As a kid I was fascinated with maps. I’d spend hours flipping through our family’s world atlas, and geography was one of my favorite subjects in school.
The deep blue of the oceans, the greens and browns of the continents, the elevations of mountains, the flow of rivers, and identifying cities and capitals – there really is a Timbuktu! – mesmerized me. The maps represented real places and I would imagine what it would be like to travel there, mapping out journeys across continents in my mind’s eye, anticipating adventure and derring-do.
Now, any world traveler worth his or her salt will regale you with stories of awe and wonder – seeing the world will certainly deliver those. What they often leave out, however, is how you feel after being squeezed into an airplane seat for 14 hours, how adventure often has two travel companions named uncertainty and fear, and that mosquitoes can spoil the romance of any destination.
It was my curiosity about the planet that drew me to geology and a fascination with far-flung locales that led me to the oil and natural gas industry, which is truly a global business.
Upcoming International Events
And between now and the end of 2016, AAPG will be serving its Members with three major conferences outside the United States.
This month from Sept. 6-9, we’ll be joining our colleagues from the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) for the third AAPG/SEG International Conference and Exhibition (ICE) in Cancun, Mexico. Capitalizing on the global industry interest in Mexico and partnering with the Mexican Association of Petroleum Geologists and the Mexican Association of Exploration Geophysicists, we’ve developed a conference with the theme “Exploring Frontiers in a Competitive Environment.”
Under the leadership of General Chair J. Antonio Escalera Alcocer together with General Vice Chairs Victor Vega and Gustavo Carstens, the organizing committee has worked diligently to develop a stellar program featuring geological and geophysical sessions.
In addition, there are special country-specific sessions highlighting current activities in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Trinidad, a Regulators Forum discussing the regulatory environment and issues in the region, and the Discovery Thinking Forum.
If you are active in Latin America and the Caribbean, you owe it to yourself to attend ICE in Cancun.
Later this year, from Nov. 14-16, the 10th International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC) will take place in Bangkok, Thailand – a joint effort of AAPG, the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE), the SEG, and the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).
Under the theme “Innovation and Efficiency Excellence for our Energy Future,” this IPTC will again attract oil ministers and government leaders, senior industry executives and professionals, and top scientists and engineers from academia to investigate how the industry can survive and succeed in a challenging market environment.
Building on a successful history of multi-disciplinary cooperation, AAPG, EAGE, SEG and SPE will showcase the best of what its members are doing in science and technology, providing a forum for learning and the exchange of ideas, as well as ample opportunity for networking with peers from around the world.
Finally, from Dec. 5-7 we are again joining our SPE colleagues for the inaugural Africa Energy and Technology Conference in Nairobi, Kenya.
A joint effort by the AAPG Africa Region and SPE, this three-day regional event focuses on the energy opportunities and challenges facing Africa today. “African Energy in the 21st Century – Paving the way for the future” is the conference theme and the event is lead by an Executive Committee comprised of David Blanchard, AAPG Africa Region past-president; Patrick Obath; and Scott Tinker, AAPG past-president.
Under program committee chairs Bill Bosworth, AAPG Africa Region president, and Gbenga Onadeko, the program committee is building a stellar technical program. Industry experts from across the globe will present technical sessions and participate in panel discussions focused on:
- Exploration Geoscience
- Operations, Engineering and Technology
- Health, Safety, Sustainability and Social Responsibility
- Commercialization and Regulatory
We’re proud to work with SPE to bring this event to Africa, and if you are working the continent, it’s an event that you should try to attend.
It’s a big world out there and AAPG has Members living and working in all corners. It’s our pleasure to serve them as they explore and produce oil and natural gas to fuel the planet.