During the month of June, the spring wave of upstream conferences and exhibitions has continued into early summer, although the industry is about to take a break from major events until late August. This editor just got through going to two events in back-to-back weeks, and it was interesting to get the views of two distinctly different groups on the health of the industry.
First up was the Global Energy Show (GES) in Calgary during June 10-13. Compared to last year’s version of the event, there seemed to be a greater emphasis again on oil and gas versus other energy forms on the exhibition floor. There also seemed to be a much more optimistic attitude among attendees than what this editor remembers from a year ago. Some of that may be due to U.S. President Donald Trump taking over The White House and reemphasizing oil and gas. But a lot of it is due to the departure of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his anti-industry policies, as well as the ascendancy of current Prime Minister Mark Carney and his more pragmatic attitude on energy. For the first time in many years, there is hopefulness in Alberta, and it was evidenced in the comments made by attendees to this editor at the GES.
Of course, Carney still has to prove himself on oil and gas issues, a theme emphasized by Alberta Provincial Premier Danielle Smith. She spoke to the Executive Conference of the GES on June 11 (Fig. 1) and told attendees that she has seen “encouraging signs” that Carney “is open to this thinking.” Smith continued, “Now, we need to turn these ideas and these opportunities into action. He recognizes that there are many major projects of national interest, and we need to move forward with them quickly by removing barriers that restrict private industry. I—and of course, the other premiers—have been vocal that western and Arctic resource corridors should be treated as nation-building projects. But we need to maintain the pressure to ensure policies are in place to support new infrastructure on a large scale.”
Smith explained that pressure is needed, “because the industry cannot build a pipeline to the West Coast, if there is a tanker ban and it cannot expand oil and gas production, if there is an emissions cap.” Smith exhorted the crowd in the packed event room to help her Alberta government with convincing Carney, “to make sure that the Government of Canada understands what's at stake and what needs to be done.”
On the energy potential front, Smith told attendees that Canada’s proven oil reserves total 171 Bbbl, of which 166.3 Bbbl are in Alberta. Continuing with the numbers, Smith said that Canadian natural gas reserves in place are estimated at 1,368 Tcf, of which 130 Tcf of proved and recoverable gas are in Alberta. She said that Alberta’s oil production hit another record high in May 2025 at 4.3 MMbpd.
An upbeat tone at IPAA’s annual meeting. Meanwhile, it was an optimistic group of folks that made the journey to the annual meeting of the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) in Williamsburg, Va., June 18-19. Much like the GES attendees in Calgary, the IPAA members had a mostly positive take on the industry and related markets. Some of that can be traced to their belief that President Trump is getting rid of hostile, anti-industry policies and loosening up regulations. And many folks believe that 2026 will be a “breakout year.” Nevertheless, some independents said that they wish Trump would quit running around saying “drill, baby, drill,” because oil prices are not stable and at a high-enough level to justify an expansion of drilling. Furthermore, they point to Trump’s tariffs on steel as hampering access, at a reasonable cost, to a vital commodity that operators need to conduct activity.
Perhaps the two high points of the IPAA gathering were the appearance of former Senator Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) in a fireside chat and the presentation of this year’s Chief Roughneck Award. Regarding Manchin, he spoke with IPAA Executive Vice President Dan Naatz for the better part of an hour on many topics, covering the entire spectrum of his political career. And given the makeup of the crowd, he spoke in detail on energy issues.
One of the more important quotes from Manchin was on the subject of natural gas, referring to efforts by some Democrats during the last administration (Biden) to degrade the role of natural gas in providing “clean energy.” “Gas has overtaken coal for this position of ‘energy for all states of America,’ opined Manchin. “We need that to happen. And we think it's the best transition to have anywhere to go, because anything else is wrong. We have nothing else to transition us to in a ten-year carbon-free environment that can come in to help out. You better be producing energy that you all have…” Statements like that from Manchin were understandably quite popular with the IPAA audience.
Meanwhile, the 2025 Chief Roughneck Award was presented to Midland, Texas, operator Don Sparks, who is co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Discovery Operating, Inc. IPAA represents thousands of independent businesses that develop 91% of America's oil and natural gas wells. The Chief Roughneck honor dates back to 1955 and has included pioneers in the industry. Sparks was selected by industry peers as the 66th recipient of the award.
The Chief Roughneck Award recognizes one individual whose accomplishments and character represent the highest ideals of the U.S. oil and natural gas industry. The award is considered one of the most meaningful honors in the industry; the award and the character behind it – Joe Roughneck – symbolize the spirit, determination, leadership and integrity of individuals who have made a lasting impression on the energy industry.
IPAA President and CEO Jeff Eshelman said, “It is the IPAA leadership’s honor to present the Chief Roughneck Award to Don Sparks. Don has made his mark on Midland, mark on the industry, and mark on the country. We are immensely grateful to have had him and his family active in IPAA and our advocacy for decades. His technical consulting and independent producing background enable him to be especially sensitive to the particular needs of independent producers, along with working interest participants and royalty interest owners. He’s a true patriot and has played a significant role in our country achieving energy dominance. Don and the Sparks family are the embodiment of this award, and we wish them and Discovery Operating, Inc., success for many more years and generations.”
Yours truly was honored and pleased to be asked to present a history of the Chief Roughneck Award to the audience, as well as assist Eshelman in presenting (Fig. 2) the traditional hardhat and statuette to Sparks. It was quite a day for all—congratulations to Don Sparks! WO
IN THIS ISSUE
Special focus: Artificial Lift. We have a bountiful assortment of articles in this month’s lead theme. Three Baker Hughes experts explain how a boosted gas separator enhances ESP performance and extends service life in gassy, unconventional wells, while four experts at Levare USA describe how advanced electric submersible plunger pump (ESPP) solutions—featuring permanent magnet motors (PMMs) and linear PMM technologies—are tackling industry challenges. SLB authors describe an ultrahigh-speed ESP technology solution for an 11,400-ft well. The first successful deployment with an induction motor was in Ecuador. Meanwhile, in an executive Q&A, Sercel-GRC’s Vice President of Marketing & International Sales describes how GRC has evolved from providing traditional data acquisition to integrated electronic systems to assist field operations. In addition, a Lufkin Industries author discusses modernizing rod-lift automation for deviated wells, and NOV authors describe how a new gas processing system enhances electric submersible pump reliability.
Production optimization. This month, a Pipetech expert talks about the role of flow remediation in optimizing production. Within oil production, inhibitors—including wax depositions, hard scale, and corrosion—provide operators with challenging obstacles to consider and overcome. To maximize production, several techniques and solutions are available to optimize flow efficiency within a pipeline or wellbore. In another article, a Baker Hughes author says that new technologies and an integrated approach are adding production from mature fields. A new program is repositioning mature oil and gas assets within the world’s energy mix, adding production, decreasing lifting costs and reducing the environmental impact of operations.
Management issues. We have two excellent items in this category. First, in an op-ed piece, Energy Workforce & Technology Council President Molly Determan believes that in the current industry environment, rigs and equipment matter, but it’s the people who make those operations happen. She says now is not the time to pull back—the industry must double down on training, leadership development, and workforce readiness. Meanwhile, we offer up a far-ranging interview with Energy NL CEO Charlene Johnson, who says that Newfoundland & Labrador’s offshore work is steady, as the province awaits its next major project. She discusses how NL, as Canada’s only active offshore oil and gas province, has plenty of potential for additional reserves and development. The question is how much, and how fast, that potential can be realized.
EDITORIAL@WORLDOIL.COM