JOHOR BAHRU, Nov 17 – The Department of Petroleum Engineering at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has achieved a significant milestone in its commitment to excellence in petroleum engineering education and research. The department has received a major contribution from Rock Flow Dynamics Ltd. (RFD), a global leader in reservoir simulation technology, through the donation of the tNavigator Academic Edition. This contribution marks a transformative step for UTM, providing students and researchers access to one of the world’s most advanced geological and reservoir modelling platforms.
Valued at US$15.9 million annually (~RM65.8 million), the tNavigator Academic Edition represents one of the largest in-kind software contributions ever made to the department. The donation reflects RFD’s ongoing commitment to developing future energy professionals and strengthening academic capabilities worldwide. Their flagship tNavigator software is widely used across the oil and gas industry, integrating geological modelling, dynamic simulation, engineering design, and field development planning into a unified high-performance platform.
This collaboration began earlier this year, when Dr. Mohamad Arif Ibrahim visited several UTM students undertaking their internship at Rock Flow Dynamics. During the visit, RFD showcased their structured, supportive, and highly collaborative internship environment, where students worked closely with industry professionals on real reservoir simulation workflows. What began as a routine internship check-in evolved into a deeper discussion on software capabilities, academic needs, and the growing role of digitalisation in petroleum engineering. These early conversations formed the basis of a stronger academic–industry partnership, eventually leading to RFD’s decision to contribute the tNavigator Academic Edition to UTM.
Under the new academic licence, up to 50 concurrent users will have access to key modules including the Graphical User Interface (GUI), Black Oil, Compositional, Thermal, and Geology Designer. This expanded access is expected to significantly enhance the department’s teaching environment by providing students hands-on experience with industry-standard tools. Final-year students will particularly benefit, as the software will support their capstone projects, where they integrate knowledge in geology, reservoir behaviour, simulation, production optimisation, and petroleum economics.
The software will also elevate UTM’s research capabilities. Researchers will be able to perform advanced studies on fluid flow, thermal processes, and reservoir performance with greater accuracy and sophistication. With this contribution, UTM is well positioned to pursue more ambitious research collaborations, attract high-impact industry projects, and remain aligned with the evolving digital demands of the energy sector.
Expressing his gratitude, Dr. Abdul Rahim Risal, Head of the Department of Petroleum Engineering, said, “We are deeply grateful to Rock Flow Dynamics for this extraordinary contribution. Access to tNavigator empowers our students to work with real-world reservoir engineering challenges using industry-standard tools. This collaboration meaningfully bridges academic training, research excellence, and professional practice.”
With this donation, UTM continues to position itself as a regional leader in engineering innovation, committed to producing graduates who are digitally capable, future-ready, and prepared to contribute to the global energy landscape.
