The Houston Geological Society is a professional society for petroleum, energy and environmental geoscientists.
The HGS supports continuing education, networking, outreach to students, student scholarships and young professional activities. HGS will celebrate its 100th year in 2023!
The objectives of the Houston Geological Society are:
- to stimulate interest and promote advancement in geology for the Houston area;
- to disseminate and facilitate discussion of geological information, relationships among geologists in the area, and
to aid and encourage academic training in the science of geology.
The Society strives to achieve these goals through regularly scheduled technical meetings, publication of a monthly Bulletin, a continuing education program, field trips, the publication of timely books, and two student scholarship funds.
Through its publication efforts, the Society has rendered a service to its members, the geological profession, and occasionally to the entire community with books of general interest. The publication, "Houston Area Environmental Geology: Surface Faulting, Ground Subsidence, Hazard Liability," is a significant contribution to both the geological and lay communities. Four important volumes on the geology of deltas, that favored habitat for petroleum accumulation, have been published. Two of these, "Deltas-Models for Exploration" and "Deltas in Their Geologic Framework" have been reprinted due to demand. The 22nd edition of "Directory of Oil Company Name Changes" was printed in 2012. Two recent publications, Exploration and Exploitation of Coastal Salt Basin Diapiric Structures in the Lower Pliocene through Eocene Trends: Geology and Techniques", a joint effort with the New Orleans Geological Society, and "Productive Low Resistivity Well Logs of the Offshore Gulf of Mexico" are valuable additions to the geological literature.
The Society encourages and aids students through the Calvert Memorial Scholarship Fund for graduate students, and the Undergraduate Scholarship Fund for undergraduates. The Society also gives outstanding geology Student Awards to Stephen F. Austin University, Lamar University, Texas A&M University, the University of Texas at Austin, Rice University, the University of Houston, and Sam Houston State University; and promotes participation in the Houston Engineering and Science Fair.
Meeting Attendance & Reservations: Active, Associate, Emeritus, Honorary Life, and Student members will pay the current Board approved full price for their meals and registration.Reservations for HGS technical meetings are made by completing the online reservation form at the HGS website or by calling the HGS office. At all meetings, member’s names are checked against the reservation list. All persons without reservations (“walk-ups”), regardless of membership classification will be seated on a space-available basis and charged the current Board approved walk-up rate for the meeting.
Speakers are provided a complimentary meal and registration.
At the discretion of the assigned committee board member and appropriate committee chairs, complimentary meals, and registration may be given to other attendees (i.e. underemployed members who work at the meetings, distinguished visitors, awardees, etc.) provided that the cost of these meals and registration is allocated within the budget. Costs are booked against the meal expenses of the appropriate meeting.
At the annual awards meeting, meals for scholarship winners and their faculty sponsors not covered under industry sponsorship are charged to the awards dinner meeting. Complimentary meals are not given to members of the press.
At the discretion of the assigned committee board member and the appropriate Committee Chair, gratis registration may be given to committee members or volunteers if they are contributing to the operational execution of the event (i.e. hosting/co-hosting the Zoom meeting, providing logistical support to in-person event, etc.) or they dedicated significant time in the planning of the event.
Special meal requests (i.e., vegetarian) may be made online at the time of completing the reservation form, by contacting the HGS office, or by contacting the chair of the committee at the event.
HGS Event Cancellation Policies
Meetings / Conferences / Event: If a member cannot keep his or her dinner or lunch reservation, it is his or her responsibility to cancel or send an alternate. Reservations must be cancelled no later than 3:30 PM on the last business day prior to an evening event or by noon of the business day prior to a breakfast or luncheon event. Cancellation requests made by phone, text, or voice mail at the HGS office phone number after these deadlines will NOT be honored.
Continuing Education Course, Applied Geoscience Conference, and Local Field Trips: This shall be dependent on course cancellation policy. Cancellation procedures for Continuing Education-sponsored events is dependent upon course instructor and venue cancellation policies. Course cancellation policy will be posted on the individual course or field trip registration HGS website page. The Committee Chairman for the event shall maintain a waiting list for purposes of replacing registrants who have to cancel their reservations.
Download a copy of the latest approved HGS By-Laws.
Download a copy of the HGS Policy Manual
Click here to read an "informal history" of how the Houston Geological Society was created.