Society of Petroleum Engineers Membership Reaches New High; Over 79,000 Members Worldwide at 2007 Year-end
29 January 2008
Contact:
Margaret Watson
Society of Petroleum Engineers
+1-972-952-9304
mwatson@spe.org
RICHARDSON, Texas (28 January 2008) – Total professional and student membership in the Society of Petroleum Engineers grew 8 percent to a record 79,300 members worldwide in 2007, including an increase in members under age 35.
SPE membership includes engineers, scientists, technicians, managers, operators, educators and other professionals who work in the global upstream oil and gas industry, as well as students who are studying petroleum engineering or a related field.SPE membership has grown 23 percent since 2004.
| Membership Category | 2007 Membership | 2006 Membership |
| Professional members | 60,600 | 56,500 |
| Student members | 18,700 | 16,800 |
Largest Membership Growth
For 2007, membership increased in virtually every region of the world, with the largest growth occurring in the Middle East region, including India, which increased 15 percent. Membership in the Northern Asia Pacific region, which includes China, increased 10 percent.
An important indicator that more young people are entering the upstream industry is the growth in members under age 35, helping to reverse the aging of the profession. In 2007, 21 percent of SPE members were under age 35, up from 20 percent in 2006 and 14 percent in 2000. In 2007, the average age of SPE members was 46, compared with an average age of 47 in 2006.
"We are especially pleased with the 11 percent increase in student members, which shows that young people are attracted by the bright career opportunities in the upstream industry. Today, there is a shortage of engineers and geoscientists to help meet record global energy demand. We also must recruit new entrants to the petroleum industry to replace a wave of retirements expected over the next decade,” said William M. Cobb, 2008 SPE president.
SPE offers free membership to university students enrolled in petroleum engineering programs and related fields, and programs to help accelerate their transition into the industry. Chevron Corp. sponsors the SPE student membership program, and is underwriting the university student annual membership dues for the next two years.
#30#
About SPE
The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) is a not-for-profit professional association whose members are engaged in energy resources development and production. SPE serves 79,000-plus members from more than 115 countries worldwide. SPE is a key resource for technical knowledge related to the oil and gas exploration and production industry and provides services through its publications, conferences, workshops, forums, and website at www.spe.org.
