Explorer Director’s Corner
By David Curtiss
In February, AAPG partnered with the Society of Petroleum Engineers and the Society of Exploration Geophysicists to conduct the Energy in Transition Symposium in Washington, D.C. Hosted by the Embassy of Canada in the U.S. capital, and with the financial support of the AAPG Foundation and other sponsors, the focus of the symposium to communicate the important role of subsurface science and engineering as global energy systems continue to evolve.
American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Added on 01 May, 2023
Explorer Article
By Barry Friedman
Alaska’s North Slope is the best conventional onshore oil play in the world. That’s according to Bill Armstrong, CEO and president of Armstrong Oil and Gas, Inc. And, he will give no quarter on his belief about how robust the future is for the North Slope’s prospects. In short, Armstrong calls the area “incredible.”
American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Added on 01 May, 2023
Explorer Article
By Heather Saucier
The geologist who helped lead the historical discovery of the Prudhoe Bay oilfield in 1968 and who carved a path for later discoveries that provided invaluable resources for the United States has passed. Charles “Gil” G. Mull, died at age 86 from complications of Parkinson’s Disease in Salt Lake City on Oct. 3.
American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Added on 01 December, 2021
Explorer Emphasis Article
By Heather Saucier
Initially in charge of funding energy research and resource assessments, Houseknecht received a fateful telephone call in 1995 from former USGS Research Geologist Don Gautier, who asked him to participate in a field session in Alaska. Now, 26 years later, David Houseknecht has been awarded the Wallace E. Pratt Memorial Award for the best AAPG Bulletin article in 2019, which outlines a detailed geological framework of the North Slope to explain the geology of recent discoveries and delineate the potential for future discoveries.
American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Added on 01 September, 2021
Explorer Article
By Heather Saucier
Just as Alaska was bracing itself for the economic fallout of the Biden administration’s adversarial stance on oil and gas, two recent court decisions are giving the state hope. On June 15, a federal judge lifted the administration’s temporary ban on federal lease sales, clearing the way for a highly anticipated lease sale in the prolific National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska. And, on May 26, a brief filed by the U.S. Department of Justice affirmed that the Willow Project, a major discovery in NPRA that has been tied up in environmental-related lawsuits, complies with environmental regulations. While it remains unclear how soon the NPRA lease sale can take place, it is expected that the Willow project, one of the North Slope’s largest projects in recent years, will move forward.
American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Added on 01 July, 2021
Bulletin Article
By Hugh Daigle,Kehua You,P. Kevin Meazell,Peter B. Flemings,Stephen C. Phillips,Yi Fang
The North Alaska Super Basin meets the criteria for a super basin with more than 18 billion barrels of oil produced, at least 5 billion barrels of remaining oil resources, three prolific petroleum systems, and transportation to markets from accessible infrastructure.
American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Added on 01 June, 2021
Explorer Article
By Heather Saucier
In the business of oil and gas exploration, it’s all about managing risk. Companies are more likely to drill where there are strong indications of hydrocarbons from field and seismic data, nearby wells and discoveries – and preferably, all of the above. So, when the federal government officially opens the doors in the near future to the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for commercial drilling, it could be like watching a game of poker.
American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Added on 01 November, 2020
Explorer Article
By Heather Saucier
Since the 1968 discovery of Prudhoe Bay, North America’s largest conventional oilfield, operators have been drawn to Alaska’s remote and mysterious North Slope in search of other giants. The discovery of the Alpine Field in 1994 fueled interest in stratigraphic traps, and the region continues to yield significant discoveries, such as the 2013 Pikka Field, just east of the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska. Considering all the territory that stretches north of the Brooks Range, one area –the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge – has remained off-limits to exploration since its creation in the 1980 Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. Despite decades of heated debate between the industry and environmentalists on whether to allow exploration of the area – which is widely believed to be rich in hydrocarbons and a major step toward energy independence – it has remained closed. Until now.
American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Added on 01 October, 2020
Explorer Article
By Barry Friedman
“Bill always demanded that I show him why a prospect couldn’t be great rather than why it wouldn’t work.” That’s Jesse Sommer, one of this year’s Norman H. Foster Outstanding Explorer Award winners, talking about the lessons learned from his boss, Bill Armstrong, who is the other winner of this year’s Foster Award. They both work for Denver-based Armstrong Oil and Gas, and the company culture encourages explorationists to not only ask the right questions but to find both the science and the art in the oil or gas play.
American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Added on 01 September, 2020
Bulletin Article
By H. Scott Hamlin,Junwen Peng,Kitty L. Milliken,Qilong Fu,Xavier Janson
Several distinct geologic elements in northern Alaska have been referred to as the Barrow arch in the literature over the last 60 years. This report is an effort to more sharply define these elements and to introduce new terms that better define them.
American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Added on 23 July, 2020