Our
main focus of activities within Western Europe during 2001 was to increase
student membership.
In this context, we successfully launched the program "Adopt a Little
AAPG Student Chapter," the main objective being the recruitment of geosciences
and engineering students via support of the oil industry.
When an oil company adopts a student chapter, the economic support covers
student fees for a year and promotes local activities.
The response was very positive.
Norwegian field trip
Last
year we also participated in the largest Norwegian field trip — arranged
in Svalbard, close to the North Pole, to test and observe in praxis
geosciences and reservoir engineering concepts.
The outcrops in Svalbard are ideal for this type of activity with several
analogues to real reservoirs.
Statoil,
the largest oil company in Norway, sponsored the field trip, which attracted
more than 100 participants. Both academic staff and students from five
major universities in Norway were represented:
- University
of Bergen (UiB, Bergen).
- University
of Oslo (UiO, Oslo).
- Rogaland
University College (HiS, Stavanger).
- University
of Trømso (UiT, Trømso).
- The Norwegian
University of Science and Technology (NTNU-Trondheim).
"We
from the industry side are trying to increase the number of students
in petroleum-related education through a working environment where both
students and academic staff meet and work comfortably, and where students
are in focus and have access to modern technology to workout their projects,"
said Statoil senior vice president Martin Bekkeheien.
This field trip will become an annual activity and the goal is to bring
to the field as many students as possible. All costs are covered by
Statoil.
"We
expect, as students, to learn as much as possible in four areas," said
NTNU student liaison Kjell Kjølsrud, those areas being structural geology,
sedimentology-stratigraphy, reservoir technology and seismic interpretation.
The field program was structured with the main goal of outcrop versus
seismic calibration. The facilities were excellent, as well as the social
part. All students lived in a chartered icebreaker boat, departing early
to the fieldwork, followed by teamwork on board and complemented by
presentations to visualize their interpretations and analysis.
The
social aspect allowed students and academic personnel to get acquainted
with each other in a fine arctic environment.
"The
theme of the field trip will be selected each year and all aspects and
feedback will be reviewed for the next year to offer an even more attractive
program for year 2002 including more students and complemented with
other subjects," Kjølsrud said.
"We
have been in Svalbard for a few years, but this year (was) the largest
cross-field oriented field trip," said Jon Kleppe, NTNU professor of
reservoir engineering. "We have all Norwegian academic institutions
and all working out a giant experiment with great cooperation to give
solid ground to the future in geosciences-engineering education, in
one of the most exotic environments in the world."
"I
believe that information technology and virtual reality potentials in
geosciences will attract more students — and consequently, future manpower
— for our industry," Bekkenheien said, "therefore Statoil will continue
supporting academia in Norway for five years with about $30 million
(US)."
The objective, he added, is that via e-learning modules, field work
and support to research, the universities will give their full potential
and at the same time minimize distances within different fields in geosciences
and engineering.
"We
will work together," Kleppe said, "and the networking between institutions
will be stronger."
("Not to mention the contact network between students," Kjølsrud quickly
added.)
"We
have practically a 'floating university,'" Kleppe continued. "The plan
is successful and we are very happy — and we acknowledge the vision
and enthusiasm of Martin."
To which Bekkeheien responded, "We see this economic support to academia
not as a cost but as an investment with high rentability and rates of
return."
From
the AAPG perspective in Western Europe, we now have more than 50 new
student members and one of the largest AAPG Student Super Chapters,
representing all Norwegian academic institutions. We look forward to
the 2002 field trip to arctic waters.
Upcoming
meeting of note:
"International
Symposium on the 21st Century Petroleum Exploration and the 2nd Forum
on Marine Carbonate Reservoirs in China," May 14-17, in Hangzhou, China.