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, ALRDC, SEG and HGS, among many others. In a time when many of our friends and fellow professional society members are looking for new opportunities, this virtual event provides job seekers with opportunities to meet with energy industry companies that are hiring in upstream oil and gas and renewables. As an industry, we are rising to the challenge and focusing on our strengths to achieve a greater good with resilience and collaboration.
SPE-GCS has partnered with Texas Workforce Solutions, a partner of the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). This collaboration is very beneficial to participating jobseekers, as it allows no-cost attendance for both jobseekers and employers. This partnership has also enabled the MiT committee to provide a platform for experienced upstream and energy professionals and companies to meet fully virtually, connect and create value for both employers and jobseekers. I highly encourage employers to visit spegcs. org/hiring-event/ to register. There are a lot of talented individuals looking for the right opportunity, and we know that when the industry recovers, available, talented and trained professionals will be scarce.
To kick off the hiring event, the MiT committee has organized an industry panel discussion on April 6, 2021, titled: “Pivot or Patience: What’s Next for Oil and Gas Professionals?” This panel will feature some excellent speakers: Thomas A. Blasingame, 2021 SPE president and a Texas A&M professor; Nathan Meehan, 2016 SPE president, president of CMG Petroleum Consulting and senior technology advisor for Petro.ai; David Gibson, owner of Gibson Reports; and Melanie Woods, managing partner and career coach at CGL Recruiting. The panel will be moderated by C. Susan Howes, VP of engineering at Subsurface Consultants. For more information and to register, please visit spegcs.org/events/6001/. The panel discussion is open to all members, regardless of employment status.
In international news, Bloomberg reported that “Saudi Arabia and its OPEC+ allies shocked the oil market with a decision to keep supply in check, sending prices surging and adding inflationary pressure to the global economy as it emerges from the pandemic.” This and many other factors, including geopolitics, industry and world recovery, and a debate over potential global inflation, will likely affect the oil price in the short to medium term. Recently, WTI Crude and Brent Crude oil prices have ranged between $60 and $70. Baker Hughes reports continue to show a slight increase in rig count in the US compared to previous months.
Within SPE-GCS, here are a few highlights this month: The Completions and Production Study Group is hosting a Distinguished Lecturer event titled “Making Decisions Using Completions Diagnostic Tools in Unconventional Reservoirs.” The Continuing Education Committee is hosting a training class titled “Distinct Reservoir Engineering Aspects for Near-Critical Reservoirs.” The Golf Committee is hosting the 2021 48th Annual Golf Tournament. Finally, the Community Services Committee is looking for volunteers for the STEM-E Talks. Check the events calendar for more information and to register.
Until next month,
Simeon