If you voted for non-oil leadership in your country, there is no sympathy among survivors if you lose your hydrocarbon job, due to current media, legislative or judicial pressure. As much as I disdain politically correct elementism in our industry and loss of focus among professional member organizations, there is at least one light on a shining hill to speak about.
Exploration is in a battle to provide affordable energy to the world’s population. Those who depend on large trucks and ships for goods. Those who depend on tractors for food. Big oil is not going to survive, in my opinion, as long as leadership thinks any other way.
Years ago, geos from “evil oil” started a global outreach to drill water wells for health-endangered people living in LDCs (least developed countries). The program called Living Waters caught on and operates in many countries. Explorers expanded geoscience applications of “teaching others to fish.” While not perfect, and growing pains aside, many SEG members have a humanity hit without talking about global history.
“Geoscientists Without Borders® (GWB) funds global projects that apply geoscience to humanitarian issues, such as groundwater management; earthquake, volcano, and tsunami preparedness; habitat management; and pollution mitigation, Fig. 1. With the involvement of 650+ students, 75+ university partners, 65+ community partners, and 20+ [oil] industry partners, GWB is changing the world and impacting thousands of lives across the globe via 47+ projects.” Well, that is a somewhat enthusiastic statement, but “it’s not brag, if it’s true.” GWB applications are accepted twice a year; apply now.
Meanwhile, the Turkish executive director of the International Energy Agency [IEA] tells us we can stop climate fear by simply ending all fossil fuel exploration. SEG ignores him, but SPWLA is on the attack. The increased use of webinars in geo tech is evidence that someone is still out there who cares about finding and developing oil and gas. Web topics are worth a serious read, especially in reservoir physics.
Not to be declared dead just yet, SEG and AAPG are having a non-merger-but-combined annual meeting, in person and online. The website for IMAGE ‘21 is now available for viewing. The event takes place Sept. 26 to Oct. 1 in Denver, Colo. Visit the IMAGE website.
Finally, oil-and-gas-purposed professional orgs get it! When working at Marathon, I enjoyed going to both conventions, SEG for tech wiz and AAPG for case histories. However, the vendor floor was almost identical. As I “matured,” I spent more time on the floor seeking innovations and budget pricing. We all did, as tech control left Big Oil, to go to Big Service, then to independent service. Not everyone could present technical papers since, as I recall, there was some encouragement to keep knowledge “close” that was supposed to be competitive. However, Chinese efforts to corner more than 50% of the seismic business seem to have generated some concerns about recent Asian versions of Euro tech.
At PGS, I had to pay for the company to exhibit [and party] at conventions. I argued long and fruitlessly to combine the SEG and AAPG conventions into one slightly longer week. Keep society fees and parties, I said, but cut set-up and transportation of our million-dollar booth, since we advertised the same story at each convention. Wow, did I step in it. Well, times, oil and Covid seem to have changed castle attitudes to a more cooperative nature. Losing 40% of membership since 2000 may also be a factor.
Technology is more than just getting rid of your flip phone and ruining your children with an iPad. While few can truthfully say they have more time because of technology, you can say that you have more access to new information than ever before. New communication media are cost-effective, have a direct-messaged audience, and are traveler-friendly.
The Geophysical Society of Houston (GSH) has taken web news to a better level. They call it, GSH Gets Down to Business. The GSH started a new online presentation series, where companies are able to deliver information on their latest products and services to GSH members. It was first launched in September 2020. Interested persons can contact GSH at office@gshtx.org or +1 (281) 741-1624 to learn more. Cost is modest per placement. Attendance averages about 30 to 50, each session. That is excellent connection for a specific nerdy topic. GSH gives over 100 presentations per year, some vendor-supplied, with others at luncheons around special interest groups, and a couple to discuss national SEG/AAPG business.
