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Editor’s Column

ColloquyColloquy

Nina RachNina Rach

Exploration Fabric of Africa he American Dietmar Muller’s work [EFA v. 3.2]. frst as Assistant, and then as Associ-

Association The ArcMap project has hyper- ate Professor of Geology, concentrating of Petroleum links to relevant DSDP and ODP drill his research on British Honduras (now

T

Geologists sites. The layers show the location Belize).

(AAPG) has of deepsea drilling sites and contain In 1965, he joined Esso Exploration developed a hyperlinks to archived data stored at in Houston. new African NOAA and Texas A&M University. From 1979 to 1983, Purdy was the exploration Final GIS version EFA v. 3.2 includes Geological Manager for Esso Explora-

GIS data- revised basin locations, ages, classifca- tion Europe-Africa Division. In 1986, base, as the tion; revised sediment thickness; and after 21 years, he took early retire-

Edward G. Purdy Memorial Project, revised depth-to-basement. ment from Esso and founded the honoring the late geologist (b. 4 EFA is a joint industry project, international petroleum exploration

December 1931, d. 13 October 2009) sponsored by: AAPG, Afren, BHP, BP, consultancy, PetroQuest International who left a rich legacy of carbonate CGG-Veritas, Chevron, Faroe Petro- Inc., based in Weybridge, Surrey. He research and made signifcant con- leum, Fugro, Hanno Resources, Hess, continued to work for more than two tributions to the understanding of HRT Canada, ION, Lynx Information decades, publishing the Africa maps in

African geology. Systems, Maersk, Marathon, Moyes 1989.

In 1989, Purdy published maps of & Co., Murphy, Nexen, Nippon, From 1992-1995, Purdy was a the “Exploration Fabric of Africa” and Ophir Energy, PGS, Rift Energy, RWE, visiting professor at Imperial College, “African Basins,” based on regional Sapetro, Sasol, Serica, Shell, Sipetrol, and at Royal Holloway, University geology, tectonic framework and Statoil, Svenska, TGS, The Geological of London. From 2002-2004, he was exploration-oriented information from Society, Total, and Tullow Oil. a guest scientist and invited lecturer a variety of sources, at scales of 1:5 AAPG will publish the EFA Interac- at Goethe-University in Frankfurt am million and 1:10 million. Since those tive Internet map, hardcopy maps and Main, Germany.

maps were published, there have been other digital output. EFA GIS data is In 1998, Purdy received a Special major discoveries in deepwater West only available to sponsors and to cer- Commendation Award from the AAPG

Africa, Nile Delta, transform margin, tain designated universities. “for pioneering research on carbonate the East African Rift Valley, and East See: http://www.efafrica.com/ sediments and reefs, a seminal role in

Africa offshore. exploration worldwide, and for teach- ing and mentoring young geologists.”

Who was Purdy?

Edward George Purdy was a carbon- His self-described “last contribution

African Exploration GIS

In April this year, AAPG released the ate and petroleum geologist who to science” was a review and analysis latest updates of Purdy’s original maps published widely. He earned a BSc. of University of Chicago paleontologist within the context of modern GIS. The in agriculture from Rutgers University Jack Sepkoski’s taxonomic diversity original Purdy data was fully vector- in 1956 and a Ph.D in geology from database, which Purdy related to sea- ized and attributed, and two other Columbia University in 1960. His level change and strontium isotope geology datasets were added: USGS doctoral studies in the Bahamas were data throughout the Phanerozoic, 1997 data and digital data derived from funded by Humble Oil & Refning Co., published in 2008.

1968 UNESCO maps, as well as faults Gulf Research & Development Co., In April 2010, SEPM’s carbonate and sediment thicknesses from the Shell Development Co., and the Ameri- research group started their annual

CGMW Tectonic map of Africa (2010) can Petroleum Institute. meeting with a Memorial to Ed Purdy, and image data showing the age of Beginning in 1959, he taught for 6 “a phenomenal carbonate geologist and the seafoor around Africa, based on years at Rice University in Houston, person.”

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