Advance the science of geology

Visiting Geoscientist Program (VGP)

• 26 September – Fred W. Schroeder delivered the first part of a webinar series called “The Exploration Process” made available to universities throughout the world. This activity will continue in the months of November and December.

Earth Science Week

Trinidad & Tobago

• 21 September – Kami Allong presented the STEM Session: Origin and Structure of the Earth at St. Anthony’s College, Trinidad. 25 students attended.
• 28 September – Tanuja Balkaran presented the STEM Session: Origin and Structure of the Earth at St. Stephen’s College, Trinidad. 18 students attended.

Brazil

Earth Science Week at Santa Ana Mestra school - Curitiba, Brazil

• 13 September - UFPR, Curitiba, Brazil, held a class for 60 children (age 8 to 10 years old) about astronomy in the Public School Santa Ana Mestra
• 19 September - UFPR, Curitiba, Brazil, held a class for 78 children (age 8 to 10 years old) about the environment and water resources in the Public school Raoul Wallenberg.
• 20 September - UFPR, Curitiba, Brazil, held a class for 34 children (age 8 to 10) about paleontology in the Public school Joaquim Távora
  • Activities developed in a partnership with SEG-Geophysics, SEG-Economic Geology Student Chapters and post-graduate program in Geology-UFPR for the "Scientist at School Project, coordinates by the city hall. 4 student chapter members attended

Promote the use of technology

GTW Suriname 2019: Recent Discoveries and Exploration and Development Opportunities in the Guiana Basin

• Paramaribo, 5-7 November 2019
• Confirmed sponsorships from Staatsolie, Apache, Petronas, Kosmos, ExxonMobil, Seismic Company Services, Tullow, Equinor, Halliburton, Cairn Energy
• Finalizing program and promoting registration
• Session Themes:
  • Tectonic Setting and Prospectivity in the Guiana Basin
  • Prospectivity and Plays in Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana
  • Maximizing Resource Potential in Emerging Basins
  • Enhancing Exploration and Development through Integration and Data Management
  • Beyond Guiana: Emerging Plays, Prospects and Discoveries throughout the Caribbean and Atlantic Margin
  • Government-Industry-Community: Collaborative Strategies for Emerging Hydrocarbon Economies

Geology and Hydrocarbon Potential of the Circum-Gulf of Mexico Pre-salt Section

• Mexico City, 4-6 February 2020
• Technical committee working actively to develop program and seek sponsorships
• Call for abstracts open through 15 October

GTW Colombia 2020: Exploration and Development in Southern Caribbean Basins

• Barranquilla, 1-3 April 2020
• Forming organizing committee and meeting with stakeholders to define date and venue
• Confirming sponsorships from Shell, Noble, ANH and Ecopetrol
• Session Themes:
  • Tectonic Setting and Petroleum Systems
  • Recent Discoveries and New Plays
  • Enhanced Imaging and AVO/DHI
  • Risk Reduction and Drilling Optimization
  • Special Session: Potential for Development of Unconventional Resources in Colombia
  • Special Session: Government Strategies to Support Colombia’s Energy Sector

Energy Opportunities Conference, Exhibition and B2B Session

• Mexico City, 23-24 September 2020
• Conference Sessions:
  • Maximizing the Region’s Energy Matrix
  • Results from Recent Offshore Exploration Campaigns
  • Investment Outlook and Legal Framework for Energy Projects
  • Connecting Industry, Government and Regulators
  • Disruptive Technologies and their Impact on the Energy Sector
  • Sustainable Development and Social License to Operate
  • Reducing Risk and Optimizing Costs in the New Energy Era
• Other event features:
  • Country Snapshots: open acreage, licensing and bid rounds throughout the region
  • Business-to-business session: one-on-one meetings with current and future partners in private conference rooms
  • U-Pitch Technology Showcase: shark tank-style session connecting entrepreneurs with investors 1000 m2 exhibition featuring individual stands and country pavilions
• Negotiating venue contract with Camino Real Hotel in Polanco
• Promoted the conference with a dedicated stand at ICE Buenos Aires

Serve AAPG members throughout the Region

Region website & social media as of 4 October 2019

• Facebook page has 1943 followers (increased 1.5%)
• Twitter account has 698 followers (increased 1.9%)
• LinkedIn account has 1392 followers (increased 17.9%)

Develop the next generation of geoscientists

Imperial Barrel Award (IBA)

Global registration for the IBA 2020 opened last 16 September. The following is the timeline of the IBA LACR 2020 Competition:

• Teams Registration: 16 September 2019 - 29 November 2019
• Dataset release: 10 January 2020
• Virtual Round (via WebEx): 06 March 2020
• Semifinal LACR (Place TBD): 17 April 2020
• Global Finals (Houston, Tx): 06 June 2020

Student Chapters

• 2 September - UPAMPLONA, Cúcuta, Colombia, held the course "Basic principles of Photogeology and Geomorphology, first session” by Laura Carrero, last year student and vice president of the student chapter. 12 students attended.
• 5 September - UFPR, Curitiba, Brazil, held the presentation "Phosphorite formation, diagenesis, and microbial taphonomy in epeiric seaways of the São Francisco craton (ca. 635-610Ma)" by PhD Candidate Cecília Sanders from the California Institute of Technology (CALTECH). 16 students attended.
• 9 September - UPAMPLONA, Cúcuta, Colombia, held the course "Basic principles of Photogeology Geomorphology, second session” by Laura Carrero, last year student and vice president of the student chapter. 12 students attended.
• 10 September – UdelaR, Montevideo, Uruguay, held a meeting in the Faculty of Science to discuss the possibility of opening a SEG (Society of Exploration Geophysicists) Student Chapter. 25 students and 2 professionals attended.
• 11 September - UNC, Córdoba, Argentina, held the Workshop "Functional Leadership" by the PhD Julio Bruna Novillo. 23 students attended.
• 11 September - UNICAMP, Campinas, Brazil, held the activity "Geologist's work on offshore platforms: Day-to-day experiences at sea" by Rafael Cataldo. 26 students attended.
• 12 September - UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina, held the talk "What is the IBA Competition? Requirements and Registration Process". 35 students attended.
• 14 and 21 September - Unal, Bogota, Colombia, held the course “Introduction to the construction of 2D-3D models from balanced geological sections in compressive systems” by Daniel Bello. 27 students attended.
• 16 September - UPAMPLONA, Cúcuta, Colombia, held the course "Basic principles of SIG in Photogeology and Geomorphology, third session” by Fabian Molina, last year student and treasurer of the student chapter. 12 students attended.
• 16 September – UdelaR, Montevideo, Uruguay, participated with the Industrial University of Santander, Colombia (UIS) Student Chapter in a “Skype meeting about the UIS IBA experience”. 4 students attended.
• 17 September - UFPR, Curitiba, Brazil, held the presentation "Modern challenges in studies of sedimentary provenance" by PhD. Carlos Guedes from Universidade Federal do Paraná and followed by a discussion regarding the paper "From landscapes into geological history" (Allen, 2008). 10 students attended.
• 18 September – UNICAMP, Campinas, Brazil, held the webinar “Geoscience Careers in the Petroleum Industry” by the Geological Society of America. 11 students attended.
• 19 September – UNICAMP, Campinas, Brazil, helped organizing the event “40th Anniversary of the Institute of Geosciences”. 4 students attended.
• 20 September - UPAMPLONA, Cúcuta, Colombia, held the talks "Introduction to AAPG, Why Become a member? By Daniel Figueredo, president of the Student Chapter and Diego Hernandez, Faculty Advisor; and "Geology and genesis of occurrences of Nb, Ta and ETR's in the northeastern portion of the Amazon Craton, Brazil” by Geologist MSc Carlos Ballesteros. 5 professionals, 2 professors, and 100 Students attended.
• 23 September - UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, held the short course “Travertine” by Marcelle Erthal from Petrobrás. 9 students attended.
• 23-24 September - UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, held the short course “Oasis Montaj” by Luana Cunha from Seequent. 11 students attended.
• 23-24 September - UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, held the short course “Petroleum Engineering” by Raphael Ranna from ANP. 24 students attended.
• 23-27 September- UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, held the short course “Global Anoxic Events” by Leonardo Tedesci from Petrobrás. 17 students attended.
• 24 September- UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, held the short course “Introduction to Python” by Patrick Machado from Schlumberger. 13 students attended.
• 25-27 September- UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, held the short course “Techlog” by Aristides from LAGESED. 16 students attended.
• 25 September- UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, held the short course “Digital Rock Physics” by Lizianne Carvalho from PETREC. 9 students attended.
• 25 September – UNICAMP, Brazil, held the activity “Brazilian oil: exploration, technical training and teaching of geosciences” by Drielli Peyerl. 22 students and 2 young professionals attended.
• 25 September - UNIPAMPA, Caçapava do Sul, Brazil, held the lecture " Unipampa at IAS Meeting ". 52 students attended.
• 25 September - Unal, Bogotá, Colombia, held the activity "Challenges of the energy matrix and the role of geologists in it" by Victor Vega. 16 students attended.
• 25-27 September – UNISINOS, Rio dos Sinos, Brazil, held the “Python introduction course for geoscientists” by Thiago Bressan (Doctoral student at Unisinos). 19 people participated
• 26 September - Unal, Bogotá, Colombia, held the event "Technical Conferences on Generating Rock Deposits" with several speakers. 48 students attended
• 27 September – UNC, Córdoba, Argentina, held the activity "From the UNC to the parallel 65ºN. How and Why do a MSc.?” by the MSc. Axel Cima. 25 students attended.
• 27 September - UNI, Lima, Peru, participated in the lectures "Inspirate UNI" by UNI student organization. 10 chapter members attended.
• 27 September- UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, held the short course “Facies Modeling in the Exploration Context” by Ezequiel Bastos from Halliburton. 25 students attended.
• 27 September- UFRJ,Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, held the lecture “The discovery of the Pre-Salt” by Marco Antônio Machado from Petrobrás. 80 people attended.
• 27 September- UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, held the lecture “The role of organic rock characterization and its application in oil exploration” by Taíssa Rêgo from Petrobrás. 80 people attended.
• 27 September- UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, held the lecture “The impact of Pre-Salt on World Geopolitics” by Patrícia Laier from Petrobrás. 80 people attended.
• 30 September – UNISINOS, Rio dos Sinos, Brazil, held the lecture “The importance of digital geology today” by Paulo Carvalho from CENPES-PETROBRAS. 32 students attended.
• 30 September – UdelaR, Montevideo Uruguay, held a conference to talk about the student’s experience during the ICE and the Chapter’s president, Alejandro Ginares, experience during the LACR Student Chapter Leadership Summit. 9 students attended.

YP Chapters

Argentina

• No activities to report

Bolivia

• 14-16 September – Support to new student chapter of Universidad Técnica de Oruro (UTO) through calls, presentations, and a meeting on September 14, conducted by Ana Goncalves (Delegate). The committee elections were on September 16: Ali Wara Arce (President) and Eliana Segovia (Vice-president).
• 26 September – Eng. Raul Giraudo, Senior Structural Geologist, presented “Expanding the exploratory frontier: New concepts focused on ultra-deep targets” as part of the XV Session “Cycle of Geoscientific Talks”, in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. 33 Students, YPs and professionals attended.

Brazil

• 5-6 September - Seropédica, Brazil, held the short course "Machine Learning Applied to Geosciences" at SEGEO-UFRRJ, given by YP Laura Lima (Schlumberger). 16 students participated.
• 9 September - Saquarema, Brazil, held the talk "Field Geology and Petroleum Geology Professionals", given by YP Gabriela Avellar (PPGG-UERG) at FAETEC Bacaxá. 61 students attended.
• 18 September - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, held the talk "The role of geologists in prospectus evaluation", given by YP Guilherme Arruda Sowek (Repsol). 12 students of UERJ and UFRRJ and 1 YP participated.
• 19 September, Caçapava do Sul, Brazil, held the talk " Petrophysics introduction for the Imperial Barrel Award", given by YP Mateus Kroth (Lagesed-UFRJ). 10 UNIPAMPA student chapter members participated by Skype.
• 25 September - Campinas, Brazil, organized in conjunction with UNICAMP student chapter the talk "The Petroleum in Brazil", given by Drielli Peyerl. 22 people attended.

Colombia

• 6 September – held the workshop “Structure of Professional Profile, CV, Job Search and Successful Professional Interview Workshop” by Iván Urrutia from LHR Américas. EAFIT University, Medellín, Colombia. 5 young professionals attended.

Mexico

• 19 September – YP AAPG México attended to an assembly of the AMGP (subsidiary) where the event “PM TOUR: I Session of the Community of Professionals in Industry "OIL & GAS" was presented to the students, professionals and academics community. The meeting took place at IPN installations. 85 people attended.

Peru

• No activities to report

Trinidad & Tobago

• 16 September – Ibraheem Ali, Tanuja Balkaran and Shenille Samlal introduced new students of the BSc. Petroleum Geoscience Program at the University of the West Indies (St. Augustine Campus) to the AAPG and AAPG YPTT at the Petroleum Geoscience Icebreaker. 25 students and staff attended.
• 24 September – Xavier Moonan led a field trip to geological sites in Southern Trinidad and the La Brea Pitch Lake. 50 members of the Volatiles in the Lesser Antilles (VoiLA) workshop attended.

Venezuela

• 20 September – Technical visit of geochemistry students from ICT-UCV to eight facilities and laboratories of PDVSA-Intevep at El Tambor, Los Teques. 42 people attended, including 18 geochemistry students and 22 Intevep employees.