SPE News
SPE Journal is seeking submissions for a special issue on sustainable enhanced oil recovery (EOR), highlighting innovations that boost oil recovery while reducing CO2 emissions and environmental impact. The Call for Papers opens on 15 October 2026.
From scholarships and Distinguished Lecturers to SPE.org and technical resources, the SPE Foundation quietly shaped the member experience for nearly 50 years. This retrospective explores its legacy as its mission continues within SPEI.
The Acid Stimulation Technical Section aims to provide a global home for engineers, scientists, researchers, and practitioners working on acid stimulation in carbonate and sandstone reservoirs.
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Orville D. Gaither, 1990 SPE President and an SPE Foundation trustee, died 29 June. Gaither’s presidency was marked by the opening of several international SPE sections and his extensive traveling to visit members around the world. When recollecting his presidency, Gaither often used “Enroute” to sum up the year, in which he journeyed 25,000 miles in commercial airlin… -
Chris Nussbaum, SPE, died 5 May. He was the chairman of the SPE Aberdeen Section from 2009 to 2011. Nussbaum was interpretation development advisor at Archer UK, where he provided expert technical support in log processing and interpretation services for the global wireline division. He joined Archer in 2011 as data services manager. Nussbaum was the chief executive o…
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Noel D. Rietman, SPE, died 4 March. He was 83. Rietman was the SPE President in 1987 and the president of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers in 1994. Much like the current year, Rietman’s year of SPE presidency saw the industry go through a downturn, with oil prices dropping steeply in 1986. In the May 2016 JPT issue, 2016 SPE Pre…
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Joseph John (Joe) Taber died 29 December 2016 at the age of 96. He was a Distinguished Member of SPE and the Improved Oil Recovery Pioneer Awardee in 1990 from SPE and the Department of Energy.
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A message from David Quirk, SPE Canadian Educational Foundation Chair, and Helen Chang, SPE Canadian Educational Trust Past Chair
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SPE’s Senior Professionals – members aged 55 and older – are integral to SPE and the oil and gas industry. That’s why this year, we’re initiating programs and services that will target the extensive skills, expertise, and experiences of this member group.
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Lawrence Buck Curtis, SPE, died 25 January. He was the SPE president in 1971 and a trustee of the SPE Foundation. Curtis joined Conoco in 1949 and spent his career of more than 40 years with the company. He held several management positions there, including chief engineer and manager of international operations and general manager for production engineering services, …
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For more than 35 years, the SPE Foundation has played an important role in providing support for SPE programs and services for members. SPE Foundation trustees, who are all past presidents of SPE, are dedicated to the principles of OneSPE, and are particularly keen to fund activities that benefit SPE members worldwide.
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Michael Lyle Payne, SPE, died 9 September 2016. He was 56. Payne had more than 30 years of experience in the industry, including in drilling operations, computing, research, and consulting. He was recognized with the SPE Drilling Engineering Award in 2000. Payne was a segment engineering technical authority at BP and previously held positions at the company leading up…
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Keith Hal Coats, SPE, died 13 September 2016. He was 81. He was an accomplished teacher and pioneer developer of reservoir simulation software. In 1992, Coats founded Coats Engineering and served as the president until 2005 and technical director until his death. There he developed the reservoir simulator, Sensor, beginning in 1992 and continued to work on it until hi…
