Nearly 5,300 professionals, up 25% from last year, representing 62 countries and more than 150 exhibitors attended the 2025 Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE) in Houston.
The Opening General Session, "Enabling Solutions Inspired by People for the Future of Energy," showcased a panel moderated by Elena Melcert with Energia Consulting. The all-CEO panel featured Horacio Daniel Marin, president and CEO of YPF S.A.; Clay Gaspar, president and CEO of Devon Energy; Christina Verchere, CEO of OMV Petrom; and Girish Saligram, president and CEO of Weatherford.
On 23 October, 2025 SPE President Olivier Houzé, co-founder and managing director of KAPPA, presented the "State of the Society" address at the President’s Luncheon and Annual Meeting of Members. Among the highlights, he announced the completion of the EnRG-LLM project with Aramco Americas and i2k Connect, which SPE is now licensing to industry partners.
“This past year has been one of reflection and resolve. As an organization, we’ve had to make difficult decisions to ensure SPE’s long-term sustainability and relevance, while continuing to serve a membership navigating immense change. The future of energy—and SPE’s role within it—is still being defined, but the steps we’ve taken will hopefully allow the Society to adapt and evolve to the continued challenges ahead,” said Houzé.
At the luncheon, Houzé passed the gavel to the 2026 SPE President Jennifer Miskimins.
Miskimins, department head of petroleum engineering at Colorado School of Mines, shared, “It was an honor to accept the SPE presidency at ATCE 2025, surrounded by members who embody the spirit of innovation that drives our industry forward. As we look forward to 2026, I hope to inspire members to move from ideas to action. Together, through Solutions. People. Energy., we will upskill our workforce, attract and retain the next generation of talent, and deepen our role in the global energy discussion.”
The technical program featured more than 300 technical papers across eight technical disciplines. Two special keynote presentations during the week included "The Geothermal Decade" by Timothy Latimer, co-founder and CEO of Fervo Energy, and one by Chris Lemons, a veteran saturation diver who survived 30 minutes stranded 295 ft underwater after a catastrophic vessel failure.
On the final day of ATCE, Project InnerSpace in partnership with SPE hosted its inaugural Geothermal Innovation Summit. The Summit featured a Geothermal Startup Village, virtual reality and GeoMap™ geothermal experiences, and networking opportunities that connected innovators and industry leaders. A highlight of the program was the closing fireside chat with legendary energy trader John Arnold, reflecting on energy markets, building transformative ventures, and pathways to a new era of geothermal abundance.
The week was sponsored by ExxonMobil, Aramco, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Abaco Drilling Technologies, Chevron, Patterson-UTI, and more.
The 2026 ATCE will return to Houston from 21 to 23 October.