Every year the AAPG Distinguished Lecture program enables members all over the world to learn about leading-edge aspects of petroleum geology from scientific leaders. In 2016, the program sponsored 11 lecturers touring North America and five other geographic regions — and it was my honor to serve as the first AAPG Distinguished Lecturer for the Africa Region during a two-week tour in late February and early March.
The tour took place in host universities and companies in three countries: University of Western Cape, PetroSA, University of Stellenbosch, University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa; University of Tunis El Manar in Tunisia; and University of Nairobi in Kenya.
My tour offered two lecture topics:
- The first topic addressed the role of outcrop observations in constraining reservoir geological and flow-simulation models, as a tool to improve the efficient recovery of new and existing resources.
- The second topic outlined the value of developing sequence stratigraphic interpretations that consider a broad range of controls, and that encompass a range of predictions for the distribution of reservoir, source and seal lithologies.
Three themes recurred during the tour, and serve to reinforce AAPG's role in provide worldwide scientific leadership and professionalism in petroleum geoscience.
Enthusing future petroleum geoscientists.
Most presentations were given at universities, to full auditoria of students, faculty teachers and industry mentors. There is no shortage of interest and enthusiasm for petroleum geoscience from the next generation of explorers and reservoir analysts.
In the current tough environment for graduate recruitment, AAPG plays a key role in fostering and maintaining interest in our profession among students and young professionals.
Outreach through collaboration.
Several presentations were hosted in collaboration with local professional societies, including the Geological Society of South Africa, South African Association of Geophysical Association and the Geological Survey of Kenya. Such collaboration allows both AAPG and the co-host society to serve the needs of their members, and to promote understanding of petroleum geoscience and related disciplines, particularly in regions outside of AAPG's traditional heartland.
Imperial Barrel Award.
At several universities I saw student teams at work on their Imperial Barrel Award (IBA) presentations, another AAPG initiative that aims to extend students' awareness of, and technical skills in, petroleum geoscience. This has a particular personal satisfaction for me, since the IBA was inspired by a long-running team project developed by colleagues in my own institution (indeed, the Barrel Award celebrated its 40th year at Imperial College in 2016).
It only remains to thank my hosts, Mimonitu Opuwari, KB Trivedi, Bjorn Von der Heyden, Mary Mahlatji, Craig Smith, Sue Webb, Mohamed Hedi Inoubli and Lydia Olaka, for their warm hospitality throughout the Distinguished Lecturer tour, the AAPG staff and Delia Kuye (Africa Region programs manager) for their careful organization.
I look forward to following future Distinguished Lecturer tours as AAPG programs and activities develop further in the Africa Region.
(Editor's note: Gary Hampson, with Imperial College London, was the 2016 AAPG Allan P. Bennison Distinguished Lecturer.)