WORKSHOP

IMAGE 2026 New Technology Showcase

Tuesday, 18 August - 2:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m. | Wednesday, 19 August - 2:00 p.m.–5:20 p.m.   George R. Brown Convention Center, Room 310

We invite you to apply to participate in a focused, content-rich New Technology Showcase designed for upstream professionals looking to stay at the forefront of innovation.


The structured sessions include:

  • Panel discussions focusing on technology development, women in technology, and new directions in AI
  • Presentations by emerging technology developers and service providers


Topics covered include:

  • Advanced Visualization Techniques
  • Co-production of critical minerals, geothermal, lithium, and helium
  • Bitcoin mining and other uses for low-volume natural gas
  • Reservoir Fluids Modeling
  • Reservoir Characterization
  • Wellsite communications technologies
  • Advanced Analytics
  • Generative AI and Large Language Models for Subsurface Energy
  • Refracturing (Refracs)
  • Microgrids
  • Drilling Innovations
  • Real-Time Monitoring & Sensor Technologies
  • Completion Techniques
  • Drilling Fluids
  • Geothermal Co-Production


These advancements are driving down costs, improving asset recovery, and improving asset optimization.


If you are an operator, technology scout, engineer, or innovator, this is your opportunity to engage directly with the technologies reshaping the upstream sector.


To learn more and apply for speaking opportunities, contact Susan Nash at snash@aapg.org.

New Technology Showcase Advisory Board

With thanks to the Advisory Board for their guidance in shaping this year’s New Technology Showcase.

  • Mark Hamzat Erogbogbo Texas Star Alliance
  • Marta Anson Emerson AspenTech
  • Chuck Toups
  • David Hume University of Houston
  • Jonathan Garcez Darcy Partners
  • Prateek Patel ExxonMobil

IMAGE 2026 New Technology Showcase Panel Sessions

Tuesday, 18 August

2:00 p.m.- 2:30p.m. | From Pilot to Profit: Navigating the Tech Adoption Gauntlet
Join this team of high-impact panel of technology scouts, early adopters, and new technology growth experts to dissect the DNA of successful innovation. Our panelists will share real world experiences, highlighting the critical ingredients that separate scalable solutions.
Panelist
  • Portrait of Kelsey Kearns
    Kelsey Kearns Head of Greentown Houston Greentown Labs
  • Portrait of W. George Coyle
    W. George Coyle Managing Partner Energy Innovation Capital
  • Portrait of Nikhil Sonthaliya
    Nikhil Sonthaliya Director, Oil and Gas Darcy Partners
  • Portrait of Mik Isernia
    Mik Isernia Head of Commercial Partnerships ThinkOnward
  • Portrait of Travis Schindler
    Travis Schindler Sr. Sales Manager UP42
  • Portrait of Prateek Patel
    Prateek Patel Technology Scout ExxonMobil
2:30 p.m.- 3:00p.m. | The Edge of Innovation: The Women Driving Energy Tech’s Next Wave
This panel of innovative women leaders focuses on how collaborative team-building and strategic alliance-forging can accelerate the pace of innovation. From navigating the technical hurdles to fostering partnerships, these experts will share how their distinct approaches to team-building, mission and vision development, communication and risk-sharing lead to more resilient technologies and faster commercial adoption.
Panelist
  • Portrait of Andrea Crook
    Andrea Crook President OptiSeis Solutions Ltd.
  • Portrait of Kim McLean
    Kim McLean NORAM Solutions Consultant for Formation Evaluation AspenTech
  • Portrait of Kira Dickey
    Kira Dickey Manager of Innovation ThinkOnward
  • Portrait of Sonia Hernandez-Cordon
    Sonia Hernandez-Cordon Senior Manager, Business Development Equinor US
3:00 p.m.- 5:30 p.m. | Individual Presentations
Time Presenter Title Affiliation Presentation Description
3:00 p.m.
Chenyu Zhou Doctoral Student
Sicong Chang Doctoral Student
Yueqin Huang Assistant Professor
University of Houston Generative AI for CO2 Storage Monitoring and Uncertainty Quantification A generative framework for forecasting CO 2 plume migration from sparse time-lapse seismic and frequent gravity data. It produces probabilistic plume predictions with spatial uncertainty maps and identifies when seismic surveys are worth acquiring, reducing monitoring cost without sacrificing accuracy.
3:15 p.m. Alan Lindsey CEO HXMX HXMX: Automated Formation Top-Picking and Depth HXMX is an AI-powered signal intelligence platform for interpreting complex physical data. Starting with subsurface well logs, it automates formation top picking at scale, quantifies depth uncertainty, and cross-validates results to enable faster, more consistent decisions.
3:30 p.m. Zhiqiang Feng Vice President Zhejiang Labs From GeoGPT to OneEarth Building an AI-native platform for spatiotemporal geological visualization and knowledge discovery.
3:45 p.m. Sasan Ghanbari Geomodelling AspenTech A New Era of Subsurface Workflows Powered by Agentic AI Subsurface Workflows are notoriously complex, manual, and time-consuming. Multidisciplinary in nature, they involve heavy data manipulation and rely on highly interactive software applications that were developed twenty plus years ago. Modern agentic frameworks promise to transform how practitioners interact with technology, not just by automating repetitive manual tasks but by also enabling fit-for purpose, data-driven, and goal-oriented workflows. From data exploration to decision-making, Agentic AI has the potential to revolutionize user experience, break down silos, and drastically improve productivity, provided it has the right geological and engineering context, access to the relevant tools and data, and can balance keeping the human in the loop vs. full autonomy. This presentation will discuss and illustrate the points above.
4:00 p.m. Sunil Garg President DataVedik ProdVediK Rapid hydraulic frac simulation/optimization using a data driven unconventionals reservoir simulator powered by AI/ML.
4:15 p.m. Yitian Xiao Geoscientist GeoGPT VibeResearch An agentic AI research assistant for autonomous machine learning and subsurface energy interpretation.
4:30 p.m.
Mik Isernia Head of Commercial Partnerships
Nikhil Shah
ThinkOnward; S-Cube RIFTS and RFITS RIFTS: Rapid Seismic Imaging with Time Space Lag FWI. RFITS combines Time Space Lag FWI, scalable compute, and expert-led model building to accelerate seismic imaging and deliver high-quality subsurface insight.
4:45 p.m. John Skero Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer GeoIntelX The Polygon Is the Prompt: How Geospatial AI Is Accelerating Energy Exploration Accelerating energy discovery and utilization requires overcoming the fragmentation of massive amounts of geological, commercial, and infrastructure data. GeoIntelX is revolutionizing the field by combining the latest AI processing and analysis technologies with time-proven exploration workflows. Within a powerful geospatial intelligence platform, exploration teams experience a new paradigm: the polygon is the prompt.
5:00 p.m. Bryony Richards Senior Research Scientist Critical Resources Research Group, University of Utah Critical Minerals Explorer Designed for phone or desktop, it is meant to bridge that gap in understanding what a critical or strategic mineral is and what we rely on them for in addition to looking at various import 'strategies'.
5:15 p.m. Todd Denton CEO Lithic Industries T-PRO® Polymer stabilization provides an economical and environmentally friendly alternative for sustainable stabilization and easy to maintain surfaces. Lithic laboratory testing, field trials and completed projects have demonstrated that engineered stabilization using T-PRO® copolymers develop higher fine particle binding, have higher water and alkaline resistivity, and result in longer lasting, durable surfaces. T-PRO® polymers are environmentally benign, tested under stringent EPA methods and provide a safe, non-toxic, easily applied solution to all soil and road stabilization challenges.

Wednesday, 19 August

2:00 p.m.- 2:30p.m. | The Pilot Bridge: Strategic Onramps to Commercial Adoption

This session tackles the two most critical transitions in the technology lifecycle: securing the initial "yes" and bridging the gap to long-term usage. Our panel will discuss how to identify the right internal champions—beyond just the technical scouts—who have the operational mandate to greenlight proof-of-concept (POC) trials and adoption in their operations.

Panelist
  • Portrait of Nampetch Yamali
    Nampetch Yamali Subsurface and Wells Manager, Chevron Technology Ventures Chevron
  • Portrait of Ken Pfau
    Ken Pfau Vice President of Geoscience Devon
  • Portrait of Saptarshi Dasgupta
    Saptarshi Dasgupta Oil, Gas, & Chemicals Executive EY
  • Portrait of Amandine Battentier
    Amandine Battentier Technology Engineering, Global Modeling & Simulation Manager SLB
  • Portrait of Allison Gilmore
    Allison Gilmore Director of Product Management, R&D Energy Software S&P Global
2:30 p.m.- 3:00p.m. | Foundation First: Building the Data Architecture That Actually Powers AI

The discussion will explore the practical challenges of transforming disparate, multi-generational data into a cohesive asset that supports reliable decision-making. Join us to learn how industry leaders evaluate a company’s data readiness and why a disciplined approach to data governance is the most important predictor of long-term success for any digital initiative. 

Panelist
  • Portrait of Yitian Xiao
    Yitian Xiao Subsurface Data Scientist Zhejiang Labs
  • Portrait of Sashi Gunturu
    Sashi Gunturu President - CEO Petrabytes
  • Portrait of Ben Lasscock
    Ben Lasscock Director Digital Data Innovation TGS
  • Portrait of Rob Gibson
    Rob Gibson Senior Manager EY
3:00 p.m.- 5:30 p.m. | Individual Presentations
Time Presenter Title Affiliation Presentation Description
3:00 p.m.
Heather Bedle Director of Sustainable Systems and Associate Professor
April Moreno Post-Doctoral Candidate
Choudry Noor Doctoral Candidate
University of Oklahoma - AASPI Consortium Emerging Seismic Attributes and Machine Learning Workflows from the AASPI Consortium This showcase highlights recent developments from the AASPI consortium at the University of Oklahoma, featuring emerging seismic attributes—including aberrancy, multispectral coherence, and distance quadrant attributes—alongside newly incorporated machine learning approaches for seismic subsurface characterization. The presentation will demonstrate applications of the Segment Anything Model (SAM) for seismic interpretation and SHAP-based explainable AI, showing how these tools improve both the accuracy and interpretability of subsurface analysis.
3:15 p.m. Catherine Oster Managing Director EY EY’s POV on Subsurface Transformation Unlocking Value Beneath Complexity: Data has always contained answers; today, AI, modern data platforms, and integrated workflows finally enable operators to transform subsurface complexity into faster decisions, reduced uncertainty, and greater value across the asset lifecycle.
3:30 p.m. Michael O'Connell Chief Analytics Officer Spotfire Spotfire Industrial AI & Analytics Spotfire's Industrial AI & Analytics Platform includes (a) Agents that identify insights and suggest actions during authoring, (b) a Copilot chat for creating and explaining Spotfire analyses, and (c) an Agent Registry Toolkit for creating, registering, and invoking Agents from the chat. I’ll show the creation of a Spotfire Agent for Well Recompletions and running that Agent from the Spotfire chat to evaluate the results.
3:45 p.m. Rekha Patel Founder/CEO Xrathus Xrathus DXP Xrathus DXP is a digital experience platform and execution layer for activating problem-solving communities around complex technical and operational challenges. It brings together dedicated community spaces, real-time and independent collaboration, shared resources, project workspaces, and knowledge bases so organizations can move from problem framing to pilots, adoption, and measurable outcomes.
4:00 p.m. Asim Siddiqui Data Engineer TGT Diagnostics Ground Truth for AI: High-Fidelity Well Diagnostics as the Measurement Layer for Subsurface Models Digital and AI workflows in the subsurface are only as good as the measurements underneath them, and most operate on inferred or legacy data. This session gives a high-level overview of TGT Diagnostics’ through-barrier measurements, then goes technical on how AI-assisted interpretation converts raw downhole signal into flow and integrity answers that calibrate reservoir data.
4:15 p.m. David Hume Program Director University of Houston New Imaging Technology and India's New Superbasin Technology and techniques used in technical evaluations of India's frontier offshore areas, including the Andaman, Mahanadi, and Bengal basins.
4:30 p.m. Anat Canning Data Science Distinguished Technologist AspenTech Horizon AI: Accelerating Seismic Interpretation with Deep Learning-Guided Horizon Tracking Horizon AI is a deep learning solution that automates seismic horizon interpretation, enabling interpreters to track multiple horizons simultaneously from only a few user-defined picks. By reducing interpretation workflows from days to hours while improving consistency and quality control, Horizon AI helps geoscientists accelerate subsurface understanding and focus on higher-value decision-making.
4:45 p.m. Vikram Jayaram Founder Neuralix DLT - Data Lifecycle Templatization Data Lifecycle Templatization (DLT) framework enables rapid deployment of artificial intelligence applications that reduce unplanned downtime and provide early failure warnings with accuracy, enabling water, manufacturing, and oil and gas sectors to improve reliability and efficiency.
4:45 p.m. Travis Schindler Senior Sales Manager UP42 UP42 Earth Observation Platform UP42 consolidates data acquisition and processing into a single platform, making Earth observation data operational and eliminating the friction of managing disconnected providers, contracts, and pipelines.
5:00 p.m. Rachel Scully Lead Energy Consultant Visiv Subsurface360: Layered Intelligence for Building Capability Subsurface 360 unifies geoscience, technology, business and leadership capabilities into a single, intelligent talent platform. It helps organizations turn hidden workforce data into expertise, optimize project teams, identify future leaders and prepare your workforce for a new energy future.

See More Networking Events

  • All-Convention Luncheon: CEO Spotlight Dialogue
    All-Convention Luncheon: CEO Spotlight Dialogue
    Tuesday, 18 August 11:30 a.m.–1:15 p.m.
  • Women’s Network Luncheon: “Unearthing” the History of Jezero Crater, Mars, with Perseverance
    Women’s Network Luncheon: “Unearthing” the History of Jezero Crater, Mars, with Perseverance
    Wednesday, 19 August 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
  • AAPG Division of Professional Affairs (DPA) Luncheon: How AI is Reshaping Subsurface Energy Systems
    AAPG Division of Professional Affairs (DPA) Luncheon: How AI is Reshaping Subsurface Energy Systems
    Wednesday, 19 August 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • AAPG Division of Environmental Geosciences and Energy Minerals Division Luncheon: Helium and Hydrogen – Exploring the new Frontier
    AAPG Division of Environmental Geosciences and Energy Minerals Division Luncheon: Helium and Hydrogen – Exploring the new Frontier
    Thursday, 20 August 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • SEG Gravity and Magnetics Luncheon: The Formation, Crustal Architectures, Stratigraphic Stacking Patterns, and Gravity Signatures of Magmatic and Amagmatic Margins: Any Chance of Predicting Hydrocarbon Potential?
    SEG Gravity and Magnetics Luncheon: The Formation, Crustal Architectures, Stratigraphic Stacking Patterns, and Gravity Signatures of Magmatic and Amagmatic Margins: Any Chance of Predicting Hydrocarbon Potential?
    Wednesday, 19 August 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • From subsurface insights to business impact: Operator perspectives from deepwater Paleogene and Norphlet developments<br>
    From subsurface insights to business impact: Operator perspectives from deepwater Paleogene and Norphlet developments<br>
    Thursday, 20 August 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • SEG Mining and Mineral Exploration Luncheon: A New Look at Old Waste: Integrating Photography and Geochemistry to Characterize Legacy Mine Tailings
    SEG Mining and Mineral Exploration Luncheon: A New Look at Old Waste: Integrating Photography and Geochemistry to Characterize Legacy Mine Tailings
    Thursday, 20 August 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.