Driven by keen interest in geomechanics and supported by an established foundation in structural geology and tectonics, the amalgamated discipline of petroleum structural geology and geomechanics is one of the fastest growing disciplines in petroleum geoscience. Evidence of the growing importance of this technical area includes rapid growth of technical teams on these topics within companies, the increasing importance of deep and/or geomechanically complex targets (including subsalt and unconventional reservoirs), and the proliferation of papers and specialty meetings on petroleum structural geology and geomechanics.
In 1997, led by Stephen Laubach, the AAPG Reservoir Deformation Research Group was established at the AAPG Dallas convention as an informal technical interest group. The group was later designated as a standing subcommittee of the AAPG Research Committee. In 2013, in cooperation with the AAPG Research Committee and the AAPG Executive Committee, Peter Hennings and Stephen Laubach led the effort to transform the Group into the Petroleum Structure and Geomechanics Division (PSGD) which now represents the discipline areas of structural geology and reservoir geomechanics.
The goals of the PSGD are to:
- Increase the quantity and quality of specialty conferences, publications, and educational outreach for the petroleum structure and geomechanics disciplines within the AAPG.
- Provide greater discipline-specific assistance to local organizing groups.
- Serve an important interest community within the general AAPG membership.
Individuals interested in becoming a member of the PSGD should contact .