SPE News

2026–2027 SPE Distinguished Lecturers

Speakers from various disciplines and professions focus on industry trends, challenges, technology applications and advances. Scheduled DL events are in-person meetings only.

Distinguished Lecturer Logo Outlined

Asset Management

Helena Wu
Santos Ltd.
Direct CO2 Capture from Air: A Perfect Partner for CCUS?

Completions

Ismarullizam Mohd Ismail
Inflow Control
New Frontier of Autonomous Inflow Control Technology

Mark Pearson
Liberty Resources LLC
Global Low-Permeability Field Development: To Go Horizontal or Not?


Sanjay Vitthal
Shell
From Land to Sea: Successful Completions Technology Transfer From Onshore to Offshore Wells (Past, Present, and Future?)

Tim Benish
ExxonMobil
Accelerated Learning in the Unconventionals Through Integrated Field Experiments With Instrumented Monitor Wells

Data Science & Engineering Analytics

Justo Matheus
SLB
Everything Is an Optimization Problem: The Next Frontier Using Data and Models

Shripad Biniwale
SLB
Beyond the Hype: Transforming Subsurface and Production With AI Innovations

Drilling

John Howard
Altus Well Experts
Casing Design for a New Era: Historical Insights and Future Challenges

Lee Hyson
Gaia Earth Group
Modern Openhole Wireline Operations: Safer, More Efficient Outcomes With Proactive, Holistic Planning

Neil Haddock
US Synthetic
Developing Polycrystalline Diamond Cutters for Hard Rock and Geothermal Drilling

Samba Ba
SLB
Building an Industry 4.0 Agentic AI for Autonomous Directional Drilling

Health, Safety, Environment, and Sustainability

John Schopp
Schopp Energy LLC
What Petroleum Engineers Should Know About Climate Science

Josue Franca
Petrobras
From Human Error to System Resilience: Rethinking Safety and Human Performance in Complex O&G Operations

Production and Operations

Bertrand Theuveny
SLB
Cleanup and Flowback—The Art of Well Startup, Cleanup, and Flowback: From Deep Water to Unconventional

Chris Fair
Oilfield Data Services Inc.
Proactive Reservoir and Production Engineering Surveillance

Matthew Billingham
SLB
Well Interventions: Untapped Potential and the Path Past Industry Barriers

Michael Poythress
Retired
Operational Excellence: How To Increase Profits at Any Oil Price—A Higher Level, Deep Dive Into Sucker-Rod Pumping Fundamentals

Michael Romer
ExxonMobil
Gas Lift Tricks You Can Use: Innovation Adventures in Gas Lifting

Richard Tondel
Equinor ASA
Let There Be Light! Creating Value From Distributed Fiber-Optic Sensing


Projects, Facilities, and Construction

Eric May
University of Western Australia
Cool Learnings: How LNG Fundamentals Are Advancing the New Energy Technologies of Liquid H2 and CO2 Transport

Reservoir

Anke Wendt
SLB
Geomechanical Insights for Operational Excellence—Does Strain Matter?

Chiara Cavalleri
SLB
Log-Based Permeability: What Are We Measuring?

Indira Saripally
Occidental Oil and Gas Company
Overlooking Value? An Optimized Approach To Revitalize Mature Fields


Oliver Mullins
Mullins Reservoir Solutions
History Matching Reservoir Charge; Forecasting Complex Fluid Distributions and Tar Mats With Reservoir Simulation

Olivier Sissmann
IFP Energies Nouvelles
Investigating the Potential of Geologic Hydrogen Source Rocks and Reservoirs in Continental Settings

Russell Farmer
ADNOC
Navigating Uncertainty for Value With Examples From Petrophysics

Ruth Thomas
Well-Safe Solutions
The Subsurface Secret to Optimized Well Abandonment
  

Distinguished Lecturers are nominated by their peers and selected by the Distinguished Lecturer Committee based on the quality, timeliness, and relevance of their presentations. SPE solicits nominations from around the world to cover all disciplines.

Nominate someone to be a Distinguished Lecturer. Nominations open for the 2028–2029 season on 1 September 2026.