Mr Sultan Abulkhair

Mr Sultan Abulkhair

  • Biography/ Background

    Research Experience:

    June 2025 – Present. Postdoctoral Research Fellow, ARC Training Centre for Integrated Operations for Complex Resources, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.

    Oct 2021 – Jun 2025. PhD Candidate, ARC Training Centre for Integrated Operations for Complex Resources, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.

    Sep 2019 – Sep 2021. Research Assistant, School of Mining and Geosiences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.

  • Qualifications

    Education:

    PhD in Mining Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia, 2025. Thesis Title: Rapid Updating of Resource Knowledge with Sensor Information Including Structures

    MSc in Mining Engineering (Graduated with Honours), Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan, 2021. Thesis Title: A novel approach for geostatistical modeling and production scheduling of iron deposits with inequality constraints

    BEng in Geology and Exploration of Deposits of Minerals, Kazakh-British Technical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 2019.

  • Awards & Achievements

    University of Adelaide Internship Scholarship (2025) for three months awarded for completing a research internship in Petra Data Science

    PhD Student Poster Award (Dec 2022): $500 AUD award sponsored by AusIMM for the bext poster at SAEMC 2022

    Mathematical Geosciences Student Award (Sep 2022): $2,500 USD IAMG Student Research Grant linked to thge Mathematical Geosciences journal 

    IAMG Travel Grant (Aug 2022): $2,000 USD to attend the IAMG 2024 in Nancy, France

    Australian Government-funded Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Integrated Operations for Complex Resources Scholarship covering full tuition fees plus a living allowance for 3 years (2021 - 2024)

    Nazarbayev University Honors Designation (June 2021): Graduated with Honors, GPA – 3.91/4.00

  • Research Interests

    § Multivariate Geostatistics

    § Multiple-Point Statistics

    § Stochastic Mine Planning

    § Geological Domaining

    § Data Assimilation

  • Publications

    Journal Papers:

    Abulkhair, S., Dowd, P., Xu, C., & Stewart, P. (2025). Rapid Updating of Multivariate Resource Models Based on New Information Using EnKF-MDA and Multi-Gaussian Transformation. Minerals, 15(4), 424. doi

    Abulkhair, S., Dowd, P., & Xu, C. (2023). Geostatistics in the Presence of Multivariate Complexities: Comparison of Multi-Gaussian Transforms. Mathematical Geosciences, 55, 713-734. doi

    Abulkhair, S., & Madani, N. (2022). Stochastic modeling of iron in coal seams using two-point and multiple-point geostatistics: A case study. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration, 39, 1313-1331. doi

    Abulkhair, S., & Madani, N. (2021). Assessing heterotopic searching strategy in hierarchical cosimulation for modeling the variables with inequality constraints. Comptes Rendus - Géoscience, 353, 115-134. doi

    Madani, N., & Abulkhair, S. (2020). A hierarchical cosimulation algorithm integrated with an acceptance-rejection method for the geostatistical modeling of variables with inequality constraints. Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment, 34, 1559-1589. doi

    Conference Papers:

    Abulkhair, S., Madani, N., & Morales, N. (2021). Reproduction of Inequality Constraint between Iron and Silica for Accurate Production Scheduling. In Proceedings of the Iron Ore Conference 2021 (pp. 531-541). Carlton: AusIMM. link

    Abulkhair, S., & Madani, N. (2021). Mineral resource modelling of variables with inequality constraints: a case study of an iron ore deposit. In C. Musingwini, & M. Woodhall (Eds.), Proceedings: Application of Computers and Operations Research in the Minerals Industries (pp. 449-458). Johannesburg: SAIMM. link

  • Professional Associations

    May 2020 – present. Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (member)

    Oct 2020 – present. International Association of Mathematical Geosciences (member)

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Entry last updated: Wednesday, 16 Jul 2025