Explorer Article

Approximately 80 percent of today’s global energy supply comes from fossils fuels, 54 percent of which is supplied by oil and gas. Global society’s goal for the near future is to enjoy the same or better quality of life, but with zero carbon emitted. This presents a set of challenging questions of particular relevance to AAPG members. How will energy demand evolve? How difficult is it to remove oil and gas from the global energy mix? And if they remain part of the mix, what kind of hydrocarbons are we looking for? How important will geological carbon storage be in assisting efforts to reach net zero? These questions were investigated in a recent paper by the authors entitled, “Demand for ‘advantaged’ hydrocarbons during the 21st century energy transition,” and published in the journal Energy Reports. The results are summarized here.

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

Nestled in the southernmost Caribbean lies Trinidad and Tobago, a 5,130-square-kilometer twin-island republic, famous for its colorful Carnival celebrations, melodious steelpan drums, picturesque beaches and savory street foods. Trinidad and Tobago is known also for its longstanding presence in the energy sector, which is the primary economic driver for the country’s population of 1.4 million. T and T’s latest Deep Water Competitive Bidding Round launched in December and closed in June. The Ministry will announce bidding round results in September.

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Director’s Corner

During the height of the pandemic, Society of Exploration Geophysicists Executive Director Jim White and I discussed how we could work better together – delivering an innovative conference for petroleum and energy geoscientists that also involved other geoscience disciplines focused on solving real world challenges. Our elected leaders at the time supported the vision for AAPG and SEG to create a new, joint annual meeting: the International Meeting for Applied Geoscience and Energy, or “IMAGE,” conducted in cooperation with SEPM. We’re eager and ready for IMAGE ’22 in Houston at the end of this month, and hope that you are, too.

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Foundation Update

Two longtime AAPG members whose dedication and leadership has guided and inspired the AAPG Foundation’s growth and impact on the geosciences for decades, have been named recipients of the AAPG Foundation’s top honors for 2022. This year’s honorees are James A. Gibbs and Richard “Rick” Fritz. Both awardees have previously served as AAPG president and have career-long records of active support and leadership for the Foundation, working tirelessly to solidify its present while ensuring its future.

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Historical Highlights

Peter Odell was a pioneer figure in petroleum economics. His ideas and analyses were highly influential in his own time and are still worth studying today. Many people came to know of Odell through his best-selling “Oil and World Power: A Geographical Interpretation.” What strikes the reader of this and other works by Odell is the author’s cross-disciplinary approach to the oil and gas industry, integrating economic analyses with geopolitics, history, maps and geography. His publications were relatable to geologists as well. The issues he addressed, in different forms, are still with us.

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Emphasis Article

People familiar with the energy business know that most existing vertical wells produce little oil or gas. They might be surprised how many horizontal wells fall into the same category. Under the right circumstances, this growing number of wells in decline could represent an investment opportunity. Or, it might become a giant abandonment headache for the oil industry.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

India plans to reopen more than 100 coal mines and restart some idled coal-fired power plants. India is the world’s third-largest greenhouse gas emitter, but the recent power crunch caused so much disruption to the country’s industries that the government was pressured to ramp up the coal industry in an effort to help meet demand.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Division Column DPA

Hello Division of Professional Affairs and AAPG members, I’d like to welcome you to the first DPA column in my term as DPA president 2022-23. As I begin this appointment, I’ve been reflecting on the events of recent years and considering the challenges and changes we’ve faced through the pandemic – personally and professionally, as an industry and as members of a global community.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Director’s Corner

It’s summertime here in the Northern Hemisphere, and with the sun and warm weather, thoughts are shifting to vacation. Packing the kids in the car for a week at the beach or a trip to grandma’s house is a time-honored tradition. But this year, moms and dads are doing so with an eye on surging gas prices – this road trip isn’t going to be cheap. Parents aren’t alone in casting a nervous eye on prices at the pump. The White House is, too.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Foundation Update

Toshimi Fujikawa, a geology teacher in San Lorenzo, Calif., who has been praised by her peers for passionately helping students to discover knowledge and relevance in the geological world where they live, has been named the 2022 AAPG Foundation’s Teacher of the Year.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)

Hot Items

Explorer Article

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

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

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

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Historical Highlights

The Paris Basin offers times of both discoveries and failures, from its first well drilled near Normandy in the 1920s to today. 

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Director’s Corner

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.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)

Headquarters Contacts

Susan Nash
Susan Nash Director, Innovation and Emerging Science and Technology, AAPG +1 405 314 7730