SPE-GCS Blog

December 1st, 2021

Adios to 2021, the Membership Taskforce Report and a Scholarship Endowment Fund Update

What an interesting year it’s been. We started the year not knowing how it would end, but things are getting back to normal. There have been trials this year, but overall, it’s been a positive one. It’s a blessing to see most of our colleagues and loved ones who lost their jobs getting back into the workforce and providing for their families. In this month’s edition of the “Chairs Corner,” I will focus on two main things: the report from the membership task force and the Scholarship Endowment Fund (SEF).

One of the key things I mentioned in the August “Chair’s Corner” was creating a task force to review and discuss the decline in membership. I want to thank John Vozniak and the membership task force team for …

November 1st, 2021

We have one more month until the end of the year, and it’s been an interesting one. We began with a great deal of uncertainty about the pandemic and how it will change the norm. We’ve seen more than half of the workforce return to the office; the surge of the delta variant; and many of our colleagues, friends and family return back to work and school. We’ve also seen oil getting back to encouraging prices and rig counts returning to normal levels. I’m glad things are turning around and I’m looking forward to the New Year. With regard to SPE-GCS, it’s a healthy section, as we are hosting events and sessions to engage our members. In this month's “Chair's Corner,” I’ll review the benefits of SPE membership.

I encourage all SPE members to renew their membership. If you are a current member, …

October 1st, 2021

The upsurge of the delta variant cases in the United States has slowed the US economic recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic because of the public still being uncomfortable returning to normal operations. According to an article published by the Houston public media, the new strain makes up more than 75% of new covid-19 cases in the Houston area. In Texas, new cases are up 92%, and hospitalization is up 49%. The gulf coast section has done a phenomenal job following the CDC rules and guidelines in all our events. We have adopted a hybrid approach to our events, still delivering high-level technical content to our members. For those not comfortable attending an in-person event, there is always a virtual option present.

As previously discussed, we are going to focus on a few key areas this year. We are first going to take …

September 1st, 2021

We kicked off the 2021-2022 SPE-

GCS year in person and virtually at the Core Laboratories facility. We had the opportunity to thank the outgoing board for their time and for helping us navigate the challenges of the pandemic. I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Simeon Eburi, past chair, for his excellent leadership during his term and wish him the best in his new role, Regional Director, North America Region, on the SPE International Board of Directors.

The event at Core Laboratories was also an opportunity to welcome new board members. I had a chance to discuss and engage with them during the kickoff, review the section's financial health and share my section goals for the upcoming year, including:

• Establish a committee to examine and analyze the decline in SPE-GCS membership, and report to the SPE- GCS Board of Directors. …

August 1st, 2021

The SPE-GCS extends a warm welcome to our new chair, Nii Ahele Nunoo. We thought we’d introduce him by sharing part of our conversation.

Connect: Where are you originally from and how did you wind up in Houston, Texas?

Nii Ahele Nunoo: I was born in Accra, the capital city of Ghana, an oil-producing country in sub-Saharan Africa on the west coast.

After college, I moved to New York in 2008 to find a job during the economic recession. To increase my chances of landing an engineering position, I soon relocated to Houston. During my early years in Houston, I watched the movie “Big Men” about the oil discovery in Ghana. It solidified my resolve to be a part of the oil and gas industry and learn all I could, so I could one day return home to help …

July 1st, 2021

Simeon Eburi - 2020-2021 SPE-GCS Chair

Thank you from The Virtual SPE-GCS Chair

It’s been a great pleasure serving you as SPE-GCS chair for the past twelve months! On August 1st, 2021 the new SPE Gulf Coast Section chair for the 2021-2022 fiscal year will be Nii Ahele Nunoo. He will lead the section and its members to new highs. The section is in great hands, and I wish Nii and the board continued success as they lead the section through the post-COVID environment and the previously announced intention to explore a merger with AAPG. In this final article, I will provide an update of some of the goals and accomplishments and share some final thoughts.

At the annual SPE-GCS kickoff meeting last year, I outlined some of the goals for the section with support from the board. Here’s an update: …

June 1st, 2021

The SPE-GCS Podcast is Here!

It’s my pleasure to announce that this month, the SPE Gulf Coast Section will launch its first podcast episode. It took a lot of hard work and dedication by the SPE-GCS Communications Committee volunteers, speakers and podcast hosts, but the SPE-GCS podcast is here! This month, I will share thoughts on how the post- COVID world may affect our section programs and give you more details about the podcast launch.

With a larger percentage of people in the US getting vaccinated, there is growing optimism that soon we will return to normal – or the “new normal.” You may have heard about companies in our industry sharing or discussing return-to-the-office plans. Some companies are going back to the office in person; others are still fully or partially working remotely. One word you will hear frequently in …

May 1st, 2021

The Future is Bright

In Texas, all adults are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. This is a moment many have been waiting for, as it symbolizes a big step closer toward getting back to some normalcy. The combined effect of more and more people getting vaccinated by the day, and the reported effectiveness of the vaccines administered, gives me hope that one day soon we will overcome the challenges we have all lived through over the past year. As a section, we cannot wait to get back to doing what we do best – providing opportunities for our members to exchange technical knowledge and allowing them to build relationships through networking. This month, I will highlight a few upcoming events, including Geothermal Experience (GTX 2021) and our flagship event for Young Professionals – Roughneck Camp (RNC).

A few months ago, …

April 1st, 2021

Keeping the Section Going

Our section members and affiliates have done an incredible job adapting. By necessity, our members have become very proficient at conducting virtual meetings,

webinars, virtual conferences, virtual award ceremonies, virtual networking events and even virtual hiring events! This month, it’s my pleasure to highlight the SPE-GCS Members in Transition (MiT) Committee’s Spring 2021 Energy Professionals Virtual Hiring Event. This event is a great example of collaboration, adaptation and resilience.

On April 7, 2021, the MiT Committee will hold a virtual hiring event for energy professionals. This event, organized by volunteers, is for energy professional members of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and members of our collaborating organizations. This is one of the many benefits of being an active member of a professional society. Some of the collaborating organizations include AADE, AAPG, ASME, ASCE,

IEEE, SWE, SHPE, …

March 1st, 2021

What’s Happening in the Section?

This month marks almost a year since the world changed due to the pandemic. I want to encourage all our members to hang in there, because with each passing day, we are closer to the end than we are to the beginning. Our section members are ready to return to normal, even if it’s just a “new normal.” I would normally write about our upcoming flagship one-day conferences and events scheduled for the spring, but nothing is normal. I will share how our study group and committee leaders have been managing events and venue contracts for the larger conferences with all the uncertainty, and highlight recent and upcoming events.

Most of our major in-person one-day conferences in 2020 were postponed as much as one year later, and the venues were very accommodating and understanding. Now, a year …