Being held from 3–5 October, this year's Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE) in Houston features the theme of “Empower Progress. Empower Energy.” Those words were chosen to reflect the event’s focus on the innovation and technology developments that are building the upstream industry’s road to sustainable growth.
The thousands of attendees who will gather at the 98th edition of ATCE will be exposed to many of these advancements through the technical program which this year consists of more than 400 peer-selected papers that were drawn from more than 1,750 paper proposals.
Plenary speakers will kick off the conference with a discussion on how the industry’s traditions on innovation and lifelong learning will play into the shifting global energy map.
Among those who will speak to this intersection of energy security and energy transition include Kamel Ben-Naceur, president of Nomadia Energy Consulting and 2022 SPE President; Vicki Hollub, CEO of Occidental Petroleum; Olivier Le Peuch, CEO of Schlumberger; and Barton Cahir, senior vice president of upstream portfolio development with ExxonMobil.
These industry leaders will reflect on how their companies are navigating not just the energy transition but new challenges that include supply chain issues, skilled workforce challenges, and inflation concerns.
Additionally, there will be an executive panel on Tuesday, 4 October, featuring some of the industry’s leading technologists from Chevron, ExxonMobil, Hess Corp., Woodside Energy, and BP. The panel will share views on what is driving investment decisions in emerging technologies today.
More ATCE 2022 Highlights
- Energy Stream Is Now Flowing. Visit SPE’s new Energy Stream site to view the ATCE 2022 Preview Channel that includes SPE Live episodes with some of this year’s paper authors who each offer a glimpse into their upcoming conference appearances.
- Don’t Miss Startup Village. Taking place ahead of the official ATCE kickoff, the 6th edition of the Startup Village will be held online on 20 September. Click here to see the 10 startups that have been selected to participate in the pitch competition. Winners will be announced on 21 September and invited to join incoming SPE President, Med Kamal, at the SPE Pavilion in the Exhibition Hall for an in-person award ceremony on Monday, 3 October.
- Top Student Papers. The International Student Paper Contest will be held on Monday, 3 October, in Room 320 A/B/C. Winning presentations will be shared from SPE’s Regional Student Paper Contests for undergraduate, master’s, and PhD divisions. The top papers from 14 regions will be competing for the international prize which is to be decided by a panel of expert judges.
- PetroBowl Going Strong. For more than 20 years, students from the world’s leading E&P academic programs have been competing in SPE’s PetroBowl. This year’s competition is Monday, 30 October, in Room 310. One team will take home top honors in the coveted competition that features a fast-paced quiz that spans technical and nontechnical questions about the oil and gas industry.
- Gaia Tackles Regenerative Processes. The SPE Gaia Sustainability Program has brought this panel together to address ways to use nature-inspired and regenerative practices within the oil and gas industry. Held in Room 372 C/F on Monday, 3 October, the panel discussion includes speakers from technology developers Cemvita Factory, Biomimicry, Expressworks, and AMB Parks Consulting.
- Solving for Casing Deformation. The SPE Well Integrity Technical Section Casing Deformation Work Group will present new findings on Tuesday, 4 October, in Room 372 B/E. The panel will include specialists from BP, Daneshi Consultants, Viking Engineering, and Oilfield Geomechanics who will explore the work group’s ongoing activities and what they’ve learned about a challenge facing multifractured horizontal wells globally.
- A Career Boost. The Career Pathways Fair will offer a chance to network with industry professionals from a variety of backgrounds who will share insights on how you can prepare for and improve your career prospects. The event is being held on Tuesday, 4 October, in Room 310 A/B.
- YP Networking. The Young Professional Reception offers an additional networking opportunity on Tuesday, 4 October, in Room 320. SPE members from around the world will gather at the event where winners of the SPE Student Paper Contest will also be announced.
- 2025 and Beyond. On Wednesday, 5 October, in Room 372 A/D, an SPE Production & Facilities Advisory Committee work group will present their latest findings from a study focused on understanding roles and functions to be required from 2025–2035. This is part of the work group’s effort to produce a briefing document to the industry that aims to provoke a broader discussion on the rapidly evolving operating environments it is facing. An expert panel will lead the discussion and seek input from attendees on the direction of what will be the third phase of this study in 2023.