In my 15 years as an AAPG member, I’ve actively been involved in planning and serving in various roles during AAPG’s Annual Convention and Exhibition (ACE), particularly when I lived in Houston.
In my 15 years as an AAPG member, I’ve actively been involved in planning and serving in various roles during AAPG’s Annual Convention and Exhibition (ACE), particularly when I lived in Houston.
“Space City” is on the regular rotation for the ACE, most recently hosting the meeting in 2002, 2006 and 2011 (and again next April). Other petroleum industry-friendly cities such as Denver, San Antonio, Calgary, New Orleans and Dallas also attract a fair share of AAPG ACE events.
The 2013 ACE, however, is being held in a new location, planned in the “City of Bridges” and situated a stone’s throw from Titusville, home of the 1859 Drake discovery well and the birthplace of the U.S. oil industry.
Few likely had the foresight that Pittsburgh would someday host an ACE, and I certainly did not envision a relocation back to my northeastern U.S. roots while working for a major energy company!
However, in these times of rampant resurgence in onshore plays, one should perhaps expect the unexpected. I am proud to say Pittsburgh has been my adopted home for the past two years, and the Eastern Section will be hosting its first ACE in nearly 30 years.
In the years since Range Resources’ Renz #1 discovery well in the Marcellus Shale, Pittsburgh has emerged as the “it” city as more operators develop their position in the Appalachian Basin and new plays such as the Utica/Point Pleasant have matured.
Like Pittsburgh, EMD is experiencing a wave of renewed excitement as advancing technologies unlock previously economically challenged plays, and new opportunities within EMD disciplines are becoming more attractive and feasible.
EMD is truly excited about the upcoming ACE, and we invite you to join us for our jam-packed technical program and events during the meeting. Doug Patchen, the EMD vice chair for the 2013 ACE, organized an outstanding program for EMD.
That program includes:
♦ Seven oral sessions (Theme 1). The topics are:
- Lower Paleozoic Unconventional Plays of the Northeast U.S.
- Shale Plays of the Americas (Non-U.S.)
- The Bakken Petroleum System.
- The Eagle Ford Petroleum System.
- Evaluation of European Shales.
- Worldwide Unconventional Reservoirs.
- Shale and Tight Oil Plays from Around the Globe.
♦ Four poster sessions (Theme 1):
- Resource Plays (I and II).
- Unconventionals (I and II).
♦ Three field trips:
- The Marcellus Shale in south-central Pennsylvania (led by Lee Avary and John Dennison).
- Organic-Rich Shales of New York – Core Workshop and Field Trip (Taury Smith and Jim Leone).
- Coal Measures of Kentucky (Steve Flint).
♦ Two short courses:
- Black Shale Core Workshop (CoreLab).
- Hydraulic Fracturing of Shale Reservoirs (Randy LaFollette).
♦ Finally, this year’s EMD Luncheon, set Wednesday, May 22, features Seamus McGraw, author of End of Country, who will discuss “Comfortable in Our Ignorance,” which will explain how extreme voices on both sides of the public debate over shale gas exploration and development are effectively undermining efforts to develop the resource more safely, damaging efforts to maximize its potential environmental advantages, and preventing the real economic benefits from taking hold.
At press time, seats were still available – but this luncheon is expected to sell out, so get your tickets while they last!
For more details on McGraw, read his interview , or visit his website.
On behalf of EMD I was able to be part of this year’s AAPG Congressional Visit Days, held in mid-April and organized by Edith Allison, director of the AAPG GEO-DC office in Washington, D.C.
Over the course of three days, the AAPG delegation received briefings about current legislative and regulatory events and had the opportunity to meet with policy makers and their staff in Congress and federal agencies.
GEO-DC is co-sponsor of the Energy Policy Forum that will be held during ACE at 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, May 21. It’s open to all meeting attendees.
This will be my last quarterly column in the EXPLORER as EMD president and I would like to thank the members of the EMD Executive Committee for their time, talent and willingness to serve this year: President-Elect Jeremy Boak, Vice President Bob Trevail, Treasurer David Tabet, Secretary Bruce Handley, immediate Past-President Stephen Testa, and also Norma Newby, AAPG headquarters division manager. It truly was an honor and privilege to serve EMD alongside this team.
I also would like to acknowledge the EMD committee chairs and councilors for their contributions to EMD during my term. Please join me in thanking these technical ambassadors who are willing to contribute to EMD, some who have been involved since EMD’s beginning in 1977.
I look forward to visiting with all EMD members – and potential members – in Pittsburgh this month.