Education

• PhD in Drilling Engineering from University of Leoben in Austria, 2013
• MEng in Petroleum Well Engineering from Curtin University of Technology in Australia, 2006
• BSc in Drilling Engineering from Petroleum University of Technology in Iran, 2004

Working Experiance

• Project Manager, NOV (National Oil Well Varco) Company
• Project Manager/Drilling Engineer (MPD), Enhanced Drilling Company
• Drilling Engineer, Advanced Drilling Solutions Company
• Drilling Instructor/Reasearcher, University of Leoben
• Drilling Supervisor, NIOC (National Iranian Oil Company
• Night Drilling Supervisor, PPZ (Pars Petro Zagros)

Publications

• Elahifar, B., Claudey, E., Fossli, B., Qiang, Z., Enhanced Drilling; Olsen, M., Halliburton; Mo, J., Lundin AS (2018): Experience Using Managed Pressure Cementing Techniques with Riserless Mud Recovery and Controlled Mud Level in the Barents Sea, Bergen SPE one day conference 18 April 2018
• Elahifar, B (2017): Successful Deep Water Drilling (MPD), Early Kick Detection and Performing Managed Pressure Cementing With CML (Controlled Mud Level) System in GOM and North Sea, SPE/IADC Conference and Exhibition, 14-16 March, The Netherlands
• Elahifar, B., Fasch, F., Thonhauser, G. (2014): Real Time Kick Detection And Also Increasing Ultrasonic Caliper Accuracy By Measuring Speed Of Sound Within Drilling Fluid In The Downhole Condition, SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, 27-29 October, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• Elahifar, B., Fasch, F., Tollschein, C., Thonhauser, G. (2014): Real Time Kick Detection Applying an Ultrasonic Caliper Featuring a Downhole Sonic Speed Measurement for Calibration Purposes, SPE Saudi Arabia Section Technical Symposium and Exhibition, 21-24 April, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia
• Elahifar, B., Esmaeili, A., Thonhauser, G. (2013): Real Time Data Transmission Method for Creating 4D Wellbore Images to Monitor Wellbore Shape and Detecting Instabilities, Kuwait Oil and Gas show and conference, Kuwait City, Kuwait, 7-10 October 2013 .
• Elahifar, B., Esmaeili, A., Fruhwirth, R.K., Thonhauser, G.  (2013): Real Time Determination of the Instability in the Borehole by Using 4D Images of the Wellbore with High Accuracy Ultrasonic Caliper, SPE/IADC Middle East Drilling Technology Conference and Exhibition to be held 7 - 9 October, 2013 in Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE.
• Esmaeili, A., Elahifar, B., Fruhwirth, R.K., Thonhauser, G. (2013): Formation Evaluation based on Drill String Vibration Measurements Using Laboratory Scale Rig, SPE/IADC Middle East Drilling Technology Conference and Exhibition to be held 7 - 9 October, 2013 in Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE.
• Esmaeili, A., Elahifar, B., Thonhauser, G. (2013): Formation Changes Recognition by Real-time Monitoring of Drill String Vibrations and Mechanical Specific Energy, International Conference for Advanced Drilling Technology September, 9-10, 2013, Celle, Germany. 
• Behzad Elahifar, Abdolali Esmaeili, Rudolf K. Fruhwirth, Gerhard Thonhauser, “Experimental Determination of Wellbore Diameter and Shape (4D Imaging of Wellbore) by Using Ultrasonic Caliper within Different Fluids for Real-Time Drilling Application”, Oil Gas European Magazine, ISSN 0342-5622, Volume 39, page 16 to 19, March 2013.
• Behzad Elahifar, Abdolali Esmaeili, Rudolf K. Fruhwirth, Gerhard Thonhauser, “Wellbore Instability Monitoring by Using 4D Imaging of Ultrasonic Caliper Logs in Real Time Drilling”, SPE International Petroleum Technology Conference, Beijing, China, 2013.
• Abdolali Esmaeili, Behzad Elahifar, Rudolf K. Fruhwirth, Gerhard Thonhauser, “Effect of Formations Compressive Strength on Drill String Vibrations”, SPE International Petroleum Technology Conference, Beijing, China, 2013.
• Abdolali Esmaeili, Behzad Elahifar, Rudolf K. Fruhwirth, Gerhard Thonhauser, "ROP Modeling Using Neural Network and Drill String Vibration Data", SPE Kuwait International Petroleum Conference and Exhibition, 10-12 December, Kuwait, 2012.
• Behzad Elahifar, Abdolali Esmaeili, Rudolf K. Fruhwirth, Gerhard Thonhauser, “Real Time Measurement of Borehole Shape and Diameter by Using Ultrasonic Caliper in Different Drilling Fluid and Wellbore Conditions for Detecting Instabilities”, SPE Canadian Unconventional Resource Conference, Calgary, Canada, 2012.
• Behzad Elahifar, Abdolali Esmaeili, Rudolf K. Fruhwirth, Gerhard Thonhauser, “Determining the Accuracy of Ultrasonic Caliper Measurements for Real Time Drilling Application”, SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference, Perth, Australia, 2012.
• Abdolali Esmaeili, Behzad Elahifar, Rudolf K. Fruhwirth, Gerhard Thonhauser, “Experimental Evaluation of Real Time Mechanical Formation Classification using Drill String Vibration Measurements”, SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, USA, San Antonio, 8-10 October, 2012.
• Abdolali Esmaeili, Behzad Elahifar, Rudolf K. Fruhwirth, Gerhard Thonhauser “Using Neural Network Technique to Study the Effect of Formation's Mechanical Properties on Dynamic Behavior of Drill String”, International Conference for Advanced Drilling Technology Celle Drilling 2012, 17-18 September, Celle, , Niedersachsen, Germany, 2012.
• Behzad Elahifar, Abdolali Esmaeili, Rudolf K. Fruhwirth, Gerhard Thonhauser “Experimental Determination of Wellbore Diameter and Shape by Using Ultrasonic Caliper Within Different Fluids for Real Time Drilling Application”, International Conference for Advanced Drilling Technology Celle Drilling 2012, 17-18 September, Celle, , Niedersachsen, Germany, 2012.
• Abdolali Esmaeili, Behzad Elahifar, Rudolf K. Fruhwirth, Gerhard Thonhauser “Axial Vibration Monitoring in Laboratory Scale Using CDC miniRig and Vibration Sensor Sub” IEEE International Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference, Graz, Austria, 2012.
• Behzad Elahifar, Abdolali Esmaeili, Rudolf K. Fruhwirth, Gerhard Thonhauser “Accuracy of Ultrasonic Sensor in Caliper Log”, IEEE International Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference, Graz, Austria, 2012.
• Abdolali Esmaeili, Behzad Elahifar, Rudolf K. Fruhwith, Gerhard Thonhauser, "Laboratory Scale Control of Drilling Parameters to Enhance Rate of Penetration and Reduce Drill String Vibration", SPE SAS Annual Technical Symposium & Exhibition, Khobar, Saudi Arabia, 2012.
• Behzad Elahifar, Abdolali Esmaeili, Michael Prohaska, Gerhard Thonhauser, "A Comparison of Specific Energy Consumption for Alternative and Conventional Drilling Methods”, GeoEnergy/gebo Conference Celle Drilling, Celle, Germany, 2011.
• B. Elahifar, A. Esmaeili, M. Prohaska, G. Thonhauser, “An Energy Based Comparison Drilling Method”, SPE 148166, Oman, 2011