Coordinating Committee for Geoscience Programmes in East and Southeast Asia (CCOP)

Vol. 29 No. 3/4 July-December 2004

The 41st CCOP Annual Session was held at the EPOCHAL Tsukuba International Congress Center from 15-18 November2004, Tsukuba, Japan and the 44th Steering Committee Meeting was held at the Conference Center of the NationalInstitute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), on 14 and 19-20 November 2004. The host facilitieswere provided by the Government of Japan through the Geological Survey of Japan/National Institute of AdvancedIndustrial Science and Technology (GSJ/AIST).

The 41st CCOP Annual Session was attended by 141 delegates from Member Countries and Cooperating Countries/Organizations and staff of the CCOP Technical Secretariat (CCOP T/S). Lao PDR and Finland were also in attendanceas observers.

The Opening Ceremony was graced by Dr. Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, President, National Institute of Advanced IndustrialScience and Technology (AIST), Dr. Kisaburo Kodama, Senior Vice President, AIST, Mr. Katsumi Moriyasu, PrincipalDeputy Director of United Nations Administration Division, Global Issues Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA),Mr. Hiroshi Hirota, Director-General for Technology Policy Coordination, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI),and Dr. Anthony J. Reedman, Senior Advisor, International Year of Planet Earth. Mr. Somsak Potisat, CCOP SteeringCommittee Chairperson and Dr. David Prior, Chairperson of CCOP Advisory Group delivered their opening addresses.

Dr. Eikichi Tsukuda, Head of the Delegation of Japan was elected Chairperson of the Session and Prof. Dr. ZhangHongtao, Head of the Delegation of China, was elected Vice-Chairperson. The Representatives from the United Kingdom,Japan and Korea were elected as General Rapporteurs.

ISSN 0858-4974

IN THIS ISSUEn CCOP 41st Annual Session n Meetings, Visitors and Guests

and 44th Steering Committee Meeting n Scientific Noten CCOP Technical Activities n New CCOP Publicationsn CCOP T/S Director’s Mission n CCOP Calendar of Eventsn Information Update

CCOP 41st ANNUAL SESSIONAND 44th STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING

15-18 & 14, 19-20 November 2004, Tsukuba, Japan

Vol. 29 No. 3/4, July-December 20042

The CCOP Newsletter, issued biannually, is a publication of the CoordinatingCommittee for Geoscience Programmes in East and Southeast Asia (CCOP).First issued in 1974, its main purpose is to keep readers abreast with informationof CCOP concerns and interest, to disseminate information of CCOP activitiesand projects either in progress or to be implemented, as well as to publishshort scientific papers or notes concerning recent discoveries and new findings.

Articles or information in this Newsletter may be copied, summarized ortranslated into any language provided that acknowledgement is made and acopy of said print sent to CCOP.

Contributions are invited from all interested persons and organizations, whetheror not associated with CCOP, in the following forms:

1. Concise and informative newspaper clippings with date and sources;2. Announcement of meetings, seminars, field trips, or publications

relevant to CCOP’s scope of activities;3. Articles on any subject related to geoscientific investigations

in the region. Results or progress reports of scientific or technicalwork are welcome and will be published under the authors’ name asa scientific paper or notes. Reports should not exceed 5,000 wordsin length including diagrams and references.

Diagrams for publication should be clear and drawn to fit an A4 size full page.As space is limited, authors are urged to consider the relevance of allillustrations, tables and diagrams. Photographs can be included where necessary.The Editor reserves the right to reject or edit any articles submitted forpublication in the CCOP Newsletter.

Please send articles and photographs for publication to :CCOP Technical Secretariat24th Floor, Suite 244-245, Thai CC Tower889 Sathorn Tai Road, Sathorn, Bangkok 10120, ThailandTel: +66 (0) 2672 3080 / Fax: +66 (0) 2672 3082E-mail: ccopts@ccop.or.th / Website: http://www.ccop.or.th

“CCOP thanks all Contributors for their support to the CCOP Newsletter”

Member Countries:Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, PapuaNew Guinea, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.Cooperating Countries:Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, TheNetherlands, Norway, Russian Federation, Sweden, Switzerland, UnitedKingdom, and United States of America.Cooperating Organizations:ASCOPE, CIFEG, CPC, UN-ESCAP, EuroGeosurveys, GETECH, IOC,IOMAC, IUGS, PETRAD, UNEP, UNESCO, The World Bank.

EDITORIAL BOARD

Mr. Chen Shick PeiDirector

Dr. Young-Soo ParkRegional Expert

Ms. Marivic P. UzarragaGeodata and InformationManagement

Mr. Simplicio CaluyongPPM Coordinator

Ms. Petcharat SarawisutraTechnical Programmes

Ms. Sunit ProkatiPublication and Documentation

Dr. Anthony ReedmanHonorary Advisor

CORRESPONDENTS

Cambodia:Ms. Mak Boly

China:Mr. Xiao Hanqiang /Mr. Li Zhijian

Indonesia:Dr. A.A. Polhaupessy

Japan:Dr. Takemi Ishihara

Korea:Dr. Hee-Young Shin

Malaysia:Mr. Ab.Halim Hamzah

Papua New Guinea:Mr. Stevie Nion

The Philippines:Mr. Angel A. Bravo

Thailand:Mr. Samai Chiemchindaratana /Mrs. Chintana Wongsaard

Vietnam:Ms. Ta Thi Vinh Hien

Vol. 29 No. 3/4, July-December 2004 3

Continued from page 1

A thematic session was held on 17November 2004 with the theme “Geo-environment of delta and groundwatermanagement in East and Southeast Asia”. Thesession was convened by Dr. Atsunao Maruiand Dr. Yoshiki Saito from the GeologicalSurvey of Japan/AIST, and Dr. Byoung-WooYum from the Korea Institute of Geoscienceand Mineral Resources (KIGAM). TheMember Countries and Cooperating Countriesactively participated by sharing their experiencesand ideas on the above theme.

The 44th Steering Committee Meetingattended by Representatives from the MemberCountries was held after the 41st AnnualSession. The Meeting discussed progress ofCCOP’s programmes and activities, and approved the budget and work plan for 2005. Four new initiatives were endorsedin the meeting; (1) Korea-China Sustainable Marine Sand Exploitation Project, (2) Communities and Small-Scale Miningin Asia (CASM-Asia), (3) Development of 3 New RimSim Games and (4) European Asian Thesaurus for Geoscience.The venue of the next CCOP Annual Session was also agreed to be held in China.

Meeting on CCOP Brainstorming Recommendations14 and 16 November 2004, Tsukuba, Japan

The CCOP Advisory Group BrainstormingSession, held in the CCOP T/S, Bangkok on 4-7 February 2004, produced fifty-seven (57)recommendations on “How should CCOP buildon existing strengths and evolve its activitiesto take advantage of new contexts andopportunities?” The recommendations aregrouped in eight topics on CCOP; 1) ChangingContexts, 2) Changing Role, 3) Funding, 4)Membership, 5) Steering Committee, 6)Technical Secretariat, 7) Annual Session and 8)The Advisory Group.

In connection with this, a special meetingof the Steering Committee and another jointSteering Committee-Advisory Group meetingwere held during the Annual Session toextensively discuss the fifty-seven (57)

recommendations of the Advisory Group. The Steering Committee meeting approved fifty-three (53) recommendationsand agreed to take follow-up action. The action plan will be prepared by the CCOP T/S and submitted to the forthcomingSteering Committee Meeting in March/April 2005 in Phuket.

Vol. 29 No. 3/4, July-December 20044

Petroleum Policy and Management (PPM) Project

The Norwegian government-supported Petroleum Policy and Management (PPM) Project which commenced in July2002 is in its second year of implementation. Mr. Simplicio Caluyong from the Philippines took over as the ProjectCoordinator from 1 July 2004 after Mr. Gunnar Soiland from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, completed histwo-year term as Project Coordinator on 30 June 2004.

A Mid-Term Review of the project was conducted in July in accordance with the CCOP-NORAD Agreement on thePPM Project to assess the implementation of the project. The review team comprised Mr. Ole F. Ekern of Econ AnalysisAS, Norway and Mr. Leong Khee Meng of the Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Malaysia. Subsequently, a projectplanning meeting with the national coordinators of the case-study host countries was organized to discuss the detailedwork plan for the remaining half of the PPM Project term and the outline and contents of the Project’s tangible deliverablesin accordance with the Mid-Term Review recommendations. The Project Coordinator also presented otherrecommendations of the PPM Midterm review in the meeting.

There were two workshops, one seminar and three expert visits/training courses carried out in the second half of 2004.National Project Coordination Committee (NPCC) Meetings were also held regularly with the case-study host countries.

The homepage of the project at http://www.ccop.or.th/projects/PPM.html provides details and regular update ofthe project’s activities.

Third Workshop of the Philippines Case Study25-30 August 2004, Baguio City, the Philippines

The 3rd PPM workshop of the Philippine Case Study on the Sulu Sea Region was successfully conducted in BaguioCity on 25-30 August 2004. The main topics were resource assessment, petroleum economics and modeling, and fielddevelopment options. A total of 36 representatives from the 9 CCOP Member Countries participated in the workshop.In addition to the resource persons from the Philippine Department of Energy (DOE), 4 more (2 from Norway and 1 eachfrom Korea and Vietnam) delivered very good presentations on the above-mentioned topics.

Honored guests during the opening ceremonies were Ms. Griselda J. G. Bausa - DOE Assistant Secretary, Mr.Ramon Alan V. Oca – DOE Assistant Director and Ms. Kristin T. W ringsaasen- Norwegian Embassy CommercialCounselor.

CCOP TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES

ae

Vol. 29 No. 3/4, July-December 2004 5

Third PPM Seminar20-23 September 2004, Chiangmai, Thailand

The 3rd PPM Seminar was successfullyconducted in Chiangmai, Thailand on 20-23September 2004 when all countriesparticipating in the PPM project gavepresentations highlighting the general updatesof their respective upstream industries,knowledge learned from PPM activitiesand how that knowledge is transferredand disseminated in their respectiveorganizations. The seminar also dedicated a1-day session to discussion and sharing ofexperience related to the special topic of‘marginal fields’. Mr. Stig Svalheim of theNorwegian Petroleum Directorate explainedNorway’s experiences related to marginalfield development.

The highlights of the draft report of the PPM Mid-term Review were presented by the Project Coordinator. Theseminar was attended by almost all of the National Coordinators of the PPM Project.

Fourth Workshop of Cambodia Case Study1-6 December 2004, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The 4th Workshop of the PPMCambodia Khmer Basin Case Study wassuccessfully conducted at the Phnom PenhHotel, Phnom Penh on 1-5 December2004. A total of 34 participants from the9 CCOP Member Countries attended theworkshop on the following topics: prospectanalysis and petroleum economy withfiscal regime and production curve modeling.

H. E. Mr. Te Duong Tara (Director-General of the Cambodia NationalPetroleum Authority, CNPA), Mr. MenDen (Director of Upstream Division,CNPA and Deputy PermanentRepresentative of Cambodia to CCOP)

and Mr. Chen Shick Pei (CCOP T/S Director) attended the opening ceremony on 1 December 2004.

Dr. Alfred Kjemperud of the Bridge Group AS (Norway) was the resource person for the workshop. In addition, thefiscal regimes (offshore) of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam were also presented. Some ofthese fiscal regimes were also used in GeoX modeling exercises for comparative calculation of company/governmenttakes. Exercises on production curve modeling were also conducted using both Excel and GeoX. These exercisesprovided an opportunity for the participants to experience first-hand the functionalities of the GeoX software but alsounderstand the concepts behind the usage of the software.

Vol. 29 No. 3/4, July-December 20046

Expert Visits and Training

Training Course on Usage of GeoX Software and GeoCAD Mapping21-23 July 2004, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The PPM Project Coordinator, Mr. Simplicio Caluyong, together with Mr. Gener P. Revilla of the Philippine DOEconducted a follow-up training course on the usage of the GeoX and GeoCAD software for the technical staff of theUpstream Division of CNPA, Cambodia on 21-23 July 2004. This training aims to enable the CNPA staff to use theabove-mentioned software for their own resource assessment and mapping activities.

A review was made of the functionalities of theGeoX and GeoCAD software and of volumetriccalculation using the Thai model (Pattani Basin). Thedatabase of the volume and reservoir parametersusing well reports and other documents available atthe CNPA was established. Prospects were digitizedand analyzed using GeoCAD and GeoX softwares tocalculate areas and volumes.

The staff was also re-introduced to the CCOPGuidelines on risk assessment of Petroleum Prospectsand the Classification System prepared under theResource Evaluation and Planning (REP) projects, andthe value of these documents in the establishment ofCambodia’s petroleum database.

Training Course on the Application of Organic Geochemistryto Source Rock Appraisal and Hydrocarbon Characteristics14-15 September 2004, Manila, the Philippines

Khun Supaporn Pisutha-arnond, a seniorgeologist of the PTT Exploration and ProductionPublic Co.,Ltd. (PTTEP) conducted a short courseon Petroleum Geochemistry for the Philippine PPMteam on 14-15 September 2004. A total of 18participants from the various units of the DOE and ofthe Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC)participated in the course. This is the 2nd expert visitto the Philippines.

The course reviewed the fundamental principlesof the petroleum geochemistry of source rocks andhydrocarbon generation, and demonstrated the directapplication of source rock geochemistry to prospectevaluation through lectures and exercises usingPhilippine data. At the end of the course, most of theparticipants had learned what tools to use and the processes involved in a systematic evaluation of source rock potentialsand hydrocarbon prospectivity of a basin.

Vol. 29 No. 3/4, July-December 2004 7

Training Course on GeoX Tools and Economic Modelingof Fields and Prospects6-9 December 2004, Jakarta, Indonesia

The first expert visit for the Indonesia case study wasconducted by Dr. Alfred Kjemperud in Jakarta on 6-9December 2004 with a course on Petroleum economy andGeoX usage. Most of the participants were fromLEMIGAS, Indonesia.

The objective of the course is to achieve a goodunderstanding of deterministic and probabilistic economicmodeling of petroleum projects, both prospects anddeveloped fields, through lectures and practical exercisesusing the GeoX software. Included in the economicmodeling were exercises and discussions on fiscal regimemodeling and comparing the impact of using various fiscalregimes from other Member Countries as models on theeconomics of petroleum prospect and fields.

CCOP-PETRAD Seminars

CCOP-PETRAD-MLR-CGS-CNOOC Seminar on Health andSafety Environment (HSE) Management26-29 July 2004, Tianjin, China

The seminar on HSEManagement was requested byChina National Offshore OilCorporation (CNOOC) TianjinLtd., China. This seminar was thesecond of the 2-part series onMaintenance and Operations,the first of which was conductedin March 2004 in Tanggu,Tianjin, China. This seminar wassponsored by the Ministry ofEnergy, Norway, through theInternational Programme forPetroleum Management andAdministration (PETRAD) incooperation with CCOP,CNOOC, the Ministry of Land

and Resources (MLR) and China Geological Survey (CGS). There were in total 61 participants who attended theseminar including 4 female participants. This seminar is very much in line with CNOOC strategy for human resourcedevelopment and capacity building through sharing of knowledge and expertise.

Vol. 29 No. 3/4, July-December 20048

CCOP-PETRAD-MLR-CGS-SINOPEC Seminar on PetroleumGeochemical Exploration9-13 August 2004, Anhui, China

This joint seminar between Sinopec,Aker Kvaerner Geo and PETRAD aimedat focusing on the interaction betweenhydrocarbon systems in basins and theirsurface traces. The techniques ofhydrocarbon seepage exploration havebeen in use for several years in offshoreNorway, with variable success. Theseregions are also fairly well known withrespect to hydrocarbon systems andtherefore suitable for discussing thebenefits and pitfalls of the technique.

The Participants and Guest Speakers shared experiences and knowledge during the seminar. There were muchdiscussions and interaction between the participants and guest speakers, and the seminar derived considerable successfrom the active involvement of the participants.

Participants regarded the PETRAD and CCOP cooperation as an important part of the technology transfer andhuman resource development needed in the region, and they expressed the hope that such tailor-made seminars andworkshops could continue in the future.

CCOP-PETRAD-PTT Top Management Seminar and Workshop onEnterprise Risk Management (ERM)23-24 November 2004, Bangkok, Thailand

The Top Management Seminar and Workshopon Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) wasrequested by PTT Public Co., Ltd. to PETRAD.The seminar and workshop were organized andconducted by PETRAD and CCOP, and supportedby the Norwegian Ministry of Oil and Energy. Itwas attended by 26 PTT Top Managers on 23November, and was followed by a workshop onERM, attended by 37 participants from PTT and 1from CCOP.

The Seminar/Workshop addressed ERM in anoil and gas industry setting. Following the introduction,which outlined how risk management thinking hasevolved from the basic principles of underwritingtoday’s integrated systems and practices, thefundamental principles of ERM were presented. The corporate risk policy session outlined the ‘top structure’ of an ERMapproach, with examples of best practice within the petroleum sector.

Vol. 29 No. 3/4, July-December 2004 9

CCOP-GSJ/AIST Projects

Field Workshop for Volcanic Hazards MitigationA 4-year project, starting April 2004

The CCOP-GSJ/AIST Project of Field Workshops for Volcanic Hazards Mitigation is a 4-year project whichcommenced in April 2004 with the support of the Geological Survey of Japan/AIST. This project aims to conduct acomparative study of the volcanic hazards faced by CCOP Member Countries, the medium term predictive methods forfuture eruptions based on eruptive history, hazards mapping from a volcanic eruption case study and scenario analysis onthe eruptive sequence (activity duration, the climax of activity, eruption rate, eruption sites, and eruption style). This is tobe achieved by conducting case studies field visits, workshops and research. Special field excursions and training will bearranged for young volcanologists from the concerned Member Countries. Scientific papers from the study will bepublished.

The Project was initiated with the first field workshop for Volcanic Hazard Mitigation held in Japan on 7-14 December2004. A total of 29 participants: 2 from Indonesia, 1 from Papua New Guinea, 1 from Philippines and 25 from Japanwere in attendance. The purpose of the field workshop is to exchange information on volcanic activity in each country.

Integrated Geological Assessment of Deltasin Southeast Asia (DelSEA Project)A 4-year project, starting April 2004

The CCOP-GSJ/AIST Project on Integrated Geological Assessment of Deltas in Southeast Asia (DelSEA Project) isa 4-year project which commenced in April 2004 with the support of the Geological Survey of Japan/AIST. The purposeof the project is to conduct cooperative geoscientific study/research on the major deltaic areas of East and Southeast Asiaby Member Countries of CCOP as a part of the IGCP 475 “DeltaMAP” project,and to promote the sharing and dissemination of the study/research results inannual meetings of IGCP 475, the proceedings of which will be publishedin an international journal. The IGCP 475 Annual Meetings are hostedby the participating countries in the region and a next meeting isplanned to be held on 9-16 January 2005 in Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam.

CCOP will be holding a separate meeting of CCOPMember Country participants with the Project’s resourcepersons and experts during the IGCP 473 DeltaMAPScientific Meeting to discuss the strategies and theprogramme for the implementation of the DelSEAproject. Training courses are also planned under thisproject.

Vol. 29 No. 3/4, July-December 200410

Groundwater Assessment Along Great River Basinsfor East and Southeast AsiaA 5-year project, starting April 2004

The CCOP-GSJ/AIST Project on Groundwater Assessment along Great River Basins in East and Southeast Asia isa 5-year activity which commenced in April 2004 with the support of the Geological Survey of Japan/AIST. This Projectaims to make a volumetric evaluation of groundwater resources by a water balance simulation, and to make a groundwaterassessment plan along a great river basin in each country and/or area according to the field situation. It is also the objectiveof this project to extend the database of the CCOP DCGM Phase IV Project by making qualitative groundwaterassessment.

Geoscience Asian Information Network (GAIN)A 3-year project, starting April 2004

The CCOP-GSJ/AIST Project on a Geoscience Asian Information Network (GAIN) is a 3-year project which wasstarted in April 2004, and is being supported by the Geological Survey of Japan/AIST. This project aims to establish aclearinghouse of geoscience information of East and Southeast Asia where customers worldwide can get the necessaryinformation on the availability of geoscientific information particularly of CCOP Member Countries. Data and informationwill reside in the respective Member Countries. This will also make use of what has been accomplished in the CCOPMetadata Project, as a starting point to further contribute to the promotion, dissemination and use of geoscientificinformation in the region.

Training on CCOP Clearinghouse Software9-12 November 2004, Tsukuba, Japan

Two staff members from the CCOP T/S were trained on the use of the clearinghouse software in Japan from 9-12November 2004. During the training, the CCOP clearinghouse was set up for the web. It can now be accessedtemporarily at this link: http://www.aist.go.jp/RIODB/GeoMeta Data/ASIA/ until it is moved to the CCOP T/S server.

Development of Techniques on

Landslide Hazards Assessment Project

With the support of the Government of Korea through the Ministry of Science and Technology, CCOP and the KoreaInstitute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) initiated a 3-year project in 2002 entitled “Development oftechniques on landslide hazards assessment”. The project aims to develop the techniques for the assessment of landslidehazards in the CCOP countries by the application of geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing.

Activities for the period included expert visits by the Project Coordinator, Dr. Saro Lee of KIGAM, to Indonesia,Thailand, Japan and the Philippines. Some Member Countries have provided data for preliminary analysis by the ProjectCoordinator. The project is now entering into its second phase and the activities lined-up include workshops, training andvisits by the Project Coordinator.

Vol. 29 No. 3/4, July-December 2004 11

SANGIS Project

The SANGIS 2nd Meeting on Asian Multilingual Thesaurus8-9 December 2004, Bangkok, Thailand

The SANGIS 2nd Meeting on Asian Multilingual Thesaurus for Geoscience (AMTG) was organized by CCOP incooperation with the International Center for Training and Exchanges in Geosciences (CIFEG) and the United NationsEducational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on 8-9 December 2004 in Bangkok, Thailand. A total of24 participants were in attendance, including 15 from the Member Countries, 3 resource persons, 2 guests and 4 from theCCOP Technical Secretariat.

The progress of the Project including the methodology adopted in its implementation was presented by Mr. FrancoisLyonnais, Information Manager of CIFEG. Representatives of Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Lao PDR,Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam also presented their own methodologies and procedures in carrying out the translation ofthe keywords and terms in the AMTG from English to their own national languages. A presentation of the computerizedAMTG was introduced to the participants by Mr. Lyonnais and he invited comments and feedback on its user-friendliness.A beta version of the AMTG CD-ROM was also distributed to each participant for validation of the keywords translation.

The Meeting was privileged to have Dr. Kristine Asch from the Federal Institute for Geosciences and NaturalResources, Germany, and Chairperson of the Commission for Application and Management of Geoscience Information(CGI) of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). Dr Asch gave presentations on CGI and “DigitalGeological Standards; Necessity and Issues” during the Meeting.

The project is aiming to produce the final CD-ROM of AMTG followed by a printed version. The final AMTGprogram will be turned over to CCOP, making CCOP as its repository.

The Meeting envisagesexpanding this AMTG withthe cooperation of IUGS/CGI, including the linkingof this AMTG to theinternational thesaurus, theenrichment of the thesaurus’vocabulary and usage of thisthesaurus on the Web.

Vol. 29 No. 3/4, July-December 200412

CCOP T/S DIRECTOR’S MISSION

In conjunction with the mission to China, 27-29 July 2004, the Director attended the opening ceremony and themorning session of the CCOP-PETRAD-CNOOC-MLR Seminar on Health, Safety and Environment, held in Tanggu,Tianjin. He held discussions with Prof. Dr. Zhang Hongtao, Permanent Representative of China to CCOP, DeputyDirector-General of China Geological Survey on cooperation in on-going and future CCOP activities. He was also invitedto view some of the possible venues for the 2005 Annual Session which China is offering to host.

The visit to the Geological Survey of Japan/AIST on 30 July – 1 August 2004 coincided with the eve of change overto a new organizational structure on 2 August, 2004 under the Geological Survey of Japan (GSJ). The Director met withDr. E. Tsukuda, Director-General of GSJ and other Directors and Deputy Directors of the Institutes and researchersresponsible for the GSJ-CCOP cooperation. Details regarding the implementation of 5 GSJ/AIST supported CCOPactivities for the year 2004-2005 and the preparations for the 41st Annual Session, Exhibition, Poster Session and the 44th

Steering Committee Meetings were discussed.

The Director also attended the Circum Pacific Council for Energy and Mineral Resources (CPC) Meeting held inHonolulu from 26-28 April 2004. Some members of the CCOP Advisory Group were also present including Dr. DavidPrior, Chairman of the CCOP Advisory Group and Honorary Advisors, Dr. Y. Shimazaki and Dr. Maurice Terman.

In the course of the meeting, a signing ceremony for a MoU on CCOP-CPC-ADPC cooperation was held with Dr.Nahum Schneidermann, CPC Chairman. This cooperation focuses on the development of a mutually beneficialpartnership aimed at working together to strengthen regional cooperation and disaster management capabilities. Adiscussion on the EAGER award for researchers of Japan, host of the 2004 Annual Session was held with Dr. T. Ishihara,Dr. Y. Shimazaki and Dr. M. Terman.

The Director, on behalf of CCOP, would like to thank thePermanent Representatives of the Member Countries and

Representatives of Cooperating Countries and Organizations andtheir staff for the excellent arrangements and the fine

programmes made for his visits. They have accorded thewarmest of hospitality, close cooperation and assistance

that had facilitated greatly the successful completionof the missions. The missions to Japan and CPC

were kindly supported by GSJ/AIST and CPCrespectively. Their generosity and assistance toCCOP is deeply appreciated.

Vol. 29 No. 3/4, July-December 2004 13

42nd CCOP Annual Sessionand 46th CCOP Steering Committee Meetings13-18 and 19-20 September 2005, Beijing, China

With the support of the Government of China throughthe China Geological Survey (CGS), the 42nd AnnualSession and the 46th Steering Committee Meeting ofCCOP will be held at the Minzu Hotel, Beijing, China.The Meetings will be attended by Representatives fromthe CCOP Member Countries, Cooperating Countriesand Organizations and Honorary Advisors to discusscurrent and future programmes and activities of CCOP.

A thematic session on “Sustainable Developmentof Geo-Resources and Geo-Environment” will also beheld during the 42nd CCOP Annual Session. The hostwill also sponsor a one-day geological excursion in thesurrounding area. For the details of the programme pleasevisit the CCOP Website at www.ccop.or.th.

Dates to consider:

n 30 July 2005 : Submission of Country and Thematic Papersn 30 July 2005 : Confirmation of participationn 13 September 2005 : Registration / Heads of Delegation Meetingn 14 September 2005 : Opening Ceremonyn 14-17 September 2005 : 42nd Annual Sessionn 18 September 2005 : Field Excursionn 19-20 November 2005 : 46th Steering Committee Meeting

INFORMATION UPDATE

EAGER Grant for 2004Ms. Zhen Li, a PhD student at Nagoya University, Japan

received an award from the East Asia Geoscience and EnvironmentalResearch (EAGER) Project for her research work entitled “HighResolution Climate Change and the Human Impacts on the SongHong Delta Areas, Vietnam during the Holocene”. The EAGERProject is a trust fund set up in the Geological Society of America withpersonal contribution of Dr Maurice “Ric” Terman, CCOP HonoraryAdvisor, to be used for funding research in geoscience in the region.Under the programme, a grant will be made available for researchesin Geoscience and Environment in East and Southeast Asia to candidates from the Member Country hosting the CCOPAnnual Session. Dr. Terman awarded the grant to Ms. Li during the CCOP 41st Annual Session held in Tsukuba, Japanon November 2004.

Vol. 29 No. 3/4, July-December 200414

MEETINGS, VISITORS & GUESTS

July 20047 Chief of Administration and Finance attended the “Non-Deductable Expenditure” seminar in Bangkok, Thailand7 Mr. Men Den from CNPA, Cambodia visited the CCOP T/S to discuss the PPM activities.12 Visitor: Mr. Carl Johan Sverdrup, Norway21 Mr. Ole F. Ekern, the consultant from Norway visited the CCOP T/S to conduct the PPM Midterm

Review.

August 200421 Mr. Simplicio P. Caluyong, PPM Project Coordinator of the CCOP T/S attended the 9th ASCOPE Joint

Committees Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and presented an update of the Energy Sectoractivities of the CCOP T/S for the period May-August 2004 and the PETRAD presentation to themembers of the ASCOPE committees.

24 Visitor: Mr. M. Takahashi, OYO International25 IT Assistant attended the seminar on “ArcGIS9 Desktop Rollout” held in Bangkok, Thailand

September 200410 Visitor: Mr. Ioannis Abatzis, GEUS/Denmark11 Mr. Michel Laval and Mr. Lyonnais Francois from CIFEG visited CCOP to discuss the preparation of the

SANGIS 2nd Meeting on Asian Multilingual Thesaurus for Geoscience (AMTG)29-01/10 The CCOP T/S Director and Dr. Young-Soo Park, Regional Expert attended the ESCAP’s

Subcommittee Meeting on Environment and Sustainable Development First Session.

October 20045 Dr. Oystein Berg from PETRAD, Norway visited the CCOP T/S.6 CCOP T/S Chief of Administration and Finance, attended the seminar on “New Accounting Professional

Law” held in Bangkok, Thailand8, 19 Dr. Satoshi Murao from GSJ/AIST visited CCOP to discuss the project initiative on Community and

Small-Scale Mining in Asia (CASM-Asia)15 CCOP T/S Assistant to Technical Programmes attended the seminar on “Work Planning by Goal Setting”

held in Bangkok, Thailand20 Visitors: Dr. Yasukuni Okubo and Mr. Teruki Miyazaki, GSJ/AIST25-30 The Regional Expert attended the 6th Asian Geothermal Symposium held in Daejeon, Korea30 The CCOP T/S Secretary attended the seminar on “Filing Management” held in Bangkok, Thailand

November 200429 The CCOP T/S Director attended the “Environmental Geology for Regional Planner Seminar” of the

Thai-German Cooperation Project at Siam City Hotel, Bangkok30 Visitors: Mr. Wolfgang Schirrmacher and Mr. Michel Schmidt-Thome, BGR, Germany

December 200413 Mr. Simplicio P. Caluyong attended the workshop on “Asean Energy Services” held in Bangkok, Thailand

Vol. 29 No. 3/4, July-December 2004 15

(1) China Geological Survey, Ministry of Land and Resources, Beijing 100011, China(2) Leibniz Institute for Marine Science (IFM-GEOMAR), University of Kiel, D-24148 Kiel, Germany(3) Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey, China Geological Survey, Guangzhou 510075, China(4) Research Center for Ocean Margin, University of Bremen, D-28334 Bremen, Germany(5) China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China(6) Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanographic Administration, Hangzhou 310012, China

SCIENTIFIC NOTE

Jiulong Methane Reef: An Authigenic CarbonateMountain Discovered in the North Slope of SouthChina SeaHongtao ZHANG(1), Erwin SUESS(2), Yongyang HUANG(3), Gerhard BOHRMANN(4), Nengyou WU(3), XinSU(5), Xiqiu HAN(6), Olaf PFANNKUCHE(2), Friedrich ABEGG(4), Anton EISENHAUER(2), Jun TAO(3) andother shipboard scientists of cruise SO-177

Authigenic carbonates derived from the methane emission at gas hydrate or cold vent sites are associated withdewatering at active and passive continental margins worldwide. Recently it has been demonstrated that the aerobicoxidation of methane controls the authigenic carbonate formation. It is a crucial element for long-term methane-Csequestration and hence of importance to the objective of evaluating the geological methane source. This environmentallysignificant process has far reaching consequences for the global carbon cycle and budget and will be among the highpriority objectives of any future research on methane and gas hydrates.

A Chinese-German cooperative project on the distribution, formation and effect of methane and gas hydrate onthe environment in the northern South China Sea was set in early 2004, and a joint expedition cruise SO-177 of RVSONNE was carried out in the east of Dongsha Islands in June-July 2004.

During the cruise, an authigenic carbonate mountain was discovered using the seafloor video survey with real-timeimaging (Ocean Floor Observation System, OFOS), TV-guided grab sampling (TV-G) and TV-guided multi-coring(TV-MUCs). Figure 1 shows the newly completed bathymetric map of survey area.

The OFOS survey in the northern structure of survey area with the water depth of 600-900m firstly revealed avast accumulation of vent carbonate debris, pavements and edifices standing above the seafloor and covering theslopes. One typical 30m high carbonate structure, named Jiulong Methane Reef, was proved to be an active cold ventsite with the yellow small irregular bacterial patches and white bacterial lining of fissure across the carbonate rock(Figure 2). Some circular pockmarks were observed along the southern, eastern and western flanks of structurebetween 550-650m water depths. In several cases a single upright columnar carbonate pipe was observed stickingup in the center of the pockmark. Although hard to imagine, it appeared that the pipe, initially embedded in a lessindurated matrix, might have caused bottom currents to swirl around it and in the process eroded the circulardepressions.

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Figure 1. Newly completed bathymetric map of survey area during cruise SO-177. Note Jiulong Methane Reef,two mountains marked CTD 04, 06, 09 and 10 in the north part ofsurvey area, and the FormosaCanyon, complex and dissected slope morphology at the north margin.

Figure 2. Jiulong methane reef, pinnacle site, white bacterial mat, yellow bacterial lining along fracturedcarbonate blocks.

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Subsequent TV-G sampling yielded every conceivable shape and form of authigenic carbonates such as crusts,concretions, odd-shaped fillings of burrows, chimneys with single and multiple open conduits as well as cementedconduits. Several of them appeared to be composed of dolomite, particularly the well-known doughnut or ring-shapedconcretions. Three types of authigenic carbonates may be recognized by their morphology. They are chemohermcarbonates, seepage-associated concretions and gas hydrate-associated concretions. TV-G showed the blocky, erectcarbonate edifice to be crossed by fractures at the bottom of which clam colonies thrive and bacterial mats line the verticalwalls. The erect structures are surrounded by a thick talus apron of carbonate rubble and an enormous number of deadvent clams of all sizes, the largest well over 10 cm long. Preliminary identification as provided by geologists, suggest thatthese clams belong to at least four taxa: Calyptogena sp., Acharax sp. Conchocele sp. and Bathymodiolus sp.; verylikely other species and genera are present. TV-G Sampling yielded several hundreds of whole, articulated as well asdisarticulated specimens aside from several kilograms of shell fragments and huge carbonate blocks showing thewell-known vent fabric.

TV-MUCs were taken at the small active center site of Jiulong Methane Reef and indeed showed 80 uM ofmethane just a few cm below seafloor. This is in agreement with the faint methane plume (1.8 nMol/l above a backgroundof 0.8 nMol/l) detected in the water column at the same site. This fully documented hitherto the unknown cold seepcarbonate mounds.

The size of these carbonate structures, now largely extinct or fading out fast, and the amount of methane carbonfixed are impressive and must be among to the largest cold seep carbonate accumulations known anywhere in the ocean.Laboratory analyses done on a piece of crust sampled during SO-177 Leg 1, speedily provided to us on board by AntonEISENHAUER of the Isotope Facility at IFM-GEOMAR, unambiguously show that the carbon is exclusivelymethane-derived (13C =-56.5 to –57.5 per mil PDB) and that the calculated equilibrium isotopic composition of theprecipitating fluid is between +0.98 and +1.11 per mil SMOW. Since precipitation occurred in contact with seawater,these values indicate glacial ocean water composition. This is further in excellent agreement with the 230Th-234U-agesderived from that same crust placing it at 46.7 ky ago, the low sea-level stand of O-isotope stage 4. Therefore, theinferred enormous activity of gas venting at Jiulong Methane Reef, whether from dissociating gas hydrate or from a freegas reservoir, has occured some time ago and might have been driven by pressure reduction dueto lower sea level.

(This paper is a revision of the item 2.6 in the MemberCountry Report of China submitted to the 41st CCOPAnnual Session held on 15-18 November 2004 inTsukuba, Japan)

Vol. 29 No. 3/4, July-December 200418

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NEW CCOP PUBLICATIONSCCOP Newsletter Vol. 29 No. 1&2 (January-June 2004)

The CCOP Newsletter presents highlights of activities for the period January-June 2004.

CCOP Annual Report for year 2003The CCOP Annual Report presents a summary of all the activities of CCOP for the year 2003.

Proceedings 40th CCOP Annual Session Part II – Thematic Session (Hard copy and CD-ROM)Proceedings of the 40th CCOP Annual Session Part II – Thematic Session held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 7-10

October 2003; a collection of technical papers submitted by CCOP Member Countries, Cooperating Countries andOrganizations for the thematic session.

Report of the 44th CCOP Steering Committee Meeting (CD-ROM)A report of the Steering Committee Meeting held in Tsukuba, Japan on 19-20 November 2004.

Report of the 3rd Workshop of the Philippines Case Study (PPM) (CD-ROM)A documentation of the 3rd Philippines Case Study Workshop of Petroleum Policy and Management (PPM) in Baguio

City, the Philippines on 25-30 August 2004.

Report of the 3rd Seminar on Petroleum Policy and Management (PPM) (CD-ROM)A documentation of the 3rd Seminar of Petroleum Policy and Management (PPM) in Chiangmai, Thailand on 20-23

September 2004.

Report of the Project Planning Meeting, NPCC Meeting on Petroleum Policy and Management(PPM) (CD-ROM)

A documentation of the Project Planning Meeting, NPCC Meeting of Petroleum Policy and Management (PPM) inPhnom Penh, Cambodia on 5-7 October 2004.

Report of the 3rd Workshop of Indonesia Case Study (PPM) (CD-ROM)A documentation of the 3rd Indonesia Case Study Workshop of Petroleum Policy and Management (PPM) in Surabaya,

Indonesia on 7-12 October 2004.

Report of the 1st Project Planning Meeting (PPM) (CD-ROM)A documentation of the 1st Project Planning Meeting of Petroleum Policy and Management (PPM) in Bangkok,

Thailand on 3-5 November 2004.

Report of the CCOP-PETRAD-MLR-CGS-CNOOC Seminar on Health Safety and Environment(HSE) Management (CD-ROM)

A documentation of the CCOP-PETRAD-MLR-CGS-CNOOC Seminar on HSE Management, 26-29 July 2004,Tianjin, China.

Report of the CCOP-PETRAD-MLR-CGS-SINOPEC Seminar on Technical & Exploration (CD-ROM)A documentation of the CCOP-PETRAD-MLR-CGS-SINOPEC Seminar on Technical & Exploration, 9-13

August 2004, Anhui, China.

Report of the CCOP-PETRAD-PTT Seminar on Enterprise Risk Management (CD-ROM)A documentation of the CCOP-PETRAD-PTT Seminar on Enterprise Risk Management, 23-24 November 2004,

Bangkok, Thailand.

Vol. 29 No. 3/4, July-December 2004 19

Date Activities Venue

Kick-off Meeting of CCOP DelSEA Project inconjunction with the 2nd Annual Meeting of IGCP-475“DeltaMAP”

CCOP-PETRAD-CNOOC-MLR-CGS Seminar onDeepwater Technology

PPM Expert Visit and Training Course on SequenceStratigraphy (Seismic)

Field Survey of Coastal Environment Strategy of the AsianDelta Region

Japan-Thailand Joint Seminar

International Seminar on “How Thailand and theNeighboring Countries will become Ready for Tsunami”

PPM Expert Visit and Training Course on Prospect andPlay Risking

3rd Workshop on Global Mineral Resource AssessmentProject (GMRAP)

Kick-off Meeting of Groundwater Assessment AlongGreat River Basins for Southeast and East Asia Project

4th Workshop of PPM Project Philippines Case Study

Project Planning Workshop on Tsunami

45th CCOP Steering Committee Meeting

CCOP-PETRAD-CNOOC-MLR-CGS Seminar onIOR-EOR Technologies

PPM Expert Visit and Training Course on EconomicAnalysis of Exploration Projects and Functionalities ofGeoX v.5.4

Air-photos Mapping for the Research on CoastalEnvironment Strategy of the Asian Delta Region

ICB-CCOP 1 Inception Phase Meeting

PPM Expert Visit and Training Course on FieldDevelopment Solutions

CCOP-NPD PPM Annual Meeting

CCOP-NPD-MFA PPM Annual Project ReviewMeeting

3rd Workshop of PPM Project China Case Study

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Hainan, China

Manila, Philippines

Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok, Thailand

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Kunming, China

Bangkok, Thailand

Manila, Philippines

Phuket, Thailand

Phuket, Thailand

Tianjin, China

Beijing, China

DMR, Thailand

Bangkok, Thailand

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok, Thailand

Beijing, China

9-16 January

12-15 January

17-21 January

25-26 January

27 January

31 January – 1 February

17-21 February

21-25 February

28 February-1 March

14-19 March

28-30 March

31 March – 2 April

11-14 April

20-24 April

25-29 April

16-18 May

24-25 May

14 June

28 June

20-24 June

CCOP CALENDAR OF EVENTS

January - June 2005

COORDINATING COMMITTEE FOR GEOSCIENCE PROGRAMMESIN EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA (CCOP)

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