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International Bulletin Board

APPEX Update

This report on the international aspects and potential of AAPG's annual APPEX Prospect and Property Expos, held on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, was prepared by Jeff Lund, APPEX Advisory Committee chair.

Editor's note: This column is devoted to international items of note to the AAPG.

News items, press releases and other information should be submitted to the EXPLORER/International Bulletin Board, P.O. Box 979, Tulsa, Okla. 74101; telephone – 918-560-2616; fax – 918-560-2684; or e-mail – dfree@aapg.org.

International Bulletin Board Archives

See related story:
APPEX -- Get Smart, Buy, Sell Your Deals

On Sept. 14-16 the fourth APPEX Prospect and Property Expo to be held in Houston will be convened by AAPG, SIPES and HGS. APPEX-Houston follows the highly successful APPEX-London held last March and described by Steve Veal in this column in the May EXPLORER.

Holding APPEX events twice a year, on each side of the Atlantic, is unique and is a key strategic feature aimed at fulfilling the APPEX Mission, which is to:

"Establish U.S. and international market places for the exchange of oil and gas prospects and producing properties, which are driven by geoscience fundamentals as well as business opportunity."

I believe a trend we will see -- and should encourage -- is an increase in the non-U.S. content of APPEX-Houston. Non-U.S. companies, including vendors of E&P services, E&P operators and even an occasional national oil company, are a small but growing component of APPEX-Houston.

A key phenomenon to keep in mind is the dynamic of management decision-making in E&P; management decisions on many "international deals" are made in Houston offices, even if the company has a European office or consultant!

The current blossoming of opportunity in the UK North Sea is a good case in point.

Newly formed, entrepreneurial prospect generators are springing up in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe. Many Houston-based E&P operators already have entered the North Sea arena and would certainly welcome the opportunity to review deals at Brown Convention Center, sparing the need for a trans-Atlantic trip!

Could there be European-based E&P companies interested in reviewing U.S. prospects in London? Mexican food is harder to find, but the pubs are great for deal-making!

I believe the increasing globalization of our industry will naturally lead to a dramatic synergy between the two APPEX events. I salute the companies who already have seen this opportunity -- Challenger Minerals and Carrizo Oil and Gas come to mind -- and have pioneered showing North Sea opportunities in Houston.

Those of us involved in organizing APPEX in either city encourage you to think about the possibilities -- and tell us how we can help!

Tell us what you think ...