I’m excited and honored to step into the role of the Division of Environmental Geosciences president during what feels like one of the most dynamic times in recent memory. The pace of change around us is incredible. Technology is evolving faster than ever, regulations are shifting and public expectations are changing almost daily.
This kind of change brings uncertainty, but it also creates some amazing opportunities. As geoscientists and engineers, we often have the best vantage point on technological developments and emerging innovations, giving us the chance to affect real change as it happens. Over the next year, I’m looking forward to working with AAPG and our partners to find opportunities hidden inside the challenges we face as an industry.
Take orphan, idle and abandoned wells, for example. For years, they were seen only as problems – environmental headaches we had to deal with. But now, they’re being reimagined as potential resources. Our industry is pushing solutions to use them for stranded gas production, geothermal energy, long-term battery storage and carbon credit–linked plugging programs. Something that used to be just a liability is now driving innovation in energy and environmental stewardship.
Opportunities Abound
This mindset doesn’t just apply to abandoned wells. There are plenty of big, complex challenges out there waiting to be rethought – like the increasing demand for critical minerals such as lithium for battery technology and grid-scale energy storage, or the need for new power generation and grid infrastructure to keep up with our rapidly electrifying world. These are problems that AAPG members are uniquely equipped to take on – from understanding subsurface resources and characterizing storage reservoirs to designing sustainable extraction and water management solutions.
By approaching these challenges with the same technical rigor and creativity we apply to well abandonment and repurposing, we can foster science-based, practical solutions to fill the emergent gap between our current energy systems and those of the future. Our skillset allows us to see opportunities that others might miss – to find resources, cut environmental impacts and make operations more efficient. This is where our community can really lead, taking complex technical insights and turning them into real, workable solutions. This is a great moment for DEG and for AAPG as a whole, and I can’t wait to work with all of you as we take on these challenges and turn them into opportunities together.