Saddle up for Calgary

Spotlight Shines on ICE

of Tithonian fluvio-deltaic depositsCalgary is the site of this year’s AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, set Sept. 12-15 – the first time an ICE will be in North America since 2004.

The planning is finished, the preparations are nearly complete, the science is ready to be shared – and AAPG’s spotlight on international plays, global geoscience and industry trends is about to shine bright.

It’s nearly time for the AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, set Sept. 12-15 in Calgary, Canada – the first time an ICE has been held in North America since 2004 (Cancun).

With a theme of “Frontiers of Unconventional Thinking: Saddle Up for the Ride,” this ICE figures to be a truly international affair.

Registration figures to date show attendees will be coming from 42 countries – and that number is expected to grow as the event approaches.

“The focus for many geoscientists is our passion and love for the science of petroleum geology,” said ICE general chair John Hogg, “and we hope to capture that in Calgary.

“Calgary has never hosted the AAPG international conference before,” he added, “and we’re excited to share with attendees the favorable late-summer climate and dynamic E&P community this leading energy city has to offer.”

In addition to a technical program consisting of nearly 400 oral and poster sessions, there will be a special one-day program on Tuesday, Sept. 14, highlighting unconventionals. That day’s lineup will include:

  • A special “Unconventionals Day” luncheon on “Global Challenges in Shale Reservoir Development: Why a Statistical Approach Won’t Work.”
  • A business forum titled “Unconventional Exploration and Development Geoscientists Toolbox: What New Tools Do Geoscientists Need in the Next Decade?” chaired by Richard Herbert, executive vice president of Talisman.
  • A management forum on “E&P Challenges in Complex Environments: From the Arctic to Deep Water.”
  • A special lecture titled “Geology of a Major SAGD Bitumen Development – A Case Study from Long Lake, Northeastern Alberta,” by AAPG member Dale A. Leckie of Nexen Inc.

Other meeting highlights include:

  • A plenary session titled “Canada: Our Resources to International Exploration.”
  • A special lecture titled “Burgess Shale Tales – Mud Volcanism and Chemosynthetic Communities on the Middle Cambrian Seafloor of Southeastern British Columbia.”
  • A PROWESS-sponsored forum on “The Value of Diversity in Leadership: Global Perspectives.”
  • Special luncheon speakers covering all three days of presentations.

But the entire technical program centers around awareness of – and responding to – current international trends.

“On the international side, events continue to change our industry, and the resource plays that started in North America are now being explored for around the world,” Hogg said.

“Our science and profession continues to change, and many factors impacting the geosciences profession in the last three years – related to resource plays, tight sands, coal, oil sands and shales – are developing new technologies,” Hogg said, adding that those factors will be on display in Calgary in both the technical program and the exhibition hall.

Bottom line: Whether you’re making plans for Tuesday’s Unconventional Day session or for the entire conference, you’re sure to learn something new.

And there’s still time to save on early registration: Members who register by Aug. 10 can save US $175.

To register, or for more information, go online to www.aapg.org/calgary. End of Story