With the price of crude remaining around $30 a barrel, now more than ever it is vital that operators fully assess their artificial lift selection criteria to increase production efficiency, reduce equipment & energy costs, and mitigate failure. The Artificial Lift Optimization Congress North America 2016, coming to Houston on March 22-23, 2016, will deliver production optimization case studies to maximize production rates at minimal costs. In the lead-up to Houston, we interviewed Zach Awny, Production Engineer at ConocoPhillips, who discussed reducing lifting cost per barrel and the increased reliance of "smart" wells now and going forward.