Chair letter

A perspective on the COVID-19 Pandemic and Energy Transition

By Ana Curcio Chair of the SEG LARAC 2019-present

In November 2019 it was my honor to be nominated and to accept the chair role of this esteemed committee of dedicated professionals, students, and retired professionals or close to retirement professionals. Some of them recently joined the committee and all serve with high energy.

During 2020, the energy market crisis as a result of the pandemic, climate issues, and decreased oil and gas prices raised and accelerated a transition from oil and gas to other energy markets. Temporary unemployment and a transition to digital transformation providing a great opportunity for our professionals to reinvent their careers.

The Latin America region was not an exception to this global context and in this sense, the committee was also part of this transition. Based on the necessities of the region, 4 subcommittees were created:

1. Institutional Subcommittee

The main objective is to establish procedures for the Vice-Chair election, and interaction with other SEG Regional Advisory Committees and the Technical Subcommittee, as well as, interaction with other SEG committees and other organizations.

3. Students Subcommittee

The main objective is the construction of a bridge between students and retired geoscientists, interaction and better connection with student chapters in Latin America, and to organize the Student Virtual Conference (SVC). In the future, contribute to find research and postgraduate options.

2. Technical Subcommittee

The main objective is to coordinate non-oil and gas web-panels, webinars, and identifying those topics of interest in the region. In the future, to promote implementation of field schools, boot-camps, and training.

4. Volunteering Subcommittee

The main objective is the translation to Spanish of the “Digital Imaging and Deconvolution: The ABCs of Seismic Exploration and Processing” written by Enders A. Robinson and Sven Treitel.

All these activities and future plans are aligned with the “SEG Pillars” promoted by the SEG President 2020-2021 Maurice Nessim.

To strengthen the relationship between SEG and local societies, the committee once a month meets with a local association to talk about their activities, vision and see how SEG can contribute with ideas and programs locally.

The committee will continue to add valuable content for our regional members and others around the globe through technical webinars and webinars that are aimed to highlight the career challenges and excite-

ment by some of the regionals leading professionals. We will continue to expand our impact throughout the region by working more closely with professionals of regional societies, and by development with them meaningful activities. The activities of the committee continue to grow and we are looking forward with enthusiasm to working together with you to achieve our goals.

If you would like to help us grow, develop programs throughout the region, and if you feel there are specific partnerships we should be undertaking, please send an e-mail to lwhitesell@seg.org. I speak for the entire committee when I say, I hope you like what we are doing, and decide to join us in our efforts. I look forward to great things from this committee to help best represent this amazing region.

SEG Strategic Pillars to accelerate Geophysical innovation, SEG President, Maurice Nessim, 2021.

Ana Curcio

Geophysical Consultant Proingeo SA Current Chair, SEG Latin America Regional Advisory Committee, and SEG District 6 Representative (Latin America)