Regions and Sections
Asia-Pacific Region
The Asia Pacific region of AAPG, as defined in our bylaws, contains at least 33 nations and territories. I say – at least, because, there is a certain imprecision that arises when one embraces such a large and diverse part of the world. One can readily debate what constitutes a nation or territory. For instance, Hong Kong, once a treaty territory of the British is now an autonomous part of China.Within the Pacific, for instance there are many island nation states, which we fail to count and where few oilmen tread for work, but where many of us might fancy taking our wellearned vacations. However, I did hear recently that some intrepid explorers were going back to the offshore areas of Fiji to look for oil and gas.
The region has rich cultures and ancient civilizations aplenty.There are nations bountifully endowed with oil and natural gas, and yet others with scarcely any petroleum resources. All manner of geological basins are present – some more foxing than others for the mind of the petroleum geologist. Our affiliated local societies are strong and well developed in some places, but weak and in need of care and nurture in others.
Within the region, local representation is gaining momentum; this is vitally necessary for regional association ownership. AAPG in the Asia Pacific region is no longer a gathering of AAPG members, who just happened to have found themselves in the region. It is becoming increasingly a gathering of Asia Pacific petroleum geoscience professionals of the region. They work within their home countries, and are proud to be members of the wider global community that AAPG represents. The student chapters are fostering this regional ownership of AAPG by introducing the association to the fertile minds of many young professionals in the making.
It is a long way for some of us to travel to attend the annual House of Delegates meeting held in conjunction with the Annual Convention and Exhibition. However, it is a journey that our Asia Pacific AAPG House members and alternates have made faithfully over the years, so that our voices may be heard.We may be jet-lagged and tired on those Sunday mornings, but we are proud consistently to add our numbers to the House quorum and put our views forward.
Please let me invite you to visit our Asia Pacific Web site at: www.aapgasiapacific.org and see what we are doing, and if you are in the region for a visit or a longer stay, do contact us, the Asia Pacific executive and/or your country representative, so we can help you, and you can help AAPG Asia Pacific.