Vice President Candidates: Erik Mason and Douglas Patchen, candidates for vice president of AAPG, present their bios and explain why they accepted the invitation to be candidates for AAPG office

Awards: Peter Vail, the newest Sidney Powers medalist, heads the list of those being recognized with AAPG honors and awards.

Update: Cairo International Conference

The dead sea? Not any more -- companies are returning to the shelf to be part of the Gulf of Mexico's deep gas play.

Results of the most recent Gulf of Mexico lease sale indicate that companies are going deep -- both geologically and in water depth.

Don't believe it when you hear that South Louisiana is "all drilled up.' The onshore holds a storehouse of hydrocarbons yet to be tapped.

APPEX 2002 attracts more than 2,000 people to Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center, proving that an already successful event can be even bigger and better.

What does past and present activities on the world's deepwater provinces tell us about the future? (Hint: The answer is "a lot.')

APPEX Power Lunch

A new EXPLORER feature: Now you, too, can dazzle your friends and enemies with sharp (and correct) answers to tough questions about the oil industry.

The Gulf of Mexico continues to be the dominant domestic play for the oil and gas industry, and this month's EXPLORER features several stories dealing with the Gulf's latest developments and trends -- can you say "deep,' as in water and gas?

Cover photos courtesy of Pioneer Natural Resources (top right) and Spinnaker Exploration.

STANDING ARTICLES:

Geophysical Corner:
Fractures Can Come Into Focus

Business Side of Geology:
What Does an Elephant Look Like?

International Bulletin Board:
IRC Making a Difference