SPE Improved Oil Recovery Conference
April 21 – 23, 2026 | River Spirit Casino and Resort | Tulsa, OK
Countdown to IOR 2026
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Call For Papers
Dear Colleagues,
The Society of Petroleum Engineers Improved Oil Recovery Conference will be held April 21-23, 2026 at the River Spirit Casino and Resort in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The meeting theme is “Enabling IOR: Proven and Emerging Strategies for Maximizing Recovery. Technical topics for the meeting are listed below. Please consider submitting original and previously unreported results on these topics for consideration by the Technical Program Committee. We encourage papers on fundamental technical advances as well as case studies of field applications that provide new concepts on all aspects of improved oil recovery.
Paper proposals will be accepted online through September 15, 2025, 11:59 P.M. CT
Sincerely,
Raul Valdez
Technical Program Committee Chairman
To Submit a Proposal,
Expand to view topics
Gas Injection
• Field or Pilot Case Studies
• Immiscible and Miscible Displacement
• Foams and Thickeners
• Gas Supply and Sourcing including Midstream Applications
• Well and Injectivity Improvement Technologies
Waterflooding and Water Treatment Technologies
• Field or Pilot Case Studies
• Flood Optimization and Remaining Opportunities
• Water Sourcing and Disposal
• Well Design and Injectivity Improvement
• Improved Waterflooding through Water Chemistry and Low Salinity
Chemical Flooding
• Field or Pilot Case Studies
• Polymer and Mobility Control
• Alkaline/Surfactant/Polymer Methods
• Exsitu Chemical EOR or Nano Emulsion EOR
• Wettability Alteration
• Foams
• Solvents
• Emulsions, Surface Facilities, and Separation Technologies
• Hybrids and In Combination with other IOR technologies
Viscous (Heavy) Oil Recovery
• Field or Pilot Case Studies
• Cyclic Steaming
• SAGD
• Steamflooding
• Vapex, Gas, Solvents or Gas Additives
• Low Carbon Methodologies: Integration of Cogeneration
• Chemical Additives and Foams
• Insitu Combustion
• Well Enhancements and Wellbore/Near Wellbore Techniques
Novel EOR/IOR Technologies
• Field or Pilot Case Studies
• Microbial
• Nanoparticles and Technologies
• Low Carbon Ventures – CO2 Sequestration Projects
• Use of unconventional technologies to enhance economics
• Waterflooding Enhancements and New Concepts
Field Case Histories
• Operations Management of Injection Processes
• EOR Screening, Pilot Design and Appraisal Performance
• Field Implementation and Reconfiguration Experiences
• Challenging Developments: Oil Rims, Marginal Fields, Complex Reservoirs, Offshore
• Real-time Data Analytics and Field Management
• Optimization of Reserves and Project Economics
• Carbon Capture and Utilization in EOR
Water and Gas Conformance Control
• Field or Pilot Case Studies
• Diagnostic and Evaluation Methods
• Foams and Gels
• Integrated Treatment Methodologies
• Mechanical, Chemical, Cement or Combination Systems
Expand to view topics
Reservoir and Field Management
• Field or Pilot Case Studies
• Economics of EOR
• Brownfield and Reconfiguration Strategies
• Field Implementation, Surface Facilities, and HSE Challenges
• Uncertainty Assessment and Risk Management
• Targeting Methods for Bypassed Oil
• Operations Cost Management and Synergies
• Regulatory Framework Challenges and Solutions
• Incentive Driven IOR Projects and Technologies
• Surveillance 4 D and Real Time Data Use
• Data Driven Analytics, Machine Learning, and Life Cycle Data Management
• Sensor Technologies uses for Flood Surveillance
Reservoir Characterization in IOR Projects
• Field or Pilot Case Studies
• Optimizing Volumetric Sweep Efficiency
• Petrophysical and Geological Modeling, Flow Unit definition
• Accounting for Geological Heterogeneity/Sacle-up when applying IOR
• Between Well Characterization – Far Field Mapping
• Spatial and Temporal Data Acquisition and Modeling
• Integrated Asset Modeling: Coupling Surface Facilities to Simulation Models
Unconventional Reservoirs in EOR/IOR
• Field or Pilot Case Studies
• Characterization and Diagnostics of Unconventional Reservoirs for IOR
• Surfactant and Wettability Alteration Methods
• Chemical Based Applications and Stimulation
• Miscible and Immiscible Gas Injection for Unconventionals
• Infill drilling and Refracturing to Improve Recovery
• Tight Oil Applications for IOR
Conceptual Modeling/Analytical Solution Methods/Basic Data
• Basic Data: Fluid Characterization, PVT
• Basic Data: SCAL and Rock Properties
• Nano/Small Pore Space Recovery Mechanisms
• Conceptual Modeling: Pore Scale Modeling of IOR/EOR processes
Carbon Capture And Sequestration in EOR Projects
• Field or Pilot Case Studies
• Regulatory Aspects and 45Q/Tax Certification
• Low Net Carbon Methods
• Piloting Aspects
• Subsurface Characterization
• Synergistic gas storage (topics that covers what reservoir will not give you in natural ways -just like EOR)
• Direct and Mobile Carbon Capture
Field Operations
• Field Operations, Digital Transformation, Surrogate Modeling
• Artificial Lift Considerations
• Well Construction Considerations (metallurgy, completion and stimulation)
• Surveillance and Field Optimization
• Emissions Management and Impacts to IOR
• Data Analytics and Machine Learning
• Tax, Regulatory and Environmental Aspects of IOR
• 4Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Remove
GENERAL CHAIR WELCOME
Since 1978, the Mid-Continent Section of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) has been organizing this biennial conference, and the 2026 SPE IOR Conference will uphold this long-standing tradition as the leading event for discussions on enhanced oil recovery (IOR). If you were with us in 2024, you’ll know the value of these gatherings in advancing our industry.
The theme for the 2026 conference, “Enabling IOR: Proven and Emerging Strategies for Maximizing Recovery,” underscores the latest innovations and established practices in IOR. It promises to remain highly relevant to global operators and a variety of production environments across different geological contexts. The focus will be on both conventional and unconventional reservoirs, emphasizing innovation, sustainability, and economic feasibility. At this event, the foremost global IOR experts will convene, creating a platform for sharing insights, debating ideas, and discovering cutting-edge technologies aimed at enhancing oil and gas recovery while reducing carbon footprints.
Our industry is known for its innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, and focus on return on investment. However, IOR processes tend to be more strategic, with unique economic profiles, often higher OPEX, and more complex reserve booking scenarios than typical drilling projects. To make strides in IOR, we must harness the same level of innovation and mindset that fueled the shale revolution, especially when it comes to improving recovery factors. The significant advances in reducing drilling costs per foot and lowering emissions are clear examples of what focused effort can accomplish. Let’s rise to the challenge!
I warmly invite you to join me and the planning committee at the 2026 SPE IOR Conference in Tulsa. I encourage you to actively engage by submitting an abstract, showcasing your products and services, or becoming a sponsor. The conference will feature short courses, technical seminars, exhibits, our traditional opening plenary session, as well as Keynote and Pioneer Awards Luncheons. It will take place at the stunning River Spirit Casino Resort in Tulsa, which boasts a state-of-the-art 30,000 square foot convention and meeting center. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity!
I look forward to welcoming you to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the next SPE IOR Conference in 2026.
Welcome,
Tom McCoy
General Chair, 2026 IOR