ASEG news - Issue 3, 29th June 2018

Dear Members,

In today's news you'll find information on:

AGCC 2018
AEGC 2019
Current Opportunities
News from the states
Upcoming events (National and International)
The latest in Exploration Geophysics
What's new in Preview?
Member Spotlight: Roger Henderson
Member News
Follow us on social media
Thanks to our corporate members

Don't forget to follow our social media accounts, for more regular updates on upcoming events and geoscience articles of interest.

AGCC 2018

The deadline for abstract submission has been extended until July 7th!

The AGC is also offering a reduced rate for Early Career Geoscientists, pay only $765 (a saving of $235) for registration until Thursday 30th August. For more information see page 6 of the AGCC 2018 Third Circular here.

The Steering Committee is investigating the possibility of having a child-minding facility set up at the Adelaide Convention Centre for the duration of AGCC 2018. The facility would be operated and managed by a licensed contractor and all arrangements would be made by parents with the contractor directly. It is intended to provide this facility on a cost-recovery basis. If you are interested in this service, please complete the Expression of Interest form here on or before Tuesday 14 August. The decision on whether or not to provide this facility will be made based on the demand received via the Expression of Interest form by this date.

AEGC 2019 - Sponsorships Now Available

The second Australasian Exploration Geoscience Conference (AEGC) will be held in September 2019 at the beautiful Crown Perth. Momentum is building, and sponsorships for this important event are now available.

AEGC 2019 will attract a large number of delegates from across the spectrum of Australian geosciences from the petroleum, mineral and water resource industries, representing both international and local companies, government and academia.

This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase your company and support our industries. For further information, or to download a prospectus please visit www.aegc.com.au.

Current Opportunities

AIG Geoscience Student Bursary Program

This year the AIG's national Geoscience Student Bursary Program offers several student bursaries valued between $1000 and $4000. Postgraduate, Honours and Third Year geoscience students are eligible with guidelines available here. The deadline for applications for the Geoscience Student Bursary Program is 3rd August 2018.

Courses

SEG Distinguished Instructor Short Course

Registrations are now open for the SEG Distinguished Instructor Short Course by Kurt Marfurt titled, 'Seismic Attributes as the Framework for Data Integration throughout the Oilfield Life Cycle'. All ASEG or SEG members can register at the reduced rate of USD$405 or USD$180 for students. See table below for dates across Australia.

EAGE Short courses in Perth

Registrations are also open for two short courses run by the EAGE in Perth. Register here. Please note the reduced EAGE costs listed on the website also apply for ASEG members.

Rock Physics for Quantitative Seismic Reservoir Characterization, 5-6 July 2018 with Prof. Tapan Mukerji of Stanford University in Perth, WA.

The Benefit of Broadband Technology for Reservoir Characterization and Imagin - the End - User Value Perth, 18 July 2018 with Dr Cyrille Reiser of Petroleum Geo-Services in Perth, WA.

SEG Distinguished Lecturer

We have another SEG Distinguished Lecturer travelling Australia in August this year, Dr Satish Singh with a talk titled, ‘Seismic Full Waveform Inversion for Fundamental Scientific and Industrial Problems’. For more details please see the SEG website.

Details on upcoming events can be found at the ASEG website.

For a more complete calendar of events see Preview

Volume 49 Number 3 2018 issue is released in late June and includes a variety of must-read articles including:

A novel approach to comparing AEM inversion results with borehole conductivity logs

Niels B. Christensen and Kenneth C. Lawrie

Two consistent methods of comparing borehole induction logs with models from inversion of AEM data have been developed: one in model space and one in data space. The two methods are applied to the Broken Hill Managed Aquifer Recharge project conducted by Geoscience Australia on AEM data from the SkyTEM system.

3D seismic attributes for structural mapping and enhancement of deep gold mining: a case study from the West Wits Line goldfields, South Africa

Nomqhele Z. Nkosi, Musa S. D. Manzi, Oleg Brovko and Raymond J. Durrheim

In this study, sophisticated seismic attributes are used to interpret the 3D reflection seismic data to: (1) assess and mitigate the risks posed by deep mining activities and (2) improve the resource evaluation of the gold-bearing quartz pebble conglomerate horizons (reefs) in the world's deepest gold mines (South Africa).

The June issue of Preview (194) is now available online. This issue of Preview features the Australian students who took out first and third place in the novice section of the inaugural Frank Arnott Award. The issue also features an article by Roger Henderson that reviews the claim Broughton Edge is father of Australian exploration geophysics. Well is he? You will have to read Roger's article to find out!

David Denham (Canberra observed) brings us up to speed on the outcomes of the Federal Budget, as well as taking a considered look at the Resources 2030 Taskforce, the new maritime boundary between Australia and East Timor and the lifting of the moratorium on fracking in the Northern Territory. Michael Asten (Education matters) introduces us to the SEG lecturers visiting Australia in July and August. Mike Hatch (Environmental geophysics) gets the Aarhus team to tell us something about their new towed TEM system for near-surface mapping. Terry Harvey (Minerals geophysics) muses about management styles appropriate for exploration. Mick Micenko (Seismic window) takes a look at full waveform inversion of seismic data, and Dave Annetts (Webwaves) fills us in on the new data protection laws.

Plenty to get your teeth into so, enjoy!

This week we get to know the Chair of the ASEG History Committee, Roger Henderson. If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else for an interview, please send us an email to communications@aseg.org.au

1. What is your current role?

After my first employment in 1965, I chose to stop getting paid for work in geophysics in 2013. Why couldn't I have gone for just one more year to make it 50?! In retirement, I have maintained interest in my profession by volunteering for various ASEG activities lately as Chair of the History Committee plus contributing items to Preview and now the Newsletter. Continued, regular attendance at Branch meetings keeps me in touch with advances and provides the camaraderie of association with colleagues, new and old.

2. For how long have you been a geophysicist?

For 49 years, initially in academia and then mainly in mineral exploration and engineering geophysical methods; theory and practice. After just one year in the NSW Geological Survey in 1965, I returned to Sydney University as a Teaching Fellow for 2 years followed by the inaugural Lectureship at Macquarie University from 1968 to 1970. After voluntary travel to England in 1971, I joined two mineral exploration companies one of which transferred me to their HO. in Toronto in 1974. A voluntary return to Australia in 1977 enabled me to become a company director in Adelaide for 5 years followed by 32 years in Sydney in company management and consultancy.

3. What do you like most about being a geophysicist.

The quest to explore and produce maps, both lifelong interests of mine. As some compensation for its loss in retirement I have joined the Explorer's Club. Geophysics has also fulfilled another strong interest of mine, that of travel. For my work it has put me in 40 other countries for surveys or attending conferences, from north of the Arctic Circle, throughout Europe, North America, to Brazil, north and south Africa, China, India and S E Asia. I missed out on Russia and Antarctica. The conferences included 10 to SEG, 12 to EAGE and several to Beijing and Hyderabad.

4. If you weren't a geophysicist what would you be?

As I have always been keen on aviation, I almost enrolled in Aeronautical Engineering.

5. What is one thing we would be surprised to learn about you?

My as yet unfulfilled wishes, such as experiencing a total solar eclipse, seeing the Northern Aurora and the Smithsonian Museum.

6. What are you reading at the moment?

I have just finished "Island of the Blue Foxes" by S.R. Brown, which is a harrowing, true story of the official Russian expedition from St Petersburg to the Bering Sea, led by none other than Vitus Bering. It's about exploring, of course.

Member News

The following ASEG members have received SEG Awards.

All awardees must be members of SEG at the time.

Honorary Membership.

For a distinguished contribution to exploration geophysics or a related field or to the advancement of the profession through service to the Society.

1985 Keeva Vozoff

Cecil Green Enterprise Award.

To recognize an individual enterprise which is a distinct and worthy contribution to the industry.

2002 Pat Cunneen (World Geoscience)

2014 Mat. Lamont and Troy Thompson (Downunder GeoSolutions Pty. Ltd.)

Reginald Fessenden Award.

For a specific technical contribution to exploration geophysics such as a theoretical or conceptual advancement.

1995 Derecke Palmer

2003 Kurt Strack

2009 Keeva Vozoff

Distinguished Achievement Award.

To a company, institution, or other organization that have substantially advanced the science of Exploration Geophysics.

2004 Curtin University -Reservoir Geophysics Consortium

Life Membership Award (Cf. ASEG Service Medal)

For exceptional meritorious service to the Society

1989 Reg Nelson

1996 Brian Spies