About Us
The Oil & Gas Subcommunity consists of MIT Energy Club members who are interested in the petroleum industry. Our purpose is to use fact-based analysis to explore traditional energy development from various perspectives (technology, policy, and business).
The subcommunity was organized in 2007 and has since grown to more than 80 members. Notable program highlights include:
- Petroleum 101 Lectures
- Houston Energy Trek
- Schlumberger Cambridge Research Facility Tour
- National Oil Company Discussion
- Total Energy Collaboration
Oil & Gas Subcommunity Leadership:
Anton Safronov, Chairman
Anton is an MBA/MPA in Int'l Development candidate in the MIT/Harvard joint-degree program. Prior to graduate school, he held multiple positions in supply chain and operations at Shell and Halliburton Energy Services in Canada, Djibouti, and across the Midde East. Anton spent the summer of 2009 interning as an Investment Associate at the International Finance Corporation in Washington, D.C. He earned his BA in economics and operations management in Moscow, Russia.
Maxim Beletskiy, Vice Chairman
Maxim is an MBA student at MIT's Sloan School of Management. Throughout his professional career, he has held key positions in finance, logistics, and downstream commercial development for Occidental Petroleum and TNK-BP. Maxim holds a BA in Finance from Tyumen State University in Russia. He is currently focusing on energy entrepreneurship and business development. As Vice Chairman, Maxim interacts with various stakeholders as well as organizes events with the leaders of the energy industry.
Donna Zhao, Steering Committee Member
Donna is an MBA student at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Prior to graduate school, she worked in wealth management at Citi Private Bank, focusing on the ultra high-net worth sector. Donna holds a BA in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to being an active member of the steering committee, she hopes to learn more about the oil & gas industry, especially as it relates to sustainability and corporate social responsibility.
Adam Cornelius, Steering Committee Member
Adam is currently an MIT Sloan MBA Candidate in the Finance track. He is interested in corporate finance in the oil & gas industry. Prior to coming to MIT, Adam worked for the IRS Office of Competitive Sourcing as a program manager, performing IT business process improvement and human resource management. He studied accounting at the McCombs School of Business, University of Texas (Austin) and has an M.S. in IT from the George Washington University. Adam received his B.S. at MIT in 2005.
Fuxian Song, Steering Committee Member
Fuxian is a PhD candidate in Reservoir Geophysics, with an interest in reservoir imaging and monitoring for oil & gas and geothermal reservoirs, enhanced oil and geothermal production as well as unconventional resources. He has worked for the Schlumberger Doll Research Center and Halliburton Energy Services. He is currently engaged in the MIT Natural Gas study, reviewing emergent technologies and providing recommendations on unconventional gas exploration and production.
Ning Wu, Steering Committee Member
Ning is a PhD candidate in the energy policy and regional economics at the Department of Urban Studies and Planning. He is presently focusing on China's coal and electricity sector as part of his dissertation research. His experience includes working with the World Bank and other institutions on oil & gas M&A and energy efficiency projects in the Middle East/North Africa region. Ning graduated from Beijing University and the University of Cincinnati with Bachelors and Masters in Economics and Geography.
Steven Shimizu, Steering Committee Member
Steven is an MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) Fellow pursuing a PhD in Chemical Engineering at MIT. His current focus is developing a theory for the rational design of solid carbon capture systems. Previously, he did research on material synthesis for energy-efficient LEDs, as well as studies measuring triplet lifetimes in organic solar cell materials. Steven holds a B.S. in both Chemical Engineering and Chemistry from the University of California, San Diego.
Useful Presentations
