ACE Program Promises to be Aces
Unmasking the Potential
The big show is heading for the Big Easy this month – and expect a lot of heads to turn at the big doings that are planned.
The 95th AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition will be held April 11-14 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans – the fifth time the Crescent City has served as AAPG’s hosts, and the first time since 2000.
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The big show is heading for the Big Easy this month – and expect a lot of heads to turn at the big doings that are planned.
The 95th AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition will be held April 11-14 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans – the fifth time the Crescent City has served as AAPG’s hosts, and the first time since 2000.
“Unmasking the Potential of Exploration and Production” is the theme for a comprehensive, world-class technical program that boasts eight concurrent sessions, nearly 450 oral presentations and more than 500 posters – all complemented by an exhibits hall jammed with more than 230 exhibitors.
Throw in the historical, cultural and musical dynamics that make New Orleans one of the world’s unique cities – with a lot of tours and trips planned to take advantage of the setting – and it seems as if there’s almost too much to do. Almost.
“Clearly it is impossible to see and hear everything you like, so you have some difficult choices ahead of you,” said convention general chairman Tom Hudson. “To make things somewhat easier we have arranged some great events with far fewer potential conflicts.”
Included in those “great events” are a host of high-profile luncheon speakers, news-making forums and special sessions and a plethora of papers that will cover the industry’s most urgent and important topics.
That list includes:
- This year’s Michel T. Halbouty Lecture, which will take place at 5:10 p.m. Monday, April 12, featuring Aubrey K. McClendon, CEO, chairman and co-founder of Chesapeake Energy Corp., speaking on “Shale Gas and America’s Energy Future.”
- The Discovery Thinking Forum, set for 1:25 p.m. Monday, April 12, the third presentation in AAPG’s “100 Who Made a Difference” program. The Marcellus Shale play, the Haynesville Trend, the Amoruso Field and the Eagle Ford Shale are just some of the subjects that will be covered. (See [PFItemLinkShortcode|id:2821|type:standard|anchorText:related story|cssClass:|title:Marcellus Gave No ‘Big Play’ Hints|PFItemLinkShortcode].)
- Robert “Bobby” Ryan, vice president of global exploration for Chevron Global Upstream and Gas, will be the All Convention Luncheon speaker, talking about “Beyond Zone Six: The Imperative of Unconventional Thinking.”
- James R. Moffett, co-chairman of the board of McMoRan Exploration Co., will give a paper on [PFItemLinkShortcode|id:2817|type:standard|anchorText:“Davy Jones,”|cssClass:|title:Davy Jones: Shallow Water, Deep Treasure|PFItemLinkShortcode] the recent blockbuster Gulf of Mexico discovery, at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 14 – just one of several talks that will spotlight the huge potential of the Gulf’s shallow water ultra-deep shelf play.
- A special forum on [PFItemLinkShortcode|id:2835|type:standard|anchorText:climate change|cssClass:|title:Climate Forum to Explore Katrina Impact|PFItemLinkShortcode] – a lightning rod for geoscientists on all sides of the debate – will be held at 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 14.
“It is going to be a fantastic convention – great science and great social events in a great city,” Hudson said. “This promises to be one of the best conventions you’ve ever attended.”
The meeting starts in earnest with the opening session, a colorful and fast-moving program that features videos, historic photos and live music as well as words of welcome from Hudson, the presidential address by AAPG President John Lorenz and the presentation of AAPG [PFItemLinkShortcode|id:2938|type:standard|anchorText:honors and awards|cssClass:|title:Brown to Receive Powers Medal|PFItemLinkShortcode] – including presentation of the Sidney Powers Memorial Medal to [PFItemLinkShortcode|id:2831|type:standard|anchorText:L. Frank Brown Jr.|cssClass:|title:Powers Medalist a ‘Practical Researcher’|PFItemLinkShortcode]