Business news for the week of 8 November 2011 News section front Past news briefs Seismic crew survey reports

Fugro Gravity & Magnetic Services and Iitech reach agreement to promote Canada data

8 November 2011—Fugro Gravity & Magnetic Services and Image Interpretation Technologies have reached an agreement to jointly promote the use of gravity and magnetic data for petroleum exploration.

The focus will be on existing nonexclusive data sets and development of new acquisition opportunities in Western Canada, with anticipated expansion into the broader North American oil and gas exploration market.

Fugro Gravity & Magnetic Services and Iitech together have a significant percentage of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin covered by nonexclusive gravity and magnetic data, all of which is available for license along with detailed interpretation products. In addition to promoting these data sets, the cooperation will develop acquisition and interpretation for high resolution aeromagnetic and FALCON airborne gravity gradiometry projects. 

The FALCON system is exclusive to Fugro and is the only gravity gradiometer system designed specifically for airborne geophysics.

 

 Environmental impact assessment of electromagnetic techniques results of study now available

8 November 2011—IAGC announced the completion and publication of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) of electromagnetic (EM) techniques used for oil and gas exploration and production in the marine environment. The EM EIA was funded by the member companies of the IAGC EM Subcommittee and prepared by LGL Limited environmental research associates.

The goal of the EIA was to provide a comprehensive resource summarizing available literature and potential effects of EM technologies on marine life. Designed for a broad audience, the document provides a basic description of EM survey technologies, naturally occurring EM fields, and the potential use of these fields by diverse animal groups. The assessment focuses on survey activities considered to have at least some potential to affect marine animals, such as EM, noise, light emissions, and accidental events.

The EIA concluded that EM sources as presently used have no potential for significant effects on animal groups such as fish, seabirds, sea turtles, and marine mammals. In addition, cumulative effects from EM surveys are negligible compared to natural EM anomalies, induced fields from natural water currents, and anthropogenic EM sources such as those originating from undersea equipment.

 

GI accepting applications for the 2012–2013 William L. Fisher Congressional Geoscience Fellowship

10 November 2011—What do energy resources for the future, understanding earthquakes to improve resiliency, and educating the next generation of geoscientists all have in common? Federal policymaking informed by the geosciences. If you are passionate about the role geoscience plays in the federal legislative process, consider applying for the American Geosciences Institute's William L. Fisher Congressional Geoscience Fellowship for 2012–2013.

Successful applicants will have the opportunity to spend a year on Capitol Hill working in a congressional office and learning about the legislative process.

Prospective applicants should have a broad geoscience background and excellent written and oral communications skills. Minimum requirements are a master's degree with at least three years of professional geoscience work experience or a PhD at the time of appointment. Although prior experience in public policy is not necessary, a demonstrable interest in applying science to the solution of public problems is desirable. Applicants must be a member of one of AGI's member societies, a list of which is available here or online at http://www.agiweb.org/members/index.html.

The William L. Fisher Congressional Geoscience Fellowship is funded through an endowment in honor of William L. Fisher, the Leonidas T. Barrow Centennial Chair in Mineral Resources and Professor at the John A. and Katherine G. Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas, Austin. At the national level, Fisher served as the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Energy and Minerals under President Ford. He served as an advisor to the President and Secretaries of Energy and the Interior for several administrations, and chaired numerous National Research Council committees and boards.

The deadline for applications is 1 February 2012. For more information, please contact govt@agiweb.org, and to apply for the William L. Fisher Congressional Geoscience Fellowship, please visit AGI's website at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/csf/. Several of AGI's Member Societies and other science societies also sponsor Congressional Science Fellowships. It is acceptable to apply to more than one fellowship opportunity. Stipends, application procedures, eligibility, timetables, and deadlines vary.