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EXPLORER
Delegates Primed to Tackle Division Proposal
By R. RANDY RAY, Chair-AAPG House of Delegates
AAPG
The upcoming AAPG Annual
Convention and Exhibition in
Pittsburgh will be a busy and
important time for the House of Delegates,
which will hold its annual meeting Sunday,
May 19.
We’ll have several proposals for
delegates to vote on, and I will ask
delegates to exercise their judgment on a
wide range of issues affecting AAPG now
and in the future.
The most prominent proposal will be
to form a new AAPG technical division
called the “Petroleum Structure and
Geomechanics Division” (PSGD) (see this
month’s President’s Column, page 3).
RAY
Details of each of the proposals are
available in the April Delegate’s Voice,
including discussions by AAPG leaders,
and I encourage all delegates to come to
arrive well prepared and ready to make
I will ask delegates to exercise
their judgment on a wide range of
issues affecting AAPG now and in
the future.
these historic votes.
The business includes:
u First, delegates will vote on a
Bylaws amendment allowing for flexibility
to use an email option in notifying
each member, including students and
associates of delinquent annual dues.
This housekeeping change will help Tulsa
staff be more efficient and cost-effective in
accomplishing membership notifications.
The full language of the amended
wording is available for review at aapg.
org/bylawschanges.cfm.
u Second, delegates will consider
a proposal to change the boundary
between AAPG’s Asia Pacific and
European Regions, which would
result in five central Asians countries
– Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – moving to
the European Region from the Asia Pacific
Region.
The proposal was made because
these countries have a better alignment of
geologic interests and professional activity
with the European community. In recent
years giant oil fields have developed in
this area and the geologic community is
becoming increasingly active. Leadership
in both Asia Pacific and Europe agree with
the change.
u Third, the proposal for a new
technical division comes from the
Executive Committee, with its full support.
Background: The Petroleum Structure
and Geomechanics Division began as a
group of people who have been meeting
informally at AAPG annual meetings since
1997, under the leadership of AAPG
members Peter Hennings and current
elected editor Stephen Laubach.
The group has grown to over 200
geologists who are interested in aspects
of structural geology, including faulting,
fracturing and seals, which are influenced
by rock mechanical properties. This also
incorporates the study of stresses and
pressures at reservoir level that affect
drilling and completion procedures.
Geomechanics has broad appeal and
will interest current members as well as
draw new members to AAPG from other
professional disciplines with overlapping
interest.
u Fourth, approval of Affiliated Society
status has been requested by the Ghana
Institution of Geoscientists (GhiG) and
the Myanmar Geosciences Society, to
be presented by Ed Rothman, chair
of the Resolutions Committee. This is
routine HoD business – and it shows the
continuing growth of AAPG as a global
geoscience community.
u Finally, delegates will vote on new
officers for the HoD who will begin
service immediately following the HoD
adjournment. The candidates are:
HoD Chair-Elect
p Paul Britt, independent geologist
and president, Texplore, Houston.
p David Dolph, team lead-Global
Exploration, Nexen Petroleum
International, Calgary, Canada.
HoD Secretary/Editor
p Mark Rainer, senior geologist, Jones
Energy, San Diego.
p Dan Billman, president, Billman
Geologic Consultants, Mars, Pa.
54 MAY 2013 WWW.AAPG.ORG
I encourage delegates to come
prepared to vote on these proposals that
will guide AAPG’s future.
EXPLORER