Day 1 - Society of Petroleum Engineers

12
SPE TODAY
Contests, Sessions Aim to Engage Students, Young Professionals
Joel Parshall, JPT Features Editor
Student and young professional
(YP) members will find a slate of
events and sessions designed to meet
their interests and needs at the 2012
SPE Annual Technical Conference
and Exhibition.
In the PetroBowl, scheduled from
0800 to 1700 today, student chapter
teams will compete in a tournamentstyle
contest that tests knowledge
of the oil and gas exploration
and production industry and SPE.
Sponsored by PetroSkills, the event
is full of energy and enthusiasm and
is always popular. A reception for the
teams, sponsored by ExxonMobil, will
immediately follow the contest.
The international student paper
contest is slated from 0900 to 1700
today and will feature presenters
from around the world competing
in the undergraduate, master’s,
and PhD divisions. The winners will
be determined immediately after
the presentations.
The young professionals’ reception
will be held from 1730 to 1900 today.
The event is complimentary, but
tickets are required and are obtainable
at registration.
A new session, “Cross-Generational
Teams Adding Value to the Workplace,”
is scheduled from 0900 to 1445
Tuesday for students, YPs, and
professionals at all stages of their
careers. Participants will work within
a cross-generational team to solve an
industry-related challenge provided
in a case study. The facilitator for
the session will be C. Susan Howes,
reservoir management consultant
with Chevron.
The idea behind the session is
that, whether students, young
professionals, those in
midcareer, or seasoned
professionals, everyone
encounters challenges
in the workplace.
Overcoming those
challenges requires a
combination of technical
skills, soft skills, and
teamwork. The event
will allow participants
to practice these skills
by working within a
cross-generational team
to solve a challenge. Participants will
be given a case study, allowing them
to hone their skills in communication,
negotiation, and collaboration to
present a solution.
The session is sponsored by Aera
and is supported by the SPE Soft Skills
Council, the SPE Young Professionals
just
because you’re
breaking ground,
doesn’t mean
you’re using
groundbreaking
technology.
Expect the Unconventional
Howes
Scott
Coordinating Committee, and the SPE
Talent Council.
A session for faculty advisors and
section student liaison officers is
slated from 1000 to 1200 Tuesday.
Participants will discuss how they can
work more effectively together, share
best practices, and identify better ways
to engage students as the professionals
of tomorrow.
Several student events were held
Sunday. The day opened with a
student meet-and-greet session,
sponsored by Newfield Exploration.
Following that was the student awards
luncheon, sponsored by BHP Billiton. It
marked the first time that the student
awards have been given at an event
specifically for students. Dan Scott,
senior technical adviser at Baker
Hughes, gave the keynote address.
The Gold Standard Achievement and
Outstanding Student chapters were
honored, along with scholarship
recipients and the regional paper
contest winners who are competing
in today’s international student
paper contest.
Also new to ATCE was the session
“Student Great Ideas—Hear Our Voice,”
sponsored by Getenergy. Students
competed in teams to create their own
technical or professional workshop on
a subject of their choosing. The winning
team earned the right to take its
concept to full design and production.
Getenergy will fly the team to London,
where the company will host the
workshop at its 2013 global conference.
In addition, the student chapter
officer workshop was held Sunday.
Training Department
Directs 19 Courses
T
he SPE Global Training Department
oversaw the instruction of
12 courses on Saturday and
Sunday. Topics included hydraulic
fracturing, forecasting, shale
selection, asset management, and
reservoir simulation.
Seven more training sessions will
be offered on Thursday at the Henry
B. Gonzalez Convention Center on the
River Level. Onsite registration will
open at 0700. Those interested can
also register by visiting the SPE main
registration center at the front of the
exhibit floor.
Post-conference training will cover
artificial lift, coiled tubing, horizontal
well completions, and much more.
To find out more, visit the Training
Department inside the SPE Pavilion or
online at www.spe.org/training.
35874 Sanjel Brand Ad_ATCEShowDaily.Rev.indd 1 12-09-17 1:33 PM