JPT June 2026 Issue
On the Cover
New lab efforts and field deployments are showing the many ways in which shale producers are trying to optimize enhanced oil recovery in tight reservoirs. Source: Getty Images.
Monthly Features
-
New insights from Chevron, Occidental Petroleum, and others at the SPE Improved Oil Recovery Conference highlight the different paths companies are using to squeeze more out of tight rocks. -
As unconventional hydraulic fracturing matures, completions practices shift from art to engineering best practices. -
Since the US arrested and removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on 3 January 2026, all eyes have turned toward the country’s vast oil reserves, the largest of any country. From 2005 to 2024, oil production in Venezuela fell by 70%, from 3.1 million B/D to just 0.9 million B/D. The race is on to bring production back, but aging infrastructure and expatriation pre… -
This guest editorial from the Center for Injection and Seismicity Research (CISR) at The University of Texas at Austin details the emerging risks posed by injection in Texas and what steps might be taken to mitigate them.
-
This case study from SLB and offshore producer PRIO describes the longest openhole section in Latin America with the highest extended-reach drilling ratio in Brazil’s history.
-
This case study from Erdos Miller outlines the use of magnetic short-hop technologies to complement the use of mud pulsers to transmit telemetry to surface.
-
An update on SPE’s path to financial sustainability: stronger revenues, new partnerships, and emerging opportunities—from geothermal initiatives to AI-driven licensing—are improving the outlook. While challenges remain, recent progress highlights a more resilient Society and a forward-looking strategy focused on long-term member value.
-
New technical papers suggest advanced robotic systems may not be far away from broad adoption for a large share of offshore inspection and intervention.
-
INEOS Energy and Shell have partnered to invest in Gulf of Mexico exploration, while Eni reported strong productivity from its Geliga 1 discovery in Indonesia. Santos is advancing its Agogo project in Papua New Guinea, and ConocoPhillips received approval to redevelop several previously producing oil fields in Norway’s Greater Ekofisk Area.
People
-
This section lists with regret SPE members who recently passed away.
SPE Technical Paper Downloads
-
SPE technical papers synopsized in each monthly issue of JPT are available for download for SPE members for 2 months.
Coiled Tubing
-
Each of these papers presented at SPE conferences exemplifies the continued progress of industry solutions to maximize commercial value of basins within ever-changing oil and gas dynamics.
Acidizing
-
The works highlighted in this year’s Acidizing feature demonstrate novel, diverse innovations in sustainability, enhanced productivity, and logistical efficiency by authors of SPE conference papers.
Hydraulic Fracturing Operations
-
The three papers in this year’s Hydraulic Fracturing Operations feature automation, challenging carbonate reservoirs, and work in Alaska’s North Slope.
EOR Operations
-
The industry clearly needs creative solutions that are affordable and operationally flexible, and the three papers selected for this Technology Focus highlight some innovative approaches that aim to unlock those extra barrels.