UiTM Oil & Gas Wins 2nd Runner-Up at IRIS 2025

The Oil and Gas Engineering students from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) demonstrated their technical excellence and competitive spirit by winning 2nd Runner-Up at the International Rig IQ Showdown (IRIS 2025), held on 4–6 July 2025 at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP).

Organized by the IADC UTP Student Chapter and co-sponsored by Rhazes Well Control, the prestigious competition brought together leading regional talents in drilling engineering and well control operations. It served as a platform for students to apply classroom knowledge to real-world field challenges through both technical and practical assessments.

Designed to simulate actual drilling operations, IRIS 2025 evaluated teams through a 50% written examination and 50% hands-on simulator performance. Participants underwent intensive training and testing sessions led by industry professionals.

Day 1: Well control training session conducted by Mr Yusuf Hashim (Rhazes Well Control).

Day 2: Written test on well control fundamentals, followed by a well control simulator hands-on training led by Mr Yusuf Hashim and Mr Md Zulhilmi Tajul Ariffin.

Day 3: Practical examination using the Well Control Simulator, where UiTM’s Team DRILLGEIST scored full marks and Team Pressure Patrol missed only two points from perfection.

The Oil and Gas Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, UiTM, was represented by two teams:

UiTM 1 - Pressure Patrol:

Ain Khaliesah binti Saifol, Muhammad Adam Mirza bin Mohd Afandi, Mohamad Amirul Haikal bin Zakaria

UiTM 2 - UiTM DRILLGEIST:

Nabilah binti Adam, Muhammad Danish Haikal bin Shaiful Naim, Muhammad Danial Hakim bin Ahmad Daud

Both teams were accompanied by Dr Nurul Aimi Ghazali, senior lecturer in Oil and Gas Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, UiTM Shah Alam. The teams received mentorship and support from Mr Nik Khairul Irfan and Dr Arina Sauki, whose guidance contributed greatly to their competition success.

UiTM’s consistent success in international competitions underscores its focus on experiential learning and industry collaboration. The Oil and Gas Engineering Programme integrates simulation-based training, industrial partnerships, and research-driven instruction to cultivate technically proficient and confident graduates. Students are also encouraged to engage with professional bodies such as the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) and the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) for global exposure.

Oil and Gas Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, UiTM Shah Alam, extends sincere appreciation to Mr Nik Khairul Irfan and Dr Arina Sauki for their dedicated guidance, and to Rhazes Well Control and the IADC UTP Student Chapter for organizing this invaluable platform. This achievement reinforces UiTM’s position as a regional leader in petroleum and energy engineering education, committed to producing competent, creative, and globally competitive engineers ready to meet future energy challenges.

Keywords: Oil and Gas Engineering UiTM, UiTM