Committees
Division of Professional Affairs
Greetings from Singapore! I am writing this letter to my fellow delegates from the ICE. In preparing for the trip, I read that the equator is warm and humid. My travel agent told me, “You’re from Houston, you’ll love it!” Talk about high energy, I had a moment of enlightenment plugging in a 110-volt laptop into a 220 volt current. Actually, the weather is wonderfully pleasant, and SE Asia is a great place to be once you have the right power adaptor. Singapore is dynamic, prospering, and a cross roads of commerce and ideas. I am happy to report that AAPG and DPA are in the center of that action. With more than 2000 attendees, this is destined to be one of the most successful ICE meetings ever. Congratulations to the planning committee!
In particular, special thanks to DPA Vice Chair and Technical Program co-chair, Bob Shoup. DPA co-sponsored at least six significant events in Singapore. A few highlights: Scott Tinker spoke about the global energy transition at the AAPG/DPA All Convention Luncheon followed by an evening screening of the movie “The Switch”. DPA Past Presidents Dan Tearpock and Bob Shoup invited about 40 young professionals to the luncheon and provided articles on “10 Habits of Highly Successful Oil Finders” and the “Play of the Day”. The inaugural Discovery Thinking forum at the ICE meeting was enthusiastically received. Other DPA sessions focused on: 1) methodologies for improving interpretation and mapping accuracy, 2) finding new oil in mature basins, and 3) risk and uncertainty. It is clear that repeatable success requires more than luck. Improving professional skill is important DPA business.
It is a privilege to serve as President of the DPA for 2012-2013 and I appreciate the opportunity to brief my fellow Delegates on the status of DPA. I am joined on this year’s Executive Committee by five outstanding AAPG leaders – President-Elect Valary Schulz, Past President – Marty Hewitt, Vice-President – Paul Pausé, Treasurer – Debbie Osborne and Secretary – Mark Gallagher. We have about a dozen committee chairs, among the best in our business. We now have approximately 32 councilors (and alternates) around the globe.
New Initiatives
Play Maker Forum. DPA plans a one-day educational event on prospecting skills and emerging plays in partnership with the AAPG Education Department, at the Norris City Center, Houston, Texas. Mark your calendars now for January 24, 2013. This program is in line with DPA’s theme for the year “From Prospect to Discovery, Professionalism Leads the Way” and Ted Beaumont’s challenge for AAPG members to promote innovative science. Participants of the “Play Maker” program will receive talks on prospecting skills and new plays, course notes, education certificates, networking lunch, breaks and icebreaker. Webinars of Play Maker events will benefit professionals participating in prospect expos throughout the year and around the globe. Young professionals of all ages are welcome!
Geoscouts. Plans are underway to provide source material for the top 20 plays of the last decade. This effort is being spearheaded by Rick Fritz as a way to employ AAPG’s vast library resources to further professional efforts of AAPG/DPA members.
Building on the DPA Business Plan:
- International Presence – We now have Councilors representing all AAPG sections and regions. Building on the success of Singapore, DPA plans a big presence at future ICE meetings like Cartagena ICE 2013 (and beyond!). The DPA webpage and webinars will continue to expand global presence.
- Membership – Rick Fritz chairs our Membership Committee. Invitations have been sent to many prospective members, and online member application makes joining DPA now easier than ever. In particular, we are looking to engage young professionals around the globe to join AAPG and DPA as part of their professional career development. Dan Billman and Marty Hewitt are looking at ways to build bridges with young members.
- Gathering & Learning – Plans are underway for some great programs.Valary Schulz and Paul Britt oversee our convention planning committee. For the Eastern Section, Cleveland, Ohio, September 22-24, 2012 DPA co-sponsored the All Convention Luncheon, where Rusty Riese presented “Oil Spills, Ethics, and Society: How They Intersect and Where the Responsibilities Reside”. For the GCAGS, Austin, Texas, October 21-23, 2012. The DPA Luncheon, Speaker was Dr. Vikram Rao, Talk: “Shale Gas: The Promise and the Peril”. Pittsburgh 2013, DPA plans several courses: 3 P’s of Geosteering: Principles, Practice and Pitfalls (co-sponsor with PAPG) and SCA QLT Short Course Subsurface Interpretations and Resource Estimates. Bob Shoup (chair of our Education Committee) plans some exciting programs throughout the year, including webinars. We expect the Play Maker Forum to provide substantial educational content for DPA/AAPG members.
- Governmental Affairs – Our presence in Washington, DC, is quite important in this election season. We welcome Edie Allison as the new Director of the GEO-DC office. The GEO-DC office plays a valuable role for AAPG membership and DPA wants to help assure that GEO-DC level of operating excellence persists.
Finally, are any of my fellow delegates not DPA members? HoD members are leaders in our profession. DPA is a professional leadership group. I rest my case.