About us (PAPG) - Pakistan Association Of Petroleum Geoscientists

what we are

PAPG is an integral part of Pakistan E & P sector, is affiliated with American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) and is trying to enhance its interaction with academia. This year PAPG Executive Committee arranged Geological field trips for the Industry–Academia to the Eastern Salt Range and 70% of student participation was supported from PAPG funds that included students from various universities of Pakistan.

ABOUT PAPG In 1994 eminent geoscientists of international repute gathered in Karachi and decided to establish a local chapter of American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), which is one of the world’s largest geological associations and has over 30,000 members in 116 countries. AAPG was founded in 1917 and has been a pillar of the worldwide scientific community. The original purpose of AAPG, to foster scientific research, to advance the science of geology, to promote technology, and to inspire high professional conduct, still guides the Association today. Currently the world’s largest professional geological society with over 30,000 members, AAPG provide publications, conferences, and educational opportunities t o geoscientists and disseminates the most current geological information available to the general public. AAPG has six regional sections in the United States composed of the affiliated geological societies in the area and six international regions which include Association members as individuals o r as group of affiliated geological societies. Each section and region has its own officers and meetings and provides a forum for discussion of the geologic issues pertinent to the region. The local chapter was named as
Pakistan Association of Petroleum Geoscientists (PAPG).

PURPOSE The purposes of this Association are to advance the earth sciences especially as they relate to petroleum, natural gas and other subsurface fluids and mineral resources, to promote the technology of exploring for, finding and producing these materials in an economically and environmentally sound manner, to foster the spirit of scientific research throughout its membership; to disseminate information relating to the earth sciences and the associated technology of petroleum, natural gas, and other subsurface fluids and mineral resources; to inspire and maintain a high standard of professional conduct on the part of its members; to provide the public with means to recognize adequately trained and professionally responsible earth scientists and to advance the professional well-being of its members.

CURRENT STATUS

Now, this association has grown up to more than 1000 members, representing E&P companies, G&G services companies and universities, across the country.
After overcoming the initial teething problems, the PAPG membership started growing; several distinguished short lectures were arranged during the very first year. First ever convention was held in 1997 which was focused on “Under Developed Basins of Pakistan”.
During the following years, organization arranged couple of field excursions to famous geological locations. These field trips were actively participated by the young as well as very experienced geoscientists. A well attended structural geology workshop was held in Islamabad. In 1998 PAPG with collaboration of PPEPCA arranged first ever Petroleum Convention, focusing on the Petroleum Policy and Fields Case Histories. Outcome was high class presentations which were presented in an excellent memoir. Subsequently, PAPG and SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) jointly organized annual technical conferences from 1999 to date. Those joint conferences proved highly successful and attended by hundreds of participants from the E&P industry, academician and government bodies.
PAPG has arranged many Technical Lectures and presentations in Islamabad and Karachi time to time.A Night Cricket Gala, was also arranged by PAPG in Sept. 2007 in which Islamabad based E & P and Service companies participated.
In 2008 PAPG had organized a Petroleum Geology Symposium, with the collaboration of Department of Geology, University of Peshawar at Bara Gali Summer Campus that was followed by Lab Exercises and one day field excursion trip to Khan Pur area. More than 100 participants including E&P professionals and academicians attended the Symposium. Besides a learning opportunity that was also a pleasuring event.
In 2009 a much more comprehensive Workshop with three essential components of exploration for hydrocarbon, surface geological mapping, seismic data and information from well logs was arranged again with the collaboration of Department of Geology, University of Peshawar at its Bara Gali Summer Campus. More importantly, the resource persons are renowned geo-scientists with a lot of practical experience and expertise in their respective fields. & those were well participated by young professionals and universities academicians. Lectures, presentation, excursions and Social Events were also arranged by PAPG in Karachi and Islamabad in which the turn out was very significant.
To exercise the Field Geology, PAPG has provide a platform through Excursion trip of interesting geological features technically supervised by the renowned Geoscientists. Those were actively participated by students and relevant oil industry professionals. A day trip on 28 March 2009 was arranged including field geological excursion to Cape Monze Anticline and Sonari Beach, Karachi. On 16th May 2009, a field excursion “Structural Evaluation of Northern Potwar Deformed Zone and Main boundary thrust” was organized.
A day trip “Field Excursion Trip to Banbhore, Near Karachi” was arranged on 6th March 2010.During April 2010 PAPG managed to hold a lecture in Karachi on “Unconventional Reservoirs” while in July a lecture was delivered in Islamabad on “new spectral decomposition method with applications to automatic 3D detection of dip, azimuth, curvature, fault and fractures”
PAPG also managed to hold short courses on “Geochemistry” on 21st July, 2010 in Karachi and in October 2010 on “3D/2D seismic data processing techniques” by TBI Canada in Islamabad
A geological field excursion “Structural Evaluation of Eastern Potwar deformed Zone Between Main Boundary Thrust and Main Frontal Thrust” was organized on 3rd April 2010 including some interesting historical points. A successful Field Excursion was organized on 19th March 2011 for members, students & professionals of Islamabad region. The field excursion comprised “Study of Structural Deformation & Stratigraphic Distribution of Central and Eastern Salt Range.

In addition to all these technical & social activities, we are also working with American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) to provide scholarships to and organizing other activities for our students.
At present we have 14 Corporate members including OGDCL, PPL, MOL, OMV, BP, PEL, NHEPL, Tullow, Baker Hughes, Premier KUFPEC, Saif Energy, LMKR, Weatherford, and BGP.
To establish a link between academia and industry, student chapters of PAPG have been established in Karachi, Sindh, Urdu, Baharia, Quid-e-Azam, Peshawar, Punjab, and Sargodha universities and our other targets are CIIT, Muzaffarabad, and Baluchistan universities.
PAPG has delivered many interesting lectures & arranged field excursions related to the oil & gas exploration for the academicians in the recent past and other are under way in the current year.
PAPG proactively extends the activities to the families of respected members. Families are also invited to the field trips and social evenings to allow interaction of the families of PAPG members and to turn the events into social gatherings while keeping the technical spirit of these events. Apart from the above mentioned field trips social evenings with musical programs were also conducted time to time in Karachi and Islamabad; during 2007-2010.