Committee Highlight

CSEG Technical Luncheon Committee

The CSEG technical luncheons have been a cornerstone of the CSEG calendar for as long as members can remember. Participants, companies and presenters alike, enjoy the list of speakers each year. Some technical luncheons have boasted attendance of upwards of 400 people in round numbers. Year after year, technical luncheons have been offered at downtown Calgary venues on a variety of topics including interpretation, hydraulic fractures, petrophysics, carbon capturing, acquisition, processing, development, electromagnetics, lithoprobe, rock physics, climate change, and data management. The CSEG has been honoured with many internationally renowned lecturers including the SEG Distinguished lecturer, AAPG distinguished lecturer, and EAGE distinguished lecturer. To look back on the many excellent lectures please visit the website at: www.cseg.ca for detailed information on all of them.

The technical luncheons have a noteworthy history. When John Boyd joined the CSEG in 1963, he still remembers the technical evening meetings in Gulf’s office. In 1969, the technical luncheons were held at Penley’s Dance Academy on 5th Ave and 3rd St SW. Penley’s Dance Academy had the unique attribute of an upstairs auditorium that could host up to 300 people, which routinely held large groups of people who came to listen to CSEG luncheon presentations. Roy Lindseth recalls, “Throughout the ‘60s, until the building was finally torn down in the early ‘70s, the CSEG held its monthly meetings at Penley’s Dance Academy. The meetings were always an experience in themselves. In later years, the building was in less than ideal condition and if it was raining, buckets were strategically placed on tables to catch drips.” By 1976, the monthly luncheons met at the Calgary Inn, now known as the Westin Hotel, which also incidentally hosted the very first CSEG convention under President Ken Morrison. This extract is from the CSEG history archives by David Finch

Easton Wren recollects that the luncheon meetings must have been going on way before his time, as the desire for learning is a lifelong commitment to the individual, the company, and the geophysical community as a whole. He believes that these technical luncheons keeps people up to date with new developments in their field, introduces them to interrelated and cross disciplines, and reminds people to keep a strong foundation for their understanding of the basics of geophysics. Staying current in this ever-changing world makes people more effective in their present jobs and better prepared for future ones, especially in downturns. Often people believe that innovation is created in times of adversity.

Much of the interest in technical luncheons stems from an individual’s desire to evolve and become more educated. Technical luncheons help to train members that are interested in new technologies, as well as develop the cross-disciplinary skills employers demand of their more experienced staff. An extended lunchtime lecture based talk series is a great way to accommodate learning for professionals with busy schedules. To celebrate this form of education, there are annual awards given to the best speaker at the technical luncheons. Recent awards winners included the likes of (December 16th, 2013, Asteroseismology: Stealing the Geoseismologists’ Rule Book and Launching it into Space by Jaymie Matthews and November 7th, 2014, The Jordan-Risha High Productivity 3D Survey by Jack Bouska.)

Please come to a CSEG technical luncheon; pass the word on to a co-worker, a technician, a geologist, manager or contractor. At the beginning of the luncheon talk, an individual can get caught up with updates from the various committees and exciting social and learning opportunities. Continuing education is important. The CSEG encourages everyone to make the most of this monthly opportunity to learn from some of the best. Aspiring students can attend technical luncheons at no cost, thanks to the many companies that sponsor student tickets so that they can participate in the learning and fun. Some missed technical luncheon presentations can be viewed via the online webcasts. See cseg.ca/technical/category/luncheons.

It takes a lot of people to make the technical luncheons successful each year. Thank you to all the sponsors of the technical luncheons! The 2015 sponsors include: CGG, Sigma, Arcis, APEGA, Nanometrics, SeisWare, and Divestco. Thanks to the current committee of Marc Boulet, Mark Jeroncic, Mohammed Al-Ibrahim, Ken Gray and Paul Anderson and thanks to the multitude of volunteers for all the previous years that helped support technical luncheons. The CSEG would like to specifically recognize Larry Mewhort and David Emery, two long-term committee members (10+ years) for the amazing work they have done, as they have both stepped down in the past year.