EAGE Newsletter Asia Pacific 2016, Issue 2

EAGE NEWSLETTER

ASIA PACIFIC

Issue-2 2016

Growth and diversity is key to our future

Officials witness growing success of EAGE in China

sister societies is paying off. Working with AAPG and MGS, we saw an impressive number of interChris Ward EAGE president 2016-2017

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lthough the activities served by geoscience and engineering disciplines, particularly the oil and gas industry, are going through difficult times, I am pleased to report that our community in the Asia Pacific region continues to grow.

A milestone in our efforts to establish a presence in China was the EAGE-SCA International Symposium on Digital Rock Physics and Application organized with help of our Local Chapter China. In addition, our policy of collaborating with

Trivia Question

What is the name of the fossil resin that is often used in jewelry making?

A - Quartz B - Amber C - Opal D - Turquoise Answers on p. 5

national participants at the second AAPG/EAGE/ MGS Myanmar Oil & Gas Conference and hopefully we will achieve a similar high attendance at the third staging of this event in February 2017.

We are hopeful that the first Uncertainty Velocity Workshop planned for November in Perth, Western Australia will be another occasion to highlight the quality of events that EAGE offers as part of its portfolio of services, and will enhance our profile in this part of the region.

The Association is striving for diversity, and it is my hope that with help of our colleagues and Associated Societies such as APG in India, ASEG in Australia, CGS in China, MGS in Myanmar and many others we will keep hosting more events in the Asia Pacific region.

For the Association as a whole, a good index of our general state of health was the Vienna 2016 Annual. The event held up surprisingly well given the economic climate. EAGE’s three pillars of strength are its commitment to glo­balization, membership growth and the provision of a onestop shop for knowledge and community in the geosciences covering oil and gas and near surface sectors. Our challenge now is to consolidate and enhance what we have. This is why my theme for the year will be ‘Growth and Diversity’.

Globalization has responsibilities and we need to make sure that members worldwide feel connected and fully represented both at Board level and on our committees.

We have the opportunity to capitalize on our strong portfolio of conferences, workshops, short courses, publications and a rapidly expanding digital footprint. In general this requires more support for regional initiatives such as increasing cooperation with global and country specific Read more on p. 2 ➤

Jean-Jacques giving a token of appreciation to Qu Shou Li, president of Sinopec Geophysical Institute.

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ean-Jacques Biteau, EAGE vice president, Peter Verweij, director regional development, and Gerard Wieggerink, regional manager Asia Pacific, recently embarked on another mission to China to create a stronger partnership with different Chinese organizations.

The journey began with a meeting at the Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development (RIPED), R&D centre of China National Petroleum Corporation Read more on p. 2 ➤

What's inside IRM conference in KL

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Dorrik Stow course for PACE

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China’s growing presence in Vienna And more …

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EAGE UPDATE

Growth and diversity is key to our future

Officials witness growing success of EAGE in China Continued from p. 1

Continued from p. 1

professional societies, encouraging local chapters and making sure all our services are easily accessible.

I believe our continuing focus on the recruitment of a new generation of students to our various disciplines through conference programmes, student chapters and our series of geosciencerelated boot camps will pay dividends. Diversity also means inclusiveness, and the enthusiasm for the newly established Women’s Interest Group bodes well for the future.

All our good intentions can of course only be achieved with prudent financial management.

A restructured, cost-effective and stable organisation has been a focus of the Board over the last two years. Meanwhile our management has done well to manage costs.

Finally, in the coming year I am hoping to meet as many of you members as possible and to hear how we may progress the Association’s goals together.

EAGE Newsletter Asia Pacific Executive Director Marcel van Loon (ml@eage.org) Regional Manager Asia Pacific Gerard Wieggerink (gw@eage.org) Account Manager Advertising & Subscriptions Daan van Ommen (don@eage.org) Asia Pacific Office EAGE Asia Pacific Sdn. Bhd. UOA Centre Office Suite 19-15-3A No. 19, Jalan Pinang 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: 603 2722 0140 Fax: 603 2722 0143 E-mail: asiapacific@eage.org Website: www.eage.org Submission of articles communications@eage.org Newsletter on the Web (www.eage.org)

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Jean-Jacques, Peter and Gerard met chief geologist Hu Suyun and senior management from the geophysics department.

(CNPC) and PetroChina Company Limited (PetroChina). Jean-Jacques, Peter and Gerard met chief geologist Hu Suyun and senior management from the geophysics department.

RIPED geoscientists were impressed at a subsequent video presentation with EAGE initatives such the first Education Days Beijing, E-Lecture videos on Youku with Mandarin subtitles and the potential of in-house courses. Next on the agenda was a special

Jean-Jacques, Peter and Gerard were also present in Beijing to congratulate the EAGE China Chapter, Society of Core Analysts and committee for organizing the EAGE-SCA International Symposium on Digital Rock Physics and Application on 30-31 March this year, hosted by China University of Petroleum Beijing (CUPB).

The symposium was attended by over 100 petrophysicists, geoscientists, academicians and students attending from China and other countries as far as United States. The EAGE

meeting with Francois Issard, president, Total China.

BGP coordinated a special meeting with its top management to show their appreciation of EAGE’s presence to spearhead more meaningful educational activities in China. Jean-Jacques Biteau was presented with a traditional Chinese painting, with a friendship poem, by Zheng Huasheng, vice president of BGP and other top management. EAGE responded by thanking BGP for its presence and support as one of the main sponsor for EAGE’s Annual in Vienna, Austria. The business meetings ended with a trip to Nanjing for a lunch meeting with Qu Shou Li president, Sinopec Geophysical Institute, and Zhu Hai Long, director of international affairs.

student chapters also impressed the visiting EAGE management with their hard work and efforts to promote the symposium and other related EAGE activities such as Education Days Beijing.

Zheng Huasheng, vice president BGP, presented Jean-Jacques Biteau, vice president EAGE, with a traditional Chinese painting.

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-2 2016

EAGE UPDATE

It is time to renew your EAGE membership!

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eing a member of the EAGE professional community has never been more important for geoscientists, especially those working in the oil and gas industry. Staying connected is the key.

It is important to remain informed about the latest scientific developments, and EAGE membership allows you to stay up to date. For example, we expect over 2,500 titles to be added to the EarthDoc searchable geoscience database this upcoming year. In total, over 60,000 titles are already available to our members.

Our monthly flagship magazine First Break provides you with the specialized news you need to keep up with geoscience-related develop-

research publications from leaders in the field.

Members can rely on discounted rates for all publications sold by the bookshop.

Knowledge will not only be gained by reading.

In 2017, EAGE organizes numerous events on geoscience topics all over the world, so it is more than likely that EAGE will be present in your region with a conference, workshop or short course. This provides the perfect opportunity to talk to people you normally wouldn’t meet and expand your knowledge and network.

If you are thinking of attending our events in 2017, participation in one event already covers the costs of a regular membership, and so does downloading three or more event papers

ments. This is in addition to our popular, easily accessible technical articles on a wide range of topics plus a section on EAGE activities.

Along with First Break, members can choose a complementary subscription to one of our scientific journals which best represents your particular professional or research interests.

But EAGE does not only have journals, we have an entire bookshop. In order to maintain its leading position in the world of geoscientific publishing, EAGE frequently releases new

on EarthDoc. Including your member access to Learning Geoscience and the significant member discount in the EAGE Bookshop, your EAGE membership gets you excellent value for money.

We want you to keep your membership.

IRM Conference reconvenes in Kuala Lumpur conference chairs are Kamal Embong, PETRONAS and Maike Willuweit, Roxar Software Solu-

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he sequel is on the way! We are busy organizing a second edition of the successful Integrated Reservoir Modelling (IRM) held in November 2012 in Dubai.

The follow-up conference is being staged in Kuala Lumpur on 5-7 December 2016 with the theme ‘Optimization & Value Creation in Challenging Times’. The event is designed to showcase the best practices, case studies, techology and innovation from a fresh perspective. The

tions.

The conference technical committee invites representatives from IOCs, NOCs, independents and service companies as well as academia to bring their expertise as we focus on the latest developments in integrated reservoir modelling. The four main topics to be discussed will be Status of Integrated Reservoir Modelling; Value of a Good Model, Cost of a Poor One: Decisions for a Relevant Static Model; Uncertainty Analysis and How It Reduces Development Risks; and Low Resistivity and Low Contrast (LRLC) Reservoirs.

For a complete list of all the subtopics, enquiries about the conference including sponsoring, please visit the event’s website www.eage. org/event/irm-2016 or contact the EAGE Asia Pacific office via asiapacific@eage.org.

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-2 2016

Renewing is easy From 1 October on, you can renew your membership for the upcoming year. For a full description, go to www.eage.org/renew-membership or contact us via membership@eage.org. In order to make the best of your involvement in the EAGE community, make sure to renew your membership before December 2016.

SEGJ Conference meets in Hokkaido

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he Society of Exploration Geophysicists of Japan (SEGJ), an associated society of EAGE, is due to hold its 135th SEGJ Conference at Muroran Institute of Technology, Hokkaido, Japan, on 26-28 October 2016.

The conference takes place twice every year (spring and fall) providing a great opportunity both for SEGJ members and nonmembers to exchange information. More than 70 papers including orals and posters are presented at each conference covering a wide range of geophysical topics. As a domestic conference most of speakers and audience are Japanese. However, the presentations and extended abstracts (up to four pages) can be in either Japanese or English.

A technical tour in Hokkaido is planned as a post conference event.

For more information, visit the SEGJ Conference website at http://www.segj.org/ index_e.html.

SEGJ conference will be held in Hokkaido, Japan.

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EAGE UPDATE

More regional geoscientists could feature in future EAGE Annual Awards

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AGE members from Singapore, Malaysia and Australia were among those who were honoured at this year’s Awards Ceremony at the 2016 EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition in Vienna, and the Association is hoping that more members from outside Europe will be represented in future awards.

EAGE president Mohammed Alfaraj and his incoming successor Chris Ward were on hand in Vienna to give away the awards. Joe Zhou, CGG processing manager from Singapore, was presented with the EAGE 2016 Guido Bonarelli Award in recognition of the best oral presentation for his paper entitled ‘Unlocking the full potential of broadband data with advanced processing technology, a case study from NWS Australia’. The paper was co-authored with Peter Chia from Shell Australia and Jingyu Li, Henry Ng, Sergey Birdus, Keat Huat Teng, Phan Ying Peng, Jason Sun and He Yi from CGG. Dr Derecke Palmer (University of New South Wales), a leading international authority on near surface seismic refraction methods, received Ludger Mintrop prize for the best paper in Near Surface Geophysics entitled: ‘Is accuracy more

important than precision in near-surface refrac-

Committee, is encouraging members in regions such as Asia Pacific to submit deserving nominations. He says that ‘the historical list of awards on the EAGE website reveals a strong tendency for the recipients to be concentrated in the traditional EAGE homelands of Europe and North America. EAGE has a growing global presence in geoscience and engineering and would like its awards to reflect the breadth and scope of the Association’.

According to Christie, the two fundamental values of the EAGE awards process are that it is a bottom-up process and the award must go to the

tion seismology?’.

Motjaba Rajabi (University of Adelaide) and co-authors Mark Tingay, Oliver Heidbach and Rosalind King won the Cagniard Award for best poster presentation entitled ‘The role of faults and fractures in local and regional perturbation of presentday horizontal stresses – an example from the Clarence-Moreton Basin, Eastern Australia’.

EAGE is taking positive steps to ensure the awards presented at the EAGE Annual better reflect the growing diversity of its members worldwide. Phil Christie, chair of the Awards

strongest candidate nominated. To submit for next year’s awards, the Awards Committee must receive completed nomination packages for Paris 2017 by 31 October 2016. But you don’t need to wait for the deadline to make a nomination, so feel free to nominate at any time throughout the year. By submitting a nomination, you can help to recognise and promote technical and professional achievement from within the membership throughout the world.

Make a nomination for next year!

Some of 2016’s award winners with EAGE’s 20162017 president Chris Ward (fourth from left) and outgoing president Mohammed Alfaraj (centre).

A webinar offer you can’t refuse!

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id you know that EAGE member organizations can order their own custom we-

nection and a phone line. EAGE will assist in setting up the software for the webinar connection

lecturers the chance to bring their research to the community of our members. Each lecture is select-

binars provided by geoscience experts on a range of topics available from the Distinguished Lecturer Programme?

All you need is a large conference room with video screening equipment, a fast internet con-

with the lecturer, so you can apply to the EAGE for the webinar of your choice.

Please apply via the EAGE website for the preferred webinar topic of your choice. Participation in the programme is on a voluntary basis and gives

ed by the Education Committee of EAGE based on top notch quality and covers recent research.

In a recent example, EAGE organized Ehsan Sadeghi (TOTAL) to present ‘Broadband Uplift on Seismic Impedance Inversion’ to some 60 geoscientists working for major contractor CGG. The company linked seven of its offices across Asia Pacific (Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Indonesia, China, Egypt and India) and South Africa regions to participate in the webinars.

In fact, there was almost an atmosphere of a ‘mini Webex concert’ with Ehsan being the celebrity speaker creating a lot of animated discussion in the Q&A sessions with the audiences.

There are no costs involved in this webinar programme. EAGE encourages members to visit www.lg.eage.org for more information and the application form.

CGG geoscientists appreciating the content of a webinar lecture delivered by Ehsan Sadeghi (Total).

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EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-2 2016

EAGE UPDATE

A career motivated by earthquakes in Japan Kyosuke Okamoto is a young professional geoscientist/engineer working for the Railway Technical Research Institute in Tokyo. He has a PhD in engineering from the Gradual School of Engineering, Kyoto University with a focus on seismic issues. Here he tells us about his career so far and how it developed.

How did studying in California compare with Japan?

When I was there I developed my research from a theoretical perspective and realized its importance. Before that, my research was based just on numerical calculations. In terms of life style, I felt a difference in working time between Japan and the US. People in the US are so effective.

They can go back home in the evening while in Japan working into the night is a common thing!

My major approaches are numerical and theoretical calculation of seismic propagation, seismic data analysis based on signal processing and field observation (earthquake observation and microtremor exploration).

pline research finally connected to practical use.

How easy is it to study at university in Japan from a financial perspective?

In regards to PhD students, a government organization offers financial aid both for living and research expenses. But the adoption rate for the

What is the main focus of your research?

My current research is related not to pure seismology but to exploration geophysics using seismic waves. Broadly I am engaged in two topics.

One is a study of seismic wave propagation in the heterogeneous subsurface. I particularly focus on the amplitude of initial P-waves. From the attenuation of the initial amplitude due to scattering and absorption, I have revealed heterogeneous structures in Japan. The research will help to enhance the accuracy of the Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system in Japan, since information on earthquakes is instantaneously estimated from the initial P-waves in the EEW system.

The other is a study related to geophysical exploration in the near surface. I am interested in the application of microtremor explorations to irregular structures.

In general, horizontally stratified medium is assumed in microtremor exploration although real structures are not always accountable by

aid is not so high (about 30%) and rejected students face financial problems, like payment of tuition fees.

such simple structures. I study the behaviour of the wavefield in irregular structures and its effect in microtremor explorations.

ing experiences in real data observation, numerical recording and theoretical approaches, especially for near surface. In the future, by using these experiences I would like to be engaged in a unified study from asthenosphere to near surface complexity and educating young people.

Kyosuke conducting a calibration test for seismometers before the observation for aftershocks of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake (Mw 7.0).

What were the factors (family, school, special incident, etc.) that attracted you to geophysics and engineering when you were young?

In my secondary school days, it had been loudly said for about 30 years that a destructive earthquake would occur before long where I lived near the triple junction of the North American, the Eurasian and the Philippine see plates. I wanted to know the mechanism and the actual day of the occurrence. So my first motivation for geophysics was fear of an earthquake!

What is the role of the Railway Technical Research Institute in Japan?

Railways have many research fields not only in geoscience but also mechanical engineering, psychology, biotechnology, etc. We need cross disci-

Would you like to work abroad one day?

Yes, I would. Working abroad is one option for my research career. It would be a good opportunity to have a relation with foreign researchers.

I also would like to focus on studying in Japan which is tectonically active and has so many good sites for researches.

In your researches so far, what have been the highlights?

Since it was the start of my career as a researcher, doing my PhD degree was the highlight so far. My thesis was related to a stress change around a brittle-ductile transition area inferred from seismic waves. This is my core and important experience.

How do you see your career developing?

Currently I am developing my insight by acquir-

When you are not working, what are your favourite activities?

My ways to refresh are outdoor activities like running (sometimes running mountain trails), fishing, hiking, etc.

Trivia answer B - Amber Shinkansen bullet train travelling safely and smoothly past the scenic Mount Fuji, an active volcano.

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-2 2016

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EAGE UPDATE

No reason to miss deepwater reservoir short course

Watch out for the big IPTC show in Bangkok

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he tenth International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC) is heading to the Bangkok Convention Centre, Central World from 14-16 November 2016 themed ‘Innovation and Efficiency Excellence for our Energy Future’. Over 1370 abstracts representing 281 organizations from 56 countries have been received for the programme which is supported by AAPG, EAGE, SEG and SPE. A launch reception in April was attended by global industry leaders including Somporn Vongvuthipornchai, president and CEO, PTTEP; Adif Zulkifli, senior vice president, Corporate Strategy, PETRONAS; and Wu Qi, senior vice president, PetroChina Exploration & Production Company.

Speaking at the event Vongvuthipornchai said; ‘We strongly support IPTC’s commitment to multidisciplinary collaboration and to the dissemination and sharing of new and emerging technology and best practices. IPTC, with the support of its multiple sponsoring societies, emphasises both the importance of the “value chain”, and of maximising asset value.’

IPTC 2016 organizers hope to welcome over 4000 energy professionals from around the globe.

For more information, please visit: www.iptcnet.org/2016.

Prof Dorrik Stow.

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rof Dorrik Stow, director of research and professor of petroleum geoscience at the Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Heriot Watt, Edinburgh, Scotland is returning to the region to teach his popular two-day short course on ‘Deepwater Reservoirs: Exploration and Production Concepts’. The course will be held in Beijing (14-15 November, 2016) and at Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at Centralworld in Bangkok (17-18 November, 2016).

Deepwater reservoirs are a principal target for oil and gas exploration, with over 1600 existing turbidite fields and plays. Which makes Prof Stow’s course so relevant! It is tailored for all geologists, geophysicists and petroleum engineers involved in exploration and development of the deepwater play and reservoir production. The short course has been well attended and received by many participants from global players such as Shell, Total, Schlumberger, Woodside, Petronas, ExxonMobil, JX Nippon and CGG. EAGE members are reminded that those currently suffering economically as a result of the low oil price environment can apply to the EAGE Economic Hardship fund to attend EAGE short courses at discounted fees.

Please know your application for a waiver will be handled in the strictest confidence. This means we will not publish your name or contact your previous employer to check your status. If you would like to be considered for the EAGE Eco­ nomic Hardship Programme, please send an email to membership@eage.org for more information.

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Dr Payton completes her popular lecture tour in Japan

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r Gaynor Payton’s much admired Student Lecture Tour in the Asia Pacific region came to a resounding finale in Japan where her topic of ‘Colour Perception and its Role In Seismic Interpretation: A Geological Expression Story’ was once again a hit with students.

There was an impressive attendance at Kyoto University with the EAGE student chapter in Kyoto where Prof Hitoshi Mikada, faculty advisor, gave a welcome reception. The tour continued with the with JAPEX Research Centre, also well attended by almost 50 geoscientists and graduate students. Koji Kashihara, senior geophysicist of JAPEX, commented: ‘We learnt from Dr Payton that we can extract important geologic features even from low quality seismic just as we could see pandas in beans!’

Gaynor has now been invited to take here presentation on tour in Europe as part of the EAGE Student Lecture Tour (2016-17) supported by EAGE and ffA Geoteric. We thank the hosting universities and institutes for their wonderful effort in hosting the SLT and making it a huge success.

Satellite course appreciated in South Korea

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he Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) in Daejeon, South Korea was a stopping point for Alessandro Ferretti during the EAGE Education Tour 9 with his course on ‘Satellite InSAR Data: Reservoir Monitoring from Space’. It was the first opportunity for EAGE to serve the South Korean geoscience community.

The short course attracted 30 scientists, researchers and students coming from as

far as Seoul to attend. In the classroom, Ferretti was highly involved in discussions with participants who enjoyed his exercises derived from the government research institute itself.

Dochul Yang, senior Researcher of Cal/ Val & Data Quality Control Team (Satellite Information Center), KARI, said: ‘The instructor was very knowledgeable and we find the course useful for our research.’

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-2 2016

EAGE UPDATE

A life dedicated to solving the mysteries of China’s oil and gas resources We are particularly pleased to welcome the distinguished Chinese petroleum geologist Dr Wenzhi Zhao to our publication. He is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the president of PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development (RIPED), and deputy general manager of PetroChina Exploration & Production Company. He tells us about his work and what inspires him.

When you were young, what attracted you to the study of geology?

I was admitted to the Department of Geology, Northwest University, China in March 1978.

Since then, it has been my life-long pursuit to persistently focus on understanding the geological mysteries underground, and to explore the oil and gas distributional regularity. My motto has been to learn more, unravelling the yet-toanswer geological mysteries via my own thinking and probing, so as to benefit the country and its people.

What is your family/school background?

I was born in 1958 in Changli County, Hebei Province, in an ordinary rural family. My parents’ virtue of diligence, simplicity, sincerity and tenacity bestowed the best enlightenment and counsel for my life, exerting continued influence on my subsequent development both professionally and personally. When I was young, I studied hard, and did everything in a down-to-earth manner. At work even today I am dedicated to the pursuit of excellence. I start work at around 7 a.m. and stay very late in the evening, and seldom have holidays. In my personal experience diligence does make a difference.

What are your current research interests?

My research interest is to unlock the yet-to-discover oil and gas resources through geological innovation understanding. I head a major statelevel oil and gas research programme in marine carbonate sequences. The 13th five-year-plan period is focusing on the oil and gas exploration potential and status of Proterozoic-Cambrian ancient petroleum-bearing systems.

Of your many research achievements, of which are you most proud?

I believe the best is yet to come as long as my research life continues. As a record of past years, I and my team have developed new understanding to broaden exploration domains. One example is the proposition of sag-wide oil-bearing theory in hydrocarbon-rich depression. This understanding was germinated in the early 1990s, more than 20 years ago.

China’s primary energy consumption mix needs to be raised to 10-15%. In promoting low-carbon development, natural gas serves as a bridge from high-carbon fossil energy to low-carbon clean energy.

Dr Wenzhi Zhao sharing groundbreaking research and knowledge with his peers.

Another has been the establishment of theoretical models of ‘gas-generation relay’ from deep ancient source rocks and ‘dual-peak hydrocarbon generation’.

How do you go about the major task of writing academic books?

A certain Western scientist once pointed out that in both art and science, we search for the same elusive objective, which is beauty. When writing academic works, the scientific accuracy and artistic romance can be perfectly combined. First, the writing must be fluent and catchy to read. Second, it has to be developed in a clear and coherent way. Third, the writing needs to have clear arguments and adequate supporting points. Fourth, accurate legends with smooth lines are requisite.

Fifth, in the pursuit of rigorous academic thinking and scientific logic, we must strive to adopt a poetic way of writing that exudes philosophical thinking. Of course, what I am talking about is more like a concept than a method. As has been said, constant dripping wears away a stone, and little strokes fell great oaks. To genuinely acquire a skill, one needs to comprehend, experience, learn and improve during a long course of practice.

From your perspective, what are the further energy challenges and priorities for China?

Through continuous discovery of untapped oil resources and improving recovery from existing oilfields via technology advances, we are committed to stabilizing and prolonging domestic crude production at a level of 200 million tons per year. Equal weight is being placed on conventional gas and unconventionals by intensifying exploration efforts. The proportion of gas in

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-2 2016

Is there scope for more international collaboration for Chinese research and university organizations?

Yes, indeed. There are many research collaborations between research institutions of companies and domestic and foreign universities, some of which are very productive. Actually, this is an important way for Chinese research institutions to learn from the world-class research frontiers. For instance, the RIPED Beijing headquarters conducts dozens of, maybe 100 plus, collaborative research projects with first-class universities and research institutes at home and abroad annually.

In your university capacity, what is your main message to students?

As an ancient Chinese philosopher wrote, ‘A tree has to strike a firm root before it can flourish. A river has to have a fully dredged source before it can flow unceasingly far.’ I expect the students to cherish their days of youth and time, and treasure the learning opportunities and innovative platform provided by the nation, through strengthening a professional basis, cultivating cultural sentiments, shaping scientific qualities, and enhancing research skills.

What are the career prospects for young oil and gas geoscientists in China?

Promising yet challenging. While the energy demands including oil and gas brought on by the socio-economic growth are escalating in China, the current domestic oil and gas production is far from enough to meet such demands.

What do you like to do in your leisure time?

For decades, I have made unremitting efforts to play badminton twice a week. Such regular exercises immediately relieves the fatigue and stress caused by work, helping me to maintain an optimistic and sunny frame of mind. I can therefore feel great confidence about life.

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EAGE UPDATE

EAGE student chapter gets busy in India

T EAGE student chapter organizing a field trip in Kutch Basin.

he EAGE student chapter in India is working hard to get involved in the local geoscience community with some great well attended events to its credit.

EAGE Student Chapter at Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University recently organized an annual ‘Earth Science and Hydrocarbon Expedition’ field trip in the Kutch Basin, Gujarat for second and third year students.

Another initiative has been the first webinar on petroleum resource management system

(PRMS) and resource classification by Enrique Morales, an associate of SGS Horizon Company, based in The Hague, Netherlands.

The Chapter has organized various other notable events like the Well Logging Interpretation Workshop and Competition in association with ONGC and GSPC, ‘Find the faults’ event in association with ONGC-IRS, Gujarat, as well as a model making competition and technical discussion sessions with university alumni.

Save the dates for the Third AAPG/EAGE/MGS Myanmar Oil and Gas Conference

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AGE is again collaborating with AAPG and the Myanmar Geosciences Society (MGS) which will take place in Yangon again (2224 February, 2017). The three societies are very pleased again to work together and bring a quality geoscience event to this rather underexplored country that many call the ‘hottest hotspot’ for hydrocarbon exploration in Asia and maybe even the world.

As part of the 2013 offshore bidding round, 20 blocks were awarded to 13 international oil

and gas companies and PSC signing for all blocks was completed by mid-2015. As reported in the Myanmar Times, MOGE’s U Than Tun said at the third Southeast Asia Offshore Summit in September 2015 ‘The coming 2016-17 year will be the busiest period of Myanmar’s offshore petroleum industry, as oil companies in existing projects and newly-awarded blocks are going to begin exploration activities’. In the first quarter of 2016 two deep water discoveries were reported in blocks A-6 and AD-7 in the Rakhine Basin. In the sec-

ond half of 2015 and the first of 2016 more than 10 operators have been shooting large 3D and 2D seismic surveys across all the offshore basins.

With all this industry activity taking place in Myanmar plus a high level of academic research, it is expected that there will be an exciting and informative discussion about the evolution of knowledge of Myanmar’s petroleum systems, plays and field developments. Don’t miss this opportunity to join us in Yangon. For more information, please contact asiapacific@eage.org or call +603-2722 0140.

EAGE welcomes new committee members from China

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wo distinguished geoscientists from the Asia Pacific region have been invited to serve on key EAGE committees as part

sity of Kansas. He has also been a co-chair and executive chair of the International Conference on Environmental and Engineering Geophysics

of the Association’s continuing mission to promote increased diversity in its organization and leadership.

We welcome the appointment of Dr Jianghai Xia as a committee member of the Near Surface division responsible for liaison with the Chinese geoscience community. Jianghai is president of the Near Surface Committee of the Chinese Geophysical Society (CGS), professor of geophysics and director of the Hubei Subsurface Multi-scale Imaging Key Laboratory (SMIL) at the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan). He is author of numerous publications in his field of high-frequency surface waves, an editor-in-chief of Applied Geophysics, and a recipient of awards from SEG and EEGS whilst working at the Univer-

(ICEEG) since 2004.

We also congratulate Dr Yibo Wang who is to join the EAGE Education Committee as the first ever member from China. Dr Yibo Wang is a professor at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. In 2012 he was the winner of the Fu ChengYi Young Scientist Award from the Chinese Geophysical Society. He said: ‘I have benefited a lot from being a member of EAGE, and am deeply honoured to be an education committee member. It is great that so many professional people work as volunteers to contribute their time and experience to promote geoscience and education, and I am looking forward to make my contribution. Continuing education is crucial to our community, and I will

Dr Yibo Wang will represent Asia Pacific region on the Education Committee.

work with the committee to interact with geoscientists and engineers and try to meet their learning needs.’

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-2 2016

EAGE UPDATE

Carbonate focus for next student lecture tour

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rof Michael Poppelreiter, Shell Chair of Petroleum Science at Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) and recently appointed director of the South East Asia Carbonate Research Laboratory (SEACaRL) will be our Student Lecture Tour (SLT) instructor for 20162017. He follows Dr Gaynor Payton (ffA) who pioneered the SLT webinar in the Asia Pacific region.

Michael will travel to China, South Korea and Japan to share his research on ‘Anatomy of a supergiant: multi-dimensional on Permo-Triassic carbonates’.

He told us what he hopes students can learn: ‘The South China Sea hosts the most bio-diverse carbonate factories in the world. Below the sea are vast hydrocarbon resources stored in carbonates. I‘d like to encourage the audi-

in Beijing.

Curiosity in unravelling the earth history will undoubtedly guide students to become the next generation of industry experts.’

With support from EAGE China Chapter, the SLT schedule includes Peking University and China University of Petroleum Beijing (10 October), China University of Geoscience and CAS Institute of Geology and Geophysics (11 October) and CNPC Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development (12 October).

EAGE would also like to thank Japan Petro-

ence to investigate modern carbonates. This will help to interpret its ancient counterparts with a different mind-set. Curiosity is what students might want to bring along. Interest in carbonates will spark discussion and research.

leum Exploration Research Institute (JAPEX), Society of Exploration Geophysicists of Japan (SEGJ) and Japanese Association for Petroleum Technology (JAPT) for their support in hosting a session at JAPEX Research Institute in Chiba, Japan.

EAGE China Chapter welcome Prof Michael Poppelreiter for the upcoming Student Lecture Tour

Boot camp guru draws graduates to study in Malaysia

EAGE joining forces again with SEACaRL

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he South-East Asia Carbonate Research Laboratory (SEACARL) in Malaysia is once again going to work with EAGE to organize short courses and field trips.

This is the second collaboration for EAGE with

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risel Jimenez Soto, a petroleum geologist from Bolivia, was one of three young graduates who participated in the EAGE Geology Boot Camp 2015 held in Germany and was so inspired by the teaching of Prof Michael Poppelreiter that she applied to do a PhD at South East Asia Carbonate Research Laboratory (SEACARL) at the University Technology of Petronas (UTP) where he is the director. Grisel says, ‘His courses have changed the way I see the planet now.

Michael is really open to teaching the “sense of the geology“ and its application in the industry.’

Grisel was one of three students who are now heading for Malaysia to study at SEACarL following their Boot Camp experience with Prof Poppelreiter. For EAGE it is a great outcome and we wish them well.

By all accounts the boot camp proved to be an exciting seven day adventure, with days spent in the field and evenings preparing the geologic maps, structural cross sections, photo geological maps, rock descriptions, correlations charts and a discussion. The objective of the boot camp was to enable participants to gain valuable experience of industry-style geological exploration techniques in the field. It was a great opportunity for the students to bring their knowledge of geological theory into practice and to gain invaluable experiences of the entire reservoir modelling process with a ‘hands-on’ approach in an outcrop.

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-2 2016

SEACARL following the success of the Southeast Asia regional geology workshop with Professor Bernard Pierson and Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) in 2011. Pierson was recently succeeded by Prof Michael Poppelreiter, Shell Chair of Petroleum Geosciences, as the new Director of SEACaRL.

Prof Michael Poppelreiter and Gerard Wieg­gerink (centre) with EAGE Student Chapter and academic staff of Universiti Teknologi Petronas.

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EAGE UPDATE

Qingdao hosting geophysical event

Submit your abstract for EAGE Paris 2017!

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ust in case you missed this one. There is an International Geophysical Conference being jointly organized by the Chinese Geophyscial Society (CGS) and SEG on 17-20 April, 2017 in Qinqdao, China. EAGE will be represented at the event by regional manager Gerard Wieggerink.

Conference topics include geophysics in coal engineering, geothermal resources, exploration geophysics, borehole geophysics, geophysical big data analysis, reservoir geophysics, engineering geophysics, marine geophysics, rock physics and petrophysics and mineral geophysics.

An online abstract submission system will be available starting on 1 October with a final deadline of 10 December. For all information, please contact cgs@cgs.org.cn.

Kyoto student chapter is all about education

EAGE student chapter reunion with past and present members.

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his is a special mention for the Kyoto University EAGE Student Chapter and its activities. They provide a great testament to the value of our Chapter’s knowledge sharing mission. Many alumni have been recruited to work in national petroleum companies like INPEX and JAPEX. Most recently Kyoto student chapter members came to participate in our EAGE Velocities Workshop in Kuala Lumpur!

We salute faculty advisor Professor Hitoshi Mikada and the continuing support for students in Japan who are considering or intending a career in the geosciences or related disciplines.

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AGE has once again turned to Paris for the hosting of next year’s 79th EAGE An-

emphasizing the multi-disciplinary character of this geoscience event, the biggest of its kind in

nual Conference & Exhibition themed ‘Energy, Technology, Sustainability – Time to open a new Chapter’. Members can start making plans to participate and attend this premier event as the Call for Abstracts is now open.

You are invited to submit an abstract on geophysics, geology, reservoir, near surface or with a general or multi-disciplinary approach before the Call for Abstract deadline of 15 January 2017. Please note that the Technical Programme Committee is particularly keen to see contributions from all regions to ensure a geographically diverse programme. In addition, submissions on the topic of geology are particularly encouraged.

Kevin McLachlan, chairman of the Local Advisory Committee, is confident that Paris will be popular. He says, ‘Paris will inspire you to explore new solutions surrounded by its monuments, to discover new techniques in the rhythmic flow of the river Seine and to create

the world. It will include the conference with over a 1000 technical oral and poster presentations; a major exhibition showcasing latest developments in geophysics, geology and reservoir/petroleum engineering; workshops; field trips; short courses; a comprehensive programme for students; plus the always popular conference evening and other social events.

During the conference days, the opening session and various forums will feature discussion by international executives and technology experts on some of the main issues facing the industry today. There are meetings, too, of the EAGE’s women’s and young professionals’ special interest groups with guest speakers.

The event venue will be Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, which is the largest exhibition venue in Europe with a fabulous view of the Eiffel Tower. It is very well connected to the public transport system and has its own underground station, Porte de Versailles. There are several

networks in the silhouette of its museums and contemporary art.’

McLachlan calls the event theme a call to action for the Association’s members to ‘confront our industry’s challenges with groundbreaking technology and innovative techniques that help to create and unlock efficient and economic projects.’

The programme for 2017 will once again be organized in cooperation with SPE EUROPEC,

hotels within walking distance of the venue, which is accessible to the city’s two airports and the city centre.

With so many compelling reasons to put Paris 2017 on the calendar for next year, make sure to plan your visit and check the website www.eage.org/event/paris-2017 regularly for updates!

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-2 2016

INDUSTRY NEWS

Vienna annual sees growing presence of China

EAGE presenting token of appreciation to the distinguished leadership committee of Chinese

Flora Sun from EAGE China Chapter presented with

Geophysical Society after signing an associated

CUPB China and student chapter come in full force

the Best Local Chapter award by Roald van Borselen

agreement.

to support EAGE.

(EAGE Board Member).

AGE members from China were in greater

and An Lian Dong, vice president, marketing.

Geophysical Society based in China. The society

evidence than ever this year at the Annual Conference in Vienna. They made up an estimated 8% of the 4000 plus industry and academic participants who visited the event in spite of the difficult economic climate for the oil and gas industry.

EAGE China chapter came with a powerful delegation of 77 professors and university students from China University of Petroleum (Beijing). Over 50 oral and poster presentations were given.

BGP was also in Vienna as one of the main sponsors, bringing a delegation of more than 50 industrial professionals including top management. Chris Ward, EAGE president 2016-2017, Peter Verweij, director regional development, and Gerard Wieggerink, regional manager Asia Pacific, met with BGP officials including Zheng Hua Sheng, vice president, Hao Hui Min, chief geophysicist,

Chris Ward also discussed future cooperation with Zhou Song, president of Sinopec Geophysical Corporation.

In addition, a formal Associated Society membership agreement was signed with the Chinese

was represented by Professor Guo Jian, secretarygeneral, and Long Hai Lang, committee member.

Mohammed Alfaraj, EAGE president 2015-2016, Marcel Van Loon, EAGE executive director, and Gerard Wieggerink represented the Association.

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Chris Ward presenting token of appreciation to Zhou Song, president of Sinopec Geophysical

Asian students place high in EAGE contests

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ongratulations are due to the three Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) students and Rasesh Saraiya, Gaurav Gairola and Akshaya Deshpande from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay with their shared win of the third place in the highly competitive 2016 EAGE Field Challenge at EAGE Vienna 2016. These are the first Asian university teams to get in the top three since the competition began five years ago.

This year’s Field Challenge invited competitors to construct a field development plan for an OMV oil field, based on data available after an initial exploration and appraisal phase in the Vienna Basin.

UTP students Grandika S. Primadani (Indonesia), Pua Ming Jia, and Mohd Shahrul Azhar (Malaysia) spent two months preparing their submission for the final 30 minute presentation to a panel of experts in Vienna. Grandika said: ‘It was one of the best learning experiences. It forced the team to draw on all our geoscience and engineering knowledge gained in class from regional geol-

Mohd Shahrul Azhar, Pua Ming Jia and Grandika S. Primadani from UTP won third place in the EAGE Global Field Challenge.

ogy to field development plan.’ The team acknowledge the role of their associate professor Lo Shyh Zung in the geoscience department of UTP for mentoring them to the final round.

Another notable achievement by Asian students was recorded at the EAGE GeoQuiz. A team from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay came third in the annual GeoQuiz final in Vienna with UTP close behind in fourth place out of a total of 26 entrants.

corporation.

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-2 2016

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INDUSTRY NEWS / CALENDAR

Bay of Bengal discovery raises Indian hopes for gas hydrate production

he first potentially producible natural gas hydrate discovery offshore India has been made in the Bay of Bengal. The find is the result of collaboration between scientists from the US, Japan and India, and the second joint exploration for gas hydrate potential in the Indian Ocean

sediment coring, pressure coring, downhole logging and analytical activities to assess the geologic occurrence, regional context and characteristics of gas hydrate deposits in the offshore of India.

Although it is possible to produce natural gas from gas hydrates, there are significant technical challenges, depending on the location and type of formation. Previous studies have shown that gas hydrate at high concentrations in sand reservoirs is the type of occurrence that can be most easily produced with existing technologies.

The gas hydrate discovered during the second expedition are located in coarse-grained sand-rich

in a project called Indian National Gas Hydrate Program Expedition 02. The first expedition, a partnership between scientists from India and the US, discovered gas hydrate accumulations, but in formations currently unlikely to be producible.

Commenting on the role played by the US Geological Survey, Walter Guidroz, USGS Energy Resources Program coordinator, said: ‘Advances like the Bay of Bengal discovery will help unlock the global energy resource potential of gas hydrates as well help define the technology needed to safely produce them.’

The discovery is the result of the most comprehensive gas hydrate field venture in the world to date. Using the specialized drilling ship Chikyu scientists conducted ocean drilling, conventional

depositional systems in the Krishna-Godavari Basin, made up of a sand-rich, gas-hydrate-bearing fan and channel-levee gas hydrate prospects.

The next steps for research will involve production testing in these sand reservoirs to determine if natural gas production is practical and economic.

The international team of scientists was led by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India, on behalf of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas India, in cooperation with the USGS, the Japanese Drilling Company, and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology. USGS is also working closely with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology Japan on the analysis of pressure core samples collected from sand reservoirs with high gas hydrate concentrations.

Chikyu drilling vessel.

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Fugro set for seafloor investigation offshore India

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ugro has been awarded a geotechnical site investigation contract

by ONGC India for the deep water KG-DWN-98/2 project on the east coast of India. The purpose of the work is to gather site specific geotechnical and geohazard data for the design and later installation of wellheads, manifolds, platforms, FPSO anchors, umbilicals, pipelines and flow lines within the field.

Fugro will deploy its deep water geotechnical vessel, Fugro Voyager, which will perform work in water depths ranging from 50 m to 1500 m, commencing before end of the third quarter of 2016.

The fieldwork will be followed by extensive laboratory testing, data analysis, interpretation and integration with previous Fugro acquired AUV geophysical and metocean data to provide site characterisation reports. Fugro has an extensive deep water track record supporting deep water field developments offshore India.

EAGE Asia Pacific Event Calendar November 2016 7 November EAGE • Velocity Uncertainty Workshop Perth, Australia | www.eage.org

14-16 November AAPG/EAGE/SEG/SPE • 10th International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC) Bangkok, Thailand | http://www.iptcnet.org/2016/

December 2016 5-7 December EAGE • Third EAGE Integrated Reservoir Modelling Conference Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | www.eage.org

February 2017

June 2017

22-24 February AAPG/EAGE/MGS • Third AAPG/EAGE/MGS Myanmar Oil and Gas Conference 2017

12-15 June EAGE • 79th EAGE Conference & Exhibition - Paris 2017

Yangon, Myanmar | www.eage.org

Paris, France | www.eage.org

April 2017

September 2017

24-27 April EAGE/IOR • 19th European Symposium on Improved Oil Recovery

3-7 September EAGE • Near Surface Geoscience Conference & Exhibition 2017

Stavanger, Sweden | www.eage.org

Malmo, Sweden | www.eage.org

November 2017 20-21 November APGCE • Asia Petroleum Geoscience Conference & Exhibition Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | www.apgce.com

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EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-2 2016