68 Precision Imaging Q-Land in North America Superior signal-to-noise ratio High-resolution imaging of thin sands Q-Land Advanced fracture characterization Quantitative inversion and solution products Enabled by industry-leading point-receiver technology, advanced statics solutions, and Digital Group Forming, the unique abilities of Q-Land are helping reduce E&P risk in North America today. www.westerngeco.com/Q-Land For more information call: 713-689-1000 Visit us at AAPG Booth #1339 Mark of WesternGeco © 2007 Schlumberger. 07-se-043 MARCH 2007 Vol. 28, No. 3 March 2007 67 Synergy Passionate performance and powerful innovation now go by a single name. cggveritas.com MARCH 2007 MARCH 2007 3 On the cover: Venoco’s Platform Gail, located about 10 miles offshore in 739 feet of water in the Santa Barbara Channel, is just one sign of the historical – and continuing – importance of oil that’s found in California. The platform, which can accommodate up to 93 people at a time but can be run by as few as five, produces from the Sockeye Field. Photo courtesy of Venoco. Inset, turbidite sand beds containing Bouma Ta-Td sequences and flame structures in the upper channelized portion of a submarine fan system within the Monterey Formation. Photo by A.E. Fritsche. They call California the land of milk and honey, but the reality 8 of Los Angeles’ success is a deeper truth: It was built on oil. Dig this: Because of a rock-collecting gravedigger in the 16 Netherlands, Arnold Bouma started his love affair with geology – a trip that took him to the pinnacle of his profession. Photo courtesy of Destinations Magazine Not only has he climbed the ladder of success, he’s led the 18 The THUMS project is perhaps the most beautiful oil drilling operation to be found in way. AAPG honors John Amoruso with its first Michel T. North America – and it’s a sight that will be in clear view for those attending the upcoming AAPG Annual Convention in Long Beach, Calif. Stories related to the Halbouty Outstanding Leadership Award. meeting can be found throughout this special Convention Issue of the EXPLORER, but more specific information on THUMS can be found on page 28. Trendy places: ExxonMobil’s top earth scientist has his eye 22 on today’s exploration trends, and finds that what’s needed in today’s oil industry are prudence and balance. Read all about it! Headlines are only part of what the 24 industry is experiencing – for the rest of the story, Volunteers: Good All-Convention Luncheon speaker Michael Economides has much more to say. For AAPG Climate A site to behold: The THUMS Island project, sitting right in 28 the middle of the Long Beach seafront, may be America’s By LEE T. BILLINGSLEY members on most beautiful drilling operation. As you can tell, this is a special various topics – but EXPLORER, because it is focused on the two largest our Annual Convention and Exhibition in volume topics have Where will the next giant fields be found? Intriguingly, some 36 Long Beach, Calif., which will be held been the proposed geologists have a pretty good idea about that – and a April 1-4. “graduated dues” Last year my wife, Joanne, and I had structure and successful track record to back it up. a chance to tour the Long Beach hotels, AAPG’s current convention facilities, area restaurants position on global and attractions, and we are very excited climate change. to return for the convention. AAPG has Members have a dedicated group of Pacific Coast threatened to not Section members that have put together renew their Geophysical Corner 48 Membership and Certification 60 a fantastic meeting for us in one of the Billingsley memberships if the Washington Watch 49 Readers’ Forum 62 most beautiful natural settings. graduated dues Of course, it is especially beautiful system is passed, or if AAPG does not In Memory 51 Classified Ads 64 because Long Beach is such an oil alter its position on global climate town. It sits on top of the Wilmington change (although not the same Foundation Update 54 Director’s Corner 65 Field, which has produced 3.5 billion members). And I have been told of BO, and 1,400 wells still produce about members who already have resigned in Regions and Sections 56 DEG Column 65 40,000 BOPD. previous years because of our current www.Update 59 During our visit I noticed some global climate change position. unusual islands in the harbor that My response is: You have a much looked man-made, yet attractive. I better chance of changing AAPG from finally noticed a workover rig between within than from without. It sounds like the palm trees and realized that the the old saying, “Don’t throw the baby AAPG Headquarters – 1-800-364-2274 (U.S. & Canada only), others 1-918-584-2555 islands contain some of the field wells. out with the bath water.” Communications Director Correspondents Advertising Coordinator (See related story, page 28.) Concerning the proposed graduated Larry Nation David Brown Brenda Merideth So set out your sunglasses and dues structure, I firmly believe it is an e-mail: [email protected] Louise S. Durham P.O. Box 979 sunscreen and start getting “pumped improvement for AAPG. What if the Diane Freeman Tulsa, Okla. 74101 up” to join us in Long Beach. You just House of Delegates does not pass it by Managing Editor Barry Friedman telephone: (918) 560-2647 may run into the “Governator.” the required two-thirds majority? I Vern Stefanic Dennis King (U.S. and Canada only: certainly will not resign my membership. e-mail: [email protected] Ken Milam 1-800-288-7636) * * * Instead, I will support other ideas to (Note: The above number is for make AAPG membership more Editorial Assistant Graphics/Production advertising purposes only.) During my tenure as president I have Susie Moore Rusty Johnson fax: (918) 560-2636 received correspondence from See President, next page e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] AAPG Candidate Balloting Opens Vol. 28, No. 3 The AAPG EXPLORER (ISSN 0195-2986) is published monthly for members. Published at AAPG headquarters, 1444 S. Boulder Ave., P.O. Box 979, Tulsa, Okla. 74101, (918) 584-2555. e-mail address: [email protected] Online voting opened March 1 and AAPG Office.” Periodicals postage paid at Tulsa, Okla., and at additional mailing offices. Printed in the U.S.A. 2007 officer candidate paper ballots Responses and biographical Note to members: $6 of annual dues pays for one year’s subscription to the EXPLORER. Airmail service for members: $45. Subscription rates for non-members: $63 for 12 issues; add $67 for airmail service. Advertising rates: Contact Brenda have been mailed. information were provided by each Merideth, AAPG headquarters. Subscriptions: Contact Veta McCoy, AAPG headquarters. Unsolicited manuscripts, Biographies, pictures and candidate and edited only for photographs and videos must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope to ensure return. statements from all candidates for grammar, spelling and format. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) does not endorse or recommend any products or services that AAPG office are also available for This information also appeared as a may be cited, used or discussed in AAPG publications or in presentations at events associated with AAPG. viewing on the AAPG Web site, hardcopy insert in the January Copyright 2007 by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. All rights reserved. www.aapg.org. EXPLORER. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to AAPG EXPLORER, P.O. Box 979, Tulsa, Okla. 74101. The candidates responded briefly Online balloting will be available Canada Publication Number 40046336. to the subject: “Why I Accepted the thru midnight, May 15. Ballots will be Canadian returns to: Station A, P.O. Box 54, Windsor, Ontario N9A 6J5 Invitation to be a Candidate for an counted on May 16. ❏ e-mail: [email protected] MARCH 2007 4 Ad Hoc Panel to Study Climate Policy The global climate change ad Kansas; past president of the AAPG the Jackson Chair of Energy and Composition of Cambrian Oceans: hoc committee consists of: Division of Environmental Environmental Resources, University Potential for Tectonic, Geoscience; co-editor of AAPG of Texas at Austin. Paleoceanographic and ✓ Jay Gregg (chairman) – Holder Studies #47 Geological Perspectives Biogeochemical Events” and of the V. Brown Monnett Chair of of Global Climate Change. ✓ Art Green – Of Gig Harbor, “Evolution of Permian Atmospheric Petroleum Geology and head of the Wash., retired, former Exxon chief CO2 and Western Equatorial geology department at Oklahoma ✓ Eugene Shinn – Formerly geologist and a 2004-05 AAPG Pangean Climate as Recorded by State University. In 2005, Gregg carbonate research geologist with Distinguished Lecturer on “The Paleosol Morphologic and took part in the Integrated Ocean the U.S. Geological Survey; Dynamics of the Sun/Earth Climate Geochemical Proxies.” Drilling Program Expedition in the presently consultant and courtesy System.” North Atlantic to core the Upper professor at the College of Marine ✓ Eric Barron – Dean, Jackson Cenozoic, deep, cold water Geology, University of South Florida. ✓ Isabel Montenez – Professor at School of Geoscience, University of coral/mud mounds, researching the University of California at Santa Texas at Austin, and former director petrology and diagenesis of these ✓ Charles Groat – DEG Cruz, a past AAPG Distinguished of Penn State University’s EMS sediments. president-elect, former head of the Lecturer and recent co-author for Environment Institute. He has U.S. Geological Survey and current the paper on paleoclimate chaired several national research ✓ Lee Gerhard – Retired director director for the Center for determination in Permian.