Thailand’s First AAPG Geosciences Technology Workshop

Characterization of Asian Reservoirs was the topic for a GTW held in Bangkok, Thailand’s capital city, on March 31-April 1, 2016.

In spite of the impact of low oil prices on professional development budgets, abundant local layoffs and the distance from global E&P and industry research centers, the event attracted a vibrant attendance of 102, from 12 countries within and beyond the Asia-Pacific Region.  Most of the attendees were industry professionals (including consultants) with the balance from academic and research organizations. Most of the attendees were from the Bangkok professional community, however there was a healthy contingent of Chinese, who were often presenters and added significant diversity to the talks as they discussed fractured reservoirs, carbonates and older rocks than most of the other speakers.

The program was divided into five half-day sessions, focusing on clastic reservoirs (3 sessions), non-clastic (carbonate and fractured reservoirs, 1 session) and low-permeability reservoirs (1 session). A Keynote paper was presented by Dr. Christopher Morley (University of Chiang Mai) entitled Origins, Descriptions, and Prediction of Complex Fault Patterns in the Cenozoic Rifts of Thailand on understanding outcrop analogues and their tectonic history in order to better understand the fracture systems in the Thailand reservoirs.

Twelve posters, by students and practicing professionals, were on display throughout the event and time was allowed during coffee breaks or prior to or after the oral sessions to interact and discuss.  Around the posters, healthy discussions occurred throughout the meeting.

After each oral session there was a 30 minute discussion time during which, abundant questions from the audience were asked, key points made by presenters were elaborated upon and clarified.

The Best Paper prize was awarded to Jaume Vendrell-Roc who presented a paper entitled: Thailand’s First Ocean Bottom Seismic Survey Offers a Renewed Look at the Tectonics and Geology of the Bualuang Field.  It was co-authored by Hans Girling, Suwisa Koysamran and Roger White, all from Ophir Energy.

The Best Poster prize was won by Reybi Waren whose poster, Syn-Rift Lacustrine Axial Delta Reservoir Quality and Its Distribution: New Insight from Sumpur Delta in Singkarak Lake, West Sumatra, Indonesia. His co-authors were Endo Finaldhi, Iqbal Fardiansyah, Enry Horas Sihombing, Fazil Fitris, Habash Semimbar, Satia Graha, Abdullah Faisal Talib, Willy Rhauda Paksi, Indonesian Association of Geologists (IAGI) – Riau Chapter, Indonesia.

The success of this workshop in the face of regional and local layoffs and curtailment of professional development investment within the industry was a testament to an effective organising Committee ably supported by AAPG Asia Pacific Region Representative Adrienne Pereira. Feedback from the attendees was overwhelmingly positive.

The workshop format and topic were effective in bringing together industry and academia, giving industry scientists an up to date awareness of topical lines of research, and academic researchers a clearer appreciation of applications in petroleum exploration and development to which their work can be aligned.

AAPG Asia Pacific is deeply grateful to our sponsors, our committee and our delegates for making this first event in Thailand a resounding success.