2024 SPE President
Terry Palisch
2024 SPE President
Vice President for Technology and Engineering at CARBO Ceramics and an SPE member for more than 40 years. His chosen focus as President is "Creating Our Energy Future."
SPE is Global: President's Travels
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SPE President in the News
Journal of Petroleum Technology
SPE Asset Management Technical Section To Host Energy Economics Symposium
11 November 2025
The event on 14 January in Houston will bring together leading economists and industry leaders and will debut the North American edition of Energython, “Molecule to Megabyte,” a business case challenge for students focused on gas-to-data-center solutions.
SPE’s Path to Financial Sustainability: A Message From the Officers
23 September 2025
SPE is navigating one of the most challenging financial periods in its history. In this article, the SPE Officers outline the factors behind ongoing budget pressures, the actions already taken, and the new steps approved by the SPE Board of Directors to ensure long-term sustainability while protecting member value.
HRD Corp. and SPE Forge Strategic Partnership in Advancing Malaysia’s Energy Workforce
02 September 2025
The Human Resource Development Corporation and Society of Petroleum Engineers Asia Pacific signed a memorandum of understanding to support the development of a future-ready energy workforce and strengthen Malaysia’s position as a regional hub for technical expertise and innovation.
Igniting Curiosity: How SPE's Energy4me Program Is Powering Young Minds in Ecuador
10 June 2025
The SPE Ecuador Section brought the excitement of robotics and energy education to life through an intensive 1-day Energy4me training, reaching 1,324 children from rural Quito.
Arpel and SPE Sign MOU To Promote Knowledge Exchange Among Industry Professionals
07 May 2025
The memorandum of understanding aims to foster knowledge exchange and seek synergies in technical activities and projects relevant to the oil and gas industry.
SPE Timor-Leste Student Chapter Hosts Presidential Keynote and Distinguished Lecturer Extravaganza
31 March 2025
The second annual event included visits from two SPE Distinguished Lecturers and 2024 SPE President Terry Palisch.
Creating Our Energy Future
August 2024
In this month’s episode, I was joined by Austin Palisch, staff engineer at Liberty Energy (and my son), for the final episode of my presidency. Our discussion focuses on reviewing the past year, my theme of “Creating Our Energy Future,” and the future of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.
Recent Travels and Engagements
Austin and I start the episode by recapping my recent travels.
It has been a busy month. I started with the Oil and Natural Gas Technology Symposium in Washington, DC. This event, co-sponsored by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) and the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), focuses on sustainable energy for future generations. It brings together technical leaders, policymakers, and think tanks to discuss sustainable energy and strategies for the future.
Then, I started my European tour in Dubrovnik, Croatia, where I helped kick off a summer school event focused on energy and geothermal energy. In Paris, I participated in a panel about generational diversity in the workforce. In Vienna, I met with the OMV leadership team, an important sponsor in the region, and attended the Vienna Basin Section’s annual event. Next, I visited Milan and Turin, Italy, where I met with the Italian Section to discuss local initiatives and attended our forward-thinking European Energy Conference and Exhibition (EuropEC). The trip concluded with a visit to the London Section before heading to Stavanger, Norway, for the summer SPE Board meeting.
My Presidency
Austin and I discussed my year as president by reiterating my theme. “Creating Our Energy Future” has been the foundation for my talks and presentations throughout my presidency. The energy industry’s future relies heavily on young professionals and students, and I chose this theme to guide SPE members and the organization toward a sustainable future.
This theme has been well-received globally as I travel and meet members. My messages emphasize the importance of lifelong learning, industry participation, and volunteerism, and how leadership and SPE are the paths to accomplish this. I like to compare SPE membership to a gym membership, where the benefits increase with active participation.
Energy Trilemma: Affordable, Reliable, and Sustainable Energy
The first part of the challenge is to provide affordable and reliable energy. Fortunately, people in our industry are very passionate about what they do, and...
About Terry Palisch
Terry Palisch is the vice president of technology and engineering at CARBO Ceramics in Richardson, Texas, and the 2024 SPE President. He began his career with ARCO in Alaska and Algeria, joining CARBO in 2004 where he currently leads the Research and Development team.
Palisch has been an active SPE member for over 40 years, serving in various roles, including past chairman of the SPE Dallas Section, past chair of the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE) technical program and former SPE Completions Technical Director. He is an SPE Distinguished Member and has received multiple SPE regional and international awards including Distinguished Service. He has coauthored more than 50 SPE technical papers and holds several patents.
Palisch holds a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from University of Missouri Rolla (now the Missouri University of Science and Technology) where he was recently recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus.
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