I somewhat hesitantly step onto this page of E&P as its new executive editor after remembering some of my predecessors' feedback. One of our editors (who shall remain nameless) was so reviled by our managing editor that she blew up his "As I see it" photo and thumbtacked it to her bulletin board such that the thumbtacks looked like devil horns.

Another editor, Bill Pike, once received an e-mail reading, "Dear Bill: As I see it, you're a moron."

So as I prepare myself for target practice, I would like to direct your attention to our special feature on the Meritorious Awards for Engineering Innovation (MEAs). This year's winners join an august group of groundbreaking technologies that date back to 1971. (The complete list will be posted to our website once I find out who won in 1999!)

These highly coveted awards are judged by a panel of experts culled from industry, academia, and consultants. Judges are asked to rate each entry in terms of its innovation in concept, design, and application; its ability to help solve a costly problem; and its potential to improve efficiency or profitability.

Out of almost 70 entries our judges chose 13 winners and four honorable mentions. The specifics on each of these entries can be found further back in this issue. Winners will be honored at this year's Offshore Technology Conference and at Hart Energy's Developing Unconventional Oil conference in Denver, Colo., May 14-16.

While we're on the subject of the MEAs, I would like to encourage anyone who develops technology to consider entering the 2013 contest. Entering is simple:

  1. Visit Epmag.com/mea/mea.process.php
  2. Create an account, or enter your personal entry page if you already have an account.
  3. Submit an abstract, case study, and up to three supporting documents for each entry.

This year's deadline is Dec. 31. We've added new categories to accommodate more entries in the subsea, deepwater, and Arctic technology arenas, and we welcome those entries as well as our standard entries for drilling fluids, exploration technology, etc. Enter early and often, and good luck! Finally, I would like to thank Dick Ghiselin, head of our editorial advisory board, and Richard Mason, our executive editor online, for filling this page while we sorted some things out internally. We'll aim for a bit more consistency from now on, and I'll keep my bullet-proof vest close by.

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