1993 CSEG National Convention

GENERAL CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS

Welcome to the 1993 CSEG National Convention!

As general chairman, it is one of my pleasant duties to reflect on the theme of this year’s convention, and try to present to you in a nutshell what this convention is “all about”. Actually, conventions historically don’t have “themes”. What they really do is bring together trends and currents that are dominant at a point in history and throw them open for discussion. The convention is where we pause to analyze what we are doing and where we seem to be heading as a profession.

As with so many things in today’s world, the currents of change in geophysics are massive, challenging, exciting and disruptive. We all know the symptoms: pressures to increase productivity and lower finding costs, the bewildering fast proliferation of computer technology, the integration of the disciplines, the globalization of our profession. The common theme in all this is information: keep up with it or sink. It is conventional wisdom to state that a geophysicist can no longer rely on his little hoard of professional knowledge, carefully accumulated in university, to see him through his career. Today it may be closer to the truth to say that he can no longer rely on last year’s knowledge to get him through this year. Like everything else, geophysics has become a competitive business, and information is the key to success.

Now for the good news: this convention is exactly the right place to get the information you need. For a start, we have a great program of technical talks, which can introduce you to areas of our discipline outside your daily experience, as well as inform you of the most recent efforts to expand our science in every direction. Then of course, there is the convention floor, where vendors will be happy to show you their latest offerings in products and services. Like any efficient marketplace, this is where you, the customer, will decide which hot new ideas survive and which go quietly back to the drawing-board. And don’t, by any means, forget the workshop. This is where we analyze a topic of your choice by bringing together a collection of experts with differing viewpoints and allowing them to publicly fight it out (figuratively, we hope).

And finally, it may be that during the brief breathing spells between events, you will find opportunities to share ideas with your colleagues, who have come here with the same thirst for knowledge.

Sound like fun? I should think so. Without any further ado, let the convention begin!

Dan Hampson
General Chairman

CSEG PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

Another convention and another great job done by the convention committee working with General Chairman, Dan Hampson. The Technical Program Committee led by Peter Cary has again coordinated an excellent program. The members of the other committees have done their usual competent jobs. The work done in preparation for the National Convention is typical of what is good about the CSEG … numerous activities conducted by many members with skill, committment, and outstanding results.

And this convention committee, like many of its predecessors, has come up with ways of doing their business in a more effective manner. Rick Wallace coordinated a Special Project to rewrite the delegate registration system; Barb Young’s Exhibits group revised the booth allocation process; and the Sponsorship committee under Peter McCann upgraded the sponsor recognition levels and started aggressively pursuing Convention Corporate Sponsors among the oil and gas producing companies.

“Continual improvements” is the name of the game these days. One only has to mention IBM and GM to make the point. Fortunately, our society is in very good shape, so we have lots of time to look at what we could do to make it even better. The theme of the current convention may well be pointing the way. “GEOPHYSICAL INTEGRATION, the Path to Success” forcefully states that the close coordination of the earth sciences is necessary to maximize our success. APEGGA apparently agrees. They have requested a copy of our convention poster for their office wall.

For our society, the possibilities for more integrated and cooperative ventures with the CSPG, the CGU, and other related societies will be examined over the next year. A joint convention with the CSPG is scheduled for 1994. Could such joint conventions be held more frequently? The CSU is holding its annual convention in Banff the week following ours. Could it be held jointly with ours? Could we host an SEG Convention in Calgary? Changes will be made only after carefully weighing the advantages and having thorough discussions with our membership.

But this is for the future. The 1993 CSEG Convention is underway, and I extend to you, on behalf of the Canadian Society of Exploration Geophysicists, our welcome.

Bill Davitt
CSEG President

Convention Committee

1993 CSEG Convention Committee

General Chairman
Dan Hampson, Hampson-Russell Software

Vice-Chairman
Randy Green, Murphy Oil Company Ltd.

Technical Chairman
Peter Cary, Pulsonic Geophysical Ltd.

Technical Committee
Denise Poley (Co-chair), Shell Canada Ltd.

Technical Committee

Denise Poley (Co-chair), Shell Canada Ltd.

James Muraro, PanCanadian Petroleum Ltd.

Howard Hepburn, Pulsonic Geophysical Ltd.

Kris Vasudevan, LITHOPROBE, U of C

Scott Thompson, Noreen Energy Resources Ltd.

Jim Bambrick, Sceptre Resources Ltd.

Margaret Lomas, Mobil Oil Canada

Gregg Smith, Westcoast Petroleum Ltd.

Mark Harrison, Chevron Petroleum Tech. Co.

Registration Chairman
Dave Chown, CGG Geophysics Canada Ltd.

On-Site Registration Chairman
Louise Hampson, Hampson-Russell Software

Exhibits Chairman
Barbara Young, Highland Technology

Exhibits Committee
Roy Elliott, George Bramley, Danuta Zardecki

Arrangements Chairman
Mike Clement, Veritas Seismic

Icebreaker Chairman
Thane McKay, Pulsonic Geophysical Ltd.

Finance Chairman
Jon Downton, Landmark/ITA Ltd.

Printing Chairman
Derek Boeckx, Mobil Oil Canada

Publicity Chairman
Kevin Angus, Husky Oil Operations Ltd.

Sponsorship Chairman
Peter McCann, Kestrel Data Ltd.

Spring Ball Chairman
Karen Cameron, Geophysical Technical Services

Continuing Education Chairman
Bob Parker, RPGS Geophysical Services

Special Projects Committee
Rick Wallace, Ulterra Geoscience Ltd.
Nancy Shaw, Nancy Shaw Marketing

CSEG Representative
Bill Davitt, Earth Science Concepts