EAGE Newsletter Asia Pacific Issue 2 2015

EAGE NEWSLETTER

ASIA PACIFIC

Issue-2 2015

Stronger together is the message for success made possible by the global reach of the EAGE’s membership and activities is a huge benefit in

Mohammed Alfaraj EAGE president 2015-2016

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r Mohammed Alfaraj, president EAGE, writes: I am honoured to be able to introduce myself to you, our EAGE members in the Asia Pacific region. As you probably know, it has been our Association’s goal in recent years to play a more active role in the local geoscience community. We believe the services we offer in education, knowledge-sharing and promotion of new technology and ideas have great value. In addition, the professional networking

Trivia Question

What is it?

A - Taman Prasasti - the oldest graveyard in Jakarta.

B - Gunung Padang - the largest megalithic site in Indonesia.

C - Yonaguni Monument in Japan.

Answer on p. 2

itself. Nor should we forget our increasing focus on fostering the next generation of professional geoscientists and engineers.

My personal journey with EAGE’s professional organization began by helping to initiate a number of regional and international events, including the first-ever workshop on Passive Seismic which I chaired in 2006 in Dubai. I am proud to say that the workshop has been run on a biennial basis ever since, the latest being in 2014 in Lisbon, Portugal. I was also involved in the introduction of the first Subsalt Imaging Workshop in Cairo in 2009 (now organized jointly with the SPE) and the biennial Borehole Seismic workshop which I chaired in 2011 and 2013 in Istanbul and Malta, respectively.

It goes without saying that, with my fellow Board members, I intend to continue the Association’s strategy of broadening its services to members in all our regions. We have already made a lot of progress since we established our office in Kuala Lumpur. We are currently excited about the closer co-operation with China University of Petroleum Beijing to facilitate our efforts in China and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indonesian Association of Geophysicists HAGI in June during the Annual Meeting in Madrid.

Another important focus is Myanmar. Over the last few years, the country has seen an enormous increase in business activity, including in the energy sector. The international interest in the latest bid rounds by the MOGE clearly demonstrates that many oil and gas companies, big or small, are very keen to explore the petroleum basins in this beautiful country. We are therefore delighted that in November 2015 we will be Read more on p. 2 ➤

New course on satellite radar to orbit Asia Pacific

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lessandro Ferretti of Tele-Rilevamento Europa, Milan will be on a mission when he takes his EET 9 course to Japan, Australia and New Zealand later this year.

It will be to continue spreading the word on the benefits of satellite radar data for surface deformation monitoring.

Rather than a tutorial for remote sensing specialists, this short course will start from very basic concepts and explain in plain language the most important ideas related to SAR data processing and why geoscientists and engineers should take an interest in this new information source and extend its use in the Asia Pacific region. Explaining the background to the course, Ferretti says: ‘Satellite radar interferometry (InSAR) is becoming a standard tool for monitoring surface deformation phenomena, but just a few people know the basic principles behind InSAR measurements’.

This EET course is intended as a guided tour of InSAR and its applications. It is not a course for radar specialists. It is an introduction for people who have a limited Read more on p. 2 ➤

What's inside EAGE officials in China

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Young Harjumi in oil business

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Looking ahead to APGCE

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Industry News And more …

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EAGE UPDATE

Stronger together is the message for success Continued from p. 1

working together with the AAPG and Myanmar Geosciences Society (MGS) to bring a quality geoscience event to this rather underexplored country.

The mantra I am adopting for my year in office is ‘stronger together: stabilizing, enhancing, and expanding the EAGE’. I believe this reflects how we as an association should approach the challenges of the current business climate as it affects members involved in oil and gas industry related activities. The major internal changes we have been implementing in the EAGE organization over the past six months should also benefit us going forward. Responsibilities are now divided into Development, Operations (which includes events and publications) and Regions.

I am confident that the Association will function more effectively as a result and deliver improved service to members and more cost-effective events.

Our continued success depends on teamwork to achieve the goals that we have set for the Association as dictated by the current circumstances. In practice, my aim will be to engage the Board, management and staff, the membership

as well as relevant non-EAGE entities in order to meet objectives.

There is still plenty of work ahead. One of my priorities is the completion of a formal Governance document, which will be complemented with two more guiding documents by the end of the year – a Code of Conduct as well as a set of Norms. I would like to steer towards a protocol for the handling of intellectual property matters, while the Association’s Bylaws and Constitution will be subject to some revisions, hopefully by early next year.

I am looking forward to addressing the Association’s global role taking account of the special needs of each region. One ambition is to increase the membership by about 5% from the current mark of 19,000 to above the 20,000 mark for the first time. We are also determined to have more geoscience and engineering societies from around the world affiliated with us to leverage our rich geoscientific and engineering

New course on satellite radar to orbit Asia Pacific Continued from p. 1

EAGE Newsletter Asia Pacific Executive Director Marcel van Loon (ml@eage.org) Regional Manager Asia Pacific Gerard Wieggerink (gw@eage.org) Media Production Coordinator Katarzyna Zuk (kzk@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 Rachel Moo (rmo@eage.org) Newsletter on the Web (www.eage.org)

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offerings; we have set a minimum target of four new affiliates that we would like to add over the course of one year.

In this respect, I believe that our efforts to reach out to the geoscience community in the Asia Pacific are being appreciated and will bring in new members and affiliates to our EAGE family. Elsewhere in the world, the forthcoming opening of the EAGE office in Bogota, Colombia signals our intention to better serve the South American continent.

Between the strong Board I have the fortune to be leading, the excellent staff in our Business offices, and of course you, the members, we can go beyond the barrier of distance and language to partner in our common objective of promoting the innovative development and application of geoscience and engineering. May I wish you all best in your endeavours, and I hope to see you at one of our events either in the Asia Pacific region or somewhere else in the world.

background in remote sensing, but who are interested in new technologies and in their applications.

InSAR data can be used for subsidence monitoring, fault characterization and calibration of geo-mechanical models in the oil and gas sector, for monitoring landslides, volcanoes and seismic faults and even for monitoring the stability of individual buildings. The number of applications of InSAR data is growing steadily, so it is worth getting to know what is actually behind the ‘magic of InSAR’, a technology capable of measuring displacements of just one millimetre on the ground from satellites orbiting the earth hundreds of kilometres above us.’

The tour is due in the Asia Pacific region in the fourth quarter of 2015. Feretti is so far booked to visit four locations in Japan, Australia and New Zealand. He will be in Tokyo on 17 November, hosted by Society of Explorational Geophysics of Japan (SEGJ), in Perth on 20 November, hosted by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), in Wellington on 23 November, host-

ed by the Geoscience Society of New Zealand, and in Canberra, Australia on 25 November, hosted by the Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists (ASEG).

The short course in Tokyo is being held as a pre-conference short course in conjunction with the 12th SEGJ International Symposium (18-20 November). EET 9 will be a pre-conference short course in conjunction with New Zealand Geoscience Conference (24-27 November), EAGE’s first outreach to the country’s geoscience community.

Anyone interested in hosting this course at their location should contact our Education Department at education@eage.org or visit the Learning Geoscience website at www.learninggeoscience.org. Please drop us an email at asiapacific@eage.org if you are interested in registering for this short course.

Trivia answer B - It’s seen as Southeast Asia’s largest and most enigmatic megalithic complex.

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC

ISSUE-2 2015

EAGE UPDATE

EAGE senior management team reach out to China’s geoscience community

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wo top EAGE officials have been visiting China recently. It’s all part of the Association’s desire to play a more active part in serving the geoscience community in China. In the latest initiative, Peter Verweij (director, regional development) and Gerard Wieggerink (regional manager, Asia Pacific) travelled to meet a number of geoscience organisations interested in stronger links with EAGE and its activities.

The tour began with a committee meeting with Beijing Local Chapter, China University of Petroleum, Beijing (CUPB). Those present reviewed the pioneering first steering committee meeting and symposium on exploration geophysics in China held in January which attracted the attendance of more than 300 representatives from over 40 educational institutions. The success of the EAGE Local Chapter continued with the Student Chapter’s achievement of qualifying as one of the top six finalists in the Field Challenge at the EAGE Annual Meeting in Madrid.

As acknowledgement of the EAGE Beijing Chapter’s activities in reaching out to the Chinese geoscience community, it has been renamed as the EAGE China Chapter.

At the meeting, Prof Lizhi Xiao (president of the local chapter) discussed EAGE’s participation in the 1st Symposium on Rock Physics and

From left to right: Gerard Wieggerink and Peter Verweij (EAGE), Prof Xiaohong Chen (CUPB), Prof Tianyue Hu (Peking University), Prof Yang Liu (vice president, EAGE China Chapter), Dr Li Zhi Xiao (president, EAGE China Chapter), Prof Wenkai Lu (Tsinghua University), Assoc Prof Genyang Tang (secretary, EAGE China Chapter), Prof Langqiu Sun (secretary, EAGE China Chapter) and Stella Li Tang (secretary, International Affairs, CUPB).

Huasheng (vice president, BGP), Zhang Shaohua (director, technology development, BGP), Wang Xuejun (president, BGP Geophysical Research Institute), Kong Fanshu (secretary general, China Society of Petroleum Geophysicists), Zhang Rujie (chief geophysicist, BGP International) and Nie Jiane (marketing manager, BGP International).

its Application to be held in 2016 as a partner of CUPB. The seminar in conjunction with Shell China will invite well-known experts and scholars to discuss frontier issues in oil and gas exploration and rock physics.

It was then the turn of Hendrik Rebel, chief geophysicist, Shell China, to welcome the EAGE officials to a meeting at the company’s Beijing HQ with a group of over 25 geophysicists, seismologists, production and exploration geologists and reservoir engineers from Petrochina and Shell.

In anticipation of the Education Tour geoscience company BGP, part of China National Petroleum Corporation, hosted a special meeting with its top management including Zheng

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC

ISSUE-2 2015

Final stop on the journey was to Nanjing to meet with Pierre Mauriad, general manager, Total E&P, followed by dinner with Yang Qin Yong (vice president, Sinopec Geophysical Institute) and Zhu Hai Long (director, international affairs, Sinopec).

All in all, it was a very fruitful visit with some very promising ideas for the future in China.

Students learn about Indonesia’s geothermal energy potential

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AGE’s Student Chapter UNHAS at Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia enjoyed a recent lecture on geothermal energy. To date, geothermal topic has not been a major focus for students despite its potential importance for the country.

The impact of volcanic activity on the country’s geology has focused new hopes that this will be an important source of

power from the Earth will be fully exploited. Indonesia is often quoted as having 40% of the world’s potential geothermal resources, estimated at nearly 28,000 MW or the equivalent of 219 billion barrels of oil.

The presentation covered the important benefits of geothermal as a renewal energy, exploitation of which has a low impact on the environment.

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EAGE UPDATE

Japanese perspective on a career in the oil business In our continuing Fast Track series, Takaomi Okazaki, deputy general manager, exploration, JX Nippon Oil and Gas Exploration in Malaysia, tells us about his path into senior management.

Summarise for us your education and career to date.

I studied oceanography and geophysics at Tokai University in Shizuoka. After my MSc in geophysics, geology and oceanography, I spent two years as as a junior geophysicist in Mitsubishi Petroleum. Then, I got an overseas assignment in Vietnam for four and a half years years and in Houston (USA) for 11 years for JX Nippon Oil Exploration where I was promoted to general manager of asset management. I moved to Kuala Lumpur last year.

What is your current role?

As deputy general manager of exploration, I manage ongoing exploration assets, work on exploration and appraisal strategy and planning. Staff development, training, job assignment and coaching the new generation of geoscientists are all part of the job. My job responsibilities include being in charge of deep-water projects in Malaysia where JX Nippon is involved in three, two as operator.

We recently made an oil discovery in block DW-R offshore of Sabah. In addition, our

Has the low oil price affected the company’s operations?

Our industry has to continue to explore for new resources. Fortunately, the discovery we made in SE Asia allows us to view 2016 more positively. The low oil price might also make exploration easier because of the lower service costs!

Takaomi Okazaki (left) guiding a young geoscientist.

exploration activity continues in DW-2F offshore Sarawak.

What does your work involve?

During drilling operations, we have a morning call meeting with the offshore well site every morning. Then, I facilitate internal meetings to to follow up on issues raised to ensure everything goes to plan. I participate in many geoscience evaluations, internal and external reporting, meetings, etc.

Why did you choose a career in the oil business?

My decision was based on the recommendation of Dr Susumu Iizuka, my professor at Tokai University. He told me that the oil business is growing globally and there would be lots of chances to work overseas.

How do you think EAGE can help the geoscience community?

Events like EAGE workshops enable us to develop our knowledge of technology and new skills. I have attended a couple of meetings that were hosted by EAGE/APPG. One of them was a deep-water exploration short course in Houston. That was a great opportunity for me to hear about case studies of worldwide deep-water projects.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?

Happy retirement.

Would you recommend a career in the oil business to young people today?

Our industry is always seeking fresh ideas in the search for new resources which young geoscientists can help to provide. I really encouraged more Asians to become geophysicists as the profession is in high demand and the oil business environment is good to work in.

Vienna is a popular choice for 2016 Annual Meeting

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he return of the Annual Meeting to Vienna in 2016 is being widely welcomed by EAGE members. It will be the fourth time that the city has hosted in the last 20 years, and every occasion has exceeded expectations. The theme for next year, ‘Efficient Use of Technology – Unlocking Potential’ invites the geoscience and engineering community to discuss ways to meet the challenges of the low oil price environment and its impact on the oil and gas upstream sector worldwide.

The programme for 2016 in cooperation with SPE EUROPEC is the largest and most comprehensive multi-disciplinary geoscience event of its kind in the world. It includes the conference with over 1000 technical oral and poster presentations; a major exhibition showcasing latest developments

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in geophysics, geology and reservoir/petroleum engineering; workshops; field trips; short courses course; a comprehensive programme for students; plus the highly anticipated conference evening and other social events.

The event venue will once again be Reed Messe Wien, one of the largest convention centres in Europe with a great inner city location. It is very well connected to the public transport system; two underground stations are only minutes from the main entrances. Hotels are within walking distance of the venue and located in the city centre.

With so many compelling reasons to put Vienna 2016 on the calendar for next year, make sure to keep updated on the website (www.eage.org/ events/vienna-2016). Note that the Call for Abstracts is open now.

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC

ISSUE-2 2015

EAGE UPDATE

Meeting the challenges of joining the oil business Harjumi Jumi intends to join the oil industry in Indonesia as a geoscientist and has completed two internships while completing her studies. We checked in with her to find out how she’s doing. Harjumi is currently the president of EAGE Student Chapter in Hasanuddin University.

What led you into this industry?

Before I went to college, I knew very little but I saw lots of opportunities to do different things.

Also, it is a small world where people are passionate now about what they do and share a camaraderie. One other point: the paycheck seems much better than many other industries.

Where are you in your studies?

I’m pursuing a geophysics study programme at Hasanuddin University, the biggest university in East Indonesia on Makassar, South Sulawesi and I am in my fourth year.

What have your internships involved?

My first one last year was with Elnusa (located in Cilandak, South Jakarta, Indonesia), an oil service company, working as a junior seismologist in the geo processing division doing onshore 2D seismic data-processing. This year, I was in the reservoir department at BP Indonesia, Jakarta gaining experience as a petrophysicist. The job was to predict permeability by using several methods to determine the quality of an effective reservoir. I am hoping that I will eventually find a job in one of these areas. I chose BP Indonesia because it has a good name in this industry. BP almost every year takes a fresh graduate with training programmes for fresh graduates who in the next 3-5 years will be able to do many different things. This is my chance to build connections and trust in my abilities so that I can go back after graduating.

Is there much difference between the work and academic environment?

In the professional environment, we are really expected to do something in a timely and systematic way irrespective of age and in accordance with a given job. Colleagues can speak from real-life situations and are usually very helpful. In the university environment, it is just theoretical teaching only.

Tells us about some defining moments at work.

At my first internship, I had absolutely no idea about how the professional world works, how people work, and how much time they spend at their desks. So it was a bit of a shock. My mentors are very busy people, so we have to learn quickly. At BP Indonesia when I prepared my first petrophysics presentation, my mentor told me it had to be in English. That was a challenge.

I learned some soft skills for when the final

How has your work experience been so far?

In both internships, I have been excited to learn new things like using the software for seismic data processing and processing log data. I liked the work environment with everyone helping each other in different divisions. There are a few disadvantages. It has taken me time to adjust to the different culture and way of doing things.

Also, especially at BP Indonesia, I was required to use English. Fortunately, I can quickly adapt and solve problems.

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC

ISSUE-2 2015

Harjumi (left) with colleague at BP Indonesia.

presentation came. I was taught how to make a good presentation, presentation attitude, as well as things that need to be and not be included in the presentation. It certainly helped to improve my professional skills.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I see myself working in the oil and gas industry, not necessarily in a big company. Everything has to start from the small things. In 10 years, I’d like to be in a position where I can handle more responsibilities, can cope with new challenges and work with innovative people so that I can learn from them.

Be sure to attend this workshop on velocities!

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educing uncertainties in seismic imaging and interpretation is always a priority. How as an industry we set the format for velocity. That’s why the EAGE Workshop on Velocities: Reducing Uncertainties in Depth on 25-27 April 2016 in Kuala Lumpur should attract many in the geoscience community.

The technical programme committee, chaired by M Hasni M Hashim, head of GeoImaging at PETRONAS, says the focus will be on all aspects of reducing uncertainties in velocities; from seismic imaging, velocity model building pore pressure pre-

diction, depth conversion to drilling. Despite considerable improvements in seismic data quality, it is acknowledged that velocities remain the key challenge for depth prediction. The committee will especially welcome case histories highlighting successes and failures.

A Some pre-workshop short course on ‘Seismic Velocities and Depth Conversion’

by Dr Mac Al Chalabi is also scheduled. For more information about the workshop or sponsoring, please visit our event website: www.eage.org or contact asiapacific@ eage.org.

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EAGE UPDATE

Chinese students among the prizes in FIELD Challenge contest in Madrid

Why not nominate someone for an EAGE Award in 2016

G From left to right: Rachel Moo (EAGE Asia Pacific office), Yongzhen Ji, Youwei Wang, Philip Ringrose (EAGE president, 2014-2015), Kirsten Brandt (student affairs coordinator),

reat achievements should not go unnoticed and EAGE finds it important that peers have the chance to recognize contributions that individuals make to the profession. The EAGE Awards Committee would like to encourage you to nominate a deserving colleague or co-worker for an award to be presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting in Vienna.

Zehao Lv, Minjie Yu and Ziqing Pan.

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earty congratulations to the student team from China University Petroleum of Beijing (CUPB) for being the first university from China to win a place on the podium in the EAGE’s 2015 FIELD Challenge. The young geoscientists won third place against 45 teams from around the globe, a very creditable achievement.

The FIELD Challenge (Fully Integrated EvaLuation Development) promotes crossdisciplinary geoscience and engineering integration within university departments worldwide. The Chinese university team managed to wow the judges with their thought-provoking and real-life experiences with their essay submission on ‘Professionalism: what it means and why it is critical to the oil and gas business’. They were one of just six university teams selected to compete in the final challenge at the EAGE Annual Meeting in Madrid in June, so can be very proud of their achievement.

Philip Ringrose, EAGE president, said in Madrid: ‘It was really good to see China University of Petroleum in Beijing coming all the way from Beijing. And hey what? They got the third prize which is really good and maybe, they will be back next year for the first prize. It’s also nice to see the growing activities of the China geoscience community because they are going to be really important in the future for building the petroleum industry worldwide. We hope this win will inspire more Chinese university teams to compete in 2016 FIELD Challenge, so we hope to see you in Vienna next year!’

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A chance to recognize contributions that individuals make to the profession.

EAGE is privileged and proud to have many outstanding practitioners, scientists and technologists working in the geoscientific and engineering disciplines among its members.

There is a wealth of technical leadership in single or multi-disciplinary functions, spanning both industry and academia. We feel that, as a professional association, it is vital to recognise and honour the scientific advances, technical achievements and outstanding community service made by our members.

Consequently, EAGE presents a number of awards each year for highly significant contributions to a particular scientific discipline, or to the Association, or both. As the greatest achievements are not limited to those by EAGE members, this year the nominations for the prestigious Desiderius Erasmus award, like the best paper awards, will be open to any geoscientist or engineer in recognition of his/her outstanding and lasting achievements in the field of resource exploration and development.

A lifetime of achievements is not needed for every award: all EAGE young professionals are eligible for nomination to the Arie van Weelden award. Awards will also be given for the best papers published in EAGE journals, and for the best oral and poster papers pre-

sented at the 77th EAGE Conference & Exhibition in Madrid.

You will find a link to the nomination form on the EAGE homepage (www.eage.org), where it should take only a couple of minutes to bring a nominee to the committee’s attention. There you will find a specification for each award: simply select the award best suited to your candidate and complete a brief web form. For the nominee to reach the shortlist, a follow-up contact will be made to gather further information including your summary of the candidate’s case for recognition, a CV and publication list (as appropriate), and at least one independent letter of support from someone familiar with the candidate’s work.

All documentation will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

In order to allow appropriate consideration for this year’s awards, the Awards Committee must receive completed nomination packages for the Vienna cycle by 31 October 2015. After this deadline, nominations will be considered for the following cycle 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.

A lifetime of achievements is not needed for every award.

EAGE has a growing global presence in geoscience and engineering and would like its awards to reflect the breadth and scope of the Association. We therefore encourage members from all over the world to nominate candidates. By submitting a nomination, you can help to recognise and promote technical and professional achievement from within the membership and throughout the world. We look forward to hearing from you!

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC

ISSUE-2 2015

EAGE UPDATE

Papers from Perth rock physics workshop to be published

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special issue of Geophysical Prospecting is to include a selection of the best papers presented at the 3rd International Workshop on Rock Physics held in Perth, Western Australia in April. The workshop attracted over 100 participants from 19 countries, for an in-depth discussion of the latest issues and advances in the rapidly growing area of rock physics.

The workshop is notable since it runs independently of any formal organising body. Starting in 2011, it grew spontaneously out of discussions in the Rock Physics Interest Group on the website Linkedin. Through earlier meetings in Golden, Colorado and Southampton, UK, the series has established itself as an important forum for many of the leading figures in the field, with a good mix of delegates representing the industrial and academic sectors.

The technical sessions covered a broad range of rock physics topics, including modelling of elastic, electrical and hydraulic properties of rocks, laboratory measurements of rock proper-

Some of the participants at Perth workshop.

ties, poroelasticity, fluid-rock interaction, properties of shales and carbonates, seismic attenuation, and digital rocks.

A highlight of the workshop was the visit to the rock physics and mechanics laboratories at Curtin University and CSIRO. Both institutions have impressive state of the art equipment for the measurement of physical rock properties at high pressure and temperature, from a lowfrequency device for elastic measurements to a truly triaxial cell to perform deformation and elastic tests.

Some of the best talks in the workshop were given by students, and the committee recognized this with a number of awards. The prize for the best talk was won by Lucas Pimienta, with David Szewczyk and Evert Duran receiving runners up awards. Olivia Collet won the prize for best student poster, with Jan Borgamano as runner up.

The workshop was co-chaired by Boris Gurevich of Curtin University and Tobias Müller of CSIRO Energy, and sponsored by Shell, Ikon Science, and EAGE. All the Workshop abstracts are available on the event web page www.3iwrp.org.

Beijing students excited to welcome first EAGE lecture tour in China

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he Chinese student community in Beijing is eagerly awaiting their first EAGE student lecture tour (SLT). UK-based Dr Gaynor Paton (ffA Geoteric) will be presenting her topic of ‘Colour Perception and its Role in Seismic Interpretation: a Geological Expression Story’. With support from EAGE China, the EAGE SLT 2015 schedule includes China University of Petroleum Beijing (23 November); Peking University(24 November); China University of Geoscience (25 November); CAS Institute of Geology and Geophysics (26 November); and CNPC Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development (27 November).

Dr Gaynor told us what she hoped Chinese students can expect to learn from her lecture: ‘I want to show students that there are many options out there, both between different dis-

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC

ciplines and within the area being studied. I will show students the latest approach to seismic interpretation, one that they may not be aware of, and I hope to highlight that their careers can now go down many different paths, many of which they don’t yet know about.’

She said: ‘University gives you the tools you need to start your career, learning never stops, and having a successful career is all about learning new things and adapting to changes around you. Students will learn not to trust what they see and to question their assumptions. But I hope they will also learn to have an open mind, to analyse what they are looking at, and learn techniques to help them understand when to trust what they see’.

Dr Gaynor noted the she would be covering how perception, context and association can

ISSUE-2 2015

Professor Yang Liu and EAGE student chapter show the flag!

influence the decisions we make when we are interpreting seismic data. She will also be showing how using a data-driven, interpreter-guided workflow can give us both an objective analysis of the data and can incorporate a priori knowledge such as analogues and context.

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EAGE UPDATE

PETRONAS brings sponsorship and expertise to APGCE 2015

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ETRONAS is to be host sponsor of the Asia Petroleum Geoscience Conference & Exhibition (APGCE) 2015 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on 12–13 October 2015.

This major event for the regional geoscience community is close to the company’s heart. It has launched several key initiatives to improve our understanding of the subsurface and promote a collaborative working environment. This includes the reinvention and launch of the PETRONAS Real-

Collaborative Well Planning (CWP) in 3D at the PETRONAS Real-Time Visualisation Centre for better insights on hydrocarbon potential.

Time Visualisation Centre (PRTVC). The facility enables geoscientists and drillers to not only be able to render complex technical data as 3D models of potential hydrocarbon reservoirs, but also work together remotely to determine the best angle of approach for extraction.

The company also recently held a soft launch of several proprietary inhouse technologies, developed by its GeoImaging group. The objective is to enable geoscientists to tackle subsurface uncertainty issues and enhance the quality of its geophysical data. The technologies help to find solutions to problems commonly encountered in the basins off Malaysian shores, such as shallow gas clouds, fractured basement plays, pre-carbonate targets, seismic characterisation and reservoir monitoring. This may explain why there have been several significant hydrocarbons discoveries in Malaysian waters in the past five years.

In its sponsorship role PETRONAS will be a significant contributor to the success of APGCE 2015. On the first day, parallel to the main conference, a special student programme will be organised targeting the future generation of geoscientist. The student activities consists of presentations by representatives from the oil industry.

In the afternoon of 12 October, the exciting EAGE GeoQuiz will take place where the students in teams will battle for not only the title but also the grand prize of an all-expenses paid trip to the EAGE annual conference in Vienne, Austria in 2016!

To find out more about what the APGCE event has got to offer, go to the event website www.apgce.com.

Myanmar conference to focus on hot exploration plays

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uilding upon AAPG’s successful inaugural event in Myanmar, held jointly with AAPG affiliated society the Myanmar Geosciences Society (MGS), AAPG has signed an MOU with EAGE and MGS to hold a joint Myanmar geoscience conference. The theme will be ‘Innovation in Geoscience: Unlocking the Complex Geology of Myanmar’, providing an opportunity to discuss exploration in what many consider the hottest exploration hotspot in SE Asia.

The event, fully supported by the Ministry of Energy and Myanmar Oil and Gas Enter-

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prise (MOGE), will take place in Yangon, from 19-20 November 2015.

Potential sessions for the conference will cover Regional geology, Offshore basin studies and operational updates, Onshore basin studies and operational updates, and Environment and social impact assessments.

A field trip organised independently by the Myanmar Geosciences Society will take place from 21-23 November 2015. Details will be provided in due course.

There is still time to join growing list of sponsors at this second important event.

Societies sign up for Myanmar conference.

Sponsorship has already been pledged by Shell, PTTEP, CGG, Total, Chevron, PGS, Baker Hughes, Dolphin Geophysical, ION Geophysical and Ophir Energy.

To benefit from the early bird discount, register now via the EAGE website (www.eage.org).

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC

ISSUE-2 2015

GEOSCIENCE COMMUNITY

Japanese society opens its doors to international symposium

JFES symposium to hightlight role of geomechanics

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he Society of Exploration Geophysicists of Japan (SEGJ) will hold its 12th Interna-

tional Symposium at the Ito International Research Center at the University of Tokyo on 18-20 November, 2015.

Since its inauguration in 1990, the SEGJ International Symposium has established itself as a well-regarded biennial event dedicated to applied geophysics. The last occasion in 2013 attracted more than 200 delegates from over 20 countries, and was deemed a great success.

This year, under the theme of ‘Geophysical Imaging and Interpretation’, the symposium aims to share, discuss, and explore most recent results and ideas, and new directions in applied geophysics. The scientific programme is composed of plenary sessions presented by invited speakers, as well as oral and poster sessions. The symposium will be preceded by an EAGE Education Tour presentation on 17 November and followed by a technical tour of Mt Fuji available to delegates. Full details about the symposium can be found at www.segj.org/is/12th/.

special session on geomechanics will be featured at this year’s 21st Formation Evaluation Symposium of Japan (JFES) being held at Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation - Technology & Research Center (JOGMEC-TRC), Chiba on 13-14 October, 2015. Geomechanics has become an increasingly important discipline with applications not just in the oil and gas industry, where it is relevant for detection of drilling hazards in deep water and understanding shale reservoirs.

Geomechanics are also valuable in geothermal development, underground storage, earthquake science, and more.

Anyone involved in the oil, gas, geothermal and geo-engineering sectors or in scientific drilling is invited to submit abstracts of papers for presenting at the symposium.

JFES encourages students to participate and will present awards for the best student presentatons. JFES is a Japan Chapter of Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA).

Celebration for NZ geosciences

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t this year’s conference of the Geoscience Society of New Zealand, there will be a special dinner. It will be hosted on 25 November by the crown research institute, GNS Science, to mark the 150th anniversary of the original New Zealand Geological Survey.

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC

The conference itself is themed ‘Zealandia

ellite InSAR Data: Reservoir Monitoring from

in Space and Time’ and will be held at Victoria University of Wellington on 25-27 November 2015. There will be opportunities to participate in field trips and short courses before and after the conference. One of those events will be EAGE short course EET 9 ‘Sat-

Space’ by Alessandro Ferretti.

Further programme and registration details are available from the Geoscience Society of New Zealand website at http://www.gsnz.org.nz/information/conference-i-6.html.

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GEOSCIENCE COMMUNITY

EAGE raises its profile in Indonesia

Madrid Annual Meeting sees growing presence of Asia Pacific!

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EAGE’s

Rachel

Moo

(centre)

with

two representatives from Hasanuddin University EAGE Student Chapter.

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achel Moo, event manager of Asia Pacific office, was in charge of the EAGE booth at the 39th IPA Convention and Exhibition 2015 in Indonesia, which attracted 5000 visitors.

An opportunity to meet EAGE members.

It was an opportunity to meet EAGE members and promote the EAGE Asia Pacific events to the geoscience community. The student chapter of Hasanuddin University made the effort to fly from Makassar island to visit our booth. Their show of dedication was recognized at the EAGE Annual Meeting in Madrid where they won the second place in the global best EAGE student chapter competition.

The Himpunan Ahli Geofisika Indonesia (HAGI) geoscience society was exhibiting next door at the meeting and their show of friendship were highlighted by the HAGI committee members to visit EAGE booth.

notable feature of this year’s EAGE Annual Meeting in Madrid in June was the gratifying increase in attendance by geoscientists from SE Asian. They made up an estimated 10% of the 5000 plus industry and academic participants who visited the event, considered an excellent number based on the economic state of the oil and gas industry worldwide.

This year BGP, CNPC came to Spain as one of the main platinum sponsors, bringing a delegation of more than 50 industry professionals including top management. Mohammed Alfaraj (EAGE president for 2015-2016), Peter Verweij (director, regional development), Gerard Wieggerink (regional manager, Asia Pacific region) and Rachel Moo from EAGE Asia Pacific office met with BGP officials including Gou Liang (BGP executive director president), Zheng Huasheng (vice president), Hao Hui Min (chief geophysicist), and An Lian Dong (vice president). Gou Liang welcomed the EAGE Education Tours (EET) in China and the planned workshop in Beijing, China. He also invited the EAGE president to come to BGP headquarters in Zhuo Zhou.

Sinopec Geophysical Research Institute was also exhibiting with a team of more than 20 industry professionals. EAGE officials visited the booth and warmly welcomed Li Hao (vice president) and Zhu Hai Long (director of international affairs). The first EAGE short course for the Nanjing geoscience community is planned and further collaboration on future educational activities was discussed.

EAGE president Mohammed Alfaraj presents token of appreciation to Gou Liang, BGP executive director president.

EAGE president Mohammed Alfaraj also presents token of appreciation to Li Hao, vice president of Sinopec Geophysical Research Institute.

In Madrid, a formal Associated Society Membership agreement was signed with Himpunan Ahli Geofisika Indonesia (HAGI), a professional geophysics association based in Indonesia. The society was represented by Pak Dicky (president), Pak Madong (internal general secretary), Pak Arif (vice president, internal affairs), and Ibu Rusalida (committee member). Philip Ringrose, EAGE president 2014-15, Gerard Wieggerink and Marcel van Loon were EAGE’s representatives.

Gerard Wieggerink (regional manager, Asia Pacific), Pak Dicky (HAGI president) and Ibu Rusalida (HAGI committee member).

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EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC

ISSUE-2 2015

INDUSTRY NEWS

Myanmar looks forward to seismic survey campaigns

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nternational oil companies are preparing to start seismic surveys offshore Myanmar following recent licensing block awards, according to a report in the Myanmar Times.

Australia’s Woodside is currently planning for extensive 2D and 3D seismic in shallow water blocks A-4 and A-7 and deep-water blocks AD-2 and AD-5 later this year and early 2016.

The four blocks are in the Rakhine offshore area, with the smallest block A-4 covering 2200 km2 while the largest AD-5 covers 10,000 km2. Woodside was one of the big winners in the 2013 offshore bidding round, picking up four blocks with its partner, UK-based BG Group. The winners including Myanmar Petroleum Exploration and Production for shallow water A-4 and A-7, signed production sharing agreements in March of 2015.

Philip Loader, vice president, Woodside.

BG Group and Woodside have committed to investing more than $1 billion over the six to eight-year exploration period, according to Ministry of Energy officials. Phillip Loader, vice president of Woodside, said at the signing that the company planned an active exploration programme in 2015 and beyond.

The firm was active in Myanmar before the 2013 bidding. In 2012, it purchased a stake in Myanmar Petroleum Resource (MPRL) A-6 block.

Its second quarter 2015 report said it is planning for drilling of the Saung-1 well in A-6 in late 2015, and in the Tha Lim-1 well in AD-7 in 2016. It also said that Total has signed an agreement with Woodside and MPRL on 19 June which, if approved, would leave the block 40% owned

by Woodside and 20% by MPRL, the two operators, while the remaining 40% stake would be owned by Total.

A Ministry of Energy official said that Woodside’s proposal for seismic campaigns for new offshore blocks and to drill exploration wells has been approved, adding that A-6 was actually quite deep despite being near to shore.

Dutch company Berlanga Holdings is planning to conduct exploration in shallow water block M-8 in Mottama basin by December and has committed to investing $153 million over six years to explore the shallow water block.

The UK’s Ophir Energy was the first company to initiate a seismic campaign after the 2013 offshore bidding, starting its programme in February.

The production sharing contracts were said to be nearly completed, with only one of 20 left to be inked.

PetroVietnam affirms cooperation with US companies

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wo US companies Murphy Oil and ExxonMobil have signed new cooperation agreements with state oil company PetroVietnam to pursue opportunities in Vietnam and further afield.

Nguyen Xuan Son, chairman, PetroVietnam and Roger W. Jenkins, president and CEO, Murphy Oil Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two groups.

Murphy entered Vietnam in 2012 with the award of deep-water Blocks 144 and 145. In 2013, it was awarded shallow-water Block 112/11 and farmed into Block 13-03. It says the three concessions give the company a balance between higher risk deep-water opportunities

EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC

and lower risk shallow-water opportunities, similar to its strategy when entering Malaysia. Besides the cooperation opportunities in Vietnam, Murphy Oil will welcome PetroVietnam’s participation in Gulf of Mexico projects.

PetroVietnam chairman Nguyen Xuan Son and other top officials also met with Raymond E Jones, ExxonMobil vice president in Asia-Pacific.

Two years ago in Washington DC, a framework agreement between PetroVietnam and ExxonMobil was signed regarding the Blue Whale field development project offshore Vietnam to develop a roadmap, strategy and overall plan for project implementation until the first gas is produced by using low calorific value gas around 2021.

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Murphy Oil officials sign new cooperation agreement with Petrovietnam.

At the meeting, Jones praised PetroVietnam and PVEP, the key unit under PetroVietnam, for their efforts in promoting the development of Blue Whale Project together.

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INDUSTRY NEWS / CALENDAR

TGS joins Dolphin to process Australian survey data

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GS is to join in the 2500 km² Monuments 3D survey being acquired by Dolphin Geophysical in the North Carnarvon Basin, offshore Australia. Data processing will be performed by TGS using its proven proprietary broadband technology, Clari-FiTM. As part of this cooperation, TGS has entered into joint venture arrangements with Dolphin relating to future sales from Dolphin’s

planned 15,000 km2 North Carnarvon 3D survey over the North West Shelf.

Stein Ove Isaksen, senior VP Eastern Hemisphere for TGS, said: ‘This survey extends TGS’s current 3D data coverage in an important hydrocarbon-rich region and positions TGS well in relation to future expected exploration activity from our clients.’

Mitra fulfills offshore Vietnam survey commitment

Industry pleads for lifting of ban on Australian onshore gas exploration

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T

outheast Asia-focused oil and gas exploration and production company Mitra Energy was recently undertaking a 3D seismic survey in the Block 127 production sharing contract (PSC) area in the southern end of the Phu Kanh Basin, offshore Vietnam. The survey was being acquired CGG 3D vessel Amadeus.

The survey planned to cover a full-fold area of 533 km2 and will fulfil the PSC exploration Phase One extension 3D seismic survey acquisition commitment of 500 full-fold km2. The survey was expected to take 21 days to complete.

he Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) wants the government in the state of Victoria to immediately lift its onshore gas exploration ban, according to press reports. It says the ban is resulting in fewer jobs, slower growth and higher energy prices in the state.

The government has maintained a blanket ban on onshore gas drilling, not just the ban on fracking of coal seams or shale put in place by the previous Liberal government. It says the ban will extend at least until an inquiry is complete.

APPEA’s head of eastern-Australia, Paul Fennelly, was quoted as saying previous inquiries had found a regulated gas industry was safe and delivered real benefits to regions.

The gas ban is said to have stopped the Gina Rinehart-backed Lakes Oil from drilling a conventional onshore well near the Great Ocean Road, despite Origin Energy drilling wells nearby that start onshore but then head out to sea to access offshore fields. Lakes Oil has said this makes no sense as the wells pass through the same aquifers.

EAGE Asia Pacific Event Calendar September 2015

November 2015

March 2016

6-10 September EAGE • 21st EAGE European Meeting of Environmental and Engineering Geophysics – Near Surface Geoscience 2015

18-20 November SEGJ • The 12th SEGJ International Symposium

21-13 March EAGE/SPG • Full Azimuth Seismic Workshop

Tokyo, Japan | www.segj.org

Mumbai, India | www.eage.org

Turin, Italy | www.eage.org

19-20 November EAGE • AAPG/EAGE/MGS Myanmar Oil & Gas Conference Innovation in Geoscience

25-27 April EAGE • EAGE Workshop on Velocities

October 2015 5-8 October HAGI • The HAGI Joint Convention Balikpapan 2015 Balikpapan, Indonesia | www.eage.org

12-13 October ICEP/EAGE • Asia Petroleum Geoscience Conference & Exhibition (APGCE 2015)

Yangon, Myanmar | www.eage.org

December 2015 4-6 December SPG • 11th Biennial International Conference and Exposition 2015

April 2016 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | www.eage.org

May 2016 30 May-2 June EAGE • 78th EAGE Conference & Exhibition 2016 Vienna, Austria | www.eage.org

Jaipur, India | www.spgindia.org

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | www.eage.org

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EAGE NEWSLETTER ASIA PACIFIC

ISSUE-2 2015