The London Office of AAPG, at the direction of the European regional Council of AAPG a co-organized by Czech Geological Survey (V. Dvorakova), and in coordination with the region IBA Committee, operated the first annual European regional version of the Imperial barrel Award program in Prague on March 15th, 2008. The winning team receives $5000 in scholarship funds for their school program, and free trip to compete in the finals at the AAPG National Convention, this year to be held in San Antonio, Texas. All teams competing receive scholarship prizes with second place awarded $2,500, third place $1,000, and each participating team not placing earns $500 for participating in this truly unique and challenging program.
This year’s results are: First Place: the University of Leoben Second Place: the IFP School Third Place: Moscow State University
Other participating schools included the University of Miskolc and Eotvos Lorand University. Further details of the IBA program can be found at www.aapg.org. A very special thank you to the sponsors for this first Imperial barrel Award program. They include Shell, ExxonMobil, TOTAL, Schlumberger, Nexen, CGG Veritas, BG, RAG, and OMV. The companies not only provided valuable economic support of the program but gave time, energy, and experience in participating in the judging of the event. One of the great opportunities the program provides is for students to not only present their technical results to industry judges but to also discuss their performances with the judges after the event. This gives the students invaluable advice and knowledge in their team and individual skills unlike any other program available and without key industry companies sponsoring and judging such an event, that process would be limited. Because of such experience, great logistics and charming atmosphere all agreed to come back to Prague again next year.
