AAPG Statements on:
- Onshore Access
- Geologic Carbon Storage
- Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Resources
- Hydraulic Fracturing
- Preservation of Geological and Geophysical Data
- National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska Access
- Arctic National
AAPG Statements on:
- Onshore Access
- Geologic Carbon Storage
- Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Resources
- Hydraulic Fracturing
- Preservation of Geological and Geophysical Data
- National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska Access
- Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Access
- United States National Energy Supply
- Climate Change
- Tax Reform
- Natural Gas Supply Concerns
- Reformation of the Endangered Species Act
- Reformation of the Clean Water Act -- Wetlands Access
- Offshore OCS Access
- Research and Development Needs
- Oil and Gas Workforce Needs in the 21st Century
Preservation of Geological and Geophysical Data (PDF)
Responsible management and efficient development of petroleum and energy mineral resources require improved access to the best available scientific information. Geological and geophysical data provide critical information required for sound exploration, development, and environmental decisions. Future generations of scientists and policy-makers must be able to use these data to address the energy, environmental, and natural-disaster challenges facing the nation in the 21st century.
The episodic downsizing of the energy and minerals industries combined with public-sector budgetary constraints jeopardizes vast quantities of valuable geological and geophysical data. These data are critical to our understanding of the earth’s natural resources and environment. The data represent capital investments measured in billions of dollars. Many of these immense data holdings are irreplaceable.
Preservation and access to these data are critical to energy security and economic prosperity. These data enable energy and minerals companies to enhance their exploration and production programs for improved recovery of oil, gas, and mineral resources. Applications for these data extend beyond the petroleum industry, including environmental protection, water resource management, global change studies, and basic and applied research. These data are also used for reducing risks from earthquakes and other geologic hazards, as well as screening sites for waste disposal and designing highways an