JANUARY 2026 • VOL. 78, NO. 1
View the issue page for January 2026 JPT here
Features
President’s Column: Energizing Tomorrow: Rethinking Membership
What do today’s membership trends mean for SPE? While declining numbers and an aging demographic can be unsettling, the reality is that these challenges are not unique to SPE. As professional associations everywhere face generational shifts, SPE members have an opportunity to hear about the success stories ongoing now and reflect on what will sustain our community in the years ahead.
Comments: Africa’s Upstream Potential Remains Largely Untapped
Only about one-third of Africa’s discovered hydrocarbon resources have reached commercialization.
Guest Editorial: Optimizing Geothermal Performance With Artificial Lift Expertise
Experience in subsurface production and lift design is shaping a new generation of geothermal operations built for reliability and scalability.
As Permian Shifts From Expansion to Endurance, Shale Producers Reach for More EOR, Horseshoe Wells, and AI
Even as output hits record highs, a growing recognition of the Permian’s maturity is opening the door for new technologies to improve performance.
Rewriting the Artificial Lift Playbook
Operators are turning to new gas lift and nanoparticle fluid technologies to drive up production rates.
Japan Invests To Fire Up Geothermal Power
As cutting-edge technologies unlock geothermal potential, Japan is channeling investments into powerhouse projects across the US, Indonesia, and New Zealand—priming its own reserves for a clean energy boom at home.
R&D Technical Section Q&A: The Future of Education—Innovation and Agility
This article is the sixth and final Q&A in series from the SPE Research and Development Technical Section focusing on emerging energy technologies. In this final edition, Matthew T. Balhoff, SPE, of The University of Texas at Austin shares his views on the future of upstream education.
Case Study: DJ Basin Operator Uses Prototype Downhole Tool to Increase Production, Mitigate Gas Interference in Mature Wells
Field results highlight how rethinking tubing-anchor-catcher design can reduce gas interference and support late-life production.
E&P Notes
Updates about global exploration and production activities and developments.
People
Technology Focus Synopses
EOR Modeling
Luky Hendraningrat, Senior Scientist, Petronas
Deep-Learning Technique Optimizes Sequestration, Oil Production in CCUS Projects
Fast Predictive Models Developed for CO2 EOR and Storage in Mature Oil Fields
Integrated Well-Network-Design Mode Developed for CO2 EOR and Storage
Mature Fields and Well Revitalization
A. Shahbaz Sikandar, Group Subsurface Manager, Jadestone Energy
End-to-End Approach Enhances Value of Mature and Marginal Fields
Technical Study Assesses Geological Carbon Storage in Brazilian Brownfield
Data-Driven Strategy Maximizes Condensate Recovery in Mature Field
Well Integrity
Chris Carpenter, JPT Technology Editor, Society of Petroleum Engineers
Study Explores Wellbore-Integrity Challenges in the Era of Energy Transition
Modeling Framework Developed To Assess Integrity of Legacy Wells for CO2 Storage
BOP Pressure-Chart Analysis Approach Uses Computer Vision Technology
Data Science, Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence
Kamlesh Ramcharitar, Data and Insights Analyst, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
Rise of the Digital Petroleum Engineer Reshapes the Oil and Gas Industry
Data Analytics Leveraged in Designing Flaring-Reduction Strategy
Well-Placement Optimization Workflow Blends Gradient-Free Algorithm, Physics-Informed AI
SPE Technical Papers Available for Download — December 2025–January 2026
The complete SPE technical papers—synopsized in each monthly issue of JPT—are available for download for SPE members for 2 months.