Explorer Emphasis Article

At a time when some operators are slowing production of unconventional resources, and as oil and gas prices continue to fall, three companies have high hopes for producing shale oil north of the Arctic Circle for the first time in petroleum history.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

Robert Gray is a man on a mission. Gray, an AAPG Grover E. Murray Distinguished Geology Educator Award winner in 2014, said he is tired of lower-level geologic study at community and city college levels being treated like the Rodney Dangerfield of academia.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

Recent debates have flared in the western United States over federal versus state ownership of public lands. Bills concerning the transfer of some public lands to states have been introduced in the U.S. Congress and many western state legislatures, though none have become law.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

About one-third of North Dakota’s production comes from the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, home to the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, or the Three Affiliated Tribes. In November, Mark Fox became the tribe’s new leader.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

Following many years of on again/off again activity, the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS) was, at long last, being proven in recent months to be a viable commercial play, but the market has done a 180-degree spin owing to the unanticipated, near-devastating drop in oil prices.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

Oil prices ... barreling downward. Natural gas prices ... up in flames. Gasoline prices ... tanking. The year got off to a scary start for the oil and gas industry

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Energy Policy Blog

As 2015 begins, the oil and gas industry is preparing itself for a plethora of regulatory activities. 

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Energy Policy Blog

In January several long-awaited actions are likely: The Nebraska Supreme Court should rule on a suit challenging the right of the governor to approve the pipeline route; President Obama may decide whether to issue a presidential permit; and the House and Senate plan votes on legislation to approve the pipeline without a presidential permit.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Policy Watch

Demand for all forms of energy, including oil and natural gas, will grow significantly in the next 26 years – but political and regulatory uncertainties create risks that may constrain the private-sector investments needed to meet the demand. That’s the message found in several recent analyses of the global energy market, which could shed light on patterns of energy growth and issues constraining industry’s ability to meet the growing demands.

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Division Column DPA

Recently, the AAPG Division of Professional Affairs held its mid-year meeting in Tulsa, and this year focused on the “Culture of Greatness” – the ability of our industry and profession to provide resources.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)

Hot Items

Explorer Geophysical Corner

Advancements in processing and imaging techniques have continued over the last several decades, which have gradually improved the quality of the processed surface seismic data. When the quality of the existing seismic data is not adequate to perform an interpretation task reasonably, then the interpreter looks for other options. Is it feasible to acquire a new survey? In the absence of an improved survey, will reprocessing of seismic data be a good option?

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

A new type of buoyancy model can be used to understand the source of residual oil zones, both thick and thin, to help determine the likelihood that economically viable recoverable oil resides in transition zones of imbibition reservoirs. Application of a buoyancy and breech model will fill a void in reservoir characterization. It will help distinguish between TZs and ROZs, the first of which allows application of primary and secondary (waterflooding) oil recovery methods and the second of which requires more difficult CO2-enhanced oil recovery projects.

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

It isn’t news to anyone that prediction is difficult, especially when it’s the future (as a great man once said). Uncertainty and unpredictability are just a part of the job of tracking and predicting the future supply and demand of energy. That being the case, when energy analysts say that the current level of uncertainty is particularly high, it might be easy to dismiss it as a “dog bites man” story. It isn’t.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Director’s Corner

Perhaps you did a double take pulling the April issue of EXPLORER from the mailbox. What is this? If you joined AAPG in the last 40 years, you’ve only known EXPLORER in its long-standing tabloid format. It worked well for many years as our advertisers – particularly seismic companies – loved the large format and the ability to display their data on a sweeping canvas. For readers, it was a little more awkward.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Historical Highlights

The Casablanca oil field, discovered in 1975 and located on the Mediterranean shelf edge, has been greatly significant in the world’s offshore oil industry activity, besides being by far the biggest oil field in Spain.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)

Headquarters Contacts

Susan Nash
Susan Nash Director, Innovation and Emerging Science and Technology, AAPG +1 405 314 7730