Montana Tech petroleum students explore global energy industry in Azerbaijan

A group of Montana Technological University petroleum engineering students recently traveled to Azerbaijan to gain firsthand insight into one of the world’s key oil and gas regions.

The trip, organized through Montana Tech’s International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) student chapter, brought five students to Baku, the country’s capital, for an international conference focused on energy production in the Caspian and Black Sea regions.

Junior Audrie Jensen, vice president of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) student chapter, said the trip was part of a growing effort within the club to expand global learning opportunities. The Azerbaijan trip builds on a similar experience last year, when Montana Tech students traveled to Norway. While Norway offered insight into offshore drilling in a highly regulated environment, Azerbaijan presented a different perspective shaped by global collaboration and regional dynamics.

“A lot of countries go about the oil and gas industry really differently,” Jensen said.

At the conference, students attended technical sessions and learned about emerging trends, including the growing role of artificial intelligence in petroleum operations.

“A big thing that we talked about was AI and how that’s changing the industry and how they’re implementing that,” Jensen said.

Beyond the classroom concepts, the trip gave students a chance to see how energy production operates on a global scale. Azerbaijan’s Caspian Sea region is a major hub for oil and gas, with international companies and workers contributing to its development.

“There’s people from all over working in the Caspian Sea area,” Jensen said.

Students also explored the historical roots of the industry in the region, including the site of the world’s first mechanically drilled oil well. For Jensen, one of the most valuable aspects of the experience was the opportunity to connect with professionals and students from around the world.

“You meet many cool people that have so many different experiences that you have never even thought of,” she said.

Through trips like this, Montana Tech’s student organizations continue to provide hands-on, real-world experiences that extend far beyond campus. For Jensen and her classmates, Azerbaijan offered not only technical knowledge, but a broader understanding of how energy connects countries, cultures, and economies.