Houston 2009 Annual Meeting

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Student Education Program leverages SEG/ExxonMobil’s commitment to tomorrow’s industry professionals

Linda Holeman, Associate Editor, The Leading Edge

The North American ExxonMobil Student Education Program (SEP) at the SEG Annual Meeting in Houston, USA, capped a successful year that produced five events spanning four countries. Thanks to the vision and generosity of ExxonMobil, nearly 150 students representing 92 universities from 34 countries have learned practical applied geophysics first-hand from the best practitioners in the industry.

The program sprang from necessity. As guest speaker Mike Loudin, Manager, Global Geoscience Recruiting and New Hire Development at ExxonMobil, explained, projected demand for oil and gas will increase 45% from current levels by 2030, and there is a huge gap between existing production, estimated production from existing fields, and global demand. He told participants, “The world needs your energy, enthusiasm, and your intellect.”

At the Houston SEP, 32 students engaged in a total immersion curriculum targeted to the needs of fully integrated oil companies. They participated in focused, concise lectures on basin exploration, seismic theory and integrated interpretation, seismic data acquisition and processing, and attributes, followed by practical, hands-on exercises.

“I learned as much in this three-day course as I did in a full semester at college,” said Evgeniy Torgashov, a participant from the Missouri University of Science and Technology and president of its SEG Student Chapter. “This format is efficient, and learning from the experienced professionals from ExxonMobil adds a dimension that you can’t find anywhere else. It’s fantastic, and I felt so lucky to participate,” he added.

The “experienced professionals” are ExxonMobil senior leaders who give their time, energy, and expertise because they are passionately committed to delivering advanced training for future oil and gas professionals. The 2009 instructors are Virginia Dunn, Missy Feeley, Marty Terrell, Kimberly Howell, Stephen Woods, and Jeff Seekatz.

The SEP has surfaced as another strong face of SEG’s global outreach. The cooperation between SEG and ExxonMobil has been exemplary and is a great illustration of how industry and SEG can work together to inspire future geophysicists.

Plans are underway for SEP events in 2010 in Romania, St. Petersburg, Russia, and Denver, USA. Competition for travel grants is intense, and those who are interested in attending are encouraged to apply early. For more information, visit the SEG Student Education Program Web page.

 

Photographs provided by Barchfeld Photography