june 2013 outcrop

OUTCROPNewsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Volume 62 • No. 6 • June 2013

June 20132Vol. 62, No. 6 2

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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President – Debra Higley-Feldman [email protected]

President-Elect – Matt Silverman [email protected]

1st Vice-President – Larry Rasmussen [email protected]

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

Secretary – Jacinda Nettik Brown [email protected]

Treasurer – Mike Kozimko [email protected]

Treasurer Elect – Reed Johnson [email protected]

Counselor (2 Year) – Laura L. Wray [email protected]

Counselor (1 Year) – John Ladd [email protected]

2013 Officers and Board of Directors

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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 Tompkins [email protected]

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

Accountant Carol Dalton [email protected]

Co-Editors Kristine Peterson [email protected]

Holly Sell [email protected]

Ron [email protected]

Cheryl Whitney [email protected]

Design/ProductionDebbie Downs [email protected]

Wednesday Noon Luncheon Reservations RMAG Office: 303-573-8621Fax: [email protected] www.rmag.org

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June 20134Vol. 62, No. 6

The Board of Directors meeting was held on April 17th, 2013 at the RMAG office. We began this meeting with guest, John Robinson, requesting permission to borrow RMAG Awards Committee to help with nominations for the 2017 Houston Museum of Natural Science exhibit which will honor 100 geologists for the 100th Anniversary of AAPG. Permission was granted. If you’d like to be part of this committee please contact the RMAG staff.

Next, RMAG Treasure Mike Kozimko went over the RMAG balance sheets. He reiterated that cash flow versus budget are important numbers on the balance sheets. It appears our expenses are up slightly to budget.

The 2012 audit was completed. Mike Kozimko provided a summary of the findings at April’s board meeting.

Its official, RMAG is an endorsing society for NAPE Rockies! As an endorsing society we will use our social and broadcasting media to provide NAPE information to our members. Mark your calendars, NAPE Rockies will be held in Denver December 11-13th this year.

RMAG BOD approved a motion accepting a Field Trip Plan of Action Document, a requirement in order to qualify for insurance coverage for our On the Rocks Field Trips.

RMAG BOD approved a motion allowing the Publications Committee and others to use the new RMAG vector logo, which closely matches original bitmap logo. The new vector logo has already been put to good use when the BODs presented the two expecting board members with baby onesies that included the new RMAG Logo and read, “I want to grow up to be a geologist, just like my mom!”

The Industry Leaders of the Future (ILF) Committee has scheduled their first event for May 14th titled “The Road to Owning Your Own Oil and Gas Company.” If you’d like to hear about future ILF events you can sign up the RMAG website by clicking on the Committees link at the top of the

page. ILF Committee was formed for the advancement of young professionals through social, educational and civic oriented events. It is dedicated to providing a forum for networking and career development for professionals

in the global energy industry.I hope you all enjoyed the RMAG

Spring Symposium this year held on April 23rd. I know I especially enjoyed the Keynote Address by Chris Wright, CEO of Liberty Resources who discussed fracs. He had a couple of key take a ways including, “fracs don’t like each other” and well performance is tied to “how much plumbing you put in it.”

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

It’s official, RMAG is an endorsing society for NAPE Rockies! As an endorsing society we will use our social

and broadcasting media to provide NAPE information to our members.

»


C O N T E N T S

OUTCROP

Volume 62 • No. 6 • June 2013

COVER PHOTOBox Canyon Falls in Ouray Co., provides a

fantastic view of the Great Unconformity between the vertical pre-Cambrian slates and Quartzites of the Uncompahgre Formation and the nearly horizontal Devonian sandstones and shales of the Elbert Formation. Photo by Dan Wheat.

Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Features 8 Energy Map of

Southwestern Wyoming 9 Lead Story: Advanced

Mud Gas and Rock-Fluid Analysis Aids Evaluation of North American Unconventional Plays

11 New Shale Hydrocarbon Volume

26 Colorado Science and Engineering Fair

41 USGS Releases New Oil and Gas Assessment

association news 2 RMAG Golf Tournament13 RMAG Outstanding

Student Pick Awards 20 Authors and Editors

Needed21 RMAG and PTTC

Present June Short Course

22 On-the-Rocks Field Trips

24 On-the-Rocks Field

Trip: Geothermal Resources in the Upper Arkansas Valley

25 AAPG – Rocky Mountain Section Annual Meeting

28 Thank you to 2012 RMAG Foundation Donors

29 RMAG 2013 Summit Sponsors

31 Connect with RMAG Online!

41 Come On Folks!43 Submit a Manuscript to

The Mountain Geologist 44 2013 Proposed On-

the-Rocks Field Trips46 RMAG GeoLand Ski Day

2013, Copper Mountain, Colorado

48 Studies in Geology 65

Departments 4 RMAG April Board

of Directors Meeting 6 President's Column 8 Outcrop Advertising

Rates32 New Members34 In Memoriam39 RMAG Luncheon

Programs44 In the Pipeline49 Advertisers Index49 Calendar of Events

June 20136Vol. 62, No. 6 6

A Great Combination...Golf, Biking & Publications!

President’s ColumnBy Debra Higley

Richard (Dick) Keefer is a new (as of March) assistant editor for The Mountain Geologist. My experience with him as editor for the USGS Central Energy Resources Science Center is that he is a wonderful editor and great fellow who tolerates our ranting while he improves our papers (also known as offspring).

The RMAG Publications Committee is a very dynamic group that includes editors, other committee chairs and members, and RMAG staff; they oversee planning and construction of the Outcrop, The Mountain Geologist, and guidebooks and other publications. Paul Lillis, a research geochemist at the USGS, is the current committee

chair. Editors of The Mountain Geologist, Outcrop, and other publications are listed near the journal covers. The publishing process is quite involved; some of this is obvious, such as requesting submittals, technical reviews, copy editing, and final layout of the papers, and encouraging authors and reviewers to follow deadlines. Other issues include understanding and updating copyright requirements, keeping Suggestions to Authors current with our evolving technology (and sometimes science), and researching options for disseminating our science.

RMAG has a couple of books and a GIS publication in progress. AAPG Studies in Geology 65, “Application of Structural Methods to Rocky Mountain Hydrocarbon Exploration and Development” is a joint RMAG/AAPG volume that will be available this year. Editors are Connie Knight, Jerry Cuzella, and Leland Cross. The planned “Oil and Gas Fields of Colorado” volume is a play-based update of 85 major oil and gas fields; Dean Dubois ([email protected]) is the main contact, please contribute your expertise to a chapter on a field. The last field studies publications were a number of years ago, and I still use them in my resource assessment research. Also, nine pages from the Rocky Mountain Atlas “Big Red Book” were digitized with the resulting faults and other structures, outcrops, some contours, and igneous intrusions saved in ArcGIS shapefiles and layers; Laura Biewick ([email protected]) of the USGS is the compilation editor for this planned RMAG GIS publication.

The Mountain Geologist and a number of other RMAG publications are also accessible through AAPG Datapages, which provides our research and information

June 27th is the Annual RMAG Golf Tournament at Fossil Trace golf course in Golden (image modified from www.fossiltrace.com). Velociraptors and the golf course probably weren’t present in the Pierre seaway 70+ million years ago--before the existence of putting greens, but not the roughs or (dinosaur) fairways. June 26th is Bike to Work Day (http://www3.drcog.org/biketowork), a good day to dust off the helmet and spandex and keep your distance from cars and velociraptors.

Continued on page 8 »


How do we ensure that every Weatherford mudlogger performs at the same high standards around the globe?

They all have to get past our man Wayland.

E X C E L L E N C E F R O M T H E

G R O U N D U P TM

Weatherford is passionate about training, and that’s where Wayland comes in. His mudlogging training program begins with hands-on classroom instruction and ends with rigorous tests at the wellsite. We call it Competency-Based Training. You’ll call it another bene�t of working with Weatherford. With courses for basic and advanced mudlogging, as well as for specialized services, Wayland’s program helps mitigate hazards and enhance data accuracy. It’s just one more way Weatherford Mudlogging is committed to Excellence from the Ground Up.

SURFACE LOGGING SYSTEMSwww.weatherford.com/[email protected]

June 20138Vol. 62, No. 6 8

President's Column

to a broad audience. RMAG also receives royalties when publications are purchased from Datapages. We are also investigating partnering with GeoScienceWorld (GSW) as a web-based publication provider. One of the issues with GSW is that our mostly PDF-format books and journals would need to be converted to XML or HTML5 formats (remember when we just needed to know geology terms?) by their outside contractor (not much money, but pinching pennies is good when you have many thousands of pages).

On a totally non-associated topic, at home we’ve been battling voles (pronounced evoles) that are building the equivalent of a New York subway system in the front yard. We’ve almost vanquished the enemy, with the help of some garter snakes (all named Fred) and Cooper’s Hawks (we named them Alice and Gary). In the old days we’d probably just poison the voles. Now we use mousetraps laced with organic almond butter with certified gluten-free oats and masa harina corn. I probably should just pack the traps with fat and sugar and see if the voles succumb to type 2 diabetes or heart disease.

Continued from page 6

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Energy Map of Southwestern Wyoming-Energy Data Archived, Organized, Integrated and AccessibleUSGS General Information Product 145

»

The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) focuses on conserving world-class wildlife resources while facilitating responsible energy development in southwestern Wyoming. To further advance the objectives of the WLCI long-term, science-based effort, a comprehensive inventory of energy resource and production data is being published in two parts. Energy maps, data, documentation and spatial data processing capabilities are available in geodatabase, published map file (pmf), ArcMap document (mxd), Adobe Acrobat PDF map, and other digital formats that can be downloaded at the USGS website.

See http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/145/.

»


LEAD STORY

Advanced Mud Gas and Rock-Fluid Analysis Aids Evaluation of North American Unconventional PlaysBy Don Hall, Michael Sterner, and Rohit Shukla, Fluid Inclusion Technologies, Inc., [email protected]

Although unconventional oil and gas plays are highly variable in terms of geology, geochemistry and structure, many of the key factors within these disciplines are repetitively quoted as influencing successful exploitation. These include:

Composition and quality of the 1. in situ petroleum fluid(s),

Controls on distribution and 2. volume of petroleum, both geographically and within a given borehole,

Water saturation and potential 3. for internal or external water production,

Rock type and mineralogical 4. composition for log calculations, lateral location and completion optimization,

Natural fracture distribution and porosity types,5.

Compartmentalization, sealing and natural 6. interconnectivity, and

These and other aspects of these complex systems can be evaluated before, during or even instead of

expensive logging programs using the unavoidable

byproducts of the drilling process: namely, borehole

gas and drill cuttings.

Relative proportions of locally generated and 7. migrated petroleum.

These and other aspects of these complex systems can be evaluated before, during or even instead of expensive logging programs using the unavoidable byproducts of the drilling process: namely, borehole gas and drill cuttings. Industry perception of the value of these has waxed and waned over the years, in part due to variable data quality as well as cost. However, use of more advanced geochemical techniques is enjoying resurgence, in part due to evolution of field ruggedized instrumentation and more reliable analytical techniques, and is paying dividends for those companies that elect to

implement them in routine evaluation of unconventional plays. Of these, the complementary combination of advanced mud gas analysis in the field using gas-


June 201310Vol. 62, No. 6 10

chromatography (GC), mass spectrometry (MS) or GC coupled with MS, and comprehensive cuttings analysis for trapped fluids and organic and inorganic makeup in the lab is the most promising. As many unconventional resources have a significant number of historical vertical penetrations, rock-fluid databases can be established rapidly and cost-effectively at an early stage without drilling new wells.

Advanced Mud Gas Analysis:Recent developments in application of membrane-

GC, GCMS and direct MS analysis to mud gas, along with improvements in mud gas extraction instrumentation and techniques (e.g., constant volume, constant temperature, gas-in and gas-out arrangements) provide data sets that are light years ahead of historical Hot-Wire/GC methods. Of these new techniques, direct quadrupole mass spectrometry (DQMS) is by far the most comprehensive, sensitive and flexible tool for compositional evaluation of formation fluids in near real time. DQMS evaluates C1-C10 petroleum species, and inorganic compounds such

as carbon dioxide, helium, hydrogen, atmospherics and sulfur-bearing volatiles. It can discriminate among the major classes of volatile organic compounds (paraffins, naphthenes, aromatics) as well as contributions from the drilling fluid. Evaluation of such a broad range of chemical compounds allows for unsurpassed chemical fingerprinting. Additionally, a number of inorganic/organic species combinations are indicative of specific subsurface processes. The instrument is uniquely suited for organic-base mud systems, which typically hamper data analysis from other devices, and works in low-pressure reservoirs where conventional gear is ineffective. Within unconventional plays DQMS has been used to distinguish among producible hydrocarbon fluid types, identify lower quality or residual systems, evaluate potential for water production, assess compartmentalization, and recognize fractures and faults. These data have been used to optimize completions for less costly and better producing wells allowing some operators to rethink and minimize logging runs. Monitoring drilling-generated hydrogen can

serve as an early warning for bit wear, failing down hole motors and general friction in the drill string. This specific application has tangibly contributed to lower drilling costs, where utilized.

Comprehensive Cuttings Elemental-Fluid Analysis:

A new procedure for cuttings or core analysis in the lab has been developed during which the rock is first photographed under visible and UV light, then crushed and analyzed for included hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon species with a sensitive mass spectrometry system, and finally probed for its elemental composition with a customized XRF analyzer. A key aspect of the process is that all analyses are conducted on the same 1 gm rock sample with an automated system, thus preserving interrelat ionships among rock type, fluid type and rock chemistry. Automation and rapid analytical cycles

Lead StoryContinued from page 9

Joseph H. Large President

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Horizontal Bakken, Mission Canyon, Red River,

Dupero, Three Forks and Ratcliff formations

Serving the Williston Basin and Rocky Mountain

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reservoir model three-dimensional animation files.

Lead Story



»

New Shale Hydrocarbon VolumeThe purpose of this memoir

is to provide a practical reference for geologists, geophysicists, engineers, and students to gain a better understanding of the various state-of-the-art techniques and applications of electron microscopy for shale hydrocarbon reservoir evaluation. This reference volume is intended for both specialists and non-specialists alike and will serve as a practical guide for petrographic interpretation and reservoir analog studies.

This book contains 13 highly illustrated peer-reviewed papers that describe modern techniques and recent case studies, and a catalog of nearly 250 described SEM images of known productive and potential shale hydrocarbon reservoirs in the United States. The included DVD contains a

digital copy of the printed material, plus supplemental supporting data, additional color images, and digital

allow collection of large data sets, and encourages analysis of entire wellbores from first returns to TD. Individually the techniques are useful. Together they provide unique insights into controls on hydrocarbon, reservoir and pay distribution, represent an additional tool for well placement, and allow organized archival of rock type, fluid and rock chemistry information that is easily retrieved and studied in the context of future wells, even in the absence of the original rock material. Of interest is that these analyses can be performed on historical samples of any age, drilled with any mud/bit type.

Cuttings volatile data are used for a variety of purposes, but the most practical applications to unconventional reservoirs are ultimately aimed at

predicting fluid type, composition, quality and volume in tight rock, as well as identifying variability along laterals that can be exploited for more effective completions. XRF data from 30+ major, minor and trace elements in large cuttings sample sets from vertical and horizontal wells can be used to document lithology and cements, produce chemical stratigraphic profiles in otherwise monotonous sections, establish depositional environments, facies and provenance, and provide some information relevant to rock behavior during completion activities. Type profiles through vertical penetrations can be used to help optimize lateral placement and retrospectively establish borehole trajectory in horizontal wells. Finally, white light and UV images provide grain scale details

Providing a practical reference for geologists, geophysicists, engineers, and students to gain a better understanding of the various state-of-the-art techniques and applications of electron microscopy for shale hydrocarbon reservoir evaluation.

June 201312Vol. 62, No. 6

that can be correlated with other data sets to provide a more integrated understanding of what is controlling hydrocarbon and porosity distribution in the system as well as general formation recognition, evaluation of cuttings quality (and implied drilling conditions), and presence of additives that may affect other analyses. UV images indicate specific mineral or kerogen fluorescence that can be correlated with cement or rock types that are difficult to recognize under white light. Kerogen fluorescence color can be related to maturity. Archived images are much easier to manage than the samples themselves, persist when samples are no longer available and allow geologists to look at the rocks at their desks without relying on sample descriptions or lower quality images from well site.

DQMS to Aid Completion:Figure 1 illustrates selected DQMS data from a

horizontal wellbore within shale. Three main gas bearing zones are documented as is illustrated by the Total Gas,



Helium, C1 Norm and C4 Norm curves (red brackets, “E” intervals, red and orange bars). The most producible portions of the well, based on gas volume and porosity, are indicated where helium is high and separation is recorded between the C1 Norm and C4 Norm curves as a result of natural chromatographic separation of light species in tight rock. In other words, the fractured or otherwise more porous sections of the reservoir concentrate the mobile species, which are weighted toward small molecules like methane and helium. These zones are referred to as “enhanced”, while “depleted” zones occur where light/heavy ratios are low (labeled “D” in Fig. 1). Among other possibilities, depleted zones may indicate that charge has been dissipated via through-going fractures. The toe of the wellbore contains higher concentrations of sulfur species which may represent an undesirable component of the produced fluid, known to be present in this particular area (pink bracket). Of equal interest is the distribution of water, which is indicated

Figure 1. Direct quadrupole mass spectrometry of organic and inorganic volatile species for completion considerations.


Left to right: Sharon (daughter of Neal J. Harr), Shari (wife of Neal J. Harr), Devon Theune, Matthew Sadler, Zachary Snyder, Miles Wentland, Graham Baird (Neal J. Harr award chair).

RMAG Outstanding Student Pick Awards

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]

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June 201314Vol. 62, No. 6

by the ratios of benzene to toluene and benzene to hexane (blue brackets and bars). These increase in elevated water saturation intervals, because benzene is more soluble in water than both toluene and hexane. Considering all of these data allows one to evaluate the most prospective portions of the lateral based on gas composition, gas quality, deliverability and potential for water production. These are indicated by the green bars at the bottom of the diagram. Availability of this extensive data set based solely on mud gas represents a dramatic improvement over conventional approaches, and is particularly valuable in horizontal wells where log suites are minimal.

FIS for Early Prediction of Production:A simple example of using cuttings volatile analysis to

anticipate and rank eventual production in unconventional reservoirs is shown in Figures 2 and 3. In Figure 2, cuttings methane concentrations (calibrated millivolt responses from the mass spectrometer) from four horizontal wells within a geographically restricted region are shown as a function of sample number. Data suggest the wells are diverse, both in terms of average response as well as variability through the lateral. Figure 3 illustrates the summed FIS response (divided by 10e6 for convenience) vs. average stabilized daily production over a two month period. Clearly the eventual relative production from these wells could have been anticipated immediately after drilling, and actual production statistics from future wells in the area can be reasonably predicted from this calibration set. Furthermore, contributions to the total production from specific portions of the wellbore can be ascertained, which might influence completion strategies. For instance, approximately 23% of the produced gas from well 4 appears to originate from a single, contiguous 200 ft measured depth section of the 2600 ft lateral, and approximately 50% of the gas is generated from 600 ft or 23% of the horizontal section. Finally, measurement of the intrinsic gas content of the samples distinguishes between wells that have been damaged or improperly completed from those that were drilled in a gas-poor section of rock.

FIS and XRF for Targeting Sweet Spots:An example of combining XRF and FIS data to identify

and understand sweet spots is illustrated in Figure 4,

a horizontal wellbore through a light oil/condensate bearing section of the Cardium Sandstone, Alberta. This well encountered an unexpected down-faulted section causing the borehole trajectory to intersect the overlying shale. The borehole was redirected into the underlying sand near the end of the well. These lithologic relationships are identified by the red (sand) and blue (shale) tick marks on the left hand side of the figure, which correlate with discrete zones on a silicon vs. aluminum cross plot. The orange bands represent duplicate sections at the top of the sand, and have substantially similar chemical and volatile response. The red band illustrates dry gas within the shale, possibly related to fracturing in the vicinity of the shale and introduction of more mature gas from deeper in the system. Of particular interest is the correlation of the highest FIS gas and oil response with decreased silicon and increased calcium and iron shown by the green band. Petrographic work on cuttings indicates that this zone is characterized by siderite-enhanced porosity (yellow arrows lower left image), and higher visual light oil/condensate inclusion abundance (blue fluorescing areas, lower right image). The green zone was tested separately and displayed the highest initial rates in the well. Use of this combined rock and fluid approach on vertical wells can be used to more successfully place laterals.

Putting it all Together:An example that utilizes both DQMS data and

advanced cuttings analysis is presented in Figures 5-6. The following discussion concentrates on an interval at approximately 8960-9110 ft. This zone displays a prominent DQMS anomaly characterized by C1-C7 species and gas ratios that suggest light oil or condensate (Fig. 5; Panel A). A slightly drier anomaly occurs within a restricted zone and may represent a discrete gassier phase (or gas and oil) as suggested by FIS data described in a subsequent paragraph. Water-saturation indicators (e.g., benzene/toluene and benzene/cyclo-hexane) suggest trace movable water within this section, and presence of the sulfur species CS2 and COS suggests that sulfur bearing volatiles may be produced. Trace CO2

Lead Story




Lead Story

Figure 2. FIS methane response vs sample number; four geographically proximal horizontal wells.

June 201316Vol. 62, No. 6

Figure 3. Summed Cuttings Methane Response vs. Dally Production; Four Horizontal Wells.

is present as well, particularly in the thin drier gas or mixed gas-oil interval.

XRF elemental data and element ratios (Fig. 5; Panel B) indicate that the main zone of interest is a mixed siliciclastic and carbonate (dolomite and limestone) section with both biogenic and terrestrially derived silica (chert and detrital quartz, respectively). Petrographically, the interval is dominated by fractured, cherty carbonate. Aluminum, potassium and iron distribution in part reflect clay components, and the species molybdenum, arsenic, zinc and sulfur are potentially indicative

of anoxia and the presence of organic matter. The gamma ray correlates fairly well with sulfur, given the differences in sample spacing, consistent with the above interpretation. Petrographic observations indicate the presence of mature oil-prone source rock in some samples. Phosphorus is present, in this case related to the presence of apatite, and is potentially indicative of near-shore upwelling environments with high surface productivity. Arsenic is also generally associated with nutrient rich depositional environments. Mineralogical




Lead Story

Figure 4. Best production in this horizontal Cardium well (green) correlates with siderite associated porosity, and high light oil inclusion abundance.

June 201318Vol. 62, No. 6 18

trends were verified independently via QEMSCAN. This technique creates a mineral composition map of a petrographic thin section using a rastering SEM based EDS-XRF system and software (Fig. 6).

FIS data (Fig. 5; Panel C) indicate species to C11-C12 with bulk mass spectra that resemble light oil. Upper moderate gravity light oil inclusions are abundant in chert, indicating high petroleum saturation. Some gas-condensate is noted as well, suggesting the possibility of a dual phase reservoir and consistent with DQMS observations above. FIS C1 and C7 relationship imply two discrete charges (oil and drier gas). Sulfur species are present in FIS data, as previously described for mud gas data, suggesting that some sulfur species (and minor CO2) may be produced from this zone. These species are interpreted to be of high temperature origin, and related to dry gas interpreted to have migrated into the structure from deeper in the basin.

Thus, the combination of advanced mud gas analysis by DQMS and advanced cuttings analysis via integrated FIS, XRF and photography provides valuable and otherwise unobtainable information with broad application to petroleum exploration and development. Data can be used to help understand the key aspects of conventional and unconventional reservoirs that most commonly contribute to successful exploitation, and can aid in optimizing wellbores and completions to lower costs and allow for more efficient drilling campaigns.


Figure 5. Combined DQMS-XRF-FIS in a liquid rich fractured cherty carbonate play.

»


Lead Story

Figure 6. QEMSCAN results from a liquid rich fractured cherty carbonate play.

YOUR AD HERE (Professional Card Ad Size)


June 201320Vol. 62, No. 6 20

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

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]

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:

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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

June 201322Vol. 62, No. 6 22

On-the-Rocks Field Trips

Cenomanian-Turonian boundary photo at the Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP), just outside Pueblo Lake State park. Photo by Denis Foley

Donna Anderson delivering an introduction to the Niobrara at the Pueblo Reservoir Mud Rock Field Trip. Photo by Jeff May.

Jeff May discussing the upper Lincoln Limestone Member of the Greenhorn Formation at Lake Pueblo State Park. Photo by Donna Anderson.


PuebloOn-the-Rocks Field Trip

Jeff May discussing the Hartland Shale Member of the Greenhorn Formation at Lake Pueblo State Park. Photo by Donna Anderson.

Field trip group examining the Graneros Shale at Lake Pueblo State Park. Photo by Donna Anderson.

Introduction by Donna Anderson at Lake Pueblo State Park. Photo by Jeff May.

Jeff May discussing the Bridge Creek Limestone Member of the Greenhorn Formation at Lake Pueblo State Park. Photo by Donna Anderson.

Group introduction to the Niobrara Formation at the Pueblo Nature Center. Photo by Jeff May.

June 201324Vol. 62, No. 6

RMAG On-the-Rocks Field Trip:Geothermal Resources in the Upper Arkansas ValleyBy Paul Morgan, Colorado Geological Survey, Saturday, July 20, 2013

LogisticsThe field trip will start and end at Buena Vista and

will last about 6 hours. We will meet at Johnson Village at the south end of Buena Vista at 10 a.m. Hiking will be

limited; the longest hike will be less than one quarter mile and will be optional. Bring your own sack lunch; we will eat at Mt. Princeton Hot Springs. If desired, participants can partake of the pleasures of the hot springs at Mt.


Salt Lake City, Utah - September 22-24, 2013

AAPG - Rocky Mountain Section Annual Meeting

Registration Now Open

Technical Program Highlights • Lacustrine Basins

• Unconventional Resource Plays

• Great Oil/Gas Fields of the Rocky Mountains: A Historical Perspective

• Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage • New Resource Plays • Geothermal Resources of the Rocky Mountains

• Microbial Carbonates: Modern and Ancient

rmsaapg2013.com

Other Convention Events

• ACL: Roving the Red Planet: A Field Geologist Explores Gale Crater Dr. Rebecca Williams, Mars Scientist, Planetary Science Institute • Night at the new Natural History Museum of Utah • Guest hospitality suite and 3 days of special activities

• 5 Utah-based eld trips and 4 short courses

SALT LAKE CITY2013

AA

PG-R

MS

SEPTEMBER 22-24

photo credit: Eric Schramm

Princeton or Cottonwood at the end of the field trip; there is a fee for the hot springs and arrangements must be made in advance.

Tentative ItineraryOverview of geology of Upper Arkansas Valley with 1. particular attention to the formation of the Upper Arkansas half-graben, the Sawatch fault zone and the transition between the Upper Arkansas and San Luis Valleys.

Visit Cottonwood Canyon. Observe offset of the 2. Sawatch fault, Cottonwood Hot Spring, and Charlotte "Hot Spring." Discuss the mode of fault offset.

Visit Chalk Creek Canyon (Mt Princeton). Observe 3. offset of the Sawatch fault, Chalk Cliffs. Visit temperature gradient borehole sites, Mt. Princeton Hot Springs, Hortense Hot Springs/well (hottest spring in Colorado). Discuss shallow, warm aquifer system, deeper source of hot water, Chalk Cliffs, mode of fault offset.

Visit southern end of valley, Poncha Hot Springs. 4. Observe hot and warm springs at junction between

Quaternary sediments and Precambrian. Observe "French drain" system used to collect hot water for City of Salida swimming pool. Observe extinct carbonate "tufa" mounds. Visit temperature gradient borehole sites. Observe low-temperature hydrothermal alterations of Precambrian crystalline basement. Discuss plumbing of hot spring system, deeper source of hot water, interaction of faults. Opportunity to collect fluorite from basement.

Return to Mt Princeton/Cottonwood/Buena Vista.5.

Geothermal Resources

»

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

June 201326Vol. 62, No. 6

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Colorado Science and Engineering Fair

The Colorado Science and Engineering Fair was held at the Lory Student Center of Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, April 11-13, 2013. Regional junior and senior high school winners from across Colorado participate in this event. The RMAG grants awards to exceptional projects in the earth sciences. Susan Wager (Chair), Richard Louden, and Anna Wells represented the RMAG as Special Awards Judges. The RMAG awards Certificates of Excellence and a cash award of $250 from the RMAG Foundation to each of the winners.

This year, the winners were: Molly Nehring (6th grade) for Have You Been Mooned? (Study of Jupiter, its four Galilean moons and Johannes Kepler’s Third Law of Planetary motion) Joe Pope (6th Grade) Got Oil? The Study of Oil Absorption in Rocks

Hannah DeKay and Raelen Barr – Team Project (8th Grade) How Does Temperature Affect the pH of Cement Creek?

Brisha Wakasugi (12th Grade) The Minnie Lynch: A Comparative Study in the Effects of Parent Material on Water Quality in Ephemeral Streams

There were many fine projects and the judges enjoyed interviewing the all of the students and giving them an opportunity to discuss their work.

Congratulations to the all participants

of this year’s Colorado Science and Engineering Fair!

»


Velocity Trends in Cretaceous Rocks in Wyoming Laramide Basins WSGS-2012-RI-62. Available from the Wyoming Geological Survey for $19.50.http://sales.wsgs.uwyo.edu/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=3409

June 201328Vol. 62, No. 6 28

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

June 201328Vol. 62, No. 6

www.rmag.org29OUTCROP www.rmag.org29OUTCROP

June 201330Vol. 62, No. 6 30

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June 201332Vol. 62, No. 6 32

Eli Smith works as a Wellsite Geologist at Columbine Logging

Jeff Faber works as a Sr. Staff Geologist at Hunt Oil Company

Milo Twiford works as a Technical Advisor at DataLog Technology

J. Dominic Pitre works as at Empirica Surface Logging, Inc.

Richard Woods lives in Denver, Colorado

Jack Flannery lives in Houston, Texas

Richard Fritz works as a Sr. Geologist at SM Energy

New MembersWelcome to New RMAG Members...

Nicholas Parrillo works as a Geologist at Cinco Resources

Aaron Summerfield works as a Geologist at ConocoPhillips

James Childs works as a Jr. Geologist at Recovery Energy

Howard Rough works at RockPile Energy Services

Michael McAuley works at Empirica Logging Company

Matthew Huhnke works as a Vice President - Exploration at Silver Hill Energy Partners

www.breckex.comTexas Office • Ph: 254-559-7566 • Fax: 254-559-6337

2301 US Hwy 180 East • P.O. Box 789 • Breckenridge, TX 76424Denver Office • Ph: 303-563-5301 • Fax: 303.260.6401

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Lana Lipinski works at SEI

Wayne Wheeler works as a Sr VP NE at Seitel

Eric Billmeyer works at UCCS

John Asma works as a VP of Marketing at GeoCenter LP

Joshua Lockwood-Coughlin lives in Colorado

Nikki Oliver works at The Discovery Group

Matthew Costinett works as an Attorney at Dufford & Brown, P.C.

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New Members

»

William McConathy works as President at TERRACORE

Steve Enger lives in Lakewood, Colorado

Jeff Binder lives in Overland Park, Kansas

Timothy Olson lives in Centennial, Colorado

Kalen Smith works as a Field Geologist at Softrock Geological Services

Jacquelyn Holt lives in Lakewood, Colorado

Scott Corlett lives in Denver, Colorado

Chamandika Warusavitharana lives in Longmont, Colorado

June 201334Vol. 62, No. 6

In Memoriam: Willson Willard Bell

In Memoriam: Fredrick Howard Reiter

Willson (Bill) Bell was born April 6, 1927 in Limon, Colorado and passed away on March 7, 2013 in Centennial, Colorado after suffering a stroke in January. He was the oldest of four children of Clinton and Dorothy Bell.

After graduating from Limon High School in 1945, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving until 1947. He attended Colorado University from 1948 to 1952, earning a B.A. in Geology. Bill married Temple Brown in 1955 and they remained happily married for 58 years. They had two children – David and Patricia.

During his career, he worked as an exploration geologist for a number of companies, including Midwest Oil Co., W. C. McBride and Odessa Oil & Gas Co. In 1979 he was a principal in starting EXCOA Oil and Gas, Inc., a publicly traded company, and served as Vice President, Exploration Manager and Director.

Bill was a longtime member of RMAG and served as Secretary in 1968, Treasurer in 1974, 2nd Vice President in 1981 and worked on a number of committees, including the golf tournament committee. He also was a member of the AAPG and the Wyoming Geological Association.

In 1985, Bill and Temple joined the Peace Corps and served for two and a half years in Sierra Leone, Africa – he as a geologist helping to develop potable water and she as a nurse.

Memorial

Willson Willard Bell

Willson (Bill) Bell was born April 6, 1927 in Limon, Colorado and passed away on March 7, 2013 in Centennial, Colorado after suffering a stroke in January.

He was the oldest of four children of Clinton and Dorothy Bell. After graduating from Limon High School in 1945, he enlisted in the U.S.

Navy, serving until 1947. He attended Colorado University from 1948 to 1952, earning a B.A. in Geology. Bill married Temple Brown in 1955 and they remained happily married for 58 years. They had two children – David and Patricia. During his career, he worked as an exploration geologist for a number of companies, including Midwest Oil Co., W. C. McBride and Odessa Oil & Gas Co. In 1979 he was a principal in starting EXCOA Oil and Gas, Inc., a publicly traded company, and served as Vice President, Exploration Manager and Director. Bill was a longtime member of RMAG and served as Secretary in 1968, Treasurer in 1974, 2nd Vice President in 1981 and worked on a number of committees, including the golf tournament committee. He also was a member of the AAPG and the Wyoming Geological Association. In 1985, Bill and Temple joined the Peace Corps and served for two and a half years in Sierra Leone, Africa – he as a geologist helping to develop potable water and she as a nurse. Bill was active in many other volunteering areas throughout his life. He served his church as a Sunday school teacher and served as President of his Home Owners Association for many years, but his favorite volunteer work was at the Denver Metro CareRing food bank. He was very active in Boy Scouts of America and was a longtime Scoutmaster of Troop 457. Bill was awarded the “Silver Beaver Award” for lifetime adult contributions to scouting, an award he was especially proud of since his father had also received it. Bill's passion was golf and many mornings he and a friend would play 9-holes at Pinehurst CC before going to work. While his interest in golf waned later in life, he had a single digit handicap and was extremely competitive with his peers during his playing years. Bill enjoyed wearing colorful golf attire and his children often accused him of wearing “Godfather” pants – “God, father, you're not going to wear those, are you?” He was also an avid rock collector – his diamond saw located in the basement cut many a specimen for himself and friends. Geodes were his favorite and he imported many from South America to cut for display and to give to his friends. Bill Bell will be fondly remembered by his friends for all of these things and, to his family, he will also be remembered as a wonderful husband and father. John Oty, Green Valley, AZ

By John Oty, Green Valley, AZ

By Roy H. Dubitzky

Fred H. Reiter will be remembered as an extraordinary man and a real gentleman by his family, friends and collegues. He was a petroleum geologist, downhill skier, back packer, fly fisherman, hunter and avid bridge player. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, February 2, 1925, Fred devoted his life to his family, country, church and his career as an oil exploration geologist. He died April 1, 2013 at age 88 and is survived by 6 children, 15

grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren and a younger brother.

Fred joined the Air Force during World War II. After high school and hit time in the armed service, he attended the University of Michigan and received a degree in Forestry and a Master’s degree in Geology. Fred and his wife moved to Midland, Texas in 1951 where he started his geological career with Standard Oil Company of Texas.

Bill was active in many other volunteering areas throughout his life. He served his church as a Sunday school teacher and served as President of his Home Owners Association for many years, but his favorite volunteer work was at the Denver Metro CareRing food bank. He was very active in Boy Scouts of America and was a longtime Scoutmaster of Troop 457. Bill was awarded the “Silver Beaver Award” for lifetime adult contributions to scouting, an award he was especially proud of since his father had also received it.

Bill's passion was golf and many mornings he and a friend would play 9-holes at Pinehurst CC before going to work. While his interest in golf waned later in life, he had a single digit handicap and was extremely competitive with his peers during his playing years. Bill enjoyed wearing colorful golf attire and his children often accused him of wearing “Godfather” pants – “God, father, you're not going to wear those, are you?” He was also an avid rock collector – his diamond saw located in the basement cut many a specimen for himself and friends. Geodes were his favorite and he imported many from South America to cut for display and to give to his friends.

Bill Bell will be fondly remembered by his friends for all of these things and, to his family, he will also be remembered as a wonderful husband and father.


He also worked to Sohio and LL&E in Midland. LL&E transferred him to Denver, Colorado in 1973 where he worked as an exploration geologist in the Rocky Mountain basins. Fred joined the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists soon after moving to Denver and was a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists since 1952.

Fred cont inued his career with Buckhorn Petroleum Co. and became a consulting geologist when Walter Arbuckle and Elliott Riggs commissioned him to make a prospect study of the Minnelusa sand in the Powder River basin of Wyoming. He continued his consulting business until he retired in 1997.

»

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“With URTeC, the key disciplines and technologies engaged in the development of North American resource plays have �nally come together for one integrated event.”

Luis R. BaezTechnical Director — Unconventional ResourcesBG Group

URTeC: The Integrated Event for Oil & Gas Asset TeamsLearn real-world, integrated solutions for the way you work today at URTeC, the Unconventional Resources Technology Conference, 12-14 August 2013 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. From exploration to appraisal to development and production, URTeC unites the disciplines and technologies focused on North American resource play development. URTeC is fueled by three of the world’s leading scienti�c societies — collectively, SPE, AAPG and SEG — which embody more than 170,000 oil and gas professionals worldwide. This conference and exhibition will showcase the science, products and solutions best suited for this dynamic industry.

The Opening Plenary Session — Unconventional Resources: Breakthrough Integration Changes Everything — explores the foundational practices that, when leveraged by innovative integration in a multidisciplinary environment “moves the needle” across the value chain of unconventional resource identi�cation, assessment and monetization.

Scott D. Shef�eldChief Executive Of�cer Pioneer Natural Resources

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John RichelsPresident & Chief Executive Of�cer Devon Energy Corporation

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Opening Plenary Session Speakers

T E C H N I C A L P R E S E N TAT I O N S | E - PA P E R S | N E T WO R K I N G R E C E P T I O N S | T O P I C A L B R E A K FA S T S & L U N C H E O N S | E X H I B I T I O N

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June 201338Vol. 62, No. 6 38

»

Last Chance Lacustrine Basin Exploration Field Seminar June 9-16, 2013 Utah

Summer Education Conference – 12 courses over 5 days! June 10-14-2013 Fort Worth, Texas

Field Seminars Seismic Interpretation in Fold-and-Thrust Belts July 21-27, 2013 Canada

Fractures, Fold and Faults in Thrusted Terrains July 22-27, 2013 Montana

Structure, Tectonics and Sedimentary Basin Analysis August 17-25, 2013 Montana

Sedimentology and Sequence Stratigraphic Response of Paralic September 19-26, 2013 Deposits to Changes in Accommodation Colorado/Utah

Complex Carbonate Reservoirs Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2013 Italy

Short Courses Basic Well Log Analysis July 29-Aug. 2, 2013 Golden, CO

Application of Structural Geology in Prospecting in August 19-23, 2013 Thrusted and Extensional Terrain Jackson Hole, WY

Fractured Reservoirs: From Geologic Concepts To Reservoir Models September 9-13, 2013 Casper, WY

Practical Salt Tectonics November 4-7, 2013 Houston, TX

Online Leadership and Strategic Thinking in the Oil & Gas Industry Traditional course

Introduction to Shale Gas

Unconventional Resources

Registration and Information:

UPCOMING EDUCATION SCHEDULE

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The personalities of engineers and geoscientists are typically very different. And when it comes to corporate risk/reward assessment, company incentives for these individuals are often counter to the overall end goal: higher IP and superior well performance among the peer group. For example, drilling team metrics and operating personnel objectives are often counter to maintaining geological target objectives (staying in zone) and achieving maximum overall production (highest possible EUR). As a result, these divergent drivers may create dichotomies between individual personas due to personalities, personal motivation and company goals, and therefore create conflict between otherwise closely aligned asset team members.

We will explore the trade-offs of staying in the targeted zone (sweet spot) by carefully steering the well and monitoring every move along the way versus drilling ahead for maximum ROP (rate-of-penetration) and less NPT (non-productive time). The goal of the paper is to provide a basis for better understanding what makes the drilling team itchy and uncomfortable versus the overall benefits of staying in zone…sometimes the extra deliberations or seemly costly modifications in a drilling plan do in fact pay big dividends…or do they? What both engineers and geologists need to know!

“Honing the Zone” or “Just Let Me Drill it”: The Trade-Offs in Drilling the Perfect Horizontal WellBy K.C. Oren, Horizontal Solutions Int’l (HSI TrueTime™ Services), [email protected], member: AAPG, SPE, RMAG, HGS, AGS, PAPG, OGS, June 5

»RMAG Luncheon Programs – June 5th and July 10th

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

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

or register online.


We will explore the trade-offs of staying in the targeted zone (sweet spot) by carefully steering the well and monitoring every move along the way versus drilling ahead for maximum ROP (rate-of-penetration) and less NPT (non-productive time).

Your attendance is welcomed and encouraged. Bring a guest

or new member!

June 201340Vol. 62, No. 6 40

Mud deposition often has been attributed to slow fallout from suspension into low-energy, frequently anoxic, settings. In reality, sediment delivery and resulting organic content, grain size, and lithology are quite variable. Understanding sedimentologic processes help us better describe mudrock cores and interpret stratigraphic and basinal variations in reservoir quality and mechanical properties.

Compositional variability reflects the complex interaction of biologic productivity, detrital input, organic preservation vs. destruction, and diagenesis. Intrabasinal biogenic material includes calcareous and siliceous hard parts of zooplankton and phytoplankton; cellular matter from algae, bacteria, spores, and pollen; fecal pellets; and feeding nets. Much of this matter sinks rapidly as aggregates, not individual particles, removing it from shallow, oxidizing waters. At the sea floor, suspension and deposit feeders (e.g., polychaetes and nematodes) may ingest the organics, reducing carbon content.

Biogenic influx is not constant. Extrabasinal carbonate and/or siliceous detritus vies with, and often overwhelms, intrabasinal input. Much extrabasinal material is delivered under the influence of storm waves or density flows. Storms suspend and mold bottom sediment, variably producing wave-enhanced sediment-gravity flows, graded tempestites, and hummocky and wave-rippled bedforms. Hyperpycnal deposits form as rivers transit through flood cycles. Ignitive events yield slides, slumps, debrites, and turbidites. Sedimentary structures produced by these various processes may be difficult to recognize or interpret. They typically are subtle, due to small variations in grain size and/or post-depositional bioturbation, or very thin.

Thus, the paradigm of grain-by-grain settling of mud onto a deep, quiet, stagnant sea floor is being revised. The concomitant slow, continuous rain of organic matter is unlikely. Instead, mud accumulates under dynamic conditions. Active bottom currents are frequent. Persistent bottom-water anoxia is overestimated; diminutive, often “cryptic”, bioturbation is common. These interacting processes produce deposits of varying reservoir quality and cycles of various frequencies - seasonal, climatic, tectonic, and eustatic – that can be interpreted in core, outcrop, and well logs. Consequently, the study of mudrock sedimentology is generating new concepts that can be applied to rock description and appraisal and mapping of drilling targets.

RMAG LuncheonsContinued from page 39

The Sedimentology of Mudrocks: Organics, Organisms, and Occasional OccurrencesBy Jeffrey A. May, PhD, Chief Geologist (Retired), EOG Resources, July 10

At the sea floor, suspension and deposit feeders (e.g., polychaetes and nematodes) may ingest the organics, reducing carbon content.

»


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USGS Releases New Oil and Gas Assessment for Bakken and Three Forks Formations

The Bakken and Three Forks Formations contain an estimated mean of 7.4 billion barrels of u n d i s c ove r e d , te c h n i c a l l y recoverable oil. The updated assessment for the Bakken and Three Forks represents a twofold increase over what has previously b e e n t h o u g h t . T h e s e t wo formations are also estimated to contain a mean of 6.7 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas and 0.53 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas liquids, a threefold increase for both resources.

The geological foundation that underpins the assessment was facilitated by data provided by the North Dakota Geological Survey, North Dakota Industrial Commission, Montana Board of Oil and Gas, and multiple industry groups working in this region. This new information and data allowed USGS to develop a more robust geologic model and understanding of the petroleum system of the Bakken and Three Forks Formations.

See http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2013/3013/ to download a pdf of the assessment.

June 201342Vol. 62, No. 6 42

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Back IssuesA bibliography and index is available on the RMAG

website (1964-2009, see The Mountain Geologist web 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.

Submit a Manuscript to

»

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

helping the communities in which we live and work grow and prosper. It’s about providing our employees with

opportunities to make positive contributions and constantly challenging ourselves to fif ind better solutions. It’s about

continuously striving to be a better industry partner and leaving behind a legacy of sustainability wherever we can.

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June 201344Vol. 62, No. 6 44

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.

June 5, 2013RMAG Luncheon. Speaker KC Oren. “Honing the

Zone or Just Let Me Drill It: Trade-Offs in Drilling the Perfect Horizontal Well.”

June 6, 2013RMS-AAPG Young Professionals Happy Hour.

Paramount Café 4:30-6:30.

June 11, 2013Desk and Derrick Luncheon. For reservations,

please contact [email protected].

June 13, 2013DGS Luncheon.

June 17-20, 2013SIPES Annual Meeting. Santa Fe, NM.

2013 PROPOSED ON-THE-ROCKS FIELD TRIPSMonth/Day

June 22nd

July 20th

August 17th

Sept. 7th

Topic/Destination

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)

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

Denis Foley, Phyllis Scott

Phyllis Scott

Cat Campbell

Sandra Mark

June 18, 2013DWLS Summer Event.

June 20, 2013RMAG Short Course. One Day Carbonate Ichnology

Course. Instructed by George Pemberton and Thomas DeKeyser.

June 22, 2013RMAG On the Rocks Field Trip. Eagle Basin, CO.

June 22-26, 2013SPWLA Annual Symposium. New Orleans, LA.

June 27, 2013 RMAG Golf Tournament. Fossil Trace Golf Club,

Golden, CO.

June 26, 2013Oilfield Christian Fellowship Luncheon. To RSVP

call Barb Burrell at 303-675-2602 or e-mail [email protected].

»


PTTC Summer Workshops Petra Basics Tuesday and Wednesday, June 11-12, 2013, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Colorado School of Mines, Berthoud Hall room 201 Fee: $500, includes food at breaks, workbook, and PDH certificate. Limit 20 Instructor: Jewel Wellborn, Hydrocarbon Exploration & Development, Inc. Topics include:

Petra Main Module - Fm Top Organization, Zone Functions, and Computation of Isopach. Petra Mapping Module - Structure and Isopach using Gridding Functions and Hand Edits. Petra Cross Section Module - Correlation of Sand Bodies, and Reinterpretation of Isopachs Additional exercises and topics based on class participants interest

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) Course is for petroleum industry personnel in need of basic geological training. Course participants include: engineering, geophysical, technical support, and administrative personnel. Topics covered include: plate tectonics and sedimentary basins, geologic time; the petroleum system; depositional systems; porosity and permeability; conventional reservoirs; unconventional reservoirs; well log correlation and analysis; contour maps and cross sections; source rocks and seals. The Instructor: Dr. Stephen A. Sonnenberg is a Professor and holds the Charles Boettcher Distinguished Chair in Petroleum Geology at the Colorado School of Mines. He specializes in unconventional reservoirs, sequence stratigraphy, tectonic influence on sedimentation, and petroleum geology. A native of Billings, Montana, Sonnenberg received BS and MS degrees in geology from Texas A&M University and a Ph.D. degree in geology from the Colorado School of Mines. He has over twenty-five years’ experience in the industry.

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) This one-day short course provides a broad, basic understanding of various petroleum engineering topics for non-engineers. The focus of the course is placed on the design, construction, stimulation, and production of wells. Specific topics discussed include the drilling of wells, rig types, wellbore integrity and design, completion types, casing and tubing definitions, downhole tools such as packers, formation damage, and stimulation including hydraulic fracturing. As the title implies, the course is designed for those who work in the oil and gas industry but do not have a technical background in subsurface topics. Previous attendees that have found the course useful include landmen, technicians, accountants, financiers, and field personnel. The Instructor: Dr. Jennifer Miskimins is an Associate Professor in the Petroleum Engineering Department at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) in Golden, Colorado, USA. Dr. Miskimins holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in petroleum engineering. Prior to joining CSM, she worked for Marathon Oil Company in a variety of locations. Dr. Miskimins is the founder and Director of the Fracturing, Acidizing, Stimulation Technology (FAST) Consortium at CSM. She teaches a variety of courses including completions and stimulation classes, geologic field camps, and petroleum economics courses at CSM and as industry short courses.

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

June 201346Vol. 62, No. 6 46

RMAG GeoLand Ski Day 2013, Copper Mountain, Colorado

Another great day of skiing and socializing at Copper Mountain!


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

June 201348Vol. 62, No. 6 48

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...

June 2013 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

Advertisers Index

RMAG Luncheon Speaker: K.C. Oren

AAPG ................................ 25, 37, 38

Bowler Petrophysics ....................31

Breckenridge Expl. Inc. ...............32

Canadian Discovery ..................... 31

Columbine Logging ......................41

Decollement Consulting, Inc ......36

The Discovery Group, Inc. ............19

Dolan Integration Group ..............20

Donovan Brothers Inc. .................33

Donze, Terry .................................. 31

Fluid Inclusion Technologies 35, 42

Geosteering ....................................27

Horizontal Solutions Intl. ........27, 44

Karo, James C. .............................. 33

Kestrel Geoscience, LLC .................4

Kluth and Associates .......................9

Leaverite Exploration Inc. ...............6

MJ Systems ................................... 26

Mazzullo Energy Corp. .................. 41

Noble Energy ................................. 43

PTTC .........................................21, 45

Quantum Water Consulting .......... 31

RMAG ......................................... 2, 21

RPM Geologic, LLC ....................... 10

Rose & Associates ...................... 47

SEG ...............................................37

SPE ...............................................37

Stone, Don ...................................13

TGS ...............................................30

Vista GeoScience, David Seneshen ..........................33

Vista GeoScience, John V. Fontana ...........................31

Weatherford Laboratories ......7, 36

Weber Law Firm, LLC .................... 9

Whitehead, Neil H., III .................25

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On the Rocks Field

TripFATHER'S DAY

Desk & Derrick

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