Fundamentals of Production Engineering (KOC).
Production and Process Engineering (KOC).
Professional Organizations
| Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). | 1997-present |
| American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). | 2000-present |
| American Statistical Association (ASA). | 2002-present |
| American Statistical Association (ASA). | 2002-present |
| American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE). | 2008-present |