AAPG-SPE Proposed Merger

In May 2021, The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) and the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) announced an exploration of the benefits and opportunities of a merger creating the energy professionals' organization for the future.

After extensive consideration and discussion, in March 2022 merger plans were terminated.  The following message was sent to members of each organization.

Dear Members:

As we previously announced, a vote by AAPG and SPE members on the proposed merger of our two organizations would only occur if authorized by both the AAPG Executive Committee and the SPE Board of Directors.  

At the AAPG Executive Committee meeting on 14 February, several points of concern about the merger plan were expressed and these were subsequently shared with the Steering Committee for assessment.  Upon receiving the committee’s responses, the AAPG Executive Committee met on 11 March and a vote to continue work on the merger and proceed to a member vote failed.

We continue to believe that the proposed merger of AAPG and SPE would create a stronger organization to serve members effectively in the coming decades.  But the time for that action is not now.  

The global upstream oil and gas industry is undergoing dramatic change, and each day geoscientists and engineers work together as colleagues to meet the world’s energy needs.  The professional societies serving these disciplines will continue doing likewise by collaborating on events, sharing knowledge and capabilities, and making a difference together in members’ careers.

Gretchen Gillis, AAPG 2022 President
Kamel Ben-Naceur, SPE 2022 President