{"id":1180,"date":"2026-03-16T23:37:50","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T05:37:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/urtec.org\/2026\/?page_id=1180"},"modified":"2026-04-15T15:41:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T21:41:39","slug":"panels-and-special-sessions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/urtec.org\/2026\/panels-and-special-sessions\/","title":{"rendered":"Panels and Special Sessions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Panels and Special Sessions<\/i>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n \n
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/i>\n Monday, 22 June <\/div>\n
\n <\/i>\n 10:45 pm\u201312:05 pm <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n Panel Session: Physics-Informed Machine Learning (PIML) \u2014 Bridging Physics, Data, and Digital Adoption in Unconventional Reservoirs <\/h3>\n \n
\n
<\/i> Exhibit Hall E, Room 6<\/div>\n
<\/i> Included with registration<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n <\/i>\n Moderator and Speakers: <\/div>\n \n \n
\n \n \"Utkarsh\n \n
\n

Utkarsh Sinha<\/p>\n

Senior Research Engineer, Xecta Digital Labs<\/p>\n\n \n Moderator <\/span>\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Yuxing\n \n

\n

Yuxing Ben<\/p>\n

ML Lead, Oxy Applied AI Center of Excellence<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Bo\n \n

\n

Bo Hu<\/p>\n

Director of Data Science and AI, ConocoPhillips<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Sanjay\n \n

\n

Sanjay Paranji<\/p>\n

Chief Executive Officer, Xecta Digital Labs<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Yuguang\n \n

\n

Yuguang Chen<\/p>\n

Principal Reservoir Engineer, Chevron<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n

Physics-Informed Machine Learning (PIML) represents one of the most transformative developments in the upstream digital ecosystem\u2014enabling the integration of governing physics with data-driven models through hybrid modeling frameworks, physics-constrained learning, and approaches such as PINNs and operator-learning methods. This panel brings together thought leaders from academia, digital technology providers, and major operating companies to explore how these hybrid physics-based AI models are redefining reservoir analysis, production optimization, and decision-making in unconventional assets.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n <\/i>\n Monday, 22 June <\/div>\n
\n <\/i>\n 1:30 pm\u20132:50 pm <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n Special Session: Collaboration Success Stories – How Collaborations Build Technology That Shape Our Industry <\/h3>\n \n
\n
<\/i> Exhibit Hall E, Room 6<\/div>\n
<\/i> Included with registration<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n <\/i>\n Moderator and Speakers: <\/div>\n \n \n
\n \n \"Deepak\n \n
\n

Deepak Devegowda<\/p>\n

Professor and Mewbourne Chair of Petroleum Engineering, University of Oklahoma<\/p>\n\n \n Moderator <\/span>\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n

<\/div>\n \n
\n

Kent Newsham<\/p>\n

Retired Fellow, Oxy<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Son\n \n

\n

Son Dang<\/p>\n

Assistant Professor, University of Oklahoma<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Zoya\n \n

\n

Zoya Heidari<\/p>\n

Professor, University of Texas<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Chris\n \n

\n

Chris Clarkson<\/p>\n

Professor, University of Calgary<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n

Breakthrough technologies rarely emerge in isolation. This session brings together leaders from industry and academia to share real-world success stories where collaboration accelerated innovation and impact. The panel will explore how partnerships were formed, the process or delivering fundamental research, and how it all aligns with successful field application. Attendees will gain insight into what makes collaborations work, lessons learned from joint projects, and how cross-sector teamwork continues to shape the future of our industry.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n <\/i>\n Monday, 22 June <\/div>\n
\n <\/i>\n 1:30 pm\u20132:50 pm <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n Special Session: Theme 9: Lithium and Critical Mineral Extraction: Where is it Heading? <\/h3>\n \n
\n
<\/i> Exhibit Hall E, Room 2<\/div>\n
<\/i> Included with registration<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n <\/i>\n Moderator and Speakers: <\/div>\n \n \n
\n \n \"Selin\n \n
\n

Selin Erzeybek Balan<\/p>\n

Customer Success Advisor, Novi Labs<\/p>\n\n \n Moderator <\/span>\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Wambui\n \n

\n

Wambui Mutoru<\/p>\n

Asset Manager – Southwest Arkansas Lithium, Equinor<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Keju\n \n

\n

Keju Yan<\/p>\n

R&D Fellow and Geochemist, Pacific Northwest National Lab<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Hermann\n \n

\n

Hermann Lebit<\/p>\n

Principal, Alma Energy<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n

Lithium and critical mineral extraction from unconventional resources is gaining increasing attention across the energy industry. This panel will bring together experts from industry and research to discuss the current status of lithium and critical mineral extraction, emerging technologies, and future growth opportunities. The discussion will also highlight key technical and economic challenges and explore potential solutions for advancing lithium and critical mineral recovery.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n <\/i>\n Monday, 22 June <\/div>\n
\n <\/i>\n 3:20 pm\u20134:40 pm <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n Panel Session: Inventory and Capital Allocation <\/h3>\n \n
\n
<\/i> Exhibit Hall E, Room 6<\/div>\n
<\/i> Included with registration<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n <\/i>\n Moderator and Speakers: <\/div>\n \n \n
\n \n
<\/div>\n \n
\n

Sean Kimiagar<\/p>\n

Director of Technical Advisory, Energy Domain<\/p>\n\n \n Moderator <\/span>\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Melissa\n \n

\n

Melissa Folz<\/p>\n

Managing Director, Chord Energy<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Richard\n \n

\n

Richard Mercer<\/p>\n

Vice President, Houlihan Lokey<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Harris\n \n

\n

Harris Cander<\/p>\n

Former Vice President, Marathon Oil<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n

As unconventional plays mature, remaining Tier 1 inventory and subsurface risk are increasingly shaping capital allocation and asset valuations. This panel will explore how operators, investors, and bankers evaluate inventory depth, technical risk, and basin opportunities when making drilling and M&A decisions.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n <\/i>\n Tuesday, 23 June <\/div>\n
\n <\/i>\n 8:50 am\u201310:10 am <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n Special Session: Engineering the Future of UAE Unconventionals: Lessons from ADNOC\u2019s Dyab Journey <\/h3>\n \n
\n
<\/i> Exhibit Hall E, Room 6<\/div>\n
<\/i> Included with registration<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n <\/i>\n Moderator and Speakers: <\/div>\n \n \n
\n \n \"Matthew\n \n
\n

Matthew Poole<\/p>\n

Senior Exploration Geoscientist, Shell<\/p>\n\n \n Moderator <\/span>\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Abdulla\n \n

\n

Abdulla Al Blooshi<\/p>\n

Vice President, Unconventional Subsurface, ADNOC<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Tarik\n \n

\n

Tarik Itibrout<\/p>\n

Vice President Frac and Completions, ADNOC<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Felipe\n \n

\n

Felipe Silva<\/p>\n

Vice President UC Production and Development, ADNOC<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n

A focused look at ADNOC\u2019s journey in developing the Dyab unconventional play, highlighting key learnings, the adoption of proven industry best practices, and the performance gains guiding the future of UAE unconventional development.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n <\/i>\n Tuesday, 23 June <\/div>\n
\n <\/i>\n 10:45 am\u201312:05 pm <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n Special Session: Beyond Assumed Fracture Geometry: Insights from Fracture Surveillance <\/h3>\n \n
\n
<\/i> Exhibit Hall E, Room 6<\/div>\n
<\/i> Included with registration<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n <\/i>\n Moderator and Speakers: <\/div>\n \n \n
\n \n \"Jiehao\n \n
\n

Jiehao Wang<\/p>\n

Geomechanics Specialist, Chevron<\/p>\n\n \n Moderator <\/span>\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Lijun\n \n

\n

Lijun Mu<\/p>\n

Chief Technical Expert, CNPC Changqing Oilfield Company<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Wei\n \n

\n

Wei Yu<\/p>\n

Chief Technology Officer, SimTech<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Ge\n \n

\n

Ge Jin<\/p>\n

Associate Professor, Colorado School of Mines<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Chris\n \n

\n

Chris Fredd<\/p>\n

President and Co-Founder, Ignovis<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n

Increasingly, fracture surveillance reveals subsurface behavior that is far more complex than we often anticipate, forcing a reexamination of how hydraulic fracturing actually behaves. This special session brings together three integrated case studies that leverage advanced fracture surveillance – spanning slant\u2011well cores, fiber\u2011optic measurements, and tracer\u2011based analysis – to directly reveal fracture growth, proppant placement, and flow pathways. These presentations offer data\u2011driven insights into fracture complexity and connectivity, with important implications for stimulation design, interpretation, and development strategy.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n <\/i>\n Tuesday, 23 June <\/div>\n
\n <\/i>\n 1:30 pm\u20132:50 pm <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n Special Session: Best of SPWLA <\/h3>\n \n
\n
<\/i> Exhibit Hall E, Room 6<\/div>\n
<\/i> Included with registration<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n <\/i>\n Moderator and Speakers: <\/div>\n \n \n
\n \n \"Katerina\n \n
\n

Katerina Yared<\/p>\n

Global Portfolio Leader; Oil and Gas, Geothermal and Carbon Capture, 3M<\/p>\n\n \n Moderator <\/span>\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Vanessa\n \n

\n

Vanessa Sim\u00f5es<\/p>\n

Senior Data Scientist, SLB<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n

<\/div>\n \n
\n

Sheng Peng<\/p>\n

Research Associate Professor, The University of Texas at Austin<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Max\n \n

\n

Max Triana<\/p>\n

PhD Candidate, Rice University<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n

The Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of petrophysics, formation evaluation, and log and core measurements for hydrocarbon, mineral, water, and geothermal resources, alongside Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS). SPWLA is proud to showcase a selection of top-rated papers from its 67th Annual Symposium (Conroe, TX, 2026). These presentations highlight emerging technologies and techniques tailored to the unique challenges operators encounter in unconventional resources, from tight oil and shale formations.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n <\/i>\n Wednesday, 24 June <\/div>\n
\n <\/i>\n 8:50 am\u201310:10 am <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n Special Session: EOR for Shale Plays <\/h3>\n \n
\n
<\/i> Exhibit Hall E, Room 6<\/div>\n
<\/i> Included with registration<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n <\/i>\n Moderator and Speakers: <\/div>\n \n \n
\n \n \"Doug\n \n
\n

Doug Valleau<\/p>\n

President – Strategia Innovation and Technology Advisors, LLC<\/p>\n\n \n Moderator <\/span>\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Tongwei\n \n

\n

Tongwei Zhang<\/p>\n

Research Scientist, Bureau of Economic Geology<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Johannes\n \n

\n

Johannes Alvarez<\/p>\n

Enhanced Oil Recovery Manager Applied Technology Solutions, Shale & Tight Business, Chevron<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Xueying\n \n

\n

Xueying Xie<\/p>\n

Principal and Director of Unconventional Technology Simulation and Recovery Process Design, Oxy<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n

Recovery factors in shale reservoirs remain low, creating strong incentives to develop enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques tailored to ultra-low permeability systems. This session examines emerging EOR strategies for unconventional plays, including CO\u2082 huff-and-puff and cyclic gas injection, surfactant-assisted recovery, and wettability alteration approaches designed to improve imbibition and oil mobility in nanoporous rock. Presentations will highlight field pilots and case studies from major shale basins, laboratory investigations of key chemical mechanisms, and modeling of multiphase flow in fractured shale systems. The session will also explore hybrid approaches combining CO\u2082 and chemical EOR, with attention to operational, economic, and CCUS integration opportunities.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n <\/i>\n Wednesday, 24 June <\/div>\n
\n <\/i>\n 10:45 am\u201312:30 pm <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n Special Session: Agents in the Trenches: Real-World Lessons from Autonomous Subsurface Workflows <\/h3>\n \n
\n
<\/i> Exhibit Hall E, Room 6<\/div>\n
<\/i> Included with registration<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n <\/i>\n Moderator and Speakers: <\/div>\n \n \n
\n \n \"Susan\n \n
\n

Susan Nash<\/p>\n

Susan Nash, Director of Innovation and Emerging Science and Technology, AAPG<\/p>\n\n \n Moderator <\/span>\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n

<\/div>\n \n
\n

John Boden<\/p>\n

Chief Executive Officer, i2K Connect <\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \"Holden\n \n

\n

Holden Nash<\/p>\n

Founder, Boundary RSS <\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n

<\/div>\n \n
\n

Amir Hermes<\/p>\n

New Energy Business Development Manager, SLB<\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n

<\/div>\n \n
\n

Sashi Gunturu<\/p>\n

Chief Executive Officer, Petrabytes Corporation <\/p>\n\n

View Bio<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n

This session moves beyond the general “AI hype” to discuss the specific, high-stakes realities of Agentic AI in the oilfield. Featuring leaders from i2k Connect, Boundary RSS, Petrabytes, and SLB, the panel will provide a direct look at how autonomous agents are currently being used to solve the “data chaos” problem\u2014from SLB’s Tela assistant and i2k\u2019s automated extraction of buried knowledge to Petrabytes’ cloud-to-edge data governance and Boundary RSS\u2019s AI-enhanced 3D subsurface models. The discussion will bypass generic clich\u00e9s to focus on the technical “must-haves”: the specific sensor data, real-time integrity checks, and specialized data mesh required to transition from simple chatbots to agents that can geosteer a well or optimize a reservoir. Join us to learn where these autonomous workflows are delivering massive cost savings today and where the industry still needs to proceed with caution.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1180","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/urtec.org\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1180","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/urtec.org\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/urtec.org\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urtec.org\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urtec.org\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1180"}],"version-history":[{"count":69,"href":"https:\/\/urtec.org\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1180\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1600,"href":"https:\/\/urtec.org\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1180\/revisions\/1600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/urtec.org\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1180"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}