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Geology & Geophysics

G & G Notebook

Andrew McBarnet

Navigating the pitch and roll of broadband seismic by state-of-the-art techno lighting. the geoscience feld serving the oil

Last month’s Annual Meeting

The numbers also refect the grow- industry is thriving. Not just geosci- of the European Association of ing membership and international ence, because the event has, for almost

Geoscientists and Engineers expansion of EAGE, which may, one a decade, incorporated the SPE’s day, have to drop ”European” from its EUROPEC conference and claims to (EAGE) in London was by far title and replace it with “International” be the largest multidisciplinary event the largest in the EAGE’s or “Global.” Half the membership, combining geoscience and engineering.

history. Over 8000 delegates which has climbed to 17,000 from less The fun at these meetings, where than half that fgure just a few years everyone is pitching something, is to showed up at the conference ago, comes from outside Europe. The determine how much of the talk is and exhibition at the association now has offces to serve based on reality and to come to some

Excel Centre in London to its members in Moscow, Dubai, and conclusion on where this sector of the

Kuala Lumpur, is building a presence oil industry is heading. On the evi- create plenty of buzz, sales in South America, and is even stag- dence present in London, this is prob- pitches and rumor.

ing regular events in North America, ably as good as it’s going to get.

Andrew McBarnet natural habitat of the US-based Society There are a number of challenges of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG). on the horizon for the marine seismic offers this perspective.

The focus of the EAGE’s Annual business, not all of which have been

Meeting is always predominantly oil fully acknowledged. The most funda- ome of the big increase in atten- and gas E&P, so an obvious conclu- mental is whether the main marine dance at the EAGE’s event, nearly sion would also be that business in seismic contractors, of which there 2000 more than the previous are only fve left standing, can escape

S record, can simply be put down to rampant commoditization.

London being the venue, with its uni- This is always a sensitive issue, versal appeal and unique attractions. because companies naturally want to

An opening speech by a royal – HH differentiate themselves for commer-

Prince Andrew, Duke of York – prob- cial advantage. Otherwise, if all the ably didn’t do any harm. Also, it’s offerings look much the same, selling hard to beat company evening events marine 3D surveys boils down to price, hosted in the Tower of London and and that invariably ends in a low-ball- the 19th Century Cutty Sark tea clip- ing fest, leading to economic misery.

per anchored in the Thames, not to Traditionally, the two ways that mention the offcial conference night contractors can make a case for being for all delegates in the Natural History superior to their competitors is by their

Museum, where the main band played vessels’ quality and capacity and by to a packed audience massed around a the promised results from the technol- very large dinosaur skeleton enhanced ogy being towed.

Taking vessels frst, the global seis-

Prince Andrew, Duke of mic feet is pretty much up to date,

York, made the meeting a following the modernization programs initiated by the leading players at royal occasion.

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