"New tracks to new highs," this is exactly what happened in Paris
Despite some pre-convention concerns, this year’s International AAPG Convention in Paris has been a great success. The organizing committee and AAPG did a great job in having everything ready for the success (congratulations to all of them). Even if conciliating positions was not always an easy task, Pete Rose did a fantastic job understanding French positions and translating them in American language (we all know that this cannot be reached on all subjects). He definitely is a great AAPG President (ready for the U.N.?).
Allow me to illuminate some of the major highlights of the meeting:
- Second best attendance ever for an international meeting (can we compete with Rio?).
- A great opening session with an Energy Minister delivering a clear and motivating message to the attendees.
- A Management Forum that was honoured by the presence of a number of high level E and P executives (thanks to Pinar and Yves).
- A Technical Program that was enlarged to include highly successful new theme sessions such as 3D/4D, heavy oil and EOR (thanks to Christophe and Bernard).
- Owing to a prime location in the exhibition hall, a very-well attended Poster Session (thanks to Keith and Jean-Jacques).
- A great field trip to the “Anot sandstone” (thank you Alain(s)).
- Active participation of students who are the future of our industry, I have no doubt that they will be our ambassadors to attract the younger generation and will help changing our industry’s image. In addition the possibility of AAPG granting two scholarships for students in ENSPM in 2006 would be greatly appreciated.
- A fantastic “point d’orgue:”: the AAPG VIP event in the Louvre. Instead of glancing at Mona Lisa, participants had the chance of their life to stare at her (as long as they could stand it). All could check that the body next room had been removed (see D. Brown).
- The friendship of the French people was the last discovery made by some AAPG geologists who promised to come back if another conference is to be held in Paris.
So, yes, definitely Paris was the place where the entire petroleum geologist’s community, met. And as you may know, Armstrong is a famous name in France so allow me to paraphrase these historic words from a famous Armstrong: “A big step for the petroleum geologists and, may be, a small step for humanity.”