American Association of Petroleum Geologists

The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) is one of the world's largest groups for professionals who study the Earth. It has about 17,000 members in 129 countries. The AAPG was founded in 1917 and is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Many of its members live outside the United States.

The AAPG works to advance the science of geology, especially how we find and use resources like petroleum, natural gas, and other materials under the ground. They aim to do this in ways that are good for the environment and the economy. Over time, the AAPG has included many areas of science, such as geophysics, geochemistry, and engineering, to help find energy more efficiently and safely.

The AAPG publishes magazines and scientific journals, such as the AAPG Explorer and the AAPG Bulletin. They hold big meetings every year where members share new ideas and technologies. The group also offers education programs and has special divisions focused on environmental science, professional development, and energy resources. Famous members have included Harrison "Jack" Schmitt, a U.S. astronaut who walked on the Moon.

Awards

The American Association of Petroleum Geologists gives out many awards at its yearly meetings and world conferences to honor people who have done great work in petroleum geoscience. Some of these awards are the Sidney Powers Memorial Award, Michel T. Halbouty Outstanding Leadership Award, Grover E. Murray Memorial Distinguished Educator Award, Wallace Pratt Memorial Award, and Ziad Rafiq Beydoun Memorial Award.

One special contest the AAPG holds is called the AAPG IBA, or Imperial Barrel Award. This contest is for students studying geoscience. Teams from different universities look at real data about energy sources and give a short talk about what they find. Experts from the industry judge these talks, helping students learn important skills for their future careers. The winners get prizes for themselves and their schools, and they also get to travel to the AAPG’s big meeting for free.

Correlation of Stratigraphic Units of North America

The Correlation of Stratigraphic Units of North America (COSUNA) was a project of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. It created sixteen charts showing how rock layers are arranged across North America. These charts help scientists understand the history of the Earth's surface better.

Pioneering positions

The AAPG has always encouraged exploring the earth, and ideas about how oil forms have changed over time. In the 1960s, the AAPG backed the new idea of plate tectonics, which helped explain how oil and gas form in places like basins. Women geoscientists have been important scientists and leaders in the AAPG's history.

Since then, the AAPG has worked with groups like the USGS to use new science to understand oil and gas better. This helped discover deep water oil off Brazil and improved knowledge about shale resources, leading to big changes in the industry. The AAPG also studies safe drilling practices and has held workshops since 2009 to discuss solutions to challenges, with presentations available online.

Global warming controversy

Further information: Global warming controversy

In 2006, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists faced some criticism for giving an award to a well-known author who wrote stories expressing doubt about human effects on climate change. Some scientists felt this award did not match the group's role in supporting professional science.

Later, in 2007, the group updated its official view. They agreed that human activity adds to carbon dioxide in the air but said there is disagreement about how much this affects the climate. The group also said they support more study to better understand these effects. They noted that some climate predictions might also fit with natural changes seen in past climate records.

Affiliated organizations

Organizations can become part of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) if they share similar goals and have mostly professional geologists as members. They also need to share scientific information through publications or meetings, and they cannot limit membership to just one area.

Some affiliated groups include the Pittsburgh Association of Petroleum Geologists, the Pittsburgh Geological Society, the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists, and the Pacific Section of AAPG (PSAAPG).