“AAPG's Imperial Barrel Award Program is an annual prospective basin evaluation competition for geoscience graduate students from universities around the world. University teams compete to win scholarship funds for their geoscience department and the international recognition that comes from competing or winning in the competition. The program is rigorous and contributes to AAPG's mission of promoting petroleum geoscience training and advancing the careers of geoscience students.

In this competition, university teams analyze a dataset in the eight weeks prior to their local competition. Each team delivers their results in a 25 minute presentation to a panel of industry experts. Judges select the winning team on the basis of the technical quality, clarity and originality of presentation.”

The five M.S. students on the team, Walker Ligon, John Phillips, Meagan DePugh, Ryan Wilcoxson, and Tyler Ruchala, placed 3rd and won $500. The team was mentored by two alumni petroleum geologists, Vernon Moore (Marathon Oil) and Tim Powell (independent). The faculty advisor for the team was assistant professor Dr. Nicholas Perez.