Dr. Chicheng Xu of CNPC USA Receives SPWLA 2025 Distinguished Technical Achievement Award
Dr. Chicheng Xu of CNPC USA Receives SPWLA 2025 Distinguished Technical Achievement Award, Elected to International Board of Directors and Exchanges Petrophysical Innovations in the Middle East
Dubai, UAE, May 21, 2025 — The 66th Annual Symposium of the Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA), one of the world’s most prestigious events in the field of petrophysics, concluded successfully in Dubai. Dr. Chicheng Xu, from the CNPC USA Geoscience and Engineering Integration Group, was honored with the 2025 SPWLA Distinguished Technical Achievement Award. He was also officially elected to the SPWLA International Board of Directors, marking CNPC’s continued global leadership and innovation in the field of petrophysical technologies.
[Photo 1: Dr. Xu attending the award ceremony]
The conference took place from May 17 to 21, 2025, under the theme 'Technology, Integration, and Innovation for the Future Energy Era.' It brought together over 500 experts and scholars from five continents to share insights on emerging technologies and digital transformation in global oil and gas exploration and development. Key topics included conventional and unconventional reservoir evaluation, AI and machine learning in well logging, carbon capture and storage (CCUS), high-angle well evaluation, advanced imaging technologies, and reservoir monitoring.
Nearly 100 representatives from Chinese enterprises and universities participated actively in this year’s symposium, showcasing China’s organized, impactful, and productive presence. Participating institutions included:
- China National Logging Corporation (CNLC)
- China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC)
- China Oilfield Services Limited (COSL)
As well as prominent academic institutions such as:
- China University of Petroleum (Beijing)
- China University of Petroleum (East China)
- Southwest Petroleum University
- Northeast Petroleum University
- Chengdu University of Technology
- Yangtze University
These participants made impressive contributions through technical papers, presentations, and poster sessions, collectively demonstrating China’s research excellence and application strength in petrophysical evaluation, logging interpretation, and data-driven solutions.
As a leading technical expert and industry thought leader, Dr. Xu was recognized for his significant contributions in rock typing innovation, multi-scale data integration, and intelligent log interpretation. In his keynote speech, he emphasized that 'the power of energy intelligence lies not only in integration, but in simplification—this principle forms the foundation of smart and scientific digital technologies development and deployment in the energy sector.'
Beyond receiving the award, Dr. Xu was also appointed to the SPWLA International Board of Directors, where he will help guide the society’s strategic direction in global standardization, event coordination, and technical innovation.
During the conference, Dr. Xu also visited CNPC’s Dubai Research Institute, where he held technical discussions with local experts on the petrophysical characterization and logging evaluation of complex carbonate reservoirs in the Middle East. Topics of discussion included pore structure modeling, heterogeneity analysis of carbonates, and integration of core-log multi-scale data. Both sides explored future collaborative research and deployment of advanced technologies for supergiant carbonate reservoirs in the region.
[Photo 2 : Dr. Xu attending the award ceremony. Photo 3: Dr. Xu visiting CNPC Dubai Research Institute]
Dr. Xu’s recognition and technical exchange underscore the international credibility and technical excellence of CNPC professionals. Looking ahead, CNPC USA will continue to strengthen global collaboration and technological innovation to play a greater role in the ongoing transformation of the global energy landscape.