October 2006 Explorer
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Vol. 27, No. 10 October 2006 www.veritasdgc.com OCTOBER 2006 3 On the cover: The Lunskoye LUN-A platform, located 15 kilometers $ 80 off the northeast coast of Russia’s Sakhalin Island, is a drilling and $ 70 production facility that operates in 48 meters of water. The big question AAPG Membership Dues/Year $ 60 surrounding Sakhalin operations is no longer whether there will be success, but who will best benefit. See story on page 6. Photo courtesy $ 50 of Sakhalin Energy Investment Co. $ 40 Price of Crude Oil/Barrel $ 30 $ 20 Sakhalin oil and gas projects continue to advance, 6 contributing to Russia’s oil and gas industry’s success. Just $10 how much non-Russian companies will benefit from the development remains to be seen. 1980 1990 2000 2006 Triumph from tragedy: AAPG members are trying to do 10 something about the traffic death-zone known as the Corniche in Cairo, Egypt. Products, Services Bottoms up? Maybe – and we’re not talking about happy 12 hour. This is about uncertainties in reservoir management. AAPG returns to Australia as the International Conference 18 Benefit Members and Exhibition is about to open in Perth. By LEE T. BILLINGSLEY Foundation Library, In August I attended the North group insurance, Too nice for its own good? New Zealand, a beautiful part of 24 American Prospect Expo in Houston, also certification, etc. the world, may hold the potential to be a big part of the known as Summer NAPE (see related Any geologist or story, page 38). The show was a success company that world’s oil scene. Now, if they can just spread the word … with over 500 booths and 5,000 cannot derive at attendees, and it provided a great least the value of That was then, this is now: 4-D seismic, once exotic, is 28 opportunity as president of AAPG and one barrel of oil per becoming increasingly common – with good reason. vice president of Abraxas Petroleum to year per visit with a wide variety of geologists. membership I was surprised to receive a recurring (approximate cost of The big chill: Antarctica may or may not be a good place for 32 comment from geologists and attendees: our most expensive exploration, but how do you know until you look? “Thank you for serving as president of membership) is AAPG.” simply not using Wow! Sometimes the leadership of Billingsley AAPG’s available Book fare: AAPG’s Publication Pipeline Committee 44 AAPG and the staff focus so much energy resources. If you invested a lot of sweat equity in a project – its largest ever on why geoscientists are not members consider AAPG’s entire revenue from that we forget about all the appreciative dues of $1.7 million divided by the price – that will bring a mountain of information to geoscience ones that are members. I felt very of a barrel of oil (about $70), we only need students in Bangladesh. gratified and inspired by the appreciation. to help members find an additional I ask all readers of this column to thank 24,000 BO/year to “payout” our entire someone who is serving on behalf of your dues cost. profession. It will help them do a better With such a cost-efficient, productive job. That includes your local societies, organization, no wonder people are House of Delegates members, committee thanking me for serving. Washington Watch 40 Membership and Certification 51 chairs, AAPG staff, etc. Geophysical Corner 42 Foundation Update 52 Question: What is free for the giver, but ❐ Second, AAPG offers many indirect valuable to receiver; frequently gets benefits that accrue both to current and Professional News Briefs 46 Readers’ Forum 54 returned; and everyone has an unlimited future members. supply? If you look beyond your own personal In Memory 48 Classified Ads 55 Answer: “Thank you.” needs, how does AAPG contribute to Spotlight on Education 49 Director’s Corner 57 global energy supply? AAPG’s areas of * * * contribution include these specific Regions and Sections 50 DPA Column 57 examples: Reflecting on why geologists would ✓ Creator and curator of technical data Meetings of Note 50 thank me for serving AAPG, they – BULLETIN, special publications, obviously feel that their professional Datapages (digital publishing of all AAPG association is important. But what do we inventory plus an increasing volume of do that is so important? publications from affiliated societies), new AAPG Headquarters – 1-800-364-2274 (U.S. & Canada only), others 1-918-584-2555 and growing geospatial library. Communications Director Correspondents Advertising Coordinator ❐ First, we offer products and services ✓ Connecting professionals – Annual Larry Nation David Brown Brenda Merideth that directly benefit members. North American and international e-mail: [email protected] Louise S. Durham P.O. Box 979 The direct benefits are expanding and conventions and exhibitions, the Barry Friedman Tulsa, Okla. 74101 improving so rapidly that one of our big EXPLORER magazine, prospect expos Managing Editor telephone: (918) 560-2647 challenges is to communicate the new (Winter NAPE, Summer NAPE and Vern Stefanic Graphics/Production (U.S. and Canada only: benefits to members. I think most London APPEX), regional conferences e-mail: [email protected] Rusty Johnson 1-800-288-7636) prospective member decisions to join are (GEO in Baharain, recent European e-mail: [email protected] (Note: The above number is based on these direct benefits, such as conference in Mallorca). Editorial Assistant for advertising purposes only.) BULLETIN articles, the EXPLORER, ✓ Continuing education – Oral and Susie Moore fax: (918) 560-2636 access to conventions, short courses, e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] digital library and search capability, See President, next page Vol. 27, No. 10 The AAPG EXPLORER (ISSN 0195-2986) is published monthly for members. Published at AAPG headquarters, 1444 S. Candidates’ Bios, Responses Online Boulder Ave., P.O. Box 979, Tulsa, Okla. 74101, (918) 584-2555. e-mail address: [email protected] Periodicals postage paid at Tulsa, Okla., and at additional mailing offices. Printed in the U.S.A. Note to members: $6 of annual dues pays for one year’s subscription to the EXPLORER. Airmail service for members: Biographies, pictures and information were provided by each $45. Subscription rates for non-members: $63 for 12 issues; add $67 for airmail service. Advertising rates: Contact statements from all candidates for candidate and edited only for Brenda Merideth, AAPG headquarters. Subscriptions: Contact Veta McCoy, AAPG headquarters. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and videos must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope to ensure return. AAPG office are now available for grammar, spelling and format. viewing on the AAPG Web site, This information, which will remain The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) does not endorse or recommend any products or services that may be cited, used or discussed in AAPG publications or in presentations at events associated with AAPG. www.aapg.org. online through the election period, also Copyright 2006 by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. All rights reserved. The candidates were given the will be provided as hardcopy in the opportunity to respond briefly to the January EXPLORER. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to AAPG EXPLORER, P.O. Box 979, Tulsa, Okla. 74101. subject: “Why I Accepted the Invitation Online balloting will be made Canada Publication Number 40046336. to be a Candidate for an AAPG Office.” available in the spring of 2007. Ballots Canadian returns to: Station A, P.O. Box 54, Windsor, Ontario N9A 6J5 ❏ e-mail: [email protected] Responses and biographical will be counted on May 16. OCTOBER 2006 4 New Distinguished Instructor Program Unveiled President from previous page A new program designed to help in ❐ Frank Peel, with BHP Billiton in ✓ Basic concepts and terminology. the dissemination of science is being Houston, will be the first domestic DI ✓ The stratigraphic building blocks of offered to geological societies by AAPG. speaker. He received the George C. depositional sequences. poster papers at conventions, short The AAPG Distinguished Instructor Matson Award for the best oral ✓ Recognition criteria for the courses, field trips, research conferences. program, intended to complement the presentation at the 2003 AAPG Annual identification of depositional sequences ✓ Recruitment of new professionals – Distinguished Lecture program, will Convention in Salt Lake City. and their components in outcrops, cores, Visiting Geoscientists Program, student comprise half-day, full-day and/or two- The tile and details of his course will well logs and seismic. grants, student job expos, AAPG student day short courses as opposed to one- be announced later. ✓ The application of sequence chapters, Youth Education Activities hour lectures. stratigraphy in non-marine, shallow (educational materials and instruction for The program will feature annual ❐ Vitor Abreu, with ExxonMobil marine and submarine depositional pre-college age). domestic and international tours. Exploration in Houston, will be the first settings. ✓ Public education – Public Outreach Although offered only to geological international DI speaker, and he will offer ✓ Implications in petroleum Committee and GEO-DC office. societies for its inaugural season, a two-day short course on “Sequence exploration. officials plan to eventually make it Stratigraphy for Petroleum Exploration.” The above list shows that AAPG is much available to university departments, and Abreu’s course is a “hands-on” Details on the DI tours are yet to be more than the BULLETIN and EXPLORER, to expand the program to include up to introduction to the concepts and announced. For more information a member’s most frequent, visible and three speakers annually for both the practical applications of sequence contact Karen Dotts at AAPG, 919-560- direct benefits. Having a large, vibrant domestic and international arenas. stratigraphy. The course, using a mix of 2621; or e-mail [email protected].