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AAPG Explorer AS SEEN IN THE OCTOBER 2003 ISSUE
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Ballots will be mailed in the spring.
Results will be posted May 18, 2004.

Officer Candidates:

Vice Presdient

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Treasurer
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Editor's note: Candidates for AAPG office have been given the opportunity to respond briefly to the subject: "Why I Accepted the Invitation to be a Candidate for AAPG Office." Their responses -- and biographical information provided by each candidate and edited only for grammar and spelling, including the biography -- will be published in the EXPLORER beginning here and continuing through the next two issues. Responses will be available throughout the election on the AAPG Web site. Ballots will be mailed in the spring.

Here are the responses from vice president candidates Alfredo Guzman and Neil F. Hurley. Candidates were asked to limit their responses to 500 words. All biographical information is provided by the candidates.

 

Ben D. Hare

Jump to: Why I accepted the Invitation to be a Candidate for AAPG Office

Legends Exploration, Houston

Born 1945, Tampa, Fla.

Texas Geoscientist License #507

Academic Training

1967
Lamar University-Beaumont, Texas, B.S., geology
1969
University of Oklahoma, M.S., geology
1973
University of Oklahoma, Ph.D., geology

Experience

1971-73
Amerada Hess Corp., Tulsa, senior geologist
1973-81
Atlantic Richfield Corp. (1973-77, project director, international new ventures, Los Angeles; 1977-78, area geologist, Wyoming Overthrust, Denver; 1978-81, senior staff geologist, Dallas)
1981-87
Edwin L. Cox and Berry R. Cox, Oil and Gas Producers, Dallas, frontier exploration manager and geological manager
1987-89
Lake Ronel Oil Company, Tyler, Texas, senior geologist
1989-93
Arco Alaska, Anchorage, south Alaska exploration manager
1993
Arco Oil & Gas, Dallas, anchor fields exploration manager
1993-2000
Vastar Resources, Houston (1994-97, onshore exploration manager; 1997-2000, chief geologist)
2000
Cazador Enterprises, Houston, president
2002
Legends Exploration, Houston, vice president
2002
Panhandle Royalty Co., Oklahoma City, director

Honors and Awards

  • Eagle Scout
  • 2001 AAPG Distinguished Service Award
  • 2001 AAPG Certificate of Merit

Affiliated and Associated Societies and Sections

  • 1990-93 Alaska Geological Society, vice president and president
  • Houston Geological Society

Community and Civic Affairs

  • Alumni Advisory Council, School of Geology and Geophysics, University of Oklahoma, director and past chairman
  • Board of Visitors, College of Geosciences, University of Oklahoma, past chairman

AAPG Activities

Member since 1968; DPA, 1998; CPG #5586

1982-85
Public Outreach Committee
1983-86
Education Committee
1988
Education Committee
1993
Committee on Resource Evaluation
1996-2001
Committee on Resource Evaluation, chairman
2000-03
Visiting Geologists Program
2003
DPA Government Affairs Committee

Neil F. Hurley

Jump to: Why I accepted the Invitation to be a Candidate for AAPG Office

Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colo.

Born 1953, Minneapolis, Minn.

Academic Training

1976
University of Southern California, B.S., geology
1976
University of Southern California, B.S., petroleum engineering
1978
University of Wisconsin -- Madison, M.S., geology
1986
University of Michigan, Ph.D., geology

Experience

1978-82
Conoco Inc., Denver, Lafayette, La., and Ponca City, Okla., geologist
1985-1996
Marathon Oil, Denver, geologist
1996-present
Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colo., Charles Boettcher Distinguished Chair in Petroleum Geology, professor

Publications

  • 40+ papers, co-edited 1 book, 80+ conference talks

Honors and Awards

1971-76
Full scholarship, University of Southern California; Phi Beta Kappa
1976-78 -- Van Hise Fellowship, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation Fellowship, University of Wisconsin-Madison
1982-85
Exxon Teaching Fellowship, Rackham Fellowship, University of Michigan
1989 -- AAPG A.I. Levorsen Best Paper Award
1998
WTGS Best Paper Award
1999 -- RMAG Outstanding Scientist Award

Affiliated and Associated Societies and Sections

  • Rocky Mountain Section-SEPM
  • Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists (Associate Editor, 1990-1997)
  • Wyoming Geological Association
  • West Texas Geological Society
  • Permian Basin Section-SEPM (Field Trip Leader, 1990)
  • SEPM Continuing Education Committee (1988-90)
  • SEPM Membership Committee (1992-93)
  • SEPM Shepard Award Committee (1993-94)
  • SEPM Book Co-Editor (1993)
  • Society of Professional Well Log Analysts (Technology Committee, 2002-03)
  • Other Professional Organizations
  • SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) (Forum Series Chairman, 1990)
  • SPE Forum Series Implementation Committee (1991-92)
  • SPE DeGolyer Award Committee (1993-95; chairman, 1996)
  • SPE Well Logging Technical Committee (1993-97)
  • SPE Forum Series Steering Committee (1997)
  • SEG (Society of Exploration Geophysicists)
  • SIPES (Society of Independent Professional Earth Scientists)
  • GSA (Geological Society of America)
  • EAGE (European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers)
  • IAS (International Association of Sedimentologists)
  • AGU (American Geophysical Union)
  • NRC (National Research Council), Panel on the Review of Oil Recovery Demonstration Program/DOE (1994-95)

AAPG Activities

Member since 1979; CPG 2000, EMD, DPA, DEG)

1991-92
Distinguished Lecturer
1993-97
Associate Editor
1993-97
Publications Committee
1997-01
Editor; Executive Committee, various ad hoc committees, committee liaison duties
2003-04
SPE-AAPG Distinguished Lecturer
Editor's note: Candidates for AAPG office have been given the opportunity to respond briefly to the subject: "Why I Accepted the Invitation to be a Candidate for AAPG Office." Their responses -- and biographical information provided by each candidate and edited only for grammar and spelling, including the biography -- will be published in the EXPLORER beginning here and continuing through the next two issues. Responses will be available throughout the election on the AAPG Web site. Ballots will be mailed in the spring.
Here are the responses from vice president candidates Ben D. Hare and Neil F. Hurley. Candidates were asked to limit their responses to 500 words.

Why I Accepted the Invitation To Be a Candidate For AAPG Office

By Ben D. Hare

I am honored to be a candidate for AAPG vice president and have the opportunity to further serve the premier professional society for petroleum geologists.

I have been fortunate to work on three vital committees for AAPG -- Education, Resource Evaluation (as chairman and member) and, most recently, the Government Affairs Committee for the DPA. Service on these committees has allowed me to interact with many members of AAPG, especially with past and present officers. Many of these officers (perhaps unknowingly) have been great mentors and have provided models to emulate as I observed the time and energy they expended on behalf of AAPG.

My committee participation has been a source of personal professional growth and, I hope, benefited the AAPG organization. As an officer I would look forward to membership on a team steering AAPG into the future. Recent Executive Committee teams have made great strides to put AAPG on a sounder financial footing, to better serve the members, to re-energize the standing committees and to present sound scientific data to policy makers regarding energy issues. We must continue to pursue those initiatives.

AAPG must be financially strong to continue services to the membership, such as hosting the APPEX meeting, continuing education and upgrading online services.

Equally important, AAPG cannot exist in a vacuum; policy decisions made daily affect the careers of our members. AAPG can play an important role in providing solid, scientific facts to policy makers without taking political positions. AAPG also can provide energy information and guidance to its members so they may better inform the general public about key issues.

Much of the AAPG work is done within the various committees, with broad oversight and direction by the Executive Committee. Keeping the committees active and productive must continue to be a goal.

Recent initiatives have defined terms for committee members and chairs, ensuring change in the make-up of the committees. We must strive to involve more members in committee participation, especially newer members. Currently, committees report their activities annually in the December BULLETIN. Perhaps more members would be encouraged to volunteer if committee activities could be occasionally spotlighted in the EXPLORER. Soliciting suggestions and comments from members on issues through EXPLORER columns also might present new ideas to the committees.

My career has been mainly as an explorationist and manager in both public and private companies involved primarily in new field wildcat and frontier exploration. This has given me a lot of insight on the data and knowledge issues facing explorationists. As a manager, director of a public company, and now a partner in a start-up venture, I know how to set goals and execute actions to achieve those goals.

If elected to vice president, my priorities will be:

3 Be an active and productive member of the Executive Committee team.

3 Identify and adopt policies that keep AAPG financially sound.

3 Promote broadening of member participation on committees.

3 Encourage AAPG participation in state and national policy decisions.

3 Advocate improvements in member services, especially online data.

This nomination is an honor, and if elected I will strive to devote the time and energy necessary for the benefit of AAPG and its membership.

Why I Accepted the Invitation To Be a Candidate For AAPG Office

By Neil F. Hurley

I accepted the invitation to be a candidate for vice president of AAPG because I am proud of our society and I would like to help maintain its leadership role in the petroleum industry. As AAPG's Editor, I served on the Executive Committee from 1997-2001, and I truly appreciate this chance to once again serve the membership.

To describe myself in a professional way, I would say that I strive for technical excellence in wide-ranging interdisciplinary studies. I interact on a daily basis with geologists, geophysicists and petroleum engineers, and I appreciate all of the various facets of our industry. On the personal side, I bring common sense, respect, patience and a good sense of humor to an organization. In addition, I am a team worker with many creative ideas.

In recent years, the vice president has provided assistance to the president on various ad hoc assignments, and has focused on continuing education, student affairs and international relations. If elected, I will provide strong leadership in each of those areas. In addition, I would like to work to improve cooperation with our various sister societies.

Although most of my career -- 14 years -- has been spent in the oil industry, I was honored in 1996 to receive the Charles Boettcher Distinguished Chair in Petroleum Geology at the Colorado School of Mines. Since then, my focus has been largely on educating and mentoring both current and future generations of petroleum geologists. Because of this background, I believe that I am well prepared to enhance continuing education and student-related activities as vice president of AAPG.

I recognize and respect the growing importance of the international regions to AAPG. I have a strong international orientation, as I have lived and worked in the United States, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Argentina, Tunisia, Egypt and Scotland. My master's and doctoral students have come from the United States, Turkey, Egypt, Venezuela, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Spain, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Mexico. I see the need to make AAPG membership more available to international petroleum geologists. As one approach, I would like to pursue corporate sponsorships of AAPG memberships, such as those that have been arranged for students and members of other societies in recent years.

I firmly believe that the greatest advances in science are to be made at the interfaces between the various disciplines. The same is true about inter-society cooperation. My membership, diverse background and strong record of activities with SPE, SEG, SEPM, SPWLA and EAGE motivate me to work with our sister societies. Specific areas of interest are joint publications, continuing education, lecture programs and meetings.

In summary, I look forward to the opportunity to serve as vice president of AAPG, and I promise to work hard on the various initiatives that come before us. Whatever the results of this election may be, I am confident that the membership will be well served by any of the candidates who are currently standing for office.

 
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