This
month we continue with discussion of two important meetings that will
be held in Cairo, Egypt, and Hangzhou, China.
In each case,
members of our International Regions teams have played an important
part in the planning and presentation of technical sessions, short courses
and field trips that re-emphasize the need for continuous learning by
AAPG members as they move through their careers.
To each of
the members involved in planning these meetings, "thank you."
And to each
of you who have the opportunity to attend either meeting, we hope you
learn new facts or concepts that can be applied to doing your job better.
Enjoy the meetings!
Cairo International
Conference and Exhibition
With a theme
of "Ancient Oil — New Energy," the Cairo 2002 meeting, set for Oct.
27-30, is attracting a great deal of interest and mounting enthusiasm.
Mahmoud Abdul Baqi (Saudi Aramco), chair of the steering committee,
and Mostafa K. El Ayouty (petroleum exploration consultant), general
chair of the organizing committee, have inspired the committees to new
levels of dedication.
The technical
program committee has produced a program that promises to deliver an
array of technical excellence — and with more than 500 technical abstracts
received, attendees are sure to hear insights to support and expand
the meeting's theme.
The short course
committee has developed a wide-ranging program of pre- and post-conference
short courses sponsored by AAPG and SEG. Topics will include:
- Deep-water clastics exploration.
- Perspectives on international
oil and gas ventures.
- Pore pressure prediction.
- Reservoir characterization
using geophysical and geologic information.
The courses
are sure to be a highlight of the conference and are another reason
to come early to Cairo — and stay late.
Field trips,
discussed in last month's column, will reinforce the applications of
new technology. The energy and enthusiasm of this committee has set
the bar high for field trips for future AAPG conferences.
Cairo 2002
is special because it is seldom that practicing geoscientists can learn
about the latest technical advances in hydrocarbon production and look
through the eyes of "the Ancients" at the same lands. To think of the
Nubian Sandstone as a hydrocarbon reservoir and also a stone from which
great temples were built centuries before our meeting is humbling. We
need to listen to what the rocks tell us!
The conference
announcement and exhibits information will be mailed and simultaneously
available on our Web site in early
June. The pre-registration deadline will be in late September.
For information
contact the AAPG convention department, at 1-918-560-2679 (phone); 1-918-560-2684
(fax).
Hangzhou Symposium
As you read
this column, the "International Symposium on Chinese Petroleum Exploration
in the 21st Century," including the second Forum on Marine Carbonate
Reservoirs, has concluded in Hangzhou, China, hosted by the Chinese
Association of Petroleum Geologists in conjunction with AAPG.
Honorary chairmen
of the conference were Son Jian and Michel T. Halbouty. Over 450 attendees
from China, Australasia and North America were extended invitations
Like Cairo,
Hangzhou has been an important city for many centuries. Their histories
as marketplaces, locations of enlightenment and strategic locations
near major oil and gas accumulations are revisited by AAPG members in
2002. Learning from the past helps to map the future of our industry.