PBE Podcast

This special episode is from the opening night Ice Breaker at the WTGS Fall Symposium. We get the opportunity to learn more about CO2 use and sequestration in the Permian Basin through the lens of over 25 years of experience doing it in the Permian Basin with Mike Raines and Stevel Melzer. The use of CO2 in the Permian to increase oil production is not new, but the 45Q tax credit can influence your economics as a company by putting the CO2 to use or in the ground forever! The 2025 CO2 conference is coming up; be there to be a part of this technical and economic breakthrough.

Welcome to the PBE Podcast—where innovation meets the future. This year, we’re celebrating Cinco de Mayo in a way that bridges the past and the future. Back in 2021, we explored the revolutionary KinFrac technology—a potential breakthrough in hydraulic fracturing that redefined efficiency, fracture complexity, for operators wanting to re-frac old wells or bust up the reservoir in new drills. Fast-forward to today, and we’re taking that conversation to the next level. Using NotebookLM, we’ve recreated that podcast with AI-driven hosts, bringing fresh perspectives, dynamic discussions, and cutting-edge insights into the evolution of KinFrac. This isn’t just a replay—it’s a reimagining, powered by AI, designed to make the conversation more immersive, engaging, and forward-thinking. KinFrac remains a potential game-changer, and as we revisit its impact, we’re also exploring how AI-driven content creation is transforming the way we share knowledge, spark innovation, and push industries forward. So buckle up—because this episode is a fusion of past discoveries and future possibilities. Let’s dive in.

We got to attend this year’s NAPE, which didn’t disappoint. “You can tell when things are going good or bad in the industry based on the quality of the happy hours at NAPE.” The opening night Happy Hour was TOP NOTCH!!! In this episode, we sit down with a past guest, DeWitt Smith, and a new guest, Andrew Welshans, to discuss natural fractures and a prospect developed by DeWitt. His exploration focus was natural fractures filled with oil. Enjoy!

Trey Cortez, the General Chair of the 2025 SWS AAPG Annual Convention, shared his excitement about the upcoming event in Fort Worth, TX. He highlighted the event's world-class short courses, engaging talks, and social events, emphasizing the opportunity for attendees to learn and integrate new ideas to elevate the oil and gas industry. He also expressed the importance of reconnecting in person, noting the energy and camaraderie that comes from face-to-face interactions, which he believes are crucial for moving the business forward.

The focus of the panel discussion is on the long history of study by the West Texas Geological Society and how this extensive research influences current policies and future outcomes in the geosciences, particularly in the context of the Permian Basin. The discussion also touches on the impact of these studies on the economics, infrastructure, and technological advancements in the oil and gas industry.

The event features various geologists and industry experts discussing their work, experiences, and the significance of core samples from different geological formations in the Permian Basin. Join in the fun as we walk through each core! You can still sign up for this event and watch all the technical talks, panel discussions, and core workshop on your time!

Norman is a versatile Geologic Consultant with 15+ years of success in exploration, development, and petroleum geology. History of success in on-site support, drilling strategy optimization, and team mentorship. Expertise in wireline log interpretation, H2S risk management, and thorough well-logging in diverse basins worldwide. Skilled in productivity assessments, geologic modeling, and data accuracy, driving impactful contributions to production and exploration projects. Adept at instructing, leading, and mentoring new team members, elevating their expertise and professional development. Leverage advanced knowledge in petroleum production estimation software, enabling precise petrophysical analysis, reservoir characterization, and forward-thinking production forecasting.

Luis Sanchez is the Midland County Commissioner of Precinct 3. He comes from an oil field family and understands the importance of supporting that industry as much as possible. Midland County is the heart of the Permian Basin. Oil and Gas is the heartbeat of America. Thank you for everything you do for the operators and the people of your area sir! LET'S GOOOO!

Academic Geo’s, industry Geo’s, and discoveries! The Bureau of Economic Geology and the State of Texas Advanced Resource Recovery folks are going from Strawn carbonates to siliciclastics!

This year Trey Cortez and the folks at the Oil Information Library of Fort Worth are bringing back one of the most important events of the year, a core workshop on the Strawn! Bringing in legends of the Strawn to talk about their core and the discoveries made over the years, along with, the top academics working on the Strawn. The Bureau of Economic Geology and the State of Texas Advanced Resource Recovery folks are going from Strawn carbonates to siliciclastics!

The 2024 AAPG GeoGulf was a hit. From technical talks, posters, and panels, to the field trips and conversations on the exhibit hall floor. This year rocked!! We were honored to sit down with Industry Professional Swapan Sahoo and Associate Professor at Steven F. Austin Julie Bloxson.

Every year there is 1 Christmas party that outdoes them all… The multi-society Christmas party in West Texas! We were there this year to share a gift to every geoscientist on Earth. RiVa Solutions from GeoComputing, Lenovo, and Nvidia is here to help you model the reservoir faster than ever. With computing time being reduced for seismic inversions some cases taking days to run, with RiVa Solutions, it’s taking just hours. John Creevan CEO of GeoComputing, Brad Violand from Lenovo, and Jason Knudsen from Nvidia tell the story!

The 2024 AAPG GeoGulf was a hit. From technical talks, posters, and panels, to the field trips and conversations on the exhibit hall floor. This year rocked!! We had the honor to sit down with James Hawkins, Barry Rava, and David Tonner to discuss what the future of Energy might look like!

The 2024 AAPG GeoGulf was a hit. From technical talks, posters, and panels, to the field trips and conversations on the exhibit hall floor. This year rocked!! We had the honor to sit down with Dr. Joseph Batir and do a podcast about what he’s up to and how he’s making a difference in the geothermal energy space!

The 2024 AAPG GeoGulf was a hit. From technical talks, posters, and panels, to the field trips and conversations on the exhibit hall floor. This year rocked!! We had the honor to sit down with some industry experts to talk about Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning as it is applied to help make decisions today!

2024 AAPG GeoGulf was a hit. From technical talks, posters and panels, to the field trips and conversations on the exhibit hall floor. This year rocked!! We had the honor to sit down with some industry experts to talk about Mergers, are they a good thing or a bad thing?

Shawn Dawsey is a Petroleum Engineer out of THE Texas A&M University. He developed a passion for rod pumping and oil well optimization. He has studied the Dynomometer and Fluid Echometer in so much detail, he made a 50-hour eCourse on it. You can now learn every detail of how to maximize your pump efficiency and optimize operations and profits. Check out his website for more information.

Ms. Sue Pritchett is a technical engineer who infiltrated the geology world better than maybe anyone else we’ve had on this show! Her experience and wisdom are second to none, she’s always a beam of light at the conventions and in the conversations. Thank you for your friendship! Check out Ikon Science for your 1-stop shop #Energy exploration and development software

There is a special place in the universe where a person with passion has the hard work to really make a difference. This is exactly what Shawn Dawsey from Downhole Diagnostic has done! Downhole Diagnostic diagnoses your downhole!  I use a Fluid Level Gun and a Dynamometer (Dyno) [metaphorically depicted above] to determine the fluid level and measure the downhole pump performance on Rod Pumped Wells.  To be more precise, Dynamometers are only applicable to Rod Pumped wells while Fluid Level Surveys can be used on any type of producing oil or gas well that doesn't have a Packer (Fluid Level Shots can even be taken down the tubing, for example:  if a tubing leak is suspected).   I then submit my findings in a concise report along with any optimization recommendations.

Monica Vrana is the Chief Marketing Officer of Microseismic Inc. She had a vision for the IMAGE 2023 show and PBE was a part of it. Once we saw the booth, the team working hard to put it together and the stories, we realized why it was so important for us to be there with them. 20 years of service and heading into another 100 years of hard work, dedication, and professionalism. The future infrastructures around the world will look nothing like the past!