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Explorer President’s Column By Steven Goolsby

Are Face-to-Face Meetings the New Normal Again?

I suddenly realized I was having a déjà vu moment while standing on the exhibition floor in Houston at IMAGE 2022. I was in the main aisle trying to remember where I wanted to go next when I was suddenly transported back to the AAPG annual meetings we had in the 1980s. Shockingly, the excitement and energy I could see in the large crowd ahead of me mentally jerked me back to all of those great AAPG annual conventions we had before COVID. As an old codger, I have an excuse for this kind of mental lapse, but I don’t think I was the only one who felt this way. Many other attendees expressed similar feelings to me about IMAGE ‘22.

Added on 01 October, 2022

Explorer Historical Highlights By Tom Chidsey

Utah’s Rich Oil and Gas Exploration History

People often associate Utah with spectacular canyons cut into the Colorado Plateau, the state’s five national parks, incredible skiing in the beautiful mountains, the opportunity to wade around in the briny water of Great Salt Lake or hearing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing the “Hallelujah Chorus.” Visitors to the state, as well as most of its citizens, don’t think of Utah as a major producer of oil and gas. However, Utah has consistently ranked among the highest oil and gas producers in the United States.

Added on 01 October, 2022

Explorer Article By David Brown

Does This Finally Settle the Age-Old Debate over Abiotic Methane?

This debate began decades ago: How much of the planet's natural gas is abiotic – made up of methane with nonbiological origins? At times, the scientific back-and-forth argument has resembled a slow-motion tennis match, with a new volley coming every few years. Now, Daniel Xia thinks he has helped deliver a winning smash across the net. His findings were most clearly laid out in a recent article “Validity of geochemical signatures of abiotic hydrocarbon gases on Earth,” by Xia and coauthor Yongli Gao, published in the Journal of the Geological Society.

Added on 01 October, 2022

Explorer Article By Heather Saucier

Exploration and Geoscience Opportunities Abound in the Energy Transition

Embracing the exploration spirit so often embodied in the annual Halbouty Lecture, Cindy Yeilding, retired senior vice president of BP America, rallied and encouraged her audience at the August 2022 IMAGE conference to repurpose their geoscience knowledge and skillsets for the energy transition. As the world searches for viable ways to decarbonize, it will not be uncommon to hear people say, “That technology will never work at scale, or it might work but it’s never going to make any money,” Yeilding said. “Those are all parts of the energy transition conversation, which tells us that using our exploration mindset is right for new exploration opportunities.”

Added on 01 October, 2022

Explorer Article By Barry Friedman

3PL’s Lithium Find Is a Model for Oil Scientists

“We’re probably at least 10 times larger. I mean, it just dwarfs any other project in North America.” That’s Vincent Ramirez, CEO of 3PL Operating, Inc., talking about a large and valuable lithium discovery his company has made in Railroad Valley, Nev. As lithium will play a vital role in the world’s changing energy landscape, generally, and because much of the known lithium deposits are in Chile, Australia, Argentina and China, specifically, 3PL’s find in central Nevada is potentially a very big deal.

Added on 01 October, 2022

Explorer Emphasis Article By David Brown

Geophysics Industry Shrinks as Tech Advances

Consider the geophysics sector of the industry a shrink-to-fit enterprise where misery might be starting to bring its own relief, and business is improving after recent years of financial ups and downs. With, admittedly, more downs than ups. Higher oil and gas prices this year have brought either a spark of enthusiasm or a glimmer of hope to many geophysical companies. And the technical side of geophysics has continued to advance strongly despite the business challenges.

Added on 01 October, 2022

Explorer Article By Geoff Camphire,Lauren Brase,Lindsay Mossa

Earth Science Week Spotlights Sustainability

Because petroleum figures so prominently in our lives today, petroleum geologists play a vital role in raising public awareness of the relationship between Earth science and sustainability. That’s why you are invited to bring your education, experience and expertise to the 25th annual Earth Science Week, which celebrates the theme of “Earth Science for a Sustainable World.” Earth Science Week 2022 is Oct. 10-16.

Added on 01 September, 2022

Explorer Division Column DEG By Hannes Leetaru

Energy Storage is a Crucial Focus of DEG

The goal of the DEG this year is to increase the visibility of the Division in the areas of not only CCUS but also natural gas storage, hydrogen storage, compressed air energy storage and geothermal storage. Petroleum professionals are uniquely qualified to evaluate the risk and uncertainty of subsurface storage methods. We evaluate both containment risk, such as seal integrity and presence of faults, but also the impact of reservoir heterogeneities and reservoir properties on storage capacity.

Added on 01 September, 2022

Explorer Director’s Corner By David Curtiss

Toward the Revitalization of AAPG

“You don’t look like that anymore,” a good friend recently observed in reference to the headshot that I use in EXPLORER and other professional spaces. “You need a new picture!” A quick glance in the mirror confirms her point and is a not-so-subtle reminder that time marches ever onward, and as it does both we and the world around us are in a state of change. The same is true for mission-driven organizations, like AAPG. We don’t often think about groups in this way, but associations also follow a predictable life cycle.

Added on 01 September, 2022

Explorer Foundation Update By Vern Stefanic

Introducing the Distinguished Lecture Program’s Magnificent Seven

Sometimes, challenging times call for dramatic objectives – and for a geoscience world still being redefined after years of upheaval, that’s exactly what the doctor ordered. This year’s new slate of AAPG Distinguished Lecturers has been determined, and in doing so, AAPG announces its own version of the Magnificent Seven: a diverse group of experts with international experience, specific knowledge and a hint of geoscience star power who have been selected to inform, improve and inspire geoscientists around the world.

Added on 01 September, 2022

Hot Items

Explorer Director’s Corner By David Curtiss

Introducing the New EXPLORER, New Digital Newsletters

Perhaps you did a double take pulling the April issue of EXPLORER from the mailbox. What is this? If you joined AAPG in the last 40 years, you’ve only known EXPLORER in its long-standing tabloid format. It worked well for many years as our advertisers – particularly seismic companies – loved the large format and the ability to display their data on a sweeping canvas. For readers, it was a little more awkward.

Added on 01 April, 2024

Explorer Article By David Brown

What Will it Take to Get CCUS Ready for Prime Time?

Nihal Darraj, carbon capture and storage researcher at Imperial College, London shares barriers to CCUS commercialization, including costs, technology, permitting and more.

Added on 01 March, 2024

Explorer Article By Barry Friedman

How the U Adds Value in CCUS

Carbon capture and sequestration reduces emissions, but it cannot work past cost barriers without the revenue opportunities provided by utilization and storage.

Added on 01 March, 2024