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Explorer President’s Column By Steven Goolsby

I sometimes find it amusing that several people can look at the same data and come to diametrically opposed opinions as to what that information represents. I think we can all chuckle when three geologists view an outcrop and come up with five conflicting interpretations of what depositional environment is represented in the exposure, for example. Diametrically opposed opinions related to the health and financial condition of AAPG are more concerning than amusing to me, however.

Added on 01 August, 2022

Explorer Article By Andy Davies,Mike Simmons

The Role of Hydrocarbons in the Energy Transition

Approximately 80 percent of today’s global energy supply comes from fossils fuels, 54 percent of which is supplied by oil and gas. Global society’s goal for the near future is to enjoy the same or better quality of life, but with zero carbon emitted. This presents a set of challenging questions of particular relevance to AAPG members. How will energy demand evolve? How difficult is it to remove oil and gas from the global energy mix? And if they remain part of the mix, what kind of hydrocarbons are we looking for? How important will geological carbon storage be in assisting efforts to reach net zero? These questions were investigated in a recent paper by the authors entitled, “Demand for ‘advantaged’ hydrocarbons during the 21st century energy transition,” and published in the journal Energy Reports. The results are summarized here.

Added on 01 August, 2022

Explorer Article By Emily Llinás

Trinidad and Tobago’s Hydrocarbon Province Provides Historic Success and Future Opportunities

Nestled in the southernmost Caribbean lies Trinidad and Tobago, a 5,130-square-kilometer twin-island republic, famous for its colorful Carnival celebrations, melodious steelpan drums, picturesque beaches and savory street foods. Trinidad and Tobago is known also for its longstanding presence in the energy sector, which is the primary economic driver for the country’s population of 1.4 million. T and T’s latest Deep Water Competitive Bidding Round launched in December and closed in June. The Ministry will announce bidding round results in September.

Added on 01 August, 2022

Explorer Director’s Corner By David Curtiss

What to Expect at IMAGE ‘22

During the height of the pandemic, Society of Exploration Geophysicists Executive Director Jim White and I discussed how we could work better together – delivering an innovative conference for petroleum and energy geoscientists that also involved other geoscience disciplines focused on solving real world challenges. Our elected leaders at the time supported the vision for AAPG and SEG to create a new, joint annual meeting: the International Meeting for Applied Geoscience and Energy, or “IMAGE,” conducted in cooperation with SEPM. We’re eager and ready for IMAGE ’22 in Houston at the end of this month, and hope that you are, too.

Added on 01 August, 2022

Explorer Foundation Update By Vern Stefanic

Foundation’s Top Honors Awarded to Jim Gibbs, Rick Fritz

Two longtime AAPG members whose dedication and leadership has guided and inspired the AAPG Foundation’s growth and impact on the geosciences for decades, have been named recipients of the AAPG Foundation’s top honors for 2022. This year’s honorees are James A. Gibbs and Richard “Rick” Fritz. Both awardees have previously served as AAPG president and have career-long records of active support and leadership for the Foundation, working tirelessly to solidify its present while ensuring its future.

Added on 01 August, 2022

Explorer Historical Highlights By Rasoul Sorkhabi

Peter Odell: The Life and Times of a Petroleum Economist

Peter Odell was a pioneer figure in petroleum economics. His ideas and analyses were highly influential in his own time and are still worth studying today. Many people came to know of Odell through his best-selling “Oil and World Power: A Geographical Interpretation.” What strikes the reader of this and other works by Odell is the author’s cross-disciplinary approach to the oil and gas industry, integrating economic analyses with geopolitics, history, maps and geography. His publications were relatable to geologists as well. The issues he addressed, in different forms, are still with us.

Added on 01 August, 2022

Explorer Emphasis Article By David Brown

The Opportunity and Challenge of Aging U.S. Shale Wells

People familiar with the energy business know that most existing vertical wells produce little oil or gas. They might be surprised how many horizontal wells fall into the same category. Under the right circumstances, this growing number of wells in decline could represent an investment opportunity. Or, it might become a giant abandonment headache for the oil industry.

Added on 01 August, 2022

Explorer Article By Ken Milam

India Fires Up Coal Again to Meet Rising Energy Demand

India plans to reopen more than 100 coal mines and restart some idled coal-fired power plants. India is the world’s third-largest greenhouse gas emitter, but the recent power crunch caused so much disruption to the country’s industries that the government was pressured to ramp up the coal industry in an effort to help meet demand.

Added on 01 July, 2022

Explorer Division Column DPA By Andrea Reynolds

A Time to Renew and Engage

Hello Division of Professional Affairs and AAPG members, I’d like to welcome you to the first DPA column in my term as DPA president 2022-23. As I begin this appointment, I’ve been reflecting on the events of recent years and considering the challenges and changes we’ve faced through the pandemic – personally and professionally, as an industry and as members of a global community.

Added on 01 July, 2022

Explorer Director’s Corner By David Curtiss

Everyone’s Nervous about Surging Energy Prices

It’s summertime here in the Northern Hemisphere, and with the sun and warm weather, thoughts are shifting to vacation. Packing the kids in the car for a week at the beach or a trip to grandma’s house is a time-honored tradition. But this year, moms and dads are doing so with an eye on surging gas prices – this road trip isn’t going to be cheap. Parents aren’t alone in casting a nervous eye on prices at the pump. The White House is, too.

Added on 01 July, 2022

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Explorer Historical Highlights By Jorge Navarro Comet

Casablanca: Spain's Biggest Oil Field

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.

Added on 01 March, 2019

Explorer Article By J.K. Dietrich

Natural Increase of Oil Column Buoyancy and the Instability of Caprock Seals

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.

Added on 08 May, 2024

Explorer Geophysical Corner By Kenneth Bredesen,Kurt Marfurt,Ritesh Sharma,Satinder Chopra

Impact of Reprocessing Seismic Data

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?

Added on 01 December, 2023

Explorer Article By Barry Friedman

US Energy Forecast: Even Cloudier Than Usual

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.

Added on 04 June, 2024

Explorer Director’s Corner By David Curtiss

Introducing the New EXPLORER, New Digital Newsletters

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.

Added on 01 April, 2024

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