American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2018 - 31

Industry In Motion

Best Events A Worthwhile Investment
By Jeremy Viscomi
Happy new year! In this issue, we
celebrate the beginning of AOGR's 60th
year of providing information about the
business of oil and gas and the technology
that makes it all happen. As I enter my
fifth year writing this column, it is truly
a privilege to be a part of such a well-respected and established publication. Congratulations to Charlie, Bill, and all of
the staff for the continued hard work. I
am excited to see what the coming year
brings, and to be a part of it!
My column generally highlights a key
technology I have encountered or an event
that I either attended or helped organize.
As I navigate through the industry, I continue to believe one of the best ways for
operators to access and begin to utilize
technology is through a culture of learning
and technology transfer. We all get busy,
but those of us who devote extra time to
attend a short course, lunch and learn, or
even a big conference have an additional
edge on the competition and often are
seen as leaders among their peers. This
month, rather than highlight where I have
been and what I am up to, I am showcasing
some events and opportunities I plan to
attend in order to stay current, maintain
my competitive edge and continue to discover and bring innovations and best practices to operators who most need them.
My first event of 2018, and in my mind
a must-attend conference, is the Society of
Petroleum Engineers-Hydraulic Fracturing
Technology Conference (SPE-HFTC),
scheduled to be held in the Woodlands,
Tx., in January. This will be my seventh
SPE-HFTC and I am excited to catch up
with colleagues and learn more about recent
fracturing innovations. The event brings
together thousands of SPE members from
around the globe to hear more than 50
papers and explore one of the industry's
most popular exhibitions. According to
SPE, the event focuses on current and
proven technologies in hydraulic fracturing,
lessons learned from wells fractured wells,

and how to apply this technology globally.
This year, SPE-HFTC honors Michael
Smith, president of NSI Technologies-a
Premier Company and Norm Warpinski,
retired engineer, as legends of fracturing
for their contributions to the technology
and the industry that uses it.
In February, I am looking forward another NAPE Summit Week in Houston.
NAPE Summit-or what I still call Winter
NAPE-seems to be the only major conference I attend in which actual business
is conducted. This is not to say that major
marketing efforts are not actual business,
but rather, NAPE is the only event in
which participants show up with their
checkbooks ready to make a deal. Celebrating 25 years, NAPE is known for the
buying, selling and trading of prospects
and producing properties. NAPE brings
all industry disciplines under one roof and
hosts companies of all sizes, from small
independents to majors. If you have never
been to NAPE, sign up for this one today.
Also in February I will be in Lafayette,
La., for the SPE-Formation Damage Conference. The event is very specifically
focused on the challenges related to the
identification, prevention and remediation
of formation damage. Anyone in drilling
and completions probably will benefit
from this small event, which draws companies and service providers from around
the globe.
In April, I am gearing up for the SPE
Improved Oil Recovery Conference, a longstanding Tulsa tradition put on by SPE's

Mid-Continent section, which is celebrating
its centennial. Although it is not as large as
other events, don't let the size fool you.
Some of the most innovative minds in the
discipline of IOR are in the room. Operators
looking to breathe new life into mature
fields should not miss this event. Spend
some time in Tulsa and I think you will
find it time well spent, and join the centennial
celebration for an organization that now
reports close to 170,000 members across
144 countries. For information on the conference, which is scheduled for April 1418, visit www.speior.org. Other events for
the Society of Petroleum Engineers can be
found at www.spe.org/events/calendar/.
In July, I already have on my schedule
the Unconventional Resources Technology
Conference in Houston. This unique event
brings together the minds from SPE, the
American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the Society of Exploration
Geophysicists. This unique blending of
organizations has gained momentum for
several years and rapidly is becoming a
must-attend event for many organizations.
Personally, I think getting engineers, geologists and geophysicists in the same
room is itself a feat worth checking out.
These are only a few of the events I
have planned for 2018. I encourage everyone to take a look at their calendars and
set aside time for at least a couple events
this year. You will reconnect with colleagues and friends and you may discover
a new technology that helps take your
operation from good to great.
❒

JEREMY VISCOMI is vice president of global

marketing for Premier Oilfield Group in Houston
and Mid-Continent regional lead for the Petroleum
Technology Transfer Council. A long-standing
SPE veteran and contributor, he has almost 20
years of experience in marketing, developing and
organizing technical conferences and special
events, primarily in the oil and gas industry.
JANUARY 2018 31

http://www.speior.org http://www.spe.org/events/calendar/

American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2018