Dhanbad: IIT-ISM Dhanbad team has brought international acclaim to the institute by securing second place at the prestigious AAPG Imperial Barrel Award (IBA) 2026 Asia Pacific Regional Competition, one of the world’s leading geoscience contests for students.
Organised by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), the competition witnessed participation from top universities across the Asia Pacific region. Indonesia’s Institut Teknologi Bandung clinched the top position, while IIT Bombay secured third place.
Deepwater Hydrocarbon Study Earns Global Recognition
The IIT (ISM) team impressed judges with an advanced deepwater hydrocarbon systems study focused on the Gulf of America. The project involved interpretation of real-time 3D seismic data, hydrocarbon lead identification, prospect generation, analog benchmarking and volumetric risk assessment.
The team was mentored by Prof. Saurabh Datta Gupta from the Department of Applied Geophysics.
The winning team comprised Pareekshit Hegde, Padmini Pujapanda, Karthik H S, Gokul K and Sachin Dhakad from the Departments of Applied Geophysics and Petroleum Engineering.
‘Proud Moment for IIT (ISM)’
Congratulating the students, Prof. Saurabh Datta Gupta said the achievement reflected the team’s technical excellence, dedication and collaborative effort.
“Competing against some of the best institutions in the Asia Pacific region and securing second place is a proud moment for IIT (ISM) Dhanbad. Their ability to interpret complex geological data and build a strong technical case was exceptional,” he said.
Students Credit Mentors and Teamwork
Team captain Pareekshit Hegde described the achievement as both humbling and rewarding.
“We are extremely proud to finish as runners-up in the AAPG Imperial Barrel Award 2026 Asia Pacific Regional Competition. Every aspect of the project — from interpretation to analysis — was developed from scratch, making this recognition even more special,” he said.
He also acknowledged the guidance of faculty mentors and industry experts in helping the team excel at the international level.
Boost to IIT (ISM)’s Global Academic Reputation
The accomplishment is being seen as a major milestone for IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, reinforcing its growing reputation in geoscience education, applied research and industry-focused technical training.
The strong international performance further highlights the institute’s expanding presence in global academic and energy research platforms.
