21 Jan 2026 SPE Denver General Meeting: January 2026
When: Jan 21, 2026
Where: Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
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SPE Denver General Meeting: January 2026
When: Jan 21, 2026
Where: Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
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Event description
Abstract:
The fracturing fluids not only plays a pivotal role in near-wellbore stimulation, influencing
proppant transport, and cluster efficiency, but is critical to minimizing formation damage and
maximizing oil recovery. While friction reduction has traditionally guided fluid selection, this
study shifts the focus toward subsurface performance metrics that directly impact hydrocarbon
recovery. Ovintiv tested over fifteen friction reducer (FR) products in both fresh and produced
water using a comprehensive methodology, including flow loop, regain conductivity,
spontaneous imbibition, and emulsion tests, with actual core samples with the main focus on
recovery and fluid compatibility.
The results highlight the importance of selecting fracture fluids based on their overall impact on
formation integrity and hydrocarbon mobilization for EOR, rather than solely on their surface
performance. The findings also underscore that not all HVFR products build viscosity effectively,
and that fluid viscosity significantly affects cluster formation and proppant distribution. A shift
in fracture fluid selection criteria is necessary to optimize long-term well productivity by
balancing friction reduction with cluster efficiency, proppant transport, formation compatibility
and oil recovery efficiency.
Bio:
Manuel Diaz is a Senior Completions Engineer with over 25 years of experience in the oil and
gas industry, including the last 11 years at Ovintiv. Specializing in hydraulic fracturing and well
completions, Manuel has led innovative projects across the TMS, Permian, and the Anadarko
basins, consistently delivering operational excellence and capital efficiency. He is recognized for
his rigorous approach to frac design, advancing cluster efficiency, driven innovations in frac fluid
selection, and implementing cutting-edge diagnostics and technologies to enhance well
performance and recovery. Manuel’s leadership in multi-well pad operations, frac monitoring,
and collaborative knowledge sharing has set new benchmarks in safety, cycle time, and cost
reduction. His technical expertise and commitment to continuous improvement have made him
a trusted advisor on cross-disciplinary projects to enhance well productivity and capital
efficiency.
27 Jan 2026 SPE Technical Happy Hour: January 2026
When: Jan 27, 2026
Where: Liberty Energy
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SPE Technical Happy Hour: January 2026
When: Jan 27, 2026
Where: Liberty Energy
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Host: Society of Petroleum Engineers, Denver Section
Event: January 2026 Technical Happy Hour
Time: January 27th, 4-6 (HH begins at 4, Talk at 430, Social until 6)
Location: Liberty Energy, 950 17th St, Suite 2400, Denver, CO 80202
Sponsor: Liberty Energy
Study Group Category: Completions
Speaker: Dr. Ge Jin, Associate Professor, Colorado School of Mines
Title: Abnormal Fracture Propagation during Hydraulic Fracturing Captured by Cross-well Strain Sensing
Measurements
Abstract:
Fiber-optic cross-well strain measurements have proven to be a powerful tool for optimizing hydraulic
fracturing operations, including well spacing and completion designs. As more field data have been
collected, abnormal fracture propagation behaviors have emerged in several case studies from
geologically complex areas. In this presentation, I’ll showcase field measurements that reveal abnormal
strain patterns associated with natural fracture stimulation, fault reactivation, and large-scale bedding
plane slippage. These case studies demonstrate the power of cross-well strain measurements to
characterize abnormal fracture behavior while highlighting how geology impacts stimulation results and
efficiency.
Bio:
Dr. Ge Jin is an Associate Professor of Geophysics and Co-director of Reservoir Characterization Project
at Colorado School of Mines. His research interests focus on applications of Distributed Fiber-Optic
Sensing (DFOS) in geoscience and engineering, as well as seismic imaging and machine learning
techniques. He received the ARMA Case Study Award in 2025, delivered the AAPG/SEG Distinguished
Lecture in 2024, received the Best Paper award at the URTeC conference in 2023 and 2024. Before
joining Colorado School of Mines, Dr. Jin worked for five years as a research geophysicist at
ConocoPhillips. Dr. Jin earned his Ph.D. in Geophysics from Columbia University and holds dual B.S.
degrees in Geophysics and Computer Science from Peking University.
20 Feb 2026 SPE Denver 46th Annual Racquetball Tournament
When: Feb 20, 2026
Where: Denver Athletic Club
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SPE Denver 46th Annual Racquetball Tournament
When: Feb 20, 2026
Where: Denver Athletic Club
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Join us for our 46th Annual Racquetball tournament at Denver Athletic club. Come for a fun afternoon of competition and socializing with fellow oil and gas industry professionals. All levels or play are welcome! Typically, there will be four different skill divisions from novice to A/B.
-Registration starts at $45 for members
-Student Registration is $25
Sponsorship Levels:
Platinum – $600
Gold – $450
Silver – $350