IMAGE – the International Meeting for Applied Geoscience and Energy – launched just four years ago by AAPG and the Society of Exploration Geophysicists in conjunction with SEPM, the Society for Sedimentary Geology – is now the preeminent conference for those seeking to use geoscience to find and produce the energy and natural resources the world so desperately needs. As I wrote last year, IMAGE is a conference for doers.
Next month, in Houston, Texas, IMAGE ’24 will bring together geoscientists from across the globe to highlight the latest in petroleum and energy geoscience, while also showcasing the latest trends in energy markets and investment opportunities.
“Your Passport for Global Energy” is the theme for this year’s conference and will be evident from the Opening Session where we’ll be greeted by AAPG President Deborah Sacrey and SEG President Arthur Cheng. Brian Horn, IMAGE ’24 technical program co-chair and AAPG president-elect, will then host an executive panel discussion on global energy’s expected challenges. The panelists include:
- Liz Schwarze, VP global exploration, Chevron
- Tracey Henderson, EVP exploration, Apache
- Kevin McLachlan, SVP exploration, TotalEnergies
- John Ardill, VP global exploration, ExxonMobil
- Muhamed Redhani, VP exploration, Petronas
Classic Features
The 2024 Discovery Thinking Forum will be the 29th time the AAPG Discovery Thinking initiative presents the integration of geology and geophysics to develop significant oil and natural gas discoveries. Organized again this year by AAPG past-president and 2024 Michel T. Halbouty outstanding leadership award-winner Charles Sternbach and AAPG Sidney Powers medalist Mike Forrest, this year the forum includes four talks:
- “Unlocking Success in Suriname: A Story of Resilience and Adaptability,” by Leonardo Caixeta of TotalEnergies
- ”Timpan Discovery – Unlocking DHI Play in Late Oligocene Bampo Formation in Andaman Sea, Indonesia,” by Nauvall Juliansyah of Harbour Energy
- ”Defying Volcanic Rifted Passive Margin Models – World Class Aptian Source Rock proven in the Orange Basin Opens Venus, Graff and Mopane Equivalent Future “Golden Lanes” Offshore Namibia and Beyond,” by Karyna Rodriguez and Neil Hodgson of Searcher
- ”An African Wildcat Safari in the last untested onshore rift basin Discovers the Potential multi-TCF condensate Mukuyu Field, Cabora Bassa Basin, Zimbabwe”
A key part of IMAGE ’24 is the exhibition, where we have companies and vendors from across the globe showcasing the latest in science and technology. It’s also where you can connect with other attendees at The Gathering Place and Society Central.
In response to feedback from past years, the IMAGE ’24 Technical Program Committee, co-chaired by Brian Horn and Yingcai Zheng, has worked diligently to create a balanced technical program that includes many exploration-focused sessions from around the world, including: Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Caspian, Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, Latin America, the Caribbean and North America, with specific sessions focused on the Permian Basin, the Midcontinent, the Gulf of Mexico, the Alaskan North Slope and Canada.
Returning again this year are four pavilions dedicated to showcasing new technology and investment opportunities.
Focused on new ventures for your company? The Global Energy Opportunities pavilion anchored by AAPG’s International Pavilion allows energy ministries, regulatory agencies and national oil companies to show and talk about investment opportunities in their countries. As our industry continues to evolve, so do the opportunities on offer, including petroleum, geothermal, minerals and hydrogen, among others.
The Digitalization Pavilion has three full days of panels and talks about how technology – particularly high-performance computing, generative AI and even quantum computing – will revolutionize our industry.
The application of near-surface geophysical tools is the focus at the Near-Surface Pavilion, where panels will discuss a wide variety of topics, including infrastructure, forensic geophysics, karst topography and much more. It will also include invited presentations by service companies.
Finally, the Carbon Management Pavilion will explore the many ways that geoscience is important to the development of energy storage, CCUS and reducing emissions, and many other topics that will be explored through lively presentations and panel discussions.
New Features
New this year at IMAGE ’24 are the innovation and collaboration hubs, designed to cover new areas where technology is creating new business opportunities. Are you looking to better understand how our industry is evolving and what that may mean for your career? Check out these hubs:
- New Technologies Showcase
- Orphan Wells, Methane Management, and Carbon Credits, chaired by Dan Arthur of ALL-LLC
- Hydrogen/Helium, chaired by Geoff Ellis of the U.S. Geological Survey
- Deepwater Exploration Technology, chaired by Paul Mann of the University of Houston
- Young and Mid-Career New Directions, presented by the Division of Professional Affairs
- Geothermal, presented by Geothermal Rising
Luncheons and Q&As
On Wednesday morning, I’d like to invite you to join us for the AAPG Foundation Forum to learn more about what the Foundation is doing to achieve its long-term mission of advancing geoscience and geoscience education to support a strong, vibrant community engaged in petroleum, energy minerals and environmental geology. Come listen to Foundation leaders and bring your questions.
Want to understand what it’s like to run a large oil and gas company as a geoscientist? The All-Convention luncheon will feature a dialogue with Ezra Yacob, the CEO of EOG Resources, and promises to inspire the leaders in our industry no matter what stage of your career you’re in.
Other luncheons during IMAGE ’24 feature:
- The Division of Professional Affairs hosts N.J. Ayuk, executive chairman of the African Energy Chamber, who will speak on “Africa Energy Diversity of Opportunity and the Regulatory Attractions for Investors.”
- The AAPG Women’s Network invited Shell’s Elizabeth Oko to talk about “The Devil of Predictability: A Subsurface Professional’s Playbook to Common Pitfalls and Bias.”
- And geothermal is the topic selected by the Division of Environmental Geosciences and Energy Minerals Division who host Benjamin Burke of Gradient Geothermal.
My thanks to Lisa Helper of Hilcorp Energy and Daniel Sutton of Oxy, the general co-chairs of IMAGE ’24, and the many volunteers who joined the steering committee to organize this event. They organized it for you – their fellow AAPG and SEG and SEPM members – and the entire applied geoscience and energy community that will gather in Houston next month.
There’s still time to register and get the lowest rate. Early-bird registration closes on July 16 and if you need to cancel you can do this until August 13. If you’re thinking about attending IMAGE ’24 this year, there’s no reason not to register now.
After all, IMAGE is a conference for doers. I hope to see you there.