2005 Section Best Practices

Increasing Membership

• Alaska offers SPE Alaska logo clothing as attendance prizes at luncheons. Discounts for SPE sponsored short courses are extended to members, and scholarships are restricted to dependents of SPE members.
• Argentine convinced a couple of industry publications to run free membership advertisements for SPE. The ads highlighted the benefits of membership, and coincided with several meetings with oil company presidents to discuss SPE.
• Delta implemented a Membership Ambassador Program that featured presentations by section leaders to companies emphasizing the components of a successful career offered through membership in SPE. The presentation demonstrated how SPE can be instrumental in achieveing career and personal success. It also provided an overview of the section's Emerging Leaders Program, technical and continuing education programs, networking opportunities, and website features.
• Evangeline sponsored a local membership contest with cash prizes and gift certificates, plus as incentive to attend monthly meetings. The section also holds a yearly contest to guess the oil and gas forecast price. This contest is sponsored by local service companies and awards gift certificates to the winners.
• Gulf Coast reinstated a membership program that allows volunteer recruiters to choose from a variety of SPE logo shirts. The shirts serve a dual purpose of thanking volunteers and providing a walking advertisement of the benefits of active SPE membership every time they are worn.
• Java Indonesia sponsored the Asia Pacific Young E&P Professional (YEPP) Workshop in conjunction with 2005 Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition. The workshop presented the guidelines for starting a YEPP program. Fifty participants including top-level management, students, professors and professional engineers attended.
• Midwest Gas Storage offered free admission to the section’s annual golf outing for the first five new section members and the member who recruited them.
• Netherlands hosted the first ATW for Young Exploration & Production Professionals (YEPP) and donated money for organizing the first session of the European Petrobowl held during the evening session of the workshop.
• Permian Basin made efforts to offset membership losses from large company transfers by emphasizing the benefits of SPE to small companies emerging in the Permian Basin. Continuing education such as the “Starting Your Own Oil Business" workshop had an impact and resulted in many new members.
• Port Harcourt introduced a new program called “Lunch & Learn” aimed at membership mobilization in companies with a large pool of technical staff but whose SPE membership is low. Section representatives visited companies with a light lunch pack and made a presentation about the benefits of SPE. After just three company visits, the section had close to 25 new members.
• Qatar offers incentives to encourage membership by offering a 50% discount on SPE membership when applying for the first year.
• Saudi Arabia reached a record for membership recruitment in 2005 with a total of active paid members reaching 769 by month-end April. Extensive efforts were made to launch the membership campaign early in October 2004 to include all districts within Saudi Aramco.
• Stavanger organized the Energy 21 Conference directed at students and young professionals in cooperation with Offshore Media Group. The program included a novel concept with senior management and young professionals participating in group discussions and panel debates. In all, 156 participants attended with 95% of them indicating they would participate again.
  Thailand continues membership initiatives to target non-members who attend SPE monthly meetings. Business cards from all attendees are sought on arrival in return for a name badge. After meetings, the business cards are checked against the membership roster and all nonmembers are sent an e-mail pointing out the benefits of SPE membership and encouraging them to join.
• Trinidad & Tobago conducted a web-based survey to elicit information on more meaningful programs. 51% of the section's membership visited the survey site and 37% responded. The feedback is being used to enhance and expand the 10 technical sessions held each year.
• Warri Nigeria began an innovative new program entitled The Section Road Show. The primary goal is to reinvigorate older members' participation in SPE and to get new member registrations.

Community/Public Outreach

• Aberdeen provides financial support for numerous events including Techfest (science and technology festival with demonstrations, exhibitions, lectures, and other events to promote technology to the whole family); the Aberdeen Maritime Museum (organized an exhibition illustrating the industry's history during the last 30 years); Summer Geology Camp (for 7-12 year olds); and Young Engineer Club Competitions (several prizes to honor top students from Robert Gordon University and Heriot Watt University).
• Alaska offers financial support to local Engineers Week programs including Alaska State Science and Engineering Fair; local engineering explorers groups to expose high school students to engineering professions; and the COMET program for students and educators, designed to impart information about career opportunities in the energy industry.
• Azerbaijan has expanded English Language Training for 24 SPE members through cooperation with UMUD (Hope Charity) NGO in Baku. Training for Azerbaijan State Oil Academy Students happens in the SPE Room at the University. Training and the room are sponsored by BP Exploration. The SPE Section contributed funds for the room renovation and has helped stock a small technical library for the students.
• Dallas participates in an Education Partnership with Newman Smith High School Science and Engineering Department by providing support for field trips, material resources and speakers.
• Delta participates in a joint industry initiative entitled One Voice committee. The committee is made up of 16 industry organizations as well as representation from the Mayor’s Energy Industry Group, K-12 School Programs like School-to-Career and Partners in Education plus Louisiana State University, University of New Orleans and Tulane University. The objectives achieved by the joint initiative include a web-based calendar showing all upcoming events, meetings and opportunities for community service and public relations, and a web-based listing of all organization leaders. The calendar and organizational leader listing are available on the local API chapter’s website at www.api-delta.org.
• Delta’s Emerging Leaders Program met with a local charity, Bethlehem Children’s Residential Treatment Center, and hosted a pizza party for the kids and the center’s counselors. In the past two years, the Section has donated money to help buy the children clothing, a big-screen TV and DVD player.
• Denver co-sponsors a government regulation awareness seminar entitled “Effective Participation in Public Land Management Decisions.” The other sponsors include the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists and the American Institute of Professional Geologists.
• Gulf Coast supports Communities in Schools Houston (CISH), an organization dedicated to reducing the number of high school dropouts (mainly in inner city schools). Students who volunteer to be included in the program must pass CISH entry standards. Two $2000 scholarships are awarded to CISH seniors based finanical need and an SAT score of 1000 or higher.
• Java Indonesia supports the Foundation for Excellence in Education, which is a program to introduce Indonesian teachers to world level best practices in education so they can return to their villages and educate their fellow instructors.
• Los Angeles Basin was recognized by the citizens of Long Beach for their community efforts. In 2005, the City of Long Beach Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal presented the section with a Certificate of Appreciation for their participation in the annual Easter Egg Hunt for the students at Long Beach International Elementary School.
• Netherlands raised $2000 to donate to SPE Sumatra Section to aid survivors in Aceh with the aftermaths of the tsunami.
• Permian Basin members participated in the “Introduce a Girl to Engineering” program during Engineering Week. Several board and section members visited local schools and presented a program outlining careers in engineering with an emphasis on introducing girls to the field.
• San Joaquin Valley provided volunteers and co-sponsored Community Energy Night to bring together educators and petroleum industry personnel affiliated with Energy Week in Bakersfield that included a power breakfast, a tour through some local oilfields and a dinner banquet with keynote speaker.
• Sumatra donated personal computers and 45 sets of long dining room tables with benches for the Al-Jauhar orphanage school and boarding house. In Rumbai, the section provided sanitation units, water, food, and school uniforms for children in another orphanage.
• Warri Nigeria's Annual General Meeting (AGM) is usually attended by top government and industry functionaries. The Section uses this as an opportunity to showcase the activities and contributions to the industry by SPE. The event is also usually covered by local radio and television stations, including interviews of the section officers.

Energy Education

• Alaska sponsored numerous programs during National Engineers Week 20-26 February 2005. These included tours for high school seniors and juniorsand presentations by SPE members on career opportunities in the industry. The week-long activities culminated in an Awards Banquet at the Anchorage Museum to recognize the 2004 Engineer of the Year and award scholarships to area high school students.
• San Joaquin Valley conducted an Engineering Day event at Kern County Museum for more than 400 high school students aspiring to become engineers or geologists. The section also supports the "Black Gold" oil exhibit at the museum.

Promoting Petroleum Engineering/Supporting Students

• Aberdeen supports the Heriot Watt Student Chapter by covering the cost of the 300-mile trip to and from Edinburgh and Aberdeen for monthly section meetings. The Section also provides funds to set up an ongoing “live-link” from Aberdeen to Heriot Watt for each evening programme event. The Section also subsidizes travel costs for students from Kirkcaldy Institute and Dundee University.
• Aberdeen's Career Guidance and Student Development Committee developed an active programme to promote the oil and gas industry to educators and students, including school career events; using the Magic Suitcase to encourage children to take an interest in science and engineering; co-sponsoring the annual North Britain Student Research Forum with PESGB and AFES; and sponsoring a Math Challenge Event where 8 teams of 15-16 year-old students are challenged by problems provided by field examples form ChevronTexaco.
• Azerbaijan launched their own mentor program and has been successfully set up 30 local students from the two SPE Student Chapters the section sponsors with mentors from various companies in Baku. The program takes the form of one monthly face-to-face meeting between students and mentors to share advice on behaviors expected in the industry or how to apply for a job.
• Caracas held its First Seminar for Student Chapters with 19 presentations representing thesis work from four universities. The one-day event had 33 participants representing operating companies, service companies, and university faculty.
• Evangeline sponsored 26 science grants of USD 500 each to Lafayette Parish Schools, and worked with teachers in elementary and secondary schools to support science education in the area. The section also sponsors a booth each year at the Parish Career Fair to promote SPE and petroleum engineering careers.
• Gulf Coast held its 7th Annual Petroleum Engineering Recruiting Fair in November 2004, encouraging students to consider petroleum engineering as a career opportunity. GCS conducted 5 fairs at strategic points around Houston. Targeted groups were high school junior and seniors. Universities participating in the fairs included Colorado School of Mines, Louisiana State University, Montana Tech, Rice University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, University of Houston, University of Missouri-Rolla, University of Texas, University of Oklahoma, University of Tulsa and Pennsylvania State University.
• Gulf Coast and the Houston SPE Auxiliary marked their 42nd anniversary of the Engineers for Tomorrow Scholarship Program. THe program has made available USD 100,600 in total scholarships to high school graduating seniors majoring in petroleum engineering.
• Los Angeles Basin members served as judges in the Long Beach City, Orange County, Los Angeles County and California State Science Fairs. Financial support and cash awards were given to science related projects relevant to the oil industry.
• Mexico expanded their student thesis contest in both graduate and undergraduate levels. First, there was a contest at each student chapter with participation by SPE members as judges. The finalists were supported by Mexico Section to attend SPE International Petroleum Conference in Mexico (IPCM). Seven students participated in the undergraduate level and two in the Master’s level. Each of the winners received a cash prize.
• Permian Basin gave USD 50 Savings Bonds to the 31 first place winners of both the Midland Independent School District Science Fair and the Regional Science Fair. The Section also paid for 780 6th graders in the Midland area to tour the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum.
• Port Harcourt and other Nigerian sections introduced a new program called “Catch Them Young.” Senior level secondary students competed on quizzes in mathematics, physics and chemistry plus an essay on a topical issue. The three best students were given awards and hosted to a dinner with their parents and teachers. The two best students from each section competed with students from other sections in the Nigerian Council. The best three students at the Council level also received awards.
• Saudi Arabia supported the establishment of a new student chapter as well as field trips to both drilling and production facilities in the kingdom. A full day trip to a drilling rig was organized and sponsored by the Section and local service companies for 55 students. The night before the trip a social dinner was sponsored by the section for students of both chapters and section.

Innovative Technology Transfer

• Bergen holds a one-day seminar on petroleum engineering and reservoir management, which is now in its 12th year. The 2005 seminar attracted more than 400 delegates from all over the world including 66 technical presentations and more than 30 exhibitors.
• Delta co-sponsors a Deepwater Symposium along with New Orleans Geological Society (NOGS) and the American Association of Drilling Engineers (AADE). The format for the symposium is a two-day forum focused on deepwater operations in the Gulf of Mexico.
• Gulf Coast's Technology Transfer Committee (TTC) was formed to review the 2004-2007 Long Range Plan for TTC. The Committee is made up of operators, service companies and independent consultants separated into subgroups to assess the various items in the LRP and charged with improving the dissemination process of technological information.
• Kuwait helped organize a Production Chemistry Seminar with the Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research.
• Saudi Arabia organized the SPE Technology Symposium in May 2005 with the theme “People, Innovation, and Technology: Providing Tomorrow’s Energy.” There were 12 technical sessions, 45 technical papers and a Panel Discussion. In addition there were two new initiatives for Best Nominated Paper of the Year Award and Best Paper of the Symposium Award.
• Midwest Gas Storage co-sponsored the biennial Underground Storage Workshop along with the American Gas Association (AGA). This allowed most SPE members whose companies are not AGA members to attend this event at a greatly reduced fee. The event included presentations on several topics and a facility tour of one of Texas Gas Transmission’s gas storage fields.
• Permian Basin co-sponsored a technical workshop to complement the Permian Basin Onshore Technology Conference. The event consists of short technical presentations, case histories, keynote speakers and panel discussions.
• Salt Lake Petroleum organized a workshop on Oil and Gas Developments in Utah and circulated invitations to members throughout the Rocky Mountain Region. This workshop brought in many non-SPE members from governmental agencies, landmen and the press. It also generated donations for the section scholarship fund.
• San Joaquin Valley held 13 short courses/seminars or workshops that raised close to USD 23,000 for section programs. The section also co-hosted the 2005 Western Regional Meeting.
• Stavanger arranged a two-day strategy conference “Implementation of Technology.” A committee consisting of executive management representatives from oil companies, suppliers, and authorities assured high management focus. There were 182 attendees with 80% at the vice-president level or above and included an opening speech by the Norwegian Minister for the Oil and Energy.
• Sumatra initiated the first SPE Technology Showcase in Duri, attended by more than 400 participants from throughout the region, Europe and United States.

Web Site Related

• SPE-UK website is jointly maintained in collaboration with SPE Aberdeen and London sections with revised format for 2005. Anyone with Internet access across the world can find information on meetings hosted by each section as well as archived issues of the “SPE Review” magazine and reports on technical presentations, links to local sponsors, and other information relevant to the industry.
• Gulf Coast added several new features to its website to better serve its members, including a consolidated calendar of events from other industry sites; comment fields for registrants; table/team registration for calendar events; add-on registration capability; calendar event discount codes; event reminders; and improved job board and event marketing using Really Simple Syndication (RSS).

Newsletter/Communications

• Italian produces a quarterly bulletin that contains a message from the Chairman, news related to the industry, short educational papers about new or applied technologies, historical notes about the Italian oil and gas industry, and a young engineers bulletin (STYPED).
• Java newsletter features an executive interview with the CEO or GM of a major oil and gas company or service company. The interview includes comments on topics such as their education, family background, highlights of their career, current assignments, highlights on SPE involvement and a short company profile with goals and plans for Indonesia.
• San Joaquin Valley shares their monthly newsletter and contact information with faculty advisors of five western regional student chapters.

Intersociety Cooperation

• Aberdeen and London have Memoranda of Understanding in place with the Energy Institute (EI), Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain (PESGB) and Aberdeen Formation Evaluation Society (AFES). These MOUs allow for reduced delegate fees for each other’s events (i.e. member rates), advertisement of each other’s events on respective websites, and promotion of co-organization of events and sharing of technologies.
• Alaska sends notices of its luncheon meetings to other societies such as American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) and American Association of Drilling Engineers (AADE) and occasionally holds joint meetings with the local AADE chapter.
• Argentine has established an excellent relationship with the Instituto Argentino del Petroleo y del Gas (IAPG) and organized many joint events including the INNOTEC Congress in September 2004 and the Latin America Congress of Gas and Electricity (LACGEC). The Section also has good relations with other local societies such as SPWLA, AAGGP and the Petroleum Club.
• Delta participates in an annual joint society luncheon with 16 energy industry organizations. The agenda includes networking, keynote speaker and an update from each society.
• Denver provides support for the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States (IPAMS) booth during the 2004 annual Western Stock Show. The booth provides information on the petroleum industry with the goal of fostering an understanding of the industry and demonstrating compatibility with difference land uses.
• Edmonton advertises other relevant technical society events and charges member rates to associated society members including Canadian Heavy Oil Association (CHOA), ASME, Canadian Society of Chemical Engineers and the American Welding Society (AWS).
• German negotiated with the German Mineral Society (DGMK) so that all DGMK members pay the same fees at events as SPE German section members. DGMK/SPE joint projects bring together oil industry research institutes, universities and public funded research centers. The DGMK Spring Meeting is attended by nearly all 500 oilfield professionals and is the recognized E&P meeting in Germany.
• Gulf Coast maintains relationships with other professional organizations through the Houston Energy Council, which it helped form in 1999. HEC has allowed the section to interact and share services that are common between the societies. The group has moved toward a common mission and is starting to develop plans for how other groups can join, the role HEC can play in employee development, and publication of meeting information.
• Los Angeles Basin supports the Orange County Engineering Council (OCEC) and the Los Angeles Council of Engineers and Scientists (LACES), which are umbrella organizations with many technical societies as members. In addition, both MESA (High School and University Mathematics and Science Assistance for Underprivileged Children) and FSEA are supported by OCEC.
• Michigan holds joint meetings with Michigan Basin Geological Society (MBGS) and attendance is open to members of both SPE and MBGS. The section also supports MBGS in bringing in one AAPG Distinguished Lecturer each year by paying a share of reasonable travel costs. The Michigan Section also supports the Petroleum Technology Transfer Council (PTTC) through promotion in the newsletter and members participating in PTTC activities.
• San Joaquin Valley co-sponsored a joint Golf Extravaganza with members of SPE, San Joaquin Geological Society, SPWLA, and the Pacific Coast Section of SEG. Proceeds raised benefited each organization.
• Stavanger held a social event in cooperation with the Norwegian Petroleum Society. Approximately 250 members attended the program, which opened with a geology-oriented presentation followed by a wine-tasting and dinner.

Miscellaneous Points of Interest

• Aberdeen schedules three types of meetings regularly to address the varying interests or availability of their members: evening programme meetings; lunchtime programme meetings; and Emerging Leaders Programme (ELP) meetings.
• Gulf Coast's new initiatives begun this year included the “Fundamentals of Reservoir Simulation" course organized by the Reservoir Study Group; the establishment of the GCS policy on publicity for non-SPE events; funding for the ELP Emerging Engineers Conference; the Industry Executive Breakfast and Membership Survey to gather input for the section's strategic plan; and the establishment of “Financial Guidelines and Authorities."
• Thailand hosted the largest charity golf tournament in Asia Pacific raising almost USD 130,000. This funding helps add to SPE Thailand Foundation assets placed in an interest-bearing account to supplement regular student activities and scholarships in Thailand.