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Oil Prices Steady as Russia Eases Fuel Export Ban - 25 September, 2023 07:30 AM

Harold Hamm Calls for Consistency In U.S. Oil and Gas Regulation - 25 September, 2023 07:30 AM

Biden Handed Major Legal Defeat in Attempt to Restrict Oil, Gas Drilling in Gulf of Mexico - 25 September, 2023 07:30 AM

New Oil and Gas Rule Would Provide Pathway for CO2 Utilization - 25 September, 2023 07:30 AM

Macron Says France to Ask Oil Industry to Sell Fuels at Cost - 25 September, 2023 07:30 AM

News in Review ...

12 Oct

Siliciclastic Reservoirs of the Middle East Call for Posters Expires in 15 days

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04 Feb

4th Edition: Stratigraphic Traps of the Middle East Call for Posters Expires in 130 days

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29 Apr

2nd Edition: Geological Process-Based Forward Modeling AAPG Call For Abstracts Expires in 215 days

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View All Deadlines ...

Explorer Director’s Corner By David Curtiss

Everyone’s Nervous about Surging Energy Prices

It’s summertime here in the Northern Hemisphere, and with the sun and warm weather, thoughts are shifting to vacation. Packing the kids in the car for a week at the beach or a trip to grandma’s house is a time-honored tradition. But this year, moms and dads are doing so with an eye on surging gas prices – this road trip isn’t going to be cheap. Parents aren’t alone in casting a nervous eye on prices at the pump. The White House is, too.

Added on 01 July, 2022

Explorer Foundation Update By Vern Stefanic

Toshimia Fujikawa is the Foundation’s 2022 Teacher of the Year

Toshimi Fujikawa, a geology teacher in San Lorenzo, Calif., who has been praised by her peers for passionately helping students to discover knowledge and relevance in the geological world where they live, has been named the 2022 AAPG Foundation’s Teacher of the Year.

Added on 01 July, 2022

Explorer Article

AAPG Women’s Network Events at IMAGE 2022

The AAPG Women’s Network is excited to provide attendees at next month’s International Meeting for Applied Geoscience and Energy with a variety of events throughout the conference. There is something for everyone!

Added on 01 July, 2022

Explorer Geophysical Corner By Diana Salazar-Florez,Heather Bedle

The Importance of Parameterization in Machine Learning

It is well known that machine learning is based on complex statistics and programming, which for most of us, are not straightforward. When it comes to choosing the best technique, either supervised or unsupervised, the decision might not be easy and sometimes may even be overwhelming. Where do you even begin? Luckily, much research has been done recently to help geologists find an ideal starting algorithm, or the best machine-learning package. Here we discuss how just focusing on your choice of parameterization in a given machine-learning algorithm is one easy way to obtain better results without having to switch from technique to technique.

Added on 01 July, 2022

Explorer Historical Highlights By Jorge Navarro Comet

Pithole: The Rapid Rise and Sudden Fall of an Oil Boomtown

Not wishing to split hairs over which is the world’s first oil well, the majority of oil historians recognize the drilling of the Drake Well as the birth of the modern petroleum industry. What is not so well known is that some seven miles southeast of the Drake Well, in Pithole Creek, lie the remains of a city that came out of nowhere as a new town, enjoyed great splendor, then disappeared in a few years. It is the legendary Pithole City in Venango County of northwestern Pennsylvania.

Added on 01 July, 2022

Explorer Article By Barry Friedman

Oil and Gas, and Bitcoin: An ‘Inevitable Intersection’?

Those in Bitcoin think they have the most valuable asset on Earth. Those in oil and gas think they have the most valuable asset on Earth.” As such, Laura Pommer, CEO of EnergyFunders, believes some relationship counseling is in order for this to work. “It’s tough to get a deal done between those two,” she said. Getting a deal done, she believes, will help both.

Added on 01 July, 2022

Explorer Article By Heather Saucier

Revisiting the Fundamentals

With the price of oil hovering well over $100 a barrel, some in the industry are exploring ways to revisit conventional oilfields using technology that emerged during the unconventional oil boom, with a goal of earning a rapid return on investment while prices remain favorable.

Added on 01 July, 2022

Explorer Article By Emily Llinás

Imperial Barrel Award Competition Evolves with the Times

Global events of recent years have driven the oil and gas industry to make major changes to its workforce and operations, and the professional and scientific associations that serve the industry have had to evolve and adapt to accommodate those changes, particularly with regard to the programs they offer. The Imperial Barrel Award competition is no exception. An AAPG staple since 2007 and one of the Association’s most prestigious and visible programs, the IBA has undergone multiple changes during the past two years.

Added on 01 July, 2022

Explorer Article By Doug Cook

Return to the Moon

We are proud of the accomplishments and science achieved with the exploration of the moon by Apollo crews culminating in 1972 with Apollo 17, 50 years ago. No time since has offered so much promise for crews to return to explore the moon and deep space. There are signs of hope that that’s about to change, though.

Added on 01 July, 2022

Explorer Article By David Brown

‘We Need to Raise Our Energy IQ’

Scott Tinker holds numerous official titles. Unofficially, he’s a visionary-in-residence for the oil and gas industry and an expert frequently quoted in the media on energy topics. Since 2016, Tinker has served as chairman of the Switch Energy Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to energy education and collaborative work on energy challenges. Tinker shared his thoughts about the current state of the oil and gas industry and other issues in a recent interview with the EXPLORER.

Added on 01 July, 2022

Workshop

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Monday, 27 May – Wednesday, 29 May 2024, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

2nd Edition: Geological Process-Based Forward Modeling

In order to support the energy transition, optimizing exploration and production from complex stratigraphic-diagenetic conventional and unconventional plays remains highly important. At the same time, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) poses new technological challenges that will impact both the industry and academia for decades to come. This 2nd edition will present reviews and discuss technology developments in geological process-based forward modeling achieved during the last 2 years. New perspectives for future technology developments and implementation in industry workflows will be discussed and with the additional focus on CO₂ storage and other sustainability-related applications, the scope of the workshop will be considerably extended.

Added on 05 September, 2023

Workshop

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tuesday, 30 January – Wednesday, 31 January 2024, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

AAPG/EAGE New Discoveries in Mature Basins

AAPG and EAGE have teamed up to deliver the upcoming New Discoveries in Mature Basins workshop to be held from 30-31 January, 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Save the date! Registration to open soon.

Added on 28 November, 2022

Workshop

Khobar, Saudi Arabia

Monday, 4 December – Wednesday, 6 December 2023, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

5th Edition: Siliciclastic Reservoirs of the Middle East

The fifth annual AAPG Siliciclastic Reservoirs of the Middle East Workshop will take place in Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia from 4-6 December 2023. This workshop will bring together professionals from the region to share their knowledge and experience related to siliciclastic reservoirs and showcase the best success stories in the industry on understanding and utilizing oil and gas siliciclastic reservoirs in the region.

Added on 16 November, 2022

Workshop

Khobar, Saudi Arabia

Monday, 4 March – Wednesday, 6 March 2024, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

4th Edition: Stratigraphic Traps of the Middle East

Join us for the 4th Edition of: "Stratigraphic Traps of the Middle East" workshop. The workshop will be hosted by AAPG in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia 4-6 March 2024.

Added on 16 November, 2022

Workshop

Paramaribo, Suriname

Wednesday, 17 January – Thursday, 18 January 2024, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Maturing Sustainable Solutions to, Explore, Develop and Produce Oil and Gas Across the Guyana Suriname Basin

Plan now to attend an interactive in-person workshop with industry leaders, government representatives and technical experts working in the Guyana-Suriname Basin.

Added on 02 November, 2022

Online e-Symposium

Tuesday, 2 December 2014, 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.

Multiscale Modeling of Gas Transport and Storage In Shale Resources

The gas transport in organic-rich shales involves different length-scales, from organic and inorganic pores to macro- and macrofractures. In order to upscale the fluid transport from nanoscale (flow through nanopores) to larger scales (to micro- and macrofractures), multicontinuum methodology is planned to be used.

Added on 08 September, 2014

Online e-Symposium

Thursday, 28 April 2011, 12:00 a.m.–12:00 a.m.

The Niobrara Petroleum System, a Major Tight Resource Play in the Rocky Mountain Region

The Niobrara Petroleum System of the U.S. Rocky Mountain Region is a major tight petroleum resource play.

Added on 02 December, 2013

Online Certificate Course

Tuesday, 1 January 2013, 12:00 a.m.–1:00 a.m.

5-Course Set - Online Renewable Energy Certificate Courses

You may sign up for these 5 courses as a package at any time, and the courses will begin the first day of the upcoming month.

Added on 11 December, 2013

Webinar

Virtual Webinar

Tuesday, 18 August 2020, 8:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m.

Climate Change and Covid-19: Their Effect on the Middle East and Energy's Future

Fossil fuels have led to a profound increase in world living standards but resulting emissions of CO2 and methane into the atmosphere are a primary factor in climate change. Atmospheric content of CO2 and methane have risen 146% and 257% respectively since pre-industrial time and the rate of increase through 2019 has accelerated. If significant steps are not taken in the coming decade to halt the increase in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), a phase may be reached in the 2030-2050-time frame described as a “tipping point”, in which steady changes may be replaced by a large-scale change in the climate system. The Middle East is an area of high climate change vulnerability in the coming decades due to extreme temperatures, sea level rise and changing weather patterns.

Added on 07 August, 2020

Webinar By Adrien Bisset

Virtual Webinar

Monday, 9 November 2020, 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.

An A.I. Augment Information System Rooted in Earth Science

Belmont develops Sandy. An AI accelerated platform dedicated to identifying risks and opportunities by fusing subjective human interpretations within an objective digital representation of the world. Sandy can make sense of a large corpus of information, automatically organising the knowledge it contains and making it ready for your daily utilisation to build a solid cognitive foundation of your projects. Discover how in this talk.

Added on 05 November, 2020

Online Traditional Course

Wednesday, 1 January 2014, 12:00 a.m.–1:00 a.m.

Strategic Decision-Making: Current Issues in the Oil Industry

Learn to critically evaluate current issues that can impact growth and sustainability of oil and gas ventures.

Added on 17 January, 2014

Online e-Symposium

Thursday, 16 February 2012, 12:00 a.m.–12:00 a.m.

Seismically Driven Characterization of Unconventional Shale Plays

This presentation describes a proven workflow that uses a standard narrow azimuth 3D seismic, conventional logs, image logs and core data to build five key reservoir properties required for an optimal development of shale plays.

Added on 11 December, 2013

Webinar

Virtual Webinar

Wednesday, 26 August 2020, 7:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

Week 17 Pivoting – Critical Minerals and Next Generation Batteries, Part II

Join us for 'Critical Minerals and Next Generation Batteries, Part II' where we will discuss an overview of battery tech and critical materials, new trends in energy storage, new opportunities in local energy generation and storage, lithium, rare earths and more. Webinar will be presented via Zoom 7pm -8:30pm CDT, 26 August 2020.

Added on 19 August, 2020

Online e-Symposium

Thursday, 17 March 2011, 12:00 a.m.–12:00 a.m.

Basic Tools for Shale Exploration

This e-symposium will provide information on which tools, processes, and procedures all geoscientists, engineers, and technical professionals working in shale plays need to understand and implement.

Added on 02 December, 2013

Online e-Symposium

Thursday, 17 February 2011, 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.

Siliclastic Sequence Stratigraphy: Application to Exploration and Production

This presentation is designed for exploration/production geologists and geological managers or reservoir engineers.

Added on 02 December, 2013

View All Online Training ...

DL Abstract By Isabelle Moretti

The Natural H₂ Exploration Started: Why, Where and by Who?

Why H₂ is generated in subsurface? Which are the reactions and the promising geological setting? Example in countries where H₂ have already been found: Australia, Brazil. Kinetic reactions: i.e., Is the natural H₂ renewable? What we don't know yet about this resource and about the H₂ systems (generation/transport/accumulation). Overview of the current landscape (subsurface law, permitting, E&P activity)

Request a visit from Isabelle Moretti!

Added on 13 September, 2023

DL Abstract By Shane Prochnow

Subsurface Machine Learning Approaches at Hydrocarbon Recover and Resource Forecasting for Unconventional Reservoir Systems

This presentation is a survey of subsurface machine learning concepts that have been formulated for unconventional asset development, described in the literature, and subsequently patented. Operators that utilize similar subsurface machine learning workflows and other data modelling techniques enjoy a competitive advantage at optimizing the development of unconventional plays.

Request a visit from Shane Prochnow!

Added on 14 September, 2023

VG Abstract By Juan I. Soto

Salt versus Shales in Continental Margins and Orogens

In comparison with the known boundary conditions that promote salt deformation and flow in sedimentary basins, the processes involved with the mobilization of clay-rich detrital sediments are far less well established. This talk will use seismic examples in different tectonic settings to document the variety of shale geometries that can be formed under brittle and ductile deformations.

Request a visit from Juan I. Soto!

Added on 26 June, 2019

DL Abstract By Sherilyn Williams-Stroud

Climate Change, Atmospheric and Social: Implications for the Future Geoscience Workforce

Climate change is not only happening in the atmosphere but also in the anthroposphere; in some ways the former could drive or exacerbate the latter, with extreme weather excursions and extreme excursions from societal norms occurring all over the earth. Accomplishing geoscience for a common goal – whether that is for successful business activities, resource assessment for public planning, mitigating the impacts of geological hazards, or for the sheer love of furthering knowledge and understanding – can and should be done by a workforce that is equitably developed and supported. Difficulty arises when the value of institutional programs to increase equity and diversity is not realized.

Request a visit from Sherilyn Williams-Stroud!

Added on 14 September, 2023

DL Abstract By Frank Peel

A Lost World Rediscovered: 3D Seismic Data Reveal Spectacular Images of a Jurassic Landscape on the Eve of Louann Salt Deposition in the Gulf of Mexico, with Implications for Salt Deposition

Around 170 million years ago, the Gulf of Mexico basin flooded catastrophically, and the pre-existing landscape, which had been a very rugged, arid, semi-desert world, was drowned beneath an inland sea of salt water. The drowned landscape was then buried under kilometers of salt, perfectly preserving the older topography. Now, with high-quality 3D seismic data, the salt appears as a transparent layer, and the details of the drowned world can be seen in exquisite detail, providing a unique snapshot of the world on the eve of the flooding event. We can map out hills and valleys, and a system of river gullies and a large, meandering river system. These rivers in turn fed into a deep central lake, whose surface was about 750m below global sea level. This new knowledge also reveals how the Louann Salt was deposited. In contrast to published models, the salt was deposited in a deep water, hypersaline sea. We can estimate the rate of deposition, and it was very fast; we believe that the entire thickness of several kilometers of salt was laid down in a few tens of thousands of years, making it possibly the fastest sustained deposition seen so far in the geological record.

Request a visit from Frank Peel!

Added on 16 November, 2022

DL Abstract By John Suppe

Probing What Makes the Crust Strong (or Weak): Insight from Boreholes, Earthquakes, Active Fault Systems, and Toy Models

For well over a century there have been conflicting indications of the strength of the crust and of faults and what controls them. Much of our ignorance comes quite naturally from the general inaccessibility of the crust to measurement--in contrast with our understanding of the atmosphere, which is much more accessible to observation as well as more rapidly changing. Crustal strength is best understood in deforming sedimentary basins where the petroleum industry has made great contributions, particularly in deforming petroleum basins because of the practical need to predict. In this talk we take a broad look at key issues in crustal strength and deformation and what we can learn from boreholes, earthquakes, active fault systems, and toy models.

Request a visit from John Suppe!

Added on 14 September, 2023

DL Abstract By Kurt W. Rudolph

The Assembly of Pangea, a View from Laurentia: Paleozoic Orogenies and their Impact on Basin Evolution and Petroleum Systems

Paleozoic North America has experienced multiple mountain building events, from Ordovician to Permian, on all margins of the continent. These have had a profound effect on the resulting complex basins and their associated petroleum systems. Subsequent uplift, erosion and overprinting of these ancient systems impedes the direct observation of their tectonic history. However, the basin sedimentary records are more complete, and provide additional insights into the timing and style of the mountain building events. In this study, we employ ~90 1D basin models, ~30 inverse flexural models, isopachs, and paleogeographic maps to better understand the Paleozoic history of North America.

Request a visit from Kurt W. Rudolph!

Added on 14 September, 2023

DL Abstract By Alex Simms

Interactions Between Ice Sheets and Relative Sea Levels: Lessons From Antarctica and NW Scotland

Local sea-level changes are not simply a function of global ocean volumes but also the interactions between the solid Earth, the Earth’s gravitational field and the loading and unloading of ice sheets. Contrasting behaviors between Antarctica and Scotland highlight how important the geologic structure beneath the former ice sheets is in determining the interactions between ice sheets and relative sea levels.

Request a visit from Alex Simms!

Added on 21 July, 2022

DL Abstract By Tao Sun

Integrated Reservoir Characterization and Modeling with Computational Stratigraphy

As oil and gas exploration and production occur in deeper basins and more complex geologic settings, accurate characterization and modeling of reservoirs to improve estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) prediction, optimize well placement and maximize recovery become paramount. Existing technologies for reservoir characterization and modeling have proven inadequate for delivering detailed 3D predictions of reservoir architecture, connectivity and rock quality at scales that impact subsurface flow patterns and reservoir performance. Because of the gap between the geophysical and geologic data available (seismic, well logs, cores) and the data needed to model rock heterogeneities at the reservoir scale, constraints from external analog systems are needed. Existing stratigraphic concepts and deposition models are mostly empirical and seldom provide quantitative constraints on fine-scale reservoir heterogeneity. Current reservoir modeling tools are challenged to accurately replicate complex, nonstationary, rock heterogeneity patterns that control connectivity, such as shale layers that serve as flow baffles and barriers.

Request a visit from Tao Sun!

Added on 20 July, 2022

DL Abstract By Jennifer Wilcox

The Role of Carbon Capture in Meeting Net-Zero Carbon Goals

President Biden has laid out a bold and ambitious goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions in the United States by 2050. The pathway to that target includes cutting total greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and eliminating them entirely from the nation’s electricity sector by 2035. The Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management will play an important role in the transition to net-zero carbon emissions by reducing the environmental impacts of fossil energy production and use – and helping decarbonize other hard-to abate sectors.

Request a visit from Jennifer Wilcox!

Added on 20 July, 2022

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