Say you want a revolution … Unconventional resources have dominated the energy news in various parts of the world. Is Asia next?
How unconventional is this?
The plenary session at the upcoming AAPG International Conference and Exhibition in Singapore will be the first plenary session in AAPG history to feature unconventional resources.
It’s called “The Unconventional Resources Energy Revolution – Is Asia Pacific Next?” And a brief conversation with AAPG member Paul Basinski leaves no doubt that it’s THE place to be.
“The unconventionals are going global, and what once were radical ideas are leading to unprecedented volumes and outcomes,” said Basinski, who co-chairs the session with Jeff Aldrich, Peter Cockcroft and Neil Fishman. “At the ICE, we’ll be talking about technology and other innovative things that will continue to move the needle.”
“We’re now saying this will be the hottest ICE ever,” quipped AAPG member Jeff Aldrich at Dart Energy International.
Aldrich and fellow AAPG member Peter Cockcroft also will co-chair a session focusing on Coalbed Methane: A Global Perspective.
The plenary session speakers will address a range of topics focused on the future potential for unconventional resources in the greater Asia-Pacific.
“In Singapore, there’s not much now in the way of unconventional resources, so this is a beginning,” Basinski noted. “The fact that we have a plenary session concentrating on this shows how potentially significant these resources are if they do go global.”
For this to actually happen, he emphasized that it will require an entrepreneurial, get-it-done type of approach and pushing the envelope, the same as in the United States given that there are many different rocks around the world.
“As the shale how-to history book is being written, geoscientists have a unique opportunity to create compelling value,” Basinski said, “by energetically pursuing their intuition, focusing on the ‘right’ questions, taking informed risks and working creatively and collaboratively.”
The Golden Age – Now!
This enthusiastic geologist is convinced that unconventional “shale” resources plays are experiencing a Golden Age across America.
“In 10 years, we’ll be saying, ‘Wow, look … The whole energy balance of the world changed, the way we work changed, our potential energy independence of the U.S. changed and it all happened in a very short period of time on our watch – and it’s still going on.
“That’s my personal drum, and I’m beating it,” he emphasized.
In fact, Basinski will present a paper aptly dubbed “The Golden Age of Shale Exploration” as the first talk in a session titled “Resource Play Characterization: Innovation Meets Pragmatism,” which will be presented on Wednesday at ICE.
As the understanding of shale plays in North America evolves and matures, Basinski predicts that material value will be realized from advanced work in various fields, including organic porosity and permeability, non-Darcy flow, nanotechnology and long-term production monitoring.
“As the global shale diaspora unfolds, plays under-represented and less well characterized in North America, including post- and pre-Paleozoic, lacustrine and non-sedimentary hybrids represent potential giant prizes,” he said.
The plenary session will be moderated by past AAPG president Scott Tinker. Each of the speakers will have 10-15 minutes of comments, and then the floor will be open to the audience for questions and comments.
The plenary session speakers will be:
- Shankari Srinvasan, head of global gas-Europe, Paris, France, IHS CERA.
- Gavin Thompson, head of Asia Pacific gas research, Wood Mackenzie, Beijing, China.
- Nick Davies, chairman, Dart Energy (CBM) International, Singapore.
- AAPG member Brad Lingo, CEO, Drillsearch Energy, Sydney, Australia.
In all, Theme 5 has six oral sessions and three poster sessions to cover the range of unconventional topics of Asia.
Besides the CBM session there are oral sessions on China unconventional resources, the hot topic of laucustrine shales as shale gas reservoirs (both oral and poster), resource play characterization and completion optimization.