The search for oil in Oman
The Beginning In the Omani desert, a few miles inland from Nafun, lies a groundwater seepage in the Wadi Jurf. On approaching this spring, you can see streams of glistening…
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Kota Kinabalu, Sabah: A Turbidite Paradise
Kota Kinabalu, the largest town in Sabah, Borneo, is a rapidly developing urban centre and a tourist attraction in South East Asia. To the geologist, this part of Sabah is…
Lower Oil Prices – Good or Bad?
The strong oil price growth plus environmental issues has triggered demand-side changes that may challenge the industry. The sharp oil price rise since 2003 has revived interest in oil, and…
Cairo: City of a Thousand Minarets
Built upon power struggles and commerce, and dominated by the magnificent River Nile, Cairo is one of the most exciting cities in the world. If you have ever been to…
Switch – Starting an Energy Conversation
“(We) will make the right choices if we have the right information.” After first watching ‘Switch’, I thought I may be missing something. It bothered me through the night. Sure,…
Defining Reserves & Resources
Effective resource management in a globalizing economy requires accurate assessments of fossil energy and minerals resources. How can we ensure that countries, companies and organizations are all assessing and estimating…
The Wonders of Yellowstone
The world’s first national park established a new concept in preservation and protection of special areas for future generations. Now, 140 years later, millions have benefited from the founder’s foresight…
Early Textbooks of Petroleum Geology
Petroleum geology textbooks have been an essential tool for training generations of teachers, researchers, explorers, and managers in the petroleum industry. Here we look at some of the early textbooks…
Kuala Lumpur – A Piece of Asia
Although sited a long way from Malaysia’s oil and gas producing regions, the vibrant, exciting city of Kuala Lumpur is the centre of the country’s hydrocarbon industry, as it is…
The Many Lives of Belridge
Nearly declared dead by its owners only eight years after discovery, new technologies introduced over the past century allowed Southern California’s Belridge Field to grow into a prolific oil producer.…
The Colorado Plateau: A Geologist’s Paradise
Even if you have not been there, the Colorado Plateau is familiar to almost everyone through movies, commercials or – for students of geology – textbook examples. The Colorado Plateau…
From Pirates to Prada
As the United Arab Emirates celebrates its 40th anniversary, we take a look at the making of modern Dubai. With its glittering seven-star hotels, gravity-defying architecture and shopping malls complete…