Vol. 29, No. 1 January 2008 Data Library with a Difference Choose the provider of the most recent multi-client surveys for the most advanced subsurface imaging. Choose CGGVeritas. cggveritas.com JANUARY 2008 3 On the cover: Outstanding exposures in Nova Scotia of the Late Triassic Blomidon formation revealing numerous first, second and third We are the champions: The order surfaces – an outcrop that is important when it comes to better members of the understanding Atlantic conjugate margins, and a site that will be visited University of during an upcoming conference in Halifax. See story on page 18 – one Aberdeen’s of several stories in this issue that offer a look at exploration activities Imperial Barrel around the world. Photo courtesy of Gela Crane. Award team, winners of the top prize in 2007. This year’s competition will be held during the AAPG Annual Convention in San The medium is still the message: Effectively communicating 6 Antonio. the industry’s “message” has required companies to rethink – and repackage – their public image. A year to remember: Here’s a look at the important 10 discoveries that made global “hit” parade in 2007. The best of the best: Petrobras and partners scored big 14 headlines and a potentially exciting future last year with the Students Embracing big discovery at the Tupi Field. ‘Barrel’ Challenges Nova Scotia and Morocco – separated by an ocean, but 18 joined by common geologic past – are the focus of an (Editor’s note: AAPG President Will Last year AAPG took the competition important conference on . Green has asked Randi Martinsen, AAPG global and opened it up to universities conjugate margins treasurer, to comment on the Imperial worldwide with graduate level geoscience Barrel Award competition.) programs. Seven schools – the University The reel thing: Filmmakers with a love of geology and 26 of Aberdeen (Scotland); Imperial College; connections to the oil industry are helping to show that the By RANDI MARTINSEN the University of AAPG Treasurer Oklahoma; Gubkin earth has star quality. We want in! Russian State That was the opening statement of the University This is not your father’s old career: The number of women 32 University of Wyoming’s Imperial Barrel (Moscow); the – and their impact – continues to grow and Award (IBA) Competition Team – my team University of geoscientists – at last year’s event in Long Beach, Calif. Houston; California transform the industry in the 21st century. The team over the previous weeks had: State University ✓ Studied their basin (onshore (Long Beach); and A curve in the road: Everyone knows about King Hubbert’s Australia). the University of 36 ✓ Worked what they could of the data. Wyoming – took on controversial “Hubbert’s Curve,” but what do you know ✓ Become hooked on the potential of the challenge of about the man? the area. Martinsen participating in the ✓ Developed some exploration inaugural global strategies. competition. Angola is rising to the top of the list of Africa’s hot spots, as 40 ✓ Were now ready to convince When Steve Veal (AAPG’s European demonstrated by the buzz surrounding a recent AAPG- “management” (the judges) on why this Office director and the force behind AAPG endorsed conference. basin was so economically prospective. taking the Barrel Award global) first The team members were nervous but mentioned it and asked if the University of confident their analysis of the basin was Wyoming would want to participate, I told accurate, and their excitement and him “absolutely.” enthusiasm were palpable. Then I had to follow through and put Washington Watch 30 Membership and Certification 49 It was not always so. together a team. Geophysical Corner 34 Readers’ Forum 52 I was concerned that a short time fuse, *** a high level of uncertainty about exactly Professional News Briefs 35 In Memory 52 what this “competition” consisted of and www.update 44 Classified Ads 53 The IBA, a competition concept student schedules that already were full developed by Imperial College (London) with classes, research and teaching Regions and Sections 46 Director’s Corner 54 in 1976 as part of its MSc petroleum responsibilities would make selling the Foundation Update 48 DPA Column 54 geoscience program, is a competitive, concept to my students a bit difficult. I exploration-based project that requires knew however, it was an awesome teams of four to five students to: opportunity. ✓ Demonstrate evidence of rigorous In order to pique their interest I used a and creative technical evaluations. strategy that is nearly always effective in AAPG Headquarters – 1-800-364-2274 (U.S. & Canada only), others 1-918-584-2555 ✓ Work to a strict deadline. luring students to meetings – free pizza. Communications Director Correspondents Advertising Coordinator ✓ Work effectively as a team. Out of the 20-plus students who attended Larry Nation David Brown Brenda Merideth ✓ Make decisions based on limited the organizational meeting, five committed e-mail: [email protected] Louise S. Durham P.O. Box 979 data. to forming a team: Cat, Beth, Jen, Liz and Susan R. Eaton Tulsa, Okla. 74101 ✓ Give lucid, 25-minute oral Phil (who the team jokingly referred to as Managing Editor Ken Milam telephone: (918) 560-2647 presentations to a panel of senior Vern Stefanic (U.S. and Canada only: industry experts. See President, next page e-mail: [email protected] Graphics/Production 1-800-288-7636) Rusty Johnson (Note: The above number is for Editorial Assistant e-mail: [email protected] advertising purposes only.) Susie Moore fax: (918) 560-2636 It’s San Antonio Time! e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Now, it’s official – you meeting: the registration can start preparing for San details, the hotels, the short Vol. 29, No. 1 The AAPG EXPLORER (ISSN 0195-2986) is published monthly for members. Published at AAPG headquarters, 1444 S. Antonio. courses and field trips, the 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. The official complete technical program Note to members: $6 of annual dues pays for one year’s subscription to the EXPLORER. Airmail service for members: $45. announcement for this and all of the extra activities Subscription rates for non-members: $63 for 12 issues; add $67 for airmail service. Advertising rates: Contact Brenda Merideth, AAPG headquarters. Subscriptions: Contact Veta McCoy, AAPG headquarters. Unsolicited manuscripts, year’s AAPG Annual that will make this meeting photographs and videos must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope to ensure return. Convention, set April 20-23 something special. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) does not endorse or recommend any products or services that at San Antonio’s Henry D. The meeting’s theme is may be cited, used or discussed in AAPG publications or in presentations at events associated with AAPG. Gonzalez Convention “Deliver the Conventional; Copyright 2008 by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. All rights reserved. Center, is included as a Pursue the supplement to this issue of Unconventional.” POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to AAPG EXPLORER, P.O. Box 979, Tulsa, Okla. 74101. the EXPLORER. And don’t forget, the Canada Publication Number 40046336. In it you’ll find all of the information also is available Canadian returns to: Station A, P.O. Box 54, Windsor, Ontario N9A 6J5 e-mail: [email protected] information you’ll need to plan for the online at www.aapg.org. ❏ JANUARY 2008 4 President believe the IBA has the potential to be one *** from previous page I believe the IBA has the potential to be I of AAPG’s strongest student programs. one of AAPG’s strongest student programs. I don’t know all the difficulties other teams had in completing their our “token male”). For all of them, this was projects, but I’m sure they were many and their first exposure to exploration. Double oops, the faculty contact for about expectations, fuzzy on outcome varied. For three, including our lone the software company is on sabbatical. and frustrated with software difficulties, The Gubkin University team (from geophysicist, it was their first exposure to Triple oops, that faculty member does with each passing week they got more Moscow, Russia), for example, had to petroleum geoscience. not want his students taking time away and more “into the game.” They went on present in English – not an easy task for from their research for this project (our the offensive analyzing what data they them. The Long Beach team consisted of *** lone geophysicist is working “on the sly”). could, strategizing about what plays might undergraduates. When the geophysical software issues be present, and about how they could Each team pulled together, however, The competition was slated for March were finally resolved (about three weeks leverage their knowledge of emerging and overall gave very professional 29 – the Friday before the AAPG Annual before the competition), the students still Rocky Mountain gas play concepts in presentations. The sense of pride and Convention in Long Beach. Our team had to learn the software before they evaluating their Australian gas prone accomplishment in “having met the received our data set and instructions could begin analyzing the data. basin. challenge” was obvious on each of the Jan. 23, and was set to go (we thought). At times the logistical hurdles seemed By the time of the competition they student’s faces at the completion of their Oops, need to learn some petroleum impossible. The learning curves were were ready – they knew their basin, they presentations. geology fast. steep; the camaraderie among team utilized what data they had, they had play The event culminated with the Oops, our geophysical software members grew strong.