As you read this, two significant events organized by Division of Environmental Geosciences members will have recently concluded.
The first is the AAPG Orphan, Abandoned, Idle, and Marginal Wells Conference, which included a short course, “Methane Monitoring Associated with Well Plugging and Abandonment.” This conference featured two parallel tracks – business and technology – highlighting the benefits of well plugging and site restoration, data availability, funding opportunities, site repurposing and markets. Technical discussions covered planning and risk management, measurement and quantification, best practices, new technologies, and life-cycle planning.
The second event is the CCUS conference, held jointly by AAPG, the Society of Exploration Geophysicists and Society of Petroleum Engineers, which offered presentation tracks on storage and site selection, subsurface modeling, risk assessment, infrastructure and design, enhanced oil recovery and utilization, monitoring, finance, economics and regulation, ESG (environmental, social and governance) and stakeholder engagement, machine learning and analytics and case studies. The program included keynote presentations and panels on economic incentives, dispatchable power, project evolution and workforce development, along with short courses and a field trip.
Given the importance of these topics and the expertise of the presenters and organizers, I am confident that both events were highly successful. We shared experiences, learned from each other, reconnected with old friends, and made new ones.
Events to Come
Looking ahead, our members are diligently preparing for upcoming events. The first is the Unconventional Resources Technology Conference, organized by AAPG, SEG and SPE. Another major event on the horizon is the International Meeting for Applied Geoscience and Energy, jointly organized by AAPG, SEG and SEPM. Our members are busy submitting and reviewing abstracts on energy transition and sustainable development, organizing them into a comprehensive technical program. We are working on special sessions that complement the submission-based program with invited speakers on new topics. This combined technical program will be bracketed by short courses and post-convention workshops. We are also planning our traditional DEG/Energy Minerals Division luncheon, which will feature an outstanding speaker. Although I cannot reveal the details just yet, I assure you it will be an event to look forward to!
You may notice a theme: collaboration, specifically the collaboration with other professional societies. Given our mission, we cannot afford to color strictly within the lines. Instead, we are linking up with adjacent organizations to tackle the problems and challenges we face. Working with others can be frustrating at times, but when we pull it off, it is so rewarding. Whether you are a current or prospective member of DEG, I am looking forward to meeting you and working on the next event.