What does it take to become a leading expert in environmental engineering? At ConocoPhillips the answer lies in Samer Adham, Ph.D., a distinguished pioneer in the field whose remarkable career has spanned continents and industries.
Born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Samer Adham, Ph.D., started his educational journey at King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Dhahran. Initially diving into civil engineering, he soon discovered a passion for environmental engineering, a field that was in its nascent stages. He earned a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from KFUPM in 1989 and a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1993.
Samer's professional career began at MWH Global Inc, where he quickly made a name for himself, rising to the position of vice president and manager of the Applied Research Department by the early 2000s. Here, he focused on developing cutting-edge technologies for municipal water and wastewater treatment. In 2007, a new chapter began for Samer. ConocoPhillips announced the establishment of the Global Water Sustainability Center (GWSC) at Qatar Science and Technology Park. Excited about the opportunity, he applied for the role. His expertise was recognized and the company appointed him managing director with the mandate to design, construct, staff and develop technical programs for the GWSC facility.
Lifetime Achievement in Technical Excellence
The 2025 SPIRIT Award for Lifetime Achievement in Technical Excellence recognizes ConocoPhillips employees who have made outstanding technical contributions to the industry over a period of 20 years or more.
By 2010, under Samer's leadership, the GWSC was inaugurated. Since then, he has led a dedicated team tackling water challenges in the oil and gas industry, focused on produced and process water management.
“I am immensely proud of my team’s dedication and unwavering commitment to tackling water challenges with optimism and innovation,” he said. “Water conservation is a critical need globally, and our efforts contribute significantly to ensuring sustainable water management practices around the world.”
Over the past 15 years, GWSC evaluated 30 advanced technologies, resulting in multiple benefits. Three technologies were installed at full-scale at QatarEnergy LNG's Water Reduction & Recycling Plants, with follow up support for startup and troubleshooting. The program advances the readiness level of various technologies through field testing and has identified critical challenges of others limiting their full-scale applicability.
“We capture significant knowledge on cutting-edge water technologies that we share via the Water Solutions Technology Toolbox with our ConocoPhillips colleagues around the world,” Samer said.
Additionally, Samer has spearheaded seven projects funded by the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), a government research funding organization that supports competitive research in various fields, aiming to advance knowledge and innovation in alignment with Qatar National Vision 2030. These initiatives further solidified his reputation. A collaborator at heart, Samer ensures that the GWSC maintains strong ties with QatarEnergy LNG, providing technical support and expertise in water-related technologies.
“Our strong collaboration with QatarEnergy LNG is essential to ensuring the successful implementation of advanced water technologies,” Samer said.
Sharing expertise
ConocoPhillips Qatar provides industry-leading technical expertise to its partners in the Qatari energy sector through the deployment of expert secondees. These professionals bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to projects in Qatar from across the ConocoPhillips network. They facilitate the transfer of best practices, lessons learned and specialist insights to their local peers, fostering continuous knowledge exchange.
His team also shared unique expertise with ConocoPhillips operations globally, from the Lower 48 United States to Norway, Canada, Alaska and Australia. These investigations were in support of maintaining asset integrity, optimizing operation and/or reducing downtime.
Beyond his work at GWSC, Samer contributes to academia as an Adjunct Research Professor at Qatar University. He collaborates on innovative research projects and mentors graduate students, bridging the gap between industry and education. This collaboration with local universities and research institutes is leading to increases in capacity, graduate student enrollment, patents, peer-reviewed publications, and technical workshops.
In the 2025 global ranking system by research.com, he was ranked third highest for environmental sciences among Qatar scientists. The system evaluates scholars based on the number of peer-reviewed papers and citations.
One of Samer's notable initiatives was the establishment of the Water Visitor Center in Qatar. This center has welcomed more than 15,000 visitors, raising awareness about water conservation and sustainable practices. “The Water Visitor Center has been instrumental in educating thousands of visitors about the importance of water conservation and sustainable practices,” he said.
Looking to the future, Samer envisions GWSC continuing to support QatarEnergy LNG's new production trains and tackling the challenges of desalinating highly saline produced water from fracking operations.
“Our commitment to ConocoPhillips and alignment with Qatar National Vision 2030 remains unwavering,” he affirmed. That vision emphasizes the importance of balancing economic growth with social progress and environmental protection.
Samer's journey is a testament to his dedication, expertise and leadership. His contributions have significantly advanced the field of environmental engineering, and his story continues to inspire future generations.
In recognition of his exceptional contributions, Samer was honored with the 2025 Lifetime Achievement for Technical Excellence SPIRIT Award.
