In 2014, IHS Energy (now IHS Markit) donated state-of-the-art software to Midwestern State University's Robert L. Bolin Graduate School of Petroleum Geology that enabled students to become familiar with the same programs used by oil and gas industry professionals. IHS Markit has renewed the software licenses through October 2019 - a gift of more than $5.1 million.

"This software has made a significance difference in the graduate students' research as well as our upper level and graduate petroleum/reservoir geology-focused courses," said Dr. Scott Meddaugh, the Robert L. Bolin Distinguished Professor of Petroleum Geology. "The donation of industry standard software enables students to learn and use the geoscience workflows and interpretation tools that are used throughout the oil and gas industry, which is incredibly important to their transition to the workforce."

The IHS Markit software is used in a number of undergraduate research projects and classes including Petroleum Geology and Applied Petroleum Geology as well as graduate-only courses including Advanced Formation Evaluation. Meddaugh said that graduate students also use the software as part of their required thesis research. "Without the software, these students would need considerably more time to complete the geological maps and cross sections that are key elements of their reservoir characterization and stratigraphy-focused research projects," he said.

Dr. Marcy Brown Marsden, Dean of the McCoy College of Science, Mathematics, & Engineering, credited Meddaugh with the program's growth. "Dr. Meddaugh's expertise in petroleum geology is an asset to the McCoy College and to our students since it has brought them experience with the software tools of the trade, which gives them great marketability in the field after graduating from MSU."

According to Graduate Coordinator Jesse Carlucci, enrollment has exceeded projections in its three years, with 29 students total, past and currently enrolled. He said that students are not just limited to using the software in class, but they are also using it in undergraduate and graduate research projects.

The gift consists of 20 network licenses for KingdomÖ and PetraÖ, and 20 licenses for IHS WellTestÖ and HarmonyÖ software. The Kingdom Suite and Petra integrated software evaluates potential oil and gas reservoirs and helps plan field development. WellTest helps users conduct gas and oil pressure transient analysis and serves as an everyday well-test data interpretation tool. Harmony is a comprehensive engineering application for analyzing oil and gas well performance and evaluating reserves.

IHS Markit (Nasdaq: INFO) is a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions for the major industries and markets that drive economies worldwide. Visit the IHS Markit website for more information.

Contact Meddaugh at scott.meddaugh@msutexas.edu for additional information about MSU's programs.

This contribution is part of the Campaign for MSU Texas, and supports the campaign pillars of enriching the lives of students, enhancing teaching and learning, and investing in the university campus and community. To learn more about the seven-year, $50 million Campaign for MSU Texas, contact Tony Vidmar, Vice President for University Advancement and Public Affairs, at 940-397-4782 or tony.vidmar@msutexas.edu.

Photo credit: IHS Markit, 2019.