Abstract: CASP: Geological Exploration and Research

David I. M. Macdonald, Robert A. Scott

The Cambridge Arctic Shelf Programme (CASP) is an independent, non-profit-making geological research organisation based in the University of Cambridge. It originated in 1948 as Cambridge Spitsbergen Expeditions, and was incorporated as CASP in 1975. Initially, support came from companies with an interest in Svalbard and the Barents Shelf. Since then, CASP has greatly increased its scope, diversifying to new areas of research outside the Arctic and to new methods of data presentation. CASP now offers a unique programme of research, specialising in field- and literature-based studies of remote areas. Projects are currently being undertaken in the Arctic, Russia, China, East Greenland and Eastern Europe; all projects involve fieldwork and all involve collaboration with research groups in other institutions. Most projects are oriented towards sedimentology, stratigraphy, tectonics, basin analysis and regional geology.

CASP has a unique status: it shares elements in common with universities (undertaking long-term research programmes for eventual publication), consultancies (carrying out applied projects oriented towards hydrocarbon exploration and production) and national surveys (compiling and managing large datasets). Individual projects are funded by annual subscription from interested companies, with research material being supplied on a non-exclusive basis. Input and feedback from subscribers is welcomed, and an annual consortium meeting is organised for each project. As a non-profit-making organisation with low overheads, all additional income raised for a project is used to develop the research programme. CASP projects are supported by an outstanding library/information centre and linguistic expertise (Russian and Chinese), and these facilities are available to subscribing companies.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90956©1995 AAPG International Convention and Exposition Meeting, Nice, France