A focus on mid-career training for
geologists again topped the actions taken by the 1998-99 AAPG Executive
Committee, as funding was approved for the first international training
center.
The Committee approved $50,000 in funds to provide seed monies
to purchase the hardware needed to create a Mid-Career Training Center at
Imperial College in London. The funds will allow the training center to be
created and to offer courses ranging from geological software and workstation
use to general computer training at greatly reduced costs. The AAPG foundation
also voted separately to fund the center at $50,000.
Both AAPG and the Foundation have previously voted funds to
create centers in Houston, Dallas and Midland, Texas; Golden, Colo.; and
Bakersfield, Calif.
A total of $378,800 has been directed toward the training
centers by the association and the AAPG Foundation. These funds have attracted
other monies to the centers, as well as exploration software packages and other
materials to training geoscientists.
In the final meeting of the Executive Committee chaired by
Richard S. "Dick" Bishop, association officers also approved
funding to support a career transitions workshop at the AAPG international
meeting in Birmingham, England, on Sept. 12-15.
Previous AAPG no-cost career transitions workshops to assist
displaced geologists have been presented in Dallas, Denver and at the AAPG
annual meeting in San Antonio.
The committee also voted to extend the underwriting of AAPG
continuing education courses at section meetings, providing seminars at $50 a
day.
In other actions, the presidents of the newly formed AAPG
International Regions were confirmed. The nominations were submitted by the
International Liaison Committee.
The formation of the regions was confirmed by the AAPG House of
Delegates in San Antonio following a multi-year process involving various House
committees, the International Liaison Committee and the Executive Committee.
Those confirmed were:
- Latin America -- Raul Mosmann, of Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil.
- Africa -- Nahum Schneidermann, of Chevron Overseas,
San Ramon, Calif.
- Europe -- David A.L. Jenkins, of Weybridge, England.
- Middle East -- Mahmoud Abdul al-Baqi, of Aramco,
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
- Asia -- Peter Lloyd, of Schlumberger, of Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia.
- Canada -- E.E. "Ned" Gilbert, independent,
Calgary, Canada.
The committee also approved the motion by Treasurer Terry
Hollrah for the divisions of AAPG to be relieved of certain general and
administrative costs incurred at headquarters.
The Committee also received notification that the AAPG
Insurance Program will be joined by the Society of Petroleum Engineers, pending
contingencies. It is anticipated that the addition of SPE to the program will
aid in keeping participant costs low.
The American Association of Petroleum Landmen joined the
program earlier in 1999. The Society of Exploration Geophysicists and SEPM are
longtime participants in the insurance program.
The day following the 1998-99 Executive Committee meeting, the
1999-2000 Committee was seated and met in strategy and goal-setting
sessions.
The new committee is lead by president M. Ray Thomasson,
of Denver, Colo. and includes vice president Carl J. Smith, of
Morgantown, W. Va.; president-elect Marlan Downey, of Dallas; treasurer
Terry Hollrah, of Oklahoma City; secretary Charles R.
"Chuck" Noll, of Houston; AAPG Editor Neil F. Hurley, of
Golden, Colo.; and House of Delegates chairman John R. Hogg, of Calgary,
Canada.