Executive Message

Just the other day a person, new to the oil and gas industry, asked me what it was that I liked about my job as a geophysicist? I told him I enjoy being the first person to see newly shot seismic data, no one else in the world has ever seen. I put geological meaning to the seismic by interpreting the data and then from mapping this data I produce ideas for drilling locations. To me it is like opening a newly discovered tomb found by an archaeologist, and I am still amazed even after 27 years that the science actually works. When a geophysicist makes the decision to shoot a seismic program a domino effect is put in motion. Hundreds of people are mobilized. Government and community officials, forestry rangers, permit agents, farmers, surveyors, ranchers, processors, programmers, storage companies, accountants, bankers, drillers, cat pushers, drill pushes, recording crews, line cutters, environmentalists, well testers, helicopter companies, and delivery agents. If a drilling location is produced from the interpretation of the seismic, then a whole new group of specialized, talented people are mobilized to complete the task of drilling the well. If successful another group of people move in to test, complete, and tie in the well. One geophysicist's idea can get an entire army of industry people helping to bring the idea to completion. In a lot of ways Geophysicists are directly responsible in helping drive a small part Alberta's economy. We are a very important group of scientists and collectively we can be a very strong and organized voice. The CSEG's mandate is to promote the science of geophysics. We can't fulfill that mandate without the help of our members. Each geophysicist should be involved in this mandate. If you aren't involved, then get involved.

The CSEG is currently in its 52nd year of operation. For the last 3 years of that 52 year history I have been honored to be a member of the CSEG elected Executive as the Vice-President, President, and now the Esteemed, (a title decreed by Perry Kotkas), Past President. (I have actually worked at companies for less time than I have been on the Executive.)

In this time I have had the pleasure of working with three different Executives (11 members) and these Executives have tackled a large number of contentious issues, they have made numerous changes to the CSEG and have put in a lot of hours of hard work. Changes have been made on how the society is organized, how it communicates, reports, and how we run our finances. We've changed the length of the Executive's terms, the Executive's titles, the job functions, the reporting procedures, added committees, wound down committees, changed office staff, renovated the office, changed some bylaws, changed the dues, beefed up the RECORDER, stopped producing the Journal, and added more continuing education. We've tackled the Master License Agreement, the Kyoto Accord, and have produced new Operating Procedures for both the CSEG committees and the Executive. These changes have hopefully strengthened the CSEG and should help in the future, so fifty years from now the Society will be even stronger than it is today.