roundtable discussions
Back by popular demand, join us for another year of roundtable discussions at ERM!
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Participate in a series of discipline specific roundtable discussions that will allow attendees to share knowledge and debate ideas with peer technical professionals in an open discussion. Roundtables are a structured yet interactive meeting format where participants gather to engage in a collaborative and open exchange of ideas in order to foster dialogue, encourage diverse perspectives, and reach meaningful conclusions or decisions.
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Four roundtables will be offered focusing on Drilling & Completions, Production & Operations, and Reservoir Engineering.. A professional specific to each topic will serve as a moderator to facilitate the discussion, but the conversation will be driven entirely by the questions, comments, and interests of the participants as they share their own experience, learn from the experience of others, and debate ideas that are exceptionally relevant to their areas of professional interest.
"Stretch Goals: Pushing Laterals Without Pulling a Muscle"​
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As laterals continue to get longer, drilling and completions teams are facing new challenges that require thoughtful planning and execution. This roundtable will dive into what it really takes to drill and complete extended-reach wells from managing torque and drag, to maintaining directional control, to downhole tool improvements. While drilling techniques and real‑time data flow are progressing, the completion phase also faces its own complexities, and we'll talk about how crews are handling plug-and-perf in longer laterals, ensuring even stage coverage, and getting good cleanup after frac. Jump in to learn what’s smooth sailing, what’s still a hot mess, and how crews are juggling the chaos while chasing record-breaking laterals.​
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Moderator:
Josh Doak
VP Drilling - Appalachia, Range Resources
"Cemented Legacy: How Wells Meet Their End"​
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This roundtable will dig into the real-world challenges of plugging and abandoning oil and gas wells, especially those older, undocumented assets all to commonly scattered across the region. We’ll talk about the headaches caused by missing or inaccurate well records, the regulatory red tape that slows things down, and the logistical hurdles of getting the work done in the field. From locating orphan wells and managing contractor availability to understanding how new funding sources and carbon tax credits might help, this conversation will bring together the practical and the policy sides of well plugging. It’s a chance to compare notes, swap lessons learned, and talk through how we can tackle this problem more effectively.
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Moderator:
Luke Plants
Executive VP of Business Development, Zefiro Methane Corp.
"Chasing Unicorns: Economics at the Edge"
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As the basin's sweet spots get crowded, the industry is moving into less explored targets—acreage on the fringes of the plays, U-turn laterals, Upper Marcellus wells, and ventures into the black oil window. This roundtable digs into the analysis and economics of these edge-case wells to understand what metrics and diagnostics are critical to evaluating challenging plays. Are these wells the next wave of opportunity or are they expensive lessons in what not to do? Let’s talk economics, risk tolerance, and what makes a “maybe” well worth chasing.​​
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Moderator:
Charles Cunningham
Manager, Reserves, Diversified Energy