From the President

Terry Palisch headshot

Terry Palisch
2024 SPE President

Vice President for Technology and Engineering at CARBO Ceramics and an SPE member for more than 40 years. His chosen focus as President is "Creating Our Energy Future." Full bio

SPE is Global: President's Travels

board Devon Eagle Ford
October 2023 - Thanks to Devon Energy, Terry and the SPEI Board visited a drilling rig, frac site (pictured) and production facility in the Eagle Ford
ATCE Board Meeting Eclipse
October 2023 - During the Board meeting in San Antonio, the Board took a short break to view the “ring of fire” eclipse.
China delegation image
July 2023 - Terry Palisch, 2024 SPE President, and Mr. Hou Qijun, President of China National Petroleum Corp.
China delegation image
July 2023 - The SPE delegation with Mr. Jia Yong, assistant president of CNPC and director general of CNPC International Department, and Mr. Jiang Tongwen, director general of CNPC R&D Department.
Terry Palisch with Oman Section
Along with 2023 SPE President Med Kamal, Regional Director Hisham Zubari, and SPE regional staff, Terry visits with the leadership and members of the Oman Section and local SPE chapter students.
Terry Palisch with Aberdeen Section
The Aberdeen Section leadership hosted a meet and greet with new SPE CEO Simon Seaton and Terry. Also present were Board members Laura Precupanu, Robin Macmillan and 2022 SPE President Kamel Ben-Naceur, as well as several senior SPE staff.

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SPE President in the News

Journal of Petroleum Technology

How Members Can Help Improve the Industry’s Public Image
01 April 2024
SPE President Terry Palisch is joined by Paige McCown, SPE senior manager of communication and energy education, to discuss how members can improve the industry’s public image.

Economics, Not Politics, Drive Oil Demand
13 March 2024
Oil demand is a "growth story" as fuel demand shifts internationally, said Rice University's Kenneth Medlock at the recent SPE/IADC International Drilling Conference and Exhibition.

Maximizing Your Membership by Leveraging SPE’s Multimedia Content
01 March 2024
SPE President Terry Palisch is joined by Dana Otillio, vice president of SPE’s marketing and communications, to discuss how members can maximize their membership by leveraging multimedia content.

Creating Our Energy Future: The Value of Publishing Technical Papers for Your Career
01 February 2024
SPE President Terry Palisch is joined by Bryan Hibbard, senior editorial operations manager for SPE, to highlight how writing SPE technical papers and articles for JPT, SPE Journal, and other SPE publications can help to boost your career.

President’s Column With Terry Palisch—Creating Our Energy Future: The Value of Technical Sections
01 January 2024
In this episode and transcript, Terry Palisch is joined by Karen Olson, the SPE technical director for completions, to discuss how SPE can help us collaborate more on a global level through our technical sections.

President’s Column With Terry Palisch—Creating Our Energy Future-December 2023
01 December 2023
In this episode and transcript, Terry Palisch is joined by Simeon Eburi, an SPE Regional Director of North America, to discuss connecting members to technology and each other, and the importance of local sections. This transcript is an excerpt from the podcast episode.

President's Column Graphic

How Members Can Help Improve the Industry’s Public Image

April 2024

In this podcast episode, I am joined by Paige McCown, senior manager of communication and energy education, to discuss the importance of how SPE engages with external stakeholders to help improve the industry’s public image, particularly through programs like energy4me.

I start the episode by emphasizing how the industry’s public image is a critical concern for our future, and it’s a common question among members about what SPE can do to help.

Although environmental scrutiny of the industry has always been present, it has become more pronounced with the increased focus on climate change and emissions. The energy industry has made many positive impacts across the world, from providing energy for almost everything we do to producing everyday products and conveniences.

I also believe that the industry is best positioned to solve today’s energy challenges. However, two main problems related to our public image hinder our ability to meet these challenges: our ability to attract the best talent, and our ability to attract investments in technology and innovation.

The discussion turns to ways to change public perception. I review some of the topics discussed at the Presidents Panel that I participated in at IPTC 2024. These include how engaging students at a young age and making them aware of the benefits of the industry helps change the narrative at an early age. Also, it is important to engage teachers, guidance counselors, and communities in promoting our positive aspects.

The conversation moves to how SPE is equipping its members to engage in these efforts. I highlight SPE’s energy4me program which provides an exploration and production curriculum and hands-on activities to teach the science behind the industry. To accompany the program, SPE worked with DK Publishing to publish the Oil and Natural Gas book, available in nine languages, which helps convey the importance of the industry and provides talking points for members to use in their communities.

SPE deploys the program through workshops at key events, virtual workshops, and the Energy4me Ambassador program. Sections and chapters across the globe are active in this program, so in 2022 SPE created the Corporate Ambassador program. Companies like ExxonMobil, EOG Resources, and Aramco Americas participated in the program. The program can help some companies meet their corporate responsibility and community outreach goals.

I also spend time discussing how local sections and chapters are using the program in their communities...

Read the full transcript on JPT.


About Terry Palisch

Terry Palisch is the vice president of technology and engineering at CARBO Ceramics in Richardson, Texas, and the 2024 SPE President. He began his career with ARCO in Alaska and Algeria, joining CARBO in 2004 where he currently leads the Research and Development team.

Palisch has been an active SPE member for over 40 years, serving in various roles, including past chairman of the SPE Dallas Section, past chair of the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE) technical program and former SPE Completions Technical Director. He is an SPE Distinguished Member and has received multiple SPE regional and international awards including Distinguished Service.  He has coauthored more than 50 SPE technical papers and holds several patents.

Palisch holds a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from University of Missouri Rolla (now the Missouri University of Science and Technology) where he was recently recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus.

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