On behalf of the American Association of
Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), its divisions,
the Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM),
and our host, the Houston Geological Society
(HGS), it is my pleasure to welcome you to
Houston and the 2017 Annual Convention
and Exhibition (ACE).
In addition to the stellar technical program you
have come to expect at AAPG’s Annual Convention, this year we are
celebrating AAPG’s 100th anniversary. In 1917, AAPG was formed for
the purpose of promoting the exchange of ideas on petroleum geology
through publications and oral communication. As members and
geoscientists, we can be justifiably proud of the legacy that has been
created over the last century. Our theme, “100 Years of Science Fueling
100 Years of Prosperity,” signals our intention to honor the past while
shaping the future.
The planning by the 100th Anniversary Committee began over ten years
ago, in an environment of $80 to $100/barrel oil, and we are executing
those plans in a $50/barrel reality. Some of the projects that have
come from this effort are video interviews with prominent petroleum
geoscientists, a study of outcrops that changed the way we practice
petroleum geology, a compilation of significant papers in petroleum
geology, and a compilation of field trip guidebooks that are available on
AAPG’s website.
In addition, the Professional Women in Earth Sciences Committee
(PROWESS) is honoring 100 years of women in petroleum geology and
their accomplishments. Take a few minutes to visit their timeline of
the first 100 female members of AAPG in the hallway outside the oral
session rooms.
The oral sessions corridor is also where you will also see excerpts of
the GeoLegends interviews and a display of past AAPG presidents and
Sidney Powers Award winners.
More than 220 exhibitors have joined us to celebrate our 100th
anniversary. They have contributed greatly to the advancement of
petroleum geology over the decades, and they will be displaying the
technology that will carry us into the next 100 years.
The Preservation of Geoscience Data committee has a core and data
display in the exhibit hall featuring cores from discoveries that highlight
the changes and shifts in the plays, traps, and reservoirs that have been
targeted over the decades. Also in the exhibit hal, you can experience
demos of the Datapages Archives, Datapages Digital Exploration
Objects (DEO) and the new Digital Immersive Geosciences program.
Thank you for attending this 100th Anniversary edition of ACE. It should
prove to be an informative and entertaining week.
Dave Rensink
General Chair
AAPG 2017 Annual
Convention and Exhibition (ACE)