Our principal goal for the DPA is to increase our relevance to our members – and by extension to our AAPG community, which in turn ought to make the Division attractive to new members.
A number of programs have been developed and offered over the past 45 years of our existence, the principal one being the peer review certification process, which grants the CPG designation I proudly display on my business card.
The Board of Certification is chaired by past DPA president Rick Ericksen (2009-10), who along with Debra Rutan (secretary 2007-09) and past presidents Mike Party (2005-06), Steve Sonnenberg (1999-2000), Marty Hewitt (2011-12) and me as current Division president review each certification application, make investigations as necessary and then approve or disapprove each applicant for certification.
The qualifications are based upon experience; a member of AAPG with a degree in geology and eight years of experience with a sustained record of the highest professional and ethical standards is eligible. Three sponsors who are CPGs must attest to an applicant’s professional and ethical ability.
There are nearly 2,400 certified geologists, coal geologists and geophysicists, and we enjoy reciprocal relationships with The Geological Society, SIPES and the AIPG. We also are recognized by the Canadian Securities Administrators as Qualified Reserve Evaluators under CI 51-101.
If you are an AAPG member who meet the qualifications but haven’t applied you may do so through our website. We are in the process of and hope to receive the same recognition by the Australian Securities Exchange.
Education is another of our purposes, and we are following through with our determination to provide resources to our members.
In this light we are presenting the First Annual Reserves Forum: Evaluating the Prize, on Oct. 31 at the Norris Center in Houston. Our Continuing Education Chair Bob Shoup (past president, 2004-05) has worked with JCORET and the Education Department of AAPG to put together a stellar line up of speakers who all are pre-eminent in their fields.
Come on out and listen to Pete Rose, Ron Harrell, John Lee, Cindy Yeilding, Creties Jenkins, Scott Rees and Richard Nehring, among others, who will address the processes of making the most accurate possible reserves estimations from the geologic and engineering perspectives, and how these estimates must comply with the SEC reporting requirements.
I look forward to seeing you there.
Following this one-day forum, John Lee will offer a one-day JCORET Certified Evaluator Training Course on SEC Reserves Rules and Unconventional Resources.
(JCORET is the Joint Committee on Reserves Evaluator Training Committee, comprising five sponsoring organizations: SPE, AAPG, WPC, SPEE and SEG.)
What’s on your night table: Kindle/iPad?
I’ve been stuck lately with little time for focused reading, so magazines and TEDs Talks have held my attention.
Like AAPG Executive Director David Curtiss (see September “Director’s Corner”), I also disagree with the recent article in The Economist that portends the end of “Peak Oil Demand.” Through enhanced efficiency fuel use and crossover to natural gas, they anticipate lower prices as a result of falling demand.
Perhaps, in a recessionary environment – but we are gradually pulling ourselves out of the doldrums in the United States with a modest 1.7 percent growth rate.
What do you think?