EAGE Newsletter Asia Pacific 2017 1

EAGE NEWSLETTER

ASIA PACIFIC

Issue-1 2017

2017 should be an eventful year!

EAGE makes presence felt at IPTC in Bangkok

ternational Symposium on Digital Rock Physics and Application, various education activities and Chris Ward EAGE president 2016-2017

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ay I take this opportunity to wish all our members a rewarding New Year, and promise that the EAGE intends to make 2017 a memorable year in the Asia Pacific region.

We will be building on a successful base of events and services established by our hardworking staff in the regional HQ in Kuala Lumpur. Highlights last year included the well-attended 10th International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC) and the joint conference with AAPG and MGS in Myanmar. The EAGE-SCA In-

Trivia Question

Approximately how long would it take for a tsunami generated by an earthquake off the south coast of Java to reach Darwin?

A - 90 minutes B - 24 hours C - 7 hours D - 12 hours Answers on p. 5

workshops can all be regarded as successes.

This year there are two big events being organized by EAGE. From 22-24 February we held the Third AAPG/EAGE/MGS Myanmar Oil and Gas Conference which highlighted the opportunities in one of the world’s hotspot for exploration and attracted an impressive gathering of professionals and experts. Later on, we have the Asia Petroleum and Geoscience Conference & Exhibition (APGCE 2017) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 20-21 November. This large event for 2000 participants includes technical presentations, a high profile debate session between world authorities Paul Tapponnier and Robert Hall on the ‘Tectonics of SE Asia’, a large core display, field trips, a student programme, and much more.

Aside from these major events, EAGE Asia Pacific is working on training course programmes in Kuala Lumpur, Perth, and Beijing. Together with our Associated Society from Indonesia (HAGI), we have agreed to organize the first Asian version of EAGE’s internationally well-regarded Near Surface Geoscience Conference. An exciting new conference is also being planned for Q3 with our EAGE Local Chapter China. So make sure to look out for more event announcements because there is a lot to look forward to.

More generally, even though the professional community we serve is going through a particularly difficult time, I would like to draw attention to the positive changes that EAGE has instituted over the past months, and there have been quite a few.

Diversification, inclusiveness and transparency are the core features that we have to consider in the future development of EAGE. This relates to the core structure of the Association, disciplines that we cover and EAGE events. One example is the

From left to right: Jean-Jacques Biteau, EAGE vice president 2016-2017, William L. Abriel, SEG president 2016-2017; Janeen Judah, SPE President 2017; Paul Britt, AAPG president 2016-2017; and Olivier Dubrule, professor of Petroleum Geostatistics, Imperial College & Total.

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AGE was well represented at the 10th International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC) held from 14-16 November at the Bangkok Convention Centre in Thailand.

Jean-Jacques Biteau, EAGE vice president, Marcel van Loon, EAGE executive director, Olivier Dubrule, former president, along with Gerard Wieggerink and Rachel Moo from the Kuala Lumpur office were all on hand.

As usual, geoscientists from many discipline, academics, and students as well Read more on p. 2 ➤

What's inside Collaboration is top of the agenda for APGCE

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Third annual Myanmar conference proves a winner

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EAGE E-Lectures now also on Youku

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Read more on p. 2 ➤

And more …

EAGE UPDATE

2017 should be an eventful year!

Help for currently unemployed

Continued from p. 1

support for diversity we are providing for our disciplines at the upcoming Annual Conference in Paris where we have decided to put additional emphasis on geology, which we believe has been under-represented in the past.

Other projects worth mentioning are the restyle of our flagship EAGE publication First Break, which now has a new look and feel. The Board also decided to create a new section in the publication, Bulletin Board, dedicated to of-

EU Horizon 2020 Brokerage stand at Near Surface.

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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fering more transparency in the Board’s activities and giving members a better idea of what’s being discussed and general updates from Board meetings.

Another initiative has been the establishment of EAGE’s EU Public Affairs unit and EU 2020 Horizon Projector scheme Horizon 2020 Brokerage activities, launched at the Barcelona Near Surface Geoscience meeting in September. The purpose is to help members investigate fund-

id you know that EAGE has special arrangements for members currently in between jobs? At EAGE, we recognize the importance for those without employment to stay informed about the latest developments in the industry. The EAGE Economic Hardship Programme was established with this in mind.

The programme consists of various el-

ing and investment possibilities within the EU organization.

EAGE continues to increase its cooperation with various Associated Societies across the globe, which is mutually beneficial in increasing communication and sharing knowledge in the best interest of our members.

As I said, this should be an eventful year for EAGE members both here in the Asia Pacific region and worldwide, and I look forward very much to sharing it with you.

ements available for mid- and long-term EAGE members to lower the cost for events such as EAGE Short Courses (including EAGE Education Days). For the full details and how to apply, please have a look at the EAGE Hardship Programme page: www.eage.org/hardship-programme.

EAGE looks forward to continuing its support to members in difficulties in the current business climate.

EAGE makes presence felt at IPTC in Bangkok Continued from p. 1

as representatives of government agencies came by the EAGE booth on the exhibition floor picking up copies of our journals, buying books and signing up as new members. In conjunction with the IPTC event, EAGE was able to serve the geoscience community in Thailand with a two day short course on ‘Deepwater Reservoirs: Exploration and Production Concepts’ presented by Prof Dorrik Stow. The participants from Thailand, Iran and Australia appreciated the opportunity to learn from a world class specialist on deepwater sedimentary systems.

The IPTC, jointly organized by AAPG, EAGE, SEG and SPE, and hosted by the PTT Exploration and Production Public Company (PTTEP) attracted some 3700 participants from 31 countries.

The future of the global oil and gas industry was also recognized with a very strong educational strand running through IPTC. From Education

Days for high-school students, through Education Week activities aimed at geoscience and engineering undergraduates, to the Emerging Leaders Workshop for young professionals, there was a comprehensive agenda for those looking to start or further their career in the oil and gas industry.

We all look forward to the next edition of IPTC in Asia, which will take place in Beijing on 26-28 March 2019. For more information, visit www.iptcnet.org.

Jean-Jacques Biteau, Marcel van Loon and Rachel Moo represented EAGE in Bangkok.

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-1 2017

EAGE UPDATE

Travels and travails of a young geoscientist Jeremie Giraud is currently studying for a PhD at the Centre of Exploration Targeting at the University of Western Australia. Since graduating in 2009 with a Bachelor in Geophysics from the University of Strasbourg, he has worked and studied in the US, Canada, France, Germany and Italy. He now has a Masters in Geosciences and an engineering degree in Geophysics, and from 2012-2015 was in the Schlumberger training programme focusing on numerous petroleum geoscience applications. Here he talks about the influences on his life and what he has learned so far.

What value do you place in participating in professional societies such as EAGE and SEG? I think that it can make a difference not only in terms of networking, but also technically as it will expose you to the latest advancements and techniques. In terms of career development, participating in professional societies can help them to improve their understanding of the business and future trends.

Jeremie Giraud doing field work in Australia.

Were there any influences in your family or at school that persuaded you to follow a career in physics and geoscience?

There were few outside influences on my choice.

My two favourite subjects in high school were physics and geology. When I realized that studying both disciplines in a single curriculum was possible – with an emphasis on physics – my decision was made.

After so much study already and a PhD to complete, how do you see your career progressing?

I decided to start my PhD when I was still working in the industry. I consider it a part of my career as my project is applied to improving the current state of geoscientific integration of exploration scenarios, a problem I was already working on before.

What have been the highlights of your various research projects to date?

I find my PhD project very exciting. If there is something to highlight from past experiences, I would mention a project that dealt with the integration of seismic and non-seismic inversions with rock physics. I learned a lot, and what we developed at the time is now patent-pending.

There was also a very interesting project in Canada where we investigated the depth of the fresh-water interface on remote, populated

islands. In addition to the human aspect, the project included field data collection, processing, imaging, and finally, the writing of the associated publications to be presented at an international conference.

You have lived and worked in many places, which have been your favourites?

My favourite places are Strasbourg, France, and Milan, Italy. I stayed for about two years and a half in each city, to study and to work. Living in Strasbourg is very enjoyable as the city is beautiful architecturally, with the particularity of a river encircling the historical centre. Being the second European capital after Brussels, with a large student population, the city is very lively. I also really liked living in Milan. It is very well connected to the rest of Italy and Europe. Milan is also very dynamic, its cultural scene is active and, although it feels a bit unwelcoming at first, the city turns out to be warmer than it seems.

What would be your advice to students interested in making a career in the oil business?

I would recommend students to try to be versatile and to have an understanding of disciplines in which they are not a specialist. Also, depending on their preferences, I would suggest that they put the emphasis either on industry software or on scientific computing.

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-1 2017

What do you say to people who raise environmental concerns about industry operations and the future of the planet?

I would answer that their concerns are legitimate, especially today when even the recently signed Paris agreement depends upon the shifting winds of world politics. However, if strong politics are put in place to bring energy and natural resources to the public in a manner that is respectful of the environment and of the regulations, industry operations are simply a means to ensure the good functioning of the economy.

Tell us about the saxophone playing and other interests outside work!

Sadly, I am not playing my saxophone very often anymore. I had to leave it at home when I left Europe. Now studying for my PhD in Perth, Western Australia, I am living less than three minutes’ walk from the beach. This gives me the chance to snorkel and surf often. When I am travelling overseas I like to extend the duration of flight connections to be able to travel in stopover cities. I am now trying to see as much as I can in the Asia Pacific region. It’s really exciting!

If you were to start again, knowing what you know now, would you have considered any other career?

Although the industry has now reached the low of a cycle, no, I would not chose a different career. I find the challenges that geoscientists face in their work very exciting. Besides this, there is so much to do and learn in the geosciences that it is never repetitive, so I believe that a career in geophysics can be really rewarding!

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EAGE UPDATE

Student tour to remember in China

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espite his busy work schedule Prof Michael Pöppelreiter has been busy travelling on behalf of EAGE as our Student Lecture Tour (SLT) instructor for 2016-2017.

Michael is Shell Chair of Petroleum Science at Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) and newly appointed director of the South East Asia Carbonate Research Laboratory (SEACaRL).

With support from EAGE China Chapter, he has travelled to Peking University, China University of Petroleum Beijing (CUPB) and China University of Geoscience. His lecture received a popular reception from over 210 students during the tour. To assist students in gaining a wider perspective on the future outlook for careers in oil and gas sector, he also shared his thoughts on ‘Low Oil Price: Future Outlook and Perspective from Industry and Academia’ topic during a special CUPB seminar attended by over 50 students and academics. At the upcoming Asia Petroleum and Geoscience Conference & Exhibition in November in Kuala Lumpur, Michael will volunteer his time to support student

Student and staff at the China University of Geoscience

CUPB university students listen attentively to the

(Beijing) gather to welcome Michael Pöppelreiter.

lecture.

activities coming from different universities of Asia Pacific region.

The next student lecture tour in China will be

positions in E&P geology, geophysics and management in eight different countries. His most recent positions have been chief geoscientist for

presented by Hendrik Rebel, vice president of geosciences from Advanced Energy & Environmental (AE&E) Technologies. Hendrik is an all-round E&P guru with over 30 years of experiences and is well versed in the application of seismic interpretation in development and exploration in China, Australia, Europe and Middle East. In his 30 year career with Shell, he has held some 14 different

Shell China, regional geoscience advisor for Asia Pacific based in Malaysia, and before that capability manager in Petroleum Development Oman, responsible for the development and training of hundreds of young professionals. Hendrik professes a passion for China, geological fieldwork, archaeology, ancient history, culture and politics, as well as mountain and jungle hiking.

Kuala Lumpur APGCE conference is a must Key note presentations are expected from Prof Richard Swarbrick, now retired from University of Durham/Ikon Science) on pore pressure prediction and Prof Don Lawton (University of Calgary) seismic monitoring systems.

One of the highlights from previous events was the core display session which is making a

Emeliana Rice-Oxley, vice president exploration upstream, Petronas.

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he collapse in crude prices has hit the oil industry with the hard truth that many challenges beyond expectations must be met if existing operations and new major projects are to remain economically viable.

Those challenges and the need for collaborative solutions will serve as the backbone for the Conference Programme Committees crafting the agenda for the Asia Petroleum Geoscience Conference and Exhibition

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(APGCE 2017) on 20–21 November 2017 in Kuala Lumpur.

One highly anticipated geology session is due to discuss the complexity of South East Asia and debate its tectonic evolution and related tectonic models. Leading the conversation will be Prof Robert Hall from Royal Holloway University of London, UK and Prof Paul Tapponnier from Earth Observatory of Singapore with Ian Longley from GIS-pax as moderator.

comeback to facilitate discussion on the modelling and understanding of sedimentary systems.

Following the conference look out for the short courses on ‘Reconstruction of the Plate Tectonics in the Region’, ‘Time-lapse Seismic Analysis for Monitoring’ and ‘Pore Fluid Pressure and Fracture Pressure Prediction’ details of which will be announced soon.

Preceding the conference, two field trips are planned, one to look at Oligo-Miocene deep water turbidities to fluvio-deltaic clastic depositional environment and reservoir distribution/ geometry and the other to study continental rift plays, reservoir and structure, You can register for the conference at www.apgce.com and benefit from the early bird discount, before the deadline of 15 July 2017.

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-1 2017

EAGE UPDATE

ASEG Adelaide sets attendance record

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he low oil price environment did nothing to impact the ASEG-PESA-AIG Conference in Adelaide. The event, held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, attracted a record of attendance of more than 800 participants confirming its status as Australia’s premier geoscience gathering. It was jointly hosted by the Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists (ASEG), Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia (PESA) and the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG) with the theme ‘Interpreting the Past, Discovering the Future’.

Representing EAGE was Rachel Moo from the Asia Pacific office. She reports that many participants made their way to the EAGE booth on the exhibition floor. This year, EAGE and the local organizing committee worked more closely together.

EAGE was honoured to bring Dr Yaoguo Li from the Colorado School of Mines to teach his course on ‘Gravity and Magnetic Methods for Oil & Gas and Mineral Exploration and Production’. The course received an excellent reception from Australian participants.

In the regional Geo-Quiz, a trip to Paris became a dream come true for two geoscience students who had never met before this year’s ASEG-PESA-AIG Conference. Victoria Seesaha from Curtin University and Dennis Conway from Adelaide University teamed up to win the competition and the prize of attending this year’s 79th EAGE Conference & Exhibition

in Paris and competing in the Geo-Quiz global final.

The next conference is to be called the Australian Exploration Geoscience Conference (AEGC 2018) and takes place in Sydney in January 2018. EAGE will be definitely be present at the next conference to show great support with a short course and the Geo-Quiz.

From left to right: Linda Ford (SEG), Pak Randy (HAGI), Micki Allen (EEGS), Koya Suto (ASEG), Amit Kumar (SPG), Rachel Moo (EAGE) and Akihiko Chiba (SEGJ).

EAGE strengthens its links with Indonesian geoscience community Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta! The conference will focus on research and development in geoscience applied to near surface. It places emphasis

A joint convention will be held in the city of Malang, near Mount Bromo.

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erard Wieggerink, regional manager of Asia Pacific office, was on booth duty representing EAGE at the 41st HAGI Annual Convention and Exhibition 2016. This is the event where the Indonesian Association of Geophysicists (HAGI) brings a wide audience from oil, gas, mining industries to Lampung.

The conference and exhibtion attracted 1500 visitors and provided an opportunity to meet EAGE members, sell some of our publications

and promote EAGE’s Asia Pacific events to the geoscience community.

In a special ceremony, Pak Dicky passed on the baton of HAGI presidency to Ibu Rusalida, the first woman to hold the office (who is featured in a special interview on p. 6).

EAGE looks forward to collaborating with HAGI in the organization of a near surface geoscience conference in 2018. The new joint event is planned for April 2018 and will be hosted by University

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-1 2017

on geological, hydrogeological, geotechnical, environmental, engineering, mining, archaeological, agricultural and other applications of geophysics as well as physical soil and rock properties.

EAGE will be supporting HAGI by exhibiting at an upcoming joint convention and exhibition being held from 25-28 September in Malang City, East Java organized by HAGI with IAGI (Indonesian Association of Geologists), IATMI (Society of Indonesian Petroleum Engineers), and IAFMI (Indonesian Association of Production Facility Engineer).

Trivia answer C - 7 hours

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EAGE UPDATE

Bring customized training to your organization

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id you know that you can have an EAGE short course specially tailored for your organization, held on your own premises?

Our short courses are available for participants interested in further developing their knowledge through industry specific programmes presented by our members, both industry professionals and academics. EAGE offers a wide range of classroom training, and most of the short courses are available as in-house training. These can be organized at your own facilities and cus-

tents of the courses are evaluated regularly to ensure that they stay up-to-date and at a high professional level. Most instructors are flexible and can customize the curriculum with individual preferences and training needs.

An important benefit of the EAGE in-house format is lower cost. It is often more cost effective to have courses delivered at venues of your choice rather than you and your staff having to travel to another location.

Engaging in training as a group and undertaking activities and discussions together can also serve as a team-building exercise,

tomized to better fit with the needs of the company.

In-house courses are usually suited for a group of 10-20 participants, although a larger group can be accommodated. The course can be complemented with a consultation session, if needed.

EAGE instructors are carefully selected by the EAGE Education Committee, and the con-

strengthening the bonds between your employees, refreshing your team’s skills and boosting their confidence.

On the Learning Geoscience website you can find an overview of all the short courses which includes a description if it is available as in-house course. For any questions or requests, please contact the EAGE Events team (education@eage.org).

Third annual Myanmar conference proves a winner!

Dr Tn Naing, Myanmar Deputy Minister, MOEE, welcoming the crowd of 220 participants during the opening speech.

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of geophysicists. It is dedicated to the scientific study of the Earth for the benefit of society.

In 2016, EAGE had the honour of sponsoring Maz Farouki, PGS chief geoscientist, to present a special student lecture at VAST

ver 220 people showed up to make the Third AAPG/EAGE/MGS Myanmar Oil and Gas Conference a big success.

The event took place from 22-24 February at the Shangri-La Sule in Yangon.

Technical proceedings began with keynotes from Myo Myint of Myanmar Oil & Gas Enterprise, Myanmar; Terry Walker of Woodside (Australia); Soe Myint of Myanmar Geosciences Society (MGS); Claude Rangin of Nice University, France; Kyungsik Choi of Seoul National University, South Korea; and Manuel Pubellier of CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France. Their thoughts on geoscience challenges in Myanmar complemented sessions by representatives of key regional oil companies, such as Woodside, PTTEP, Reliance Oil Industries, PETRONAS Carigali Myanmar, Myanma Oil & Gas Enterprise and Total, as well as service companies like EMGS and DUG.

Institute of Marine Geology and Geophysics, Hanoi University of Mining and Geology and the Vietnam Petroleum Institute. Maz’s lecture at Hanoi University of Mining, set an attendance record for EAGE student lectures in the region with over 150 geology and geophysics Prof Cao Dinh Trieu, VAG, and Gerard Wieggerink, students participating.

EAGE, sealing the deal.

EAGE intends to collaborate with VAG in more workshops, educational events and speerard Wieggerink, EAGE’s Asia Pacific cial programmes to support the upcoming regional manager, made the trip to generation of young geoscientists who are meet Prof Cao Dinh Trieu, president of students or early in their careers. the Vietnam Association of Geophysics (VAG).

Gerard was impressed by VAG’s energy and Gerard’s mission was to welcome VAG to the events they are organizing. He said: ‘We the EAGE family with the formal signing of welcome them into the global EAGE family an Associated Society agreement. VAG is a of Associated Societies. We look forward to non-governmental, non-profit organization further serving the geoscience community in established in Hanoi with a growing number Vietnam.’

Session topics included regional geology and tectonic evolution, depositional systems from source to sink, petroleum systems and plays, onshore, petroleum systems and plays, shallow water, petroleum systems and plays, and deep water field developments.

Jean Jacques-Biteau, EAGE vice president, Marcel van Loon, EAGE executive director, and Gerard Wieggerink, Asia Pacific regional director, attended the event. EAGE, AAPG and MGS were very pleased to work together again 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.

The conference was endorsed by Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) and Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE).

VAG is latest society to join the EAGE family

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EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-1 2017

EAGE UPDATE

Forging a career in the Indonesian oil industry The career of Rusalida Raguwanti provides inspiration for any young woman considering a career in the oil business. After 18 years of work in exploration and reservoir geophysics, she is a senior manager of Exploration Kalimantan & Eastern Indonesia in Pertamina Hula Energi, and recently became the first female president of the professional society Himpunan Ahli Geofisika Indonesia (HAGI). She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Geological Engineering from Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Yogyakarta and a Masters in Geophysics from the University of Tulsa, USA.

When you were growing up, was it unusual ploration sector has to continue operations with for a woman to opt for geoscience qualificarespect to productivity and efficiency as well as tions and a career in the oil industry? safety during the low oil price environment. NevThere were some women who already had a ertheless my previous work experiences in develcareer in the oil industry, but not as many as opment and technology groups play a big role in nowadays. I’m very proud to see many female carrying out this new task. students in Indonesia are taking a geoscience major at university and building their careers to be geoscientists in the oil and gas industry. As part of my responsibility as HAGI’s President, I will encourage and motivate female students to develop and empower themselves by continuous learning, broadening knowledge and improving skills, and expanding their network, all while remaining true to their nature as women.

Did your family approve of your career choice?

Yes they did, they gave me a big support to my career choice. My family has played a major part in my achievements and continues to be a source of motivation in my career. They were very proud of me when I received a scholarship from national oil company Pertamina to pursue my Masters degree at the University of Tulsa Oklahoma in the US. However, they taught me not to be arrogant and remain humble.

Ibu Rusalida standing in front of an Indonesian geological attraction.

memories in my life. It was not easy to live far away from family, but I had to survive and achieve my goal to finish my studies on time so that I could implement my knowledge in my home country of Indonesia.

Which areas of the business do you like best?

I have been working as a geoscientist for 20 years in Pertamina. I particularly enjoy working here with people who are interested in developing the potential of business partnerships and who are aiming at the long term goals of making a significant contribution to humanity with

Are there any special challenges that you would explain for female students considering a career in the Indonesian oil

What have been your proudest achievements to date in your professional work?

I am eternally grateful and proud of all my achievements. However I feel most satisfied when my accomplishments can be useful for others, such as being part of an integrated team and contributing my expertise to successful exploration drilling projects.

industry?

Do not regard the issue of gender as a barrier in your career in the oil industry. Women still need men as partners and team members in their careers. Indonesian women should also maintain the values of eastern culture in their behaviour in the workplace. Women are known to be organized and detailed and can usually handle doing a lot of things at once. My advice is to use this as an advantage, opportunity and strength.

Where do you see your career evolving from your current senior management position?

I have a new responsibility for operating and managing exploration assets in my company with a new team of geoscientists. I now discover the great challenges of how the oil and gas ex-

When you have time to escape from work, what do you like to do?

Spending quality time with family or relatives, out of the job routine, and doing my hobbies such as travelling with my family, watching a music show or just relaxing at home and listening to my favourite music.

respect to developing our country.

How valuable was studying abroad, in your case the US, and what did you learn?

By studying abroad I got a new perspective on culture exchange, experienced a different social climate, improved my language skills, received a great education, and was willing to learn about everything. I studied for my Masters in geophysics for two years. My advisor was Prof Chris Liner who is very well known in the fields of seismic data processing and reservoir modelling. He led me to further individual research involving seismic method applications, particularly reservoir geophysics methods such as AVO and inversion modellng. Besides that, living in the US coloured my life with so many experiences. I met students, friends, and relatives from different countries with different cultures. It provided me with many precious

You have been very active in the professional societies including being president of HAGI and actively promoting cooperation with EAGE. What do these activities achieve?

I dream about HAGI as an Indonesian association of geophysicists which will develop into a worldwide professional organization with synergies in a diversity of geophysics expertise. By collaborating with EAGE and other international associations, there will be many international events or opportunities to join projects that can provide added value to all parties, especially in the area of geophysics and its leading technologies. One highlight next year will be hosting the first near surface geophysics conference in Indonesia as a collaboration between HAGI and EAGE.

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-1 2017

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EAGE UPDATE

Preparations for Paris 2017 are in full swing

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t is already time to begin thinking seriously about this year’s 79th EAGE Conference & Exhibition (12-15 June 2017).

Kevin McLachlan, chairman of the Local Advisory Committee for Paris 2017 says the event theme of ‘Energy, Technology, Sustainability: Time to open a new Chapter’ highlights the need to bring new solutions to the pressing problems arising from the persistent low price of oil and the demand for environmentally friendly exploration and production.

In his foreword to the meeting’s second announcement (published in December), EAGE president Chris Ward expressed the belief that ‘technology, better practice and integrated solutions can turn the current downturn into an opportunity. Our conference theme should be a rallying call not just for our members but for many government, commercial and academic professionals interested in the future progress of geoscience and engineering applications in

the world, not only confined to the oil and gas industry.’

A full schedule is being built around the main technical programme. The event will kick-off with an opening session and an icebreaker reception on Monday 12 June. The first two days will also see the popular Forum, executive and dedicated sessions. Furthermore EAGE offers two special interest sessions for Young Professionals and Women in Geoscience and Engineering. Participants can also look forward to a full schedule of workshops, field trips and short courses before and after the main event days.

The event’s core is of course the Technical Programme with the emphasis on multi-disciplinary research and strategies. This year the plan is to highlight geology. Extra sessions are being scheduled on petroleum geology with themes such as IOR-EOR; Petroleum Systems in the Middle East; Petroleum Systems of Sub-Saharan Africa; Petroleum Systems of North Africa; Oil and Gas History

The preparations are also well underway to stage the all-important exhibition where over 350 companies will be showcasing the latest technologies, new product launches and numerous industry services. The exhibition is a perfect platform where you can grow and strengthen a network of invaluable contacts, but also for companies and organizations in the geoscience field to gain maximum exposure.

Finally, we continue to cater in a big way for the upcoming generation of students needed and welcomed in the geoscience community. The French artist inspired theme of ‘Paint your Path’ for the Student Programme will challenge all students to discover their inner impressionist and find a balance between creativity and geoscience.

It promises to be an exciting programme full of activities with a variety of technical presentations, workshops, an exhibition tour, trial interviews, a motivational speaker, and the two major contests; the Geo-Quiz and FIELD Challenge.

of Europe; Seals in Northern Europe; and Shale Oil Production Resilience – Why and How?

The best way to catch up with all details is to visit www.eage.org/event/paris-2017.

EAGE E-Lectures are available on Youku

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new EAGE service to the Chinese geoscience community has been the introduction of E-Lectures on some of the most interesting developments in geoscience.

By presenting short videos available on YouTube, our lecturers offer an accessible way of learning about the latest research.

EAGE recently hosted a series of four videos with Mandarin subtitles on Youku, one of China’s top online video and streaming service platforms.

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The series of four videos were Seismic Geomechanics by Jorg Herwanger, Applied AVO

by Anthony Fogg, Seismic Multiple Removal by Eric Verschuur and Seismic Anisotropy by Etienne Robein.

Based on the feedback of EAGE Local Chapter China, many Chinese university students, professors and industry professionals are excited that EAGE is making the extra effort to share discussions about the latest develop-

ments in geoscience by well-known E&P gurus - for free!

There are plans to further develop popular E-Lectures in 2017. To view more E-Lectures in Mandarin subtitles, you can check out our EAGEGEOSCIENCE1 account on Youku. If you wish to recommend E-Lectures to be subtitled in Mandarin, please feel free to drop an email to asiapacific@eage.org to share your ideas.

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-1 2017

EAGE UPDATE

Fresh look for First Break, contributors welcome The topic list for First Break 2017

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ost geoscientists and especially members of EAGE will be aware of our flagship publication First Break. It is read worldwide as an authoritative source of topical news, features, analysis and accessible technical information.

Beginning in January 2017, First Break’s English language version has taken on a fresh design and a quarterly section is being introduced called Bulletin Board. This is where the EAGE Board and management will keep the membership informed on new initiatives and developments on a monthly basis.

Meantime we encourage geoscientists and engineers in industry and academia to contrib-

January

Land Seismic

February

Reservoir Monitoring

March

Petroleum Geology

April

Passive Seismic

May

Modelling/Interpretation

June

Energy, Technology, Sustainability - Time to open a new chapter

July

Unconventionals & Carbon Capture and Storage

August

Near Surface Geoscience

September

EM & Potential Methods

October

Reservoir Geoscience and Engineering

November

Marine Seismic

December

Data Processing

ute a refereed technical article or submit an article for the special topic section, which has a different theme every month.

If you are thinking of contributing or are already in the process, please keep in mind our guidelines.

As a general rule, articles should be readable, informative, interesting and succinct. Authors are encouraged to keep their articles to around 3000 words in length plus illustrations, with a maximum of 4500 words including the list of references and text in figure captions.

Technical articles for First Break are subject to the full refereeing process. They should, whenever possible, be submitted via: EAGE’s ScholarOne website: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/fb.

This allows you to track the progress of the article at all stages and ensures a more rapid turnaround from submission to publication. Authors submitting for the first time will have to create an account before logging in. The site offers a Help section and User Guide.

For the Special Topics, articles are best submitted to our editorial coordinator by email to firstbreak@eage.org. Any questions about the suitability of an article should also be sent here in the first instance. The table shows the topic list for 2017. Submissions should be made no less than two months ahead of time to ensure proper consideration for publication. For more information, please go to www.firstbreak.org.

Seismic inversion provides workshop topic in Perth

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his could be the workshop you have been waiting for! It is being planned by EAGE on Seismic Inversion for Reservoir Characterization on 1617 November 2017 in Perth, oil capital of Australia.

Co-chaired by Paul Bouloudas, senior staff geophysicist, Quadrant Energy and Paul C. Spaans, principal reservoir geophysicist, Woodside Energy, the workshop will cover topics focusing on seismic inversion with interactive sessions related to the Asia Pacific region such as rock physics seismic modelling, data optimization for AVO ap-

plications and seismic inversion (deterministic/stochastic and FWI methods) plus case studies.

Seismic Inversion has become an indispensable and widely used technology for hydrocarbon exploration and the data are quite attractive for guiding the mapping of properties like facies distribution or porosity in reservoir modelling. Improving inversion data through broadband processing has seen significant advances in recent years. With the additional amount of data inherent in broadband seismic amplitudes, practitioners can now characterize

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-1 2017

their reservoirs with increasing clarity and certainty.

Taking this into account, the workshop is designed for geoscience professionals involved in analysis and interpretation of inversion data in active exploration and development settings. The workshop will be preceeded by a few quality short courses related to the workshop topic.

The organizing committee is currently soliciting for speakers to contribute presentations and we encourage those interested to visit the workshop website at www.eage.org or contact asiapacific@eage.org.

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EAGE UPDATE

Geomazing Race at Universiti Teknologi Petronas marine environments besides discussing some sedimentary structures. Further interesting talks continued with one on ‘Basic Introduction to Paleontology’ by Dr Jose who shared his knowledge on fossils, and which are body fossils, mould and replica, ethological structures and ichnofossils.

Many of the six team members furiously wrote down notes which might prove useful for unravelling clues in the real race!

The race started in the late afternoon when the committees were assigned to a checkpoint to ensure the event ran smoothly. At each station, different and specific tasks were given based on the topics such as seismic, minerology, sedimentology, paleontology, puzzle and physiUTP student chapter raising a cheer for the Geomazing Race.

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Geomazing Race supported by EAGE Student Fund was organized recently by the Univesiti Teknologi Petronas. This novel concept proved to be a great opportunity for student’s to sharpen their geoscience skills.

The event attracted applications to participate from hundreds of student from which six groups were chosen. On the morning of the race, three talks were given by three professors at Universiti Teknologi Petronas before the students were challenged to solve the hidden clues in the Geomazing race puzzles.

The programme began with a welcoming speech by the Master of Ceremony and continued with the first talk titled ‘Basic and Introduction to Seismic Method’ by Associate Professor Lo’ Shyh Zung who exposed the students on what is seismic, geophysics, a seismic section, and jobs in seismic processing/interpretation such as handling project and data management. After having a short break, a lecture on ‘Basic and Introduction to Sedimentology’ was given by Mr Shaufi who provided an overview on some depositional environments such as continental, marginal and

cal games. As the Geomazing race depends on teamwork, the teams had a lot of fun utilizing each talent, note and stamina to run around and complete physical games to find the next clue within the campus of the university. Overcoming limited time and resources, the deserving winning team won the cash of RM 200 with certificates, the first runner up received RM 150 and certificates and third place winner received RM 100 and certificates. Overall, the Geomazing Race was a fantastic initiative and the student chapter thanks EAGE for their continuous support to serve the Malaysian student geoscience community.

Ambitious Geoconfluence student project proves popular in India

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he EAGE student chapter of Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, one of our most active chapters, had this dream of organizing a huge, three-day event called Geoconfluence in which students would come together to immerse themselves in the geotechnical world.

Realising what might be entailed, the students made contact with SEG and SPG Student Chapters from the Department of Applied Geophysics to explore the idea of putting together various events including paper presentations, case studies and also several guest lectures and workshops. The students put a lot of effort into planning different attractions such as Geo Draft oral paper presentations, Geo Fabrica poster presentations, Geofag Concurso quiz competi-

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EAGE student chapter actively participated in the Geo Aventura FIELD challenge.

tion, Geo Modelling, guest lectures, international webinars, Geo Vita essay writing, Geo Painting, Shutterbug photography competition, and Green Hour, an initiative of Geoconfluence 2016 to promote energy security and sustainability.

The highlights were the Geofag Concurso and Geo Aventura. Geofag Concurso consisted of a

quiz competition similar in concept to the EAGE Geo-Quiz with over 40 teams of three students taking part. Geo Aventura, a similar idea to EAGE’s Field Challenge, involved over 30 teams of four students participating enthusiastically applying different geophysical surveys in a real case study. Both happenings definitely caught the attention of the crowd!

The event concluded with a cultural programme including Bharatanatyam classical dance and guitar performances plus a prizegiving ceremony with Dr Debashish Halder, chief geophysicist of ONGC, Bokar. All in all, it was a great platform for all students to learn and share their geotechnical skills. EAGE Student Fund intends to support the next 2017 Geoconfluence.

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-1 2017

INDUSTRY NEWS

Country advisors will help EAGE mission in Australia and India

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s part of its mission EAGE continues to explore the best ways to serve its members across the Asia Pacific region.

In a new initiative, the regional office in Kuala Lumpur has begun to work with country advisors in order to better understand the neesds of local geoscience communities. Our first two country advisors are Paul Bouloudas, senior geophysicist, Quadrant Energy, based in Western Australia, and Pranaya Sangvai, business unit head, Reliance Industries, based in Mumbai, India. Both men have advice for EAGE. Paul recently served as committee chairman of last year’s Velocity Uncertainty Workshop in Australia which attracted over 65 participants.

He says: ‘As a geoscientist working in Australia, you have to realise that physical isolation can sometimes act as an impedance on your personal training and career development. As an individual you may sometimes feel as though the oil price is conspiring to work against you.

In low commodity markets, career development

Pranaya Sanvai searching out the latest EAGE E-Lectures.

Paul Bouloudas at the 2016 Velocity Uncertainty Workshop in Australia.

and training courses may be cancelled in distant countries such as Australia. International expositions in the US, Europe, or Asia-Pacific region

Pranaya has 33 years of experiences in the petroleum industry and has been an active EAGE volunteer in India. He holds the somewhat philo-

may be too expensive to attend.

‘This makes networking and learning opportunities difficult. The geoscientists who make an effort to stay involved and active in societies will soon realise that there are continuing distance opportunities for training, development and improvement and distant becomes less of an issue.

You may not see or travel the world as much as you did in the 90s or early 2000s, but other more rewarding opportunities present themselves in place of travel. You just need to “press your home button” and take stock of what you do have - and geoscience becomes a very fulfilling career in a new and different way.’

Paul says he is impressed by EAGE bringing its services and education to its members rather than the members having to find travel funds to attend EAGE’s Annual Conference. He encourages members to get involved with EAGE Education Days which can serve as an important lifeline in these times.

sophical view that any service by a geoscientist is not just a national service, but an important global social service to humanity. He believes the geological surprises and uncertainties of the oil game have made him a more humane and humbler person.

Pranaya believes in EAGE’s potential value in India, but is aware that its growth in the country has been relatively slow. He has some solutions to offer. ‘Enhanced networking and publicity is the key in this digitally educated the Indian oil industry. Making your presence felt on the Indian E&P operators’ internal website can be the first step forward. Also a door to door approach in addition to conferences and symposiums would be a good idea for growth and building EAGE “blocks” in every operators’ office.’

Anyone looking to liaise with EAGE and Country Advisors on specific issues relating to India and Australia, please feel free to contact asiapacific@eage.org for more information.

Near surface meeting heading for Java

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AGE and its associated society HAGI (Indonesia) are excited to announce the First Near Surface Geosciences Asia Conference & Exhibition, hosted by Gadjah Mada University (GMU) in Yogyakarta, Java in early April 2018.

Both EAGE and HAGI share the desire to better cater for geoscientists active in the near surface field in Indonesia and the Asia Pacific region and therefore decided to join forces to create a platform for near surface professionals to meet, share knowledge and connect.

At a meeting in March, EAGE and HAGI officials travelled to GMU to meet with university staff and

EAGE and HAGI officials (left) meeting with UGM representatives (right).

together the three parties outlined the contours for this exciting new joint event. There is no better place to schedule a meeting than Yogyakarta.

This beautiful city (often called Jogja) is located on the Indonesian island of Java and is known for its

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-1 2017

traditional arts, rich cultural heritage and young vibrant student culture! Not only will the delegates enjoy an interesting conference programme and the city of Jogja, but some intriguing fieldtrips to touristic highlights like the temple Borobudur, one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world, and Merapi Vulcano, the most active stratovolcano in Indonesia, are being planned.

Yogyakarta can easily be reached via Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. This is a not to be missed event in 2018 for all our near surface professionals. Check the EAGE website for the latest information.

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INDUSTRY NEWS / CALENDAR

Santos 2D acquisition begins south of Alice Springs

Reprocessing of Carnarvon Basin data underway

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earcher Seismic, in conjunction with project partner, CGG, has begun the PSDM reprocessing of ~1668 km2 of 3D seismic data in the Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia.

The project comprises broadband PSDM reprocessing of the Western portion of the existing Foxhound 3D Seismic Survey, acquired by Searcher and CGG, and includes coverage to the 2016 Australian acreage release.

The survey is split into two portions; the western cube which lies North-East and on trend to the Chandon, Martell and Io/Jansz

North-North-East and on trend to the Pluto and Wheatstone fields.

Joshua Thorp, geoscience manager, Searcher Seismic, said: ‘Originally acquired in 2009, the Foxhound 3D survey faced many challenging geophysical issues from a rugose seabed, a highly channelized Tertiary section and deep Triassic reefs. Improving the phase control, particularly at the low end, and using an integrated geoscience approach to create a high resolution velocity model will enhance the imaging in the Jurassic and Triassic plays.’

Final PSDM data will be available in Q3,

fields, and the eastern portion which lies

2017.

Location of Santos activity.

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antos, the Australian independent E&P oil and gas company, has begun a seismic acquisition programme acquiring over 1000 km of 2D seismic to fulfill part of its Southern Amadeus Stage 2 farm-out obligation of 1300 km.

According to joint venture partner Central Petroleum, the aim is to mature the Dukas and Mahler drill targets being prospective for natural gas and helium, and gather data for the Rossini lead. Upon completion of the seismic in accordance with the farm-out requirements, Santos will have the right to retain an increase in its participating interest from 25% to 40% for EPs 82, 105 and 112 (with EP 106 no longer

Gradiometry survey builds over Malaysia

applying due to voluntary relinquishment).

bid round is an ideal time to introduce this programme and is an excellent opportunity to prioritize future acquisition for interested parties.

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ell Geospace, together with Onyx Engineering and PETRONAS, is launching a multi-client 3D full tensor gradiometry (FTG) programme in Malaysia.

The programme includes airborne and magnetic survey data that will be acquired over offshore Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah. Fully processed and interpreted library data is already available, spanning 158 km2 with additional data being added from February 2017.

John Macfarlane, executive vice president, Bell Geospace, said: ‘The ongoing licencing

Our regional FTG data will play a significant role in the exploration process for companies working or considering working in Malaysia.’

Offshore eastern Malaysia.

EAGE Asia Pacific Event Calendar June 2017 12-15 June EAGE • 79th EAGE Conference & Exhibition - Paris 2017 Paris, France | www.eage.org

August 2017 21-22 August EAGE/SPE • Workshop on Geohazards Kuala Lumpur, Malaysis | www.eage.org

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November 2017

21 August - 19 September EAGE • Education Days Beijing 2017

16-17 November EAGE • First EAGE Workshop on Seismic Inversion for Reservoir Characterization

Beijing, China | www.lg.eage.org

24 August - 19 September EAGE • Education Days Kuala Lumpur 2017 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | www.lg.eage.org

Perth, Australia | www.eage.org

20-21 November APGCE • Asia Petroleum Geoscience Conference & Exhibition Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | www.eage.org

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC ISSUE-1 2017