InterPore2020: A message from Qingdao

Registration is now open and in full swing! Early bird registration is until 16 March. You have plenty of time, but make sure the deadline is visibly marked on your calendar! Voltaire, a famous philosopher and writer once said: It’s really difficult, both in geography and morality, to understand the world without leaving your own home. Well, be ready to leave your home to be welcomed to Inter Pore 2020 in Qingdao.

We would like to take you through a snapshot of the conference and wrap up at the end with a drink!

First work, then pleasure. Posters share the beauty of an oral presentation and have a number of advantages. As a stark example, posters are an ideal platform to enhance networking. Would you like to catch up with Sebastian Geiger from Heriot-Watt University (UK)? You can find him in the poster session, at his invited poster presentation, where he is going to take you through “Flow diagnostics for fractured reservoirs: An innovative way to account for geological and geomechanical uncertainty in modern reservoir modelling and simulation workflows”. Sounds very interesting! How about a preview taste? Together with two colleagues, Victoria Spooner and Lesly Gutierrez Sosa, Sebastian developed new flow diagnostic tools for naturally fractured reservoirs. These sacrifice some physical details in exchange for speed while still allowing us to assess some of the essential dynamic behaviours in the reservoir, including, e.g., how effectively wells communicate with each other or which wells are at risk of early breakthrough. Moreover, they can also account for geomechanical effects in the reservoir! As such, one can quickly evaluate if and where fractures are likely to open or close, and the ensuing evolution of reservoir dynamics, due to production-induced stress changes. It does look very promising and interesting!

And now, after a fully profitable and satisfying day at InterPore2020, we are ready to explore the magic of Qingdao! Being scientists, we do have thirst for knowledge in every field, not only in porous media! Our evening can start with a visit to…. Qingdao Beer Museum! What a wonderful way to quench our thirst! The Tsingtao Beer Museum and Beer Factory (founded in 1903) is a “must see” Qingdao attraction and should not be missed. The tour through it is split up into three parts: (1) history of Tsingtao Beer across the past 100 years (you will see a room with all of the designs of Tsingtao beer bottles over the last hundred years), (2) walk-through tour about how Tsingtao Beer is made (you will also find many world’s beer types in an impressive display, (3) current brew factory production (including a not-to-be-missed final stop at the bar for some samples). And don’t forget the “Drunk Room”, which is equipped with slanted walls and floors and where you can experience a simulation of many aspects of drunkenness without being actually drunk.

There is an interesting saying in Qingdao: “People from Qingdao drink beer like water in their daily life and if they didn’t drink beer, they have spent their lives in vain”. So … make sure to foresee some time to actually experience the museum! One of the most popular beers is the draft beer (or bulk beer). This is poured into a barrel with zero alcohol content and is characterized by a particularly strong smell of malt barley. Using plastic bags to carry beer from the beer house is a signature of Qingdao and Qingdao people name beer stalls you can find along the street as “standing bowls.” A standing bowl is a place where friends meet and share experiences about their daily lives, and it is an ideal place to meet new friends. What a great feeling it is to sit together and have a refreshing drink!