Welcome to The Woodlands
The 60th Annual SPWLA Symposium
The Houston Chapter of the Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA) is pleased to invite you to attend the 60th Annual SPWLA symposium June 15-19, 2019 in The Woodlands, Texas. This symposium will be an opportunity to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the SPWLA, an organization that continues to globally promote and facilitate petrophysical education and an awareness of the role petrophysics plays in the oil and gas industry and scientific community.
The members of SPWLA are at the vanguard of petrophysical and formation evaluation (FE) development and the annual SPWLA symposium is the premier forum where these ideas are presented and exhibited to the community at large. The symposium serves to facilitate the confluence and distribution of this information, through short-courses, oral presentations, and the exhibition, in a readily consumable form that the delegates and selected distinguished speakers can then propagate to the global community. Apart from this, the social events serve to promote camaraderie and networking within the petrophysical and FE community, serving as a significant motivation for delegate attendance. The 2018 symposium in London was a smashing success, and we expect that success to continue through the 2019 meeting in The Woodlands.
The symposium will be held at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center in The Woodlands, Texas, a first-class venue located on the iconic Woodlands Waterway. The coupling of the hotel with the convention center affords the opportunity to host the short courses, technical presentations, exhibitions, and a good night’s sleep under one roof. In the event that you want to venture outside the venue, a variety of restaurants and shops are located within walking distance. Furthermore, The Woodlands contains over 140 parks, 214 miles of hiking and bike trails, pools, public art, water sports, and signature golf courses. The city is aptly named, with much of the area’s original forest left intact. The ubiquity of tree-lined roadways led a visiting architect to grant it the moniker of “the invisible city”.
Prior to the technical sessions and exhibitions, the opening weekend plays host to two field trips, a variety of short courses, and the student paper competition. The events lead-off with a field trip to west Texas to observe an outcropping of the Eagle Ford shale and Austin Chalk and another trip to Galveston Island and the Brazos River Delta to study modern reservoir analogs, both hosted by geologists from ConocoPhillips and the University of Houston. An offering of seven short courses will be available, covering topics ranging from the practical applications of acoustics to advanced formation testing. On Sunday, come meet the industry’s future leaders as the top students from around the world present their work in the Student Paper Competition. To cap-off the opening weekend and kick-off the technical sessions and exhibitions, Halliburton is hosting the Icebreaker social on Sunday evening.
The technical presentations and exhibition are set begin Monday morning. For an update on all things SPWLA, the annual business meeting luncheon will take place after the morning technical program. Monday ends with an invitation from Baker Hughes GE, to join them for an evening social event. Usually, Tuesday’s schedule is very similar to Monday’s. However, this year, the Tuesday technical programs will contain dual, concurrent sessions. Come honor the achievements of your peers at the annual awards luncheon following the morning program. On Tuesday evening, Schlumberger will be hosting the third and final evening social. Wednesday will see the close of the technical sessions and exhibition, with the annual Leadership Luncheon taking place after the morning program. Remember to stick around to the end of the afternoon technical session, where you can put your badge in the hat for a chance to win the door prize.
While the delegates are participating in symposium activities, their families have a variety of wonderful activities available. From Monday to Wednesday, the Hospitality suite will be available for lounging, socializing, or grabbing a light snack. On Monday, a trolley tour of Market Street will familiarize guests with nearby dining and shopping. If you are up for a road trip to satisfy your sweet tooth and your penchant for history, a trip to Brenham, Texas for tours of the Blue Bell Creamery and the George Herbert Walker Bush Presidential Library is available.
If your sweet tooth is still not satisfied, a visit to Chocolate Passion to sample their hand-made confections and coffees should do the trick. Since there are few things that complement chocolate as effectively as wine, this excursion also provides a selection of wine pairings and tour of the winery.
The Houston Chapter and organizing committee look forward to welcoming you to the 60th Annual SPWLA symposium in The Woodlands.
Jeff Crawford
General Chairman
SPWLA 2019 Committee