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Explorer Article By Barry Friedman

Adventures in Geologic Entrepreneurial Financing

So what motivates a man, an entrepreneur and a geologist, who in the past eight years has secured corporate funding to the tune of $300 million for three start-up oil and gas companies, but has also seen and lived through the other end of that spectrum when he was, literally, making minimum wage? Better still, how does the man himself explain it? “I’d say the short answer is, ‘the love of a new adventure.’” That’s Donald G. Burdick, CEO of Olifant Energy, who said, perhaps surprisingly, the adventure did not come out of boredom or burnout. First at Marathon, through Samson, Vintage and QEP, and most recently at Cimarex, Laredo and Panther Energy II, he said there was always something else out there calling him.

Added on 01 February, 2022

Explorer Article By Robert Shoup

You Can’t Fool Mother Nature

I recently had the opportunity to spend several months with a number of college students. I was shocked to learn that many of them did not understand the principal of supply and demand. The law of supply and demand is immutable. Because oil is a global commodity, it is subject to the law of supply and demand.

Added on 01 February, 2022

Explorer Article By David Brown

Don’t Panic Just Yet Over Exploration Downturn

Worldwide oil and gas exploration results took a major hit from reduced investment and the ongoing COVID pandemic last year. Cautious industry spending and overall selectivity over prospects likely reduced discoveries to their lowest annual level in 75 years. Here’s the recommendation from one industry analyst for 2022’s global exploration and supply outlook: Stay chill for now.

Added on 01 February, 2022

Explorer Article By Emily Llinás

Bringing ‘Friendly Energy’ to the U’Wa People of Colombia

The cloud forests in Western Colombia’s Andes Mountains are home to a diverse group of indigenous communities including the U´wa people. Community traditions prohibit members from using energy from non-renewable sources, so most lack access to electricity. Without computers and the internet, U’wa children’s education lags behind that of other Colombians. The story changed for one U´wa village when a group of geology students and AAPG Chapter members decided to reach out.

Added on 01 February, 2022

Explorer Article By Heather Saucier

Net Zero by 2050? Where’s the Tech?

In the IEA’s “Net Zero by 2050” report, which outlines a comprehensive pathway for a global transition to zero emissions by mid-century, the agency states that much of the technology needed to make a timely transition has not yet been developed. Emerging technologies, such as improved battery storage, low-carbon hydrogen production and carbon capture utilization and storage, show “encouraging” progress, but the world significantly lags behind in power generation and end-use sectors, specifically industry, buildings and transport.

Added on 01 February, 2022

Explorer Article By Ken Milam

How to Grow Big Fields into Giants

Thanks to continuing advances in reservoir characterization, technology and innovative thinking, many oil fields around the globe have “grown larger” in recent decades. John Sneider, president of Sneider Exploration Inc., documented examples of mature field growth 20 years ago and recently revisited the topic to focus on mature giant fields. This updated analysis is detailed in chapter 4 of the new AAPG Memoir 125: “Giant Fields of the Decade: 2010 – 2020.”

Added on 01 January, 2022

Explorer Division Column DPA By Don Burdick

The ‘Great Reset’?

There is no denying there are massive changes happening around the world today, seemingly as a reaction to the emergence of the COVID/Wuhan virus. However, while the virus might be a catalyst of change, other factors are in play too. Many leaders around the world seem to share in the sentiment expressed by the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab, who recently wrote, “The changes we have already seen in response to COVID-19 prove that a reset of our economic and social foundations is possible,” in the interest of promoting the WEF’s proposed “Great Reset” of the global economy.

Added on 01 January, 2022

Explorer Director’s Corner By David Curtiss

‘Chaos Will Intensify’ as Oil Investment Crisis Threatens Supply

Last month Houston hosted the 23rd World Petroleum Congress with more than 5,000 attendees from 70 countries. After a one-year postponement due to the global pandemic, energy leaders from across the globe gathered to discuss the future of energy. And the tone of the discussion was sobering. Following on the heels of November’s COP26 meeting in Glasgow, there was recognition that political and societal pressures are shifting the energy sector and the industries in it. But there was widespread concern that the expectations underlying these pressures for change were unrealistic. That those pushing hardest for change lacked a fundamental understanding of what transforming the global energy sector truly entailed, what it would look like when it was complete and the dangers looming from getting it wrong.

Added on 01 January, 2022

Explorer Foundation Update By Vern Stefanic

McGhay Takes the Reins as Foundation Trustees Chair

Jim McGhay was still a young geologist when he first realized there was a larger purpose to his career than achieving and maintaining personal success – and that purpose included the AAPG Foundation. That mission – built solidly on starting, growing and supporting educational and scientific activities in the field of geology – continues to define McGhay’s life, albeit now in a new and much more active role: He recently was elected chair of the AAPG Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

Added on 01 January, 2022

Explorer Geophysical Corner By Kenneth Bredesen,Kurt Marfurt,Ritesh Sharma,Satinder Chopra,Thang Ha

Unsupervised Machine Learning for Characterizing a Geothermal Sandstone Reservoir

The estimated hydrocarbon reserves around the world, when produced, can keep us going for the next several decades. But scientific records and our own experiences are enough evidence that climate change is indeed happening. Addressing it requires energy extraction from non-fossil fuels. One such resource is the natural heat of the Earth, or geothermal energy.

Added on 01 January, 2022

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wwwUpdate Blog

AAPG 2022 Strategic Planning Survey Results

Results of the 2022 AAPG Member/Customer Planning Survey.

Added on 05 April, 2023

wwwUpdate Blog By Grant Smith

Free Access to AAPG's Discovery Series 10 and 15 Full Data Set Tutorials

Courtesy of AAPG and AAPG Datapages, two Discovery Series data sets have been donated free of charge for use as online teaching materials. Discovery Series 10 – Sandstone Petrology: A Tutorial Petrographic Image Atlas 2nd Edition and Discovery Series 15 – Carbonate Petrology: Interactive Petrography Tutorial, both authored by Kitty Milliken, have been posted online for easy accessibility.

Added on 11 May, 2020

wwwUpdate Blog

Advertise With Us!

AAPG publications are widely read by geologists, geophysicists and reservoir engineers. Are they your target audience? Then take advantage of the many advertising opportunities available in AAPG’s news and journal magazines.

Added on 13 April, 2018