1. SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS (SPE) GHANA SECTION WINS
INTERNATIONAL AWARD
The Society Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Ghana section was awarded The 2011
Most Innovative Section during the Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition
(ATCE) held in the Denver, Colorado, USA from 30th October to 2nd November
2011. This prestigious award recognizes SPE sections that use new ideas or ways
of thinking in improving and growing their Section activities, most specifically, its
campaign to increase membership and introducing new programmes. The
purpose of the SPE President’s Award for Excellence is to recognize SPE sections
whose efforts in member programs, technology dissemination, and cooperation
with other SPE sections distinguish them.
According to Mr. Alain Labastie, the 2011 SPE President, this year’s meeting is on
the theme “New Perspectives” and was a special time for SPE members around
the globe; a time to reflect on the year's activities and award the hard work we
have done. Also, it is time to look to the future. Mr. Labastie further espoused
that our industry will face a lot of challenges in the coming decades, but the
period full of promises and potential to grow. “No doubt this will be exciting
times for the professionals of our industry, especially the young generation.
Technology and education, he said will be the key in providing the proper
responses in these areas and many others. This means that the role of SPE will be
more important than ever, with offering access to technology and education
for all students and professional’s one of its primary missions.”
SPE Ghana which is the 197th Section in the World was established on 19th
September, 2010 with a membership of about 25 professional engineers and
technicians residing in and outside the country. The five founding members
volunteered to steer the affairs of the section and embarked on a 3P (Point -
Person - Program) initiative to locate potential members and persuade them to
join the SPE. Presently, SPE Ghana Section is the fastest growing section with
professional membership of over hundred and thirty, and over seven hundred
student members in six universities across the country.
The section meets every other month to disseminate and transfer technical
information on the petroelum exploration, development and production,
including Jubilee Field development and beyond. The first technical meeting
was on deepwater completions sponsored by Baker Hughes Ghana Limited.
The second meeting, Extended Reach Drilling with focus on the Jubilee Tullow
field experience was delivered by Fraser Lawson, the Well Drilling Supervisor of
Tullow Ghana. The third meeting was delivered by Amaja Oilfield and Tenaris on
Dopeless Steel Pipes Technology. The section has done well in hosting two out
of three SPE flagship events; the Distiguished Lecturer program. Its purpose is to

2. provide sections with outstanding speakers who are experts in their field. The
third distinguished lecture will be held on Wednesday, 18 January 2012 on
Drilling Vibration Management to be delivered by Mr. Alan Clarke of National
Oilwell Varco Houston, TEXAS. Sponsorship opportunities are open for this
lecture.
In the Past 87 years, ATCE has attracted more than a half million of the
Exploration & Production (E&P) Industry’s greatest minds from more than 50
countries around the world. Technical sessions, presented concurrently with an
exhibition, focus on all phases of oil and gas exploration and production.
Special events allow E&P professionals to network with colleagues from around
the world and celebrate key successes in the industry. This year’s banquet
again honoured technical and professional achievements in the industry and
service to SPE and the greater community. The SPE President’s award for section
excellence went to Aberdeen, Bangalore, Gulf Coast, LA Basin, Moscow and
Saudi Arabia. Calgary and Port Harcourt sections tied for the Most Improved
section award. Whilst Ghana and London sections tie for the most innovative
Section. Several individuals, distinguished members and institutions were also
honoured. The Ghanaian delegation led by the Section’s Chairperson Mr.
Albert Longdon-Nyewan of GNPC, the Scholarship Chairperson Mr. Seth Asare-
Pepra also of GNPC and Mr. Henry Adom-Malm, the Convener and Membership
Chairperson received this award on behalf of the section.
Mr. Henry Adom-Malm expresses the section’s greatest appreciation to Mr. Alek
Musa, SPE African Regional Director, Ms. Frances Leon, the West Africa Programs
Manager, the board of trustee, professional members, faculty sponsors and all
student chapters who are working voluntarily to ensure the success of the
section. He also expresses his profound gratitude to all pioneer and lead
sponsors of SPE Ghana: The Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Environment, Science
and Technology, University of Ghana Earth Science Department, Ghana
National Petroleum Corporation, Tullow Ghana Limited, Vanco Ghana Limited,
Baker Hughes Ghana Limited, Transocean Offshore, International Paint, AMAJA
Oilfield Limited, Tenaris, Ocean Rig, Petroleum Skills & Development Institute,
Horizine Technical International Ghana Limited, Oilfield Christian Fellowship,
Schlumberger, PERGAH Transport, Upstream Newspaper, and The Business
Analyst for their enormous support and patronage.
The Section Chairperson Mr. Albert Longdon-Nyewan wishes to call on all oilfield
workers to join SPE and work together to help “fast – track” the section’s
objectives in serving members, fellow petroleum professionals, students and the
general public on technologies used in extracting and producing petroleum.

3. L-R: Henry Adom–Malm (Membership Chairperson), Albert K. Longdon-Nyewan
(Chairperson), Seth Asare-Pepra (Scholarship Chairperson)

4. Albert Longdon-Nyewan (SPE Ghana Section Chairperson) and Alain Labastie
(SPE International 2011 President)
About SPE
The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) is a not – for- profit professional
association whose members are engaged in energy resources development
and production. SPE serves 92,000- plus members in 117 counties worldwide. SPE
is a key resource for technical knowledge related to the oil and gas exploration
and production industry and provides services through its publication,
conferences, workshops, forums, and websites at http://www.spe.org