The University of Texas at Austin

Mariano Gurfinkel Associate Head and Project Manager, Center for Energy Economics (CEE), Bureau of Economic Geology, UT-Austin Jackson School of Geosciences Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology B.S., Unversidad Simon Bolivar, Venezuela

Dr. Gurfinkel’s main area of interest is the development and implementation of technology for unconventional resources, with special focus on producing and handling heavy oil. At CEE, Dr. Gurfinkel serves as the team leader for liquefied natural gas research and outreach, in addition to working on unconventional resources.

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.

Dr. Gurfinkel is widely published and his articles have appeared in the Journal of Petroleum Technology and the Journal of Fluid Mechanics. He holds three 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; and System and method for the recovery of oil in water emulsion spilled in water: Patent Number 5935447.

Executive Development Programs by Mariano Gurfinkel:

Economics and Technology of the Crude Oil, Natural Gas and LNG Value Chains