Thank you to all those who attended the APSG 42 + Joint Industry Day meeting on Thursday, October 24! The group of APSG members, IOGP members, and guests who participated in lively discussions on the topic of Dynamic Datums made this event a great success.

Copies of the presentations given at this meeting are now available for download on the APSG website. Note that this resource is only available for APSG members. If you registered for the event as a guest or IOGP member and would like access to these resources, please contact Jennifer Still at communications@apsg.info.

Dear Members,

We are happy to announce a revamp to the way our organization is represented on LinkedIn. As many of you know, we have had a closed group for our members for some time now. This has been a useful space for sharing organization and industry news, posting announcements, and providing a platform where members can interact with one another. It has served us well in this regard.

Due to recent changes in LinkedIn's policies that make handing off ownership of this closed group to new committee members difficult, we have decided to establish an open group for the APSG organization. Not only will this better streamline our own processes when changing the guard, but it will also offer a platform better suited to showcasing the work we do and knowledge we share with those who may not have heard of our organization. After all, we are a group founded on education and knowledge sharing.

For those who are part of the closed group found here, this group will not be deleted or removed so that we can preserve any information you regularly visit there. This group will no longer be maintained by APSG and will feature no new posts on behalf of our committee in the future.

We invite you to join our new open group here or by searching the name of our group on LinkedIn. We also invite you to like and share our new organization page on LinkedIn. 

Moving forward, these two resources will be the primary outlets that our Communications committee will utilize for sharing news and important updates with you on this platform.

Regards,

The APSG 42 Fall Meeting + Industry Day with IOGP boasts an agenda unlike one our committee has seen at recent events. This coming meeting we will introduce panel discussions - allowing us to bring together professionals in the industry for lively talks on the issues that matter to you most.

To ensure members from APSG and IOGP as well as any guests are able to ask panelists the questions they care about most, we are providing a portal for attendees to submit them ahead of time.

How Will This Work?

Attendees will use the links below to submit questions and topics for discussion ahead of October 24th event. No log-in is required - simply follow the links to submit your question and leave your name (recommended). 

The event links will also be open day-of for any last minute submissions.

At the time of the panel discussion, the moderator will run through the questions provided with the panelists. 

Submit Your Questions

There are two panel discussions at the upcoming meeting. Please submit your questions through the following event links. Note that you will be redirected to the sli.do app website upon click.

Event #1 - APSG42_DyanmicDatums - https://app.sli.do/event/hqghm7xg

This panel discussion will be held in the morning (11:15 AM to 12:00 PM CT). The discussion focuses on dynamic datums led by experts from the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP), National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), and the industry. They will answer questions on the topic and address concerns of our organizations on implementation and utilization of dynamic datums in our industry.

Event #2 - APSG42_SoftwarePanel - https://app.sli.do/event/l1tcs6tt 

This panel will be held in the afternoon (3:15 PM to 4:00 PM CT). The discussion focuses on software applications with three primary participants: experts from Geomatics Solutions, Blue Marble Geographics, and ESRI. They will answer questions with respect to how their applications are handling the integration of dynamic datums and other geodesy-related questions.

Once your question(s) has been submitted, they will appear in the applicable event page on sli.do. It is recommended to include your name for entries should the panelists wish to direct any follow-up to you directly during the discussion.

For any concerns or issues, please contact Jennifer Still at communications@apsg.info.

Are you interested in becoming more involved with APSG? Want to be a part of the driving force behind our socials, knowledge sharing, and Spring and Fall meetings? Have ideas for bringing the mission of our organization to more people within the industry? Now is your chance to make it happen!

The Executive Committee is seeking nominations for the roles of Vice Chair and Treasurer for the Fall 2019 to Fall 2020 term. 

Responsibilities of the Vice Chair - The individual in this role is essential when it comes to planning our Spring and Fall organization meetings. He or she typically takes on the responsibility of organizing vendors, sponsors, and exhibitors. Responsibilities throughout the year may vary as more events take place. It is encouraged that the individual in this role be prepared to serve a 2 year term - First, as the Vice Chair, and then moving to the Chair's position the following year.

Responsibilities of the Treasurer - This role entails monitoring and managing the financial aspects of our organization. Due to the responsibilities, the individual in this role must serve for a minimum of 2 years.

If you are interested or would like to nominate someone who you feel would be a good fit, please message Kelly Kore at chair@apsg.info or Chris Echols at vice@apsg.info.

APSG is excited to announce the agenda for the Fall 2019 Meeting to be co-hosted with the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP). A special thanks to APSG's members and the IOGP Geomatics Committee for unique and intriguing contributions to this season's meeting!

View the schedule below or download the APSG 42 + Industry Day Meeting Packet for a full view of the event. For more information about sponsors and vendors - as well as how to register - explore the Event page.

For those attending and/or considering attending the APSG 42 Fall Meeting, it should be noted that the location of this event has changed. Previously, this meeting was to be held onsite at ExxonMobil's Houston Campus. Due to scheduling conflicts, APSG has moved the meeting to the Lakehouse at Towne Lake in Cypress, TX. Please see the Event details page for updated information on directions and parking.

We are excited to announce that our APSG 42 Fall Meeting will be co-hosted with the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) as a Joint Industry Day. It will be a collaborative effort of our members to present and share knowledge across our organizations.

Our theme for this event is Dynamic Datums: Geodesy on the Move, and the day will be spent exploring how new datums are being established as well as how they will be consumed and utilized within our industry. The agenda for our Fall Meeting is refreshingly different with the inclusion of panel discussions, short presentations, and a demonstration.

We invite you to submit abstracts for short ten-minute technical talks - with an additional five minutes for questions - related to our theme of Dynamic Datums. Examples of topics that would make engaging talks include how dynamic datums will affect us, ways we can mitigate any risks or disruptions to our business, data management practices, etc.

Please submit topics to Kelly Kore at chair@apsg.info by Friday, August 30, 2019.

Tentative Agenda

The tentative agenda for this event can be found below. Note that times are subject to shifting. A full, finalized agenda will be shared once the Call for Papers closes.

Learn more about the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) at https://www.iogp.org.

APSG 42 Fall Meeting Announced!

Are you already looking forward to APSG's Fall Meeting? We have announced the date, location, and theme! This meeting will be held on Thursday, October 24, 2019 at ExxonMobil in Spring, TX. The theme will be Geodetics on the Move: Dynamic Geodesy and Effects on the Industry and will be co-produced by the International Organization of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP). Keep an eye out for a Call for Papers this summer!

APSG 41 Presentations Now Available

Did you miss our Spring Meeting at Oceaneering? Want to review the talks and presentations given by professionals in the industry and TAMU students? Presentations can now be downloaded from our website! Navigate to Education > Presentations > APSG US Central Chapter > APSG 41 (May 2019) to view now. Please note that you must be logged in to your APSG member account before you can access this material.

Looking for pictures from the event? Check out our Photo Gallery for a quick look.

Meet the Membership Chair

APSG is excited to welcome our newest addition to the Executive Committee, David Suarez. He has joined us as the 2019 Membership Chair, and many of you may have met him at APSG 41. To reach out to him, contact membership@apsg.info.

Upcoming Events

The following events are available on the Events Calendar. Learn more and/or RSVP online.

• Happy Hour Social - July 11 (5pm to 8pm) at Christian's Tailgate in the Energy Corridor

For more information about these updates, contact Jennifer Still at communications@apsg.info.

APSG is excited to announce the APSG 42 Fall Meeting! This meeting will be held on Thursday, October 24, 2019 at ExxonMobil in Spring, TX. The theme for this meeting is Geodetics on the Move: Dynamic Geodesy and Effects on the Industry.

Partnering closely with the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP), APSG 42 will be held in conjunction with members of this association. We look forward to combining the interests and expertise of our organizations, facilitating connections between these two groups with lively discussions.

Be on the lookout over the next few months as Call for Papers are sent out and a subsequent agenda announced. Learn more at Events.

The APSG Education Committee is excited to announce the Tech Workshop - Survey session at the 2019 Esri Petroleum GIS Conference in Houston, TX. Held from May 15 to May 16, this conference - also known as Esri PUG - is a central trade show for professionals in the Petroleum industry and Geographic Information System (GIS) to gather together to network, learn about new GIS and geomatics technology, and more.

Our Education committee will be running a session during the Esri Petroleum GIS Conference to showcase industry knowledge and expertise. Find us from 3pm to 4pm on Wednesday, May 15th in Room 320 to hear the following presentations:

The New TRF2022 Datum: Are You Ready? Conversions and Transformations That GIS Folks Need to Know About | Presented by Dan Prouty, PhD (National Geodetic Survey)

3:00PM - 3:30PM | The National Geodetic Survey will be releasing a new horizontal and vertical datum - TRF2022. We will discuss the current plan to build a new State Plane Coordinate Systems, provide conversion and transformations, and move to the new geometric Geoid. Examples of how it can be used in ArcGIS Pro will be demonstrated. Low Distortion Projections are being proposed to complement or replace existing State Plan Projections. Low Distortion Projections are linear distortions minimized at topographic surface (not at ellipsoid surface) to reduce difference between and projected "grid" and actual "ground" distances. The presentation will discuss how Geographic Information System (GIS) professionals can start to see the future Geodetic Coordinate System of TRF2022 in ArcGIS and how time dependent values can be modeled.

Parcel and LiDAR Datasets in the TNRIS DataHub and How They Can Help You | Presented by TNRIS

3:30PM - 4:00PM | The Texas Natural Resources Information System (TNRIS) is releasing a DataHub where Geographic Information System (GIS) users can get access to more State data. TNRIS acquires data through partnerships with other federal and state agencies through the StratMap Contract, which operates through the Texas Department of Information Resources (TxDIR). We will demonstrate how you can utilize the Land Parcels and LiDAR data to build 3D maps of property to precise coordinate systems. The DataHub is a new way to access TNRIS data. The DataHub replaces the Data Catalog, Data Search & Download, and Order Data sections of the site.

Note that these talks are included in the 2019 Esri Petroleum GIS Conference Agenda under the Tech Workshop - Survey category.

Are you attending this conference? Check in and catch up with APSG in the Expo Hall at Booth #423. We will see you there!