Vol. 59 No. 10
October 2007
Celebrating a Half-Century
John Donnelly, JPT Editor • jdonnelly@spe.org
Welcome to this special issue of JPT celebrating SPE’s 50th anniversary. A half-century ago, the society came into being as a small, primarily US-based technical organization, a spinoff of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers. Today, SPE is a 70,000-member technical-professional society with members in 114 countries and offices around the world, producing some of the industry’s best publications and meetings.
A lot has happened along the way. Inside this issue, you will find the stories of SPE’s creation and growth, its accomplishments and challenges, and its notable leaders and members. As the society is inseparable from the oil and gas industry it serves, there are accounts of the significant events and changes that have occurred in the petroleum business as well, from the hallmark advances in technology to the evolution of the petroleum engineering profession and engineering education. There are some familiar faces here. Thirty-three past SPE Presidents reflect on the milestone events of their terms, and several industry experts look back on their journeys through the industry. Many readers will recognize JPT and technical journal writers and editors from the past, including Keith Millheim, Joseph Warren, and Dennis Beliveau.
But it is not all about looking back. SPE membership is at an all-time high and growing, with new sections and student chapters sprouting across the globe. One of the big stories in SPE’s history is international growth, a process that continues today. New offices are opening around the world, providing expanded services and programming for members. Several of the guest columnists in this issue offer perspectives on the future, tinged with optimism but allowing that the next 50 years could be as challenging as the last 50.
A special thanks goes to all of those who contributed guest columns and reminiscences, as well as those members and companies that provided historical information and photographs, in particular, Shell, Baker Hughes, Schlumberger, and Halliburton.
