Dr. Randall S. Seright is a leading expert in enhanced oil recovery, known for his pioneering work on polymer flooding and gel treatments to improve reservoir sweep efficiency. As Associate Director of the Petroleum Recovery Research Center at New Mexico Tech, he has combined decades of industry and academic experience to advance practical EOR technologies. His research has shaped field applications worldwide, earning him the SPE/DOE IOR Pioneer Award and global recognition in the petroleum industry.

Dr. Lu Xiaoguang, Chief Reservoir Engineer at C&C Reservoirs, brings over 35 years of expertise in reservoir characterization and IOR/EOR for giant, multi-layered waterflooded fields. Beginning his career at the Daqing Research Institute, he led reservoir development and subsurface strategies at PetroChina, later authoring over 80 technical papers and two books. His award-winning work—including a silver medal from the Geological Society of China and multiple CNPC innovation prizes—couples deep field insight with research-backed innovation, making him a standout voice in advanced EOR practices

Dr. Jeffrey G. Southwick, Energy Consultant at JSouth Energy, brings over 40 years of expertise in chemical enhanced oil recovery, having developed key ASP (alkali–surfactant–polymer) flooding methods while at Shell alongside Dr. Richard C. Nelson. He earned the SPE Cedric Ferguson Medal in 1985 for pioneering studies on polymer stability and alkali interaction with reservoir geologies, and has since made significant advances in offshore chemical flooding and alternative-alkali formulations, highlighted by multiple “Best of Tulsa” technical awards.

Dr. Chen Guo is a leading EOR specialist at PetroChina’s National Key Laboratory for Improving Oil and Gas Recovery Rate, based at RIPED in Beijing. With deep expertise in polymer and ASP flooding, he has played a key role in advancing large-scale EOR implementation at Daqing—the world’s largest and most mature polymer flood field. His work bridges cutting-edge research with decades of field-proven results.

Dr. Antoine Thomas is a seasoned expert in chemical enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and polymer flooding, currently serving as CEO at eppok. With an M.Sc. in Petroleum Geosciences from ENSG Nancy, he has over a decade of global experience designing pilot and full-scale polymer and conformance treatments, notably authoring the Wiley‑published book Essentials of Polymer Flooding Technique. He combines hands-on field insight—spanning polymer/SP/ASP floods and AI‑enhanced monitoring—with thought leadership in advancing efficient EOR deployment worldwide

Dr. Flavien Gathier is the Engineering Director for EOR/O&G Applications at SNF, a global leader in polymer-based EOR solutions. He oversees major offshore and onshore polymer flood deployments worldwide and contributes to technical training, including SPE courses on EOR polymer flooding. His work emphasizes reducing carbon intensity and improving recovery efficiency—contributing to projects that “reduce water consumption by 80%" and CO₂ intensity by 66% per barrel.

He specializes in EOR, particularly in alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) flooding and polymer flooding technologies. Dr. Aitkulov has extensive industry experience, having worked with Hilcorp Energy and ExxonMobil, where he led innovative EOR projects, including the first-ever polymer flood in Alaska. His work has significantly improved oil recovery in various fields, and his research is published in top industry journals. Dr. Aitkulov is also a recognized thought leader, having presented at multiple Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) conferences.

Dr. Marat Sagyndikov is a reservoir and EOR engineer with over 11 years of experience spanning industry, applied research, and academia. His core expertise lies in chemical EOR, with a particular focus on polymer and nanoparticle-assisted flooding. He has led multiple pilot and full-field implementation projects in Kazakhstan, significantly contributing to the deployment of polymer flooding technologies in mature fields. He holds degrees from the China University of Petroleum, Heriot-Watt University (UK), and earned his Ph.D. from Satbayev University.

In recognition of his technical leadership, he received the SPE Regional Reservoir Description and Dynamics Award in 2022.