Page 6 - Keble Review 2014

Student Life
The BP Ultimate Field Trip
The BP Ultimate Field Trip is a competition aimed at ambitious University students. The challenge was to help energy companies increase their efficiency during energy production and distribution. We decided to enter because it was a fantastic opportunity to learn about the energy industry and the world’s growing energy demand.
On the night before the idea submission deadline, after several fruitless brainstorming sessions, we went to the pub together. Midway through scampi and chips, we had a eureka moment! We hurried back to College and worked on our idea through the night, submitting it twenty minutes before the deadline.
We developed a process called MicroAluminium, a novel way of using the wasted energy from gas flares. We calculated it was possible to recover up to 80% of the market value of the wasted gas, which is about US$30 billion. We took the project very seriously and considered every minute detail which could have proved to be
a stumbling block. We weren’t just working to win a competition - we were motivated by our idea’s potential to genuinely make a large impact on the industry and the world.
The semi-final was held in BP’s offices in Sunbury, where our knowledge of both our idea and the infrastructure with which it was to integrate was thoroughly examined. There were eleven other teams, all with excellent ideas. We were thrilled to progress
to the final alongside three other teams, and worked tirelessly to completely redesign our technical poster and create a four minute video explaining our idea. The competition really ramped up towards the final. It was a prestigious event, with an audience that filled the
The international winners of the BP Ultimate Field Trip Competition, with Keble students Christopher Clay (front second from left), Talbot Kingsbury (back third from left), and Jan Paszkiewicz (front far left)
Royal Institution in London. The judges were very senior people in BP and Rolls Royce, so it was inspiring to meet such passionate and intelligent people.
When it was announced we had won, we were dumbstruck. It was incredibly rewarding to present our idea to some of the best minds in the energy industry, and for them to congratulate us.
The Ultimate Field Trip truly lived up to its name. Together with
the winning teams from Angola, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada and
the USA, we embarked on an exciting journey across Alaska and to Chicago. We experienced the beautiful Alaskan scenery including Turnagain Arm, Resurrection Bay, Fox Island and Exit Glacier. We were given a tour of BP’s sprawling operations in the remote North Slope within the Arctic Circle and also enjoyed kayaking and dog sledding, which were great fun.
The bustling city of Chicago was a stark contrast to the previous week, giving us an insight into the research and financial sides of the company. Along with our new friends, we also had the chance to enjoy Chicago’s many attractions, including a baseball game, a Segway tour and deep dish pizza, ending the trip with a celebration of Independence Day on an evening boat cruise.
We would like to thank Professor Richard Darton, Professor Paul Taylor and Dr Stephen Payne for their help and thoughtful critique throughout the competition, and also BP for an amazing experience. You promised us the trip of a lifetime and you delivered!
Christopher Clay
Engineering 2012
Talbot Kingsbury
Engineering 2012
Jan Paszkiewiczy
Engineering 2012
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The Keble Review 2014