R&D/innovation
The US Department of Energy and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will convert a horizontal Utica Shale gas well into an enhanced geothermal system. Building directly on horizontal drilling and completion practices developed in the Utica, the project will include evaluation of optimal well orientation, lateral placement, and spacing.
The Offshore Technology Conference will honor the winners of the 2026 Spotlight on New Technology Award on Monday, 4 May, at NRG Center in Houston. Seventeen groundbreaking innovations, from AI-powered geotechnics and autonomous well construction to next-generation subsea systems and drilling intelligence, demonstrate how bold ideas are translating into real-world gai…
Findings from two new SPE papers argue that the tight-rock sector needs to rethink longstanding assumptions about how hydraulic fractures form underground.
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The freely accessible online platform is the latest in a series of maps designed to reveal the continent’s untapped geothermal potential. -
A 15-year SPE member, he will oversee the Office of Fossil Energy and the National Energy Technology Laboratory, managing a $5-billion R&D portfolio spanning coal, oil, natural gas, and critical minerals with the goal of advancing affordable and reliable energy solutions.
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This article is the fourth in a Q&A series from the SPE Research and Development Technical Section focusing on emerging energy technologies. In this piece, David Reid, the CTO and CMO for NOV, discusses the evolution and current state of automated drilling systems.
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Oil and gas experts encourage human/AI partnerships that can “supercharge” capabilities to create competitive advantages.
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The US supermajor is using one of its lowest-value hydrocarbon products to generate double-digit production increases in its most prolific US asset.
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With the right infrastructure and interoperability, subsea resident robotics could unlock more frequent, cost-effective inspections—and a new standard for offshore efficiency.
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Emerging solutions could solve current subsea pain points, while a new taxonomy system could clarify the capabilities of the expanding domain of underwater vehicles.
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This article is the third in a Q&A series from the SPE Research and Development Technical Section focusing on emerging energy technologies. In this piece, Zikri Bayraktar, a senior machine learning engineer with SLB’s Software Technology and Innovation Center, discusses the expanding use of artificial intelligence in the upstream sector.
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Successful in other applications, self-healing coatings could be the oil industry’s ticket to fighting corrosion and extending the life of steel.
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The service giant shares how its new technology can sense rock properties 50 ft ahead of the bit in horizontal wells.
