Dear AAPG Members and ACE 2018 Attendees,
On behalf of the American
Association of Petroleum
Geologists (AAPG), its divisions,
the Society for Sedimentary
Geology (SEPM), and our host, the
Utah Geological Association (UGA),
it is my pleasure to welcome you to
the 101st Annual Convention and
Exhibition (ACE)—ACE 101: Bridging
Fundamentals and Innovation.
In 2017, at the beginning of this
process, AAPG told the volunteer
committee that the success of
the meeting hinges entirely on the
quality of the technical program…
talk about pressure! Well, I am very
happy to say, I think this year’s
program is one of the best (and no, I am not biased), and
we hope you agree. If you see Technical Program Chair
Lauren Birgenheier or any of the other technical program
committee members wandering the halls, please stop and
thank them for their tireless efforts. In fact, nearly 300
people contributed in some way to help bring this program
together. With more than 400 oral presentations and 600
posters, your hardest job will be deciding what to see and
what you will inevitably miss. Moreover, don’t forget all the
specially planned invited sessions: The Business of Oil
and Gas, Machine Learning “Unsession”, The Future Energy
Geoscientist, Super Basins, and of course the very popular
Discovery Thinking Forum and the Halbouty Lecture.
We also tried to include a few new elements at ACE this
year, some small―instead of a physical trinket for a speaker
gift, AAPG is donating $7,500 to The Nature Conservancy’s
Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve (to be presented at the
All-Convention Luncheon), and some big–a timely luncheon
to learn about Unconscious Bias in the workplace (on
Wednesday, tickets are still available). The Exhibition Hall
will also be a convention highlight―
spend your breaks visiting the more
than 200 companies, nonprofits,
and universities. As you explore
the floor, hopefully with a locally
brewed beverage in hand, keep
an eye out for the massive core
display, the Utah dinosaur exhibit,
and the Turbinator rocket car, the
world’s fastest wheeled vehicle.
Spring in Utah is truly a wonderful
time of year. If you were lucky
enough to get a coveted spot on
one of the many field trips (nearly
all trips sold out!), you are in for a
real geologic treat. If you were not
able to secure your spot on a trip,
no worries, days are long in the spring (sunset at about 8:30
pm) and there are plenty of opportunities for hiking and
sightseeing close to downtown Salt Lake City. If you need
to unwind after a long day of technical sessions, try an easy
hike up City Creek Canyon, or climb to the top of Ensign
Peak for an unparalleled view of the city and the majestic
mountains to the east and west.
I think for most, attending ACE is about two main goals:
1) continuing our geologic education, and 2) connecting
with friends and colleagues. And what better place to do
this than Salt Lake City.
Welcome to ACE 101!
Michael Vanden Berg
General Chair
AAPG 2018 Annual Convention and Exhibition