More than 10,000 oil and gas industry professionals from around the world are expected to attend the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE) from 9 to 11 October at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.
ATCE will draw a diverse crowd of engineers, scientists, management professionals, and policymakers, who will be focused on the innovative technology and thinking needed to address the low oil-price environment and the challenges of sustainability to meet the growing global demand for the world’s primary energy source.
The opening general session, “Sustainable Oil and Gas: Improving People’s Lives,” will be held on 9 October. The panelists will include Franklin Orr, emeritus professor of petroleum engineering at Stanford University and former Under Secretary for Science and Energy at the United States Department of Energy; David Hager, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Devon Energy; Lorenzo Simonelli, president and CEO of Baker Hughes, a GE Company; and Mohammed Al-Qahtani, senior vice president, upstream, at Saudi Aramco.
The 3-day conference will feature 430 technical presentations, including papers and ePosters, which were accepted from a record 2,511 submitted proposals. There will be 47 technical sessions covering all aspects of the oil and gas industry and 10 special sessions.
The exhibition is expected to draw more than 350 exhibiting companies and organizations from approximately 20 countries.
Early registration for attendees ends 4 September!
Register by this date to save USD 100 on full conference attendance.
Special Sessions
ATCE’s slate of special sessions will include
9 October
- Sustainable Development Technical Section: United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Oil and Gas Industry
10 October
- SPE Technical Directors: State of the Technical Discipline—A Conversation With Your SPE Technical Directors
- Separations Technology Technical Section: Separation Insanity—Designing the Way We Always Have To Meet Future Requirements
- Flow Assurance Technical Section: The Smarter Flow Assurance Path Toward Improved Offshore Production Economics
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics Advisory Committee: Emerging Topics in Reservoir Description and Dynamics
11 October
- SPE Talent Task Force: Managing the Oil Industry Cycles
- TAMEST [The Academy of Medicine, Engineering, and Science of Texas] Environmental and Community Impacts of Shale Oil and Gas Development in Texas—A Peer-Reviewed Scientific Report
- Production and Operations Advisory Committee: Can Unmanned Vehicles and Robotics Create a Step Change in the Oil Industry?
- Health, Safety, Security, and Environmental Advisory Committee: Stakeholder Challenges for Infrastructure Development
Annual Events
- On 8 October, a reception will be held honoring the SPE Distinguished Lecturers and members of the 25-year Club.
- On 10 October, the Annual Reception and Awards Banquet will be held. The banquet recognizes the significant contributions of members to the industry, SPE, and the greater community. Attendees are invited to a pre-banquet reception.
- On 11 October, the President’s Luncheon and Annual Meeting of Members will be held. The luncheon features 2017 SPE President Janeen Judah’s presentation on this year’s accomplishments and upcoming initiatives. SPE’s newly elected Distinguished Members, notable volunteers, and outstanding sections will be recognized. Attendees will have the chance to meet SPE Board members and 2018 SPE President Darcy Spady, who will receive the presidential gavel and officially begin his term.
Training Courses
Twenty-six professional training courses will be held on a wide variety of technical disciplines. Two 1-day courses each will be held on 7 October and 8 October, and 12 2-day courses will take place over both dates. An additional 10 1-day courses will be held on 12 October. Participants will receive 0.8 continuing education units for each course day.
Technical Section Events
SPE technical sections will hold meetings, including
9 October
- Petroleum Data-Driven Analytics Technical Section dinner
10 October
- Wellbore Positioning Technical Section luncheon
- R&D Technical Section topical luncheon
Other Events
- The ATCE Welcome Reception will take place in the late afternoon on 9 October.
- Two half-day sessions on improving soft skills will be held on 10 October.
- Startup Village, sponsored by SPE and Rice Alliance, is a day-long showcase for emerging energy companies on 10 October. Eligible companies will compete for prize money, followed by a discussion on building startups.
Students, Young Professionals
A Student Meet and Greet will take place in the afternoon on 8 October. Special activities at the event will help attendees meet and network with fellow students while learning some valuable skills from guest speakers.
Later that afternoon, leaders of President-Award-winning sections and outstanding student chapters are invited to join the SPE board to celebrate their accomplishments.
ATCE’s most competitive event, the PetroBowl Championship, will take place on 9 October. The event pits SPE student chapter teams against each other in a series of quick-fire rounds, answering technical and nontechnical industry-related questions.
The Student Paper Contests will be held on 10 October. Winning presentations from the regional Student Paper Contests will compete for the international prize. Contests take place across three rooms for undergraduate, masters, and PhD divisions.
At noon on 10 October, the Student Awards Luncheon will be held. Later that afternoon, the Career Pathways Fair will provide an opportunity for students and young professionals (YPs) to speak with individuals working in different careers in oil and gas.
In the evening on 10 October, the Young Member Reception will give YPs and students a chance to meet in an informal setting with networking activities hosted by the Young Member Engagement Committee.
A Student Communication Skills Workshop will be held in the morning on 11 October. Students will have the opportunity to work in a small group to hone their networking abilities and refine their communication skills. The goal of the activities is to develop insight into working in a global industry, from cultural implications to practical advice for the workplace.
SPE’s energy education outreach program Energy4me is inviting 100 San Antonio-area science teachers of all grade levels to attend a free seminar on 11 October. The teachers will receive hands-on training by qualified facilitators, listen to a presentation by a prominent keynote speaker, and tour the ATCE exhibit floor. In addition, the teachers will receive a variety of free instructional materials to take back to their classrooms.
On the same day, Energy4me is inviting 200 high school students from the area to learn firsthand the opportunities the industry has to offer. The free program includes a scavenger hunt of the technology exhibits and hands-on energy lessons led by qualified facilitators. Students will also have the opportunity to meet industry professionals and ask questions about possible careers in the E&P industry.
SPE Pavilion
At the SPE Pavilion, staff members will be available to answer questions about membership, publications, continuing education programs, sections, and student activities.