Students from Westhill Academy have proved themselves potential oil and gas professionals of the future after beating a host of other schools to the STEM in the Pipeline crown.
A team from the academy, along with 11 other teams from schools in Aberdeen City and Shire, were challenged by TechFest-SetPoint to work on an oil and gas industry project.
Using a series of contour maps and realistic data, the teams – 72 pupils in total – had to estimate the size of an oil field and then propose and justify a method of production that would optimise the resources and be financially sound.
They also had to calculate the carbon dioxide emissions that would be produced. Along the way they consulted with a group of young industry professionals.
They then presented their results to a panel of judges at an event held at BP’s Dyce headquarters.
Taking top prize was Westhill Academy’s WASP team, made up of Chris Middleton, Euan Shepherd, Niall MacDonald, Ciorstaidh Nicol, Paolo Celeste and Andrew Gale.
In second place was team Oils Well That Ends Well from Meldrum Academy and in third team TGS Turbo Diesel The Gordon Schools.
The Rock Raiders, from Portlethen Academy, picked up an innovation prize.
“These children have already decided this is the kind of career that they want to participate in and they are already engaged, so it is consolidating their interest in STEM subjects,” said Paul Wilson, BP education co-ordinator.
“The industry aims to inspire potential science specialists to work in the oil and gas sector and this project has been designed by industry professionals to enable students to apply their knowledge.”
The pupils who took part in STEM in the Pipeline will also be eligible for the Silver CREST Award, Britain’s national award scheme for work in the STEM subjects, which this year is being sponsored by global energy services group Senergy.
The project, supported by BP, Chevron, E.ON E&P and ConocoPhillips, was launched at the University of Aberdeen earlier in the year and sees senior pupils use their skills in physics, maths, chemistry and geology to solve an oilfield challenge.
TechFest co-ordinator Lesley Weston said: “The STEM in the Pipeline project is a great way for secondary school pupils to put all of their knowledge and skills into practice to solve a problem which is relevant to the oil and gas industry.
“Year on year the students excel in this project and always demonstrate very high levels of passion, intelligence and ingenuity.”
TechFest-SetPoint is a charity based at the University of Aberdeen.