Reviewing numerous technical abstracts and papers for relevance, originality, clarity, and potential industry impact is essential to identifying high-quality contributions to the production and facilities community. As the industry advances through a pivotal stage of the energy transition, emphasis remains on topics such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), decarbonized operations, digital transformation, and asset integrity—areas driving innovation, operational excellence, and sustainable value within SPE’s evolving technical landscape.
CCS is a key pathway for decarbonization, applied in depleted fields, saline aquifers, and enhanced oil recovery. Repurposing existing infrastructure can lower costs by 20% or more, with pipelines the most viable transport option. Risks from impurities, moisture, and corrosion demand strict CO2 specifications and simulation-based controls. Demonstrations such as TotalEnergies’ Lacq project and European hubs (Northern Lights, Aramis) prove feasibility but highlight impurity and integration challenges.
Offshore CCS adds equipment and safety complexities, while modular solutions for unconventional fields link zero-emissions production with CO₂ reinjection, advancing scalable and cost-effective deployment. Paper SPE 221312 provides a comprehensive economic analysis of both capital and operational expenditures for decision-making in CCS projects.
Digital solutions are reshaping oil and gas operations with robotics, digital twins, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced inspection tools. Drones and robotic crawlers improve nondestructive testing and tank and pipeline inspections, reducing costs, time, and safety risks. Machine learning and generative AI accelerate fatigue prediction and root-cause analysis, while additive manufacturing delivers on-demand, sustainable parts. Innovations such as laser descaling robots, thermal imaging for tanks, and automated 3D reconstruction further enhance asset management. Together, these technologies drive efficiency, safety, and sustainability across the industry’s lifecycle.
Paper SPE 222048 outlines how digital twins are significantly transforming traditional practices, shifting from physical surveying and scoping to virtual workflows, thereby enhancing safety, reducing carbon footprint, minimizing human error, and serving as a comprehensive, one-stop solution.
In the field of pipeline and asset integrity, corrosion monitoring, repair strategies, and sustainable life extension is achieved through advanced composites and emergency repair systems, while predictive integrity benefits from digital tools such as electromagnetic corrosion logging. Supporting robust pipeline-integrity management, direct assessment confirms the reliability of magnetic flux leakage inspection for accurate spatial referencing, defect characterization, and sizing, enabling continuous corrosion monitoring and growth-rate evaluation and revealing that improper field joint coating application and cathodic protection shielding are key contributors to observed corrosion. Smart sensing technologies, including multiparametric sensors and acoustic valve inspection, enhance efficiency.
The notable paper SPE 222521 demonstrates a data-driven approach using Power BI dashboards that integrate inspection and operational data, strengthening pipeline integrity and supporting proactive management of aging assets.
Several studies present innovative strategies to reduce emissions, optimize operations, and advance sustainability in oil and gas. Key initiatives include enhancing flaring measurement accuracy, deploying incinerators for small-volume flares, and repurposing compressors for gas reinjection. Additional efforts such as rig electrification, solar-powered systems, and smart leak detection and repair programs cut direct emissions. Advances in CO2 flare systems and mobile gas turbines further boost efficiency, safety, and decarbonization, aligning the industry with global carbon-neutrality goals.
Summarized Papers in This December 2025 Issue
SPE 221312 Study Investigates Feasibility of Conversion of Production Facility in Depleted Gas Field for CCS by Suho Cha, Sunghyun Park, and Jonghwan Kim, Hyundai, et al.
SPE 222048 Digital-Twin Approach Enables Comprehensive Mapping and Asset Registration by Humisar Nainggolan, Ardian Shah, and Andi Wirawan, Pertamina, et al.
SPE 222521 Data-Visualization Approach Enhances Pipeline-Integrity Management by Khateb I.A. Bulushi, Fahmi H. Al Mawali, and Issa S. Alrashdi, Occidental Petroleum.
Recommended Additional Reading
SPE 221820 Operations Reduce Scope 1 Emissions Through Rig Electrification and Energy-Efficient Lighting by B. Landry, Canrig Technologies, et al.
SPE 229501 Laser Descaling Robot for Long‑Range Scale-Removal Applications by Hichem Abdelmoula, Aramco Americas, et al.
IPTC 24772 Maximizing Sales From a 40-Year‑Old Integrated Oil/Gas-Condensate Hub by Muhammad Hazwan Afiq Zulhaimi, ExxonMobil, et al.
Roberto Saldano, SPE, is technology director at Casius Consulting. He has experience with technology leadership in well engineering, production facilities, field operations, and methane-emissions-reduction management. Saldano has held positions at SLB and Petrobras-Pecom across Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia. Additionally, he has published and reviewed numerous SPE papers and has served as the SPE Co-Chair at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exposition and Conference and various South American congresses. Saldano holds a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from the National University of Patagonia San Juan Bosco. He is a member of the JPT Editorial Review Board and can be reached at hr.saldano@casiusfz.com.