EAGE Newsletter Students Issue 1 2014

EAGE NEWSLETTER

STUDENTS

Issue 1 2014

Celebrating our seventh year of growing activity

Hon Prof Peter Lloyd.

P

eter Lloyd, chair, EAGE Student Affairs Committee, writes: My co-chair, Sylvie Grimaud (Total), and I would like to welcome you all to our first Student Newsletter.

This has been another robust year for Student Affairs. The Student Lecture Tour programme reached 40 universities with 1700 attendees from around the world. There was a record 43 participants for the FIELD Challenge with representatives from each international region. The EAGE Geo-Quiz was conducted online and at conferences in the Middle East, North Africa, Russia, Latin America, Europe and at EAGE’s Conference & Exhibition in Amsterdam with some 25 teams competing in each. We now have 26 active student chapters with steady growth across the Middle East and Asia. The student technical sessions were well attended at the Annual Meeting, and the Student Court and student evening were both a great success.

Trivia Question To what do these historic figures owe their geoscientific fame?

1. Alfred Wegener (1880-1930).

2. Robert Mallet (1810-1881).

3. James Hutton (1726-1797).

Our Student Affairs Committee (SAC) is celebrating its seventh birthday! We welcome new members Mario Sigismondi (Latin America) and Vladislav Kuznetsov (Russia) to join Roger Clark, Leon Barens, Giancarlo Bernasconi, Anne Jardin, Ibrahim Mohammed (Middle East and North Africa) and Claudia Steiner-Luckabauer.

Our committee members are heavily involved in chairing student technical sessions, activities at the Student Court and the student evenings at our various conferences and in education programmes.

For their generous sponsorships and support to our activities we have to thank the EAGE Student Fund (including Shell), our membership sponsors (BP, Fugro) and the Amsterdam ‘14 Student Programme sponsors (Wintershall, ExxonMobil, Shell, Total, Statoil, BP, Gemeente Amsterdam).

We are happy that three sponsors have already signed up for the next Student Programme at Madrid 2015: Total, Repsol and Statoil.

Probably our most exciting initiative is the FIELD Challenge where we invite university teams of three to five students to submit an essay. This year it is titled ‘Professionalism: what it means and why it is critical to the oil and gas business’.

The six teams with the best submissions are then given a full dataset (provided by Repsol) from a producing oil or gas field and we sponsor these teams to present a FIELD development plan at the Annual Meeting, Madrid 2015 column).

Also very important is the EAGE Student Lecture Tour (SLT). We already have a great line-up for 2014-2015. Our goal is to have our lecturers visit at least 50 universities in the next 12 months. The SLT presentations not only highlight technical innovation, but stress the benefits of EAGE membership and professionalism. You can contact students@eage.org to bring an SLT Lecturer to your university.

Answers on page 7 Read more on page 2 ➤

We’re planning a big show for Madrid 2015 Student Programme!

P

rof Juan I. Soto (Granada University), member of the student task force for the Madrid 2015 Student Programme, looks ahead: If you are looking for an opportunity to meet other colleagues, make new friends, share experiences, and explore job opportunities or strengthen your knowledge in Earth Science topics, you can’t afford to miss the next EAGE Prof Juan I. Soto meeting in Madrid.

We have prepared an extensive, diverse, and stimulating Student Programme, specifically oriented to young students interested in exploring their future opportunities and discussing their experiences to date.

The programme contains informative short courses and amazing motivational speakers, and it will allow you to meet recruiting people from different companies or new colleagues from other universities.

Read more on page 2 ➤

What's inside FIELD Challenge 2015

3

Students and young professionals in Oman

6

Student Chapters update

8

Industry News And more...

10

EAGE UPDATE

Celebrating our seventh year of growing activity Continued from p.1.

We have several Student Recognition Programmes with not only scholarships and sponsorships, but also the Best Student Chapter Prize won this year by Imperial College London.

We had a great year but, as we expand globally, we face serious new challenges.

Another way we recognize the efforts and professionalism of our student members is the Best Student Poster Prize. The three best submissions of EAGE’s Annual Meeting are rewarded with the opportunity to publish their material in First Break.

They also receive a certificate of recognition and additional exposure during their poster presentations. Abstract submissions for Madrid 2015 are now open, so don’t miss this chance.

EAGE Student Newsletter Student Affairs Committee Peter Lloyd chair Sylvie Grimaud Co-chair (Total) Anne Jardin (IFP Energies Nouvelles) Giancarlo Bernasconi (Politecnico di Milano) Ibrahim Mohammad (Schlumberger) Leon Barens (Total E&P Nederland) Roger Clark (University of Leeds) Claudia Steiner-Luckabauer (HOT Engineering GmbH) Vladislav Kuznetov (Novatek NTC) Mario Sigismondi (YPF Argentina) Publications & Communications Manager Marcel van Loon (ml@eage.org) Student Affairs Coordinator Kirsten Brandt (kbt@eage.org) Publications Coordinator Marjolein van Kraanen (mws@eage.org) Account Manager Advertising Peter Leitner (plr@eage.org) Production Co Productions bv (contact@coproductions.nl) EAGE Head Office E-mail: eage@eage.org, students@eage.org Website: www.eage.org

2

The EAGE Geo-Quiz initiative gives us the most fun! We have built a library of more than 200 ‘fully vetted and approved’ questions which cover the A-Z of exploration, well construction and production activities, and it is growing all the time.

Geo-Quizzes are now held at many of our regional conferences (where some 25% of the questions are sourced locally) and at the Annual Meeting. Utrecht University (the Netherlands) won the final of the Geo-Quiz at EAGE Amsterdam ‘14.

An honourable second place went to AGH UST Krakow and the University of Leoben claimed the third prize. Don’t miss the EAGE Geo-Quiz at Madrid 2015 and be one of our next winners!

We have had a great year but, as we expand globally, we face serious new challenges. What makes a vibrant global community of student chapters is a strong sense of local ownership and leadership. Much as we can support and sponsor

your activities in campuses around the world, it is up to you, as students to initiate, drive and assure their success. But it is very much these skills that future employers will also be searching for, so get active, become a student chapter team player and leader and use it as a springboard when you start to look for a job and develop your career.

We also want to use our fast growing community of EAGE young professionals now in the workforce as a bridge between student communities and our main body of experienced members. The Student Affairs Committee will be focusing on how best to grow and consolidate our global outreach. So if you are a young professional and volunteer work appeals to you, please drop a line to Kirsten Brandt (students@eage.org), our hardworking liaison in the EAGE office, and we will see how you can best contribute to one of our regional teams.

Planning a big show for Madrid 2015 Student Programme Continued from p.1.

The theme of the programme ‘Fuel for the Future’ really says it all. Members of the organising committee are drawn from both industry and academia, so we are very conscious of the need to provide a bridge for the next generation of geoscience professionals. To conduct any research in the university or to explore new frontiers in the industry, it is crucial that we can count on the interest, ideas and enthusiasm of young geoscientists in order to expand the frontiers of earth science.

Submit your abstract for Madrid 2015 EAGE invites students to submit their abstract (deadline: 15 January 2015) for the 77th EAGE Conference & Exhibition in Madrid. Topics and template instructions are published online on EAGE.org.

Students may also apply for travel grants.

The EAGE student travel grants offer students support towards their participation in the Student Programme of Madrid 2015.

Students that are accepted to receive the travel grant will receive an allocated amount of funds onsite during the conference in Madrid. Please note that the travel grants

Exhibition tour during Amsterdam ‘14.

do not cover all of a student’s expenses but are meant as a contribution to support the student.

We believe that coming to our Annual Meeting in Madrid is a major opportunity for students everywhere, and so look forward to seeing as many of you as possible.

Support the Madrid 2015 Student Programme We would like to thank the EAGE Student Fund (including Shell), Total, Repsol and Statoil for supporting the Madrid 2015 Student Programme. Would your company also be interested in sponsoring the Madrid 2015 Student Programme? Your support will be very welcome and much appreciated! Please find the sponsoring opportunities on EAGE.org or contact us at sponsoring@eage.org.

EAGE NEWSLETTER STUDENTS

ISSUE 1 2014

EAGE UPDATE

Enter your team for the truly multi-disciplinary FIELD Challenge

P

ractical experience is the key to a successful career in the geosciences, and that is exactly what the EAGE FIELD Challenge can provide for you. At the EAGE Annual Meeting in Madrid next year finalists in the competition will work with a dataset and have the opportunity to analyze and propose a FIELD development plan of a discovered hydrocarbon resource. This is a truly multi-disciplinary contest, so FIELD Challenge teams should consider including expertise in petrophysics, geophysics, geology, reservoir, drilling and production engineering, and petroleum economics. All these disciplines could be called upon during the FIELD challenge.

During the 2015 edition of the FIELD Challenge, the dataset will be provided by Repsol, an integrated global energy company with vast sector experience. The challenge is not to be taken lightly! An expert jury will expect a development plan to include well log and test analysis, structural and depositional models, identified flow units, static reservoir models, property modelling, dynamic reservoir modelling and a forward appraisal and development plan.

To enter the FIELD Challenge, university teams (three to five students, one PhD per team allowed) are invited to submit an essay (20003000 words) on the topic ‘Professionalism: what it means and why it is critical to the oil and gas business’. Essay guidelines are available on the website.

From all entries, only the six best essays will be selected to work on Repsol’s dataset. Those six finalist teams will receive travel funding to the 77th EAGE Conference & Exhibition in Madrid,

A concentrated FIELD Challenge jury during the FIELD Challenge presentations at Amsterdam’14.

should read through the rules and procedures of the FIELD Challenge. When entering the challenge, the submission of the essay should be accompanied by a completed submission form and a signed copy of the Declaration of Integrity.

For more information (submission form, essay guidelines, etc.) please go to eage.org/students or contact us at students@eage.org.

The dataset: Oil fields are never over until they’re over!

Tomás Ramón Zapata (vice-chairman Local Advisory Committee, Repsol Exp.) adds: Repsol has committed to the FIELD Challenge 2015 by providing the dataset which is an example of an ‘old/new’ field development. The proposed area was first explored in 1967 and several ex-

Spain, to present their FIELD development plans on 1 June. From the six finalists, there can only be one FIELD Challenge winner. This team will receive a €3000 prize, in the form of a voucher for EAGE events, books and other services.

So, grab your pens (or laptops) to excite and inspire the jury with an essay on what professionalism will mean when moving through your careers and how important the various facets will be to you, the industry and the lives of people where we drill and produce hydrocarbons.

One thing to remember; our judges are all technical people as well as professionals, so illustrate your ideas with case studies and technical applications to score well!

Before entering the FIELD Challenge, all student teams as well as their faculty advisors

EAGE NEWSLETTER STUDENTS

ISSUE 1 2014

ploration wells were drilled. In 1996 two accumulations were selected for development and production. The northern part of the field was developed with the single well and the southern part of the field with two wells. In 1997 gas production reached a 60 MMSCFD plateau. In 2003 water began to flood the producing reservoir, resulting in a field shutdown. In 2009 gas exports were restarted after a three-year period of no production. By applying a multi-disciplinary approach, Repsol obtained a better understanding of the behaviour, production potential and reserves of both fields. After four years of continuous operations (and still ongoing), increased value was created for the company, not to mention the economic benefit of delaying asset abandonment.

Yes, we’re offering some new books for free…

D

id you get the chance to meet our student lecturer and distinguished author Paolo Dell’Aversana during the Annual Meeting in Amsterdam in June? If not, you should make sure not to miss one of his lectures during the European Student Lecture Tour (SLT) 2014-2015.

Paolo’s SLT lecture ‘Integrated Geophysical Models: Theory, Examples and Implications on Creativity’ is based on two of his books: Cognition in Geosciences and Integrated Geophysical Models. Paolo promised in the June issue of First Break that his audience can ‘expect a quite unusual discussion starting from the firm ground of the geosciences, continuing with practical examples of geophysical integration, and ending with incursions into the world of the cognitive sciences’.

Interested in attending or hosting this lecture at your university? Contact EAGE at students@eage.org for more information or go to www.eage.org/students for upcoming lectures and locations.

Since we don’t expect you to spend your whole budget on buying scientific books, we decided to offer five copies of both Paolo’s books for free! All you have to do is send an e-mail to eagepublications@eage.org (including your address) and tell us why you would like to receive one of the titles!

3

EAGE UPDATE

Join the Geophysics Boot Camp 2015!

T

he EAGE Geophysics Boot Camp is an international student and young professional programme where you can put geophysical theory into practice on an active oil field during the span of a week. The programme offers you a great opportunity to experience the world of professional geophysics.

Following the success of last year’s Geophysics Boot Camp, we are pleased to organize two weeks with two different groups. Week 1 will run on 21-28 March and Week 2 will run from 28 March till 4 April. Each week a group of 30 students and 10 young professionals will be accepted, based on their academic background and motivation.

The boot camps are a great opportunity to gain field experience which you may use for the rest of your career. In small groups you will rotate through several geophysical activities: reflection and refraction seismic acquisitions, gravity surveying, ground penetrating radar, etc. But the day does not end on the field. Discussion is continued in evening sessions where professors will go through the data with each small group on what has been found on the field that day.

Prior to all the field activities, you will receive an HSSE induction to teach you all as-

Participants at last year’s Boot Camp.

pects about safety in the oil and gas industry.

After induction, you will go on a one-day geological field trip to Bad Bentheim to visit the Bentheimer Sandstone to understand the local geology.

You are invited to apply by 1 December 2014.

Participation to the programme is free of charge, however accommodation and meals should be covered by students or their respective university.

To apply please fill in the personal information available online and complete your application by uploading your motivation letter, resume and transcript of records. Based on your documents, the Boot Camp committee will announce the accepted students for each week. They will be informed by e-mail.

For more information, visit the Learning Geoscience website (www.learninggeoscience.org).

Why it makes sense for you to join the EAGE!

L

isten up students! 2015 is coming up quickly and that means it’s time to make the move and join the EAGE or sign up for another year of membership benefits.

Here are a few reasons that should help you to make up your mind.

As a student member you will receive EAGE’s flagship magazine First Break every month, filled with technical articles, special topics, industry news, reports on EAGE past and upcoming events and more.

In addition, you receive a free online subscription to Near Surface Geophysics, Geophysical Prospecting, Petroleum Geoscience or Basin Research, free online access to Geociencias Aplicadas Latinoamericanas and free access to EarthDoc, EAGE’s online geoscience database with more than 55,000 scientific papers. Students receive all this for a reduced membership fee of €25.

EAGE offers a wide variety of workshops, conferences, student programmes, recruitment opportunities and other student activities.

As a student member you can always register at discounted rates, both for the workshops and for the larger events worldwide. EAGE’s Annual Conference & Exhibition attracts some 8000 geoscientists and engineers from all over the world. In 2015, Madrid (Spain) will

4

host this event from 1 to 4 June 2015. More information about the Madrid 2015 Student Programme on page 1 and 2.

Here’s another thing! Students joining EAGE for the first time can even apply for a free membership (sponsored by Fugro and BP). This is an opportunity to get to know first hand about the great benefits that EAGE offers. After the first year, the student membership fee of €25 per year applies.

If you can’t afford the fee, you can apply online to our ‘Support a Student’ scheme. This enables Association members to support your student membership by donating the €25 membership fee.

Supporters (industry professionals) can either select a student themselves (based on the quality and motivation of the student’s applicantion) or let EAGE to choose randomly. Another benefit of the programme is that it provides the chance for you and your industry supporter to network and help to bridge the gap between university life and the professional environment. All the application and donation instructions for students and professionals respectively interested in the ‘Support a Student’ scheme can be found online at My EAGE.

EAGE NEWSLETTER STUDENTS

ISSUE 1 2014

EAGE UPDATE

Rio conference offers a meeting point for all Latin American students

Ready to move forward?

Get your OMV Scholarship for Petroleum Engineering Master Study!

E

AGE is lending its support to the 3rd Latin American Geosciences Student Conference (LAGSC) to be held on 27 July to 1 August 2015 at the Federal Fluminense University in Niterói, Brazil.

This premier student event follows previous successful conferences in Latin America (LAGSC 2013 in Medellin, Colombia, LAGSC 2014 in Mexico City, Mexico). Organization is being headed by the SEG/UFF Student Chapter and the Seismic Imaging and Inversion Group from Federal Fluminense University joined by the supporting societies, EAGE, SEG and SBGF. ‘Latin America, a big region: huge reserves, looking for continental integration’ is the theme of the conference which is intended to provide an opportunity for students in Latin America to learn more about today’s main challenges in the geoscience field, and ongoing research and technology development in Latin America.

The SEG/UFF Student Chapter has organized lectures provided by SEG since its foundation, allowing students from the region to get updated about geoscience research, the principal challenges facing the big companies and the prominent technology being developed daily in response to the need to overcome these challenges. Besides lectures, short courses have also been held jointly with the Federal Fluminense University.

As a next step the student chapter is recruiting students to establish an EAGE Student Chapter which will collaborate with the SEG/UFF Student Chapter and EAGE. This should result in more support for organizing and promoting lectures and events. The aim is to provide students with more tools, services and knowledge to further develop their future careers.

The conference venue of Niterói is in the metropolitan area of the legendary city of Rio de Janeiro, known for its incredible landscapes and beautiful white sands beaches. Rio is also the oil capital of Brazil and Latin America, home of national oil company Petrobras and close to Brazil’s huge offshore presalt reserves.

All previous conferences have been a success, so participants should not expect any less from the third LAGSC. It offers the perfect chance for students to show their work, learn and network with fellow students and company representatives present. More details about the conference can be found at the LAGSC 2015 website – www.lagsc2015.org.

on on informati Find more o h larship v.com/sc www.om n o line and apply 15 uary 7, 20 from Jan Register for the International Petroleum Engineering Master Program at the Montan University Leoben in Austria and use the chance to get a sponsored scholarship and unique career opportunities within a world-class oil and gas company.

Requirements: uu Bachelor Degree in Petroleum Engineering or similar technical degree uu Strong academic achievements in past studies uu International Orientation uu Excellent English skills

We offer: uu Comprehensive scholarship package uu Preparatory Summer Course at Montan University Leoben for entry in Petroleum Engineering master program uu First class internship in one of OMV’s operational E&P business units uu Mentoring by OMV experts uu Career opportunity in OMV E&P world with early international assignments

Please apply online at www.omv.com/scholarship

Opening ceremony of the second LAGSC (2014) in Mexico City.

EAGE NEWSLETTER STUDENTS

ISSUE 1 2014

5 HR_Poster2final_half.indd 1

19.09.14 11:37

EAGE UPDATE

Students and young professionals network in Oman

Getting with the programme at the forum.

O

n the heels of the success of the inaugural Students and Young Professionals Forum held in Abu Dhabi in 2012, the EAGE is announcing a second edition of the popular and well-attended event.

The Second EAGE Students and Young Professionals Forum will take place at Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat, Oman, from 7-9 December, 2014.

Registration for this event is free for all students!

The event recognises that the oil and gas industry is getting a little grey around the edges and that the recruitment and development of young talent is becoming a critical focus area for many companies. On the other hand, students and young professionals are often stymied by the difficult transition between the routine of university and the demands of industry. Any occasion that brings the two together for dialogue and discussion is generally a welcome proposition.

Discussion panel topics at the forum will include Mentoring Young Talents, Building Bridges Between Academia and Industry, and Assessment Schemes.

Interactive participation will be key for a session on Interview and CV Skills, which will offer opportunities for mock interviews. High profile management from an assortment of national and independent oil companies and service companies will form the Executive Managers’ panel to discuss the topic of staff retention.

Students will also get a chance to display their talents in two competitions.

A Best Poster competition will allow students to put their technical work in front of a panel of judges, with a variety of prizes at stake. There will also be another edition of the incredibly popular and always enjoyable Geo-Quiz, where teams of students will put their geophysical acumen to the test in serious but friendly competition.

The forum will conclude with a field trip in concert with the Geological Society of Oman. Students will journey into the wadis of northern Oman to experience first-hand the amazing outcrops and formations that make Oman a geological wonderland.

As with the previous edition, participation is important to making this year’s forum a success. Students are strongly encouraged to register and take part. The discussion panels, interactive sessions and competitions all represent excellent opportunities to network with industry professionals and to learn more about the intricacies of navigating a career in geoscience. The forum offers young professionals, with a few years of industry experience, information, career guidance and the opportunity to share their experiences with the next wave. For industry the forum represents an occasion to meet and inspire the next generation.

Best Poster competition is a popular feature.

Don’t miss EAGE Geo-Quiz in Perth!

I

f you are attending the ASEG-PESA 2015 (24th International Geophysical Conference and Exhibition) in Perth, Western Australia, then you shouldn’t miss the chance to participate in the EAGE Geo-Quiz!

The EAGE Geo-Quiz is the best way to put your learned knowledge and skills to the test and the best place to compete against fellow students from all over the world. We’ve held successful events at EAGE’s Annual Meetings, as well as at regional conferences in Russia, Germany, Mexico, and Egypt, and now it’s Australia’s turn to try the Geo-Quiz.

EAGE is a truly multi-disciplinary association and this is emphasized in the Geo-Quiz as

6

well. The quiz counts several rounds with questions related to different fields in the geoscience industry. Petroleum geoscience, geology, geophysics, petrophysics, mining and drilling are just a few of the fields that students may have to deal with during the competition. The level of the questions differs and will get more difficult along the way. The competition is be-

be the chance for the team to participate in the global EAGE Geo-Quiz and compete against students from all over the world. For more details on EAGE Madrid 2015, check out the EAGE website.

The EAGE Geo-Quiz in Perth will be held on Tuesday 17 February 2015 from 18:00-21:00 hrs at Bob’s Bar (The Print Hall, Brookfield Place,

tween teams of 2-3 students, so choose your team members well so you can tackle all the questions.

The fantastic prize for the winning team in Perth is full travel funding to the EAGE 77th Conference & Exhibition 2015, being held from 1-4 June in Madrid, Spain. This will also

25 St Georges Terrace, Perth). You can register your team for the EAGE Geo-Quiz by sending an e-mail to asiapacific@eage.org. You can also register at the EAGE booth onsite at the exhibition.

Spaces are limited, so don’t delay your entry and register today!

EAGE NEWSLETTER STUDENTS

ISSUE 1 2014

INTERVIEW

Career profile: relating to the Shell experience Marcin Glegola has been a geophysicist at Shell since 2012. He started his studies in 2000 at the University of Zielona Gora in Poland obtaining separate degrees in management and computer science and econometrics respectively. In 2005 he moved to the Netherlands to continue with an MSc in applied mathematics at the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). Between 2008 and 2012 he was a PhD researcher at the Department of Remote Sensing, TU Delft. His research was conducted within the ISAPP-1 (Integrated System Approach Petroleum Production) programme where Shell was one of the key sponsors.

What motivated you to choose the oil industry?

My PhD research was conducted for Shell. This gave me a great opportunity to collaborate with various experts and to see from the inside how the oil industry works. It was really inspiring and motivating to see some of the very unique and challenging projects which are undertaken by Shell and where I could contribute a bit with my research outcomes. I also liked that I could directly apply knowledge and skills developed during my education.

Can you tell us a little about the Shell Graduate Programme?

I think it’s great, because it gives new graduates an opportunity to develop competences and experiences in the areas where they may not have background when they join the company. For instance, I came without too much background in geology and seismic interpretation. To broaden my knowledge in those and other areas, I have about five weeks every year of face-to-face training given by some of the best experts in the company, plus great field trips to study geology.

It also includes on-the-job learning related to fulfilling certain job tasks associated with the skill pool you are in. It’s also very good for networking because you meet many other graduates with whom you are likely to work in the future.

What is your current position and what does it involve?

My current position as a geophysicist involves working with geophysical and geological data

EAGE NEWSLETTER STUDENTS

Marcin Glegola, geophysicist at Shell.

to characterize subsurface both for hydrocarbon exploration projects but also for existing field development and monitoring. I often work with non-seismic data including time-lapse gravity and electromagnetic data (CSEM). These are relatively new and exciting technologies and I’m happy that I can be part of their deployment.

What do you like about your job?

Are there any disadvantages?

I appreciated being able to work on a project with colleagues who are experts in different disciplines, such as reservoir engineers, geomechanists, geologists. This gives me a great opportunity to learn from them and also to understand how the results of my work add value and make a business impact. Often however, you need to wait a couple of years to see the real outcome, e.g., whether the well was drilled or not.

What have been the defining moments in your career so far and how did these factors influence you professionally?

I’ve been working on an offshore field monitoring project in the North Sea which involved acquisition of surveillance data at a cost of several million dollars. I was involved in the project from the very initial phase helping with the feasibility study, survey design and preparations. I got a chance to go offshore for a couple of weeks

ISSUE 1 2014

to acquire the actual data. It was great experience. I realized how much effort and good work is required to get this data right. It changed my thinking a bit about the ‘feasibility world’ and real data acquisition. And of course it was great fun to be there too.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Working in the upstream business with a technical role in frontier exploration.

What advice would you offer young geoscientists looking for a successful career in the oil and gas industry?

Don’t limit yourself by rejecting opportunities which you think are not for you because you don’t have the right background. You will be trained and coached and you will learn as you go.

Find your passion and do your work at 100%.

Trivia answers 1. Advanced the theory of Continental Drift.

2. Father of seismology: experimented with blasting to determine speed of seismic propagation in sand and solid rock.

3. Founder of modern geology: believed Earth was perpetually being formed.

7

STUDENT CHAPTERS

Imperial earns best chapter prize

I

mperial College London (with Akela Silverton as president) was declared winner of Best Student Chapter Prize 2013-2014 at the EAGE Annual Meeting in Amsterdam in June. Imperial students were recognized for their innovative programme, which included invited speakers, organized events and field trips, and for being able to create a real atmosphere of energy, enthusiasm and professionalism on their college campus. Along with the title € 2000 voucher was given as prize.

Student chapters of SGS Potsdam and Berlin (Ramona Niemann, president) and Bucharest University (Vlad Apotrosoaei, president) were ranked in second place. Heriot-Watt (Dennis Obidegwu and Ricardo Rangel, presidents in 2013 and 2014 respectively) and Suez University (Mohamed Shahin, president) named in third place.

EAGE is proud to have such enthusiastic and ambitious student members and is pleased to reward chapters with financial support and advice. All chapters work closely with EAGE Student Affairs Department and EAGE helps to organize activities for its chapters that can lead to travel grants to participate in EAGE Annual Meetings.

The global community of EAGE is growing and will surely grow further.

Currently our Association is a network of 18,000 industry and academic professionals plus geoscience students from all over the world. Student chapters in Asia Pacific, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, North Africa and Russia/CIS actively organize educational activities under the EAGE flag to promote geosciences within their local environment, and beyond.

EAGE Student Chapters around the world.

No EAGE Student Chapter at your university yet?

Become a Student Chapter and receive 15 free EAGE memberships! Please send an e-mail to the Student Affairs Coordinator at students@eage.org to receive more information about how to start up.

Perm State starts a new Russian chapter students and early career professionals. Some of our students and lecturers are already members of this Association and we have been told about their travel grants, conferences and other benefits membership has already given them.

Moreover, our nearness to the Russian EAGE Office can help us get the up-to-date information in both Russian and English languages.

This is crucial for the founding of new Student Chapters.’

Our decision to go ahead happened this summer in Nizhny Novgorod during the 5th Interna-

Perm State chapter founders.

L

ev Pleshkov, 5th year student, Perm State University, Russia, writes: For the last several years Perm State University has been actively extending and developing its international ties, drawing the attention of many foreign students and professionals. Our latest initiative has been to start an EAGE Student Chapter. Already being members of the SEG student chapter we were inspired to work towards a collaboration between all students of

8

the faculty, not just from one department. It was clear to us that an EAGE Student Chapter would provide exactly what we were looking for.

‘The strongest argument in the discussion for opening an EAGE Chapter in our University,’ says our colleague Elena Shalimova, 4th year student-geophysicist, ‘was the meeting with Mikhail Novikov, EAGE Moscow Office Director. We were amazed how many different opportunities membership of EAGE can provide to

tional Geosciences Student Conference, organized by SEG Student Chapters of Perm, Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow. As a result we can start with established contacts with students of other cities and countries as a part of EAGE. We believe that the EAGE Student Chapter can help students, lecturers and professors of Geological Faculty of Perm State University to collaborate, advance student science at the international level and improve the knowledge of modern technologies among students.

EAGE NEWSLETTER STUDENTS

ISSUE 1 2014

STUDENT CHAPTERS

Alberta students have a plan can share ideas and experiences. Mirko van der Baan, professor of exploration seismology at University of Alberta, serves as the faculty advisor to our chapter. His extensive research experience and familiarity with the industry will be a great source of advice for all our members.’

‘We intend to initiate activities supported

by EAGE to keep everyone up-to-date on recent developments and disseminate information on geosciences. We want to establish and maintain contacts with professionals in industry and at other research institutions and EAGE-affiliated societies, develop leadership and management skills and a sense of profes-

The EAGE Student Chapter at Alberta University.

U

niversity of Alberta, recognized as one of the leading geosciences and engineering universities in North America, has formed an EAGE Student Chapter. The chapter already has 25 members from different academic backgrounds related to geosciences.

With the high level of interest more members are expected to join soon. Here’s what officers of the chapter have to say: ‘We hope to provide undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to meet academic and industrial experts so that they

Promising start in Buenos Aires

I

ván Cosentino, secretary, ITBA EAGE Student Chapter, writes: Our ITBA (Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires) Student Chapter was founded at the beginning of 2014 and is composed of petroleum engineering students from the university. The main objectives set for the chapter are to disseminate knowledge amongst members, be a meeting place for technical activities, facilitate networking between disciplines and to help students get more in touch and enhance their experience with the oil and gas industry.

Among this year’s activities, one of the most worth mentioning has been the ‘Petroleum Engineering Introduction Workshop’, organized in May 2014. With the sponsorship of Chevron, a three-day event was held

EAGE NEWSLETTER STUDENTS

at the university. Six long-time Chevron professionals gave presentations about the different phases of the upstream industry; from prospect evaluation through geology and geophysics, to reservoir evaluation, drilling and work-over, and to production. The event was open to both the ITBA community and external visitors, and over 150 people attended, making the occasion a great success.

In addition, the chapter has started coordinating and godparenting student research projects in the university, with substantial assistance from the faculty staff. One group was able to present a successful paper at the LACPEC 2014 event this May in Venezuela. Right now, the most promising research is oriented to the technical aspects of the development of shale oil and shale gas fields, main focus in Argentina these days.

ISSUE 1 2014

sionalism, discuss current and future industry needs. This includes encouraging and assisting our colleagues in obtaining industry experience and exposing them to various aspects of geoscience’s world.’

‘Our plan is to organize and coordinate a wide variety of events throughout the academic year that EAGE can help to facilitate and are of benefit to students at different levels of studies, from BSc to PhD.’

During the year, we have frequent chapter get-togethers, where we try to boost both friendship and companionship between members through holding recreational activities.

Our aspiration for the forthcoming months is to acquire a full-time sponsor to help the chapter solve its economical commitments. Furthermore, we hope to welcome new members, and so form a larger, stronger chapter. Last but not least, we are looking forward to approaching other student chapters to exchange ideas and collaborate in new, promising activities!

Drilling lecture in progress.

9

INDUSTRY NEWS

Geoscience graduates needed in the US

Graduates from recession era are happier with careers

W

I

n the American Geosciences Institute’s newest Status of the Geoscience Workforce Report, released May 2014, jobs requiring training in the geosciences continue to be lucrative and in-demand. Even with increased enrolment and graduation from geoscience programmes, the data still project a shortage of around 135,000 geoscientists needed in the workforce by the end of the decade.

Report author Carolyn Wilson said: ‘Industry has recognized and is mitigating the upcoming shortage of skilled geoscientists in their employ, but the federal geoscience workforce is still demonstrably shrinking.’ She noted that the federal geoscience workforce decreased in all sectors except meteorology; this includes geoscientists skilled in the energy, mining/minerals and hydrology fields. Combined with continued unevenness is the workforce readiness of many geoscience graduates and a regionally hot job market. The geosciences are said to be a dynamic component of the US economy.

Numbers of graduating geoscience majors who started their degrees at two-year colleges have increased, as have the number of students participating in a field camp experience. Most students graduating from a geoscience degree programme have taken math courses up to a calculus-II level, but there is still concern from employers over whether these students are graduating with enough quantitative experience to be completely apt for a career in the geosciences.

Employers underscore the necessity of having enough skilled grads to meet vacancies that will exist in the geoscience sector in the upcoming decades.

10

ell-educated college graduates who earned their degrees in a recession were ultimately more satisfied with their jobs, according to a study

by Emily Bianchi, assistant professor of organization and management at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, published Administrative Science Quarterly.

In ‘The Bright Side of Bad Times: The Affective Advantages of Entering the Workforce in a Recession’ Bianchi analyzed data from two large government-run surveys that have been administered regularly since the 1970s. The results showed that people who earned their degrees during economic downturns were more satisfied with their current jobs than those who first looked for work during more prosperous economic times.

According to Bianchi, the results could not be accounted for by generational differ-

ences or differences in industry or occupational selection. The findings are particularly surprising given the well-documented negative financial aspects of graduating in a recession. Recession graduates earn less money and often hold less prestigious jobs.

Bianchi argues that how people evaluate what they have does not always reflect the value of what they have. ‘Decades of psychological research has shown that how people feel about their outcomes does not always mirror the objective value of these outcomes.’ People can be happy with less, depending on how they think about their outcomes.

Conversely, people who graduate in economic booms are more likely to wonder if they could have done better and ruminate over paths not taken, says Bianchi. In contrast, recession graduates are more likely to feel grateful to have a job at all and spend less time wondering how they might have done better.

MIT students club together on natural resource

A

multi-disciplinary group of students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have established a Mining, oil and Gas Club to serve as a natural resources systems thinking organization Students say they were inspired by William Barton Rogers, a nineteenth century geologist, physicist and educator. The mission of the club is to catalyze the development of their areas of interest within the MIT Community and industry and effectively foster linkages between industry and academia.

The vision is to be the main platform/hub for collaboration and networking among all relevant stakeholders for the mining, oil and gas industry (developers, researchers, industry, NGOs and academia).

The club lecture series provides a platform where industry experts and researchers present cutting edge work and research to the

club’s members. The lecture series has run since the club’s inception, and has hosted a myriad of speakers addressing topics as varied as flexibility in William Barton Rogers: the design of oil platsource of inspiration. forms, the environmental concerns of large mining investments, and the processing aspects of oil and gas production. In addition there are networking events and bootcamp workshops aimed at providing more fundamental technical expertise about the industry.

The club also helped to facilitate a trip bringing together more than 10 different areas and organizations from MIT to produce a hands-on outdoor workshop in Chile, one of the most important area for copper production in the world.

EAGE NEWSLETTER STUDENTS

ISSUE 1 2014

INDUSTRY NEWS

How speed-dating worked for researchers in Scotland

S

peed-dating either strikes terror in your heart or promises a mildly entertaining evening with the prospect of a happy outcome. So what happens if the same format is applied to a roomful of researchers with carbon capture and storage on their minds? It was something that the research group at the Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage (SCCS) project wanted to find out. SCCS is a partnership of the British Geological Survey, University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University working together with universities across Scotland.

SCCS said its researcher meetings tended to follow a traditional line – a few talks on different research topics, maybe one or two speakers from industry, and the chance to ask questions if people are feeling bold. Recently it was decided to shake things up and get some real conversation going between people from different schools and institutes. The ‘happy outcome’ aimed for being multi-disciplinary research collaborations.

The speed-dating session was run by University of Edinburgh student Sara Brouwer, who developed the approach to help fellow students receive feedback on dissertations. With a few adjustments, it proved equally successful for the new purpose.

The SCCS website reported the reaction of some participants. Sarah Hannis, geoscientist, British Geological Survey, said: ‘I was a bit suspicious of this activity initially, it seemed a bit like “desperate measures”, forcing people to talk to each other, but it had the definite advantage that it made good use of time. I got to have research-focused chats to many more researchers than I typically would in the more usual, room-full-over-a-glass-

Snapshots of speed-dating the geoscience way!

of-wine setting (although it was nice that we got to experience that later on too!). I got talking to people outside of my usual field and I exchanged contact details with two of the four people I chatted to. By the end, I felt exhausted and gaspingly thirsty, so the drinks afterwards were well timed.’

Claire McCraw, PhD student, University of Edinburgh School of Geosciences, said: ‘SCCS meetings are always a good way of being forced out of the relative isolation of the lab, and a chance to catch up with CCS colleagues from across Scotland. It is all too easy to spend time catching up with those you know, however, and not to network with others. Research speed-dating was a way of forcing networking, and I was lucky enough to have 10 minutes with a social scientist working on public perception; an engineer researching photocatalytic production of solar fuels; and an oxyfuel combustion engineer. This really illustrated the diversity of the group, and helped me see the bigger picture out with my own research.‘

Healthy trend in US geoscience studies

E

nrolments in US geoscience programmes remained robust during the 2012-2013 academic year, according to the American Geosciences Institute (AGI). Though total enrolments retreated from their 2011-2012 highs, the drop in enrolments was less than 3%. The current enrolment trend likely reflects the strong employment outlook for geosciences relative to the continued weak US job market.

Reports from many geoscience programmes around the US indicate that they are at or near capacity, and thus additional growth above the current levels is unlikely without either a major expansion at existing programmes or the introduction of online geoscience degree programmes.

Total enrolments in 2013 were 27,591 undergraduates and 10,935 graduate students, according to the AGI. Degree production at US geoscience programmes also remained strong. Undergraduate

EAGE NEWSLETTER STUDENTS

degrees awarded continued to increase, reflecting the recent increase in undergraduate enrolments.

The sudden increase in Master’s degrees awarded in 2012 does not appear to be an anomaly. Even though awarded Master’s degrees have dropped, they remain above the levels seen since 1987.

This increase in Master’s degrees is likely in response to the strong job market, with an increasing number of students pursuing geoscience graduate degrees to improve their employability.

In addition, the large number of Master’s degrees awarded could also be attributed to PhD-tracked students opting to graduate with Master’s degrees, attracted by job opportunities outside of academia given the extremely competitive job market in pure research and academic fields.

The total degrees awarded in 2013 were 3691 Bachelors, 1313 Masters, and 663 Doctorates.

The number of degrees being awarded to women has generally continued to increase

ISSUE 1 2014

through time. The percentage of degrees awarded to women has not declined like enrolment, and the total number of degrees are rising at all levels. Similar to enrolment at the Master’s level, most of the change in 2012-2013 over the prior year is accommodated by the drop in degrees awarded to men.

Of particular note is the recent steady increase in doctorates awarded to women. In fact, the degree level with the highest percentages of degrees awarded to women is the doctorate. This trend has not apparently been reflected in the gender distribution in faculty, but it is potentially too early to see this given the fact that over 65% of new doctorate recipients proceed on to a postdoc position.

In 2012-2013 women received 41.4% of Bachelor’s, 41.7% of Master’s, and 43.5% of doctoral degrees in the geosciences. All data comes from the AGI Directory of Geoscience Departments.

11

INDUSTRY NEWS / CALENDAR

Technology transfer in Trinidad and Tobago

OilVoice speaks up on behalf of students

F

our 4th year students taking the Science into Society module at the University of Durham, UK recently returned from a trip to Trinidad and Tobago, organised by Prof Aftab Khan (University of Leicester), as part of an international effort to promote teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in schools.

Sarah McMullan, Corinne Oldham, Tom Reilly and Josh Tasker worked on a project to develop a teaching kit-box to support school seismometers specially designed at the British Geological Survey. During their visit the students represented Durham University at a conference on STEM teaching in Port of Spain; helped to run a two-day workshop to demonstrate the seismometer and kit-box to teachers; then travelled around the islands installing eight seismometers and linking them to the international network of seismic stations.

The visit was hosted by National Institute of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (NIHERST) in Trinidad and Tobago and the project was funded by a gift from a Durham University Alumna, an international project funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to study the relationship between subduction and volcanoes and Sarah McMullan, Josh Tasker, Dr Ian Bastow, Leni Gas and Oil. Prof Aftab Khan, Tom Reilly and Corinne Oldham.

I

n response to the challenge of recruiting new young talent into the oil and gas sector, OilVoice, a UK online energy information company, has created an opportunity for companies to help students gain a valuable insight into the industry from a worldwide perspective by sponsoring unrestricted OilVoice access to a university of their choice.

According to OilVoice, feedback suggests that although well qualified and technically proficient when leaving university, postgraduate students often have limited knowledge about the industry they are joining. Regular access to OilVoice is said to provide a well-rounded and ongoing overview of companies, news, key operational data and industry contact details. The scheme offers graduates a valuable insight into the upstream sector by providing information and promoting awareness of the industry to the next generation of geoscientists and engineers. With a clearly defined link between industry and universities, OilVoice says it sees an obvious benefit both to companies looking to recruit and students reviewing the option of a career in the oil and gas sector. The scheme gives university undergraduates free access to a global selection of company profiles and associated oil sector information, and offers the sponsoring company a chance to raise their profile within the graduate market.

Students and staff from universities in Scotland, England, Ireland and Nigeria are currently benefiting from sponsored access.

EAGE Students Event Calendar November 2014 27 November 28 November

Student Lecture Tour Europe Utrecht, The Netherlands Student Lecture Tour Europe Freiburg, Germany

December 2014 2 December 3 December 17 December 7-9 December

Student Lecture Tour Europe Aberdeen, UK Student Lecture Tour Europe Liverpool, UK Student Lecture Tour Europe Bristol, UK Second EAGE Forum for Students & Young Professionals Muscat, Oman

January 2015 12 January 15 January 29 January

Student Lecture Tour Europe Strasbourg, France Student Lecture Tour Europe Bucharest, Romania Student Lecture Tour Europe Budapest, Hungary

March 2015 2 March 3 March

12

Student Lecture Tour Europe Edinburgh, UK Student Lecture Tour Europe Leeds, UK

4 March

Student Lecture Tour Europe Durham, UK

26 March Tyumen ‘15 Student Programme Tyumen, Russia 21 Mar - 4 Apr EAGE Geophysics Boot Camp Bad Bentheim, Germany

April 2015 15 April

Student Lecture Tour Europe Barcelona, Spain

May 2015 27 May

Baku ‘15 Student Programme Baku, Azerbaijan

June 2015 1 June 1-4 June

FIELD Challenge 2015 Madrid, Spain Madrid 2015 Student Programme Madrid, Spain

July 2015 1-18 July 27 Jul- 1 Aug

White Sea Field Camp on Shallow Geophysics 2015 Kandalaksha Gulf, Russia 3rd Latin American Geosciences Student Conference Niterói, Brazil

EAGE NEWSLETTER STUDENTS

ISSUE 1 2014