Dear Colleagues,
It is my honor to invite you to participate in SPE’s 2026 Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition (ATCE) which takes place in Houston, Texas, USA. I am delighted to be this year’s Program Committee Chair, as we celebrate the 102nd edition of this globally recognized event.
One of the strengths of the SPE is the exchange of ideas and knowledge through technical papers and sharing ideas and building relationships at our conferences. High-caliper quality papers drive meaningful exchange, foster innovation, and reflect the depth of expertise without our community. With that in mind, I encourage all prospective authors to prioritize technical rigor, focus, and clarity in your submissions.
To increase the likelihood of selection, we strongly recommend that each paper be reviewed by multiple peers within your technical discipline prior to submission. This internal peer review helps ensure that your proposal is well-organized, technically sound, and clearly conveys its contributions to the field.
We are particularly interested in papers that offer original insights, practical applications, and solutions to real-world engineering challenges. Final selections will be based on relevance, technical merit, and potential to stimulate discussion and learning among attendees. These efforts include novel developments and contributions to the literature through best practices and lessons learned, as well as technology deployments and case studies. In addition, there are opportunities to propose special sessions to complement the technical papers being presented. The ATCE is key to accomplishing SPE’s Mission to connect a global community of engineers, scientists, and related energy professionals to exchange knowledge, innovate, and advance their technical and professional competence regarding the exploration, development, and production of energy resources to achieve a safe, secure, and sustainable energy future.
ATCE, SPE’s flagship conference, takes place on 21 October through 23 October 2026, and we anticipate over 10,000 delegates from around the world. The proposal submission deadline is 9 March 2026. The Program Committee is eager to review the paper proposals for the upcoming conference and looks forward to working with each of you to see how the proposals will contribute to the program development. If successful, any one of the presented papers could also receive an invitation for publication in an SPE technical journal.
The SPE ATCE plans to deliver approximately 400 technical paper presentations, ePosters, and panel sessions covering these disciplines:
- Reservoir
- Drilling
- Completions
- Production and Operations
- Data Science and Engineering Analytics
- Health, Safety, Environment and Sustainability
- Projects, Facilities and Construction
- Management
- Energy Transition
The strength of SPE lies in the diversity of its global community. The perspectives you bring—shaped by your experience, culture, and discipline—are essential to our shared progress.
On behalf of SPE, we are looking forward to your paper proposal submissions!
Paper Proposal Submission Deadline: 9 March 2026
Submit your paper online at www.spe.org/atce
Best Regards,
John A. Howard
2026 ATCE Program Chair
