Research and Development Technical Section

Digital Twins for Wellbore Tool Design: A Neural Surrogate-Based Approach

Digital Twins developed from simulation-driven neural surrogates offer a new paradigm for the Wellbore Tools design. Traditional iterative optimization methods can be both time-intensive and costly. The webinar summarizes the key steps to develop the Digital Twin. We demonstrate effectiveness with the examples of compression-set packers for wellbore cementing applications and quad seals typically used in multi-closing sleeves for sand control and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing. Wellbore tools are complex mechanical systems required to reliably work in challenging downhole environments. The application environment can cause large plastic deformation of deployable metallic components and hyperelastic deformation of elastomeric seals. Such nonlinear interactions between their components and interdependent responses make traditional design optimization challenging. In the simulation-driven neural surrogates method, physics-based simulations are used to generate training data for neural networks. This produces a tool design surrogate. These Digital Twins correlate system responses to design parameters and are used to accelerate performance predictions and identify optimal designs. Critical analysis steps include identifying the governing design parameters using engineering mechanics, leveraging domain knowledge, efficiently populating the design matrix, defining an appropriate multi-objective performance function, validating the surrogate model, and identifying the optimal solution. Relevant publications will be cited for deeper technical detail. 📢 Allan Zhong, PhD , Halliburton Technolgy Fellow, a CalTech PhD and a fellow of ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), has 30 years of academic and industry experience. He specializes in engineering mechanics and computational modeling. He has over 30 US patents. 🎙️ Moderated by Ashutosh Sharma, PhD , an ExxonMobil engineer, who at OU was part of their famous winning Petrobowl team 🏆 📅 When: 27th August 2025, 1000 CDT (UTC-5)

AI in Action – Improving Additive Manufacturing Processes in Real Time

AI and additive manufacturing (AM) are a powerful combination with the potential to accelerate the adoption of AM across industries. AM excels at producing complex geometries with minimal waste, agile supply chains, and shorter lead times. However, its broader adoption is constrained by high costs and persistent challenges in quality assurance. AM processes are highly sensitive to variables such as environmental conditions, material properties, machine variability, and design complexity. At the same time, AM is inherently data-rich—making it ideal for AI-driven insights. For example, AI can monitor the build process in real time, detect anomalies, and assess their impact on part quality as each layer is formed. In this webinar, we will explore AM applications in the oil and gas sector, discuss the root causes of quality variability, and share how we are leveraging AI to enable real-time monitoring and improved process control.

AI for Bottom Hole Assembly (BHA) Optimization

BHA design and functioning are fundamental to drilling success. Among well trajectory control, rate of penetration (ROP), tool reliability, and other factors, roller reamer placement is important. It affects borehole quality, stick-slip tendencies, and bottomhole pressure stability. The AI approach to BHA optimization applies advanced machine learning and integrates drilling mechanics with predictive algorithms to deliver roller reamer positioning for operational efficiency. AI BHA Optimization delivers higher drilling efficiency, reduced operational risk, and cost savings without compromising safety or well integrity, resulting in an ROP Increase of up to 15–20%, NPT reduction due to BHA failures, improved reliability, and enhanced wellbore quality. AI workflows replace static, spreadsheet-based planning, offset data, and rule-of-thumb approaches, enabling engineers to proactively adjust BHA. Speaker-1 : Edgar Almanza Bio: Edgar ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/edgaralmanza/ ) handles the Business Development for Americas for SGS – Redback. He is based in Houston, Texas. Previously with Halliburton, he has worked globally in Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and other countries. His career has involved working in operations, strategy, sales, asset management, and product development. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of America, Bogota, Colombia, in Petroleum Engineering, and has published over 20 papers and articles. Speaker-2 : Camilo Mejía Bio: Camilo (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thecamilomejia/) is the CEO of ENOVATE AI. In his 24+ years globally in Oil & Gas, he has served in executive positions and in Operations, R&D, and Software functions. He has worked with investors in an entrepreneurial ecosystem to commercialize digital solutions. He has several patents, technical publications, and global innovation awards. Moderator : Charalampos (Harry) Soilemezidis Bio: Harry Soilemezidis ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/charalampos-soilemezidis-045860254/ ) is a NextGen Field Engineer at Weatherford Germany, working in the Drilling Services Product Line with a focus on directional drilling and MWD/LWD operations. He previously served as team lead for the Drillbotics project at Clausthal University of Technology, where the team developed TU Clausthal’s first fully functional 1.5-inch automated steerable system. The team won the SPE Drillbotics competition for this project. Harry is a member of the new RDTS board.

Gulf of Mexico Case Study: Technology-Enabled Agile Risk Management

Sustained safety, profitability, and on-target execution in today’s high-stakes offshore projects demand more than conventional collaboration. Strategic partnerships must evolve into agile, technology-enabled frameworks that adapt in real time to operational complexity and emerging risks. In this webinar, we share insights from a two-year Integrated Services drilling campaign in the Gulf of Mexico that exemplifies this shift. At its core was a dynamic risk-reward model—supported by advanced real-time monitoring, agile performance metrics, and evolving scope allocation strategies—that allowed both the operator and service provider to respond effectively to uncertainties that were impossible to fully anticipate at project outset. We will explore how this integrated approach enabled continuous risk assessment, flexible scope management, and timely decision-making—resulting in enhanced performance and strong alignment with customer objectives. Attendees will gain practical insights into building technology-enabled adaptive execution models that improve resilience and long-term project success. Speakers: Andres Nuñez , Technical & Commercial Pursuit Leader, Western Hemisphere · SLB Andre Nuñez is Technical & Commercial Pursuit Leader, Western Hemisphere at SLB based in Mexico. In his 18+ years there, he has had varied roles in well engineering, performance and technology, and project management for drilling projects. He has worked in the USA, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Venezuela, Oman, the UK, and Ecuador. He completed his Chemical Engineering from Escuela Politécnica Nacional in Ecuador, and later an MBA from EUDE, and an M.S. in Renewable Energy from Universidad Internacional de Valencia in Spain. He has published 19 SPE papers. Doris IPINNIWA , TOTAL Energies At Total Energies, Doris has been engaged in many different energy projects. She was a key member of the team taking FID of the Northern Lights Projects. She was part of Carbon Storage Work Group. At TotalEnergies HQ, she worked closely with the research team to deploy the Ensemble Method for history matching using the Kalman Filter technique. She was the senior reservoir engineer in charge of the Anchor project which came on stream successfully in 2024 as the first 20kpsi technology development in deepwater. Currently, she is leading as the Head of Reservoir in an off-shore Nigeria deepwater asset, driving innovative solutions and advancements in the field. She has been active in SPE. She was the assistant chairperson for SPE CCUS technical section. She has recently joined the R&D technical section board as their treasurer.

ATCE Special Session 07 - Data to Decisions: Staying at the Forefront of Advanced Computing, Simulat

📅 DATE: Tuesday, 21st October, 2025 📢 TOPIC: Data to Decisions: Staying at the Forefront of Advanced Computing, Simulations & Analytics 💡The convergence of AI/ML, physics-based modeling, and high-performance computing (HPC) is transforming how we approach our most complex problems—from optimizing subsurface models to accelerating equipment design and scaling digital twins in the cloud. Takeaways: ✅ Practical use cases and Lessons learned from deployment ✅ Vision for what’s next in computational science tools ✅ Accelerating collaboration while preserving competitiveness Panelists: 🎙️ Xiaojun Huang - Chief Engineer of Modeling, Optimization, and Data Science, ExxonMobil 🎙️ Hadi Arabnejad - Technical Advisor for Engineering Simulation, Halliburton Technology Center 🎙️ Chet Ozgen - Owner and Technical Director, NITEC LLC 🎙️ Dmitriy Tishechkin - HPC and AI Technical Leader for Energy, AWS

Identifying Construction Hazards with AI Vision – Lessons Learned

A two-phased pilot was conducted by Occidental to test the viability of AI vision at an oil processing facility construction site in the Permian Basin. A commercial platform was selected because of its robust suite of machine learning algorithms designed to identify safety hazards from a video stream. Additional features included analytics on the severity, type, and location of the hazards. Cameras were positioned at the edge of the location, facing areas of dense activity that included lifting, welding, trenching, driving, electrical work, and mechanical work. The first phase proved that AI vision was able to identify hazards with a high degree of accuracy. Observations were reported through an online dashboard complete with categorization, with still images and video clips. Data analytics provided insights that Occidental was able to take back to operations personnel. The second phase explored solutions for deploying AI vision where the communications infrastructure is limited. 📌Highlights: 👉 Results from an application on a commercial platform in the Permian Basin, which had a robust suite of machine learning algorithms designed to identify safety hazards. 👉 The first phase proved that AI vision was able to identify hazards with a high degree of accuracy 👉 The second phase explored deploying AI vision where the communications infrastructure is limited. 📢 The July 2025 hashtag # MIT study - https://lnkd.in/gk_JQQet : 95% of organizations are getting ZERO return from their GenAI investments. And, the 5% are extracting HUGE value! How we use the AI technology makes a difference ⚡ 🎙️ Kyle Richter, PE, PMP , a registered professional engineer in the State of Texas and a certified Project Manager, was the 2018 Chairman of the SPE Permian Basin Section. At Oxy, he works on CO2 flood optimization and other sustainability projects. He is an experienced Operations and infrastructure projects leader.

Unlocking the Value of Produced Water as a Resource for Upstream Sustainability

Abstract: Produced water is often considered an undesirable by-product during hydrocarbon production due to both economic and environmental constraints. Treating and recycling produced water can unlock its value and serve as an alternative supply to seawater desalination and groundwater consumption, while promoting circular water management 4Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Recover). This presentation highlights several success stories on hypersaline produced water treatment, desalination, and its reutilization using a zero liquid discharge (ZLD) technology for crude oil desalting, fracking, and improved oil recovery. The examples are also shown on the consumption of highly concentrated reject streams obtained from ZLD for drilling and mineral recovery applications to demonstrate 100% circularity in produced water management. Lastly, the potential of mineral-rich ZLD reject streams for CO2 mineralization and lithium extraction will be highlighted in support of the carbon abatement and energy transition initiatives. All these hidden benefits associated with produced water are in great alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals 6 (clean water), 7 (clean energy), and 13 (climate action). The “holistic importance” of produced water and its value discovered as “resource” in the talk represents a significant stride towards achieving a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable energy future. Speaker Bio: Dr. Subhash Ayirala is a petroleum engineering consultant at Saudi Aramco’s EXPEC Advanced Research Center, Saudi Arabia. He has expertise in waterflooding, improved oil recovery, and produced water management with an extended R&D focus on CO2 mineralization and mineral recovery. He previously worked for Shell E&P and has 20 years of experience in the industry. He is the recipient of the prestigious 2025 SPE Reservoir Description and Dynamics Award. Among his many other SPE recognitions, he received the SPE Distinguished Service Award in 2024. He is a member of SPE Reservoir Advisory Committee and editorial board of SPE Journal. He recently joined the SPE R&D Technical Section board as the chair of the Recovery Enhancement program. Ayirala has authored or coauthored 130 technical papers, 86 journal publications, and 65 granted patents. He has a PhD degrees in petroleum engineering from Louisiana State University. Moderator : Prof. Reza Barati is a Don W. Green Professor & Director of Tertiary Oil Recovery Program at the University of Kansas (KU). His research areas include: EOR, characterization of tight oil and gas reservoirs, hydraulic/acid fracturing, CO2 EOR, CCUS, Natural Hydrogen, Critical Minerals, Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), and Natural Gas Reservoirs. Before joining the KU faculty in 2012, he worked for the Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute (EORI) in Wyoming. He has been a visiting researcher with Schlumberger, Halliburton, Chesapeake Energy, and other companies. He has received several SPE awards, including the 2015 SPE Faculty Innovative Teaching Award and the 2017 SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering Technical Editor Award. He recently joined the SPE R&D Technical Section board as the deputy chair of the Recovery Enhancement program. Barati has authored or co-authored more than 45 peer-reviewed papers.

AI/ML Data-to-Decision: What’s Coming in 2026?

📅 When: 15th January 2026, 10:00 CST (UTC-6) 🎙️Dr. José Celaya Ph. D. – hashtag # SLB , Principal Scientist & Manager - Intelligence Systems Lab. He is an expert in Data Science, Machine Learning, and AI. He previously worked at the NASA Ames Research Center. 🎙️Dr. Mohamed Sidahmed – hashtag # ExxonMobil , Senior Digital Product Manager – AI. He is an expert in Applied R&D, architecting, and scaling enterprise AI solutions with a focus on commercializing AI. 🎙️ Prof. Sid Misra – hashtag # TAMU , Texas A&M University, Petroleum Engineering. Co-Author of the book, ‘Machine Learning for Subsurface Characterization’. He is about to publish his 3rd book! 🎙️Dr. Yingwei Yu – hashtag # AWS , Applied Science Manager - Generative AI Innovation Center. He works across industries to develop & deploy advanced RAG and agent-based Generative AI systems, intelligent document processing (IDP) platforms, time series analysis frameworks, and predictive maintenance technologies.

Next-Gen Rock Characterization for Unconventional Reservoirs

📌Highlights: 👉 Conventional rock physics models, experimental techniques, and formation evaluation methods for unconventional reservoirs can lead to unreliable estimates of hydrocarbon reserves/production and fluid mobility. 👉 New expedited methods were developed to better describe the multi-phase fluid transport and enhance reservoir characterization in unconventional rocks with complex pore structure and composition, such as organic-rich mudrocks. 👉 This aids completion decisions to enhance hydrocarbon production and recovery factors. 🎙️ Prof. Zoya Heidari has published over 260 papers and conference proceedings. An expert in rock-fluid characterization, Formation Evaluation, and analysis of multi-scale formation, she has been the founder and director of the UT-Austin Industrial Affiliate Research Program on “Multi-Scale Rock Physics”. Among the many awards, she recently received the 2024 SPE Lester C. Uren Award for Technical Excellence. 🎙️ Aman Srivastava is a Product Manager at Landmark-Halliburton based in the Dallas, Texas area, where he drives innovation and operational excellence in cloud/ digital transformation for optimum drilling planning and monitoring. He serves as the chair of the webinars and virtual meetings at the SPE Research & Development Technical Section (RDTS) . Additionally, he is on the JPT editorial board, ATCE technical board. 📅 When: 29th January 2026, 09:00 CST (UTC-6)

Criticality of Underground Gas Storage – Technology, Economics & Energy Resilience

Underground natural gas storage serves as a critical pillar of U.S. energy reliability, balancing seasonal demand, moderating price volatility, and safeguarding supply during peak consumption, particularly in winter months. However, the U.S. gas storage system is under increasing strain. While natural gas demand is projected to grow by approximately 4.5 Bcf/d through 2030, storage capacity expanded by only 0.1% annually between 2014 and 2023, well below the 1% in the prior decade. As a result, several regions now operate storage utilization exceeding 90%, creating an urgent need for new storage facilities to meet expanding demand from industrial growth, LNG exports, data centers, and renewable energy backup needs. This webinar, the first in a three-part series , introduces the fundamentals of underground gas storage. Topics include storage reservoir types, key operational parameters, working gas and cushion gas concepts, and operating envelopes required to maintain reservoir and well integrity. This sets the stage for subsequent webinars covering the conversion of depleted oil and gas reservoirs to store gas and the application of underground gas storage and CO₂-EOR technologies to carbon capture and sequestration. Together, the series explores how underground storage plays a growing role in energy security, infrastructure planning, and long-term carbon footprint reduction. Speaker Bio: Dr. Tuba Firincioglu is the Managing Director at Nitec LLC. She is a career reservoir engineer and a numerical simulations expert. She has performed or managed reservoir studies involving dry gas, gas condensate, volatile oil, and black-oil fields, including modeling and design of many conventional and unconventional EOR applications. Her experience covers most geological environments from fluvial sands to carbonates. She has worked on all the major unconventional basins in the United States, including Bakken, Eagle Ford, Permian, and others. Dr. Firincioglu holds an M.S. degree from Stanford University and a Ph.D. degree from Colorado School of Mines, both in Petroleum Engineering.

Data, Simulations, and AI for Micro-Scale Flow and Transport

Speaker: Prof. Maša Prodanović – Frank W. Jessen Professor and Associate Department Chair, Petroleum Engineering, UT-Austin Moderator: Sriram Solairaj - Co-Founder and CEO of JGS Resources, 📌Highlights: 👉 Multi-scale imaging is now able to provide nanometer to millimeter resolution. This enables direct insight into pore-scale flow mechanisms that control large-scale transport in oil recovery and carbon sequestration. 👉 Computed tomography, X-ray microtomography, and SEM, integrated with numerical simulation and machine learning, allow the extraction of key transport properties even in highly complex materials. 👉 We developed the Digital Porous Media Portal as a source of high-quality, curated imaging data. This is hosted at the Texas Advanced Computing Center. This promoted faster learning and insight creation. 👉 We demonstrate how open datasets have enabled AI-driven prediction of permeability and electrical resistivity. 👉 We address the ongoing challenges in modeling complex fluid–solid coupling processes, where fully trained AI models are still emerging. 👉 High-resolution 3D simulations are presented that capture dynamic proppant transport and placement in realistic rough-walled rock microfractures under varying flow conditions, including both Newtonian and shear-thinning fluids. These results provide practical guidance for completion engineers in selecting proppant and fracturing fluids to optimize placement within complex fracture networks.

Cement and Concrete with Reduced Carbon Footprint

Speaker: Dr. Ashok Santra – Sr. Research Science Consultant, Aramco Moderator: Dr. Thomas (TJ) Pisklak - R&D Advisor - Cementing at Halliburton 📌Highlights: 👉 Cement manufacturing accounts for approximately 7% of total anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. A meaningful reduction in this carbon footprint requires a comprehensive approach that combines: (1) carbon dioxide (CO₂) mineralization during the construction of oilwell and civil infrastructure, and (2) partial substitution—up to 50%—of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with pozzolanic materials. 👉 During Portland cement hydration, approximately 15% calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)₂] is generated, part of it can be directly mineralized into calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) through CO₂ blending. 👉 We developed a proprietary laboratory-scale high-pressure blender capable of introducing CO₂ at pressures up to 1,000 psi. Experimental results confirm the irreversible conversion of CO₂ into stable CaCO₃. 👉 Using this CO₂-blending technology, we successfully formulated oilwell cement slurries that remain fully pumpable while achieving a 15–20% increase in compressive strength. 👉 CO₂ acts as an effective setting accelerator, significantly reducing curing time and improving operational efficiency.

Deep Learning for Seismic Interpretation: From CNNs to Foundation Models

From Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to the latest Vision Transformers and foundation models, artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how geoscientists analyze seismic data and understand the subsurface. Speaker : Haibin Di Moderator : Yogashri Pradhan The evolution of deep learning architectures used in seismic interpretation Key challenges unique to seismic datasets and geoscience workflows Practical strategies for adapting modern AI models to seismic applications Recent progress toward seismic foundation models and their potential impact on subsurface analysis This webinar will provide valuable insights for geoscientists, data scientists, and engineers interested in the growing role of AI in geoscience and energy.

The Paradigm Shifts in Recovery Productivity Enhancement Towards Sustainability

🌍 Abstract : As the energy industry advances toward a more sustainable future, enhancing recovery and productivity requires an integrated approach that combines reservoir management, stimulation innovation, and carbon solutions. This session brings together three complementary perspectives addressing key challenges in maturing and complex reservoirs. It explores advanced conformance control techniques for managing excessive water production through selective plugging while preserving hydrocarbon flow, alongside thermochemical stimulation technologies that generate in-situ heat and pressure to improve reservoir connectivity, mitigate formation damage, and enhance production efficiency. In parallel, the discussion highlights the evolution of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Sequestration (CCUS) from research to large-scale field deployment, demonstrating its critical role in reducing emissions while enabling enhanced oil recovery. Together, these approaches illustrate a paradigm shift toward smarter, more efficient, and environmentally responsible reservoir development—where productivity enhancement and sustainability are no longer competing objectives, but aligned drivers of the industry’s future. 🎤 Featured Panelists & Topics 🔹 Professor Hussein Hoteit (KAUST) Conformance Control for Water Management As reservoirs mature, water management becomes one of the most critical challenges. This session will explore how advanced conformance control methods—particularly colloidal silica systems—can selectively block high-permeability zones while preserving oil flow. 🔹 Professor Mohamed Mahmoud (KFUPM) Thermochemical Stimulation for Productivity Enhancement What if stimulation didn’t rely on brute force? Thermochemical technologies are enabling in-situ heat and pressure generation to reduce breakdown pressure, enhance reservoir contact, and restore permeability—while also tackling condensate banking, water blockage, and wax deposition. A smarter, scalable alternative to conventional methods. 🔹 Dr. Almohannad Alghamdi (Aramco) CCUS: From R&D to Field Deployment From concept to reality: this talk highlights the journey of CCUS through the lens of the Uthmaniyah CO₂-EOR project. With ~800,000 tonnes/year capture capacity, it’s not just a project, it’s a blueprint for scaling carbon solutions and advancing toward net-zero goals. 🎙️ Moderator: Mohammad Al Kadem (Aramco)

In Person Registration - SPE Low carbon Cement Symposium, Low Carbon Cement and Concrete for Oil Wll

Low-carbon cement turns one of the industry’s biggest hidden emitters into a decarbonization lever by cutting CO₂ without compromising well integrity. Decarbonizing cement systems requires both chemistry insight and implementation discipline. For more details, please visit https://connect.spe.org/rdts/events/cement-202602 . The SPE Research and Development Technical Section (RDTS) is hosting the SPE Low Carbon Cement Symposium , Low Carbon Cement and Concrete for Oil Well and Concrete Construction on October 20, 2026 at University of Houston. Join SPE for an exciting one-day in-person Symposium to gain: A systems-level understanding of low-carbon cement across policy, materials, and applications Insight into emerging cement technologies and their real-world performance Practical guidance on designing for oil wells and infrastructure under carbon constraints Exposure to carbon accounting, circularity, and digital LCA tools Testing, validation, and QA/QC — ensuring performance and reliability of sustainable binders from lab to field Direct engagement through interactive exercises and expert panel discussions Don't miss this opportunity to join us! This registration site is for in-person participation only. For virtual participation, please register at HERE .

Virtual Registration - SPE Low carbon Cement Symposium, Low Carbon Cement and Concrete for Oil Wll a

Low-carbon cement turns one of the industry’s biggest hidden emitters into a decarbonization lever by cutting CO₂ without compromising well integrity. Decarbonizing cement systems requires both chemistry insight and implementation discipline. For more details, please visit https://connect.spe.org/rdts/events/cement-202602 . The SPE Research and Development Technical Section (RDTS) is hosting the SPE Low Carbon Cement Symposium , Low Carbon Cement and Concrete for Oil Well and Concrete Construction on October 20, 2026 at University of Houston. Join SPE for an exciting one-day in-person Symposium to gain: A systems-level understanding of low-carbon cement across policy, materials, and applications Insight into emerging cement technologies and their real-world performance Practical guidance on designing for oil wells and infrastructure under carbon constraints Exposure to carbon accounting, circularity, and digital LCA tools Testing, validation, and QA/QC — ensuring performance and reliability of sustainable binders from lab to field Direct engagement through interactive exercises and expert panel discussions Don't miss this opportunity to join us! This registration site is for virtual participation only. For in-person participation, please register HERE .