There is no doubt that the fifth edition of the Unconventional Resources Technology Conference (URTeC) held, 24-26 July 2017 in Austin, Texas was an overwhelming success.
With the industry beginning to recover from a long downturn and the resulting stranglehold on unconventional reservoirs, the timing of this premier meeting on unconventional resource technology couldn’t have been better.
Stemming from the recent surge in the upstream industry, there were 1,000+ more attendees than the previous year’s meeting in San Antonio, and they were able to make the most of their experience thanks to a nearly sold out exhibition with exhibitors from all across the unconventional market.
The Opening Plenary set the stage for the conference with a packed ballroom that featured keynote addresses from Gene Beck, Senior Vice President for U.S. Onshore, Statoil; Alex Archila, President, North America Shale, BHP Billiton; and Greg Guidry, Executive Vice President, Unconventionals, Shell, who discussed how unconventional operators can quickly respond to dynamic price changes and are capable of drilling and producing profitably even when the price of oil is relatively low, thus defying world expectations by doing more with less.
An Executive Panel Session, A View From the Top: Opportunities and Challenges in Unconventionals provided insight into the possibilities and potential problems that unconventional reservoir development faces at present and the coming years. The panel was comprised of key individuals who have been involved in unconventionals since its inception: David Adams, Senior Vice President Completion and Production Division, Halliburton; Christopher Spies, Vice President of Geoscience and Technology, Concho Resources; Jay Stratton, Consultant; and Ken Tubman, Vice President, Subsurface, ConocoPhillips.
With more than 300 technical papers, both oral and epaper presentations, this year’s offering included several special sessions and panels to highlight recent and emerging technologies in unconventional resources as well as insights from top industry leaders. Topics included geology, geophysics, geochemistry, petrophysics, drilling engineering, production engineering, well stimulation, reservoir engineering, HSE, and material science.
The program also included core exhibits with samples from around the world, networking receptions, six short courses, six topical luncheons, and four topical breakfasts all with varying topics related to unconventional resources.
A booked and busy exhibition heightened the shows dynamic by allowing key industry players a chance to showcase the latest and newly emerging technologies that will help reduce costs and inject innovation in the unconventionals market.
Anchored by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), and the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), plus eight of the world’s leading professional organizations — the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), Association for Iron and Steel Technology (AIST), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME), Society of Petroleum Evaluation Engineers (SPEE), Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA), the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS), and American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA) — URTeC remains the most vibrant and vital event bringing together the entire assent team under one roof to connect on all things unconventional.
As shale plays continue to hold a significant place in the world’s energy future, URTeC will continue as the premier science-based conference and marketplace for unconventional exploration, drilling, and production ideas and technologies.