The Circum-Pacific Geospatial Data Project (CPGDP) in East and Southeast Asia

Maurice J. Terman, CPGDP Director; Scientist Emeritus, USGS, National Center, Reston, VA. 20192

In August 1995, the CPGDP was conceived as a managerial and technological intermediary between donors, such as industry sponsors and developments banks, and international participants.  Its purpose would be to collect, analyze, and interpret digital data, and particularly to create, produce and distribute digital products.  The pilot project was proposed as the "Geological Correlations in East and Southeast Asia."  During the fall of 1995, the proposal received the approval at the annual meetings of the Coordinating Committe for Coastal and Offshore Programmes in East and Southeast Asia (CCOP), of the Technical Committee of the ASEAN Council on Petroleum, and of the Executive Committee of the tax-exempt non-profit Circum-Pacific Council on Energy and Mineral Resources.

In early 1996, six oil companies joined the Industrial Associates Program (IAP), and ten CCOP member countries nominated National Coordinators for the Geologic Names Lexicon, The Biostratigraphic Dating File, and the Geochronologic Dating File.  These Coordinators attended the First Meeting of the Working Group on Geological Correlation (WGGC) at Chiang Mai, Thailand, during March 4-8, and they agreed on the general objectives and work plan for the first year.  Little progress was reported until the Chief Technical Advisor, Carl C. Abston, visited six countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Papau New Guinea, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam) in July, and three more countries (China, Japan and Korea) in the fall.  The Second Meeting of the WGGC, held on November 1-2 concurrent with the CCOP annual session in Shanghai, reviewed the CD-ROM synthesis of all three data bases (Lexicon, Biostratigraphy and Geochronology) and suggested a work plan to focus on data collection for the Meso-Cenozoic time.

In early 1997, Abston compiled 12,111 data records for the final first-year CD-ROM that was presented at the First Annual Project Review which was held March 12 for the IAP in Houston, Texas,  and also was forwarded to all WGGC countries.  In May, Abston visited Cambodia, CCOP staff, China, Philippines, and Vietnam.  Both Terman and Abston gave summary papers on the CPGDP and GEOTHAI 97, and also made other visits to Australia, China, ESCAP, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.  The Third Meeting of the WGGC was held October 9-11 at Taejon, Korea, in conjunction with the CCOP annual meeting, and featured Scientific Advisers Tom Dutro (USGS) and Clinton Foster (AGSO) who thoroughly reviewed the biostratigraphic data file, developed a biozonation database protocol, and initiated a draft Asian regional time scale against which all CPGDP databases will be correlated; representatives wre present from the ten CCOP memebers and also Laos and Myanmar

In early 1998, Abston added data from 881 well records in three countries to the CD-ROM that was presented at the Second Annual Project Review which was held April 9 for the IAP in Houston, Texas, and was forwarded to all WGGC members.  In June and November, Abston collected more data, especially well logs, from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Mynmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.  The Fouth Meeting of WGGC was held November 18-19 at Subic Bay, Philippines, again in conjuction with the CCOP annual meeting; all Meso-Cenozoic data was submitted, particularly fairly complete biozonation data.  Terman, Dutro and Abston then visited the new China Geological Survey in Beijing: new lexicon and geochronologic digital databases should be forthcoming in the future.

In early 1999, Abston compiled the latest CD-ROM with 14,330 records and presented it at the Third Annual Project Review that was held March 24 for the IAP in Houston, Texas.  The companies, although impressed by the scope of the work, emphasized the essential need for complete locational data for all spot records; several companies unexpectedly withdrew support in part because of this deficiency.  The lack of funds postponed teh Fifth Meeting of WGGC until the final biozonation poster presentations planned for the 2000 AAPG International Conference in Bali.  Terman summarized CPGDP progress at the CCOP annual meeting held Octover 26-29 in Hanoi, Vietnam.  Abston visited WGGC counterparts in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia to finalize data collection of national biozonation charts.

CPGDP started slowly but has gathered momentum as all National Coordinators became more comfortable with the mechanisms for data collection and digitization.  The most productive technology transfer has taken place through direct face-to-face discussions during separate in-country consultations.  Ultimately CPGDP will create an aggregate of digital data of major size and significance that definitely would be beyond anything than an individual country of a single commercial company would assemble.  The Project thus becomes a win-win effort for both the CCOP nations and the Associates, and will continue that way until the databases and their geological correlation can be completed.