Explorer Division Column DPA

As a volunteer for AAPG and the Dallas Geological Society it has been clear to me that the “90/10” rule holds with geologists as with all other organizations and professions. That is, 90 percent of people simply want to be left alone to do their jobs and 10 percent volunteer to get involved in professional societies, mentoring, politics or other pursuits.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Emphasis Article

The continent of Antarctica is distinctive in myriad ways, including its massive ice cap, mountain peaks and intriguing penguin population. It also has the distinction of being the only continent in the world where an oil exploration well has never been drilled.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Emphasis Article

To hear long-time New Zealand geologist Dave Bennett describe it, understanding when and where to drill for oil is a lot like ... well, in this PC world, let him tell you.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Emphasis Article

Call it a Russian miracle. Despite political, environmental and economic pressures, Russia’s Sakhalin oil and gas projects continue to advance.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Emphasis Article

If you're looking to get in on some big-time E&P action, head “down under” to Western Australia -- it’s a rockin’ scene these days.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

Summer NAPE was a sizzlin’ event at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston -- which was sizzlin’ in a whole different way during the “dog days” of late August.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

When it comes to evaluating hydrocarbon reservoirs and predicting production performance, one thing is certain: Uncertainty.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Policy Watch

This month the Senate will take up the bill addressing leasing the OCS Area 181 in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. The expectation is that the Senate bill (S. 3711, called the “181 Bill”), if passed, will be the counterpart to H.R. 4761, the Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act passed by the House of Representatives on June 29. Conference proceedings likely will begin shortly after Senate action and naming of conferees for both the House and Senate. Both houses are expected to move quickly to name conferees if the Senate passes its OCS legislation.

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer President’s Column

As the calendar turns to September I am struck by the similarity between the agricultural significance of this time of year and the careers for all “50-somethings,” which would include the largest single age group of AAPG members.

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

There is an increasing need for geologists who understand the development of unconventional reservoirs, such as exploitation of tight gas shales. One of the most interesting aspects of work force studies is the number of new jobs opening for geoscientists in energy-related fields worldwide.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)

Hot Items

Explorer Historical Highlights

The Casablanca oil field, discovered in 1975 and located on the Mediterranean shelf edge, has been greatly significant in the world’s offshore oil industry activity, besides being by far the biggest oil field in Spain.

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)
Explorer Geophysical Corner

Advancements in processing and imaging techniques have continued over the last several decades, which have gradually improved the quality of the processed surface seismic data. When the quality of the existing seismic data is not adequate to perform an interpretation task reasonably, then the interpreter looks for other options. Is it feasible to acquire a new survey? In the absence of an improved survey, will reprocessing of seismic data be a good option?

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

It isn’t news to anyone that prediction is difficult, especially when it’s the future (as a great man once said). Uncertainty and unpredictability are just a part of the job of tracking and predicting the future supply and demand of energy. That being the case, when energy analysts say that the current level of uncertainty is particularly high, it might be easy to dismiss it as a “dog bites man” story. It isn’t.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

A new type of buoyancy model can be used to understand the source of residual oil zones, both thick and thin, to help determine the likelihood that economically viable recoverable oil resides in transition zones of imbibition reservoirs. Application of a buoyancy and breech model will fill a void in reservoir characterization. It will help distinguish between TZs and ROZs, the first of which allows application of primary and secondary (waterflooding) oil recovery methods and the second of which requires more difficult CO2-enhanced oil recovery projects.

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)

Headquarters Contacts

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