Early Registration Deadline

11 May 2011

SPE 2011
&
6–8 June 2011
Barton Creek Resort RESEARCH
Austin, Texas, USA
DEVELOPMENT
www.spe.org/events/rdc SYMPOSIUM

Society of Petroleum Engineers

11RDC_PVW_8421_1110
 SPE 2011 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT SYMPOSIUM

A
fter San Antonio in 2007 and Lisbon in 2009, the third SPE Research & Development
(R&D) Conference (now renamed Symposium) is coming back to Texas – along with
oil prices returning to the levels of 2004-2007 and after the precipitous drop
in 2008-2009.

Despite the current downturn in the global economy, macroeconomic factors favor the
continued growth in the oil and gas industry over the next 2 decades. Global demand for
energy will still grow, driven by economic growth in a number of rapidly developing nations,
led by Brazil, Russia, China and India. Even with continued growth in alternative energy
sources, the fact remains that the current demand for energy implies the majority of the
world’s energy needs must be met by hydrocarbons over the next 2-3 decades. When
one recognizes the decline rates in today’s existing oil and gas fields, and accounts for
the increase in energy demand over the next 2 decades, one is led to the inescapable
conclusion that advances in technology in the oil and gas industry are still essential to
secure energy supplies for the entire world.

The charter of the SPE R&D Symposium has always been to provide a forum to acquaint
the participants with the state of the art in science and technology research on the most
pressing technological challenges faced by the industry. The 2011 symposium is no
exception. After the Opening Session on “Trends in Research & Development - Where is the
Money Being Spent Worldwide?”, the committee has chosen to focus the sessions on the
industry five top challenges (as selected by the SPE R&D committee) with the addition of an
environmental session.

• Status and Outstanding Research Issues on Carbon Capture and Storage

• Increasing Recovery Factor
• Water Management Challenges
• Molecular Manipulation
• Imaging
• Environmental Research and Development

The R&D Symposium will address these issues through presentations by a number of
experts from universities, international organizations and companies. Symposium attendees
will be given the opportunity to exchange and share ideas for the future of R&D in the oil and
gas industry.

Thank you to our corporate sponsor!

www.spe.org/events/rdc
 SPE 2011 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT SYMPOSIUM
Schedule of Events
MONDAY, 6 JUNE 2011
1700–1830 Registration Governors Ballroom
1800–2130 Reception and Dinner Governors Ballroom

TUESDAY, 7 JUNE 2011

0730–0830 Registration and Continental Breakfast Royal B and C Foyer
0830–1200 SESSION 1: Opening Session—Trends in Royal B and C
Research & Development—Where is the Money
Being Spent Worldwide?
1000–1030 Coffee Break Royal B and C Foyer
1200–1330 Lunch Hill Country Ballroom
1330–1700 SESSION 2: Status and Outstanding Research Royal B and C
Issues on Carbon Capture and Storage
SESSION 3: Increasing Recovery Factor Royal A
1500–1530 Coffee Break
1730–1900 Reception Pavillion

WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2011

0730–0830 Registration and Continental Breakfast Royal B and C Foyer
0830–1200 SESSION 4: Water Management Challenges Royal B and C
SESSION 5: Molecular Manipulation Royal A
1000–1030 Coffee Break Royal B and C Foyer
1200–1330 Lunch Hill Country Dining Room
1330–1700 SESSION 6: Imaging Royal B and C
SESSION 7: Environmental Research Royal A
and Development
1500–1530 Coffee Break Royal B and C Foyer

Committee
Chairperson David Curry Jenn-Tai Liang
Ram Shenoy Baker Hughes University of Kansas
Schlumberger
Michel Dietrich Andres Moctezuma
Chairperson IFP Energies Nourelles IMP
Bernard Seiller
TOTAL Hartley Downs Jack Neal
Baker Hughes ExxonMobil Upstream
Carlos Eduardo Abreu Research Company
Petrobras Richard Felder
ExxonMobil Upstream Lynn Orr
Judzis Arnis Research Company (retired) Standford University
Schlumberger
Jaime Jimenez T. S. Ramakrishnan
Kate Baker Shell International Schlumberger
BP America (retired) E&P Company
2004 SPE President David Zornes
Abdulaziz Kaabi ConocoPhillips Company
Chris Buckingham Saudi Aramco
Southwest Research Institute Pacelli Zitha
Tom Knode Delft University of Technology
Peter Cook Halliburton
CO2CRC

www.spe.org/events/rdc
 SPE 2011 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT SYMPOSIUM
General Information
Symposium Location
All sessions will be held at:
Barton Creek Resort
8212 Barton Club Drive
Austin, TX 78735
Tel: +1.800.336.6158
Housing
Rooms have been reserved for symposium attendees at
the Barton Creek Resort. Contact the resort directly at
+1.800.336.6158 to reserve your room at the negotiated
rate of USD 189 per night plus taxes and a resort fee of
USD 10 for the nights of 6–7 June 2011. The rate is offered
3 days pre- and post-symposium based on availability.
You MUST identify yourself with group code SPERDC.
After 11 May 2011, hotel reservations will be subjected to
availability at the prevailing rate.
Registration Information
Symposium attendees can register at
www.spe.org/events/rdc, or by mail or fax. All
attendees will be able to pick up badge materials on-site.
Registration Fee
Before 11 May 2011
USD 895 for SPE Members
USD 995 for Nonmembers
After 11 May 2011
USD 995 for SPE Members
USD 1095 for Nonmembers
Guest Dinner and both Receptions Fee
USD 100 (Guest must be 21 years and non-industry
related.)
Symposium fee includes Technical Sessions, Attendee
List, Breakfasts, Lunches, Coffee Breaks, Receptions and
Welcome Dinner. Accommodations are NOT included in
the workshop registration fee. The Welcome Reception
and Dinner, to be held on the evening of 6 June 2011, are
included in the full attendee rate. If you wish to purchase
an additional ticket for your spouse, please indicate on the
registration form.
www.spe.org/events/rdc
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations and request for refunds must be received
by SPE in writing on or before 11 May 2011 for refund of
registration fees, less USD 75 administration fee.
No refunds will be issued after 11 May 2011.
Documentation
Following the symposium, all released presentations will
be made available to attendees.
Commercialism
To remain consistent with symposium objectives and SPE
guidelines, commercialism in presentations will not be
permitted. Company logos should be used only to indicate
the affiliation of the presenter(s).
Sponsorships
Sponsorships help offset the cost of producing
symposiums and allow SPE to keep the symposium fee as
low as possible for the target audience.
Sponsorship Opportunities
• Corporate
• Audio/Visual
• Breakfast
• Coffee Break
• Lunch
• Reception
• Dinner
Sponsorships are offered on a first-come basis. For a
detailed list of available sponsorships, including benefits
and pricing, please contact Susan Wooten at swooten@
spe.org.
 SPE 2011 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT SYMPOSIUM
Technical Program
TUESDAY, 7 JUNE 2011
0830 –1200 • Royal B and C
Session 1: Opening Session: Trends in
Research & Development—Where is the
Money Being Spent Worldwide?
Chairs:
Ram Shenoy, Schlumberger
Bernard Seiller, TOTAL
The opening session of the symposium will provide
an update on the macrotrends in economics, industry
and science and innovation for the audience. Industry
experts will outline their views on the key directions for the
exploration and production (E&P) industry in the next few
years. Experts on innovation, both from academia and
industries outside of the oil and gas industry will share
their insights on lessons concerning how to accelerate the
technology curve, based on the latest R&D innovation.
1330–1700 • Royal B and C • Track 1
Session 2: Status and Outstanding
Research Issues on Carbon Capture
and Storage
Chair:
Peter Cook, CO2CRC
Lynn Orr, Stanford University
T.S. Ramakrishnan, Schlumberger
For the past decade, the subject of carbon capture and
storage has been an active research area, both with
respect to fundamental issues of separation of carbon
dioxide, and subsurface storage physics and chemistry.
For the SPE audience, the latter topics are particularly
relevant and will contribute to improved understanding of
enhanced gas and oil recovery (EGOR) processes.
In this session we shall review the status of simulation and
migration of the injected carbon dioxide in saline aquifers,
coal-bed methane, and oil fields. Particular emphasis
will be placed on the fundamental physico-chemical
mechanisms of migration.
Since verification is an important component of storage,
we will cover subsurface CO2 monitoring methods. We will
include thermodynamics of CO2-rich fluid systems in this
session. Integration of the diverse topics, necessary for a
successful storage project, will
be emphasized.
www.spe.org/events/rdc
1330–1700 • Royal A • Track 2
Session 3: Increasing
Recovery Factor
Chairs:
Pacelli Zitha, Delft University of Technology
Jenn-Tai Liang, University of Kansas
David Curry, Baker Hughes
Abdulaziz Kaabi, Saudi Aramco
Despite a turbulent economic climate and the volatility
of the oil prices, the reliance on conventional and
unconventional oil to meet global energy demand is bound
to increase in the next few decades. Innovative and cost
effective technologies are critically needed to expand the
recovery envelope of oil fields under development.
This session will discuss state-of-the-art oil recovery
technologies, highlight advances made in the last few
decades and spur initiatives for further basic research
to maximize profitable recovery. The session will focus
on emerging areas in improved recovery, including the
use of designer water, with emphasis on the underlying
mechanisms. The application of nanotechnologies
to improve reservoir characterization and to boost
the performance of enhanced oil recovery based on
surfactants, polymers and other chemicals will be
discussed.
The session will consider complex well architectures as a
way to maximize reservoir contact of injected fluids. It will
also consider thermal oil recovery technologies and new
sensors and control technologies that could enable novel
reservoir management strategies. Emerging research
ideas and topics that are deemed capable of impacting
the oil industry in the next decade will be considered.
 SPE 2011 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT SYMPOSIUM
WEDNESDAY, 8 JUNE 2011 1330–1700 • Royal B and C • Track 1
0830–1200 • Royal B and C • Track 1 Session 6: Imaging
Session 4: Water Management Chairs: 
Challenges Michel Dietrich, IFP Energies Nouvelles
Jack Neal, ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
Chairs:
Carlos Eduardo Abreu, Petrobras
Hartley Downs, Baker Hughes
As industry pursues more challenging targets and
Tom Knode, Halliburton
resource types, a demonstrated key success factor is new
Water is a finite resource and is becoming scarcer. In
technologies to improve reservoir imaging. Technologies
the last 100 years, water usage has grown at two times
are being developed and tested today that aim to provide
the rate of population growth. Today, the world’s six
clearer pictures of the reservoir distribution. They use
billion people are appropriating 54 percent of all the
improved seismic imaging in areas of highly faulted or
accessible freshwater contained in rivers, lakes and
complicated velocity structure, 4D and multi-component
underground aquifers. Water withdrawals are predicted to
seismic, and non-seismic methods like electromagnetic
increase by 50% by 2025 in developing countries. This
sources or electron microscope imaging of nanometer-
impending shortage has prompted water legislation on
scale shale gas porosity.
a massive scale and sharpened the industry’s focus on
This session will discuss emerging research to enhance
effectively managing this valuable resource.This session
reservoir imaging in complex geologic settings,
will examine the challenges of managing water over
unconventional resources, and improved hydrocarbon
the lifecycle of the water (from source water to reuse/
recovery efforts, using the latest developments in seismic
beneficial use) and the lifecycle of the well (from pre-
data modeling, acquisition, processing and interpretation,
development planning to abandonment) in markets as
as well as a variety of non-seismic methods.
divergent as deepwater, oil sands and shale gas.

1330–1700 • Royal A • Track 2

0830–1200 • Royal A • Track 2
Session 7: Environmental Research and
Session 5: Molecular Manipulation
Development
Chairs: 
Chairs:
Jaime Jimenez, Shell International E&P Company
Kate Baker, BP America (retired); 2004 SPE President
Chris Buckingham, Southwest Research Institute
Emmanuel Garland, TOTAL
David Zornes, ConocoPhillips Company
Mary Jane Wilson, WZI Inc.
The expected growth in energy demand over the next few
This session will address two main environmental R&D
decades have led both the industry and governments to
issues - reducing the environmental footprint of normal
stimulate the recovery of complex resources such as sour
operations, and oil spill prevention and response. Topics
oil and gas, bitumen and extra-heavy oil, oil shale, and
to be discussed under “reduced environmental footprint
to look for alternatives to common enhanced oil recovery
of normal operations “ range from the effect of sound on
(EOR). The development of these resources can be
marine mammals to biodiversity offsets. Topics to be
complex, challenging, environmentally demanding and
discussed under “oil spill prevention and response” will
expensive. Technologies to manipulate the properties of
include rate estimation, fate and effects of hydrocarbons,
hydrocarbons at the surface or directly in the subsurface,
as well as specific gaps in capping and containment
are one of the more promising alternatives. These
fabrication, process or deployment knowledge.
technologies make these energy sources viable from a
technical, environmental and economical perspective.
This session will discuss the R&D challenges and
statuses of some of these novel technologies to help
unlock, and improve productivity, and add-value to heavy
oil, oil shale, and sour gas.

www.spe.org/events/rdc