As we successfully navigate the second half of the year, we are faced with the increasing socio-economic challenges and the Association is also being forced to tighten our belts too, while still ensuring that our programs and activities are still top-notch.
While congratulating the recently-appointed Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Olu Verheijen, on her well-deserved appointment after an excellent career in the oil and gas Industry, we look forward to increased participation of Associations such like ours in policy formulation and are desirous of the continued support of, and collaboration with, the government in activities of the Association.
Your Executive Committee had an eventful month of July with my attendance at the Nigerian Oil and Gas Conference (NOG) in Abuja and the President-Elect leading our team to the Annual Conference of the Society of Petroleum Engineers in Lagos. Our attendance at the NOG also gave us the opportunity to meet with the Leadership of companies such as NDWestern on the sidelines of the Conference and explore areas of mutual interest. The NAPE team also visited Lacustrine Energy in Abuja, one of the newest oil and gas companies who have hit the ground running with activities in the northern frontier areas of the country. We wish them the very best. The EXCO also had a virtual meeting with the Honorable Secretary General of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO), His Excellency Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim and his team, where we shared very useful insights on growth opportunities. NAPE sees APPO as one of the veritable umbrella bodies for finding the desired African solution to a number of issues and challenges in the continent and are pleased to have had this meeting. NAPE also sees a role in supporting the growth of sister African Geoscience Associations and will explore opportunities for a roundtable to explore this further.
The NAPE July Technical Meetings across the country were as rich in content as they were in attendance. Kudos to the drivers of our Continuing Education Programme as well as our Chapter Coordinators. The Lagos Technical Meeting held July 19th and was sponsored by Chevron Nigeria Limited with the topic “Impacts of Subtle Reservoir Stratigraphic Changes on Fluid Dynamics – Case Study of the DD Reservoir” and presented by Mohammed Bilyaminu, a development geologist with the company. The Benin Chapter hosted a thought-provoking lecture July 27th on “Application of Machine Learning Techniques in Petrophysical Modeling”, which was presented by Tunde Farotimi, a senior Petroleum Engineer and Wells & Reservoir Management Consultant.
Preparations are in high-gear for the 2023 NAPE/NMGS Students’ Conference holding Sept 6th-9th and taking place at the University of Lagos. Registration is open, abstracts are still being received and the Local Organizing Committee working round-the-clock to ensure a successful Conference. Student sponsorships are also encouraged, and it is great to see that some of this is already happening. I do look forward to meeting with the students and lecturers as well as attending a number of the sessions during the Conference.
The President-Elect remains super-busy with the members of the 2023 Conference Planning Committee to deliver a very successful Annual Conference this year. There are, however a number of items still open for sponsorship and some exhibition spaces are still open; a slight nudge to our ever-supportive corporate and individual sponsors. The Editor-In-Chief has also recently announced that abstracts are still being received, so I call on members and friends of the Association to take advantage of this extension.
Special thanks to the Women in Geosciences and Engineering who held a collaborative 2-day Training on Structural Geology at the NAPE Secretariat July 22nd-23rd. The training was at no cost to the attendees and a further demonstration of WIGE’s commitment to promoting earth sciences’ knowledge and competence. Thumbs up to our Past President and current WIGE Chair, Adedoja Ojelabi, FNAPE and her team for spearheading this effort.
We call on our members to take some time off during this holiday season and return energized and ready to enjoy all NAPE has planned for the rest of the year.
Elliot Ibie, FNAPE,
President, NAPE