Dr. Gurfinkel’s main areas of interest are the development and implementation of technology for unconventional resources, with special focus on producing and handling heavy oil and strategic planning under conditions of uncertainty, with special focus on the identification and valuation of real options. At CEE, Dr. Gurfinkel also serves as the team leader for liquefied natural gas research and outreach.

Before joining CEE, Dr. Gurfinkel was responsible for the establishment, with support from the U.S. Department of Energy, of the Center for Energy and Technology (CETA) of the Americas at Florida International University.

Prior to CETA, Dr. Gurfinkel led technology development efforts on heavy oil at the research and development center of PDVSA.

Education

B.S., Cum Laude, Ingeniero Mecánico, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Caracas, Venezuela, 1987

M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 1991

Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 1995

Editorial-Technical-Conference Committees

National Petroleum Council Global Oil and Gas Study, Supply Task Group 2006-2007

International Association for Energy Economics, 2007 IAEE North American Conference, Program Committee and LNG Plenary Session Co-Chair

Society of Petroleum Engineers, Unconventional Gas Resources Forum, June 2007, Technical Program and Steering Committee, Session Chair

Society of Petroleum Engineers, the Petroleum Society, and the Canadian Heavy Oil Association International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil Symposium, November 2005, Technical Program Committee, Chair for Sessions on Fluid Properties and on Case Studies

Editorial Committee of the Journal of Petroleum Technology of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (2002–2004)

Selected Publications

Gurfinkel, M., et al., 2007, Novel offshore LNG terminals address some, not all issues: Oil and Gas Journal LNG Observer, January.

Gurfinkel, M., et al., 2006, Model uses historic data to estimate pipeline construction costs: Oil and Gas Journal, November.

Bravo, M., and Gurfinkel, M., 2006, Production of natural gas and fluid flow in tight sand reservoirs: Latin American and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions, June.

Bradley, R., Tanton, T., Donwaty, R., Foss, M., Gurfinkel, M., Volvok, D., 2006, Oil and gas industry investments in alternative energy, frontier hydrocarbons and advanced end-use technologies: Special report undertaken for the American Petroleum Institute, May.

Manrique, E. J., Gurfinkel, M., 2006, EOR field experiences in carbonate reservoirs in the united states, in SPE Symposium on Improved Oil Recovery, Tulsa, Oklahoma: SPE 100063.

Gurfinkel, C. M., 2006, Mexico y Venezuela y sus hidrocarburos: Vanguardia Dossier, un Mundo sin Petróleo?, no. 18, January/March.

Patents

Preparation of stable emulsion using dynamic or static mixers: Patent Number 6677387

Method for designing a pipeline system for transporting a fluid subject to deterioration at elevated pressure and elevated temperature: Patent Number 6152701

System and method for the recovery of oil in water emulsion spilled in water: Patent Number 5935447

Contact

Mariano E. Gurfinkel
Project Manager
Bureau of Economic Geology
The University of Texas at Austin
1801 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas 77019
E-mail:
Telephone: 713-654-5406

Professional Summary (Word format)

April 2006