I trust that everyone is enjoying the last vestiges of summer and enjoying this cooler weather we have been having. The Oklahoma City Section and SPE International have a great deal planned for September this year. We are fast approaching the Annual Technical Conference and Exhibit (ATCE) being hosted in Dallas on September 24th – 26th. As in the previous newsletter, I would highly recommend that you attend if possible as this is a great opportunity to learn, network, and catch up with friends.
The Section hosted their 3rd Annual SPE Awards Ceremony at Remington Park on Friday the 8th. This event was created to honor those volunteers who give so much effort and time both to the city and to the international SPE community. We had over 180 attendees including our award recipients, some of who traveled from Tulsa and Dallas to join us. This year, in addition to our 10 Regional and 9 International award winners, who receive recognition from the larger SPE community, the Section decided to honor some of our local volunteers as well. Phil Owens received the Lifetime Service Award for his numerous years of dedication to the Section. Steve Tipton, who is a Tulsa member, received the Honorary OKC Member award due to all his efforts with the Oklahoma City Oil and Gas Symposium. Emily Brink, of Devon Energy, has served as Chairperson of the Young Professional Energy Forum and the SPE Mardi Gras committee, was awarded Volunteer of the Year. Byron Cottingham, of Roan Resources, has served as the Young Professionals committee Chair, as a board Director and has done outstanding work with obtaining sponsorships for many of our events, was awarded as Officer of the Year. Chad Senters, who has served on the SPE Board in numerous roles, was awarded as the Past Chair for all of his dedication to that position. All of our volunteers are deserving of gratitude but the Section wanted to publically single out these members for their efforts over the years. Next time you see Chad, Byron, Emily, Phil or Steve, please congratulate them on their accomplishment.
This month the Section will be playing host to the SPE Distinguished Lecturer Dr. John Hedengren from Brigham Young University. His presentation at the monthly luncheon will concern drilling automation and downhole monitoring. The 25th Annual Sporting Clays shoot will be held on September 21st at Quail Ridge, we still have space for a few teams but it is going quick! The 11th Annual Golf Tournament, hosted by the Young Professionals, will be held on October 26th at Kickingbird Golf Club in Edmond. The format will be a four person scramble and there will be plenty of door prizes. Continuing with the success of our first SPE Spirits Tasting, which featured a whiskey tasting with food pairings, we will be hosting a tequila tasting on November 2nd. Following the format of the first event, there will be food pairings designed to accent the flavors of the various tequilas.
As you can see, the Section has plenty of events both technical and social to satiate all of your needs. As always, if you have any questions, comments or ideas, please contact me. I look forward to seeing you at upcoming events.
Regards,
Tyler Conner