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Explorer Article By Barry Friedman

Alaska’s North Slope Holds ‘Incredible’ Promise, and Controversy

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.”

Added on 01 May, 2023

Explorer Historical Highlights By Rasoul Sorkhabi

Steineke of Arabia

Working in arduous desert conditions and leading a team of explorers in the 1930s and ‘40s from the company that would come to be Aramco, Max Steineke put Saudi Arabia on the world petroleum map. A definitive, book-length biography of Steineke is yet to be written, but what follows outlines his career and contributions to petroleum geology and exploration during a period and in places far from the comforts, facilities and technologies enjoyed today. And yet, his exploration output from a single basin remains unparalleled, and his story offers valuable insights.

Added on 01 March, 2023

Explorer Division Column DEG By Hannes Leetaru

Orphaned Wells Present Continuing Problem, Opportunity for Geoscientists

The first U.S. oil well was drilled 1859 in Titusville, Penn., and the first commercial gas well was even earlier in 1825 in Fredonia, N.Y. There are two centuries of oil and gas drilling in the United States, and many of the wells in the first 150 years did not have the best plug-and-abandonment methods in place. Some of these wells are in urban areas and can endanger the residents. The number of orphaned and abandoned wells varies greatly depending on their definition. There might be millions of old and improperly plugged oil and gas wells leaking methane or contaminating groundwater in the United States, and plugging them will cost billions.

Added on 01 December, 2022

Explorer Article

Winners Announced for the Sustainable Development in Energy Competition

The Africa Region’s GeoMagic team is the winner of the AAPG Sustainable Development in Energy Competition. AAPG’s Sustainable Development in Energy Competition for students and young professionals is intended to encourage sustainable development in energy industries. The objective is to harness the creativity of students and young professionals to develop innovative and sustainable development projects across the energy spectrum with a positive social, environmental and economic impact.

Added on 01 August, 2022

Explorer Foundation Update By Vern Stefanic

Toshimia Fujikawa is the Foundation’s 2022 Teacher of the Year

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.

Added on 01 July, 2022

Explorer Historical Highlights By Leaman D. Harris

The Life and Times of an Oilfield

The small town of Cunningham, Kansas lies about 65 miles straight west of Wichita on U.S. Highway 54. It was incorporated in 1887 as a commercial center for farmers and ranchers in that part of south-central Kansas. Hard winter wheat was the main cash crop, while herds of beef and dairy cattle were a close second source of income. This activity characterized the culture of Cunningham into the early years of the 20th century. That is, until a new industry was introduced to Kansas when, in 1915, oil was discovered in the El Dorado field northeast of Wichita.

Added on 01 June, 2022

Explorer Emphasis Article By David Brown

A Bond Forged in Road Trips and Geoscience

Here’s one sign of change in university- level geoscience education: This year, for the first time, both recipients of AAPG’s Grover E. Murray Memorial Distinguished Educator Award are female geology professors. Their careers have followed different paths and include contrasting professional interests, but the stories of their respective educational histories share several common links. That story starts with James Taylor. And chocolate chip cookies.

Added on 01 April, 2022

Explorer Article By Ken Milam

ExxonMobil Releases Historic Treasure Trove of Core Data

The geoscience community at large now has access to a major trove of data gathered by ExxonMobil in the 1980s and ‘90s. ExxonMobil will share the results of its behind-the-outcrop coring program through a website created by the Society for Sedimentary Geology.

Added on 01 March, 2022

Explorer Article By Heather Saucier

Carbon Capture, Geothermal Offer New Opportunities for Reservoir Characterization Expertise

For decades, reservoir characterization has played a crucial role in oil and gas projects – in identifying and extracting hydrocarbons from the subsurface. Now, some geologists and geophysicists are applying their industry expertise to the emerging fields of carbon storage and geothermal energy.

Added on 01 October, 2021

Explorer Emphasis Article By Barry Friedman

The Importance of Being Gradual

The moment Leslie B. Magoon was told he had won the 2021 Sidney Powers Memorial Award, he was speechless. Presently a senior research geologist with the United States Geological Survey, Magoon simply never considered himself in the running for such a high honor.

Added on 01 September, 2021