On 20 March 2025, the SPE France Section marked a major milestone with its 40th anniversary celebration, held at the iconic Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris. This historic venue—dedicated to centuries of engineering excellence—served as a fitting backdrop for an evening that honored legacy, acknowledged present challenges, and explored the evolving role of oil and gas professionals in the global energy transition.
The event gathered a diverse audience of members, energy leaders, sponsors, sister associations, past SPE presidents, and young professionals, including young professionals from the SPE Beyond the Borders initiative, who joined from SPE sections across Europe and beyond.
Against the backdrop of shifting policies and growing public scrutiny of the oil and gas sector in France, the evening centered on a vital theme: the role of oil and gas professionals in the energy transition, and why their expertise remains essential. How can our industry remain relevant—and essential—in building a sustainable energy future?
Through keynote reflections and expert panel discussions, the celebration became more than a commemoration—it was a call to reimagine our place in the evolving energy landscape.
Event Overview
The evening unfolded in two distinct yet complementary parts, each designed to inspire, inform, and connect.
The program began with opening speeches from SPE leadership at three levels: Zahraa Alkalby, SPE France President (2023–2025); Pierre Emmanuel d’Huart, SPE Europe Regional Director, and Olivier Houzé, 2025 SPE International President. These were followed by a panel discussion featuring top executives from the energy sector, who explored how oil and gas professionals can stay relevant in a decarbonizing world.
This first segment closed with a historic recognition ceremony—the launch of a local awards initiative honoring longstanding members for their technical excellence and service to SPE France.
The second part of the evening transitioned into a vibrant cocktail reception, fostering deeper dialogue, new connections, and moments of reconnection among past and present members.
Opening Speeches
The evening began with a heartfelt welcome from Zahraa Alkalby, 2025 SPE France President. Speaking from the historic Musée des Arts et Métiers, she reflected on the venue’s legacy of innovation while honoring past presidents and volunteers, who were invited to stand in recognition. Gratitude was extended to the international and regional leadership—both proudly French—as well as to sponsors TotalEnergies, SLB, Subsea7, and TechnipFMC for their vital support.
The opening remarks also acknowledged the shifting energy landscape and reinforced the enduring relevance of oil and gas professionals in enabling a responsible transition. The presence of young professionals from the Beyond the Borders program highlighted the global spirit and intergenerational strength of the SPE community.
Houzé followed with a global message emphasizing SPE’s adaptability and vision in a changing energy landscape.
He shared a deeply personal yet forward-looking message. Reflecting on his own journey into the industry in the early 1980s, he contrasted it with the more complex and uncertain path new professionals face today. He reaffirmed that oil and gas professionals remain essential, stating, "Yes and yes" in response to whether there's still a future for them.
Houzé emphasized SPE’s global shift, growing support for young members, and new digital initiatives like the Energy Large Language Model (ELLM)—a groundbreaking AI tool developed to extend SPE’s technical impact and accelerate professional learning in the energy transition era.
d’Huart then introduced the panel discussion, grounding it in the European context and encouraging professionals to embrace a proactive role in the energy transition.
He offered a regional perspective and forward-looking optimism. He underscored SPE’s expanding global presence and its commitment to agility amid a rapidly evolving energy landscape. Introducing the optional new tagline, “Solutions. People. Energy.”, he emphasized that SPE’s impact is rooted in its people—the volunteers and professionals who drive its mission forward. d’Huart praised the dedication of section leaders like those in France and reinforced SPE’s role not only in adapting to the energy transition, but in actively shaping it through collaboration and innovation.
Panel Discussion: Oil and Gas Professionals in the Energy Transition
Moderated by Alkalby, the session titled “Oil and Gas Professionals in the Energy Transition” featured senior leaders from across the energy sector, including:
- François-Régis Mouton, Managing Director, IOGP Europe
- Régis Agut, Vice President, Conventional Offshore, TotalEnergies
- Olivier Peyret, Chairman, SLB France & Director Europe, SLB New Energy
- Auragni Jeanson, Vice President, HR, Talent & Diversity, ENGIE
The discussion began with a macro view on European policy and public opinion. Mouton emphasized the technical leadership still needed to ensure secure, responsible energy delivery across the continent, despite shifting narratives.
Moving to corporate strategy, Peyret outlined how SLB is rethinking talent development through digitalization, carbon-efficient services, and mobility.
Agut discussed TotalEnergies’ approach to aligning internal skills with new low-carbon ventures.
From a human capital lens, Jeanson shared how ENGIE is reshaping talent models to be more inclusive, interdisciplinary, and responsive to change—balancing in-house expertise with external recruitment.
The conversation closed by mapping the future skillset: project management, digital fluency, carbon literacy, and systems thinking. This powerful message anchored the session, reframing the energy transition as a transformation—not a departure—for industry professionals.
Keynote Speech: Reaffirming Our Relevance in the Energy Transition
Following the panel, the keynote speech was delivered by Nicolas Terraz, General Director of Exploration and Production at TotalEnergies and Executive Committee Member. His message provided a powerful conclusion to the evening’s dialogue.
Reflecting on TotalEnergies’ evolving portfolio, Terraz underscored the importance of leveraging the oil and gas industry's accumulated technical knowledge — not only in engineering but in operational safety and environmental stewardship — to support the global energy transition. He referenced real-world projects where such expertise continues to drive innovation and impact.
Terraz emphasized that the transition is not about sidelining experienced professionals but about transforming their contributions into new value. He outlined ten compelling reasons why the skills honed in traditional roles remain crucial to achieving a sustainable future — including carbon management, digital transformation, and systems leadership.
His keynote resonated strongly with both seasoned professionals and the younger generation in the room, leaving a sense of renewed purpose and momentum for the journey ahead.
Awards and Recognition
This year’s celebration marked the launch of a new local recognition initiative—a milestone effort by SPE France to spotlight exceptional technical contributions at the section level. Created to complement regional and international awards, this initiative aims to recognize long-time contributors who have not yet been formally honored, and to feed a stronger pipeline of nominations for broader SPE recognition.
Five members were celebrated for their outstanding technical involvement and impact on the section.
The awardees included:
- Didier Yu Ding, IFPEN—recognized for his publications in the domain of simulation and modeling of porous media in oil and gas reservoirs.
- Nicolas Flamant, SLB—recognized for his publications in the domain of wells integrity modeling and monitoring.
- Philippe Cordelier, Chloe—recognized for his publications in the domain of reservoir engineering and enhanced oil recovery.
- Nicolas Gaillard, Poweltec—recognized for his publications in the domain of polymers and materials for oil recovery applications.
- Lawrence Camilleri, Camilleri & Associates—recognized for his publications in the domain of oil production, artificial lift, and advanced completions.
To elevate the occasion, Houzé and d’Huart personally presented the trophies, alongside Jeroen Remery and Fouad Oulebsir, PhD, who led the nomination and selection efforts—a symbolic and proud moment for the community, underscoring the value of grassroots contributions within a global framework.
Networking and Cocktail Reception
Following the formal program, the event flowed into a cocktail reception, held in the elegant spaces of the Musée des Arts et Métiers. The atmosphere was warm and collegial—a blend of reunion, mentorship, and new connections.
Attendees, including executives, sponsors, and longstanding members—mingled freely, revisiting insights from the panel and exploring shared challenges and opportunities. For young professionals, it was a rare chance to engage directly with industry leaders. For sponsors and partners, it was a time to connect more deeply with the SPE community. And for the broader membership, it was a celebration of continuity and future promise.
Reflections and Looking Ahead
The 40th anniversary was more than a celebration—it was a milestone moment. It gave SPE France a chance to pause and reflect: to honor the dedicated members and volunteers whose contributions made the journey possible, to evaluate our relevance amid the challenges of today’s energy landscape, and to reaffirm our vision for the future.
Looking ahead, SPE France is committed to evolving with purpose. A major priority is to attract and retain young professionals, not only by welcoming them into the community but by building programming that speaks to their goals, values, and technical curiosity. This includes tailoring our annual events to deliver diverse, high-quality technical content while also expanding networking opportunities and leadership engagement. The section also aims to reach regions beyond Paris and to grow committee-led initiatives like SPECare that reflect SPE’s broader mission of responsible leadership.
As we closed the evening, one message rang clear: Oil and gas professionals are not relics of the past—they are enablers of the future. The resilience, ingenuity, and deep technical knowledge built across decades in our industry are not just still relevant; they are essential. From managing complexity to driving innovation, the skills we’ve honed are vital to meeting global energy demand and highly transferable to emerging technologies and sustainable solutions.
A special note of appreciation goes to the SPE France Section committee members, whose dedication and teamwork made this anniversary event—and the concurrent Beyond the Borders program—such a success. Their collective efforts embody the spirit of SPE.
Olivier Lodeho (Subsea7); Rodrigo Rueda Terrazas, Ana Claudia A. Matusse, Moreen Ninsiima, and Nicolas Pastore (TotalEnergies); Fouad Oulebsir (Storengy); Marc Cahay (Technip Energies); Jeroen Remery (TechnipFMC); Carla Castillo (IFP School); Fabiola Maisonnier and Ainur Kaken (SLB); Natalia Quisel (Veolia); Hervé Vigor, PMP (Helmerich & Payne); and Pierre Emmanuel d'Huart (Saipem).
