Committee Highlight

Chief Geophysicists Forum (CGF)

CGF MISSION: ADDRESS TECHNICAL AND NON-TECHNICAL ISSUES THAT IMPACT THE PRACTICE OF GEOPHYSICS WITHIN THE COMMUNITIES WE WORK IN.

In the past few months, CSEG Member Services has been writing a number of columns about the different CSEG volunteer committees that include information regarding their history, achievements and mandates.

This month we would like to highlight the Chief Geophysicists Forum. As a standing committee of the CSEG, the CGF was created in 1999, with the intent to have Chief Geophysicists and invited guests meet and discuss industry related matters as they pertain to geophysical related issues and concerns within Canada. There were three individuals that provided the key leadership for the creation of the CGF: Cecil Keeping, Graham Millington, and Barry Korchinski.

Chairs of the CGF have included:

• Cecil Keeping * facilitator* (1999-2001)
• Graham Millington (2002-2004)
• Lloyd Chipman (2005)
• Stephen Marston (2006)
• Lorne Smith (2007)
• Darren Kondrat (2008)
• Barry Jose (2009)
• Marian Hanna (2011-2012)
• Tom Podivinsky (2013)
• Neda Boroumand (2014)
• Tom Borthwick (2015)
• Neil Orr (2016)

Initially, the CGF membership targeted oil company managers who held the title of Chief Geophysicist or an equivalent position. Several years later, in an effort to reinvigorate the CGF, the membership was opened up to include service company representatives. The inclusion of service company representatives proved to be advantageous as it broadened the range of topics that were reported on and discussed.

In its infancy the CGF membership started at 25 and has grown to over 60 members plus alternative and sub-committee members. Today, the CGF includes Chief Geophysicists, geophysical/technical managers and senior level geophysicists within the oil and gas industry who are willing to take on extra responsibilities. To join the CGF, the potential member has to be a CSEG member, have a passion for Geophysics and have manager approval to attend quarterly meetings.

The CGF also acts as an advisory board to the CSEG Executive and Foundation as well as other relevant groups including the DoodleTrain and the CFES.

One of the roles the CGF takes on for the CSEG and the geophysical community is to act as a think tank for business, technical, and other issues related to geophysics. Many of these issues create initiatives that are presented to other organizations including APEGA, CAGC, CAPP and the CSEG Executive itself. Among the initiatives addressed and documents produced by the CGF are:

• Codes of practice in data-rooms
• Seismic data management
• APEGA’s appointment of a geoscience liaison
• Retaining recent graduates from universities
• Discussing downturn effects on membership
• Guidelines for Standard Deliverables from Microseismic Monitoring of Hydraulic Fracturing
• CGF Reserves document on Geophysical Applications
• CGF survey of induced seismicity, evaluation, and reporting

Additional information, including several of the above documents and the CGF member roster, can be found on the website at: cseg.ca/members/chief-geophysicists-forum.