Letter from the Co-Chairs

Welcome to the International Meeting for Applied Geoscience and Energy (IMAGE ’22)! Get ready for a week of extraordinary geoscience and discovery with an exciting new multisociety program.

New technologies and new discoveries in petroleum geoscience, renewable energy, and sustainability are bringing scientists together to shape the future, help one another grow scientifically, succeed professionally, and influence the way we communicate and advance. A solid foundation in business and technology with the freedom to evolve are crucial factors of a strong scientific community. IMAGE ’22 is embracing both in-depth scientific methods and creative new applications.

The IMAGE ‘22 program focuses on strengthening the sense of community by blending geology and geophysics into an integrated, multidisciplinary program. This new interconnected format includes robust technical sessions and technical panel discussions on emerging topics such as the future of petroleum and alternate forms of energy. In addition, IMAGE ’22 has strategic business-related panels, social events, student and young professional events, the U-Pitch technology showcase, and more. Near-surface engineering and environmental sciences, digitalization, carbon management, and global energy opportunities will be in the limelight this week.

The IMAGE ’22 technical program received more than 1,200 abstract submissions covering 34 foundational and developing geophysics and geology (G&G) topics. Seven are fully integrated G&G subjects in applied geoscience such as geotechnical advances in oil and gas development, borehole geophysics and geomechanics, lowcarbon solutions, geological and geophysical interpretation, deep integration of data and disciplines, machine learning, new energy frontiers, sustainable energy development, and environmental geoscience. The hottest topics this week are machine learning, full-waveform inversion, and interpretation, and our global special session focus is on the Middle East. Eight other special sessions include traditional Recent Advances and the Road Ahead, Geoscientists without Borders®, hydrogeophysics, and other timely topics including electromagnetics, gravity, reserves, instrumentation, and more. Don’t miss Rosemary Knight’s achievements featured in a dedicated session, and 17 postconvention workshops available on a wide range of technical topics.

A new facet of the convention this year is strategic vision and business connections. We have seven strategic panels and a special session on the Guyana Suriname basin — a regional and global hotspot for petroleum exploration and production. C-suite executives will share their organizations’ strategies and business perspectives in the technical portion of the program and reinforce the latest innovations and developments displayed in the exhibition. This three-pronged approach (business strategy– technical acumen–exhibit branding) will provide a comprehensive perspective on what companies (or organizations) are doing in areas such as:

• Sustainable development of oil and gas, with three strategic panels on low-carbon solutions, geosciences for the energy transition, and geoscientists in net-zero paths;
• Digital transformation, with a strategic panel on how to win in the digital future, exploring how successful companies are navigating the digital landscape, creating value, and equipping their future workforce for success;
• Emerging technologies strategic panel, discussing technologies and approaches that are changing operations in the field, in the cloud, and in the environment;
• Near-surface strategic panel, highlighting the mining industry’s challenges of intensive resource exploitation and environmental preservation;
• Deepwater, with a strategic panel discussing the business of deepwater as a major exploration play of global significance.

Not to be missed are the 18 emerging focus panels that will cover a variety of this year’s most talked about, debated, researched, and funded topics. The following is a list of those panel session topics:

• Energy integration and sustainability talks will dive into energy efficiency, young professionals’ role in advancing sustainability, and progress of the Geoscience Sustainability Atlas.
• Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) panel sessions will address innovative technologies applicable to CCUS currently and in the future and will lay out the plan for building a successful CCUS team.
• Near-surface panels will discuss the future of academia as it relates to geophysics and introduce two bipartisan infrastructure funded programs: roads and bridges and abandoned wells methane emission mitigation. The new U.S. Department of Energy Division of Mineral Sustainability will be introduced. A near-surface student panel will give students the opportunity to ask questions of experts in the field.
• Deepwater petroleum exploration and production will celebrate 157 Years of excellence and offer an opportunity to discuss the past, present, and future state of the science of deepwater sedimentary systems and the applications to the energy industry.
• Technology and innovation will be on display in panels on technology commercialization, the role innovation plays in industry, coupled subsurface/surface applications for farming, imaging and interpretive technologies, and the growing relationship between oil and gas and bitcoin mining.
• Exciting developments in space exploration will be revealed, including recent activity with the Mars Perseverance rover.

All IMAGE ’22 programs, panels, and events this week were designed with special attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the geoscience workforce. Take advantage of the variety of social events, luncheons, receptions, and guest activities such as SEPM’s Brazos River Delta trip focused on modern sedimentology processes.

The IMAGE ’22 Committee welcomes you to Houston and invites you to discover new content, uncover cutting-edge science, discuss market trends, and seize new opportunities. Texas is known for its wonderful hospitality, and delegates from around the world will enjoy that hospitality, share knowledge, and make new connections this week.

Have a great week!

IMAGE ’22 Organizing Committee Chairs

Wafik Beydoun & Olga Nedorub (SEG)

Anne Draucker & Rick Fritz (AAPG)