Musa Aliyu

Postdoctoral Fellows

Post-doctoral Fellow - Finkbeiner Group

Biography

Musa is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the RockGem Research Group, ANPERC at KAUST. His main research interest is focused on implementing a robust thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) coupled model to evaluate fractured/faulted geothermal energy reservoirs, waste disposal reservoirs and CO2 sequestration reservoirs. Before joining KAUST, Musa was a Research Fellow in the Department of Engineering Science/Geothermal Institute at the University of Auckland. He previously held a visiting Research Fellow position at the University of Cambridge, where he developed numerical models that predict changes in ground temperature resulting from urbanisation. Before that, Musa held a Research Fellow position at the University of Leeds under the Plastic Waste Resource Recovery Systems research group. He has also held a Research Fellow position at the University of Greenwich under the Mathematical Modelling Research Team in Engineering Science.

Research Interests

  • Thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) modelling of fractured reservoirs.
  • Geothermal energy (Enhanced geothermal, hydrothermal, and shallow geothermal systems, and deep borehole heat exchanger).
  • Reservoir geomechanics and geotechnical engineering.
  • Characterisation of the stress field in deep subsurface media.
  • Fluid-induced seismicity (geothermal and waste disposal reservoirs, CO2 storage).
  • Fault mechanics of transform faults.
  • Ground water modelling.

Selected Publications

  • Aliyu, M.D., Archer, R.A, “A thermo-hydro-mechanical model of a hot dry rock geothermal reservoir” Renew. Energy, October. 2021.
  • Aliyu M. D., Archer R. A, “Numerical simulation of multifracture HDR geothermal reservoirs,” Renew. Energy vol. 164, pp. 541 -555, Feb. 2021.
  • Aliyu, M.D., Chen, H.-P., “Enhanced geothermal system modelling with multiple pore media: Thermo-hydraulic coupled processes.” Energy, vol. 165, pp 931 –948, Dec 2018. 
  • Aliyu M. D., H. Chen, “Optimum control parameters and long-term productivity of geothermal reservoirs using coupled thermo-hydraulic process modelling,” Renew. Energy, vol. 112, pp. 151 –165, Nov. 2017. 
  • Aliyu M. D., H. Chen, “Sensitivity analysis of deep geothermal reservoir: Effect of reservoir parameters on production temperature,” Energy, vol. 129, pp. 101 – 113, Jun. 2017.

Education

  • PGCert (Learning and Teaching), 2018, Anglia Ruskin University, United Kingdom.
  • PhD (Geotechnical/Geothermal Engineering), 2018, the University of Greenwich, United Kingdom.
  • MSc (Civil Engineering), 2012, the University of Greenwich, United Kingdom.
  • BE (Civil Engineering), 2008, Federal University of Technology Yola, Nigeria.

Professional Profile

  • Oct 2021 – Present: Postdoctoral Fellow, RockGem Group, KAUST, Saudi Arabia.
  • Sept 2019 – Sept 2021: Research Fellow, Geothermal Institute, the University of Auckland, New Zealand.
  • May 2019 – May 2020: Visiting Research Fellow, Department of Engineering, the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
  • May 2019 – Sept 2019: Research Associate, The Alan Turing Institute, London, United Kingdom.
  • Dec 2018 – April 2019: Research Fellow, Department of Civil Engineering, the University of Leeds, United Kingdom.
  • May 2018 – December 2018: Research Fellow, Department of Engineering Science, the University of Greenwich, United Kingdom.
  • April 2014 – April 2018: Research Assistant, Department of Engineering Science, the University of Greenwich, United Kingdom.

Scientific and Professional Membership

  • Fellow: The Higher Education Academy, UK (License Number: PR150513)
  • Professional Member: Society of Petroleum Engineers (License Number: 4669916)
  • Registered Engineer: Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (License Number: R.25,083)
  • Associate Member: American Society of Civil Engineers (License Number: 9633842)

Awards

  • 2018: Faculty of Engineering and Science Prize for the Best PhD Student, Award Body the University of Greenwich, United Kingdom.
  • 2015: The Petroleum Technology Development Funds (PTDF) PhD Scholarship Grant, Nigerian Government.
  • 2014: The Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship Grant for PhD Studies, the University of Greenwich.
  • 2012: School of Engineering Prize for the Best MSc Project (September Cohort); MSc (Civil Engineering): Award Body the University of Greenwich.
  • 2012: School of Engineering Prize for the Best Overall Performance on MSc Programme (September cohort); MSc (Civil Engineering): Award Body the University of Greenwich.

Non-KAUST Affiliations

The University of Greenwich, United Kingdom.