From the Section Chair – Dr. Steve Cheung
GTTS Chair Dr. Steve Cheung reflects on the remarkable progress made in 2024–2025 and outlines how Technical Sections will be evaluated across six dimensions: technical knowledge sharing, collaboration, section operations and sustainability, member benefits, innovation, and student integration. The message reinforces GTTS as a bridge between geothermal and petroleum disciplines and calls the community to “excel both in GTTS and in geothermal expansion.”
Highlights from Issue 03
- Geothermal Rising Conference (GRC 2025) report: A detailed field report from Reno, Nevada, covering technical sessions, networking opportunities, the role of education, and investor perspectives on geothermal projects.
- Geothermal Accelerator Conference (Ottawa, Canada): Insights from a landmark meeting focused on making Canada a global leader in geothermal power, including discussions on Indigenous partnerships, policy, investment, and technology readiness.
- Technical feature – “Geothermal Energy: Solutions and Future Trends for Managing Environmental and Social Impacts”: A Tech Studio article exploring environmental performance, social license, and long-term sustainability for geothermal projects.
- Technical feature – “Injection for Geothermal Systems and Oil Recovery (Waterflooding & EOR): A Comparative Analysis”: A comparative discussion of injection strategies in geothermal operations versus oil recovery, including objectives, monitoring, and thermal–hydraulic–mechanical (THM) coupling.
- GTTS governance and SPE liaison updates: Appreciation for outgoing SPE technical liaison Robin Macmillan and welcome to Sarah Kern, SPE Technical Director (Drilling), underscoring GTTS’ connection to SPE-wide technical leadership.
- News from the Board: Continuation of the newsletter series, strengthening the regional membership chair network, and expanding GTTS’ presence at major geothermal and SPE events.
From the Section Chair – Reza Khastoo
Chair Reza Khastoo highlights a phase of rapid scaling for GTTS—strengthening global partnerships, aligning a network of Regional Membership Chairs, and building a richer pipeline of knowledge-sharing activities. The message invites members to support GTTS at ATCE 2025 in Houston and to engage in a busy calendar of geothermal events.
Highlights from Issue 02
- Global activities & partnerships: GTTS participation in events from Jakarta to Vienna, showing how geothermal is moving up the agenda in the European heating transition and in new markets worldwide.
- Webinar spotlight – repurposing idle oil & gas wells for thermal energy storage: A featured webinar on converting subsurface assets into geothermal or thermal storage applications, leveraging conventional O&G expertise.
- Europe Energy Conference & Exhibition (Vienna): GTTS’ role as an exhibitor and the participation of Gabrijel Grubac on the panel “European Geothermal Perspective: Challenges, Opportunities & Solutions”, including a site visit to a deep geothermal project.
- IADC Geothermal Well Classification: Summary of the new classification framework at project, site, and well levels, and its relevance for planning, risk assessment, and operational complexity in geothermal drilling.
- Education – First Geothermal Diploma Program (Colombia): Overview of the new diploma program at the Industrial University of Santander, focused on geothermal systems, resource evaluation, and project development in a virtual format with a practical workshop.
- Education – “Fundamentals of Geothermal Energy” program: A collaboration with Geoenergis, the International Geothermal Association, and Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, covering exploration, drilling, reservoir engineering, operations, and economics.
- 2025–2026 GTTS Student Scholarship: Announcement of GTTS scholarships, eligibility criteria, application timelines, and contact points (Analiese Andersen and Joven Cayao) for student and young professional support.
- ATCE 2025 Geothermal Reception sponsors (preview): Early recognition of sponsors and an invitation for additional support to make the reception a flagship GTTS event.
Message from the Chair – Reza Khastoo
The inaugural issue sets the tone for GTTS. Chair Reza Khastoo explains why geothermal energy is central to SPE’s energy transition agenda and how GTTS will connect regions, disciplines, and generations. The message also introduces the first slate of Regional Membership Chairs across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Indian Sub-Continent, the Middle East, North America, and Latin America.
Highlights from Issue 01
- SPE GTTS – Who we are: An overview of GTTS as a forum for SPE members with a shared interest in geothermal energy, focusing on technology transfer from oil & gas to geothermal development and best-practice sharing.
- Feature article – “The Importance of Geothermal Energy for SPE”: A foundational piece explaining:
- How geothermal leverages subsurface, drilling, and reservoir expertise from oil & gas.
- The role of geothermal in decarbonization and baseload, low-carbon energy supply.
- How embracing geothermal enhances SPE’s relevance in a changing energy landscape.
- GTTS Activities – Education: Highlights from SPE GTTS Webinars and the SPEcial Geothermal Talks series delivered to 13 SPE Sections across Europe, with 19+ sessions and 4,000–5,000 online participants.
- GTTS Activities – Engagement: Regional outreach including an awareness campaign at SPE Parul University (Gujarat, India), introducing GTTS and geothermal opportunities to students and young professionals.
- GTTS Activities – Collaboration: Contributions to the SPE Italian Section’s geothermal-focused Technical Bulletin, including articles by Gabrijel Grubac and Sonia López Kovacs, showcasing cross-section collaboration.
- Conference calendar & ATCE sponsorship opportunity: A preview of key events such as the SPE Europe Energy Conference & Exhibition (Vienna), the GR–SPE “Geothermal and Oil & Gas Mutual Challenges and Solutions” Symposium (Calgary), and the GTTS sponsorship opportunity for the ATCE Geothermal Reception.