Divisions & Affiliated Societies
Toward a Better Understanding of the AAPG Energy Minerals Division
Over the past many years, the AAPG Energy Minerals Division (EMD; http://emd.aapg.org/) has become the center of technical excellence for unconventional and mineral-energy resources. EMD is a Technical Division of AAPG, so it is concerned solely with facilitating the dissemination of technical knowledge related to: 1) commodities/play types under its purview (of which there are ten), and 2) items related to two supporting activities (energy economics and geospatial information).
EMD fulfills its core mission via several avenues. At the past several annual meetings, EMD has sponsored, or cosponsored, sessions dealing with shale gas, geothermal resources, coalbed methane, nuclear minerals and, in part, even astrogeology. In addition, EMD is involved in the development and support of eight new AAPG special publications dealing with unconventional hydrocarbon resources (shale gas, oil sands) and mineral-energy resources that include coal assessments (Coal Atlas), gas hydrates, and carbon dioxide sequestration (the last volume in cooperation with the Division of Environmental Geosciences). Recently, EMD has even supported the Houston Geological Society’s yearly Mudstones Conference (held in early February) by assisting in the development of the technical program. Last year’s conference was a huge success with well over 400 attendees.
At the core of EMD’s success is the Division’s science-based Technical Committees and their energetic co-chairs and members. Each EMD member can choose to join one or more of the 12 Technical Committees. These committees provide an avenue for EMD members to access technical resources, some of which are not available to the general membership. For example, twice a year the Gas Shales Committee publishes an update on activity for each of the active domestic shale plays, with the section on each particular play written by an expert on that play (overseas plays may soon be added). In addition, within each commodity page in the members-only Web site there are reports and presentations made available only to the EMD membership.
The EMD has always been an innovative center of the AAPG organization. For example, the newest initiative is a new AAPG Web Portal developed by EMD personnel and designed to encourage technical cooperation between the EMD, DEG and DPA, as well as within the AAPG membership at large. This Portal provides a dynamic listing of Web resources that can be useful to each AAPG Division member (the portal is supported by each of the three divisions). The URL links are arranged into useful categories based on commodity and then subdivided into subcategories applicable to the particular commodity and by associated environmental, geological, and professional issues. Members have the ability to add links of interest to them and their colleagues.
Another recent innovative and successful initiative was focused on the Hub for student and young professionals at the recent Denver Convention initiated and organized by 2009 EMD Vice President Andrea Reynolds.
We are focused on providing quality technical training and technical resources to the AAPG membership, whether it’s within EMD, DEG, DPA, or AAPG at large.