UNPAD SC of AAPG had just conducted an International Distinguished Lecture with Mr. Peter J McCabe. There were to topics which he presented. We conducted this activity together with ITB SC of AAPG, at Faculty of Geology, University of Padjadjaran. Before the lecture, we had lunch with Mr. McCabe at RM. Ayam Goreng Suharti. Then, we went to Faculty of Geology, University of Padjadjaran.

The first lecture was about “Deltaic Systems and Super-Systems – Controls on Petroleum Accumulation”. But firstly, Mr. McCabe told about AAPG. He explained about development of AAPG members. After finished it, Mr. McCabe started to explain the lecture. He explained that many of the major accumulations of petroleum in the world occur in strata that are broadly termed “deltaic”. In reality these thick wedges of strata represent accumulation of sediment over tens of millions of years and contain strata deposited in a range of environments that may vary from terrestrial to abyssal plain. These deltaic wedges can be self-contained petroleum systems, containing both rich source rocks and excellent reservoir rocks. Then, major long term controls are tectonic setting, rate sediment supply, and climatic regime. These controls would determine evolution of delta. From his explanation, we got a conclusion that the present is not the key to the past anymore.

After break, we continued to second topic, namely “Distribution of The World’s Oil and Gas Source Rocks in Space and Time – Perspectives for Exploration in Frontier Basins”. Here, Mr. McCabe explained about some conditions of source rock’s accumulation, controls on source rock distribution, and tectonic control for source rock accumulation. And speaking about frontier basin, the challenge for geologist is they must “think out of box”.