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PBE Podcast

People Behind Energy

Energy innovation is born in the Permian Basin, we’re on the front lines of it! Let’s build a community for the next generation of energy needs.

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#177
October 27 · length unknown
177: Matt "The Skips" Scipione
This episode of the PBE Podcast features an in-depth conversation between hosts Troy Tittlemier and Matt "Skip" Scipione, exploring Matt’s academic journey, recent research, and reflections on industry trends. They start with light banter and quickly transition into a detailed discussion of how the Society of Professional Well Log Analysts (SPWLA) is revitalizing engagement through a new Global Media Hub, aiming to bring together technical resources, foster community interaction, and support stu
#176
October 16 · length unknown
176: IBA Team from University of Louisiana at Lafayette
This video features an in-depth conversation with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL) 2026 Imperial Barrel Award (IBA) team members, who placed second in the prestigious international geology competition. The IBA is a long-standing contest organized by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) and the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), where university teams analyze a real-world oil and gas dataset and present their exploration and development strategy. The UL te
#175
October 16 · length unknown
175: Mandrill Energy Solutions
This episode of the People Behind Energy podcast features John Fofi, co-founder of Mandrill Energy Solutions, a company specializing in backyard services for drilling rigs, notably solids control and staffing of mud technicians critical in oil and gas drilling operations. John shares his career journey, from his Pennsylvania upbringing to joining the Air Force, managing a bar, and eventually entering the oilfield industry, where he built 20 years of expertise in rig operations and mud engineerin
#174
October 16 · length unknown
174: Scott Pollard
This extensive conversation with Scott Pollard, a seasoned petroleum scout based in San Antonio, offers a rare window into the evolving landscape of oil and gas exploration across Texas and the broader US over the past four decades. Scott’s unique vantage point merges deep family heritage—with ties to legendary Texas oilmen like Clayton Williams Jr.—and extensive personal experience in geology and scouting. Through candid reflections, historical anecdotes, and technical insights, Scott lays bare
#173
October 8 · length unknown
173: Joaquín Ambía
This video podcast episode features an in-depth conversation with a researcher deeply involved in the University of Texas at Austin’s Formation Evaluation Consortium (FEC) and in developing the UTAPWeLLS software. The discussion begins with a personal background, tracing the guest’s academic path from Mexico City and Monterrey to the University of Houston and beyond, highlighting a strong foundation in physics and computational biophysics. The guest shares insights into the practical application
#172
October 8 · length unknown
172: Domenico Crisafulli
This episode of the PBE Podcast features Domenico Crisafulli, a recent PhD graduate from UT Austin’s Formation Evaluation Program, who shared his academic journey, research innovations, and views on emerging technologies like AI in the energy sector. Domenico’s PhD research focused on leveraging modern physics and technology, particularly acoustic and electromagnetic measurements using drones, to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of petrophysical data acquisition and interpretation. His work b
#171
October 7 · length unknown
171: Alejandro D. Lopez Rojas and Julio C. Villarroel
This episode features an insightful conversation from UT Austin’s Formation Evaluation program with two PhD students, Alejandro and Julio, guided by Professor Carlos Torres-Verdin. The dialogue explores cutting-edge research in petrophysics, focusing on energy challenges such as identifying lithium resources, hydrogen storage, geothermal energy, and carbon capture. By applying modern physics, especially nuclear physics and formation evaluation tools like pulsed neutron methods, the researchers a
#170
September 23 · length unknown
170: Dr. Tamer Ali
In this episode of the PBE podcast, host Troy Tittlemier sits down with Tamer Ali at IMAGE 2026 to explore the cutting edge of geology, geophysics, and AI integration. Tamer shares his incredible journey from growing up on a farm in the Nile Delta to processing seismic data across six countries, and eventually earning degrees from the Colorado School of Mines and LSU. The conversation dives into Tamer's groundbreaking PhD dissertation, which uses a novel AI hybrid model—combining generalized add
#169
September 23 · length unknown
169: Dalma Cerro Arrieta
In this episode, we sit down with Dalma Cerro Arrieta, a petroleum engineer and PhD candidate at UT Austin, to discuss her journey through the geosciences. Dalma shares her path from studying at a public school in northern Colombia to learning Portuguese in three months for a Master's degree in Brazil, and eventually transitioning to a PhD program in Texas. The conversation dives into the technical details of geomechanics, her time working for Petrobras in the Brazilian pre-salt layers, and her
#168
September 23 · length unknown
168: Axel Jeconiah and Christian Dominguez
In this episode of the People Behind Energy (PBE) podcast, host Troy Tittlemier travels to UT Austin to sit down with PhD students Axel Jeconiah and Christian Dominguez from Dr. Carlos Verdin's formation evaluation program. The conversation dives deep into the future of the energy industry, focusing heavily on new-generation geothermal technologies, the integration of machine learning, and advanced fracture detection methods. Axel and Christian share their unique journeys into the energy sector—
#167
September 23 · length unknown
167: Dave Kennedy, Evolution of UTAPWeLS & Well-Log Modeling
The Evolution of UTAPWeLS & Well-Log Modeling In this episode of the PBE Podcast, host Troy Tittlemier sits down with Dave Kennedy to explore the history of the UT Austin Formation Evaluation research consortium and the development of the UTAPWeLS software. Dave shares his expansive career journey, spanning from his early days at Georgia Tech and military service during the Vietnam War, to his extensive work with industry giants like Schlumberger, Mobil, ExxonMobil, and Baker Hughes. The discuss
#166
September 21 · length unknown
166: Mark Kittridge and Carlos Torres-Verdin
In this episode of the People Behind Energy podcast, Dr. Carlos Torres-Verdín (Professor at the University of Texas at Austin) and Mark Kittridge (Principal and Manager of the Quantitative Interpretation Team at Occidental Petroleum) explore the 26-year history and future of the UT Austin Formation Evaluation Consortium. The conversation details Dr. Torres-Verdín’s journey in establishing an independent academic program for formation evaluation, Mark Kittridge’s perspectives as a long-time indus
#164
August 31 · length unknown
165: Upstream+ with Founder Austin Williams
In this episode of the People Behind Energy (PBE) Podcast, host Troy Tittlemier sits down with Austin Williams, Founder of Upstream+, to unpack the hidden complexities of oil and gas accounting. Austin shares his unique journey from studying organic chemistry to building a revolutionary platform that bridges raw field data and actionable financial insights. They discuss the industry's struggle with fragmented reporting, why traditional accounting processes are too slow for modern operators, and
#164
August 20 · length unknown
164: Petrophysicist Derek Buster
In this episode of the People Behind Energy podcast, host Troy Tittlemier sits down with Derek Buster, a seasoned petrophysicist and subsurface consultant. Derek shares his unconventional career journey, starting from a childhood fascination with RC cars and a degree in physics, to his grueling but formative years as an MWD/LWD field engineer for Schlumberger in the Gulf of Mexico. He discusses his transition to the operator side with companies like Apache, Stone Energy, and Guidon, where he lev
#163
August 15 · length unknown
163: The Return of the Mid-Continent? Bryan Bottoms
Welcome back to the PBE Podcast (People Behind Energy)! Today, we sat down with Bryan Bottoms for the first time since 2019 to catch up on life, fatherhood, and the booming state of the Mid-Continent oil and gas sector. Bryan, a technical advisor at Detring, gives a masterclass on the current "real estate" market of oil and gas A&D (Acquisitions & Divestitures). He brings incredible data and maps to the table, breaking down how drilling activity in Oklahoma has come full circle back to the Weste
#162
August 11 · length unknown
162: From Physics to Petrophysics: Dr. Iulian Hulea
In this episode of the People Behind Energy Podcast, Troy and Joselynn Tittlemier, the host geologists, sit down with Iulian Hulea: physicist, saturation height modeling specialist, former Shell subject-matter expert, SPWLA leader, and independent petrophysics consultant. Iulian takes us from his early life in Romania to a PhD in organic semiconductors, where he worked on the science behind flexible electronic displays. He then shares the unexpected moment that pulled him into oil and gas: seein
#161
July 20 · length unknown
161: Past President of the AAPG, Dr. Brian Horn
In this episode of the People Behind Energy Podcast, host Troy Tittlemier sits down with Dr. Brian Horn, the 109th President of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) and the founder of Hatteris Energy Group. Brian shares his incredible 40-year journey through the geosciences, from making hand-drawn contour maps in the Williston Basin to leading global exploration initiatives at ION Geophysical. He opens up about the pivotal moments in his life—including a serendipitous missed d
#160
June 30 · length unknown
160: SPWLA Wrap-Up
This episode with Andy Anderson captures a retrospective discussion regarding the 67th SPWLA Annual Symposium, highlighting the event's unique atmosphere and professional value. The speakers emphasize the intimate, family-like environment that fosters organic networking and high-level technical exchange among petrophysicists, students, and major service companies. Key segments include the student paper competition, specialized workshops, and the transition of the international board of directors
#159
June 15 · length unknown
159: Tony Van Zuilekom, Bridging the Digital Age
Tony Van Zuilekom, a Halliburton product champion with nearly five decades of experience in petrophysics and formation testing. The discussion highlights the transition of the oil and gas industry from analog to digital technologies, with a focus on the evolution of well logging and reservoir analysis. Van Zuilekom details the capabilities of the Reservoir Examiner and its "Deep" variant, which uses high-rate pumps and high-resolution gauges to investigate deeper into rock formations than tradit
#158
June 15 · length unknown
158: Baker Hughes, Advancing Subsurface Innovation
At the 67th annual SPWLA symposium, experts from Baker Hughes discussed integrating artificial intelligence with advanced subsurface technologies in modern energy exploration. The company introduced Proxima, a platform designed for formation evaluation in challenging well conditions using through-pipe conveyance. They also highlighted the Maxima platform, which utilizes machine learning to improve the speed and purity of hydrocarbon sampling while significantly reducing operational costs. For we

Showing 1–20 of 27 episodes