september 2015 outcrop

Volume 64 • No. 9 • September 2015

OUTCROPNewsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

OUTCROP | September 2015 2 Vol. 64, No. 9 | www.rmag.org

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Vol. 64, No. 9 | www.rmag.org 3 OUTCROP | September 2015

Vol. 64, No. 9 | www.rmag.org 3 Outcrop | September 2015

OUTCROPThe Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

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.

910 16th Street • Suite 1214 • Denver, CO 80202 • 303-573-8621

PRESIDENTMarv [email protected]

PRESIDENT-ELECTJohn Ladd

[email protected]

TREASURER-ELECTTom Sperr

[email protected]

2nd VICE PRESIDENTChris Eisinger

[email protected]

1st VICE PRESIDENTMel Klinger

[email protected]

SECRETARYStephanie B. Gaswirth

[email protected]

1st YEAR COUNSELORJane Estes-Jackson

[email protected]

TREASURERPaul Lillis

[email protected]

2nd YEAR COUNSELOR Terri Olson

[email protected]

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORCarrie Veatch, MA

[email protected]

MEMBERSHIP & EVENTS MANAGER

Hannah [email protected]

PROJECTS SPECIALISTEmily Tompkins Lewis

[email protected]

ACCOUNTANTCarol Dalton

[email protected]

MANAGING EDITORWill Duggins

[email protected]

ASSOCIATE EDITORSHolly Sell

[email protected]

Greg [email protected]

Cheryl [email protected]

Andre [email protected]

DESIGN/PRODUCTIONNate Silva

[email protected]

2015 OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS RMAG STAFF

WEDNESDAY NOON LUNCHEON RESERVATIONS

RMAG Office: 303-573-8621 | Fax: 303-476-2241 | [email protected] or www.rmag.org

The Outcrop is a monthly publication of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Rates and sizes can be found on page 55. Advertising rates apply to either black and white or 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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OUTCROPNewsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

FEATURES

15 RMAG & RMAG Foundation: Award for Excellence in Teaching Earth Sciences

16 Lead Story: The Denver Basin Trilogy

38 What’s New at the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument?

48 Discover the Geologic Secrets of The Denver Earth Resource Library

50 RMAG On The Rocks Field Trips

DEPARTMENTS

6 RMAG July 2015 Board of Directors Meeting

8 President’s Letter

14 Welcome New RMAG Members!

28 Mineral of the Month: Calcite

31 In The Pipeline

32 RMAG Luncheon programs: Louis J. Mazzullo

36 RMAG Luncheon programs: Terri Olson

54 Calendar

55 Advertiser Index

55 Outcrop Advertising Rates

ASSOCIATION NEWS

2 RMAG 2015 Summit Sponsors

37 RMAG Rockbusters Ball

45 RMAG Hot Plays Fall Symposium

47 RMAG Fall Symposium Core Workshop

48 RMAG Geologists’ Student Event

49 RMAG Sporting Clay Tournament

53 3D Seismic Symposium

54 RMAG Foundation

COVER PHOTOVallecito Conglomerate in Vallecito Creek, approximately 20 miles northeast of Durango, CO. Precambrian quartz-pebble conglomerate showing milky quartz and bright red-orange jasper.

Unlike similar Precambrian conglomerates, most notably the famous gold-rich Witwatersrand in South Africa, the Vallecito Conglomerate was derived from unmineralized highlands and is not auriferous.

Photo Copyright © Carl F. Brink 2015

References for Further Reading:

Barker, F., 1969, Gold Investigations in Precambrian Clastic and Pelitic Rocks, Southwestern Colorado and Northern New Mexico: USGS Bulletin 1272-F.

Barker, F., 1969, Precambrian Geology of the Needle Mountains, Southwestern Colorado: USGS Professional Paper 644-A.

CONTENTS

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The July meeting of the RMAG Board of Direc-tors was held on July 15, 2015 at 4 p.m. I was do-ing some summer traveling, so President-Elect John Ladd graciously offered to take the minutes for the meeting.

The July luncheon was well attended; be sure to sign up for upcoming luncheons as they have been selling-out! The 2015 RMAG Fall Sympo-sium on Thursday, October 8, has expanded its speaker schedule to include more data-robust and thought-provoking presentations. Registration is open for what is certain to be an exciting technical event. There will also be a core workshop the fol-lowing day. Space is limited and registration for this event will open in early August. Registration is now open for the Sporting Clay Event on September 17th at the Kiowa Creek Sporting Club.

Earlier this month, the inaugural meeting of the Corporate Advisory Board occurred and Matt Silver-man was elected committee chair. This committee will hold bi-annual meetings, and includes senior geoscience managers from a variety of companies and institutions in the region who will advise the RMAG Board on technical training and other pro-grams that will best support our membership.

Enjoy the remainder of summer! I hope yours has been as sweet as mine (picture from Hershey-park)!

RMAG JULY 2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

By Stephanie Gaswirth, Secretary

[email protected]

Kestrel Geoscience, LLCLittleton, CO USA

Phone: (303) 933-5805 Cell: (720) 375-3015

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Thomas E. Hoak, Ph.D.Consulting Geoscientist

Structural GeologySeismic InterpretationMagnetic and Gravity InterpretationBasin Analysis and RestorationRegional Desk StudiesIntegrated ExplorationProspect GenerationPresentation Graphics

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EL GEOSCIENCE, LLC

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My first geology publication, “My Rock Collection,” appeared in Canton Elementary School’s 1988 collection of poems. De-spite this early success, I did not begin my career in geology for 20 years; a start date that clas-sifies me as a young profession-al (Y.P.).

Since day one at my first job at Encana, mentors have played a vital role in my successes pro-fessionally and personally. I would like to thank those O.P.s

for their pa-tience, honesty, and tolerance.

Our RMAG president, one of my mentors, Marv, did an outstanding job last month sum-marizing the disparity in age and experience in the work force and his experience with the im-portance of mentors. One line in particular caught my atten-tion and I think it illustrates how

Marv is an exceptional mentor: “geologists at any career stage can contribute significantly, each in their own way.” With that in mind, here we go; the Young-uns’ perspective on things.

1. WHAT I HAVE LEARNED (SO FAR!) FROM O.P.S.

Marv says that O.P.s are sto-rytellers; I agree and add that they are a highly quotable bunch with, for the most part, good ad-vice (see Figure 1, a slide from a presentation Matt Silverman, RMAG past president and an-other mentor, gave to a group of Y.P.s). These anecdotes from years of trials and tribulations are an incredible source of in-sight for us Y.P.s. For every new situation I face, from drilling is-sues to a crash in commodity price, the O.P.s have been there and survived.

The key for the Y.P. genera-tion is to listen, be open-mind-ed, and understand that the lat-est technology is not always the answer. I have learned to ask questions when I am unsure

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

By Cat Campbell

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Receiving the Torch

Guest columnist Cat Campbell

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PRESIDENT’S LETTER

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of something because one of my men-tors has experienced that exact scenar-io before and can help me work through it. We don’t always need to reinvent the wheel or be overwhelmed with a challenge.

Malcom Gladwell, in his book, The Tipping Point, says when you do some-thing correctly 10,000 times, you get good at it. The O.P.s in my world haven’t drilled 10,000 wells, but they’ve drilled a lot more than I have.

O.P.s, please keep telling stories and offering advice, we will work on putting away our technology (see #3), listening and doing the right thing.

2. WHAT Y.P.S CAN TEACH O.P.S.There is often a shortcut. This is

a speciality of the Y.P. My philosophy on software is that if you want it to do something, there is a way that it is al-ready programmed to do that or you can make it do what you want. O.P.s: you get frustrated at us when we start clicking away. Please note, I am not im-plying that O.Ps. are not good with com-puters by any means (although don’t get me started on PowerPoint), but the Y.P. group tends to understand that eventu-ally we can find the solution. Ask or al-low us to show you what new trick we


» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

President’s Letter

FIGURE 1: Great advice from Matt Silverman

FIGURE 2: Cat Campbell hiking with a key mentor, Terri Olson

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PTTC Presents: Workshops to Improve Your Skills

Reservoir Engineering for Petroleum Professionals Wednesday, September 9, 2015, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Colorado School of Mines, Ben Parker Student Center, Ballroom A Fee: $250, includes food at breaks, workbook, and PDH certificate. Instructor: Dr. Luis Zerpa, PhD. Assistant Professor, Colorado School of Mines This one day short course presents an overview of the fundamental concepts used in petroleum reservoir engineering. Starting with the definition and classification of petroleum reservoirs, and with the presentation of fundamental rock and fluid properties, the instructor will guide the participants in the application of engineering methods for estimation of initial fluid distribution in a reservoir and the estimation of initial volume of hydrocarbons in place. Additionally, this short course will include a brief introduction to unconventional reservoirs, and the application of engineering methods to the estimation of reserves of unconventional reservoirs. At the conclusion of the class participants will:

• Define petroleum reservoirs (conventionals and unconventionals). • Classify petroleum reservoirs (conventionals and unconventionals). • Identify reservoir primary drive mechanisms. • Apply volumetric method for estimation of reserves in petroleum reservoirs. • Apply material balance method for estimation of reserves in petroleum reservoirs. • Classify petroleum resources using up to date definition systems (SPE PRMS). • Apply material balance methods to estimate reservoir performance and recovery. • Apply engineering methods to estimate water influx from aquifer in natural water drive petroleum

reservoirs. • Apply decline curve analysis to estimate reservoir performance and recovery. • Apply reservoir engineering methods to unconventional reservoirs.

Decline Curve Analysis and Economics – A Basic Introduction Wednesday, September 23, 2015, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Colorado School of Mines, Ben Parker Student Center, Ballroom C Fee: $250, includes food at breaks, workbook, and PDH certificate. Instructor: Dr. L. Peter Galusky, Jr. P.E. Principal Environmental Eng. Texerra LLC. This one-day course will provide an overview and primer on the use of decline curve forecasting of oil and gas production and economics. The course may be useful to engineering and economic professionals needing a hands-on, practical understanding of decline curve analysis to make them more effective users of petroleum economics software. Following a review of basic mathematics (tailored to class needs), Microsoft Excel will be used to “build” decline curve models and to do mathematical and economic computations. Expected course outcomes include an understanding of the mathematical concepts of decline curve analysis and the use of these methods in forecasting oil and gas production and economics. This is a beginning-level course for entry-level professionals and those new to decline curve analysis. Students are encouraged (but not required) to bring laptop computers to class. Well-Log Sequence Stratigraphy: Applications to Sandstones and Shales Tuesday – Thursday, December 8-10, 2015, 8:30 am – 5 pm, Colorado School of Mines, Ben Parker Student Center, Ballroom C Fee: $750, includes food at breaks, class notes, and PDH certificate Instructor: Dr. Jeff May This seminar provides a hands-on, practical approach to the sequence stratigraphic analysis of well logs and its application to well-log correlations. The course is conducted in a workshop format within which participants are introduced to the basic concepts and models of sequence stratigraphy, followed by numerous exercises.

Class Descriptions and Register Online: www.pttcrockies.org

For more information, contact Mary Carr, 303.273.3107, [email protected]

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just figured out. It makes us feel appreciated (Figure 2).

3. HOW WE LEARN/LIVE/WORK/THINK DIFFERENTLY.

Growing up in the last few decades of the 20th cen-tury was different than growing up in the middle few decades of the 20th century (Figure 3; some of you are shaking your heads muttering “understatement!”). Tech-nology has been at our fingertips since we were middle schoolers, or earlier, and has changed our expectations of delivery time and accessibility of data. We want things fast-paced and digital. It is not impatience, but rather a style that enables us to work fast and in a way in which we are comfortable. The world is constantly changing and we want to change with it.

When I start working a new area, which these days is about once a month, I Google it; much to the chagrin of my three local O.P.s. Google is fast and always sends me down a path to find the data I am looking for. We prefer searchable access to information rather than a person-al library. Although the minds of some of my local O.P.s are personal libraries, maybe that’s why they don’t rely on Google?

TO THE FUTUREI feel fortunate to be a young professional at this

time when experienced professionals remain active as geologists in the work force as well as with professional societies such as RMAG. There is a wealth of knowledge out there and it is up to us to be sure it is passed to the Y.P.s before our O.P.s throw in the towel and ski full time. Thank you to Marv for both being my mentor and giving me the opportunity to write this column.


President’s Letter

Marv Brittenham in 1982 (right)

Cat Campbell in 1982

FIGURE 3: 1982 OP versus YP

While the O.P.’s were starting their careers many of the Y.P’s were just getting started on life

THE BOOK CLIFFS, UTAH: A CASE STUDY IN COASTAL SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY

2015 Schedule 20 – 24 April 18 – 22 May 24 – 28 Aug

Course led by: William W. LiLle, Ph.D. InformaOon and sign up at:

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Rod Blackford works at Two Olive Trees

LLC in Las Cruces, NM.

Matthew Buoniconti is a Geologist at C12

Energy in Denver, CO.

Nur Uddin Md Khaled Chowdhury

is a student in Lubbock, TX.

Mark Germinario is an Exploration Manager at Beacon

E&P complany in Denver, CO.

Chris Hall is an Advisor Geologist at SM

Energy in Denver, CO.

Sean Horne is a student in littleton, CO.

Scott Manwaring is a Geosteerer at Whiting Petroleum

Corporation in Denver, CO.

Allison Mast is a student in El Paso, TX.

Geoffrey Rigsby is a Regional Manager at Vibra-

Tech, Inc. in Austin, TX.

Amanda Waller is a Sales Representative at Core

Laboratories in Denver, CO.

WELCOME NEW RMAG MEMBERS!

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At the July 1st luncheon, the Rocky Mountain As-sociation of Geologists Foundation has honored a teacher that actively promotes excellence in teach-ing of earth science with its “Teacher of the Year Award.” The RMAG, K-12 Education and Outreach Committee, solicits and judges applications sub-mitted by teachers from the Front Range area. The award, which is made possible by generous dona-tions and supporters of the RMAG Foundation, con-sists of a plaque and a $1000 cash award.

The 2015 recipient of the RMAG Excellence in Teaching Award is Mr. Kent Hups. Kent is a gradu-ate of the Metropolitan State University where he earned a B.S. degree in Geology and Business Ad-ministration. Kent teaches Geology, Biology, Meteo-rology, Applied Physical Science, and Environmental Science to students in grades 9 through 12 at North-glenn STEM High School. He has been a teacher for the past 14 years.

Kent provides all of his students with opportuni-ties to become scientists and to experience scientif-ic discoveries, regardless of their background or so-cioeconomic disposition. He exposes his students to real science. His students experience what profes-sional scientists do as they participate in life chang-ing activities. Kent constantly challenges his stu-dents and pushes them to new levels.

Kent’s colleagues describe him as a competent, focused, and valuable educator, who is perceptive to all components of the educational process and is committed to his student’s education. He is valued as a “student focused” educator and a leader.

Outside the classroom, Kent has contributed his talents at a professional level to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, where he played a role in the excavation, data collection, and specimen cataloging at the Snowmastodon Project near Snowmass. After the excavation, Kent continued to contribute to the project by developing a hands-on training program for his students, who sorted through the remains of thousands of pounds of Pleistocene sediments in the

search of small bones and seeds. Kent’s efforts be-came the focus of a project for his students, who re-searched the specimens on their own and present-ed their findings to a panel of scientists. Recognized by the museum for his successes, Kent was chosen to oversee the science projects of 10 high school teens, which were part of the museum’s Teen Schol-ars Program. All of these students exceeded origi-nal expectations. One student was selected to par-ticipate in the National Science Fair in Washington D.C., where she personally presented her project to the President.

Clearly, Kent embodies all the characteristics of a teacher who has made a lasting impact on our youth by changing their lives in a positive way. His work and contributions are visibly growing the next gen-eration of earth scientists. It is to people like Kent that we owe our gratitude for developing young minds and for planting the seeds of passion for ge-ology and the sciences. Kent represents the best of those who teach earth science and is a very deserv-ing educator worthy to be presented the RMAG’s 2015 Teacher of the Year Award.

—Jerry Cuzella

RMAG & RMAG Foundation

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SECTION 2015 AWARDEES

Award for Excellence in Teaching Earth Sciences - 2015

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The Denver Basin Trilogy

LEAD STORY

The Colorado Geological Survey Brings Geology to Groundwater in the Denver Basin at a New Level

iSto

ck.co

m

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Lead story

INTRODUCTIONThe Denver hydrologic basin

supplies groundwater to hun-dreds of thousands of residents along Colorado’s urban corri-dor. Defined by the extent of the Fox Hills Sandstone within the greater Denver structural ba-sin, the Denver hydrologic ba-sin, or Denver Basin to the water community, extends south 120 miles from Greeley to Colorado Springs, and east 80 miles from Golden to Limon (Figure 1). It has a long history of geologic in-vestigation with a growing focus on groundwater in the 1970s and 80s. In response to increas-ing reliance on groundwater re-sources through the 1970s, the Colorado Legislature passed Senate Bill 5, signed into law by Governor Lamm in 1985, calling for promulgation of the Denver Basin Rules. These rules codi-fied the Denver Basin bedrock aquifers according to geologic interpretations of the strata at the time, using available surface and subsurface data, following standard subsurface correla-tion methodology. Delineation of distinct regional aquifers was based on well-to-well geophys-ical log correlations that sought to delineate basin-wide imper-meable shale layer barriers. The bedrock aquifer names, Lara-mie-Fox Hills, Arapahoe, Denver, and Dawson, have almost be-come household names. Yet the public, along with many water planners and engineers, do not recognize the complexity of the geologic context of the bedrock aquifer system. For many, the

Denver Basin bedrock aquifer system is mysterious and, at the same time, over-simplified. This leads to misconceptions and in-adequate planning of critical wa-ter resources.

The Colorado Geological Survey (CGS) has a mission to help build sustainable com-munities through good sci-ence, collaboration, and sound

FIGURE 1: Outline of the Denver Basin. The Denver hydrologic basin is defined by the extent of the Upper Cretaceous Fox Hills Sandstone, as shown by the blue outline. Its area covers much of the Front Range urban corridor from Greeley to Colorado Springs where the strata provide groundwater to hundreds of thousands of residents. Geologic mapping at a 1:24,000 scale by the CGS, green hachure, and USGS, blue hachure, covers much of the west half of the basin. Results provide detailed descriptions of stratigraphy and structure to help understand characteristics of the important Denver Basin bedrock aquifers.


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Lead story

management of mineral, ener-gy and water resources. Follow-ing this mission, the CGS con-tributed three important works aimed at enhancing knowledge of, and communicating the com-plexities of, the Denver Basin bedrock aquifer strata. The set of contributions forms a trilogy that begins with detailed sur-face mapping along the western edge of the Denver Basin where strata rise at the basin’s struc-tural edge. This forms a founda-tion for extending detailed cross sections through the subsur-face to illustrate stratigraphic changes away from the Lara-mide active uplift front. Finally,

the data culminate with a series of structure, isopach, and paleo-geography maps to illustrate the three-dimensional architecture of the basin in a manner that both the geologic community and public can understand.

Contemporary digital tech-nology and a vastly expanded subsurface database than was available to earlier efforts facil-itated this effort at a new lev-el. High speed computers and complex software packages fa-cilitate geophysical log correla-tions and data management. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology allows com-plex mapping techniques to spa-tially define three dimensional

characteristics of aquifer sys-tems on a regional basis very ef-ficiently. These advances have allowed refined interpretation and better illustration of the complexity of the bedrock aqui-fer stratigraphy.

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE FORMATIONS, SURFACE GEOLOGIC MAPPING

For the past two decades the CGS has been mapping 1:24,000 quadrangles within the Den-ver Basin through the National Cooperative Mapping Program STATEMAP program of the Unite States Geological Survey (USGS). To date, 24 quadrangle maps have been completed by the CGS, which combined with another 25 quadrangle maps by the USGS, provides extensive coverage of almost half of the basin’s foot-print (Figure 1). CGS coverage focuses on the southwest cor-ner of the basin where the en-tire stratigraphic section of the Denver Basin bedrock aquifers is exposed at the surface. The area coincides with communities that rely heavily on groundwater. In 2011 geologist Jon Thorson and the CGS compiled the results of the 1:24,000 scale mapping into a set of two 1:50,000 scale maps of this portion of the ba-sin (Figure 2). The publication, Geology of Upper Cretaceous, Paleocene and Eocene Strata in the Southwestern Denver Ba-sin provides a detailed descrip-tion of the Denver Basin bedrock aquifer strata at the basin edge. It illustrates the considerable



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Lead story

FIGURE 2: Southern Geologic Compilation Plate. The southern plate of the 1:50,000 compilation of STATEMAP quadrangle mapping covers the southeastern corner of the Denver Basin that includes the Colorado Springs area. This area includes outcrops of the Upper Cretaceous Fox Hills Sandstone (moss green), Laramie Formation (light green), and members of the Denver Basin Group (shades of pink and brown). The Denver Basin Group, as informally defined in the compilation, are strata shed off of the active Front Range uplift to the west. Yellow shade shows Quaternary deposits covering the bedrock formations.

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Lead story

variability in the sediments shed into the active Denver tectonic basin and presents a simplified naming classification for the stra-ta (Figure 3). Generally, strata fit within the dual D1 and D2 Den-ver Basin sequences proposed by Raynolds (2002), but display variability depending on source rock type and distance from the active Laramide uplift front.

These strata consist of a se-ries of fluvial sediments depos-ited in a coalescing fan complex extending from the rising Lara-mide Front range uplift eastward across the subsiding Denver structural basin downwarp. Ear-ly strata within the D1 sequence record denudation of older Me-sozoic sedimentary and volcanic cover of the emerging uplift, no-tably with the polymictic Arapa-hoe Conglomerate and andesitic Pikeview Formation in the Colo-rado Springs area. Next, robust distributary fan systems, repre-sented by the Pulpit Rock For-mation near Colorado Springs (Thorson, 2011) and Wildcat Fan near Sedalia, (Raynolds, 2004) reached out into the basin. High energy fans waned as fin-er-grained sediments within the Denver Formation dominated the basin spanning the time of the Cretaceous to Tertiary transition. A later pulse of robust fan devel-opment within the D2 sequence is marked by the Dawson Arkose wedge preserved in the high-lands of southern Douglas Coun-ty and northern El Paso County, and the Palmer Divide.



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Lead story

FIGURE 3: Denver Basin Group Facies Diagrams. Diagrams show the many facies of the Denver Basin Group recognized at the surface. Multistoried fan complexes dominate the west edge of the basin adjacent to the Laramide uplift source. Facies are distinguished by lithic composition of sediment grains and stratification. North of the Palmer Divide, arkose prevails except where andesitic clasts and matrix differentiate the Denver Formation. South of the Palmer Divide, sediments containing predominantly andesitic clasts prevail in the Pikeview and Jimmy Camp Formations.

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Lead story

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Lead story

A TALE OF TWO SEQUENCES, PROJECTION INTO THE SUBSURFACE

Projecting detailed sur-face mapping into the subsur-face logically followed as a way to characterize and illustrate the variability in the strata forming the Denver Basin bedrock aqui-fers. Funded by a Colorado Wa-ter Conservation Board Sever-ance Tax Trust Fund Operational Grant, the CGS generated 15 ba-sin-wide cross-sections titled Cross-sections of the fresh-water bearing strata of the Denver Ba-sin between Greeley and Colorado Springs, Colorado. These sections followed alignments of cross sec-tions constructed by the Colora-do Division of Water Resources in the 1980s during promulga-tion of the Denver Basin Rules. The new cross sections were built in Petra© using a much ex-panded dataset of geophysical logs than available to the previ-ous efforts. With the power of the oilfield software to display geophysical logs and iterative-ly apply alternating cross sec-tion datum picks, geologists at CGS could delineate fan systems as they thinned from range-front out into the basin (Figure 4).

These cross sections tie sur-face formations described by Thorson (2011) with the dual sequence proposed by Raynolds (2002) using geophysical logs from 737 boreholes across the basin. They illustrate how rapid-ly the strata change from a series of stacked sandstone packages

near the range front to a mix of less connected thin lenticu-lar sands isolated by shale-dom-inated material into the basin. To the geologic community this three-dimensional model is well recognized and intuitive. To the water community, made up of water districts, planners, and engineers, this model may not fit with conventional thinking. Conventional views of the aqui-fers tend to imply a simple lay-er-cake scenario for the aquifers that ignores lateral variability across the basin. The cross sec-tions have been prepared to help the non-geological communi-ty visualize the variability and complexity of this stratigraphic

assemblage. The intent is to change the conventional view and display potential limitations to groundwater occurrence and flow through the changing strati-graphic framework.

THE RETURN OF THE OROGEN, BEDROCK MAP SERIES

Third in the trilogy is a joint effort of CGS and the Denver Mu-seum of Nature & Science. This presents a series of maps de-picting bedrock geology, struc-ture, formation thickness and paleo-geography of the Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary strata in the Denver Basin. The maps



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were prepared in a GIS frame-work using data from outcrop exposures and over 3,000 wells and boreholes within the Denver Basin. A bedrock geologic map of the basin illustrates outcrop and subcrop patterns stripped of Quaternary deposits. Graphic de-sign helps non-geologists visual-ize and understand the complex geologic setting of the strata that form the Denver Basin bedrock aquifers (Figure 5). Structure maps of strata within the Pierre Shale, Fox Hills Sandstone, D1 and D2 sequences of the Den-ver Basin group show the asym-metry and complex shape of the basin. Isopach maps illustrate how sedimentation/accommo-dation patterns evolved through the Laramide tectonic phase. The paleo-geographic maps help the reader understand the environ-ment of deposition (Figure 6).

SUMMARY The Denver Basin trilogy by

the CGS and DMNS shed new light on the complex geologic setting of the vital Denver Basin bedrock aquifers. In an era when increasing attention is given to providing sustainable water re-sources, these sets of data and illustrations advance the geolog-ic conceptualization of the ba-sin, while at the same time help planners understand limitations of the bedrock aquifer system. Better vision of strata architec-ture will help track water level changes in response to pump-ing. It will help map recharge

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FIGURE 5: Structure and Isopach Maps for the Fox Hills Sandstone. The map on the left is the structure map on the top of the Upper Cretaceous Fox Hills Sandstone in the Denver Basin, contour interval 100 feet from 3700 feet to 7000 feet. The map shows the asymmetry of the basin with the deep axis beneath southeast Denver and northern Douglas County. On the right is an Isopach map of the strata between a marker ash bed in the upper Pierre Shale and the top of the Fox hills Sandstone, contour interval 100 feet from 400 to 900. This shows a high rate of sediment accommodation in the northern part of the basin along the axis as well as along the northeast-trending Boulder-Weld zone north of Denver.

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Lead story

FIGURE 6: Paleo-geographic Map of the Paleocene Denver Basin Group D1 Sequence. A series of distributary fans extended out from the active Front Range uplift into the slowly subsiding Denver Basin. This maps conveys the geography during the Paleocene in a manner that the general public can easily visualize. It also helps explain why water wells in the Denver aquifer on the west side of the basin perform much better than wells on the east.

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pathways when balancing depletions. The Denver Ba-sin Rules classify regions of the aquifers as non-trib-utary, which allows extraction of the water volume in place for a given aquifer with a 100-year resource lifetime. Natural recharge rates are very low through-out much of the basin and this administrative scenar-io leads to mining of a non-renewable resource. Fully aware of this limitation, many water providers in the Front Range urban corridor are implementing aqui-fer storage and recovery (ASR) in the Denver Basin bedrock aquifers. This technology takes renewable surface water during periods of surplus and stores it in the bedrock aquifers, essentially transforming a non-renewable aquifer into renewable storage ves-sel. For this resource management technique to suc-ceed as intended, it is essential to clearly understand where groundwater will move in the complex strati-graphic setting. As groundwater resource manage-ment moves forward, Denver Basin trilogy will prove to be an invaluable tool.

REFERENCESBarkmann, P.E., Dechesne, M., Wickham, M.E.,

Carlson, J., Formolo, S., and Oerter, E., 2011, Cross-sections of the freshwater-bearing strata of the Denver Basin between Greeley and Colorado Springs, Colorado, 19 plates, map scale 1:250,000.

Dechesne, M., Raynolds, R.G., Barkmann, P.E., Johnson, K.R., 2011, Notes on the Denver Basin Geologic Maps: Colorado Geological Survey, 35 p., 14 plates, map scale 1:250,000.

Thorson, J.P., 2011, Geology of Upper Cretaceous, Pa-leocene and Eocene strata in Southwestern Denver Basin, Colorado: Colorado Geological Survey, 53 p., 3 plates, map scale 1:50,000.

Raynolds, R.G., 2002, Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary stratigraphy of the Denver Basin, Colorado: Rocky Mountain Geology, v. 37, no. 2, p. 111-134.

Raynolds, R.G., 2004, Stratigraphy and water lev-els in the Arapahoe aquifer, Douglas County area, Denver Basin Colorado: The Mountain Geologist, v. 41, n. 4, p. 195-210.

Lead story


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MINERAL OF THE MONTH

By Cheryl Fountain

CALCITE » CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

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CHEMICAL COMPOSITION: CaCO3

COLOR: White/none, it can also be yellow, gray depending on the impurities within the mineral (Garlick, 2014).

STREAK: White (Garlick, 2014).

LUSTER: Vitreous, resinous, dull (Farndon, 2009).

CRYSTAL SYSTEM: Trigonal (Bishop et al, 2005).

CRYSTAL HABIT: Calcite has many different crystal habits includ-ing tabular, prismatic, rhombohe-dral, and dog tooth spar (Bishop et al, 2005).

SPECIFIC GRAVITY: 2.7 (Bishop et al, 2005).

HARDNESS: 3 (Garlick, 2014).

FRACTURE: The fracture is not commonly seen, but is conchoid-al when it does.

CLEAVAGE: Perfect in three direc-tions (Farndon, 2009).

TWINNING: Calcite can have common twinning and lamel-lar twinning.

LOCATION: Calcite is one of the most common minerals and is a major building block of lime-stone, marble, tufa, travertine, chalk and ooilites (Farndon, 2009) and is often organic in or-igin (Bishop et al, 2005). Calcite can dissolve in water creating greater permeability and poros-ity, and on a larger scale vugs and caves. It can be precipitated in veins, and on grains decreas-ing porosity and permeability, or


MineraL oF tHe MontH: CaLCite


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as stalactites and speleothems in caves. Crystals can form in hydrothermal veins, although most deposits are aggregates. Calcite can be found in limestone quarries and metamorphic rocks (Farn-don, 2009).

FUN FACT: Calcite displays double refraction. This means that if a transparent calcite crystal is placed on top of an image, a second image will ap-pear, as the crystal is rotated, the first image will remain stationary while the second image will also rotate.

A 30-40 ton calcite crystal was found in near Harding Mine in Toas, New Mexico. Another spec-imen, found in Helgustadir, Reydarfjordur, Iceland was 7m x 7m x 2m (Rickwood, 1981), that is one big crystal.

REFERENCESBishop, A. C., and William Roger Hamilton. Firefly

Guide to Minerals, Rocks & Fossils. Buffalo, N.Y.: Firefly, 2005.

Farndon, John, and Steve Parker. The Complete Il-lustrated Guide to Minerals, Rocks & Fossils of the World: A Comprehensive Reference to over 700 Minerals, Rocks, and Plant and Animal Fos-sils from around the Globe and How to Identify Them, with over 2000 Photographs and Illustra-tions. London: Lorenz, 2009.

Garlick, Sarah. National Geographic Pocket Guide to the Rocks & Minerals of North America.

Rickwood, Peter. “The Largest Crystals.” American Mineralogist 66 (1981): 885-907.

December 201448Vol. 63, No. 12 48

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IN THE PIPELINE

SEPTEMBER 2, 2015

RMAG Luncheon. Speaker Louis Mazzullo. “Developing Conventional Reservoirs Unconventionally.” Location: Maggiano’s Little Italy, Downtown Denver.

SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

PTTC Short Course. “Reservoir Engineering for Petroleum Professionals.” Location: CSM, Golden, CO.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2015

DIPS Lucheon. Speaker Dave Nelson. “Foreland Margin of the Paupan Fold Belt.”

SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

RMAG Sporting Clay Tournament.

Kiowa Creek Sporting Club.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2015

RMAG On the Rocks Field Trip.

“Space-Time Travel from the Ancestral Rockies to the Laramide and Beyond-A Transect of the Colorado Front Range.” Lead by Ned Sterne and Bob Raynolds.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

PTTC Rockies Short Course. “Decline Curve Analysis and Economics- A Basic Introduction.” Location: CSM, Golden, CO

SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

Oilfield Christian Fellowship. For reservations, RSVP to [email protected] or 303-675-2602.

SEPTEMBER 27-30, 2015

SPE ATCE. Houston, TX.

OCTOBER 8, 2015

RMAG Hot Plays Symposium.

OCTOBER 7, 2015

RMAG Luncheon. Speaker Terri Olson. “Wettability Imaging of Unconventional Mudrock Reservoirs”

OCTOBER 9, 2015

RMAG Core Workshop.

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RMAG LUNCHEON PROGRAMS

Speaker: Louis J. Mazzullo — September 2, 2015

Activity in the oil patch over the last decade has focused more on the unconventional shale gas, shale oil, and other “resource”-type plays, to varying suc-cess, than on conventional, lower cost exploration and development. Improved frack technology, large shale resources, and higher oil prices had driven the push to develop these resources, and it paid off in pro-viding our country with more energy independence.

The economics of many of these plays, however, even during the period of high oil prices, were, in places, marginal to uneconomic, with notable exceptions. Part of the problem with developing economic resource plays is a lack of understanding of the geology and long-term decline characteristics of those reservoirs, as many of them had not been producing long enough

Developing Conventional Reservoirs Unconventionally

By Louis J. Mazzullo, CPG, RG Petroleum Geological Advisor, Morrison, Colorado


www.rmag.org


to get a good sense of their projected performance. Many of the plays are statistically, rather than scientif-ically driven. The push to develop the unconvention-als often created a void in the search for more proven, conventional reservoirs, drove up leasing costs wher-ever it was perceived there was even proximity to a hot play, and severely impaired the ability of smaller players to be involved with conventional reservoirs in or out active resource/shale play areas.

Development of conventional reservoirs in the United States had taken a back seat to the uncon-ventional and resource plays, even though many opportunities always existed for new field, infill, and step-out development in old fields. As we are, at least temporarily, entrenched in another cycle of depressed oil prices, the need to hunker down with real science to develop lower-(finding) cost reserves is of paramount concern to many compa-nies that are heavily invested in higher-cost shale and resource plays, and to smaller players who

may now be able to have the breathing room they need to acquire acreage where they were previous-ly pre-empted because of artificially inflated leas-ing costs brought on by shale plays. Now, more than ever, as vendor prices come down commensurate with oil prices, modern drilling and completion technologies can be applied to the conventional res-ervoirs, as a means of accelerating production from old fields and in step-out development. A number of conventional reservoirs in the Permian, Denver, and Williston Basins (and elsewhere) are amenable

rMaG LunCHeon ProGraMs

December 201444Vol. 63, No. 12 44

June 21st On-the-Rocks Field Trip

»


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created a sensational buzz in the scientific community and elsewhere is testimonial to excellent research conducted by Dr. Siddoway, her students and her collaborators. The members of the OTR field trip, on the longest day of the year, were able to catch a bit of that magic. As a final act of closure, the skies opened up as we drove back to collect our cars at the Visitor’s Center. Dime-sized hail pelted the group and made continued discussion, and even goodbyes, impossible. What started as a nice day with great potential turned into a highly memorable learning experience with impact.

References : Myrow, P.M., Taylor, J.F., Miller, J.F., Ethington, R.L., Ripperdan,

R.L., and Allen, J., 2003, Fallen Arches: Dispelling Myths Concerning Cambrian and Ordovician Paleogeography of the Rocky Mountain Region: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 115, no. 6, p. 695–713

Siddoway, C., Myrow, P., and Fitz-Díaz, E., 2013, Strata, Structures, and Enduring Enigmas: A 125th Anniversary Appraisal of Colorado Springs Geology, in Abbott, L.D., and Hancock, G.S., eds., Classic Concepts and New Directions: Exploring 125 Years of GSA Discoveries in the Rocky Mountain Region: Geological Society of America Field Guide 33, p. 331–356.

Siddoway, C, Shatford, S. and Contreras, A. A. 2013, ARMO Reactivation of Cambrian-Ordovician or Older Structures: Detrital Zircon Evidence from “Structureless” Sandstones of the Souther Front Range in Colorado Springs, GSA Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 45, No.7, p.887. https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013AM/webprogram/Paper226741.html

Siddoway, C. S. and G. E. Gehrels, 2014a, Basement-hosted sandstone injectites of Colorado: A Vestige of the Neoproterozoic Revealed Through Detrital Zircon Provenance Analysis, Lithosphere, doi:10.1130/L390.1

Siddoway, C. S. and G. E. Gehrels, 2014b, Cryogenian Sandstones in Colorado: A New Terrestrial Record for Laurentia (Rodinia) Revealed Through Detrital Zircon Provenance Analysis, GSA Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 46, No. 6, p.763, https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2014AM/webprogram/Paper246788.html.

Sterne, E.J., 2006, Stacked, “Evolved” Triangle Zones along the Southeastern Flank of the Colorado Front Range: The Mountain Geologist, v. 43, p. 65–92.

Continued from page 43


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to step-out development and horizontal drilling, and would benefit by the extraction of bypassed re-serves, and accelerated production of lower perme-ability reservoirs.

An understanding of reservoir development and geometry is essential to the success of such

plays, and so requires that we get back to the sci-ence of exploration, if we have the resources to work through the present downturn. Examples of such potential plays are presented for the Morrow of the Permian and Denver Basins, Cisco-Canyon of the Permian Basin, and the Madison of the Willis-ton Basin.

Louis J. Mazzullo: President, Mazzullo Energy Corp., Midland, TX and Denver, Colorado area (2008-14)Geological Advisory Services to the Oil & Gas Industry

Previously Senior Exploration Geologist, Brigham Oil & Gas (2007-2008) and Mediterranean Resources (both Austin, TX) (2006-2007); Petroleum Geological Consultant, Albuquerque, NM (1996-2006); Project Manager, GCL Environmental, Albuquerque, NM (1992-96); Geological Consultant, Midland, TX (1982-86; 1988-92); Geological Manager, Nearburg Producing Company, Midland, Texas (1986-88); Uranium Exploration & Development geologist and Project Manager, Phillips Petroleum Co. Albuquerque, NM

(1979-1981); and Chief Geologist, Energy Resources Corp. Blanding, Utah (Uranium exploration and development) (1976-79).

• Brooklyn College, CUNY - BS Cum Laude with Honors, Geology 1973

• State University NY, Stony Brook- MS Earth & Space Sciences, 1975

• University of Chicago- MS Geophysical Sciences, 1976

• Rocky Mountain Section AAPG- President, 1999-2000

• Permian Basin Section-SEPM 1988-89, President

• Various committees and field trip planning

• West Texas Geological Society Member 1981- present

• Various committees

• Dedicated Service Award, 1992-93• AAPG Member 1977- present• Texas Professional Geologist #11358• Wyoming Registered Geologist #PG-974• Arizona Registered Geologist #26768• AAPG Certified Petroleum Geologist

#4693• Levorsen Award Recipient, 1990 &

1999, Southwest Section AAPG• Cheney Science Award, 2005-

Southwest Section AAPG• Best Speaker Award, West Texas

Geological Society 2011 Fall Symposium

Author of many papers and presentations on carbonate and clastic petroleum and uranium reservoirs in the Permian, Williston, and San Juan Basins.


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RMAG LUNCHEON PROGRAMS

Speaker: Terri Olson — October 7, 2015

Understanding wettability is key to optimizing oil recovery. Conventional methods of wettability char-acterization via core analysis are not feasible in mud-rock (shale) reservoirs, owing to the severe difficulties in establishing well-defined initial states and perform-ing fluid displacements in such matrix pore systems. An alternative method has been developed that utilizes high-resolution SEM imaging of fresh surfaces of pre-served samples that have been mildly solvent cleaned to remove bulk fluids. In conventional reservoirs, asphal-tene residues cling to oil-wet pore walls and can be dis-tinguished (in secondary electron images at low volt-age) by their distinctive nodular, nano-particulate film

texture, while water-wet surfaces appear clean with no residues. In shale samples, the same characteristic tex-tures are often seen, as well as thicker organic coatings interpreted to be bitumen (secondary, migrated organ-ic matter). Examples from multiple shale reservoir for-mations will be shown, from a range of maturities and mineralogic compositions. Wettability is commonly seen to vary at the pore scale in shale formations, and assumptions that mineral pores remain water-wet can be misleading. The SEM technique also allows the same subarea of a shale sample to be imaged and re-imaged during a cleaning sequence to directly visualize the local removal of organics by harsher solvents.

Wettability Imaging of Unconventional Mudrock Reservoirs

By Terri Olson

Terri Olson: With degrees in geology from Colorado College and Dartmouth, Terri Olson worked as a petroleum geologist for seven years before attending Amoco Petrophysics School at the Amoco Research Center in Tulsa. She has worked on exploration, development, and reservoir characterization projects in California, the Midcontinent, the Rockies, and the

North Sea for Amoco and BP, Tom Brown and Encana, and EOG. The last 10 years she has worked mostly on shale plays, and is the Senior Associate Editor of Unconventionals for AAPG Bulletin. Terri joined the Digital Rock Services group of FEI Oil & Gas in October 2014 as Technical Lead, Unconventionals. She has been on the board of DWLS, and is currently on

the board of RMAG as Counselor. Terri is a member of AAPG, SPWLA, and SPE. Terri has organized numerous workshops and short courses on pore scale imaging, digital rock technology, and mudrock petrography, including one for the SPWLA annual symposium in 2013 and one for the annual AAPG conventions in Houston and Denver in 2014 and 2015.

DONATE NOWRMAG contributions support the calendar of 2015 of RMAG events, including short

courses, symposia, social events, monthly luncheons, and more.

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FLORISSANT FOSSIL BEDS NATIONAL MONUMENT

It was a clear Saturday in July when members of two Denver geologic study groups gazed westward, en-visioning the Guffey Vol-cano which erupted 34.1 million years ago in the Late Eocene. The subse-quent collapse of the slopes of this steep-sided strato-volcano, possibly similar in shape to Mount Shas-ta (Figure 1), unleashed a torrent of volcanic mud and debris, known as a la-har, which flowed east until it dammed a south-flowing stream drainage, forming Lake Florissant, 34 miles northwest of present-day Colorado Springs.

Our group had gathered at the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument to see an extensive variety of petrified stumps, as well as leaves, insects, small mammals and rodents, birds, and fish that have been preserved from volcanic and clastic sediments that comprise the Florissant Formation (Figure 2). Periodic lahars continued to be initiated by late Eocene collapse of the volcanic flanks. One lahar buried an ancient redwood forest along a stream valley, which was later flooded by the lake, to a depth of about 15 feet. Dissolution of sili-ceous volcanic glass by percolating groundwater al-lowed the replacement of the organic material by sil-ica, thereby preserving the intricate cellular details of the stumps.

Erosion has exposed some of these ancient red-woods as well as other tree species. Petrified wood

fragments scattered locally at the surface indicate the locations of still-buried stumps. Several seis-mic and magnetic surveys have been conducted in an attempt to identify the locations of other buried stumps, but the technology utilized to date has not been accurate.

The Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument has been extremely fortunate to have a paleontol-ogist, Dr. Herb Meyer, on its staff for twenty years (Figure 3). Dr. Meyer was our guide for the day and regaled us with geologic details of the stratigraphy, burial history, and preservation of one of the most extensive collections of late Eocene insects (over 1500 species have been named) and plant fossils

FIGURE 1: 14,179-foot Mount Shasta in northern California that could be an analog for the Guffey Volcano. (www.themccloudblog.com)

What’s New at the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument?

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SECTION 2015 AWARDEES

By Laura L. Wray


www.rmag.org

http://www.themccloudblog.com/portfolio-view/scenic-mt-shasta/


FLorissant FossiL Beds nationaL MonuMent

FIGURE 2: Stratigraphic column for the Florissant vicinity (mapped by E. Evanoff).

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FIGURE 3: Dr. Herb Meyer stands in front of “The Redwood Trio” which was excavated using dynamite in the 1920s. Metal bands hold the stumps together from the resultant fractures. Temperature and humidity studies are being monitored inside the trunks and outside. Photo by Paul Lillis.

FIGURE 4: Dr. Meyer reviews the geologic history of the Florissant Fossil Beds. Photo by Steve Cumella.

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(over 140 have been recognized). He has researched the history of the site, its collectors, and its guardians and thus was able to recount fasci-nating stories of attempted residen-tial development plans, associat-ed legal battles, and various “wars” over collecting, naming, and recog-nition. A recent publication, “Saved in Time: The Fight to Establish Flo-rissant Fossil Beds National Monu-ment, Colorado”, co-authored by Dr. Meyer (Leopold and Meyer, 2012), is a captivating account of the monu-ment’s colorful history.

Dr. Meyer has been the cham-pion of preservation work and pa-leoclimate research at Florissant. Under his guidance, the monument employs summer interns, recruit-ed and paid by the Geological Soci-ety of America. The interns assist in specimen preservation and the creation of a wide variety of educa-tional materials and independent re-search. Another group, the Friends of Florissant Fossil Beds, supports one of the interns and raises money for additional scientific and educa-tional projects. A new visitor center, new trail-side exhibits, education-al kiosks, new trails, and dissemina-tion of information via smart phone sites are evidence of the monu-ment’s dedication to and innovation for public education (Figure 4). Dr. Meyer, his colleagues, and the in-terns are responsible for this edu-cational oversight. In addition, Dr. Meyer has proposed that the pa-leo-elevation of Florissant was ap-proximately 8000’, which is about the same as it is here today. His work comparing both the elevation

FLorissant FossiL Beds nationaL

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and the climate between the late Eo-cene and today is gaining wider rec-ognition and acceptance in the scien-tific community.

If you haven’t been to the Flo-rissant Fossil Beds in some time, it is well worth the two-hour trip from Denver. The new visitor cen-ter, including a hall of new exhibits about paleontology, just opened two years ago. An interpretive trail fea-tures some large redwood stumps that are similar to modern-day va-rieties found in coastal California (Figure 5). New trails have just been added to the park with a soon-to-be designed stop on the contact of the Proterozoic Pikes Peak Granite and the late Eocene Wall Mountain Tuff that features an expansive view of the Florissant Valley and the distant mountains (Figure 6).For those of you who are collectors, there is a pri-vate quarry just north of the monu-ment which, for a small fee, will pro-vide you with a bag of thinly-bedded, fossiliferous shale and the tools to split those laminae into sheets, re-vealing the fossils.

With thanks to the following re-viewers: Charlie Bartberger, Mark Longman, Logan McMillan, and Herb Meyer.

REFERENCESAbbott, Lon and Terri Cook, 2012,

An Extraordinary Fossil Ecosys-tem – Florissant Fossil Beds Na-tional Monument, in Geology Un-derfoot Along Colorado’s Front Range: Mountain Press Publish-ing Company, Missoula, MT., p.


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FIGURE 5: “The Big Stump”, one of the largest in the monument. Photo by Laura Wray.

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FIGURE 6: A new interpretive stop is planned with a view of Badger Mountain with the Tarryall Mountains to the right. Photo by Charlie Bartberger.

Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, QEP Resources, Inc. (NYSE: QEP) is an S&P 500 Index member company.Learn more at www.qepres.com.

POSITIONEDFOR GROWTHWith a proud legacy and an exciting future, QEP Resources is an industry leader in crude oil and natural gas exploration and production. We’re focused on some of the most prolific natural resource plays in the continental United States. These include two world-class crude oil provinces – the Williston Basin and Permian Basin; two prominent liquids-rich gas plays – the Pinedale Anticline and the Uinta Basin; and a premier dry gas asset – the Haynesville Shale.

www.rmag.org


With all the unconventional activity occurring across the globe, it is time to review what is driving the technical quality of the “Hot Plays” in the greater Rocky Mountain region. Please mark your calendars for what is sure to be the “HOTTEST” event of the Fall 2015 Technical Season. Geological, Geophysical, Geochemical, Petrophysical, and Structural technical drivers will be presented, describing what the RMAG membership has determined to be the Hottest Plays in the Rocky Mountains.

2015 RMAGSymposium

Hot PlaysOctober 8th

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologistspresents: the RMAG Fall Symposium

Hot Plays of the Rocky Mountain RegionOctober 8, 2015 at the Denver City Center Marriott

email: [email protected] phone: 303.573.8621 fax: 303.476.2241 web: www.rmag.org

Kick Off Speakers: Mark Sonnenfeld and Lyn Canter - WhitingHow mobile is your total oil saturation? SARA analysis implications for bitumen viscosity and UV fluorescence in Niobrara Marl and Bakken Shale, supported by FIB-SEM observations of kerogen, bitumen, and residual oil saturations within Niobrara Marls and Chalks.

Keynote Speaker: David Hill - EncanaStanding Tall in North America

Speaker: Jim Emme - Endeavour International Corp.Piceance Basin Rim Niobrara Play, NW Colorado Liquids-Rich Pot-O'-Gold or Blarney Stone?

Speaker: Andrew Heger - Colorado School of MinesStratigraphic Variability and Reservoir Characterization of the Turner Sandstone, Powder River Basin

Speaker: Preston Kerr - SM EnergyUnlayering the Shannon Formation

Speaker: Randy Koepsell - SchlumbergerLayer Centric 3D Geologic Resolution to Predict Hydrolic Fracture Stimulation

910 16th Street #1214, Denver, CO, 80202 follow: @rmagdenver

Exhibitor Registration and Sponsorship Registration are open!Please visit www.rmag.org for more information.

Registration closes October 1st!

Speaker: Howard Melcher - Liberty OilfieldThe Impact of Geological and Completion Parameters on Production in the Denver-Julesburg Basin

Speaker: John Roesink - Jagged Peak EnergyEvolution of the Horizontal Niobrara Play in the Greater DJ Basin - Integrating Geoscience, Well Design, and Completions for Optimum Field Development

Speaker: Sam Scott - Whiting Petroleum Corp.The Lower Smackover Brown Dense Play: What’s Hot and What’s Not

Speaker: Steve Sonnenberg - Colorado School of MinesThe Graneros-Greenhorn Petroleum System, a Possible New Resource Play, Rocky Mountain Region, USA

Speaker: Rob Sterling - Cirque ResourcesA Review of the Northern DJ Oil Resource Play

Speaker: Michael Tischer - Consulting GeologistWhat makes a play hot? The Tectonic Perspective.

www.rmag.org


171-184.Leopold, E.B. and H.W. Meyer,

2012, Saved in Time: The Fight to Establish Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Colo-rado: The University of New Mex-ico Press, Albuquerque, 139p.

Meyer, H.W., and D.M. Smith, 2008, Paleontology of the up-per Eocene Florissant Formation, Colorado. Geol. Soc. of Amer. Spe-cial Papers 435.

Meyer, H.M., 2003, The Fossils of Florissant, Smithsonian Books, Washington and London, 258p.

Meyer, H.W., S.W. Veatch, and A. Cook, 2004, Field guide to the paleontology and volcanic set-ting of the Florissant fossil beds, Colorado, in Field trips in the southern Rocky Mountains, USA, field guide 5, E.P. Nelson and E.A. Erslev, eds., Geol. Soc. of Amer., p. 151-166.

Monument’s website: http://www.nps.gov/flfo/

Monument’s searchable database: http://planning.nps.gov/flfo/


MonuMent


VOLUNTER!As a diverse community of

individuals working towards a worthy cause, we believe that

your unique talents can bring us all forward. Volunteers are always

needed and welcome!

If you would like to volunteer for any of these committees or events, please contact the RMAG office at (303) 573-8621 or [email protected]

www.rmag.org

http://www.nps.gov/flfo/

http://www.nps.gov/flfo/

http://planning.nps.gov/flfo/



MAGE v e n t

CoreWorkshop

RMAG Fall Symposium Core WorkshopInstructors: Stephen Nordeng, Steve Sonnenberg,

Rob Sterling, Chip Oakes, Sam Scott, David Katz

09October 2015

9:00 AM -12:00PMWeatherford Laboratories

Golden, CO

Registration closes October 1st at 4:00pm

RMAG Email: [email protected] Phone: (303) 573-8621

RMAG Fax: (303) 476-2241

Course DetailsWeatherford Laboratories Address: 16161 Table Mountain Parkway, Golden, CO 80403

Lunch will be provided following the course.

Member Price: $150Non-Member Price: $200Student/unemployed rate: $75

(limited number available and must call the RMAG office to register; students must have a copy of student ID)

Contact: Chip Oakes | [email protected]

CoresThree Forks: Stephan Nordeng, University of North Dakota, Three Forks

Green River: Steve Sonnenberg, Colorado School of Mines

Codell: Rob Sterling, Cirque Resources

Niobrara Condensate: Chip Oakes, Endeavor Corp.

Brown Dense Region: Sam Scott, Whiting

Michigan Basin: David Katz, Whiting

www.rmag.org


Are you looking for critical pe-troleum information that is unpub-lished or unavailable from your standard sources of information? Do you know that those data could exist at the Denver Earth Resource Library (DERL)? Exploration and exploitation geoscientists alike, as well as prospectors and research-ers, have found hidden scientific gems in the extensive collection at DERL that have led to new interpre-tations and discoveries.

You are invited to an Open House / Happy Hour at DERL on Tuesday, October 27th from 4:00 – 6:00 PM (730 17th Street B-1, be-low street level, Denver, CO 80202). Experienced users will be on hand to explain the types and loca-tions of the various data sets that could be the keys to new discov-ery ideas. In addition, a one-month free membership will be offered to all participants.

Please register for this event on the RMAG website. Due to lim-ited space, only 50 people can sign up, but a waiting list will be main-tained. If registered participants cannot attend, would they please notify RMAG so that those on the waiting list can be invited? Thanks very much.

Discover the Geologic Secrets

of The Denver Earth Resource

Library

Open House, Happy Hour to be held on October 27

O I L & G A S C O M PA N YGreat Western

[email protected]

Great Western a rocky mountain operator


[email protected]



[email protected]


The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists’ Student Event at the University of Colorado

September 29, 2015

CU BoulderBenson 380

4:30pm - 5:30pmPizza will be provided

Speaker: Gus GustasonTalk: Fuzzy facies: the impact of

cryptic bioturbation on facies analysis

Sponsored by the RMAG Foundation

email: [email protected] | phone: 303.573.8621 | fax: 303.476.2241 web: www.rmag.org | 910 16th Street #1214, Denver, CO, 80202

www.rmag.org


9 / 1 7 / 2 0 1 5The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

l a yCournament

A t K i o w a C r e e k S p o r t i n g C l u b

porting

RMAG Email: [email protected] Phone: (303) 573-8621

RMAG Fax: (303) 476-2241

Registration closes September 9, 2015 at 8:00am.

Prizes for individual high score and team 1st, 2nd and 3rd flights.

Includes: round of 100 sporting clays, lunch, and door prizes.

Does not include: ammunition (please bring enough ammo for 100 clays or you may purchase ammo at Kiowa Creek). You may also rent a gun for $20 onsite.

Tournamen

t

Sporting Clay

RMAG Member Team of 5 $500 | Non-Member Team of 5 $625 RMAG Member Individual $100 | Non-Member Individual $125

www.rmag.org


By Susan Wager

The On the Rocks Field trip of July 25, 2015 was to visit and tour the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine. It was a fun and inter-esting tour of the mine. The district is located 70 miles south of Denver and 20 miles west of Colorado Springs. The mine tour left from

the Lowell Thomas Museum in Victor Colora-do, but there are other historical museums in Cripple Creek, as well as, the Mollie Kathleen underground tourist mine.

The Cripple Creek Mining District is the largest gold district in the state of Col-orado with a total historic production of an

Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine

ON THE ROCKSFIELD TRIPS

REVIEW: July 25, 2015 On-the-Rocks Field Trip


www.rmag.org


CRIPPLE CREEK & VICTOR GOLD MINEFor more information on

the mine and tours, which operate daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and by reservation for groups in

the winter months:

www.ccvgoldmining.com

FOR INFORMATION ON THE MOLLIE KATHLEEN:www.goldminetours.com/

goldminetours.com/Intro.html

www.rmag.org

http://www.ccvgoldmining.com/

http://www.goldminetours.com/goldminetours.com/Intro.html

http://www.goldminetours.com/goldminetours.com/Intro.html


estimated 23.5 million gold ounces (2006) and an ore reserve of 119.1 million metric ore tonnes contain-ing 102.7 metric tonnes of gold (131.3 million short ore tons containing 3.3 million contained gold ounces, Dec. 2005). The district is hosted within a Tertiary al-kaline diatreme complex, which lies on the southwest-ern flank of the Pikes Peak granite batholith.

The majority of the historic production came from underground mining of high-grade veins. The implementation of modern heap leaching process-es in the district has allowed for the profitable ex-traction of high tonnage, lower-grade ores. The Crip-ple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company (CC&V) operates the Cresson Mine. CC&V is a joint venture

between AngloGold (Colorado) Corp. (67%) and Golden Cycle Gold Corporation (33%).

CC&V operates the Cresson, South Cresson, Up-per Cresson, and East Cresson Mines on a seven day a week, 24 hour a day schedule. The operation mines an average of 167,000 metric ore & waste tonnes/day (185,000 short ore & waste tons/day), and crushes up to 64,000 metric ore tonnes/day (71,000 short ore tons/day). The ore produces an av-erage contained grade of 0.85 gram per tonne (0.03 contained gold ounces per ton). The CCV Gold mine has a strong environmental and historical preser-vation plan in place. For more information: http://www.ccvgoldmining.com/downloads/Geology%20Field%20Guide%202006.pdf

on tHe roCKs FieLd triPs reVieW


www.rmag.org

http://www.ccvgoldmining.com/downloads/Geology%20Field%20Guide%202006.pdf




030316March 3, 2016

22nd Annual RMAG & DGS 3D Seismic Symposium

www.rmag.org


CALENDAR | SEPTEMBER 2015

2013-14RMAG FOUNDATION

SCHOLARSHIPS

SCHOLARSHIPS

McKenna FundColorado College

CSU FundBolyard FundCU Boulder

CONTRIBUTIONS

CONTRIBUTIONS

Stone/Holberg FundStudying Rocky Mtn Structural Geology

Colorado School of MinesGolden

FosterStudying Rocky Mtn Geology

AAPG - Imperial BarrelRocky Mtn Section

AAPG Student LeadershipRocky Mtn Section

Friend of Dinosaur Ridge

Golden Pick AwardRMAG Guidebook contributionAAPG Sectional meetingRockbuster Ball awards

+

Contibutions can be made at https://www.rmag.org/i4a/ams/publicLogin.cfm for RMAG membersRMAG Foundation | 910 16th Street Mall, Suite 1214 | Denver, CO 80202

Babcock FundRocky Mtn region Universities

Veterans Fundawarded to veterans attendingRocky Mtn Region Universities

University of WY Fund

Morrison Natural HistoryInner City School attendance

PTTC Futures in EnergyRocky Mtn Section

Denver Public Schoolsmineral sets

RMAG Student Summit sponsorCO Science Teacher of the YearCO State Science Fair winners

6

13

20

27

7

14

21

28

1

8

15

22

29

2

9

16

23

30

3

10

17

24

4

11

18

25

5

12

19

26

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

LABOR DAY

RMAG Luncheon. Speaker Louis

Mazzullo.

PTTC Short Course.

PTTC Rockies Short Course.

RMAG Sporting Clay Tournament.

DIPS Lucheon.

RMAG On the Rocks Field Trip.

SPE ATCE.

www.rmag.org


• AAPG ...................................................................... 13

• Alliance Insurance Agency .................................... 42

• Anschutz ................................................................. 23

• Breckenridge Geophysical ..................................... 27

• Crown Geochemistry .............................................. 10

• Daub & Associates, Inc. ......................................... 28

• Décollement Consulting, Inc �� 14

• Devon ..................................................................... 31

• Dolan Integration Group (DIG) ............................... 35

• Donovan Brothers Inc. .............................................. 6

• Encana .................................................................... 24

• Enerplus ................................................................... 7

• Fluid Inclusion Technologies (FIT) ............................ 7

• GeoMark ................................................................ 32

• GeoSteering ............................................................. 4

• Great Western Oil & Gas Company ....................... 48

• Horizontal Solutions Intl. (HSI) ......................... 18, 28

• iBall Instruments ...................................................... 4

• James C. Karo Associates Land Services .............. 33

• Johnson Geo-Consulting, LLC ................................ 33

• Kestrel Geoscience, LLC .......................................... 6

• Lario Oil & Gas Company ....................................... 20

• Louis J. Mazzullo, LLC ............................................ 12

• Milner Geology ........................................................ 6

• Mineral Appraiser, LLC .......................................... 36

• MJ Systems ........................................................... 30

• Neil H. Whitehead, III ............................................ 33

• PTTC ....................................................................... 11

• QEP Resources ....................................................... 44

• RBC Wealth Management ..................................... 42

• Rocky Mountain Oil Journal .................................. 46

• Samson Energy ........................................................ 8

• Sinclair Petroleum Engineering, Inc. ...................... 33

• Stephens Production Company .............................. 20

• Stoner Engineering (SES) ......................................... 9

• Tracker Resource Development LLC ...................... 29

• T-Rex Oil Inc. .......................................................... 10

• Weatherford Laboratories ..................................... 29

• Whiting Petroleum Corporation ............................. 41

• William W. Little, Ph.D. ......................................... 12

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OUTCROP ADVERTISING RATES

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