Chairperson's message for March 2009
Message from the chair. . .
Dear Fellow SPE Members,
Last month’s LASPE Petroleum Technology Forum on “Offshore Drilling Operations in Angola, West Africa” by Eric Upchurch was a great success and brought a crowd of over 80 to the Long Beach Petroleum Club.
It showed that our members not only have interest in local and regional issues but also in international issues as well. This is the nature of our business and an indication of true globalization of oil and gas industry. Despite the continued economic downturn, price volatility and supply/demand corrections, many analysts believe that the medium- to long-term outlook for the oil and gas industry has not changed and the need for more exploration/production as well as more research and development (especially on new technology) remains the same. They caution our industry decision makers on cutbacks in capital spending, research and development, personnel, work force training and education which can further complicate current situation and can jeopardize the industry’s future. Too much focus on short-term demand issues and lack of attention to the supply-side limitations, can lead to another sharp supply crunch and further price instability. The “energy crisis” is more significant and real than the “financial crisis” since the latter is normally temporary and short-term while the former is more permanent and long term. How is SPE dealing with the current situation? According to the SPE President Leo Roodhart, in the February issue of JPT, fortunately, “SPE is financially very robust but with the world in economic slowdown, business as usual and steady progress will not be good enough in 2009. We will have to take a good look at what our members need and continue to deliver high-quality, cost-effective services and do that consistently. Every one of us must feel that SPE is there for all of us, helping to disseminate knowledge, in bad times as well as good times.
The SPE Board of Directors is very aware of this (financial challenges on SPE programs and activities) and will try to minimize the impact on services important to members”. He asks us to remind our business leaders that “in times when costs need to be carefully managed, the professional societies like SPE are the most cost-effective way for you to learn, to innovate, and to find ideas to make your operations more productive. In good times and bad, SPE will always be there to help you”. With that in mind, the LASPE Board of Directors invites YOU, our members, to get more involved in planning and operations of our section activities by participating in our monthly meetings as an audience or a speaker, requesting/proposing or offering a seminar or a short course, sharing your work experiences, volunteering for our outreach activities, serving as a mentor for our Young Professionals groups or student members, etc. I am sure you agree with me that these are very rewarding experiences. Please do not forget the 2009 SPE Western North America Regional Meeting, March 23-26 in San Jose, California. I hope to see you there.
Jalal Torabzadeh
LASPE Chairperson 2008-2009