{"id":726,"date":"2026-01-19T00:30:05","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T06:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/urtec.org\/2026\/?page_id=726"},"modified":"2026-01-19T22:49:24","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T04:49:24","slug":"speakers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/urtec.org\/2026\/speakers\/","title":{"rendered":"Speakers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Featured Speakers<\/i>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n

\n Meet the leaders and unconventional experts sharing their knowledge and insights at URTeC 2026. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n<\/section>\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n
\n\n \n \"Bob\n \n \n
\n

\n Bob Fryklund <\/p>\n \n

\n Vice President and Chief Strategist, Upstream Energy Group at S&P Global Commodity Insights <\/p>\n \n

\n Bob is a recognized industry thought leader on all aspects of the Upstream. He advises Boards, CEO’s and management teams on strategic direction. He has been involved in many of the industries pivotal projects – TOR acquisition by Petrobras, a $10 billion arbitration; Oil export approval in the US; and restructuring of several of the industries major operators. He focusses on helping companies understand future trends and how to position themselves in the market. He also provides advice on how to build a better narrative for shareholders. Bob has 40 yrs in the industry and has been a senior executive at ConocoPhillips as well as at S&P Global. He sits on four industry Boards and is chair of the supply and demand committee at the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA). He is a frequent industry executive speaker as well as media source for the major outlets. Bob holds a AB in Geology from Hamilton College and lives in Houston.\r\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

\n\n \n \"Bob\n \n \n
\n

\n Bob Brackett <\/p>\n \n

\n Managing Director and Senior Research Analyst, Bernstein (AB\/AllianceBernstein) <\/p>\n \n

\n Bob Brackett is a senior sell-side research analyst at Bernstein (AB\/AllianceBernstein), known for his coverage of energy, metals and mining, and the energy transition, after a long career in the oil and gas industry. He combines technical training as a geoscientist with strategy and finance roles at major energy companies and consultancies. Before joining Bernstein, Brackett was Director of E&P Planning and Director of Corporate Strategy at Hess Corporation, focusing on exploration and production and corporate strategy for a major international oil company. He began his career at ExxonMobil, spending about eight years in exploration, business development, development, research, and petrophysics roles, including work at several ExxonMobil upstream units. Brackett earned a PhD in Earth & Planetary Sciences from Washington University in St. Louis, where he was a NASA Space Grant Fellow. He holds an MBA from Rice University, reflecting formal training in business and finance alongside his technical background. He also completed a BS in Geophysics and a BA in Astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin, as well as field geology studies at Indiana University Bloomington.\r\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

\n\n \n \"Khaled\n \n \n
\n

\n Khaled Abdul Monem Al Kindi <\/p>\n \n

\n Senior Vice President, Drilling and Wells Services, ADNOC-Upstream <\/p>\n \n

\n Dr. Khaled Abdul Monem Al Kindi has more than 19 years of experience in the energy industry, spanning drilling and upstream operations. He is currently Senior Vice President, Drilling & Wells Services at ADNOC Upstream, where he provides executive leadership and drives strategic investment decisions across ADNOC\u2019s drilling and oilfield services portfolio, focusing on performance uplift and value creation. He is a Board Executive Committee Member of ADNOC Drilling and a Board Member of several ADNOC joint ventures and international M&A investment platforms. Previously, Dr. Al Kindi served as Senior Vice President, Upper Zakum Offshore, overseeing the safe and sustainable operation of the world\u2019s second-largest offshore oil field. By leveraging artificial intelligence and advanced technologies strengthened ADNOC Offshore\u2019s position as a global leader in low carbon intensity production. Prior to this, he was Senior Vice President, Drilling at ADNOC Onshore, where he led drilling operations across onshore fields and delivered significant efficiency gains through innovation and technology adoption. In 2024, he was appointed Technical Chair of ADIPEC, the world\u2019s largest energy conference, and he is an active member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Middle East. He holds a Doctorate from UAE University, a Master\u2019s degree from Zayed University, and a Bachelor\u2019s degree in Petroleum Engineering from the Petroleum Institute, UAE <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

\n\n \n \"Nancy\n \n \n
\n

\n Nancy House <\/p>\n \n

\n Principal Scientist, Integrated Geophysical Interpretation <\/p>\n \n

\n Nancy J. House\u00a0is principal scientist at Integrated Geophysical Interpretation. A member of SEG for 46 years, House has worked as a geophysicist for multinational corporations and small independent oil companies, primarily as an interpreter in onshore and offshore United States, South America, Africa (West and East), and other areas. She is \u201csecond-generation oil field,\u201d growing up in South America and Singapore.\r\n\u00a0
\u00a0
\r\nShe earned a B.A. in geology\/geophysics from the University of Wyoming in 1976 and an\u00a0M.Sc. in geophysics from Colorado School of Mines in 1979 and did additional postgraduate work at Colorado School of Mines in reservoir characterization, economics, and geophysics in 2000\u20132002, and 2025.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0
\u00a0
\r\nHouse has served on numerous SEG committees, including International Affairs (precursor to the Global Affairs Committee), GAC, Women\u2019s Network Committee (chair in 2012\u20132013), finance (chair in 2012\u20132014), membership, and the organizing committee for the D&P research workshop in Krakow in 2013. She was SEG President from 2017-2018. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

\n\n \n \"Danny\n \n \n
\n

\n Danny Kingham <\/p>\n \n

\n PG, Principal Hydrogeologist, GSI Environmental Inc. <\/p>\n \n

\n Ms. Danny Kingham is a Principal Hydrogeologist at GSI Environmental Inc. and a licensed Professional Geoscientist in Texas, Louisiana, and New York. She serves on the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists and the Texas A&M Geology and Geophysics Department Advisory Committee and contributes as a Subject Matter Expert to the ASBOG Council of Examiners.\u00a0 With 20+ years of experience, Ms. Kingham has extensive expertise in oil and gas operations and UIC Class I, II, and VI injection well projects, encompassing permitting, regulatory compliance, operations, litigation support, site screening and selection, and environmental risk assessment and mitigation. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

\n\n \n \"Kirsten\n \n \n
\n

\n Kirsten Siebach <\/p>\n \n

\n Associate Professor, Rice University <\/p>\n \n

\n Kirsten Siebach is an Assistant Professor in the Rice University Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences and calls herself a Martian Geologist. She did her PhD at Caltech with Professor John Grotzinger and her bachelor\u2019s degree at Washington University in St Louis. She researches the intersection of igneous and sedimentary processes on Mars and Earth. She is currently a member of the Science and Operations Teams for the Mars 2020 Rover Perseverance and the Mars Science Laboratory Rover Curiosity and previously worked on the science and engineering teams for the Phoenix Lander and the two Mars Exploration Rovers.\r\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

\n\n \n \"Akash\n \n \n
\n

\n Akash Sharma <\/p>\n \n

\n Vice President of Product Management \u2013 AI Product Portfolio, Enverus <\/p>\n \n

\n Akash Sharma specializes in AI-driven technology solutions and digital transformation. He leads Generative AI strategy across enterprise systems, implementing intelligent solutions that enhance decision-making and operational efficiency. With experience spanning data science, advanced analytics, and energy systems, Akash brings valuable perspective to discussions on AI implementation and grid modernization. He holds degrees in computational data analytics from Georgia Tech and engineering from the University of Houston, with widely cited research papers in technical publications. As a thought leader in digital transformation, Akash has presented at prestigious industry conferences, including SPE, AEE, and INFORMS. His work focuses on leveraging AI applications to optimize resources, improve energy efficiency, and support sustainable technology initiatives across complex systems.\r\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

\n\n \n \"Greg\n \n \n
\n

\n Greg Leveille <\/p>\n \n

\n Chief Executive Officer, Tidal Wave Technologies <\/p>\n \n

\n Greg Leveille was ConocoPhillips\u2019 Chief Technology Officer from March 2016 through January 2021. In this and prior senior leadership roles, he profoundly influenced the direction of the company by leading the organization that assembled ConocoPhillips\u2019 acreage positions in the sweet spots of the Eagle Ford and Bakken unconventional reservoir plays; foreseeing 2 \u00bd years before the late 2014 oil price collapse that U.S. oil production from unconventional reservoirs would grow rapidly enough to collapse oil prices, thereby allowing ConocoPhillips to prepare for such an eventuality; helping influence ConocoPhillips to relentlessly focus on lowering cost of supply by vigorously pursuing technology advancements and other forms of innovation; and causing increased emphasis to be placed upon accelerated adoption of successful innovations, thereby reducing time to value realization. Leveille is a lifetime member of SPE, served previously as the chairman of SPE\u2019s U.S. Advisory Council, and was also chairman of the Executive Advisory Board for the Unconventional Resources Technology Conference (URTeC). <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

\n\n \n \"Doug\n \n \n
\n

\n Doug Valleau <\/p>\n \n

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

\n Bio Coming Soon.. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

\n\n \n \"Yuxing\n \n \n
\n

\n Yuxing Ben <\/p>\n \n

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

\n Yuxing leads the Machine Learning Engineering team at the Applied AI Center of Excellence at Oxy, overseeing ML projects\u00a0 and serving as product owner for the structured data pillar that powers many ML efforts. She also drives AI education and co\u2011hosts the AI Community of Practice, a network of 800+ members. With over 20 years in oil and gas\u2014including nine years at Oxy as a data scientist\/reservoir engineer\u2014Yuxing has authored 40+ publications and patents, with 19\u00a0papers on AI applications. She is a URTeC Best Paper Award recipient, an SPE Distinguished Lecturer, and holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, with additional research experience at MIT. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

\n\n \n \"Bo\n \n \n
\n

\n Bo Hu <\/p>\n \n

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

\n Dr. Bo Hu is the Director of Data Science and AI at ConocoPhillips, where she leads teams in developing and deploying advanced AI and Machine Learning solutions across diverse petro-technical fields, including Geoscience, Reservoir Engineering, Wells & Production Operations, as well as business functions such as Supply Chain, Finance, and Commercial. With 20 years of experience in the energy sector \u2014 including nine years as a Data Scientist for various organizations \u2014 Dr. Hu is highly skilled in harnessing data science and AI to address complex industry challenges. She is also a respected industry leader, actively serving in advisory roles for academia and professional societies, such as the SPE Data Science and Engineering Analytics Board. Dr. Hu holds a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Alberta.\r\n
\r\nDr. Hu joined ConocoPhillips in 2018, and she is currently the Director of Data Science and AI, leading a team to deliver ML\/AI and Generative AI solutions for a wide range of business problems\u00a0supporting petro-technical disciplines including\u00a0Geoscience, Reservoir Characterization,\u00a0Drilling & Completion, Production & Operation, as well as business functions\u00a0such as Supply Chain, Finance, Commercial, etc., for ConocoPhillips.\u00a0\u00a0\r\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

\n\n \n \"Sanjay\n \n \n
\n

\n Sanjay Paranji <\/p>\n \n

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

\n Sanjay Paranji is a seasoned energy executive with over 20 years of leadership across reservoir engineering, production, and subsurface operations. He has overseen large-scale upstream operations globally, with direct responsibility for more than $2\u202fbillion in spend and a proven track record in driving enterprise-wide digital transformation.\r\n
\r\nSince founding Xecta in January 2020, Sanjay has served as Chief Executive Officer, leading the Houston-based company\u2019s vision to bring AI- and physics-driven optimization to the upstream oil and gas sector.\r\n
\r\nPrior to Xecta, Sanjay spent nearly two decades at Anadarko Petroleum, where he held multiple leadership roles, including Chief Technology Officer. In that capacity, he led the company\u2019s digital strategy and applied research efforts across a $40\u202fbillion operational footprint. He began his career as a reservoir engineer at Schlumberger, developing deep technical expertise in both conventional and unconventional resource plays.\r\n
\r\nSanjay holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Petroleum Engineering from Savitribai Phule Pune University, a Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Tulsa, and an Executive MBA from Rice University, where he was recognized as a Jones Scholar. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

\n\n \n \"Yuguang\n \n \n
\n

\n Yuguang Chen <\/p>\n \n

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

\n Yuguang Chen is a Principal Reservoir Engineer in the Reservoir Engineering Center of Excellence within Chevron\u2019s Subsurface organization, where she leads physics\u2011based forecasting and optimization for shale and tight assets. She has more than 20 years of industry experience, with expertise spanning reservoir simulation, uncertainty quantification, and unconventional asset development.\r\n
\r\nFrom 2020 to 2025, Chen served as a Reservoir Engineering Advisor for Chevron\u2019s Mid\u2011Continent Business Unit, where she led a broad portfolio of technical studies to optimize Permian development strategies, improve production forecast, and enhance capital efficiency. Her work consistently integrates physics\u2011based modeling with data\u2011driven insights to support scalable, decision\u2011focused workflows.\r\n
\r\nChen previously served as a Board Member of the SPE Golden Gate Section (2007\u20132013) and on the SPE Distinguished Lecturer Committee (2022\u20132025). She currently serves as Executive Editor of SPE Journal and as a member of the URTeC Technical Program Committee. Her professional recognitions include the 2022 URTeC Best Paper Award, the 2023 SPE Regional Reservoir Description and Dynamics Award, the 2024 Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) Professional Achievement Award, and the 2025 SPE A Peer Apart Award.\r\n
\r\nChen holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Petroleum Engineering from Stanford University <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

\n\n \n \"Tongwei\n \n \n
\n

\n Tongwei Zhang <\/p>\n \n

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

\n Dr. Zhang, a research professor at the Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG), is an internationally recognized organic geochemist. His research primarily focuses on shale gas and oil storage mechanisms, hydrocarbon geochemistry in unconventional reservoirs, gas-EOR, thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR) mechanisms and kinetics, and gas isotopic geochemistry in sedimentary basins. Dr. Zhang established the Organic Geochemistry Laboratory at BEG, The University of Texas at Austin. He has authored over 80 papers, many of which are highly cited, including six that are among the top 1% most cited articles in geosciences. Dr. Zhang received the 2015 Wallace E. Pratt Memorial Award and the 2017 Hitchon Award from the International Association of Geochemistry. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

\n\n \n \"Johannes\n \n \n
\n

\n Johannes Alvarez <\/p>\n \n

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

\n Dr. Johannes Alvarez serves as the Enhanced Oil Recovery Manager in the Shale & Tight Business at Chevron Upstream. With over 23 years of experience as a Senior Reservoir and Production Engineer, he has contributed significantly to both industry practices and research and development. Before his current roles, Dr. Alvarez held leadership positions in Production Engineering and Strategic Planning at Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA). His broad technical expertise includes asset development, production, facilities and process engineering, cross-functional pilots, and IOR\/EOR processes across various reservoir types. He is a prolific author of journals and technical papers on EOR\/IOR in unconventional and heavy oil reservoirs.\r\n
\r\nDr. Alvarez is a 2025-2026 SPE Distinguished Lecturer and is an Industry Board member for the Texas A&M University Petroleum Engineering Department. Also, Dr. Alvarez serves as Chairperson of the 2026 SPE Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference, and Forum Chair for the 25th WPC Energy Congress and served as Co-Chair of Unconventional Resources Technology Conference (2021-2025) and Co-Chair of the SPE Midland Basin Energy Conference (2022-2025). He is also a technical editor for SPE and other journals and contributed as a member of the SPE Reservoir Advisory Committee and as Chairperson of the SPE ATCE Reservoir Engineering Subcommittee. \r\n
\r\nDr. Alvarez holds a PhD in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University, an MSc from Stanford University, and a BSc from Universidad Simon Bolivar, both in Chemical Engineering. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

\n\n \n \"Xueying\n \n \n
\n

\n Xueying Xie <\/p>\n \n

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

\n Xueying Xie is the Principal and Director of Oxy Unconventional Technology Simulation and Recovery Process Design. She leads teams providing technical support for primary field development planning and production optimization, enhancing subsurface workflows and tools, and developing innovative techniques for unconventional resource development. In the past decade, she led teams in designing, piloting, and scaling unconventional Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) processes, and ensured their transfer to the development team.\r\n<\/br>\r\nXueying joined Oxy in 2016, bringing with her 11 years of experience as a reservoir engineer at Shell. She has extensive industry expertise across a range of conventional and unconventional assets, including oil shale, heavy oil, shale gas, liquid rich shale, unconventional oil, shallow water development, Gulf of American deep-water development and operations, and Enhanced Oil Recovery\/Improved Oil Recovery (EOR\/IOR). Xueying holds a BS and MS in Chemical Engineering from Zhejiang University in China and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Rice University. In her personal time, she enjoys reading, traveling, gardening, and spending time with family and friends. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

\n\n \n \"Son\n \n \n
\n

\n Son Dang <\/p>\n \n

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

\n Dr. Son Dang is an Assistant Professor of the Mewbourne school of Petroleum and Geological since 2024. He completed his education at the University of Oklahoma, and earning a doctorate degree in Petroleum Engineering in 2019. He worked in the oil and gas industry with different roles, from production to research & development, before starting his academic career at OU. He is currently the PI, managing Integrated Core Characterization Center (IC3), hosted in Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy. This research facility includes 6000 sqft laboratory space, with more than 23 million dollars advanced equipment, funded through DOE projects and industry partnership (via two consortia, namely Rock Physics and Unconventional Shale Gas & Oil.) His core research centers around experimental rock physics and unconventional reservoirs. More specifically Dr. Dang\u2019s research focus on fundamental-to-field petrophysics, and gas-chemical-thermal injection Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), which are extended to address the technical, economic and environmental challenges that arise around the petroleum production and emerging geological processes, such as carbon sequestration, underground hydrogen storage, and critical mineral extraction. Ongoing projects are addressing operational efficiency in shale EOR (gas injection and water blockage mitigation \u2013 funded by the industry), underground hydrogen storage mechanisms (funded by national laboratories), ore mining characterization and Lithium extraction from subsurface brine and minerals.\r\n
\r\n
\r\nSelected Publications:<\/b>\r\n

    \r\n
  • ST Dang, S Mamoudou, CS Rai, TA Ho. 2025. Evaluation of hydrogen storage in sandstone reservoirs using 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 27 (3), 1237-1240<\/li>\r\n
  • TA Ho, ST Dang, N Dasgupta, A Choudhary, CS Rai, Y Wang. 2024. Nuclear magnetic resonance and molecular simulation study of H2 and CH4 adsorption onto shale and sandstone for hydrogen geological storage. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 51, 158-166<\/li>\r\n
  • S Dang, S Mamoudou, C Rai, C Sondergeld. 2023. Experimental observation of diffusion as the main drive mechanism in unconventional shales. SPE\/AAPG\/SEG Unconventional Resources Technology Conference, D031S064R002<\/li>\r\n
  • S Mukherjee, ST Dang, C Rai, C Sondergeld. 2020. Revisiting the concept of wettability for organic-rich tight rocks: Application in formation damage-water blockage. Petrophysics 61 (05), 473-481<\/li>\r\n
  • B Min, S Mamoudou, S Dang, A Tinni, C Sondergeld, C Rai. 2020. Comprehensive experimental study of huff-n-puff enhanced oil recovey in eagle ford: Key parameters and recovery mechanism. SPE Improved Oil Recovery Conference, D021S018R002<\/li>\r\n
  • S Dang. 2019. Understanding the fundamental drive mechanisms for huff-n-puff enhanced oil recovery in tight formations. ShareOK PhD Thesis.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul> <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n
    \n\n \n \"Holden\n \n \n
    \n

    \n Holden Nash <\/p>\n \n

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

    \n Holden Nash is founder and CEO of Boundary Remote Subsurface Solutions, developing AI-powered exploration software that accelerates early-stage subsurface decisions for oil & gas, geothermal, and critical minerals. A UC Irvine graduate with a background in regulations and policy, he has directed surveys across the U.S. and Canada. He focuses on turning complex geoscience workflows into reliable, user-friendly products that reduce cycle time and cost while improving interpretation confidence. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

    \n\n \n \"Lijun\n \n \n
    \n

    \n Lijun Mu <\/p>\n \n

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

    \n Lijun Mu is the Chief Technical Expert at PetroChina Changqing Oilfield Company and serves as a member of the Academic Committee of PetroChina\u2019s Key Laboratory of Reservoir Stimulation. He has extensive experience in research on fracturing, acidizing, and oil and gas production engineering technologies. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

    \n\n \n \"Chris\n \n \n
    \n

    \n Chris Fredd <\/p>\n \n

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

    \n Christopher N. Fredd\u00a0is the President and Co-Founder of Ignovis, where he drives the company\u2019s mission to deliver a step-change in firm, long-duration geothermal energy.\u00a0 He is also a Founding Partner of Blue Angel Energy, a technology accelerator in the energy sector.\u00a0 With more than\u00a025 years of technology leadership in oil and gas, he brings subsurface and commercialization expertise to the future of energy addition.\u00a0 Chris led innovative tracer-based interpretation for fracture system characterization at the Utah FORGE EGS project and contributed to the GEODE task force on completions and stimulation.\u00a0 He previously held senior technology leadership roles at\u00a0SLB, including Technology Center Director and Global Business Development Manager.\u00a0\u00a0Chris earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan and holds more than 30 granted patents and over 40 publications. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

    \n\n \n \"Ge\n \n \n
    \n

    \n Ge Jin <\/p>\n \n

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

    \n Dr. Ge Jin is an Associate Professor of Geophysics and Co-director of Reservoir Characterization Project at Colorado School of Mines. His research interests focus on applications of Distributed Fiber-Optic Sensing (DFOS) in geoscience and engineering, as well as seismic imaging and machine learning techniques. Dr. Jin has more than 70 publications and 12 granted patents. He received the ARMA Case Study Award in 2025, delivered the AAPG\/SEG Distinguished Lecture in 2024, received the Best Paper award at the URTeC conference in 2023 and 2024. Before joining Colorado School of Mines, Dr. Jin worked for five years as a research geophysicist at ConocoPhillips. Dr. Jin earned his Ph.D. in Geophysics from Columbia University and holds dual B.S. degrees in Geophysics and Computer Science from Peking University. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

    \n\n \n \"Wei\n \n \n
    \n

    \n Wei Yu <\/p>\n \n

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

    \n Dr. Wei Yu is the CTO at SimTech. His research interests include Embedded Discrete Fracture Model (EDFM) technology for modeling complex fracture networks and EDFM-AI for automated history matching. Dr. Yu has published more than 200 technical papers and three books. He holds a PhD in Petroleum Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

    \n\n \n \"Wambui\n \n \n
    \n

    \n Wambui Mutoru <\/p>\n \n

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

    \n Wambui Mutoru is Asset Manager for Southwest Arkansas Lithium \u2013 a project of the JV between Standard Lithium and Equinor. Wambui oversees development of a new lithium value chain centered on direct lithium extraction (DLE) from Smackover reservoir brines. With a Ph.D. from Yale and MBA from UT Austin, she brings a robust combination of technical and commercial expertise. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

    \n\n \n \"Keju\n \n \n
    \n

    \n Keju Yan <\/p>\n \n

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

    \n Dr. Yan is a well-rounded subsurface researcher and experienced petroleum engineer who has successfully led cross-functional teams and tackled interdisciplinary challenges in both petroleum fields and lab-scale research.\u00a0 Currently, he is leading the geochemistry research for critical minerals and hydrogen recovery from unconventional resources (\u201cThe Mind of the Future\u201d) at PNNL. His track record includes 20+ publications (patents, research papers), $2M+ project contributions, and 8+ years petroleum industry professionalism. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

    \n\n \n \"Hermann\n \n \n
    \n

    \n Hermann Lebit <\/p>\n \n

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

    \n Dr. Hermann Lebit is an entrepreneurial geoscientist with a passion for innovative science and technology developments.\u00a0 He has been a successful oil finder\/ explorationist in the hydrocarbon industry, facilitating several play and country entries and was instrumental in securing about 1 Bbo in various onshore and offshore basins. Since 2021 Dr. Lebit leads Alma Energy with major objective to provide a resilient supply in critical minerals. He focuses on innovative solutions for the energy transition that build upon incumbent infrastructure and resources with the goal to provide a resilient supply in critical minerals.
    \r\nAlma Energy has recently captured a new Lithium play in the domestic oil patch with about 6 million metric tons of recoverable Li2CO3. It is in the process of a fast track pilot for Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) from produced water.
    \r\nDr. Lebit is a certified petroleum geologist and has served the international Geoscience community for 15 years as General Secretary of the IUGS commission on Tectonics and Structural Geology, as well as scientific editor of books and journals, author of numerous publications, and as frequent speaker at professional events. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

    \n\n \n \"Matthew\n \n \n
    \n

    \n Matthew Poole <\/p>\n \n

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

    \n Bio Coming Soon.. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

    \n\n \n \"Abdulla\n \n \n
    \n

    \n Abdulla Al Blooshi <\/p>\n \n

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

    \n Abdulla Al Blooshi is the Vice President, Unconventional Subsurface at ADNOC Onshore, where he leads subsurface strategy across ADNOC\u2019s unconventional oil and gas portfolio, spanning exploration, appraisal, de-risking, and transition to full field execution. With over 20 years of experience across the ADNOC Group, Abdulla has worked across both onshore and offshore assets, covering unconventional resources, marginal field development, and complex sour gas exploration and development. His experience spans ADNOC\u2019s upstream portfolio, including early stage exploration, subsurface de risking, development planning, and integration with facilities and commercial frameworks. He has played a key role in advancing projects from exploration to first oil and gas, supporting FID readiness, cost optimization, and scalable production growth, while aligning subsurface strategies with drilling, completion, facilities, and partner objectives. Abdulla is recognized for combining technical rigor with disciplined capital deployment to deliver resilient, long term value across ADNOC\u2019s strategic upstream portfolio. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

    \n\n \n
    <\/div>\n \n \n
    \n

    \n Tarik Itibrout <\/p>\n \n

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

    \n Bio Coming Soon.. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

    \n\n \n \"Felipe\n \n \n
    \n

    \n Felipe Silva <\/p>\n \n

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

    \n Felipe Silva is an experience engineer and technology leader with vast experience in unconventional oil and gas asset. Currently serving as Vice President, Development and Production at ADNOC, he oversees the planning and execution of large-scale unconventional well program and leads multidisciplinary efforts to integrate advanced reservoir characterization, data analytics, and emerging technologies into field development strategies for unconventional reservoirs Throughout his career, Felipe has held key technical and leadership roles at ADNOC, EQT Corporation, Rice Energy, SLB and Ismocol, where he specialized in hydraulic fracturing, reservoir engineering, reservoir simulation, data analytics and completions optimization across major U.S. shale plays including the Marcellus, Utica, Austin Chalk and Eagle Ford. He has also contributed to multiple M&A evaluations, CCUS initiatives, and the development and implementation of engineering tools and workflows.\r\n
    \r\nFelipe holds dual master\u2019s degrees in Petroleum Engineering and Engineering & Technology Management from the Colorado School of Mines, USA, and dual bachelor’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics from Universidad de los Andes, Colombia. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

    \n\n \n \"Vanessa\n \n \n
    \n

    \n Vanessa Sim\u00f5es <\/p>\n \n

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

    \n Vanessa Simoes is a Data Scientist at Innovation Factori in Houston, specializing in machine learning applications for subsurface data. She holds a PhD in Mathematics from Instituto de Matem\u00e1tica Pura e Aplicada, two specializations in data science from PUC, and has over a decade of experience at SLB developing solutions for subsurface-related challenges. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

    \n\n \n \"Zoya\n \n \n
    \n

    \n Zoya Heidari <\/p>\n \n

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

    \n Zoya Heidari is a Professor in the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. She has contributed to the science of rock-fluid characterization and Formation Evaluation through integrated analysis, measurements, and modeling of multi-scale formation data. Zoya has been the founder and director of the UT Austin Industrial Affiliate Research Program on \u201cMulti-Scale Rock Physics\u201d since 2016. She was also the founder and the director of the Texas A&M Joint Industry Research Program on \u201cMulti-Scale Formation Evaluation of Unconventional and Carbonate Reservoirs\u201d from 2012 to 2015. Among her many awards, Zoya is the recipient of the 2026 EAGE Alfred Wegener Award, the 2024 SPE Lester C. Uren Award for Technical Excellence, the 2023 SPE International Formation Evaluation Award, the 2021 SPWLA Distinguished Technical Achievement Award, the 2020 SPWLA Young Professional Technical Award, the 2019 EAGE Arie van Weelden Award, the 2019 AIME Rossiter W. Raymond Memorial Award, the 2019 SPE Distinguished Membership Award, and the 2017 SPE Cedric K. Ferguson Medal. Zoya has published more than 250 papers in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. She has served as a member of the SPE reservoir advisory committee, as an executive editor for the SPE Journal, and as an Associate Editor for the SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering Journal and Geophysics Journal. She served as the Vice President of Education for SPWLA from 2016 to 2018. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

    \n\n \n \"Chris\n \n \n
    \n

    \n Chris Clarkson <\/p>\n \n

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

    \n Christopher R. Clarkson is the Tamaratt Research Professor in Transitional Energy, and the ARC\/Ovintiv Chair in Subsurface Transitional Energy Pathways, in the Department of Earth, Energy, and Environment, and an adjunct professor with the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, at the University of Calgary. His work focus in the industry was on exploration for, and development of, unconventional gas (UG) and light oil (ULO) reservoirs. His research focus, since coming to the University of Calgary in 2009, has been on advanced reservoir characterization and evaluation methods for UG-ULO, such as rate- and pressure-transient analysis, flowback analysis, DFIT analysis, and reservoir sample analysis. He is also interested in the application of these advanced reservoir characterization methods to the evaluation of transitional energy pathways using the subsurface, such as geological CO2 storage, hydrogen storage, geothermal energy, and critical elements recovery. Clarkson is the director of the industry- and government-sponsored research group called \u201cTight Oil Consortium” and recently-initiated \u201cTransitional Energy Consortium\u201d. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

    \n\n \n \"Richard\n \n \n
    \n

    \n Richard Mercer <\/p>\n \n

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

    \n Mr. Mercer is a member of Houlihan Lokey\u2019s Oil & Gas Group. He has more than a decade of experience in M&A&D, valuation, reservoir engineering, operations, and strategic advisory roles across domestic and international assignments. Before joining Houlihan Lokey, Mr. Mercer was a Vice President in Citi\u2019s Global Energy Group, where he worked on numerous A&D and corporate M&A transactions within the upstream and midstream sectors. Before that, he served at Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) in a variety of A&D, engineering, and operations roles with a focus in the Permian Basin. Prior technical assignments span most Lower 48 shale plays, domestic conventional waterflood and EOR projects, as well as offshore and international assignments throughout Deepwater Gulf of America, Latin America, and West Africa. Mr. Mercer earned a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University and an MBA from the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

    \n\n \n \"\n \n \n
    \n

    \n Max Triana <\/p>\n \n

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

    \n Maximiliano Triana Camacho is a PhD candidate in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice University. His research focuses on NMR-based characterization of organic matter and hydrogen in unconventional shale reservoirs. He currently serves as President of the SPE Student Chapter at Rice University. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

    \n\n \n \"Harris\n \n \n
    \n

    \n Harris Cander <\/p>\n \n

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

    \n Harris Cander is the president of Cander Energy Advisors and co-founder of PetroSonic Partners. Previously, Harris was VP Exploration & Business Development and Chief Geoscientist at Marathon Oil Company and prior to that Harris was VP Exploration at BPX Energy and a Senior Exploration Advisor at BP. While at Marathon, Harris led the discovery of the stacked Woodford \u2013 Barnett oil and condensate play in the Delaware Basin. He has been heavily involved in multiple large-scale M&A deals, including Marathon\u2019s acquisition of Ensign in the Eagle Ford Shale, BP\u2019s entry into the Eagle Ford and Woodford plays, and BP\u2019s acquisition of BHP\u2019s onshore U.S. assets. Harris was an AAPG Distinguished Lecturer on unconventional resources from 2009 \u2013 2010 and from 2008 \u2013 2020 Harris was Chairman of the AAPG Unconventional Research Group. Harris currently serves on Advisory Boards for the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M, and AAPG. Harris received his MBA from Rice University and his PhD in geochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

    \n\n \n \"Managing\n \n \n
    \n

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

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

    \n Bio coming soon. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

    \n\n \n \"Tarik\n \n \n
    \n

    \n Tarik Itibrout <\/p>\n \n

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

    \n Tarik Itibrout is Vice President of Fracturing & Completions at ADNOC. With 23 years in oil and gas, he has spent most of his career focused on fracturing, completions, and production optimization, primarily in shale and tight plays across multiple U.S. basins. His background spans operations, technical, and leadership roles at Schlumberger, EOG Resources, WPX Energy, and Devon Energy. Now at ADNOC, Tarik brings deep field and technical expertise to lead efforts in unlocking the potential of the UAE\u2019s unconventional resources. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\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-726","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/urtec.org\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/726","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=726"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/urtec.org\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/726\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":741,"href":"https:\/\/urtec.org\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/726\/revisions\/741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/urtec.org\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}