Distinguished Lecturer
Olga Logvinova (Ryder-Scott company, Russia); Debbie Dolson, Henry Posamentier, Valeria Pinaeva (Guide), Saida Petizheva (Gubkin Univ. Student Chapter); Julia Boki (Gubkin Univ. Student chapter); Ivan Kachura, Vova Smirnov. St. Basil’s cathedral in the background (Red Square).
Henry Posamentier's Lecture Tour
By Vlasta Dvorakova and John Dolson
Dr. Posamentier from Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Houston, Texas went on his International Distinguished Lecture tour in Europe with lectures entitled, “Imaging Elements of Depositional Systems from Shelf to Deep Basin Using 3D Seismic Data: Implications for Exploration and Development” and “Stratigraphy, Sedimentology and Geomorphology of Deep Water Deposits Based on Analysis of 3D Seismic Data: Reducing the Risk of Lithology Prediction.”
Photo by Debbie Dolson at Ismaylova where John Dolson, AAPG Vice President, (right) helped divest Henry Posamentier of his last dollars in Russia.
On Tuesday October 10th, 2006, Henry Posamentier began his tour in France. The first talk was given at the Societe Geologique de France, (http://sgfr.free.fr/, located in the fifth arrondissement in Paris’ city center near the Sorbonne). There were 23 attendees including geologists, mostly from Total, and individuals from academia (Ecole normale superieure de Paris, University of Paris, University of Perpignan). As per usual, the first lecture was given in late morning, because SGF is located in downtown Paris which has the potential to attract a broader audience: i.e. not only professionals and students coming from the nearby universities and Schools, ENSP and Ecole des Mines but also those from major cities who can travel from a longer distance.
Targeting more research oriented professionals, the second lecture was given at the IFP facilities (French Institute of Petroleum, http://www.ifp.fr/IFP/fr/ ifp/fb.htm) for a group of 40 individuals made up of reservoir and structural geology employees of IFP, IFP School of Petroleum and Beicip.
The agenda used in France started with Mateu Esteban’s visit last June and continued with Henry Posamentier. Both lecturers were recognized by the attendees to be outstanding speakers and specialists in their respective fields of research (Carbonate diagenesis, seismic interpretation, shallow to deep marine depositional systems and environments, prediction of porosity evolution and of present-day reservoir quality). These topics captured great interest not only by professionals but also by students in the petroleum geosciences. For the future, Christian Ravenne (IFP and VP of SGF) suggests we combine the lecture with a corresponding half-day workshop. In Russia, Henry Posamentier’s Distinguished Lecture two-day whirlwind tour on Seismic Geomorphology drew 600 students and industry leaders. Henry spoke to 150+ students and faculty at Tyumen University in West Siberia, TNK-BP and other industry geoscientists. He finished these extremely well received presentations with a standing room two hour presentation at the EAGE/SEG/AAPG monthly meeting in Moscow. Copies of the slide sets were graciously donated upon request to three Universities where they are being used in classes now.
On Saturday, October 14, Henry toured Red Square with an excited group of students from Moscow State and Gubkin University. Following a visit to Lenin’s tomb, they had the additional pleasure of a pizza lunch at the famous GUM shopping center.
Henry closed out his tour with souvenir shopping at the famous Ismaylova Russian market, where Debbie Dolson successfully encouraged him to spend his last dollars on expensive Ammonite fossils and other.
From windy and cold Russia Henry Posamentier went to explore his family roots in the cool but sunny autumn Czech Republic. In the early 20th century, the Czech Republic was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His grandfather moved from there to Austria where his father was born, just before leaving for America. For the first time being in Prague, Henry was wonderfully surprised by its beauty, the openly friendly people who were ready to welcome him there and to listen to what he had to say and just to feel the history that surrounded him.
An international group of 40 attendees inspired his 2 hours of lecture. Hosted and attended by professionals from the Czech Geological Survey (http://www. geology.cz), Moravske naftove doly a.s. (oil company operating both locally and internationally, www.mnd.cz), and individuals from academia (including the Geological and Geophysical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Charles University, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia, and the Slovak Geological Survey and industry – MND a.s.) made up the expectant audience for his talk and the following long discussion about topics and subjects like sequence stratigraphy and depositional systems analysis, where he has published widely.
It was Dr. Posamentier’s interdisciplinary approach to geologic prediction using 3D seismic visualization integrated with borehole data to interpret depositional systems and develop basin fill histories, in particular with reference to deepwater depositional settings which most attendees found most useful. Based on his success in Prague everyone would be most interested to have him come back again.
After visiting Prague, the audience (Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eotvos University) in Budapest also enthusiastically enjoyed Posamentier’s talk, as much as a window to a wonderful new world. Data and interpretation was considered splendid and logical. The audience was amazed by the possibilities thorough interpretation of 3D seismic data and the application of filtering techniques can open. Students now understand how sedimentology, geomorphology and computer sciences can be combined to produce a better understanding of the past’s processes. Everybody was impressed that the ancient seascape can be visualized in a way that one can imagine even the turbidity currents moving. The beautiful slides however were not the only thing keeping us on the edge of our seats, it was also Henry’s charismatic personality.
Henry Posamentier’s tour ended his European tour in Sofia, Bulgaria which was hosted by the University of Mining and Geology “St. Ivan Rilski” with many students and professionals attending and good discussion about the subjects of his talk.