Ashok Santra

Workshop Chair

Ashok Santra

Aramco Americas, Houston

Ashok Santra is a Sr. Research Science Consultant at the Drilling Technology group of Aramco Americas, Houston. Ashok's over 30 years of research experience in new product/processes development for Oilwell Drilling and Cementing includes working for Halliburton, Weatherford and Lubrizol. Dr. Santra graduated from IIT, IISc and worked as a researcher at Cambridge (UK), Cardiff (UK) and Texas A&M Universities. Ashok has co-authored 150+ patents and 100+ scientific publications with an h-index of 40. He is currently Associate Editor of SPE Journal.

Jeffrey R. Bailey

SPE RDTS Chair

Jeffrey R. Bailey

Raise Group | SPE Research & Development Technical Section

Jeffrey R. Bailey, SPE, retired as principal drilling mechanics engineer after 32 years at ExxonMobil, specializing in bottomhole assembly design, drill string vibration modeling, and fracture mapping analysis. He is now a wells advisor at Raise Group and is the Chair of the SPE Research and Development Technical Section. Jeff is an SPE Life Member, currently serves on the JPT Editorial Review Board, and was an SPE Distinguished Lecturer in 2020–21. Dr. Bailey holds undergraduate degrees in physics and economics from Stanford University and graduate degrees in mechanical engineering and technology policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has authored or co-authored more than 30 SPE papers and 32 US patents.

Dr. Larry Y. L. Mo

University Host / Co-Chair

Dr. Larry Y. L. Mo

University of Houston — Civil & Environmental Engineering

Dr. Mo is the Moores Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Houston (UH) and an internationally recognized authority in concrete materials and structural engineering. He previously served as Director of the prestigious Hsu Structural Research Laboratory from 2003 to 2016. His research expertise spans constitutive modeling, nonlinear finite element analysis, simulation-based structural design, smart concrete sensing technologies, and the development and application of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC).

Dr. Mo's recent research addresses high-impact challenges at the intersection of civil and nuclear engineering, including metamaterials-based seismic isolation of small modular reactors and physics-informed deep learning frameworks for nuclear power plants. A highly prolific scholar, Dr. Mo has authored more than 500 research publications, including 285 peer-reviewed journal articles. His work has been cited over 12,800 times on Google Scholar, with an h-index of 62 and an i10-index of 196.

Prof. Gaurav Sant

Committee Member

Prof. Gaurav Sant

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Gaurav is a Professor and the Pritzker Endowed Chair in Sustainability at the Samueli School of Engineering at UCLA. He is the Director of UCLA's Institute for Carbon Management (ICM). Gaurav has published over 225 peer-reviewed journal publications and has an h-index of 66.

He is the CTO/Co-Founder of Equatic Inc. (Grand Prize Winner of the Temasek Foundation's 2021 Liveability Challenge), Co-Founder of Concrete-AI Inc., Co-Founder of Nextli Technologies Inc., and Founder of CarbonBuilt Inc. (Grand Prize Winner of the 2021 NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE). Gaurav has provided testimony to the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, and the California State Senate, and has provided strategic consulting and R&D support to Fortune 500 corporations and government agencies globally. Gaurav earned his B.S. (2006), M.S. (2007), and Ph.D. (2009) from Purdue University. He is a Fellow of the American Concrete Institute, the American Ceramic Society, and the U.S. National Academy of Inventors (NAI).

Dr. Thomas J. Pisklak

Committee Member

Dr. Thomas J. (TJ) Pisklak

Halliburton — Cementing Applied Sciences & Processes

Dr. Thomas J. (TJ) Pisklak is a Senior Scientific Advisor for the Cementing Applied Sciences and Processes (CASP) group at Halliburton, where he leads innovation in low carbon cement systems, pozzolanic materials, and advanced cement chemistry. His work focuses on developing next-generation cement technologies that enhance well integrity, improve environmental performance, and support the industry's transition toward lower carbon construction materials.

Dr. Pisklak holds a PhD and MS in Chemistry from the University of Texas at Dallas and a BS in Chemistry from Texas A&M University. He is an accomplished inventor with more than 120 U.S. and international patents spanning supplementary cementitious materials, graphene-enhanced cement systems, geopolymer formulations, pozzolan reactivity, and cement performance optimization. His innovations have contributed to Halliburton's position as a global leader in sustainable cementing solutions.

Deepak Khatri

Industry Committee Member

Deepak Khatri

ProPetro Services

Deepak Khatri is the Vice President of Cementing at ProPetro Services, bringing over three decades of global oilfield experience across the Middle East, India, Europe, Africa, and North America. His career has been deeply rooted in cementing, complemented by broad expertise in strategic operations management, technical support, technology portfolio management, training, and business development.

Deepak holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Bombay University and an MBA from Oklahoma State University. Throughout his career, he has co-authored SPE papers, served on the AADE Technical Committee, and presented at several leading industry forums. Prior to joining ProPetro, Deepak served as Global Product Line Director for both Baker Hughes and Expro, where he led worldwide cementing product line strategy and execution.

Dr. Dimitrios Kalliontzis

Committee Member

Dr. Dimitrios Kalliontzis

University of Houston — Civil & Environmental Engineering

Dimitrios Kalliontzis is an Assistant Professor at the University of Houston. His research focuses on reinforced concrete, masonry structures, and multiphysics engineering. He is a voting member of ACI (American Concrete Institute) 239-C UHPC Structural Design Subcommittee and the Reinforcement & Connectors Subcommittee at TMS (The Masonry Society), and chairs the ACI 550 PRESS Frame Subcommittee.

His group also develops computational methods for fluid-structure interactions pertaining to structural performance during natural hazards, marine energy conversion systems, and the flow behavior of fresh concrete. Prior to joining the University of Houston, Dimitrios was a postdoctoral researcher at UC San Diego and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He holds an MSc from Iowa State University (Research Excellence Award) and a Diploma Degree in Civil Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.

Dr. Nancy Soliman

Committee Member

Dr. Nancy Soliman

Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC)

Dr. Nancy Soliman is an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC). Her research focuses on the development of high-performance and sustainable cementitious materials for extreme, coastal, and offshore environments. She established a ~$1M laboratory facility at TAMU-CC to support experimental research on advanced concrete materials.

Her work integrates multiscale experimental mechanics, low-carbon binders and aggregates derived from waste streams (including recycled glass and mine tailings), multifunctional cement-based composites such as electrically conductive materials for self-heating and energy storage, and advanced durability performance. Dr. Soliman has two patents on eco-friendly ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) and is principal investigator on multiple externally funded projects including an NSF award for sustainable UHPC using waste mine tailings. Prior to joining TAMU-CC, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub. She is an active member of ACI and RILEM technical committees related to UHPC.

Dr. Haoming Ma

Committee Member

Dr. Haoming Ma

University of Wyoming — School of Energy Resources

Dr. Haoming Ma is a staff scientist and principal investigator at the Hydrogen Energy Research Center in the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources. Prior to that, he was a post-doctoral fellow at the Center for Energy & Environmental Systems Analysis at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Ma received his Ph.D. from the University of Calgary in 2023.

He holds an M.Sc. in Computer and Information Technology from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.Sc. in Energy Policy and Management from Penn State University, where he also earned a B.Sc. in Energy Engineering with minors in Energy Business & Finance and Environmental Engineering. Dr. Ma's research focuses on Geo-Energy System Modeling and Analysis powered by machine learning and multiscale remote sensing data, addressing the technological, economic, and environmental trade-offs within geo-energy systems to advance a secure, affordable, and sustainable energy future.

Dr. Muhammad Yousuf Jabbar

Committee Member

Dr. Muhammad Yousuf Jabbar

Aramco — Energy Sustainability Analysis Group

Dr. Muhammad Yousuf Jabbar is a Senior Scientist in Aramco's Energy Sustainability Analysis Group, leveraging 15+ years of expertise in ESG, reservoir engineering, and EOR gained across national and international oil operation companies. His current focus is global LNG supply chain carbon emissions modeling. Previously, he co-developed global techno-economic (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) benchmarking tools for CCUS.

Before Aramco, he worked as a Senior Reservoir Engineer at Cenovus Energy (Calgary), ADNOC Offshore, and TOTAL in Abu Dhabi. Dr. Muhammad Yousuf Jabbar holds an MSc from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) and a PhD from the University of Calgary. He also serves as the Deputy Chair for the Sustainability and Materials Section for SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) for the term 2025–2028.

Gaurav Agrawal

Committee Member

Gaurav Agrawal

TBD

Gaurav Agrawal is a Committee Member of the Low Carbon Cement Symposium. Further biographical details to be confirmed.

Low Carbon Cement Symposium

Low Carbon Cement and Concrete for Oil Well and Concrete Construction

RDTS Logo

Date: October 20
Venue: University of Houston (Student Center)
Format: 1-Day Hybrid Symposium
Registration Now Open — Choose Your Attendance Format
In-Person Registration Virtual Registration
Event Overview

Low-Carbon Cement and Concrete for Energy and Infrastructure

Materials innovation, performance validation, and implementation pathways.

Organized by SPE RDTS, Advanced Materials and Sustainability Group, this symposium connects low-carbon cement/concrete science with practical deployment in oil well construction and broader structural/infrastructure applications.

Low-Carbon Cement
Oil Well Construction
Concrete Infrastructure
SCMs / Geopolymers
Field Validation
Carbon Accounting
Circular Economy
Student Poster Session
Focus Areas

What the Symposium Will Deliver

A bridge between R&D, field requirements, and scalable adoption.

Why now

Decarbonizing cement systems requires both chemistry insight and implementation discipline

The symposium format combines technical foundations with applied discussions to help participants assess low-carbon material options against performance, cost, operability, and carbon outcomes.

It is intentionally cross-disciplinary, bringing together materials, cementing, construction, carbon/ESG, and field practitioners.

Symposium timing: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM with registration/breakfast and networking, six technical sessions, lunch, a student poster session, panel discussion, and closing remarks.

Student Poster Call Present Your Research at the Symposium Students are invited to share their work with industry and academic experts during the Low Carbon Cement & Concrete student poster session at the University of Houston. Abstract deadline: September 15, 2026
Acceptance notification: September 30, 2026
Poster themes: low-carbon cement and cementitious materials, geothermal, geopolymers, circular economy, and CCUS. Poster awards: 1st Prize $1,000  •  2nd Prize $750  •  3rd Prize $500

track themes

Technical + deployment focus areas

Global Outlook on Low Carbon Cement and Concrete

CO₂ emissions trends, policy and industry drivers, and sustainability performance metrics.

Cement Chemistry and Low-Carbon Alternatives

SCMs, alkali-activated/geopolymer systems, LC³, magnesium-based cements, and belite-rich cements.

Low-Carbon Cement for Oil Well Construction

HPHT design, CO₂-resistant formulations, field performance, case studies, and API/ISO considerations.

Low-Carbon Concrete for Structural & Infrastructure Applications

Mix design, performance-based specifications, CCUS-enabled curing, and embodied-carbon reduction.

Testing, Characterization, and Operational Success

Mechanical, durability, rheological, downhole/on-site validation, and QA/QC protocols.

Circular Economy and Carbon Accounting

Waste valorization, alternative fuels, carbon accounting tools, and data-driven footprint monitoring.

Agenda

Symposium Agenda (click sections to expand)

Low Carbon Cement and Concrete for Oil Well and Concrete Construction
October 20 | 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM | University of Houston (Student Center)
Morning Sessions — Registration, Opening Remarks, Sessions 1–3
8:30 – 9:00 AM
Registration, Breakfast and Networking
9:00 – 9:15 AM
Opening Remarks
  • Welcome Address: Workshop Chair / Organizer
  • Objective Overview: Setting the stage for low-carbon pathways in cement and concrete applications
9:15 – 10:00 AM
Session 1: Global Outlook on Low Carbon Cement and Concrete
Speaker: Prof. Gaurav Sant — Decarbonizing cement production at the site and scale of a cement plant: Transformational electrochemical activations
  • Trends in CO₂ emissions from cement production
  • Global policies and industry drivers for decarbonization
  • Key performance metrics and sustainability indices
10:00 – 10:45 AM
Session 2: Cement Chemistry and Low-Carbon Alternatives
Speakers: Dr. Ashok Santra — CO₂ Enhanced Cement and Concrete Systems · Dr. Maria Juenger, UT-Austin
  • Blended and supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs): fly ash, slag, metakaolin, calcined clay
  • Alkali-activated and geopolymer systems
  • Emerging materials: limestone calcined clay cement (LC³), magnesium-based and belite-rich cements
10:45 – 11:00 AM
Coffee Break
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Session 3: Low-Carbon Cement for Oil Well Construction
Speakers: Dr. Thomas J. (TJ) Pisklak, Halliburton · Dr. Anna Wei, SLB
  • Cement design for high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) wells
  • Challenges and opportunities in CO₂-resistant formulations
  • Field performance and case studies
  • Regulatory aspects (API RP 10B, ISO 10426 updates)
Midday Sessions — Session 4 & Lunch
12:00 – 12:45 PM
Session 4: Low-Carbon Concrete for Structural and Infrastructure Applications
Speakers: Dr. Dimitrios Kalliontzis — Ultra-High-Performance Concrete: Sustainability, Structural Performance, and Code Developments in the United States · Dr. Nancy Soliman — Sustainable UHPC Using Magnesium Iron Silicate from Waste Mine Tailings
  • Mix design optimization and performance-based specifications
  • Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) integration in concrete curing
  • Digital tools for life-cycle assessment and embodied carbon reduction
12:45 – 1:45 PM
Lunch Break
Afternoon Sessions — Sessions 5–6, Student Posters, Panel & Closing
1:45 – 2:30 PM
Session 5: Testing, Characterization, and Operational Success
Speakers: Deepak Khatri — Oilwell cementing · Prof. Larry Y. L. Mo — concrete
  • Mechanical, durability, and rheological testing protocols
  • Downhole and on-site validation
  • Quality control and assurance for sustainable binders
2:30 – 3:00 PM
Session 6: Circular Economy and Carbon Accounting in Cement Value Chain
Speaker: Prof. Chengcheng Tao — An adaptive deep neural network-based assessment framework for environmental-cost-mechanical performance of cementitious materials
  • Waste valorization: industrial by-products and alternative fuels
  • Carbon accounting tools for cement plants and construction sites
  • Data-driven carbon footprint monitoring
3:00 – 3:45 PM
Coffee Break & Student Poster Session
  • First prize — $1,000
  • Second prize — $750
  • Third prize — $500
3:45 – 4:20 PM
Panel Discussion: Bridging R&D and Field Deployment of Low-Carbon Cement Solutions
Panelists: Dr. Maria Juenger · Jeffrey Bailey · Bianca Agostinho · Dr. Muhammad Yousuf Jabbar | Moderator: Gaurav A.
Industry, academia, and regulators in dialogue.
4:20 – 4:30 PM
Closing Remarks and Certificate Distribution
  • Summary of key takeaways
  • Next steps and collaboration opportunities
Optional Post-Workshop — Technical Tour / Lab Demonstration
Post-Workshop (Optional)
Technical Tour / Lab Demonstration
Carbon-cured concrete unit or cement testing laboratory.
Fees

Attendance Fees

General Registration

Non-SPE: In-person $100

Non-SPE: Virtual $50

Member Registration

SPE Member: In-person $80

SPE Member: Virtual $40

Student Access

Student Rate $15

Registration Now Open

Choose your attendance format and complete your registration through SPE.

Logistics

Venue & Logistics

  • University of Houston (Student Center)
  • Student Center — specific room details are not listed in the current agenda.
  • Self-paid Parking
Sponsors

Sponsors & Acknowledgements

Gold Sponsor
Halliburton
Venue Host
University of Houston
Open Sponsorship

Support Student and Industry Participation

Sponsor packages can support catering, student access, Symposium materials, and collaboration.

Your Logo Here

Interested in sponsoring? Contact sperdts@outlook.com with "Low Carbon Cement Symposium Sponsorship" in the subject line.

Leadership

Organizing Committee

Click Read Bio to view the full biography for each member.
Ashok Santra

Dr. Ashok Santra

symposium Chair

Aramco Americas

Read Bio
Jeffrey R. Bailey

Dr. Jeffrey R. Bailey

SPE RDTS Chair

Raise Group

Read Bio
Dr. Larry Y. L. Mo

Dr. Larry Y. L. Mo

University Host / Co-Chair

University of Houston

Read Bio
Prof. Gaurav Sant

Prof. Gaurav Sant

Committee Member

UCLA

Read Bio
Dr. Thomas J. Pisklak

Dr. Thomas J. (TJ) Pisklak

Committee Member

Halliburton

Read Bio
Deepak Khatri

Deepak Khatri

Industry Committee Member

ProPetro Services

Read Bio
Dr. Dimitrios Kalliontzis

Dr. Dimitrios Kalliontzis

Committee Member

University of Houston

Read Bio
Dr. Nancy Soliman

Dr. Nancy Soliman

Committee Member

TAMU-Corpus Christi

Read Bio
Dr. Haoming Ma

Dr. Haoming Ma

Committee Member

University of Wyoming

Read Bio
Dr. Muhammad Yousuf Jabbar

Dr. Muhammad Yousuf Jabbar

Committee Member

Aramco

Read Bio
Gaurav Agrawal

Gaurav Agrawal

Committee Member

Stealth Startup

Read Bio
Contact

Questions or Sponsorship / Collaboration Ideas?

Agenda / program contact: Ashok Santra

RDTS sponsorship / collaboration contact:

Please include "Low Carbon Cement Symposium" in the subject line.

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