There are milestones in nations' histories and humans' lives. The 50th anniversary of the SPE is certainly a major milestone for more than 73,000 members. It is a milestone of a dream that became a reality. It is a success that followed 50 years of vision, hard work, and dedication. It is a culmination of a global team effort that involved staff, members, and industry at large.
SPE members have already started the journey of celebrating the 50th anniversary of the SPE in various locations around the globe. The first celebration was held in Bahrain along with the Middle East Oil Show, then in Cairo along with the SPE Board of Directors meeting, and lately in Buenos Aires during the Latin America and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference. The plan is to hold celebrations in many other locations, ending with the Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE) in Anaheim, California, in November this year. All SPE sections were also invited to celebrate this memorable and momentous occasion.
As we all celebrate this event, let's reflect on SPE's bright history and prospects for a promising future. Over the past 50 years, SPE membership grew six fold, from 12,500 to more than 73,000 members. Membership services, publications, and meetings have significantly evolved to meet the exploding needs of both scope and geography.
SPE's mission to collect and disseminate technical information is well served. The Society currently holds more than 70 events, hosting more than 150,000 attendees on an annual basis. The publication of five peer-reviewed periodicals has met the aspiration of intelligent scientists and engineers to share their knowledge and best practices. JPT brings members a broad overview of the latest technical advances each month. Talent & Technology is a recent add-on to the JPT, highlighting the importance of talent in our industry. The eLibrary, an industry first, also presents a golden treasure of 42,000 technical papers available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week around the globe.
The transformation of SPE from a U.S. organization into an international society marks a significant evolution. This process has taken many years of planning and hard work. Now, about half of SPE's members live outside North America. SPE offices are located across the globe, in Dallas, Houston, London, Dubai, and Kuala Lumpur. A new office is being planned in Russia. A special focus on Africa, China, and Latin America will hopefully develop into increased membership and more events in the near future. In 2010, the ATCE will be held for the first time outside North America, in Florence, Italy. It will then alternate between North America and other locations. SPE continues to transform into a borderless organization that breaks the walls of time and space. SPE thrives on excellence and diversity that transcends color, race, faith, and gender. It draws on love and respect as the most bonding relation among all SPE members.
