A Houston, Texas engineer, Ivor R. Ellul’s career spans nearly 40 years, including as managing director of energy assets advisory firm CiSK Ventures, Ltd. since 2015. In addition to his extensive career in petroleum engineering, Ivor R. Ellul, Ph.D, maintains membership in the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), a nonprofit organization comprised of 140,600 members across 144 countries. In May 2021, the SPE announced that it and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) are considering merging to become a new organization. The two organizations decided, after unanimous agreement from the AAPG Executive Committee and the SPE Board of Directors, to create a steering committee that would further explore the benefits of this merger and the new organization. For years, the two groups have collaborated on various projects. Some of the more notable events have been the Offshore Technology Conference, Unconventional Resources Technology Conference, and the International Petroleum Technology Conference. Recognizing the role of natural gas and oil in the global landscape, the two are considering the potential benefits of harnessing skills and experience from both organizations to drive innovation in new technologies and digitalization. The hope is that the newly formed organization comprised of subsurface geoscience and engineering teams will open up opportunities for education, information sharing, and galvanizing this particular sector of the scientific community.

1. Ivor R. Ellul

2. A Houston, Texas engineer, Ivor R. Ellul’s career
spans nearly 40 years, including as managing
director of energy assets advisory firm CiSK
Ventures, Ltd. since 2015. In addition to his
extensive career in petroleum engineering, Ivor R.
Ellul, Ph.D, maintains membership in the Society of
Petroleum Engineers (SPE), a nonprofit
organization comprised of 140,600 members across
144 countries.

3. In May 2021, the SPE announced that it and the
American Association of Petroleum Geologists
(AAPG) are considering merging to become a new
organization. The two organizations decided, after
unanimous agreement from the AAPG Executive
Committee and the SPE Board of Directors, to
create a steering committee that would further
explore the benefits of this merger and the new
organization.

4. For years, the two groups have collaborated on
various projects. Some of the more notable events
have been the Offshore Technology Conference,
Unconventional Resources Technology Conference,
and the International Petroleum Technology
Conference.

5. Recognizing the role of natural gas and oil in the
global landscape, the two are considering the
potential benefits of harnessing skills and
experience from both organizations to drive
innovation in new technologies and digitalization.
The hope is that the newly formed organization
comprised of subsurface geoscience and
engineering teams will open up opportunities for
education, information sharing, and galvanizing
this particular sector of the scientific community.