A heritage that is filled with historic
success — and one that holds the inspiration for future endeavors
— will be explored and celebrated this month in a city that is
synonymous with today's international oil industry.
The 87th AAPG Annual Meeting begins March 10 at the
George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston, designed
around the theme "Our Heritage: Key to Global Discovery."
Members of the hosting Houston Geological Society
have been working for nearly two years to prepare for the meeting,
which will mark the tenth time AAPG has used Houston for its annual
meeting location.
"All of us on the Committee trust our event will
be enjoyable, be valuable and be remembered as a celebration of
our profession," said meeting chairman Jeff Lund.
Lund pointed out that technology is a "key factor
in our profession, but it isn't everything" when it comes to finding
success.
"We believe our quest to discover the earth's mineral
resources, and the success of decades of exploration by geologists,
is driven by our heritage."
More than 900 technical presentations sorted by 12
major themes are scheduled, as well as 17 short courses and 12 field
trips.
The exhibits hall, always an attraction with its
array of the latest in cutting-edge technology, is on track to be
one of the largest — and perhaps the absolute largest — displays
in AAPG history. At EXPLORER press time a total of 264 exhibitors
and 963 booths were booked for the meeting.
And, this year the popular International Pavilion,
a growing part of the exhibits hall area, is expected to attract
more than 30 countries.
This year's meeting also features the continuation
of the "interactive E-poster" sessions, which this year will focus
on:
- Deepwater Source Rocks and the Petroleum Systems of the Atlantic
Margin.
- Rock Physics: The Missing Link Between Geology, Geophysics
and Production (three sessions).
- Portfolio Economics and Management.
This year's Michel T. Halbouty Lecture will be given
by David Rainey, with BP, who will discuss the historic Gulf
of Mexico Crazy Horse discovery.
As usual, pre-meeting events — various short courses,
field trips, meetings and entertainment-related activities — will
be held for early arrivers. For example, this year's Career Transition
Workshop will be offered at 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, March 10, at
the Doubletree Allen Center. (Convention registration is not required
to attend.)
But the annual meeting begins in earnest at 4 p.m.
on that Sunday, with the opening session and awards ceremony at
the George R. Brown Convention Center.
That will be followed by the traditional Icebreaker
reception, held in the exhibits hall, allowing participants a chance
to enjoy refreshments while getting a first-look at the latest in
technology.
Technical sessions begin at 8 a.m. Monday, March
11.