X
mobile regnow
page content

URTeC Denver Topical Adresses


Purchase your topical breakfast and luncheon tickets during registration. Tickets are limited and required for admission.

Monday Luncheons

mike wichterich

Mike Wichterich

In the past 12 months Wall Street Investors have turned their backs on Upstream Energy Companies. What does this mean to both Public and Private Equity Backed Companies?

robert stewart

Robert Stewart

Geoscience, which encompasses both geology and geophysics, has several key challenges in the decade ahead, particularly in the unconventional arena. Among those challenges are the fact that unconventional plays are run more like production factories, which by its very definition minimizes the role of geoscience. We are challenged to drive the point home that mudrocks are not homogeneous and well drilling programs benefit greatly from targeting of laterals. We also face rapid technological advancements and the retirement of a large body of experienced geoscientists. How we meet these challenges in the decade ahead will determine if our discipline is able to survive.

Ken Buck Congressman

ken buck

The 4th Congressional District is home to 14 oil and gas producing counties supporting approximately 93% of Colorado’s oil and gas output. Colorado voters, especially in the 4th District, rejected Proposition 112 and its onerous regulations because the heavy-handed, one-size-fits-all proposal works against Colorado’s economy and prosperity. Going forward, we can expect more localized efforts to thwart energy development and continue pushing the Green New Deal. Coloradans know what’s at stake and they understand the importance of the industry to our state’s economic well-being.

tuesday breakfast section title

Tuesday Breakfasts

ganesh thakur

Ganesh Thakur

Unconventional resources have transformed the landscape of the oil and gas industry in the USA and the world. The primary recovery from these oil reservoirs is predicted to be in the range of 2 to 8%, so EOR is essential to improving the recovery factor. A review of the IOR/EOR indicates that most of the EOR studies have been limited to experimental investigations and numerical simulation. Moreover, the research reveals that miscible gas injection is the most promising method among the EOR techniques. Experimental studies show that CO2 injection has the highest potential of improved recovery followed by produced gas followed by surfactant. Further research and field trials are necessary to bridge the gap and improve the scaling from laboratory to field. Some ideas for future research are identified to improve the understanding of the complex mechanisms of EOR in unconventional oil reservoirs.

gary sernovitz

Gary Sernovitz

The next phase of the U.S. shale revolution is vital due to the implications for the E&P and oilfield service industry, the environment, and America’s place in the world. Will the U.S. shale producers live up to their much-discussed production potential, or will events conspire to slow them down?

tuesday luncheon title

Tuesday Luncheons

elena melchert

Elena Melchert

Update of the Department of Energy (DOE) onshore research portfolio and recent advances in improving recovery of oil and gas from unconventional (shale) resources including activities related to produced water. Briefly describes new technology for increasing ultimate recovery, focusing on field sites, fundamental shale studies, and data-driven approaches, including technologies, particularly sensing and data analytics approaches, sponsored by DOE.

mj clark

MJ Clark

Business success is not just about crunching numbers. It’s about developing others; working on the business, not just in it; building trust; and giving Millennials and Gen Z employees the tools and empowerment to successfully lead your department or company. M.J. Clark’s interactive session will provide researched principles and suggestions you can implement immediately to help you build a roadmap to avoid extinction and ensure a successful business future.

j michael party

Michael Party

The Wolfcamp, Spraberry, and Bone Spring zones have been talked about in considerable detail, from numerous conferences to company presentations, specifically as to where to land the horizontal and why these zones have become the main focus of horizontal drilling in the Permian Basin today. This talk will discuss a few interesting aspects of these zones but will look at numerous other zones that have been targeted by horizontal drilling over the years in the Permian Basin.

wednesday breakfast title

Wednesday Breakfasts

karen olson

Karen Olson

This SPE Distinguished Lecture presentation is focused on highlighting the challenges encountered, lessons learned, and best practices companies can implement in their efforts to be better stewards of freshwater resources.

In early 2013, a small multi-discipline team closely evaluated all elements within the operational water life cycle and identified cost-competitive ways to optimize the company’s freshwater usage. Although the processes dramatically reduced freshwater requirements by up to 30% in some operating areas and saved the company more than $20 million dollars, another factor was required in order to completely offset the need for the remaining freshwater use.

Thus, investment in conservation projects was implemented to improve freshwater resources within basins where operations occurred, achieving freshwater neutral required improvements in everyday work practices and a change in the mindset of water management across the company.

steve baumgartner

Steven Baumgartner

This presentation will cover perforating techniques and designs, and how they affect hydraulic fracturing in horizontal well completions. Examples of limited entry designs and the fracture diagnostic tests used to evaluate perforating designs will be presented. Current and emerging perforation technologies will be discussed. Case histories comparing different perforating designs and techniques will be presented.

wednesday luncheons title

Wednesday Luncheons

dan haley

Dan Haley

For the past several years, Colorado has been the epicenter of a fight over responsible oil and natural gas production as out-of-state activists and outside money have pushed local bans on hydraulic fracturing and an extreme statewide setback. In 2018, Colorado voters rejected the 2,500-foot setback measure but efforts continue to regulate and restrict the industry. The lessons learned in Colorado are becoming more applicable across the country. In this session, you will find out what industry has done in Colorado to try and create a more stable and predictable political and regulatory environment.

peter hennings

Peter Henning

The new TexNet Seismic Monitoring network recorded 3676 earthquakes in Texas in 2018 with 385 being of magnitude (ML ≥ 2.0). The rate of seismicity, independent of enhancements to monitoring, has decreased in the Fort Worth Basin, increased in the Eagle Ford play area, and increased significantly in west Texas, especially in the Delaware Basin. Each seismically-active area has unique geological characteristics and operational influences that need to be understood as the hazard is characterized and effective mitigation measures are sought. The Texas Bureau of Economic Geology’s TexNet-CISR public and industry partnership has established a broad portfolio of research and monitoring projects to address this key emerging topic.

greg leveille

Greg Leveille

As recently as ten years ago, unconventional reservoirs were believed by the majority of E&P industry participants to be marginal targets—destined to deliver single digit recovery factors and being unable to compete against conventional reservoirs on cost of supply. History has proven that this view was horribly pessimistic, with technological advancements and innovative approaches having propelled unconventionals to the top of almost every North American E&P company’s portfolio. This talk will discuss the main drivers behind this remarkable transformation and will also look towards what the future may hold regarding further improvements, both from traditional E&P technologies as well as from data analytic and digital solutions.