Our Story
Founded in 1994 by Dr. Apostolos Kantzas in Calgary, Alberta, PERM Inc. began as a Special Core Analysis and R&D laboratory for the oil and gas industry. Originally located on the University of Calgary campus and known as the Tomographic Imaging and Porous Media Laboratory (TIPM Lab), the company expanded and moved to an off-campus facility in 2012. PERM Inc. specializes in Special Core Analysis and Enhanced Oil Recovery studies, offering advanced services such as full-diameter corefloods under high pressure and temperature, and complex relative permeability measurements with integrated scanning. With a strong track record, PERM Inc. has collaborated with nearly all major oil companies in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and has supported projects on reservoirs worldwide.
Our Team
Dr. Apostolos Kantzas, Ph.D., P.Eng.
President & CEO
A professor from the University of Calgary, Dr. Kantzas has tremendous experience in leading advanced research of porous media, primarily dealing with petroleum reservoir engineering issues. He is an expert in Tomographic Imaging, Porous Media Physics, and Magnetic Resonance Sensor Technology.
Dr. Saeid Khasi, Ph.D.
Manager of Digital Services
Dr. Khasi completed his Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering in 2023 at the University of Calgary. At PERM Inc., he leads Digital Core Analysis services—including pore-level modelling, reservoir simulation, and electrokinetics and ultrasonic projects—and is responsible for software development, modelling and simulation, experimental design, and conducting experiments.
Dr. Vahid Hematfar, Ph.D.
Research Engineer
Dr. Hematfar completed his Ph.D. at the University of Calgary in 2015 and has extensive experience in experimental design and core flooding tests. He conducts laboratory operations and data analysis, specializing in multiphase flow and transport phenomena in porous media, heavy oil and bitumen, environmental projects, and customizing test processes and reactions.
Dr. Sahand Etemad, Ph.D.
Research Engineer & Safety Chair
Dr. Etemad earned his Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Calgary in 2022. At PERM Inc., he leads projects on special core analysis and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and serves as the Safety Chair for all operations. His research focuses on foam, nanomaterials, fluid flow in porous media, and EOR. He has experience in core flooding, relative permeability measurement, CT scanning, and chemical/solvent EOR methods.
Dr. Ilia Kuznetcov, Ph.D.
Research Engineer
Dr. Kuznetcov earned his Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Calgary in 2023. His work involves special core analysis, multiphase flow in porous media, and the development of electromagnetic sensors and reactors. His expertise includes electromagnetic measurements, imaging, and heating of emulsions, nanosuspensions, oil sands, kerogen, and various rock and colloidal materials. He is skilled in programming, automation, CAD design for lab equipment, and has extensive knowledge of liquid and gas chromatography methods.
Dr. Zoleikha Hajizadeh, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Zoleikha Hajizadeh earned her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the Science and Technology University (IUST) in Tehran, Iran, focusing on the synthesis and characterization of advanced nanomaterials—such as nanocatalysts and functionalized magnetic materials—for catalytic and environmental applications. She also worked on organic synthesis and green chemistry methods. Currently, her research centers on chemical engineering topics like oil upgrading and energy storage systems. She has industry R&D experience and is proficient in advanced analytical techniques, including SEM, UV-Vis, TGA, IR, NMR, XRD, GC, and Sim-Dis.
Milad Arabloo, M.Sc.
Research Scientist
Mr. Arabloo oversees special core analysis, electromagnetic projects, and sensor development at PERM Inc. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering at the University of Calgary and brings over seven years of industry experience as a reservoir engineer. His expertise includes experimental design and advanced lab techniques such as core flooding systems, routine and special core analysis, EOR methods, and studying the dielectric properties of materials. He also models electromagnetic wave interactions with subsurface rocks and fluids, contributing to reservoir characterization and oil recovery optimization.
Jihua Dong, M.Eng.
Special Core Analysis Specialist
Jihua Dong completed a M.Eng. in Petroleum Engineering from the Southwest Petroleum University in China. He has over 30 years of experience in reservoir engineering and EOR research. Furthermore, he has experience with X-CT and NMR systems operation, image analysis, and NMR data interpretation.
Lilly Yu, M.Eng.
Senior Technologist
Lilly Yu holds an M.Eng. in Oil and Gas Engineering from the University of Geosciences in Beijing and a B.Sc. in Applied Chemistry from the Southwest Petroleum Institute in Sichuan, China. She has experience in SCAL, with strengths in NMR measurement and fluid property testing, and has published over 22 papers across more than 10 academic journals in the oil and gas industry.
Nandan Radadiya
Research Scientist
Nandan Radadiya is pursuing an M.Sc. in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Calgary, with research focused on CO₂ and CO₂-polymer flooding in emulsified heavy oil systems. His work involves optimizing recovery processes, capillary interface movement, and the use of dimensionless numbers in core flooding experiments. He has also gained valuable experience in reservoir engineering and production optimization through internships with ONGC Ahmedabad Asset and Shelf Drilling, India.
Imelda Nicolas, M.Eng.
Business Operations Manager
Imelda Nicolas completed a M.Eng. in Agricultural Engineering and a diploma certificate in Business Administration. She has over 25 years of experience and is in charge of financial management, project management, and the overall day-to-day operations of the company.
Ephrosyne Kantzas
Business Development
Ephrosyne Kantzas has completed a B.Comm. in Marketing from the University of Calgary. She has several years of experience with business development and marketing.