Geological Laboratory Surrounds Barcelona!

International Bulletin Board

Welcome to the outdoor geological laboratory that surrounds Barcelona!

Many factors went into choosing a site for this year's AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, but field trips are the geological characteristic that sets Barcelona apart as uniquely world-class — an area long recognized for its value in training geoscientists and providing outcrop analogs for subsurface exploration and production models.

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Photo courtesy of Eduard Remacha

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Welcome to the outdoor geological laboratory that surrounds Barcelona!

Many factors went into choosing a site for this year's AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, but field trips are the geological characteristic that sets Barcelona apart as uniquely world-class — an area long recognized for its value in training geoscientists and providing outcrop analogs for subsurface exploration and production models.

Set in a geological crossroads where Iberia, Europe and North Africa all bring their geological treasures to us, the Barcelona area has something for everyone, including:

  • Carbonate analogs along Spain's northern and southern coastal basins, in courses that range from seismic-scale to porosity-scale.
  • For those who have already enjoyed Spain's geological treasures, the same kind of analogs also are offered in an exotic carbonate trip to nearby Morocco.
  • Deepwater, shallow marine and fluvial clastics in the adjacent Pyrenees not only have been on the forefront of sequence stratigraphy, sedimentology and reservoir geology research, but boast some of the world's best-known examples for reservoir modeling. Spain's diversity of basin settings allows you to see foldbelts and compressional settings of the Pyrenees, as well as extensional platforms and wrench settings of the Mediterranean and northwest Spain.
  • Finally, our profession would not be complete without biostratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy and geochemistry — and courses that focus on those disciplines are among your choices.

Several trips will address the interplay between tectonics and sedimentation/reservoir development. All trips will be set with a wonderful backdrop of scenic, historical and cultural highlights.


Integration is a key to our modern business environment, and you will find that the Barcelona 2003 field trip program is on the forefront of this modern approach.

  • Deepwater clastics, carbonates, salt tectonics and structural geology are offered not only in the field trips but also in complementary short courses and technical sessions.
  • Field "workshops" integrate outcrops and classroom activities that apply the outcrop lessons to subsurface examples. Several field trips will address the interaction of sedimentation with tectonics.
  • Several field trips will offer parallel guest trips, where spouses and guests may enjoy Spain's cultural treasures during the day and be reunited with their geologists for the evening. The activities include visits to historic monuments, nature activities, scenic stops, cultural points of interest, culinary events and, of course, shopping opportunities.

For more information regarding a field trip, contact Eduard Remacha via telephone — 34-93-581-1603; fax — 34-93-581-1263; or e-mail — [email protected].

For information regarding any aspect of the 2003 International Conference and Exhibition, contact Theresa Curry via telephone — 1-918-560-2683; fax — 1-918-560-2684; or e-mail — [email protected].

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