Bureau of Economic Geology Recent News and Events

May 15, 2013

August, 2009

On August 7 an overflow crowd of more than 300 filled the AT&T Conference Center to attend the Bureau's Centennial Symposium on "Water and Energy for the 21st Century." A panel of renowned experts and policy makers examined issues and possible answers to managing future energy and water needs and to creating an infrastructure for sustainable resources, at both the regional and global scale. The event was hosted by Bureau Director Scott W. Tinker, who welcomed the guests and provided an overview of symposium goals, as well as a look at "The 21st-Century Bureau." Guest speakers included Dr. Steve Koonin, U.S. Under Secretary for Science; Dr. Peter Gleick, President of the Pacific Institute; Victor Carrillo, Chairman of the Railroad Commission of Texas; and Texas Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones. In the afternoon session, the focus turned to Texas' energy and water needs and policies. A roundtable panel included Dr. Chip Groat, Director of the Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy; Mark Vickery, Executive Director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; Dr. Robert Mace, Deputy Executive Administrator of the Texas Water Development Board; Dr. Tad Patzek, Chair of Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering at UT-Austin; Dr. Chuck Williamson, retired CEO of UNOCAL; and Amy Hardberger, Attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund. JSG Dean Sharon Mosher read the Governor's Proclamation celebrating the Bureau's Centennial Celebration. Former BEG Directors Drs. William Fisher and Peter Flawn also provided retrospectives on the Bureau's emergence as a world leader in research, and Dr. Juan Sanchez, Vice President for Research at UT-Austin, offered his congratulations on the Bureau's many accomplishments in its first 100 years. A video summary of the event will be made available in the Bureau's Media Center.

At the end of July, CEE welcomed a delegation from Ghana led by the Honorable Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Deputy Minister of Energy and Member of Parliament. The delegation visited Houston as part of a 12-day Oil and Gas Development Orientation Visit organized by the USTDA. Since 2004 CEE has been working in Ghana and the greater West Africa region under USAID. CEE's role is evolving as Ghana becomes an oil and gas producer and, most likely, an exporter. CEE hosted the delegation for a reception on July 27, which was followed by presentations on July 28. (click photo to enlarge)

On June 9th at the 2009 AAPG Convention in Denver, Dr. Sue Hovorka was invited to participate in the "Our Energy Future: Wind, Solar, Nuclear, and Coal with Sequestration" forum as an expert on CO2 sequestration. The forum, organized by AAPG Division's Energy Forum (DEG/DPA/EMD), focused on advantages and limitations of clean energy sources such as wind, solar, nuclear, and coal, along with sequestration, as potential new sources of electricity. Sue served on a panel that discussed these issues. Dr. Sergey Fomel presented 2 Centennial lectures titled "Seismic Patterns" at ConocoPhillips in Houston on July 15th and at the Bay Area Geophysical Society in San Ramon, California on July 8th. He presented to a full room of 50-60 people at each event and had discussions with scientists who attended about possible research projects with the Bureau.

On August 20th, the Bureau hosted a Centennial Lecture half-day seminar at the Houston Research Center. Four of the Bureau’s Distinguished Lecturers gave presentations: Dr. Steve Ruppel (“Understanding Black Shale Successions: Lessons and Questions from the Barnett and other Paleozoic Mudrocks”), Dr. Bob Loucks (“Geology of the Mississippian Barnett Shale-Gas Play in Texas: Regional Setting, Sedimentology, and Pore Networks”), Dr. Charlie Kerans (“A Global Perspective on Carbonate Hydrocarbon Reservoirs: Challenges and Potential”), and Dr. Lesli Wood (“Deltas on Mars: A Martian History of Standing Water and Moving Sediments”). More than 50 people from companies that support Bureau research attended the event. Thanks to HRC employees Randy McDonald, Darrell Haynes, and Richard Gutierrez for providing key logistical support.