The SPE Podcast

This SPE Live reviews four major events from 2025 ATCE that advanced education, collaboration, and awareness in well integrity and asset integrity. Highlights include the WITS Opening Reception, which drew strong attendance and engagement among well integrity professionals. A featured presentation by Federico Juarez Perales Havtil of the Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority focused on strengthening well integrity practices, enhancing corporate risk frameworks, and developing effective training programs to reduce operational costs while improving safety awareness. The episode also references two operator panels: “Well Integrity in Mature Fields: Challenges, Best Practices, and Future Opportunities” and “Wind to Wells – Asset Integrity.” It concludes with acknowledgment of WITS’ presence at SPE ATCE and the announcement of the new WITS Board for the 2025–2026 term.

 

Moderated by: Pierre-Edouard Vincent, Principal Engineer at TotalEnergies

 

Speakers:
Hans-Jacob Lund, Global Well Integrity SME at ConocoPhillips
Michael Edwards, Founder of EEI Consulting, LLC and SPE WITS Global Liaison Officer
Jovan Stojkovski, Department Manager for Well Completions & Well Integrity at OVM Petrom

Petroleum engineering education is at a crossroads, with university enrollments shrinking and a talent gap looming. Take a look at what the data really show about degree trends, why Gen Z is turning away from engineering, and how SPE—from K–12 outreach to lifelong upskilling—is uniquely positioned to impact the industry’s future workforce.

The SPE Completions Advisory Committee to the Completions Technical Director (Peggy Rijken) is launching a new knowledge-sharing initiative focused on best practices across various subject areas, presented through a series of white papers. These papers will be authored by subject matter experts
(SMEs) and will reference leading SPE publications relevant to each topic. The primary objective is to provide valuable guidance and foundational knowledge for young engineers entering the discipline.

The Hydraulic Fracturing Technical Section (HyFTS) is leading the development of the first white paper in
this series, covering key topics within hydraulic fracturing. This inaugural paper will be presented and
published at the Hydraulic Fracturing Technology Conference (HFTC) in February 2026.
 
Moderated by: Foluke Ajisafe, Senior Staff Engineer at Liberty Energy

 
Speaker: Karen Olson, Consulting Engineer

This session explores how the oil and gas industry can move beyond legal compliance to build inclusive cultures that authentically support employees with disabilities at every level. While policies and regulations provide a baseline, true inclusion requires a deeper, sustained commitment to accessibility, awareness, and organizational mindset shifts. Through dialogue with industry leaders and inclusion experts, participants will gain insights into how companies can foster environments where employees with disabilities are empowered to contribute fully, without barriers or stigma. The discussion will highlight practical strategies, leadership responsibilities, and cultural enablers that support long-term change and innovation in workforce inclusion.

Moderated by Mohammed Althani, Petroleum Engineering Specialist at Saudi Aramco

Speakers:
Carlos Sarmiento, Director of Culture, Diversity and Inclusion at SLB
Tiana Ellwanger, Manager of Engagement, Culture and Diversity at Petrobras

From JPT to SPE Journal, OnePetro to technical guidance documents, SPE’s publishing portfolio is broader and more dynamic than many members may realize. In this column, I unpack SPE’s current publication options, explore how AI and open access are reshaping scholarly publishing, and share what SPE is doing to strengthen paper quality, transparency, and impact in an evolving digital landscape.