2016 ICCP Meeting Houston
JOINT MEETING
TSOP – AASP – ICCP
The Society for Organic Petrology, AASP-The Palynological Society And the International Committee for Coal and Organic Petrology
September 18 – 23, 2016
Houston, Texas USA
REGISTRATION AND ABSTRACT SUBMISSION IS NOW OPEN
Please visit 2016 Meeting Site for updated information
Registration and abstract submissions are now open regarding this first historic joint meeting of these three related geological, geochemical and biological scientific societies. We have finalized our schedules of technical sessions including the Symposia and Theme Sessions, and further finalized the pre-meeting Short Course, and the two fieldtrips. The purpose of this joint meeting is to bring together a diverse group of scientists to discuss the close relationships between organic petrology and palynology, to foster thoughtful discussion and address issues that may be of benefit to furthering the respective sciences. Key themes to be addressed during joint activities include source rock/source-rock reservoir resource assessment, microscope methods of characterizing microporosity, coal characterization, and palynofacies/kerogen.
The venue for this meeting will be the historic Magnolia Hotel in downtown Houston. The Magnolia was built in 1926 as the former Post-Dispatch Building. It was re-purposed in 2003 as The Magnolia Hotel, and further underwent a significant upgrade in 2009. The hotel is centrally located in downtown within walking distance of excellent restaurants and pubs. Over the past several years downtown Houston has undergone a major revitalization with many new office buildings, exciting arts and entertainment venues, and several world-class restaurants. We believe the downtown will provide exciting possibilities for every need and want.
REGISTRATION FEES
The following registration fees have been finalized for the meeting:
- Full 5-day Registration: Early Bird (before Aug. 1st) US$300 After Aug 1st US$350
- 3-day Registration: Early Bird US$225 After Aug 1st US$275
- 1-day Registration: Early Bird US$100 After Aug 1st US$150
At this moment, the Organizing Committee is working with the TSOP webmaster to set up a registration and payment website. When this is completed, a notification to all associated members will be sent out. Please note that this registration fee is exclusive of the respective Society Business Luncheons, Wednesday Evening Conference Dinner, Saturday Short Course, and Fieldtrips.
SHORT COURSE
Saturday All-day Short Course: It is the pleasure of the Organizing Committee to present an all-day pre-meeting short course entitled, “Integration of microscopy and geochemistry in petroleum source rock evaluation”. The course will be taught by Dr. Richard Tyson (Getech, UK). The course will be presented in a classroom setting, and will emphasize the integration of microscopy and geochemistry to better understand and characterize source rocks in both conventional and unconventional exploration. The interpretation of both palynofacies and organic petrological data will be discussed. Additional details of the short course are being finalized and will be published in upcoming announcements.
The costs for this full-day Short Course will be US$250 for professionals, and US$200 for students. This will include all class materials, lunch and coffee breaks through the day. At this time the class is limited to 40 people and a percentage of attendance will be reserved for students. Attendance will be based on a first-come, first-served basis.
SYMPOSIA/THEME SESSIONS
After considerable discussion, a number of integrated Symposia and Theme Sessions have been finalized. These will include:
- Microscope Methodologies in Recognizing and Characterizing Organic Microporosity (Joint TSOP/ICCP Theme Session: Monday PM)
- Palynofacies and Kerogen (Joint TSOP/ICCP/AASP Theme Session: Tuesday PM)
- Multi-modal Characterization of Source Rocks, including Source-Rock Reservoirs (Joint TSOP/ICCP/AASP Symposium: Wednesday All-Day)
- Palynofloral Contributions to Source Rocks (AASP/TSOP/ICCP Theme Session: Thursday AM)
- Additional AASP-sponsored sessions will include:
- Alfred Traverse Symposium (Thursday PM)
- Guest Lecture on Forensic Palynology to open the Friday AM general session.
A list of Invited/Keynote Speakers has been finalized, invitations have been sent and accepted, and the format for these technical sessions is being finalized. For many of the proposed joint sessions, at least one organic petrography/geochemistry and one palynology Keynote Speaker will be invited. All interested scientists will be strongly encouraged to contact us and propose to submit their abstract(s) for one or more of these Sessions and the all-day Wednesday Symposium. Details regarding these sessions will be forthcoming in the next respective Newsletters, and will appear on respective websites very soon.
ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS
All scientists of organic petrography and palynology are strongly encouraged to submit their abstract(s) to one or more of the Symposia, Theme and General Sessions. A call for Abstracts will be going out shortly: all abstract submissions will be strictly formatted. Abstract submissions will open on Sunday, May 1st, and the closing date for submissions will be Sunday, August 1st.
FIELD TRIPS
Friday-Sunday Pre-Meeting Field Trip: This 2+ day field trip will visit Eagle Ford Formation outcrops in west Texas, and will be led by Barry Wawak (Manager of Reservoir Geology, Core Laboratories Houston). The field trip will depart on the afternoon of the Friday prior to the meeting, and return by Sunday late afternoon or early evening. The Eagle Ford Formation is a world-class source-rock reservoir resource in the subsurface of south Texas, and the accompanying strata have been researched extensively in stratigraphic, geochemical and biostratigraphic studies.
The cost for this fieldtrip will be US$550 and will include the field guide, transportation by vans, two nights of accommodation, and two lunches. Dinners for the two evenings will be at the expense of the individual. The fieldtrip is not strenuous as most outcrops are along the highway, or a short distance from well-kept roads. Hiking boots and proper field equipment will be required. Safety equipment (hard hats, safety vests) will be provided.
Saturday Post-Meeting Field Trip: This will be a one-day excursion to Cretaceous through Eocene strata of east-central Texas. These strata are equivalent to the important Wilcox Formation that forms major reservoirs in the subsurface of the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. The field trip will leave early Saturday morning from the Hotel, and return early evening back to Houston. Final details of both field trips will be presented in upcoming Newsletters and on the respective Society websites.
The cost for this fieldtrip is still being finalized but will include the field guide, transportation by vans, and lunch. The fieldtrip is not strenuous as most outcrops are a short distance from well-kept roads. Hiking boots and proper field equipment will be required. Safety equipment (hard hats, safety vests) will be provided.
SOCIAL EVENTS
Multiple social activities of interest to all participants are being discussed and should be finalized in the very near future with the hotel and off-site venues.
Monday PM Icebreaker: The Monday evening Icebreaker will take place on the rooftop patio of The Magnolia Hotel (weather permitting). The patio offers a great view of the Houston downtown skyline and sunset.
Tuesday PM Happy Hour (TSOP/ICCP): On the Tuesday late afternoon, a Happy Hour will accompany an opportunity to view the posters that will be part of the technical aspect of the meeting. Drinks and finger food will be served and there will be sufficient opportunity to chat with authors about their poster displays.
Conference Dinner: A conference dinner has been finalized at the nearby Sambuca Café, a couple blocks walk from The Magnolia Hotel, located in the historic Rice Hotel. The Sambuca Café is well-known for its vibrant music scene and excellent food. The evening will include two free drinks, appetizers, and a three-course meal in a designer atmosphere, with live music for your listening enjoyment. Our special events area will allow access to an outdoor patio to allow for quiet conversation. The conference dinner will be US$75 per person.
Thursday PM Happy Hour (AASP/ICCP): A Thursday late afternoon Happy Hour will allow folks to enjoy the AASP poster sessions as part of the technical aspect of the meeting. Drinks and finger food will be served and folks will be encouraged to mingle with the authors and discuss their poster displays.
In addition to all these events, attendees will have sufficient opportunity to enjoy the Houston downtown with its numerous world-class restaurants, and abundant drinking establishments.
SOCIETY BOARD MEETINGS
Along with the technical and social activities, the respective Societies will have their necessary Board of Directors meetings, and Business Luncheons. The current schedule includes:
ICCP Council Meeting: Sunday September 18th 16:00-21:00
TSOP Council Meeting: Sunday September 18th 17:30-21:00
TSOP/ICCP Business Luncheon: Tuesday September 20th 12:00-14:00
TSOP Council Meeting: Tuesday September 20th 19:00-21:00
AASP-TPS Outgoing Board Meeting: Tuesday September 20th 19:00-22:00
ICCP Council Meeting: Thursday September 22nd 18:00-21:00
AASP-TPS Business Luncheon: Friday September 23rd 11:30-13:30
AASP-TPS Incoming Board Meeting: Friday September 23rd 17:00-18:30
TRANSPORTATION AND ACCOMMODATIONS
Houston is a significant transportation hub and the Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is serviced by all major airlines from Europe and Asia. Both airports (IAH and HOU) are serviced by the major US-based airlines: IAH is a major hub for United Airlines, and HOU is a major hub for Southwest Airlines. All the major American airlines (e.g. Delta and American) fly into IAH numerous times through the day. All major European, Asian and Middle East airlines (e.g. KLM, British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa, Singapore, Korean Air, JAL, Emirates, and Qatar Airways) fly once a day in and out of IAH. Transportation to and from the downtown area from both airports is available via taxi, shuttle, and MetroBus. Further information on fares and routes from the two airports will be distributed in later circulars.
The Magnolia Hotel: Our current negotiated room rate at The Magnolia hotel is US$179/night (single occupancy). Double- and triple- occupancy will be priced accordingly. This room-rate includes:
- FREE in-hotel/in-room Wifi
- Complimentary hot breakfast
- Late afternoon happy hour (complimentary beer/wine)
- Complimentary evening cookie buffet
- Reduced valet parking fees
We will be setting website registration with The Magnolia Hotel in the very near future. Further details on hotel accommodations can be found at the hotel website, http://magnoliahotels.com/houston/magnolia-hotel-houston.php. We will alert everyone when the accommodations website is ready.
Alternative Accommodation: A listing of alternative hotels in the downtown area will be made available upon request.
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
The local Organizing Committee consists of Thomas Demchuk (RPS), Jen O’Keefe (Morehead State U.), Thomas Gentzis (Core Laboratories) and Joe Curiale (Independent). Over the next several months as the technical and social programs are finalized, we will do our best to keep the societies and membership informed of new events, the associated costs, and deadlines. We look forward to a great joint meeting in September of 2016.
If you should have any questions regarding the meeting, you may send an e-mail to tdemchuk@swbell.net