May 2013 Outcrop

OUTCROPNewsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Volume 62 • No. 5 • May 2013

May 2013Vol. 62, No. 5 222

RMAG Golf Tournament 63rd annual golf outing

Thursday, June 27th

Fossil Trace Golf Club, Golden, Colorado

▪▪ AM & PM Shotgun starts ▪▪ Registration is limited! Includes entry, 18-holes of golf, cart, meals, & entry to win great door prizes!

Sponsorship Opportunities are Available. Please contact the RMAG office at [email protected] or (303) 573-8621 for more information.

5/18-6/7: $1000 RMAG member foursome $275 RMAG member individual $1100 non-member foursome $300 non-member individual

5/1/-5/17: $900 RMAG member foursome $250 RMAG member individual $1000 non-member foursome $275 non-member individual

Visit: www.rmag.org or call the RMAG office at (303) 573-8621 for more information

Registration Opens May 1st!

$20 per ticket goes to support the RMAG Foundation, which provides scholarships to students in the geosciences annually

www.rmag.org3OUTCROP

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists (RMAG) is a nonprofit organization whose purposes are to promote interest in geology and allied sciences and their practical application, to foster scientific research and to encourage fellowship and cooperation among its members. The Outcrop is a monthly publication of the RMAG.

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists910 16th Street • Suite 1125 • Denver, CO 80202 • 303-573-8621

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The Rocky Mountain Association of GeologistsOUTCROP

President – Debra [email protected]@usgs.gov

President-Elect – Matt [email protected]@bayless-cos.com

1st Vice-President – Larry [email protected]@whiting.com

2nd Vice-President – Laura Mauro Johnson [email protected]

Secretary – Jacinda Nettik [email protected]@caerusoilandgas.com

Treasurer – Mike [email protected]@yatespetroleum.com

Treasurer Elect – Reed Johnson [email protected]@cometridgeresources.com

Counselor (2 Year) – Laura L. [email protected]@wpxenergy.com

Counselor (1 Year) – John Ladd [email protected]@fmr.com

2013 Officers and Board of Directors

Advertising rates apply to both black and white ads and 4 color ads. Submit color ads in RGB color to be compatible with web format.Borders are recommended for advertisements that comprise less than one half page. Digital files must be PC compatible submitted in png, jpg, tif, pdf or eps formats at a minimum of 300 dpi. If you have any questions, please call the RMAG office at 303-573-8621.

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DEADLINES: ad submissions are the 1st of every month for the following month's publication.

The Outcrop is a monthly publication of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists910 16th Street, Suite 1125• Denver, CO 80202

RMAG Staff Executive Director Emily [email protected]@rmag.org

Office & Programs ManagerCarrie Veatch, MA [email protected]@rmag.org

AccountantCarol [email protected]@rmag.org

Co-Editors Kristine Peterson [email protected]@laramidegeo.com

Holly Sell [email protected]@nobleenergyinc.com

Ron [email protected]@msn.com

Cheryl [email protected]@laramidegeo.com

Design/ProductionDebbie Downs [email protected]

Wednesday Noon Luncheon Reservations RMAG Office: 303.573.8621Fax: [email protected]

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May 20134Vol. 62, No. 5

The Board of Directors meeting was held on March 20th, 2013 at the RMAG office. We began this meeting with guest, Tricia Beaver, representing the RMAG Awards Committee. Tricia presented her committee’s nominations for AAPG Honors & Awards. This AAPG program recognizes outstanding achievements and contributions by professional geologists. The nominations are confidential so all materials with nominees’ names were collected after the BOD approved the list. Past award recipients can be found at: http://www.aapg.org/business/annual/awards.cfm

Next up was the Financial Report. RMAG Treasure Mike Kozimko is reworking the cumulative income and expense plots to better show when expenses and income are expected to hit the books rather than the current method that shows the budget as a straight line from the start to the end of the year. The reworked plots will allow the BOD to better understand month-to-month how RMAG is performing compared to the approved annual budget.

RMAG was contacted by the Director for Center for Oil Shale Technology and Research at Colorado School of Mines regarding our 1974 RMAG 25th Field Conference Guidebook to the Energy Resources of the Piceance Creek basin, Colorado. RMAG BOD approved a motion granting a non-exclusive license to post an

electronic copy of this guidebook with a link back to the RMAG website. The makes the Guidebook available to a

larger audience and gives RMAG additional exposure.

As many of our RMAG members are aware The Mountain Geologistwent digital this year. However, our non-member subscribers (libraries and universities) are still provided printed copies because an effective way for their users to digitally access The Mountain Geologist was not determined prior to their subscription renewal. The BOD approved the necessary unbudgeted funds for postage and printing of The Mountain Geologist for the remainder of 2013.

RMAG BOD decided to table the discussion of RMAG contributing to GeoScienceWorld’s ebook and ejournals due to the upfront unbudgeted costs to RMAG. GSW ebooks would make RMAG Guidebooks available for purchase on the GSW website and ejournals would make Mountain Geologist available for purchase. Mountain Geologist available for purchase. Mountain GeologistGSW could be good investment opportunity for RMAG and can be evaluated at a later time.

RMAG would like to extend a thank you to Connie Knight for volunteering to be Committee Chair for the Committee for Membership Issues. This committee with be charged with recruiting and engaging members and memorials. If you’d like to be on this committee please contact the RMAG staff.

I hope to see many of our RMAG members at the upcoming events, including the RMAG Monthly Luncheon Program.

RMAG March Board of Directors MeetingBy Jacinda Nettik Brown, Secretary ([email protected])

RMAG would like to extend a thank you to Connie Knight for volunteering to be

Committee Chair for the Committee for

Membership Issues.

»

Neil H. Whitehead, III Consulting Geologist

PhD CPG-AIPG PG WY

Rocky Mountain Basins

Wellsite to Petroleum Systems ArcGIS

303-679-8573 fax 303-679-8574 [email protected] 31634 Black Widow Way Conifer, CO 80433-9610

Editors Note:The editors welcome Ron Pritchett as a co-editor.

Ron will be filling in for Cat the next few months while Cat is on leave from the Outcrop.


C O N T E N T S

OUTCROP

Volume 62 • No. 5 • May 2013

COVER PHOTOComplex, multi-stage natural fractures in

the Niobrara Formation north of Walsenburg, Colorado. Photo by Eric Erslev.

Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Features 9 Lead Story:

NioFracture Initiative at the University of Wyoming: GIS Analysis of Natural Fractures in the Rocky Mountains

23 NAPE Coming to Denver

34 Dinosaur Ridge Boy Scout Day

36 Thank You to Vince Matthews

association news2 RMAG Golf

Tournament4 Editors Note

10 Big Society Happy Hour

15 Connect with RMAG Online!

16 Authors and Editors Needed: RMAG Oil & Gas Fields of Colorado

20 Thank You to 2012 RMAG Foundation Donors

39 RMAG Foundation Sponsors the Excellence Sponsors the Excellence in Teaching of Earth Science Award

39 2013 Proposed On-the-Rocks Field Trips

40 Attention Advertisers!

Departments4 RMAG March Board

of Directors Meeting 6 President's Column8 Outcrop Advertising

Rates24 New Members30 AAPG Distinguished

Lecturer Luncheon Program

32 RMAG Luncheon Program

38 In Memoriam39 In the Pipeline44 Advertisers Index44 Calendar of Events

21 RMAG 2013 Summit Sponsors25 Come On Folks!29 Mountain Geologist Welcomes Mountain Geologist Welcomes Mountain Geologist

New Assistant Editor38 Submit a Manuscript to The

Mountain Geologist

May 20136Vol. 62, No. 5

What's in a name or nickname?

President’s ColumnBy Debra Higley

What’s in a name or nickname? Certainly slang terms for hydraulic fracturing have negative connotations to many that blur these processes that decrease oil imports from other countries and enhance U.S. recovery of oil and gas. Another touchy name is tar sands. Technically the tar sands are not oil, tar, or extra-heavy oil, and they are not always sand. They can include porous sandstone and carbonate, and can also contain some oil and gas. The “tar” is instead bitumen, basically the long-chain and polycyclic hydrocarbons that don’t readily degrade. The

tar is what is left after the aerobic and (or) anaerobic bacteria buffet. Heavy oil is defined as having a density between 10o and 25o API gravity, and extra-heavy oil (bitumen) is less than 10o API; these deposits occur in more than 70 countries across the world (IOCC, 1983; Schenk and others, 2006). The best known bitumen accumulations are those of Alberta, Canada, partly because of their massive volume that is estimated at 168.6 billion barrels (BB) recoverable (ERCB, 2012), and also the economic, environmental, and political concerns regarding production, refining, reclamation, and export (especially to the U.S.). The ERCB publication is also a good source of information on conventional and unconventional reserves and resources of Alberta. Bitumen sands may also contain elevated levels of sulfur and heavy metals, when compared to those of oil. My main interests in bitumen sands are resource assessment and “genealogy”, or what petroleum source

The photograph above by Mike Lewan is from within the Athabasca oil (tar) sands accumulation of northeastern Alberta. It shows me standing to the right of Mike Ranger on an outcrop of Lower Cretaceous Mannville Group composed mostly of cross-bedded medium-grained point-bar sand that is cemented by bitumen. Fresh slump structures are black (middle left) and outcrop surfaces oxidize to gray.

Continued on page 8 »

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May 20138Vol. 62, No. 5 8

President's Column

rock(s) begat the accumulations (Higley and others, 2009).

In-place bitumen estimates for 29 major accumulations in Alabama, Alaska, California, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming is about 54 billion barrels (Schenk and others, 2006). In-place resources for two bitumen accumulations in Wyoming total 120 million barrels (MB) measured and 70 MB speculative (IOCC, 1983; Schenk and others, 2006). Utah has the largest number of and total size of accumulations, which are located mainly in the Uinta Basin of northeastern Utah (Blackett, 1996), and in central-southeastern Utah (http://geology.utah.gov/emp/tarsand/index.htm). Estimates of in-place resources for Utah accumulations range from about 11.9 BB measured and 6.8 BB speculative (IOCC, 1983) to 14-15 BB in place and 23-28 BB potential (Gwynn, 2007; Gwynn and Hanson, 2009).

ReferencesBlackett, R. E., 1996, Tar-sand resources of the Uinta Basin, Utah: a

catalog of deposits: Utah Geological Survey Open-File Report

335, 128 p. http://ugspub.nr.utah.gov/publications/open_file_reports/OFR-335.pdf

ERCB, 2012, Alberta’s Energy Reserves 2011 and Supply/Demand Outlook 2011-2021, Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, Statistical Series, ST98-2012, 290 p. www.ercb.ca/sts/ST98/ST98-2012.pdf

Gwynn, J. W., 2007, Taking another look at Utah’s tar sand resources: Utah Geological Survey, January 2007 Survey Notes article, 2 p. http://geology.utah.gov/surveynotes/articles/pdf/tarsand_resources_39-1.pdf

Gwynn, J. W., and Hanson, F. V., 2009, Annotated bibliography of Utah tar sands and related information: Utah Geological Survey Open-File Report 503, 140 p. http://geology.utah.gov/online/ofr/ofr-503.pdf

Higley, Debra K., Lewan, Michael D., Roberts, Laura N.R., and Henry, Mitchell, 2009, Timing and petroleum sources for the Lower Cretaceous Mannville Group oil sands of Northern Alberta based on 4-D modeling: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v 93 no. 2, 28 p.

IOCC (Interstate Oil Compact Commission), 1983, Major tar sand and heavy oil deposits of the United States: Interstate Oil Compact Commission, p. 85-116.

Schenk, C.J., Pollastro, R. M., and Hill, R. J., 2006, Natural bitumen resources of the United States: U. S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2006-3133, 2 p. http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2006/3133/pdf/FS2006-3133_508.pdf.

Continued from page 6

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LEAD STORY

NioFracture Initiative at the University of Wyoming: GIS Analysis of Natural Fractures in the Rocky MountainsEric A. Erslev1, Adjunct Professor; Laura Kennedy2, Research Scientist; Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY

Introduction to NioFractureUnderstanding fractures in units that host

unconventional resources (e.g., the Niobrara Formation) is vital to predicting the permeability and economic potential of these tight reservoirs. Just understanding fracture timing is critical as the most recent fractures are more likely to be open, and thus control hydrocarbon storage and permeability conduits. Unfor tunately, the complex Phanerozoic tectonic history of the Rockies makes predicting fracture orientations and intensities difficult because an orogeny’s minor faults and joints commonly extend far beyond their major structures. For instance, minor fractures with NE-SW to E-W extension during post-Laramide rifting extend well beyond the Rio Grande Rift itself. In addition, localized fracturing mechanisms like syn-Laramide arch collapse

The purpose of NioFracture is to integrate diverse

sources and representations of minor fault (mode 2 and

3 fractures) and joint (mode 1 opening fractures) data

in order to graphically portray the extent of Rocky

Mountain fracture provinces.

and post-Laramide back-sliding on Laramide thrusts can refract regional stress trajectories, greatly impacting fracture orientations.

In 2012, the NioFracture initiative received seed funding by the School of Energy Resources at the University of Wyoming to develop a digital geographic information systems (GIS) database for fractures in the eastern Rockies. The purpose of NioFracture is to integrate diverse sources and representations of minor fault (mode 2 and 3 fractures) and joint (mode 1 opening fractures) data in order to graphically portray the extent of Rocky Mountain fracture provinces. Initial datasets were largely academic surface data from basin margins but it is

hoped that the data coverage will be expanded to basin interiors with industry subsurface data.

1 [email protected] 2 [email protected], now at Weatherford Laboratories, Golden, CO


May 201310Vol. 62, No. 5 10

BIG SOCIETY HAPPY HOUR

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May 23, 2013

Katie Mullen’s

1550 Court Place on 16th Street Mall



Our expectation is that the combination of data from diverse sources into a common platform will result in new insights with both academic and industrial importance. For instance, fracture orientations provide critical tests of tectonic models for basement-involved foreland thrust belts like the Laramide Rocky Mountains (Erslev and Koenig, 2009), whose cratonic locations are distant to collisional plate margins. Understanding the tectonic controls on fracturing can then provide constraints for petroleum exploration efforts because natural fracture trends are vital to predicting both unstimulated and stimulated reservoir permeability.

MethodsLaura Kennedy (now at Weatherford Laboratories)

designed the NioFracture GIS work flow and input fracture data from various academic sources (see Erslev and Koenig (2009) for references and fracture analysis methods) into ArcGIS (Kennedy et al., 2012). The GIS data tables describe locality information (e.g.,

location and source of data), attributes of the raw data (e.g., number of fractures measured, average plane/line orientations and degree of clustering), and interpretations (e.g., relative/absolute ages of fracture subsets and calculated stress/strain for each subset). Fracture orientations and stress/strain data are portrayed using smoothed rose diagrams superimposed on to satellite imagery and/or geologic bedrock maps. To date, 8300 minor faults and 4099 joints from the eastern Rocky Mountain area have been compiled and tabulated.

At the outcrop scale, the rose diagrams are overlain by a point at their actual geographic location. The point size is scaled to the number of fractures for each locality. Data attributes for each rose diagram include fracture characteristics (number, orientation, clustering, etc.), geologic unit, inferred stress directions, and timing. Stereonets of 3D data, available field photos, and diagrams from the published data source can be linked to each rose plot (Fig. 1)

Lead Story



Part of a typical attribute table

Outcrop photo linked to an individual locality

Base map image with locality data in rose diagrams

Joint stereonet for map area

Rose diagram key: Yellow – fault strikes Green – joint strikes Red – trends

Figure 1. An example of local outcrop data (Kennedy, 2012) from the Alcova Reservoir area in Wyoming plotted as 2D rose diagrams with additional 3D data in data tables, outcrop photos and stereonets.

May 201312Vol. 62, No. 5

To visualize larger regional trends, outcrop data was lumped into subregional (typically a graduate student thesis area) and regional scales (Fig. 2). The data tables also contain the eigenvector analyses of this data, which quantify their average orientations and clustering. It is apparent in the largely Laramide data plotted in Figure 2 that Laramide compression directions are largely unimodal, and fan from NE-SW orientations at the

Lead StoryContinued from page 11

Wyoming-Montana border to E-W orientations at the Colorado-New Mexico border.

Application ExampleAt the regional and sub-regional scales (Fig. 2),

Laramide minor faulting commonly defines domains where either thrust or strike-slip faulting is dominant. The dominant fault type is revealed by fracture rose diagrams

Rose diagram key: Yellow – fault strikes Green – joint strikes Red – s1 trends

Regional rose diagrams Sub-regional rose diagrams

A B

Figure 2. Regional and subregional rose diagrams plotted on satellite imagery of the eastern Rocky Mountains.


Lead Story

where either thrust fault strikes are perpendicular to the compression directions or strike-slip fault strikes are conjugate to the compression directions (typically about 20 degrees both clockwise and counter-clockwise to the compression directions). The


difference in these cases is important to petroleum exploration because near-vertical strike slip faults would be expected to provide a far better vertical permeability and stimulation of overlying strata than low-angle thrust faults.

In order to explore the possibility of distinct domains of strike-slip and thrust faulting, locality-scale rose diagrams for fault data (Holdaway, 1998; Larson, 2008) along the NE

Percent Strike-slip

Rose diagram key: Yellow – fault strikes Green – joint strikes Red – trends

A B

Fort Collins

Figure 3. Strike-slip shear zones in the northeastern Front Range revealed by rose diagrams and bubble plots of fracture data from Holdaway (1999) and Larson (2008).

May 201314Vol. 62, No. 5

Lead StoryContinued from page 13

Front Range between Loveland, CO and the Wyoming border were plotted (Fig. 3a). To more clearly portray the difference between thrust- and strike-slip-dominated localities, bubble maps of percent strike-slip faults were plotted (Fig. 3b), with low % strike slip fault localities (high % thrust faults) shown as green bubbles, high % strike-slip fault localities as red bubbles, and more equal proportions of strike-slip and thrust faulting as yellow bubbles. This bubble map clearly defines 2 wide strike-slip corridors. One is centered on the Livermore embayment, whose NE-striking high-angle faults were proposed to have dextral strike-slip motion by Erslev and Holdaway (1999), Larson (2008) and Tetreault (2008) on the basis of fracture orientation deflections, paleomagnetic pole rotations, and 3D structural restorations. Still, until this GIS analysis, we did not suspect that the zone of pervasive strike-slip shear extended beyond the exposures of the major strike-slip faults. In addition, this analysis also shows that the area around the plunging Milner Mountain anticline west of Loveland is also a shear zone of dominantly strike-slip minor faulting.

The existence of strike-slip corridors and transfer zones in the Rockies, long advocated by Stone (1969) and others, may have important implications to natural fractures in resource plays. For instance, areas dominated by low-angle thrust faulting may lack large subvertical minor faults that create permeability conduits between units. This can be a good thing if bounding units contain water, but it can be a bad thing when well economics and fracture stimulation require communication between vertically-adjacent units.

Conclusions The NioFracture compilation unifies diverse public

domain fracture data into one comprehensive database, aiding predictions of unconventional reservoir fracture permeability. Initial results show a remarkable uniformity

of Laramide fractures indicating ENE-WSW compression despite major differences in the trends of major structures. Zones where major structures are oblique to regional compression typically are dominated by strike-slip minor faults and ENE-striking joints.

Post-Laramide E-W to NE-SW extension has locally created overprinting fracture sets roughly orthogonal to Laramide fractures. Thus, if an exploration effort wants to drill perpendicular to the major open fracture set, it is critically important to know the age of the area’s dominant fractures. Based on the regional patterns shown by the NioFracture GIS initiative, horizontal drilling targeting Laramide joints and minor strike-slip faults legs should be roughly NNW-SSE. If most reservoir permeability is created

by NW-SE post-Laramide jointing and normal faulting, NE-SW horizontal drilling may be more ideal. These regional patterns are complicated by local fracture mechanisms, which the NioFracture initiative is currently investigating.

For information on access to the NioFracture database, please contact Eric Erslev at [email protected].

ReferencesErslev, E.A., and Holdaway, S.M., 1999, Laramide faulting and

tectonics of the northeastern Front Range of Colorado, in Lageson, D.R., Lester, A.P., and Trudgill, B.D., eds., Colorado and adjacent areas: Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of

The existence of strike-slip corridors and transfer zones

in the Rockies, long advocated by Stone (1969) and others, may have

important implications to natural fractures in resource plays.


Lead Story

CONNECT WITH US ON LINKEDIN!

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Connect with RMAG Online! You can now connect to the RMAG on Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook.

AVAILABLE: Access to extensive geological/geophysical data files accumulated over 50 years of oil and gas exploration in the Rocky Mountain province and containing numerous undeveloped and/or untested prospects is available under negotiated consultation and assistance agreement. Call or email for particulars.

CONTACT: 303-797-6308 [email protected]

America Field Guide 1, p. 41-49.Erslev, E.A., and Koenig, N.B., 2009, 3D kinematics

of Laramide, basement-involved Rocky Mountain deformation, U.S.A.: Insights from minor faults and GIS-enhanced structure maps, in Kay, S., Ramos, V., and Dickinson, W.R., eds., Backbone of the Americas: Shallow Subduction, Plateau Uplift and Ridge and Terrane Collision: GSA Memoir 204, p. 125-150.

Holdaway, S.M., 1998, Laramide deformation of the northeastern Front Range, Colorado: evidence for deep crustal wedging during horizontal compression: Unpublished M.S. thesis: Fort Collins, Colorado State University, 146 p.

Kennedy, L.E., 2011, Laramide transpression and block rotation followed by northeast-southwest extension, southeast Wind River Basin area: Unpublished M.S. thesis, Laramie, University of Wyoming, 98 p.

Kennedy, L., Erslev, E., and Aydinian, K., 2012, Mapping Rocky Mountain fractures: GIS methods for resource plays: AAPG Abstracts with Programs, 2012 Rocky Mountain Section Meeting, Grand Junction, CO.

Larson, S., 2008, Laramide transpression and oblique thrusting in the northeastern Front Range, Colorado: 3D kinematics of the

Livermore Embayment: Unpublished M.S. thesis, Fort Collins, Colorado State University, 420 p.

Stone, D.S., 1969, Wrench faulting and Rocky Mountain tectonics: Mountain Geologist, v. 6, p. 67-79.

Tetreault, J., Jones, C.H., Erslev, E., Hudson, M., and Larson, S., 2008, Paleomagnetic and structural evidence for oblique slip folding, Grayback Monocline, Colorado: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 120, p. 877-892.

»

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May 201316Vol. 62, No. 5

Authors and Editors Needed: RMAG Oil & Gas Fields of Colorado!

RMAG is working toward the publication of a guidebook dedicated to short field studies of a set of selected oil and gas fields in Colorado. In large part the format will be similar to earlier publications of this type: a several page article that will include a one page summary with a small set of maps and cross-sections adequate to give the reader a lot of information in a short amount of time. The RMAG committee working on this publication has selected 85 fields for review. In addition, we expect to have extended discussion around several large “resource play” areas such as the Piceance Basin or the Greater Wattenberg complex including the recent horizontal Niobrara play.

The committee is currently looking for authors to do field studies and to put together material for publication. Each author may contribute one or multiple field studies. We will also need a group of editors for both technical and copy (grammatical and graphical) review.

Please volunteer! Committee contacts below:

Dean DuBois, Committee Chair; 720-876-5366 [email protected]

James Milne, 303- 894-2100 x5117 [email protected]

James Rogers, 303-832-2328 [email protected]

Steve Cumella, 720- 979-0718 [email protected]

Marshall Deacon, 303- 228-4215 [email protected]

Tom Feldkamp, 303- 228-4146 [email protected]

Chris Martin, 720- 440-6134 [email protected]

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RMAG and PTTC Present

June Short Course

JUNE SHORT COURSE

ONE DAY CARBONATE ICHNOLOGY COURSE Thursday, June 20, 2013

The Denver Marriott City Center

Course Instructors:

George Pemberton and Thomas DeKeyser RMAG Member Pre-Registration Available Through June 13, 2013 = $200 Non-Member Pre-Registration Available Through June 13, 2013 = $250

RMAG Member On-Site Registration = $250 Non-Member On-Site Registration = $300

*Registration Fee includes course notes handout, continental breakfast, and refreshment breaks.

For more information, please visit the RMAG website at www.rmag.org or call the RMAG office at (303) 573-8621

May 201318Vol. 62, No. 5 18

PTTC Workshops How to Find Bypassed Pay in Old Wells Using DST Data Tuesday-Thursday, May 21-23, 2013, 8:30 AM-5:00 PM Colorado School of Mines, Ben Parker Student Center Ballroom C Fee: $650; Includes: refreshments, workbook, and PDH certificate Instructor: Hugh W. Reid

Geologists, engineers & technicians who encounter or utilize DST results and reports in their exploration & production decisions. In fact any professional who needs to make more sense of the numerous old DSTs which are present in so many wells, often with confusing results. Particularly appropriate for those prospecting for bypassed pay using logs and geology, who may wish to verify their conclusions from the DST or for regional geologists using show maps of DST results. A key emphasis of the course is to show how to identify missed (damaged) pay in competitor’s ‘dry’ wells & additional pay in your own producing wells. This is an important skill to complement log skills! Objectives By the end of the course participants should be able to accomplish the following:

understand DST pressure charts to identify obvious formation damage & depletion (small reservoir) and mechanical problems (eg. tool plugging).

recognize high vs. low permeability tests. understand why data from cores and logs often conflict with DST data. “make more sense” of DST results printed in PI well cards and field reports where no chart is available and

even estimate approximate permeability & damage in some cases. identify presence of limited natural fractures. appreciate where recoveries of “oil cut mud” and gas rates of “TSTM” may be significant from an

exploration standpoint. determine when a gas test is co-producing water. identify gas presence even where no gas was reported in certain tests. identify potential oil zones from DSTs which recovered no oil (from the chart shape and air blow

description). estimate the approximate gas rate in DSTs of “GTS TSTM” by knowing the time gas took to reach the

surface and the air volume of the test string. make a decision as to whether old DSTs can be recompleted as commercial wells today from limited

information.

Petroleum Geology for Non-Geologists Tuesday July 9, 2013, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Colorado School of Mines, Berthoud Hall room 241 Fee: $250 (includes food at breaks, workbook, and PDH certificate) Instructor: Dr. Stephen Sonnenberg (Colorado School of Mines)

Petroleum Engineering for Non-Engineers Wednesday July 10, 2013, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Colorado School of Mines, Berthoud Hall room 241 Fee: $250 (includes food at breaks, workbook, and PDH certificate) Instructor: Dr. Jennifer Miskimins (Colorado School of Mines)

Class Descriptions and Register Online: www.pttcrockies.org For more information, contact Mary Carr, 303.273.3107, [email protected]


Our business is about more than exploration and production. It’s about improving the lives of those around us by

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May 201320Vol. 62, No. 5 20

THANK YOU TO 2012 RMAG FOUNDATION DONORS

The Trustees of the RMAG Foundation wish to acknowledge the generous support of the Foundation’s donors in 2012. Approximately $35,000 was raised for student scholarships and the general fund which supports geologic endeavors within the geologic community at large. The Foundation, a tax-exempt organization under section 501 (c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code (Tax ID # 84-0730294), relies on these donations for its ongoing contributions which are made each year from the interest accrued by the fund.

In addition to the individuals, companies, and corporations on the facing page who gave in 2012, the Foundation would like to recognize a major gift to the scholarship funds by the RMAG Golf Tournament contributors. Thank you to all who organized and played in that tournament!

If any donor has failed to be thanked individually by letter, please contact:

RMAG Foundation, #165 Independence Plaza 1001 16th Street, B-180 Denver, CO 80265

May 201320Vol. 62, No. 5

www.rmag.org21OUTCROP www.rmag.org21OUTCROP

May 201322Vol. 62, No. 5 22

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»NAPE Coming to Denver

NAPE announced April 4 that it will add a Denver show to its lineup, this exhibition to be called NAPE Rockies. The exhibition will be held December 11-13 at the Colorado Convention Center.

The focus of this show will be on properties in the Rockies. Some 2,000 to 2,500 people are expected to attend.

“Energy has been central to Denver’s economy for the past 80-plus years and remains an integral part of our economic landscape today,” Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said. “From exploration to production to research in all aspects of traditional and renewable energy, the Denver metro region has become a center of diverse energy innovation. It’s a perfect time for us to welcome NAPE Rockies to the Mile High City.”

Following a series of negotiations, RMAG and its

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, RMAG Executive Director Emily

Tompkins and President-Elect Matt Silverman at the NAPE Rockies

announcement.

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partner societies including DAPL agreed to drop the annual fall Prospect Fair and Technofest in favor of support for NAPE Rockies and some financial and participation guarantees.

May 201324Vol. 62, No. 5 24

New MembersWelcome to New RMAG Members...

Emily BrehmEmily Brehm is from Lakewood. Emily works as a

Geoscientist at WPX Energy.

Alan ByrnesAlan Byrnes is from Denver. Alan works as a Chief

Petrophysicist at C12 Energy, Inc.

Allie ConnellyAllie Connelly is from Denver. Allie works as a

Geotech at Forestar Petroleum.

Tom DaigleTom Daigle is from Denver. Tom works as at GEI

Consultants, Inc.

Jeff DeTienneJeff DeTienne is from Fort Collins. Jeff works as a

Geologist at Tetra Tech.

Sven EgenhoffSven Egenhoff is from Fort Collins. Sven works as an

Associate Professor at Colorado State University.

Daniel GrallaDaniel Gralla is from Denver. Daniel works at Samson

Oil and Gas.

Jeffrey HannonJeffrey Hannon is from Laramie. Jeffrey works at

Wyoming State Geological Survey.

George P. HoldenGeorge P. Holden is from Castle Rock.


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Rebecca HowellRebecca Howell is from Denver.

Robert HuntRobert Hunt is from Lincoln. Robert works as a

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Matthew JonesMatthew Jones is from Lakewood. Matthew works

as a Geologist at Samson Resources.

Marla KulaMarla Kula is from Denver. Marla works in Geosteering

Sales at Columbine Logging.

Seth MartinSeth Martin is from Denver. Seth works at Focus

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Rebekah ParksRebekah Parks i s f rom

Northglenn.

John PolleysJohn Polleys is from Houston.

John works at Roff Oil & Gas, Ltd.

Meagan StephensMeagan Stephens is from

Denver. Meagan works as a Geophysicist at Halliburton.

Kathy StolperKathy Stolper is from Arvada. Kathy works at Stolper

Geologic, Inc.

Scott WaggonerScott Waggoner is from Loma. Scott works as a CEO

at Terra Guidance LLC.

New Members

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Come On Folks!We know there are more of you geologists that

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May 201326Vol. 62, No. 5 26

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Mountain Geologist Welcomes New Assistant Editor

The Mountain Geologist's new Assistant Editor is Dr. William R. (Dick) Keefer, retired USGS geologist, editor, and exploration geologist. Dick has a lot of experience with editing, and he will be a great addition to the team.

William R. (Dick) Keefer is a retired geologist from the U.S. Geological Survey. He received his BA and graduate degrees (MA, PhD) at the University of Wyoming. Dick began his career with the USGS while still a student in the late 1940s. For more than 30 years he was involved in geologic mapping and structural and stratigraphic studies mainly in Wyoming sedimentary basins. Also included were mapping projects in the Little Belt Mountains in Montana and Yellowstone National Park, as well as administrative assignments in Washington, D.C,, and in Denver where he held the position of regional geologist of the USGS Central Region for a number of years. Results of his field investigations are published in some 100 papers and maps. Upon retiring from the USGS, Dick spent several years with Mitchell Energy Corporation as an exploration geologist. He was then reemployed part time by the USGS to participate in the Yucca Mountain, Nevada, radioactive waste project and in tight gas sand studies in the Wind River and Bighorn Basins and, for the past 10 or more years, to serve as editor of reports prepared for publication by scientists of the Central Energy Resources Science Center. »

Luncheon will be held at the Marriott City Center at California and 17th St. Please check the event listing in the lobby for the room. Check-in/walk-in registration begins at 11:30 a.m., lunch is served at 12:00 noon, and the talk begins at 12:20 p.m. The luncheon price is $30.00. To listen only to the talk, walk-in price is $10.00. If you make a reservation and do not attend the luncheon, you will be billed for the luncheon. Online registration closes at 4:00 p.m. on the Thursday before the luncheon. Cancellations are not guaranteed after that time.

LUNCHEoN RESERvATIoNS & INFoRMATIoN

Your attendance is welcomed and encouraged. Bring a guest

or new member!

Call 303-573-8621email [email protected],

or register online.

In addition to its primary function, which is to help reduce exploration risk related to hydrocarbon charge, PSM has become very useful in prediction of pre-drill pressure and effective stress, which are utilized in reservoir and seal quality analysis.

Petroleum Systems Modeling — State of the Art and Future Directions By Marek Kacewicz, AAPG Distinguished Lecturer

Petroleum systems modeling (PSM) is an integration of different geological disciplines to analyze the formation and evolution of sedimentary basins and to study processes such as generation, migration, entrapment and preservation of hydrocarbons. PSM estimates mechanical and chemical compaction of sediments and the resulting porosity/permeability, computes pressure, estimates source rock maturity and the degree of kerogen transformation, models multi-component hydrocarbon generation, expulsion and migration, provides likely locations where hydrocarbons are trapped, and estimates composition and volumes of accumulated hydrocarbons. In addition to its primary function, which is to help reduce exploration risk related to hydrocarbon charge, PSM has become very useful in prediction of pre-drill pressure and effective stress, which are utilized in reservoir and seal quality analysis.

Computational complexity of PSM depends on the quality and resolution of seismic and well input data, maturity of the project (exploration, development or production), availability of tectonic/structural/mechanical earth models, and availability of geochemical data. Typical models at present are not too large (several millions grid cells) and the subsurface is represented by relatively simple structured meshes. The utilization of structured meshes often results in inadequately represented internal model boundaries such as faults and may lead to incorrect hydrocarbon migration scenarios.

AAPG Distinguished Lecturer – May 1st


May 201330Vol. 62, No.5


»

Learn more atwww.Neuralog.com

See how Neuralog brings your logs, maps, sections and other critical information together to get the most from your data. Our solutions allow you to work with logs, maps and reports collectively to create quality geological interpretation and analysis.

May 201332Vol. 62, No. 5 32

Increasing global demand for energy has forced societies the world over to look for and use ever more diverse and expensive forms of energy to fuel their economies. Oil is a key part of this energy supply, particularly in the arena of transportation fuels. The corporations that supply energy have been pressed into increasingly challenging environments to meet public and governmental demands for inexpensive energy. Unfortunately, as we are reminded by the Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon incident, accidents can happen, the environment can be damaged, and people can lose their lives when we operate at the leading edges of technology.

When accidents occur, our responses typically tend to blame individuals, corporations, or regulators, rather than the public whose demand for cheap, readily available energy forces exploration in new, more challenging frontiers. Public opinions on this subject are shaped by a combination of self-education, fulminating politicians, and aggressive, sensationalist journalists. Exploring more than societal interests at a national level puts our pursuit of inexpensive energy into context. This context pits the competing interests of developing countries, which demand ever increasing shares of the world's resources, against broader, trans-national interests groups which are worried that continued dependence on energy-dense fossil fuels may cause runaway global warming and climate changes that may in turn destroy the earth's ecosystems.

Ultimate responsibilities for oil spills lie within this mix of competing demands and expectations – a mix far more complicated than most people are aware of or are willing to consider. All of us who consume energy have an ethical obligation to educate ourselves, and those around us, on the consequences of our demands for energy and for the environment.

Abstract: Oil Spills, Ethics, and Society: How They Intersect and Where the Responsibilities Reside By W.C. "Rusty" Riese

»

BiographyDr. W.C. “Rusty” Riese is a geoscientist based in

Houston, Texas. He is widely experienced having worked in both minerals and petroleum as a geologist, geochemist, and manager during more than 39 years in industry. He participated in the National Petroleum Council evaluation of natural gas supply and demand for North America which was conducted at the request of the Secretary of Energy and in the more recent analysis of global supply and demand requested by the same agency. He is currently a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Committee on Resource Evaluations, and a member of the House of Delegates.

Rusty has written extensively and lectured on various topics in economic geology including biogeochemistry, isotope geochemistry, uranium ore deposits, sequence stratigraphy, and coalbed methane petroleum systems; and he holds numerous domestic and international patents. He has more than thirty years of teaching experience including twenty five years at Rice University where he developed the curricula in petroleum geology and industry risk and economic evaluation. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at Rice University, the Colorado State University, and the University of New Mexico, where he sits on the Caswell Silver Endowment advisory board. He is a fellow in the Geological Society of America and the Society of Economic Geologists; and a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and several other professional organizations.

He earned his PhD from the University of New Mexico in 1980; his M.S. in geology from the same university in 1977; and his B.S. in geology from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in 1973. He is a Certified Professional Geologist, a Certified Petroleum Geologist, and is a Licensed and Registered Geologist in the states of Texas and South Carolina respectively.

RMAG Monthly Luncheon Program – May 8th


Well SiteGeologicalConsulting

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Info:

OUR COMMITMENTThe availabi l i ty of high

resolution seismic and well data allows for building higher resolution and more complex models, spanning from seismic to nano, hence allowing for more accurate representation of complex features and processes. This requires incorporation o f unst ruc tured/adapt i ve meshes and also the utilization of a lgor i thms that couple poromechanics, basin modeling, seismic data and inversion, and utilization of high performance computing platforms, e.g., GPU- or FPGA-based as well as optimized libraries for solving large, ill-conditioned, sparse matrices.

This talk presents the state-of-the-art in PSM and discusses recommended directions required for addressing future needs of exploration for conventional/unconventional resources and interactions with geomechanics and seismic.

Marek Kacewicz, AAPG Distinguished Lecturer

Marek Kacewicz is research consultant and basin modeler at Chevron Energy Technology Company in Houston, Texas. His primary responsibilities include research and technology a p p l i c a t i o n s i n t e g r a t i n g petroleum systems modeling, seismic inversion, velocity modeling, pressure prediction, geomechanics, and structural modeling.

»


AAPG Lecture

a dig near the museum, Rock and Mineral Identification, Geologic Map Reading, fossil identification, dinosaur track painting, gold panning, plus many others. The Scouts also walk along the ridge where each site is manned by volunteers that assist in interpreting the fossils and geology in an interactive manner.

»

Growing up here in Colorado I was exposed to so many different experiences. Many of those experien-ces were because of my involvement in Scouting. I remember learning about Geology, and Paleontology in Scouts and taking many day trips to Alameda Ave and the Dakota Hogback to look at and wonder about the vast amount of track and bones that were exposed along that section. This was back in the 70s and 80s. Those experiences piqued an interest in me that eventually led to degrees in Geology and a career in Geology.

I love to share my experiences with everyone (as I’m sure you do), but especially those that are in Boy and Girl Scouts. To see the light on their faces when talking about the dinosaurs that roamed Colorado and left their tracks and bones for us to see along the Dakota Hogback is truly inspiring.

May 11th 2013, from 9am-3pm, is Boy Scout Day at Dinosaur Ridge (Girl Scout Day is October 12th). Scout Day at Dinosaur Ridge is open to scouts of all ages and provides an opportunity for Scouts to satisfy their geology requirements and earn pins, belt loops and merit badges. These awards are available through the Boy Scouts of America, not the Friends of Dinosaur Ridge. More than 60 earth scientists and other volunteers, including certified merit badge counselors, assist with the event.

Dinosaur Ridge provides many activities to help Scouts complete all of the requirements for the varied badges, pins, and belt loops. At the Visitor Center, hands-on activities range from excavating “bones” in

Dinosaur Ridge Boy Scout DayBy Gregg Guyer

Everyone takes away something new from the Scout Day experience. If you have a few hours to volunteer at Dinosaur Ridge for Boy Scout Day on May 11th, please contact Amber Cain at [email protected] or give her a call at 303-697-3466 x107 (work).

May 201334Vol. 62, No. 5

Dinosaur Ridge Boy Scout Day


Learning about dinosaurs that roamed Colorado...

THANK YOU to Vince MatthewsBy Laura Wray and Matt Silverman

In the coming months, the Colorado Geological Survey (CGS) is scheduled to move to the Colorado School of Mines campus, separating it from the other Department of Natural Resources’ agencies located near the State Capital. Though we do not yet know all the details of the plan to downsize and move the CGS, it is high time to recognize the contributions of the CGS staff and especially of its previous director and former State Geologist, Vince Matthews.

Vince served as the State Geologist for almost nine years and was with the Survey three years before that. As the director of the Survey, he led the CGS in fulfilling its primary mission of serving the citizens of Colorado. Vince and his staff conducted research and published results in a great number of areas including petroleum resources, coal and mineral commodities, land use issues, geological hazards, surface and groundwater studies, acid mine drainage testing and remediation, CO2 sequestration research, avalanche monitoring and forecasting, geological mapping, and technical compilation of publications related to all these topics.

Among other awards made to Vince’s staff, we can all be particularly proud of three recognized by the Geological Society of America (GSA) in cooperation with the Association of American State Geologists (AASG). The John C. Frye national award in Environmental Geology has been granted to the CGS an unprecedented three times in the last decade for: the 2006 “Groundwater Atlas of Colorado,” the 2009 “Collapsible Soils in Colorado,” and the 2012 “Natural Acid Rock Drainage Associated with Hydrothermally Altered Terrain in Colorado.” The latter award, supported with letters from the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety, and the Department of Public Health and Environment, documents that acid waters that enter Colorado streams in a number of mining districts come from natural sources, rather than or in addition to existing mine drainage.

Many in the RMAG commu-nity heard Vince present a talk entitled “The Global Scramble form Natural Resources – Its Impact on Colorado.” This paper contrasted the history of Colorado mineral commodity discoveries and price fluctuations with the burgeoning worldwide demand for these commodities. Vince’s primary message to the citizens of Colorado was to recognize the value of these

commodities for the future economic well-being of the state and to develop environmentally sound protocols for the documentation and extraction of these resources in the face of foreign efforts to buy up these resources.

Vicki Cowart, the State Geologist who preceded Vince, recognized Vince’s service to the state and his

extensive history of serving the profession of geology. She and Vince served on the Association of Women Geoscientists (AWG) Foundation decades ago, “impressed that a man of his distinctive career, and frankly success, would join AWG to work to improve the standing and opportunities for women in the field.” In 2000, Vince agreed to join the staff of the CGS under Vicki’s

leadership. “What a delight it was to be working side-by-side with him and the other talented leaders of the CGS to move it forward into the new century,” she wrote. When her career path eventually led her away from the CGS several years later, she was reassured by Vince’s appointment as her replacement that his experience in industry and academia would give him the necessary experience to oversee the technical fields in which the CGS worked. “He truly took the CGS to its next level, and the citizens of Colorado and the field of geology are the better for it,” Vicki said.

Vince has established a consulting company, Leadville Geology, and will no doubt continue to be active in the Colorado geological community. We look forward to his participation in future geologic endeavors while taking this opportunity to thank Vince for his many significant contributions to the state and its citizens during his tenure as the State Geologist. Thank you Vince!

»

...it is high time to recognize the contributions of the CGS

staff and especially of its previous director and

former State Geologist, Vince Matthews.

May 201336Vol. 62, No.5


Courses include: Hosted by the

Norris Conference Center: 304 Houston St. Ft. Worth, TX 76102 Phone: 817-289-2400 Fax: 817-289-2411 Special AAPG group rates at nearby hotels.

Tuition for the week: AAPG Members..........................$1795 $1995 Non Members ............................$2095 $2295 Individual Courses ....................$500/day $550/day

Registration and information: Toll-free (U.S. and Canada) 888-338-3387, or 918-560-2650 Fax: 918-560-2678 E-mail: [email protected] Download a registration form at: www.aapg.org/education/sec.cfm

SIGN UP NOW!

(Four concurrent sessions each day – mix and match according to your interests and training needs. Buffet Lunch and refreshments included each day.)

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Stratigraphy

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or By Computer

Quantitative Show

Multi-well Pressure/Depth Plots

May 201338Vol. 62, No. 5 38

page, www.rmag.org). See also, “Cumulative Bibliography and Index to The Mountain Geologist, 1999-2010” by Michele Bishop, The Mountain Geologist, July 2011, v. 48, no. 3, p. 59-80 .

Back issues of the journal are available on DVD (The Mountain Geologist 1964-2005 except 1985, v. 22, no. 4; The Mountain Geologist 2006-2010 with 1985, v. 22, no. 4) available through the RMAG office, 303-573-8621, or online on the RMAG website. Some issues in hard copies are also available from the RMAG office.

The Mountain Geologist is a quarterly, online, peer-reviewed journal published by the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists since 1964. Circulation is about 2600. Editors for The Mountain Geologist welcome manuscripts that focus on or relate to geology of the U.S. Rocky Mountain region and environs.

When writing a manuscript for The Mountain Geologist, please refer to the downloadable “Author Style Guide” found under “Publications – The Mountain Geologist” on the RMAG website: www.rmag.org It is important to write your manuscript according to this style guide to mitigate revision time for both authors and editors. The style guide is being updated in 2013; please send inquiries to the Executive Editor at [email protected] or refer to issues published in 2012-2013 when questions arise.

Back IssuesA bibliography and index is available on the RMAG

website (1964-2009, see The Mountain Geologist web

Submit a Manuscript to The Mountain Geologist

In Memoriam: Don L. Kissling Don Kissling, past RMAG member and longtime

consultant in the Denver area, passed away at his home in Berthoud, Colorado on 10 April. Don has countless former students worldwide who remain active in the oil & gas industry, and will be remembered as mentor and friend by many. Jim Ehrets

»


In the Pipeline

If you have any events that you would like to post in this column, please submit via email to Holly Sell at [email protected] or to the RMAG office at [email protected] for consideration.

May 1, 2013RMAG AAPG Distinguished Lecturer Luncheon Marek Kacewicz,

“Petroleum Systems Modeling – State of the Art and Future Direction.”

May 8, 2013 RMAG/AAPG Distinguished Lecture (Happy Hour Talk) W.C. "Rusty"

Riese, "Oil Spills, Ethics, and Society: How They Intersect and Where the Responsibilities Reside."

May 11, 2013On the Rocks Field Trip Mudrocks of the Southern Denver Basin,

Pueblo, CO: Graneros, Greenhorn, Carlile and Niobrara Formations.

May 13 - 14, 2013Bakken and Three Forks Completions Congress 2013 Denver, CO.

See page 41 for more information.

May 14, 2013USGS Rocky Mountain Science Seminar Dirk Wallschlaeger, Trent

University. “Soluble arsenic-sulfur compounds in ambient waters – where geochemical knowledge gaps and analytical problems collide.”

May 21 - 23, 2013PTTC Course “How to Find Bypassed Pay in Old Wells Using DST

Data.”

May 23, 2013Big Society Happy Hour at Katie Mullen’s.

May 28, 2013USGS Rocky Mountain Science Seminar Darius Semmons, USGS

Denver. “Where's the value? New Approaches to mapping the benefits we derive from nature.”

»

2013 PROPOSED ON-THE-ROCKS FIELD TRIPSMonth/Day

May 11th**pending insurance

June 22nd

July 20th

August 17th

Sept. 7th

Topic/Destination

Mudrocks of the Southern Denver Basin, Pueblo, CO: Graneros,

Greenhorn, Carlile, and Niobrara Formations

Eagle Basin, CO

Mt. Princeton Geothermal Area, upper Arkansas Valley, CO

Medicine Bow-Snowy Range, WY

Vineyards, Adobes, and Gravels-Oh My! Wine-tasting and geologic exploration of the North Fork Valley of the Gunnison,

Western Slope, CO

Leader(s)

Jeffrey A. May, Geologic Consultant; Donna Anderson,

EOG Resources

Bob Raynolds, Denver Museum of Natural Science

Paul Morgan, Sr. Geothermal Geologist, Colorado Geological

Survey

Art Snoke, University of Wyoming

Dave Noe, Colorado Geological Survey

RMAG OTRLogistics Contact

Ron Pritchett

Denis Foley, Phyllis Scott

Phyllis Scott

Cat Campbell

Sandra Mark

RMAG Foundation Sponsors the Excellence in Teaching of Earth Science Award

In 2000, the RMAG Foundation instituted a n awa rd to h o n o r elementary or secondary school teachers who have promoted teaching of earth science to K-12 students. The winner receives a commemorative plaque and a $1000 cash award provided by the RMAG Foundation, and is recommended as the RMAG’s candidate to compete for the AAPG Rocky Mountain Section, Teacher of the Year award. This award honors the best earth science teacher in the Front Range area from either an elementary or secondary school. If you are a teacher or know of a teacher who could be a candidate please contact the K-12 Public Outreach Committee through the RMAG office at 910 16th Street, Suite 1125, Denver, CO 80202, by telephone at 303-573-8621, or email at [email protected] to receive an application form. The application deadline this year is Friday May 3, with the winner to be announced on or before May 11.

»

»

Geologic Art ShowThe editors invite the artists of RMAG to submit a picture

of their geologic art (jpeg or tiff, 300 dpi or greater). Send along a caption with an explanation of the subject matter and media details, when created, and why. The best submissions will appear in a future issue in our “virtual art show.” [email protected]

A d ve r t i s i n g d o e s n ' t g o unnoticed, and by having your business card or larger ad in color, the impact is much greater to potential customers. Since there is no additional charge for color for our online publication, you can use full color for any ad without any additional charges.

See page 3 of this issue for our ad rates and contact the RMAG office today for more details on how to submit your ad.

Take advantage of the transition we made from offering the printed Outcrop

to now posting it on the web.

Contact the RMAG office today for more information!

Color DOES make an impact!

RMAG Office: 303-573-8621Fax: 303-628-0546

[email protected] • www.rmag.org

Executive Director Emily Tompkins [email protected]

Office & Programs Manager Carrie Veatch, MA [email protected]

ALL Outcrop Ads are in Color at

No Extra Charge!

Geologic Art ShowThe editors invite the artists of RMAG to submit a picture

of their geologic art (jpeg or tiff, 300 dpi or greater). Send along a caption with an explanation of the subject matter and media details, when created, and why. The best submissions will appear in a future issue in our “virtual art show.” [email protected]

May 201340Vol. 62, No.5


For Independents and Small Companies

• JLog® Petrophysical Software • Consulting and Training Jack Bowler – Bowler Petrophysics, Inc.

303 860 1641 www.jlog.biz [email protected]

(See page 2 for more information.)

RMAG Golf Tournament 63rd annual golf outing

Thursday, June 27th

Fossil Trace Golf Club, Golden, Colorado

Cost: $300 per person or $1100 per foursome— $20 per ticket goes to support the RMAG Foundation, which provides scholarships to students in the geosciences annually.

▪▪ AM & PM Shotgun starts ▪▪ Registration is limited! Includes entry, 18-holes of golf, cart, meals, & entry to win great door prizes!

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May 201342Vol. 62, No. 5 42

August 5 8, 2013 at the CSM:

Risk, Uncertainty & Economic Analysis for Resource Assessment &Production Forecasting in Shale and Tight Clastic Plays

Covers the assessment methods required for thetechnical and economic evaluation of drillingprograms in Unconventional resource plays

Designed for Geoscientists, Engineers, and BusinessAnalysts charged with creating value fromunconventional resources

Uses realistic games and exercises to illustrateprinciples of good estimating as well as analyticalprocedures used to identify, quantify and managethe uncertainty and risk associated withUnconventional resource assessment,development and production

Open Enrollment Tuition: $2,600 per registrant10% discount with three or more registrations

http://www.roseassoc.com/[email protected] 528 8422

Studies in Geology 65Application of Structural Methods to Rocky Mountain

Hydrocarbon Exploration and DevelopmentEdited by C. Knight, J. Cuzella, & L. Cress

Co-published byTulsa, OK and Denver, CO

www.aapg.org/www.rmag.org

With increasing industry emphasis on developing “unconventional” tight reservoirs and on enhancing recovery from existing fields, geologists are facing new challenges. Identifying fracture characteristics within petroleum systems is essential. Understanding the timing of tectonics and the formation of structures is

important, as these factors strongly influence hydrocarbon generation, migration, entrapment, and preservation. As a means of addressing complex interrelationships between structural geology and hydrocarbon exploration and development, the editors are pleased to present this compilation of key papers.

Studies in Geology 65Table of Contents

Using Free-hand 3-D Drawings • to Clarify and Verify Subsurface Structural Interpretations — D. Stone

Introduction to Low-temperature • Thermochronologic Techniques, Methodology, and Applications — S. L. Peyton & B. Carrapa

Overview of Low-temperature • Thermochronology in the Rocky Mountains and its Application to Petroleum System Analysis — S. L. Peyton & B. Carrapa

Using Detrital Zircon • Geochronology to Solve Complex Structural Problems: Application with Pitfalls in the Helena Salient of the Montana Disturbed Belt, West Central Montana — P. T. Doughty, K. R. Chamberlain, & M. C. Pope

Regional and Local Fractures of • the Bakken Petroleum System, Williston Basin: Integrating Field Studies and 3-D Seismic Analysis — S. Angster & F. Sarg

Role of Wrench Faults and • Fractures in Creating “Sweet Spots” in Tight Gas Exploration and Production at Rulison Field Colorado — T. L. Davis & R. D. Benson

Fracture Control of P-wave • Azimuthal Anisotrophy in a Laramide Basement-cored Anticline at Casper Arch, Wyoming: Insights from Correlations with Surface Analogs and Curvature Analyses — R. D. Cooley & E. Erslev

Natural Fractures and Strain • Accommodation in the Tensleep Formation at Beer Mug Anticline — S. P. Cooper

Natural Fracture Patterns in • Folded Tensleep Reservoirs, Wyoming — S. P. Cooper & J. C. Lorenz

Fractures, Hydraulic Injections, • and Strain Accommodation in the Tensleep Formation at Flat Top Anticline, Carbon County, Wyoming — J. C. Lorenz

Beaver Creek Detachment • System: Syn-Laramide Gravity Detachment and Folding Oblique to Regional Compression — S. Smaltz & E. Erslev

The American Association of Petroleum Geologists

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Coming Early 2013...


Studies in Geology 65Application of Structural Methods to Rocky Mountain

Hydrocarbon Exploration and DevelopmentEdited by C. Knight, J. Cuzella, & L. Cress

Co-published byTulsa, OK and Denver, CO

www.aapg.org/www.rmag.org

With increasing industry emphasis on developing “unconventional” tight reservoirs and on enhancing recovery from existing fields, geologists are facing new challenges. Identifying fracture characteristics within petroleum systems is essential. Understanding the timing of tectonics and the formation of structures is

important, as these factors strongly influence hydrocarbon generation, migration, entrapment, and preservation. As a means of addressing complex interrelationships between structural geology and hydrocarbon exploration and development, the editors are pleased to present this compilation of key papers.

Studies in Geology 65Table of Contents

Using Free-hand 3-D Drawings • to Clarify and Verify Subsurface Structural Interpretations — D. Stone

Introduction to Low-temperature • Thermochronologic Techniques, Methodology, and Applications — S. L. Peyton & B. Carrapa

Overview of Low-temperature • Thermochronology in the Rocky Mountains and its Application to Petroleum System Analysis — S. L. Peyton & B. Carrapa

Using Detrital Zircon • Geochronology to Solve Complex Structural Problems: Application with Pitfalls in the Helena Salient of the Montana Disturbed Belt, West Central Montana — P. T. Doughty, K. R. Chamberlain, & M. C. Pope

Regional and Local Fractures of • the Bakken Petroleum System, Williston Basin: Integrating Field Studies and 3-D Seismic Analysis — S. Angster & F. Sarg

Role of Wrench Faults and • Fractures in Creating “Sweet Spots” in Tight Gas Exploration and Production at Rulison Field Colorado — T. L. Davis & R. D. Benson

Fracture Control of P-wave • Azimuthal Anisotrophy in a Laramide Basement-cored Anticline at Casper Arch, Wyoming: Insights from Correlations with Surface Analogs and Curvature Analyses — R. D. Cooley & E. Erslev

Natural Fractures and Strain • Accommodation in the Tensleep Formation at Beer Mug Anticline — S. P. Cooper

Natural Fracture Patterns in • Folded Tensleep Reservoirs, Wyoming — S. P. Cooper & J. C. Lorenz

Fractures, Hydraulic Injections, • and Strain Accommodation in the Tensleep Formation at Flat Top Anticline, Carbon County, Wyoming — J. C. Lorenz

Beaver Creek Detachment • System: Syn-Laramide Gravity Detachment and Folding Oblique to Regional Compression — S. Smaltz & E. Erslev

The American Association of Petroleum Geologists

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Coming Early 2013...

May 201344Vol. 62, No. 5 44

May 2013 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

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Stone, Don ...................................15

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Vista GeoScience, David Seneshen ..........................41

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Weatherford Laboratories ..........28

Weber Law Firm, LLC ..................27

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May 2013 Outcrop

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Transcript of May 2013 Outcrop