Explorer Article

Oil and gas currently are essential commodities for modern life, but subject to market demands and the eternal fluctuations in supply and demand. It is important to try to keep a larger view on the big changes, those disruptive innovations, which demand a change in the way we do our business.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Article

While the rest of the world of seismic exploration is scaling down in response to the current trend of depressed oil prices, the government of Mexico is beckoning to all comers and, so far, they seem to be answering.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Energy Policy Blog

In 2011, President Obama released his Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future, which called for an all of the above energy strategy, including the expansion of safe and responsible oil and gas development.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Energy Policy Blog

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) methane-hydrate program is making a giant leap forward in 2015 with a new field test. But, why should we care about methane hydrates? First, the world will continue to depend on fossil fuels well past 2040 and natural gas is the cleanest option. Second, some countries that do not have sufficient indigenous energy have potentially large methane hydrate resources. Finally, methane hydrates occur in low concentrations over vast areas of the seafloor and shallow subsea sediments around the world, including the Arctic. If these areas warm, the hydrates could dissociate, releasing methane.

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American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Policy Watch

Commercial interest in the Arctic has grown with declines in summer sea ice cover – since 2007 the extent of Arctic sea ice has been significantly less than it was in the decade after satellite measurements started in 1978.

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

In virtually all regions of sustained production, the industry is steadily improving in situ recovery methods and reducing environmental impacts of bitumen and heavy oil production, especially those associated with surface mining.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Emphasis Article

Exploration and production in the Arctic is a proven difficult task – companies active there are all too familiar with its harsh conditions of ice, extreme low temperatures, long periods of winter darkness and remoteness. Consequently, providing safety to workers has become a major concern for companies braving this harsh territory.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Emphasis Article

There are more than just technical challenges facing those who would explore the Arctic for oil and gas. Navigating the governance structure and deep cultural systems of Canada’s aboriginal communities can be a complex and confusing task, too, especially for oil companies looking to do business in the country.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Emphasis Article

Newfoundland-based GRI Simulations has logged innumerable hours working on its Virtual Arctic Simulation Environment to enable scientists to evaluate the perilous area from the comfort of their offices.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
Explorer Emphasis Article

It wasn’t easy, that’s for sure. But AAPG member Tom Marshall – a geologist who moved to Alaska in his early 30s, enamored by the idea of homesteading in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley – managed to change the future of the entire state with a suggestion that sounded as promising as a dry hole.

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 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)
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 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 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)

Headquarters Contacts

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