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Get the .MSI
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Mr. Maxey has 30+ years of international experience in leadership, operations, finance, engineering, and business development. Major Maxey is a retired Marine Corps Infantry Officer and a combat veteran of several Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns. Mr. Maxey has eight years of M&A and Reservoir Engineering experience in the U.S. Mid-Continent and South America oil & gas markets. He currently resides in Texas, splitting his time between San Antonio and Medellin, Colombia.
President, Blackstone Texas Inc
October 2014 – Present, San Antonio, Texas
Blackstone Texas is a San Antonio based upstream E&P oil company. Currently raising capital for initial acquisition efforts, with a focus on developing Mid-Con fields in TX and Oklahoma.
President, Blackstone Fuels, Inc.
May 2020 – Present, San Antonio, Texas
Blackstone Fuels is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) that provides bulk fuels, diesel, biodiesel, gasoline, aviation fuel, and bunker fuel to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and other U.S. government entities.
President, PGR, Inc.
Sep 2007 – Sep 2014, San Antonio, TX
PGR Inc. provided international business consulting services for global companies and National Security consulting for U.S. government agencies.
Major, United States Marine Corps
Jun 1985 – Nov 2008, Global
It was an honor to serve our Nation and lead U.S. Marines. Career highlights include three years as an Enlisted Marine and twenty years as a Marine Corps Infantry Officer spanning across five continents, with three combat tours in Iraq and four combat tours in Afghanistan.
University of North Dakota
PhD Candidate, Petroleum Engineering, May 2021 – May 2024
Master of Engineering (M.Eng.), Petroleum Engineering 2020 – 2021
Activities and societies: Member, Society of Petroleum Engineering (SPE)
Duke University – The Fuqua School of Business
MBA, 2005 – 2006
International Business
United States Naval Academy
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) 1988 – 1992
Activities and societies: Navy Boxing Team Captain, 2-Time All American Boxer, Collegiate Heavyweight Champion (1991).
Afari, S. A., Ling, K., Maxey, D., Sennaoui, B., & Porlles, J. H. (2023). Experimental investigation of gaseous solvent huff-n-puff in the Middle Bakken Formation. Petroleum Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petsci.2023.07.007
Afari, S., Ling, K., Sennaoui, B., Maxey, D., Oguntade, T., & Porlles, J. (2022). Optimization of CO2 huff-n-puff EOR in the Bakken Formation using numerical simulation and response surface methodology. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 215, 110552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2022.110552
Dr. Samuel Asante Afari is a distinguished professional in the field of Petroleum Engineering, known for his exceptional academic achievements and contributions to research and innovation. With a strong educational background and a wealth of experience in academia and industry, Dr. Afari has demonstrated his dedication to advancing the field of petroleum engineering.
Dr. Afari earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Petroleum Engineering from the University of North Dakota in 2023, achieving a remarkable GPA of 4.0, showcasing his commitment to academic excellence. His journey in academia also includes a Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Wyoming in 2019, where he maintained a GPA of 3.5, and another Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he earned a distinction.
Throughout his career, Dr. Afari has made substantial contributions to both academia and industry. He has held positions as a Graduate Research Assistant, Graduate Teaching Assistant, and Lecturer at various prestigious institutions, including the University of North Dakota and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology in Ghana. His role as a researcher has led to several publications in reputable journals, reflecting his expertise in areas such as enhanced oil recovery, reservoir engineering, and environmental impact assessment within the petroleum industry.
Dr. Afari has also demonstrated his dedication to hands-on experience, having worked as an Oil Production Engineering Intern at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, where he gained valuable insights into offshore oil production operations. Additionally, he has undertaken internships at innovative companies such as Aethero.ai, formerly Tau Drones LLC, where he contributed to developing energy transfer models for analyzing infrastructure energy efficiency and carbon footprint.
As a professional, Dr. Afari is affiliated with prestigious organizations such as the Ghana Institute of Engineers (GhIE) and the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), where he continues to engage with like-minded experts and contribute to the growth of his field. His skills include proficiency in Microsoft Office, numerical simulation, programming languages like Python, and the operation of various experimental tools used in petroleum engineering research.
Furthermore, Dr. Afari holds an engineering license from the Ghana Institute of Engineers, underscoring his commitment to professional excellence. He has also pursued certifications in Transmission Electron Microscopy Applications, Time Series Fourier Analysis, Applied Reservoir Engineering, and Core Preparation and Special Core Analysis, further expanding his expertise.
Dr. Samuel Asante Afari’s dedication to academic excellence, innovative research, and practical experience in the petroleum engineering field make him a notable figure in the industry. His commitment to advancing knowledge and solving industry challenges demonstrates his potential to drive meaningful change in the energy sector.
Graduate Research Assistant 05/2021-05/2023
Graduate Teaching Assistant 08/2020-05/2021
Department of Petroleum Engineering, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA
Coordinate with a 9-member multidisciplinary team to work on a research project focusing on Offshore Safety Reporting framework development in the Gulf of Mexico, which is funded by the National Academy of Sciences
Manages and maintains the petroleum engineering laboratory
Assisted primary instructor in coursework in reservoir engineering and petroleum engineering laboratory studies.
Graduate Research Assistant 08/2016-12/2019
Center of Innovation for Flow through Porous Media, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
Managed an Environmental Transmission Electron Microscope (ETEM) facility
Coordinated with a 5-member team to provide research and development consulting services to clients
Conducted laboratory experiments to test the effectiveness of specialty chemicals for oilfield applications
Lecturer 06/2016-08/2016
Assistant Lecturer 09/2012 -06/2016
Teaching Assistant 09/2010-09/2011
Department of Petroleum Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Sc. & Tech., Kumasi, Ghana
Demonstrated the ability to communicate complex concepts and ideas so students could understand
Developed course curricula and taught petroleum fluid properties, well logging and well testing
Researched the application of machine learning in petroleum engineering, intelligent well technology and enhanced oil recovery
Served on university committees and coordinated with members to accomplish assigned objectives
Participated in student mentoring programs
INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE
Research Intern Summer 2023
Aethero.ai (Formerly Tau Drones LLC), Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA
Develop energy transfer models as an integral part of a proprietary artificial intelligence system for analyzing infrastructure energy efficiency and carbon footprint
Oil Production Engineering Intern Summer 2008
Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, Tema, Ghana
Obtained hands-on experience in offshore oil production operations
Doctor of Philosophy in Petroleum Engineering 08/2023
University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA GPA: 4.0
Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering 12/2019
University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA GPA: 3.5
Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering 11/2012
Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK Distinction
Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering 06/2010
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Kumasi, Ghana GPA: 3.68
Afari, S. A., Ling, K., Maxey, D., Sennaoui, B., & Porlles, J. H. (2023). Experimental investigation of gaseous solvent huff-n-puff in the Middle Bakken Formation. Petroleum Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petsci.2023.07.007
Ni, R., Ling, K., & Afari, S. (2023). Different ways to approach shale reservoirs’ CO2 storage potential in America. Heliyon, e18458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18458
Adjekum, D. K., Afari, S. A., Owusu-Amponsah, N. Y., Waller, Z., Rasouli, V., Ullrich, G., Snyder, P., & Corbin, N. (2023). Development of a generative voluntary safety reporting culture (GVSRC) model for the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) oil and gas (O & G) sector using attributes of the aviation safety action program (ASAP). Safety Science, 161, 106073. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2023.106073
Afari, S., Ling, K., Sennaoui, B., Maxey, D., Oguntade, T., & Porlles, J. (2022). Optimization of CO2 huff-n-puff EOR in the Bakken Formation using numerical simulation and response surface methodology. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 215, 110552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2022.110552
Sennaoui, B., Pu, H., Afari, S., Malki, M. L., & Kolawole, O. (2022). Pore- and Core-Scale Mechanisms Controlling Supercritical Cyclic Gas Utilization for Enhanced Recovery under Immiscible and Miscible Conditions in the Three Forks Formation. Energy & Fuels, 37(1), 459–476. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.2c02938
Afari, S., Sarkodie, K., Aggrey, W., & Morgan, A. (2015). Assessment of Petroleum Reservoir Recovery Factor Using Complexity Scoring and Artificial Neural Network. International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Research, 124–129.
Aggrey, W. N., Afari, S., & Sarkodie, K. (2015). Modeling Mutual Solvent Preflush -The Case of Wettability. International Journal of Applied Science and Technology, 5(1), 103–119.
Aggrey, W. N., Afari, S., & Sarkodie, K. (2014). The New EOR Frontiers—Reduced Salinity Waterflooding. Asian Journal of Applied Sciences, 2(6), Article 6.
Sarkodie, K., Afari, S. A., & Aggrey, W. N. (2014). Intelligent well Technology- Dealing with Gas Coning Problems in Production wells. International Journal of Applied Science and Technology, 4(5), 121–135.
Afari, S. A. (2023, June 4). An Experimental Investigation into the Pore-Scale Mechanisms during Cyclic Gaseous Solvent Injection (CGSI) for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) in the Bakken Formation. AAPG Rocky Mountain Section Meeting, Bismarck,North Dakota. https://www.searchanddiscovery.com/pdfz/abstracts/pdf/2023/91206rms/abstracts/ndx_afari.pdf.html
Sennaoui, B., Pu, H., Oncel, N., Malki, M. L., & Afari, S. (2023, June 13). Experimental and Numerical Simulation Using X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and PHREEQC for Geochemical Interaction Effect on ScCO2-EOR and Storage in Unconventional Reservoirs. SPE/AAPG/SEG Unconventional Resources Technology Conference. https://doi.org/10.15530/urtec-2023-3864179
Sennaoui, B., Pu, H., Rylander, E., Afari, S., & Malki, M. L. (2022). An Experimental Study of CO2 Huff-N-Puff Enhanced Oil Recovery in Three Forks Formation, Williston Basin; 56th U.S. Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, ARMA-2022-0334. https://doi.org/10.56952/ARMA-2022-0334
Sennaoui, B., Pu, H., Malki, M. L., Afari, A. S., Larbi, A., Tomowewo, O. S., & Araghi, R. H. R. (2022, November 7). Laboratory Experiments on the Cyclic Gas Injection Process Using CO2, C2H6, and C3H8 To Evaluate Oil Recovery Performance and Mechanisms in Unconventional Reservoirs. International Geomechanics Symposium. https://doi.org/10.56952/IGS-2022-156
Sennaoui, B., Pu, H., Malki, M. L., Afari, A. S., & Larbi, A. (2022). Reservoir Simulation Study and Optimizations of CO2 Huff-n-Puff Mechanisms in Three Forks Formation, International Geomechanics Symposium, ARMA-IGS-2022-137. https://doi.org/10.56952/IGS-2022-137
Chaisoontornyotin, W., Mohamed, A., Bai S., S. A. Afari, Mirchi, V., Recio, A., III, Pearl, M., & Piri, M. (2019). The Impact of Fracture Surface Area to Rock Volume Ratio on Spontaneous Imbibition in Tight Rocks. SPE/AAPG/SEG Unconventional Resources Technology Conference, D033S058R006. https://doi.org/10.15530/urtec-2019-627
Member, Ghana Institute of Engineers (GhIE), Ghana
2013- Present
Member, Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), UND Chapter
2021-Present
Numerical Simulation/Analysis: CMG (Reservoir Simulation), GROMACS (Molecular Dynamics), TECHLOG (Well log analysis), AVIZIO (Pore-scale Image analysis)
Programming Languages: Python
Experimental Tools: Core flooding, Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-Ray Computed Tomography, Interfacial Tensiometer, Amott cells, Porosimeter, Permeameter
English (fluent)
Akan (Fluent)
Engineering License, Ghana Institute of Engineers (GhIE), Ghana 03/2016
Talos Transmission Electron Microscopy Applications, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Portland, OR. 10/2017
Time Series Fourier Analysis and (De)convolution, Tullow/Uni. Col. of Dublin, Kumasi, Ghana 10/2015
Applied Reservoir Engineering, Petro Skills Inc, Houston, TX 08/2014
Core Preparation and Special Core Analysis, Coretest Systems Inc., Morgan Hill, CA. 01/2014
Certificate of National Service, Ghana National Service Scheme, Ghana 08/2011
Scholarship Award Recipient, World Bank/Gov. of Ghana Capacity Building Program 09/2011
