August 2014 Outcrop by The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

OUTCROP Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Volume 63 • No. 8 • August 2014

Why can Weatherford deliver more real time data at the wellsite than any other mudlogging company?

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Vol. 63, No.8

August 2014

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The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists 910 16th Street • Suite 1214 • Denver, CO 80202 • 303-573-8621 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.

2014 Officers and Board of Directors RMAG Staff

Executive Director Carrie Veatch, MA cveatch@rmag.org Membership & Events Manager Hannah Rogers hrogers@rmag.org Projects Specialist Emily Tompkins etompkins@rmag.org

President – Matt Silverman MSilverman@bayless-cos.com

Treasurer – Reed Johnson rdjohnson@resoluteenergy.com

President-Elect – Marv Brittenham, brittmh@aol.com

Treasurer Elect – Paul Lillis plillis@usgs.gov

1st Vice-President – Michael Dolan mdolan@digforenergy.com

Counselor (2 Year) – Laura L. Wray laura.wray@wpxenergy.com

2nd Vice-President – Michelle Bishop mbishop@indra.com

Counselor (1 Year) – Terri Olson Terri_Olson@eogresources.com

Secretary – Nick Nelson nnelson@samson.com

Accountant Carol Dalton cdalton@rmag.org

Managing Editor

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Both black and white, and color art will be accepted. If you are submitting digital files, please save in PC format. Please submit png, jpg, eps, pdf or tif files for ads, artwork or photos at a minimum of 300 dpi. When saving pdf files, export at the highest quality available. An advertising agreement will be sent to you.

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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 Geologists 910 16th Street, Suite 1214 • Denver, CO 80202-2997

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RMAG June Board of Directors Meeting By Nick Nelson, Secretary (nnelson@samson.com) This month’s board meeting was held on June 18th, 2014. The meeting started at a feverish pace, with approximately one month before the Rocky Mountain Section meeting of AAPG, we received updates from several of the committees that are working towards setting up the event. By the time you read this the RMSAAPG meeting will be finished for a few weeks, but during the June board of directors meeting this was a topic of conversation that took up a large part of the meeting. There was some talk amongst the board about the monthly RMAG luncheons. The schedule has been set for the rest of 2014 and the push now is to get the first few months of 2015 speakers set in stone. Be sure to check the RMAG website to see the upcoming talks and reserve your lunch spot. Remember that if you missed the lunch registration deadline for any month you are more than welcome to walk-in and still hear the speaker for a mere $10. If you have been a member of RMAG for more than a month, or if you have been interested in Rocky Mountain geology for any period of time you, most likely have heard of the legendary yet elusive Big Red Book. This is a publication that has gained renowned status from geologists throughout the Rocky Mountain region due to

its incredible amount of information and its rarity. Lucky for all of us, the Big Red Structure/Tectonics Book is now available in a much more compact and modern form. This new version of the publication is available on CD and has a whole new format, including maps and GIS data for use with your favorite modern mapping software. This new publication is now on sale for everyone to enjoy and use. If you are interested in purchasing this publication please check out the website or contact the RMAG office to get yours today. Now all you need to do is finish reading this month’s issue of the Outcrop from cover to cover and then get your backpack in order for an outdoor adventure. Don’t get me wrong, reading this fine compilation of articles is good for your brain, but every geologist needs to get outside and see some rocks and the best way to spend the rest of your day is to go outside and look at an actual outcrop. This month I recommend a trip to your favorite carbonate. Be sure to remember your hand lens, camera, grain size card and lots of water. Nobody wants to get stuck on an outcrop and have to make the hard decision of drinking your last sip of water or using it to wet down the rock so you can see those fossils just a little bit better. Be safe and have fun out there.

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Vol. 63, No.8

August 2014

OUTCROP Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

CONTENTS Features

16 Lead Story: The Museum of Moab 21 2015 AAPG ACE in Denver 26 Cores for Kids 40 ENTRY FORM 2014 Oilman's Tennis Tournament of the Rockies aka OTTR

Association News

7 RMAG 2014 Summit Sponsors 9 The Outcrop Needs YOU! 11 Call for 2014 RMAG Professional Awards Nominees 12 RMAG Award for Excellence in Teaching Earth Sciences 15 September RMAG On-theRocks Field Trip 20 Sporting Clay Tournament RMAG 2014 23 SAVE THE DATE! RMAG Pronghorn/Three Forks Core Workshop 25 Connect with RMAG Online! 27 RMAG Monthly Luncheon Sponsor Commitment Form OUTCROP

28 Thank You to 2013 Foundation Donors 30 Submit a Manuscript to The Mountain Geologist 32 21st Annual 3D Seismic Symposium Call for Papers 33 Tectonic GIS Data from the Geological Atlas of the Rocky Mountain Region 35 RMAG Foundation Scholarship Awards 2014 38 Oil & Gas Fields of Colorado 2014 Order Form

Departments

4 RMAG June Board 6 29 29 34 38 41 41

of Directors Meeting President's Column In the Pipeline In Memoriam RMAG Luncheon Programs New Members Advertisers Index Calendar of Events

COVER PHOTO

A large block of coarse regolithic limestone breccia of the Molas Formation exposed in the high wall of the historic Rockwood Limestone Quarry fourteen miles north of Durango, Colorado. The surface of the block is a smoothly beveled glacial pavement produced by the Animas Glacier as it moved south along the Animas River Valley from the San Juan Mountains ice-field highland. Note the glacial striations and the remnant of a large glacial groove at the far end of the outcrop. Many of the limestone clasts are fossiliferous. The Molas Formation is considered to be a paleosol developed on an erosion surface on the Leadville Limestone. Distinctive red and purple clay envelopes cobbles, nodules and blocks derived from the underlying Leadville Limestone. View to the south or “down-ice” along the Animas River valley. Photo by Carl F. Brink. References Condon, S. M., 1992, Geologic Framework of Pre-Cretaceous Rocks in the Southern Ute Indian Reservation and Adjacent Areas, Southwestern Colorado and Northwestern New Mexico: United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 1505-A.

Volume 63 • No. 8 • August 2014 5

www.rmag.org

President’s Column By Matt Silverman

Publish or Perish Since our founding in 1922, the heart of RMAG’s mission has been the exchange of geologic information. In addition to our field trips, symposia and short courses, we provide this service monthly with the Outcrop, quarterly with The Mountain Geologist and (almost) annually with a guidebook or other classic publication. This year, we are thrilled to welcome two outstanding, new digital volumes to our list: Tectonic GIS Data from the Geologic Atlas of the Rocky Mountain Region and Oil & Gas Fields of Colorado.

RMAG is now proud to publish Tectonic GIS Data from the Geologic Atlas of the Rocky Mountain Region on CD in geospatial vector file format as Geographic Information System maps and data ($80 for members, $130 nonmembers), with maps digitized from the georeferenced tiff figures in the 2006 Atlas. Shapefiles and file-geodatabase features are available for major tectonic units, anticlines and faults, major fold axes and faults, selected tectonic elements from Bouguer gravity data, configuration and ages of the Precambrian rock units, Upper Cretaceous to Cenozoic igneous rocks, and intrusive rocks. The GIS data are presented in an ArcMap (.mxd) project, layer files, and as an ArcGIS (.pmf) published map file. In addition to the vector data, the Geo TIFF raster images, as well as some PDF chapters that comprise these map figures within the Big Red Book are included. For additional geologic context, the geologicunits base layer from the Geologic Map of North America, published gravity and magnetic anomaly maps, as well as a generalized USGS North American color shadedrelief raster are also included. The primary purpose of this publication is to provide regional- and local-scale geospatial data of the Rocky Mountain Region for the geoscientist. The files contain location and symbology information for geologic data

Tectonic GIS Atlas RMAG’s Geologic Atlas of the Rocky Mountain Region, the “Big Red Book,” was first published in large format (print) in 1972. We re-released this long out-ofprint volume in digital (.pdf) and georeferenced tiff file formats in 2006.

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Vol. 63, No.8

August 2014

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www.rmag.org

President's Column Continued from page 6

layers and allow analysis of the tectonic framework for map-based tasks. This interactive map product does not require extensive GIS expertise or highly specialized equipment. RMAG volunteers make a lasting contribution to science, particularly the architects, authors and editors of these publications. Thanks go first to Debra Higley, RMAG’s 2013 President, without whom this publication would have never happened. Laura Biewick, a geologist and GIS coordinator at the USGS, who is the compilation editor who meshed current basemap, gravity, bathymetry, geologic, and other data with extensively attributed digitized pages from the Big Red Book. The beautiful cover art design and layout were professionally prepared by Dianne Nelson of Shadow Canyon Graphics. G e n e ro u s s p o n s o r s o f t h i s publication included Anadarko Petroleum, Caerus Oil & Gas, the RMAG Foundation, GeoEdges Inc. and Innovative Geo-Tech Resources. You have our profound thanks. Oil and Gas Fields Due to the growing and critical emphasis on resource plays, Oil & Gas Fields of Colorado includes discussions of the most important large-scale accumulations as well as classic field summaries. Sizable fields, those not previously (or thoroughly) described in earlier RMAG publications, fields that illuminate an intriguing play type or that are currently being developed, and regional plays are emphasized. As a result, the 41 papers in this CD volume represent an astonishing diversity of oil and gas accumulations. Included are fields ranging from Campo on the Oklahoma border to West Side

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Vol. 63, No.8

August 2014

The Outcrop Needs YOU! We need articles and photos for the Outcrop! Have you attended a great lecture or read an interesting new geology or energy book? Have you attended a class or gone on a field trip that would interest the membership? Have you learned a new technique or found some great public domain software? Share your research so we can grow together. We are looking for articles about the new water laws, basin modeling on the â&#x20AC;&#x153;cheap,â&#x20AC;? new geologic trails or programs, legislative concerns, new technology. Please be sure to include a phone number and make sure our emails are whitelisted. We have had a few submissions that we wished to run but we could not reach the submitters by email and had no other contact information.

Send in your article or photo today!

Please submit your ideas or articles and photos to: Kristine Peterson k.peterson@laramidegeo.com

Holly Sell holly.sell@yahoo.com

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Greg Guyer Greg.Guyer@halliburton.com

Andre Scheinwald aschein33001@gmail.com

Cheryl Whitney cwhitney@alumni.nmt.edu

www.rmag.org

President's Column Continued from page 8

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Vol. 63, No.8

Canal in the northern Sand Wash Basin. Historic fields like Adena, Florence Canon City and Rangely are updated, and new, evolving discoveries like the DJ Niobrara horizontal play (2009) are introduced. Pervasive accumulations like the Raton Basin Coal Bed Methane play, Ignacio-Blanco and the Piceance Basin Williams Fork play will be found alongside discrete accumulations from across the state. In other words, something for every explorer, and every production geologist. Each of these field studies provides essential lessons for the petroleum geologist’s tool kit. Geologists familiar with these fields and plays will be much better able to create a compelling drilling opportunity, in Colorado or elsewhere in the region. Dozens of authors and editors deserve our thanks. I can’t name them all, but would like to single out the devoted committee members that made it happen, against long odds: Dean DuBois, Jim Rogers, Steve Cumella, and Jim Milne. Innovative Geo-Tech Resources donated their professional mapping services at a breathtaking discount. It was compiled professionally at a great price by Nate Silva. Only the generosity of our sponsors enabled this publication to proceed at a critical juncture, so I’m very grateful to Michael S. Johnson, the RMAG Foundation, the Foundation of the Rocky Mountain Section – AAPG, Dudley W. Bolyard, Louis and Shirley Bortz, Robbie R. Gries, Joseph P. D. Hull, K. P. Kauffman Company, Inc., L. M. Kozimko, Lewis & Clark Exploration, and James P. Rogers. Both publications are now available to order at www.rmag.org by calling the office: 303-573-8621. »

August 2014

Call for 2014 RMAG Professional Awards Nominees The RMAG Professional Awards Committee is seeking nominee suggestions for the 2014 RMAG Professional Awards to be presented at the November Rockbuster’s Ball. Please contact Tricia Beaver, Committee Chair at triciabeaver@comcast.net or (303) 731-7550 with any ideas. For additional information on awards criteria and to see lists of past award recipients, please go to www.rmag. org and click on “Committees.” Thanks for your thoughtful input in nominating those who deserve recognition. The seven categories of awards are as follows: • Honorary Member – given for outstanding service to geology and/or the RMAG • Outstanding Explorer – given for significant energy or mineral discovery(ies) or for having accomplished outstanding earth science exploration in recent years or throughout his/her career • Outstanding Scientist – given for having conducted or reported outstanding earth science studies • Distinguished Service to RMAG – given for contributions to the RMAG in meaningful and beneficial ways

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• Distinguished Public Service to Earth Sciences – given to recognize contributions to earth sciences outside the framework of regular job responsibilities • Journalism – given for an achievement of notable benefit to the profession or public understanding of geology, exploration or resources • President’s/Special Awards – given for an achievement that does not have a specific category »

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RMAG & RMAG Foundation

Award for Excellence in Teaching Earth Sciences - 2014 The 2014 recipient of the RMAG Excellence in Teaching Award is Ms. Jacqueline Bath. She is a 1980 graduate of the University of Texas where she earned a B.S. degree in Geology; she also earned a Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Denver in 1999. Jacqueline teaches Geology, Earth and Environmental Science, and Astronomy to students in grades 9 through 12 at ThunderRidge High School in Highlands Ranch; she has been a teacher for the past 17 years and prior to her career in teaching, she was a working geologist for 10 years. She is considered one of the strongest teachers at ThunderRidge High School. Jacqueline is highly regarded for developing and delivering state of the art instruction, which fully engages her students and draws them in the direction of science as possible career paths. Jacqueline utilizes a “flipped classroom model” in which her students view direct instruction and contextual knowledge through vodcasts at home,

and when they return to the classroom, they are then prepared to experience the investigative laboratory component. Each session is framed by several essential questions that are germane to the lesson’s content. She shares her lessons with students and parents on “Moodle” which is a Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment system, the purpose being, that the more information that is available to her students – the easier it is for them to find their passion in the field of science. In her earth science courses, she introduces students to the major principles of geology, such as mineral and rock identification and classification, landforms, structure, fossils, geologic history, and the geologic time scale, including topics in stratigraphy, depositional environments and paleogeographic mapping. Two specific engaging activities she brings to the classroom are called “Gushers & Dusters, and “Our Cosmic Address.” Gushers & Dusters is a simulated mock-up of an exploration company; the students are provided data and finances to operate their own oil & gas company. The students are introduced to the concepts of oil generation, reservoir characteristics, trapping mechanisms, and seismic surveys. Petroleum geologists are invited to her classroom to share their experiences in finding and developing petroleum Premier geonavigation/geosteering services resources. In her Cosmic Address since 1995 program, her students create an exemplar model of humanity’s place in the universe. Maximize Target Penetration Jacqueline Bath is an exceptional Maximize Production teacher and an outstanding example of those dedicated educators who make a Avoid Costly Redrills significant and positive impact on our children. It is to people like Jacqueline Senior geosteering staff on call 24/7 to keep that we owe our gratitude for developing you in-zone and respond to structural young minds and planting the seed for stratigraphic changes an interest and appreciation of geology www.horizontalsi.com and the sciences. She represents the best of those who teach earth science Denver, Colorado Carrollton, Texas and is a very deserving educator worthy

Stay in the Zone

KC Oren 303.249.9965

Vol. 63, No.8

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August 2014

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RMAG & RMAG Foundation Continued from page 12

to be presented the RMAG’s 2014 Teacher of the Year Award. A subcommittee of the RMAG, K-12 Education and Public Outreach Committee solicits and judges applications submitted by teachers from the Front Range area. At the July 2 RMAG luncheon, Jacqueline was presented with a cash award and a plaque provided by the RMAG Foundation. The Teacher of the Year program is now in its fourteenth year, and it is through those generous donations and supporters of the Foundation that make this all possible. Jerry Cuzella

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August 2014

September RMAG On-the-Rocks Field Trip Volcanic History of the Gunnison Basin

Leader: Allen Stork, Western State Colorado University Date: September 20 & 21, 2014 Make this your trip for Colorado fall color! The last On-the-Rocks field trip of the 2014 season will include spectacular geology and awesome scenery. The Upper Gunnison Basin was formed by the interplay between the 30 m.a. old West Elk Volcano and the large ash-flow sheets that make up the northern slopes of the San Juan Mountains. On Saturday, the field trip will first look at gravels deposited when the West Elk Volcano disrupted the paleodrainages off of the Laramide Rockies. We will then loop south to tour the well-exposed Cochetopa Caldera, the northern end of the La Garita Caldera, and the tuffs erupted from the San Luis Caldera cycle. The day will finish by looking at the 20 m.a. Nine-Mile Hill Volcano and a spectacular overview of the West Elk Volcano and Upper Gunnison Basin. The trip will begin and end in the Hurst Hall parking lot on the campus of Western State. The trip will be on gravel roads and high clearance vehicles are recommended. There will be a few shor t (<1/4 mile) hikes over easy terrain. Most of the stops have decent parking but we should strive to keep the number of vehicles low; 30 participants. For those able to stay through Sunday morning, there will be an optional portion of the field trip that will go into the heart of the West Elk Volcano up Red Creek. On the drive up, we will look at the debris flows that make up the majority of West Elk Volcano. We will end up at about OUTCROP

12,000 feet elevation. and after a short (<1/4 mile) climb, have a spectacular view into the center of the volcano and of the Gunnison Laccolith Cluster to the north. This is a relatively rough gravel road and high clearance vehicles are recommended. This optional portion of the field trip will end at 1 pm on Sunday. Gunnison is a 3.5 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4 hour drive from the Denver metro area, so lodging or camping for one or two nights must be arranged and paid for by individual participants. Elk Creek Campground at the Curecanti National Recreation Area (Blue Mesa Reservoir) will be the meeting place for those interested in camping. Registration for the trip is via the RMAG website where you will fill out the release form and pay the $10 fee. You will also find additional trip details and information about the Gunnison area. Please contact Sandra Mark for logistical questions: sandra@themarkfarm.com or 303.810.7827. Âť

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LEAD STORY

The Museum of Moab

By John Foster, Director, Museum of Moab

The Museum of Moab is located on Center

Street in downtown Moab, Utah, and preserves the history of the Moab region and southeastern Utah in general for locals and visitors alike. The Museum was started in 1958 by a collection of Grand County, Utah, residents, and the first home of the organization was a small four-room adobe brick house. The Museum moved down the street to its present location on East Center Street several years later, and a new Museum building was later constructed on site which opened on August 20th 1988, thanks to contributions from local philanthropist Dan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Laurie. Vol. 63, No. No.88

August 2014

Lead Story The Museum of Moab preserves and displays artifacts and information, and promotes research and education, which accurately reflect the natural and cultural history of the Moab area. The exhibits and collections are housed in an 8,000 square foot building not far from the Moab Information Center in the middle of town. The exhibits are based on the Museum’s collections and center on the region’s long natural and cultural history. The Moab story has been heavily influenced by the region’s geologic history. All of the area’s geographic attributes, which have attracted human inhabitants for thousands of years, were shaped by the varied conditions of the area’s ancient past. From salt domes a n d l a c c o l i t h s , to faulting, uranium and coal mining, and the changing paleoenvironments thoughout its history, Moab and Grand County today are directly (geologically) or indirectly (in the case of human history) products of events that occurred long ago. The Museum’s exhibits highlight this history by looking at the Moab area’s full story: from early Earth history, to the recent transformation into a sightseeing and outdoor recreation hub. Geologic exhibits feature mineralogy and stratigraphy, plus an eight-foot-square, hand-carved, balsa wood topographic map of the area, cut and assembled layer by layer by John Urbanek over a 20-year period. The area’s long and influential uranium mining story is also part of the geology section, with a collection of tools, equipment, and historic photos of the time. Included in the uranium story exhibit area geologist Charlie Steen’s boots, which he had bronzed after he discovered the multi-million dollar Mi Vida mine deposit, along with a piece of his drill pipe which broke off right after the find and was stuck in the old hole until it was mined out years later. Southeastern Utah’s rich paleontological history includes the naming of at least 14 new species of dinosaurs OUTCROP

just since the mid-1990s, and the Museum’s paleontology exhibits include the fossilized back, pelvis, and tail of a large, Late Jurassic-age Camarasaurus dinosaur that was found south of Moab several years ago. Also in the exhibits is a full mounted cast skeleton of the armored dinosaur Gastonia, which was first found north of Arches National Park by then Moab resident, Rob Gaston. Other paleontology exhibits at the Museum include petrified wood from the Triassic Chinle Formation, cycad trunks from the dinosaur-producing Morrison Formation, and what the Moab area is particularly rich in paleontologically – dinosaur tracks, from a number of formations. Additional tracks of dinosaurs and other animals can of course be seen at some of the interpreted paleontology trails in the area, most within a few minutes of town. The Museum’s archaeological exhibits chronicle the human habitation of the Moab area from the PaleoIndian and Archaic times through Ancestral Puebloan and Fremont time, up to the Ute and Navajo periods. These stories are told through the arrowheads, spear points, pottery, baskets, and other tools and artwork of the groups. A local mammoth tusk piece and an atlatl are among the oldest artifacts in this section, and a section on today’s Native American groups updates the story. The rest of the exhibits focus on the development and transformation of Moab and the surrounding area, from the early travels of Spanish explorers and French traders and trappers, to the farming settlements built by Mormon groups sent from elsewhere in Utah. Moab itself appears to have developed for some time without an official name, until it needed to decide on one for designating and opening a post office. The name “Moab” was suggested by William Pierce and voted for by the residents; this name was inspired by the area’s envisioned resemblance to the Continued on page 18 »

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Lead Story Continued from page 17

desert landscape of the Biblical land of “Moab,” which was in what today is southwestern Jordan. However, the Biblical Moab was a nation often entangled in battles with the Israelites and was a land that eventually suffered an agonizing defeat (in Isaiah); several later attempts to change the name of the Utah town, because of this association, failed. The Museum exhibits also detail the Moab area’s rich history in farming and ranching, Civilian Conservation Corps projects, national park development, and the filming of many movies, such as Rio Grande, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and The Greatest Story Ever Told (to name a very few of the total). Other interesting topics covered include the transformation of the town during various booms and busts, Edward Abbey and land conservation controversies, and the recent transformation of Moab into a center of outdoor recreation activity. Through these exhibits the Museum strives to show the long and interconnected history of the Moab area through its collection of artifacts and specimens.

Vol. 63, No.8

The Museum of Moab is open 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday through Saturday during the summer. It is located at 118 East Center Street in downtown Moab. Admission is $5 for adults, children 17 and under visit for free. »

August 2014

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Lunch at noon Shooting starts at 1pm

Vol.our 63, No.8 Visit website at:www.rmag.org

August 2014 303-573-8621 | staff@rmag.org

2015 AAPG ACE in Denver By John Robinson, General Chair

One of the many advantages of hosting the 2015 stratigraphy, mudrock petrology, geosteering practices AAPG-SEPM Annual Convention and Exhibition (ACE) and pitfalls, business ethics, sequence stratigraphy in Denver is the opportunity to provide an extended for graduate students, sequence stratigraphy of list of the Field Trips and Short Courses/Workshops. shales, microbial carbonates, resource evaluation of These events are typically well attended by virtue of unconventionals, understanding shale heterogeneity, having field-based research outside our back door and seismic geomorphology, Sussex Sandstone core access to several core repositories, including the USGS workshop, exploration in the Bakken/Niobrara, and core facility. In addition, the Rocky Mountain Region Confessions of a Frac engineer. Petroleum Technology Transfer Council (PTTC), housed This is going to be a big meeting and we are expecting at Colorado School of Mines, can provide facilities a huge turnout for technical sessions, field trips, short outside of the Colorado Convention Center for classroom courses, luncheons and social activities. Next month lectures. Although the Denver meeting typically offers we will provide more information on the content of the more field trips and short courses, they are often sold out meeting Themes (there are 13) and the individuals who soon after the meeting announcement is released. are responsible for each theme. The Call for Abstracts Mark Longman of QEP Resources in Denver, is is now open at http://ace.aapg.org/2015. » the Field Trip Chair. He has a preliminary RMAG list of2014 eleven Ad2_Layout 1 2/4/14 2:49 PM Page 1 proposed field trips, encompassing such varied topics as: the Green River and Wasatch Formations of the Uinta Basin, unconventional petroleum systems, Laramide basin evolution A strong portfolio of 1.5 million net acres onshore and tectonics, Cretaceous carbonates near Pueblo (Niobrara), the Book Cliffs in Utah/Colorado, Wattenberg field operations, Burro Canyon/ Dakota near Grand Junction, Lewis Shale in Wyoming, Uinta Basin source rocks, and regional geomechanics. More trips may yet be proposed – the deadline for proposals is approaching. Contact Mark if you are interested in leading/organizing a trip. Our Short Course Chair is Mary Carr, the Regional Director of the PTTC. Mary is the perfect leader With a history in the Rockies that spans nine years, Newfield Exploration continues to grow, build and share—responsibly and sustainably. Key to our approach is maintaining for this effort as she has produced a diversified portfolio of assets as we focus on driving advances in unconventional plays. workshops and short courses for It’s all done with an equal focus on people—our own family of employees and our communities. PTTC for many years. The proposed An entrepreneurial spirit, sense of empowerment and access to the best in technology—these course list includes: applied reservoir are the hallmarks of Newfield. Join us. And grow with us. characterization and modelling, carbonate depositional systems www.newfield.com and seismic sequence stratigraphy, principles and application of sequence

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PTTC Summer/Fall Workshops Geomechanics for Unconventionals: Why the Fuss? Thursday August 28, 2014, 8:30am -12:30pm, Denver Athletic Club Fee: $200, includes breakfast, class notes, and PDH certificate Instructor: Neal Nagel; Chief Engineer and Principal, Oilfield Geomechanics LLC.

The short course will cover the geomechanical considerations for unconventional developments with a focus on its critical role in formation characterization and completion optimization. Unquestionably, geomechanics does play a critical role in the understanding and development of many unconventional reservoirs – chiefly due to the complicated and variable geomechanical impact of natural fractures and weakness planes in completions and drilling. Within the short course, we will introduce unconventional developments and their characteristics. Following this, the nature and geomechanical behavior of natural fractures and weakness planes will be reviewed. With this foundation, the role of microseismic monitoring – as it portrays rock failure – will be presented. The course will then conclude with an extensive review (based upon stress, pressure, and mechanical property fundamentals) of common geomechanical issues (i.e., brittleness, complexity, stimulated rock volume - SRV) in the characterization and engineering optimization (i.e., stage spacing, landing location, etc.) of Unconventionals.

PTTC Fall Symposium Environmental Best Practices for in Colorado Oil and Gas

Thursday, September 18, 2014, 8:30 am – 5 pm, Colorado School of Mines, Ben Parker Student Center Ballroom AB Fee: $250, includes lunch, class notes, and PDH certificate Multiple speakers from Industry (Whiting, Noble, Anadarko and WPX), Regulatory Agencies and Academia Limit: 100 persons Come join us in Golden and hear from those on the front line of the environmental issues facing the Colorado Oil and Gas industry. Ten speakers will include representatives from industry, academia and state regulatory agencies. Oil and Gas Operators represented will be Whiting, Noble, Anadarko, WPX and ConocoPhillips.

How to Find Bypassed Pay in Old Wells Using DST Data Monday-Wednesday, Oct. 6-8, 2014, 8:30 AM-5:00 PM Colorado School of Mines, Ben Parker Student Center Ballroom A Fee: $700; Includes: refreshments, workbook, and PDH certificate Instructor: Hugh W. Reid

Geologists, engineers & technicians who encounter or utilize DST results and reports in their exploration & production decisions. In fact any professional who needs to make more sense of the numerous old DSTs which are present in so many wells, often with confusing results. Particularly appropriate for those prospecting for bypassed pay using logs and geology, who may wish to verify their conclusions from the DST or for regional geologists using show maps of DST results. This course is a non-numerical introduction to understanding DSTs & DST pressure charts focusing on pattern recognition and practical “quick look” techniques. Numerous field examples & case histories are utilized and theory is kept to a minimum. Course manual contains numerous DST charts which can be used for trouble shooting problem DSTs later. It is a permanent reference source. To avoid problem of attendees forgetting procedures taught at the course, all techniques are given in cookbook format ‘fill in the blanks’. A key emphasis of the course is to show how to identify missed (damaged) pay in competitor’s ‘dry’ wells & additional pay in your own producing wells. This is an important skill to complement log skills!

Confessions of a Frac Engineer: 200 Field Studies Prove our Frac Jobs are Not Optimized

Tuesday November 4, 2014, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Colorado School of Mines. Ben Parker Student Center, Ballroom B Fee: $250 (includes snacks, PDH cert, and workbook) Instructor: Mike Vincent, Fracwell, LLC

This course will focus on practical techniques to investigate and optimize fracture treatments. Participants in this course will have access to more than 200 published field studies in which the productivity and profitability of fields have been improved by altering the treatment design. Highly focused on field examples, this one day course will introduce many of the common mistakes and misconceptions that hinder frac optimization.

Class Descriptions and Register Online: www.pttcrockies.org For more information, contact Mary Carr, 303.273.3107, mcarr@mines.edu

Vol. 63, No.8

August 2014

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Vol. 63, No.8

August 2014

RMAG MONTHLY LUNCHEON—Sponsor Commitment Form Deadline: The 1st of the Prior Month (i.e. June 1st for July Luncheon) RMAG holds monthly luncheons, typically the ﬁrst Wednesday of each month. The RMAG luncheon program provides a professional format for networking, cultivating local/regional activity awareness and exposure to emerging exploration and technology.

LUNCHEON SPONSOR - $500 per luncheon Please Note Preferred Month:__________________________________________ Donated funds will go toward the overall cost of the luncheon. Beneﬁts: Company will be recognized in up to 2 emails to the RMAG membership about the luncheon, company logo in PowerPoint presentation looping prior to RMAG monthly luncheon, verbal recognition of company at the luncheon, and company logo on RMAG’s luncheon section of website

LUNCHEON POWERPOINT SPONSOR - $100 per luncheon Please Note Preferred Month:___________________________________________ Company logo in PowerPoint presentation looping prior to RMAG monthly luncheon and company logo on RMAG’s luncheon section of website

CUSTOMIZED LUNCHEON POWERPOINT SLIDE - $125 per luncheon Please Note Preferred Month:___________________________________________ Customized slide in PowerPoint presentation looping prior to RMAG monthly luncheon and company logo on RMAG’s luncheon section of website

Please make checks payable to: RMAG Mail payment and a copy of this form to: RMAG, 910 16th Street Mall, Suite 1214, Denver, CO 80202 OR Pay by credit card VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS, DISCOVER and email this form to staﬀ@rmag.org Card #:

Exp. Date: ______________ _

Security Code: ___________Name on Card (Please Print): _________________________ _______ SPONSOR CONTACT INFORMATION: Contact Name: ___________________________ Company: ________________________________ Email: _________________________________________ Phone #: __________________________

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THANK YOU TO 2013 FOUNDATION DONORS The Trustees of the RMAG Foundation wish to thank and acknowledge the generous support of the Foundation’s donors in 2013. Over $53,000 was raised for student scholarships and the general fund which supports geologic endeavors within the Rocky Mountain scientific community at large. The Foundation awarded 7 scholarships in 2013 totaling $17,500 and an additional $17,000 was awarded to these deserving organizations:          

AAPG Imperial Barrel Award- Rocky Mtn Section AAPG Student Leadership Conference- Rocky Mtn Section Friends of Dinosaur Ridge- Boys and Girl Scout days Morrison Natural History Museum- Inner City School attendance PTTC Futures in Energy- Rocky Mtn Section Colorado State Science Fair winners Golden Pick Award RMAG Guidebook Mineral sets for Denver Public Schools Colorado Science Teacher of the Year

Thank You all for your continued support! Abbot, William Bailey, RV Barrett, William Bell, Richard Blajszczak, Richard Bollenbacher, John Bortz, Louis Brittenham, Marvin Broten, Jim Brown, Charles "Elmo" Butler, Arthur Charbonneau, Roger Clifford C Clark Collinson, James Conti, Louis Coskey, Robert Covey, Curtis Crouch, Jane Crouch, Marshall Cygan, Norbert Desmond, Robert & Julia Enterline, Ted Eschner, Terence Estes-Jackson, Jane

Vol. 63, No.8

Flagg Diamond corp Freedom Energy Assoc Fullerton, Tom G & H Production Co Garcia, Carlos Gibbet Hill Foundation Gomez, Ernest Gregg, Clare Grose, Thomas Harris, Sherod Hayes, Kathryn Heath, Edward Hess, Paul Irwin, Patricia Jones, Evan Kamp, Carl Knappe, Roy Kovach, Paul Kreutzfeld, James Krey, Max Larson, Scott LJ Oil, Inc Lowell, James Mark, Anson

Mason, M.Ann McKenna, Donald J McKenna, Elizabeth Meckel, Lawrence Michael, Robert Moore, Clyde Munn, James Nelson, Forrest Obernolte, Rick O'Donnell, Richard Pasternak, Ira Peterson, David Polleys, John RMAG Golf Participants Reed, Don Reid, Chase Reynolds, Mitchell Richards, Gene Roberts, Kimberly Schumacher, Dietmar Selma, Janita Shreve, Mark Sidwell, E.R. Silverman, Matthew

Single, Erwin Skeryanc, Anthony Smith, Gregg Smith, Marlis Smith, William Sonnenberg, Stephen Spelman, Allen Stark, Charles Stark, Philip Strachan, Stephen Sturdavant, Janien Sullivan, Steven Taylor, David Warme, John Wasson, Edward Wehrle, Paul Weiner, Kane West, Valary Wexford Resources Wiley, Bruce Willette, Donna Wray, Laura

August 2014

In the Pipeline August 4, 2014 COGA Rocky Mountain Energy Summit Golf Tournament. Golf Club at Bear Dance, Larkspur, CO.

September 10-11, 2014 RPSEA Onshore Production Conference and Field Trip. “Unconventional Hydrocarbon Reservoirs and Produced Water Management.” and “The Geology of Nine Mile Canyon and Produced Water Management in the Uinta Basin.” Utah Department of Natural Resources, Salt Lake City, UT.

August 6, 2014 RMAG Luncheon. Speaker Ron Broadhead, “Overview of selected shale plays in New Mexico.” August 9, 2014 RMAG- On the Rocks Field Trip. Topic: Vail Valley Hazards. Trip Leader: Dr. Vince Matthews.

September 25, 2014 RMAG Clay Sporting Tournament. See page 20 for more information.

August 27, 2014 Oilfield Christian Fellowship Luncheon. 303-6752602.

October 1, 2014 RMAG Luncheon. Speaker Michael Holmes, Digital Formation, Inc. “A comparison of petrophysical analytic sequesnt to describe both conventional and unconventional reservoirs.”

August 28, 2014 PTTC Rockies Short Course. “Geomechanics for Unconventionals: Why the Fuss?” Instructor: Neal Nagel. Denver, CO.

October 22, 2014 RMAG Pronghorn/Three Forks Core Workshop.

September 3, 2014 RMAG Luncheon. Speaker Murray W. Hitzman, “Induced Seismicity Potential of Energy Technologies.”

December 10-12, 2014 NAPE Rockies. Colorado Convention Center. »

AS OUR TOUCH GETS LIGHTER…

THE OPPORTUNITIES GROW LARGER.

If you have any events that you would like to post in this column, please submit via email to the RMAG office at staff@rmag.org for consideration.

In Memoriam Dr. Milton O. Childers Executive VP of Power Resources Corp. in Lakewood, November 17, 1928- April 24, 2014.

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 fﬁ ind better solutions. It’s about continuously striving to be a better industry partner and leaving behind a legacy of sustainability wherever we can.

Energizing the World, Bettering People’s Lives ®�

John P. Gold Age, 74, died February 6, 2014 in Port Angeles, Washington. Henry Earl Repp Age 88, died October 14, 2013 in Littleton, Colorado.»

www.nobleenergyinc.com

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o t t ip r c s u n a M a Submit wed nline, peer-revie o y, rl e rt a u q a sts eologist is ation of Geologi ci o The Mountain G ss A in ta n u o d by the Rocky M r The Mountain fo rs o it d E journal publishe . 0 0 2 t2 culation is abou te to geology la re r o n o s since 1964. Cir cu fo that me manuscripts virons. Geologist welco in region and en ta n u o M y ck o R Geologist, please in ta n u of the U.S. o M e Th r r anuscript fo e” found unde id u G When writing a m le ty S r o th wnloadable “Au MAG website: R e th n o t” refer to the do is g eolo ording The Mountain G manuscript acc r u “Publications – yo te ri w to t and is importan r both authors fo e m www.rmag.org It ti n o si vi e to mitigate re sed in 2014. If vi re st la to this style guid s a w ” ide Executive uthor Style Gu editors. The “A inquiries to the d n se se a le p 4. uestions, ublished in 201 p s authors have q e su is to r fe aol.com or re Editor at jtpetr@ site ack Issues the RMAG web n o le Index and B b ila va a . and index is age, www.rmag p b e w A bibliography t is g lo o e G untain e The Mountain Index to The Mo d n (1964- 2009, se a y h p ra g lio ib gist, umulative B Mountain Geolo e Th , org). See also, “C p o h is B le e -2010” by Mich Geologist, 1999 o. 3, p. 59-80. n , 8 4 v. , D (The Mountain 1 V 1 D 0 2 n o le July b ila va e journal are a untain Back issues of th , no. 4; The Mo 2 2 v. , 5 8 9 1 t p gh the -2005 exce ) available throu 4 . Geologist 1964 o n , 2 2 v. , 5 8 me 010 with 19 MAG website. So R e th Geologist 2006-2 n o e lin n o 3-573-8621, or r $15. RMAG office, 30 e RMAG office fo th m o fr le b ila s are ava back print issue

Vol. 63, No.8

August 2014

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21ST Annual 3 D Seismic Symposium

CALL for Papers! Thursday, February 5, 2015 Colorado Convention Center Downtown Denver

Speaker forms due Monday, October 5, 2014

Contact Co-Chair: Mary Sue Purcell mary.purcell@wpxenergy.com Presented by Denver Geophysical Society & Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Vol. 63, No.8

August 2014

Tectonic GIS Data from the Geological Atlas of the Rocky Mountain Region

www.rmag.org

RMAG Luncheon Programs

Induced Seismicity Potential of Energy Technologies By Murray W. Hitzman, Dept. of Geology & Geological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, September 3rd

The factor that appears to have the most direct consequence in regard to induced seismicity is the net fluid balance (total balance of fluid introduced into or removed from the subsurface).

Earthquakes attributable to human activities—“induced seismic events” —have received heightened public attention in the United States over the past several years. Upon request from the U.S. Congress and the Department of Energy, the National Research Council was asked to assemble a committee of experts to examine the scale, scope, and consequences of seismicity induced during fluid injection and withdrawal associated with geothermal energy development, oil and gas development, and carbon capture and storage (CCS). The committee’s report, publicly released in June 2012, indicates that induced seismicity associated with fluid injection or withdrawal is caused in most cases by change in pore fluid pressure and/or change in stress in the subsurface in the presence of faults with specific properties and orientations and a critical state of stress in the rocks. The factor that appears to have the most direct consequence in regard to induced seismicity is the net fluid balance (total balance of fluid introduced into or removed from the subsurface). Energy technology projects that are designed to maintain a balance between the amount of fluid being injected and withdrawn, such as most oil and gas development projects, appear to produce fewer seismic events than projects that do not maintain fluid balance. Major findings from the study include: (1) as presently implemented, the process of hydraulic fracturing for shale gas recovery does not pose a high risk for inducing felt seismic events; (2) injection for disposal of waste water derived from energy technologies does pose some risk for induced seismicity, but very few events have been documented over the past several decades relative to the large number of disposal wells in operation; and (3) CCS, due to the large net volumes of injected fluids suggested for future large-scale carbon storage projects, may have potential for inducing larger seismic events. Continued on page 36 »

Outcrop Deadlines for the Outcrop advertising is the 1st of the month, the deadline for other content is the 5th of the month. Vol. 63, No.8

August 2014

RMAG Foundation Scholarship Awards 2014 The RMAG Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s scholarship awards. The Foundation provides support to students and organizations to further the field of geology. More than 40 applicants vied for the 11 scholarships awarded this year that totaled $40,000. Additionally, all of the applicants will be given a 1 year membership to RMAG. Thank you to all of the generous donors that make this program possible and a big shout out to the RMAG Golf Tournament that raised $6,500 for the Foundation back in May. Recognition of these awards are planned for the Sept 3 rd RMAG luncheon. Scholarships Babcock Fund ($4,000 ea):  Alexander Hamilton- MS Candidate, Colorado State University, Geology  Marshal Tofte- MS Program, University of Wisconsin, Geology Bolyard Fund ($4,000 ea):  Daniel Feucht- University of Colorado, PhD Candidate, Geophysics Colorado School of Mines Fund ($4,000 ea):  Lauren Cross- MS Program, Geology Colorado State University Fund ($4,000 ea):  Daniel Scott- MS program, Geology Stone-Hollberg Fund ($4,000 ea):  Julian Stahl- MS Program, Montana State University, Geology Veterans Fund ($4,000 ea):  Geno Castillo- MS Program, New Mexico Highlands University, Geology  Amanda Henderson- MS Program, Brigham Young University, Geology Foster Fund ($2,500 ea):  Shuvajit Bhattacharya- West Virginia University, Geology  John Harper- Colorado School of Mines, Geology  David Wheatly- University of Utah, Geology Norman H. Foster Memorial Scholarships are awarded yearly to students who are conducting creative research toward an advanced degree on a geological or geophysical topic in the Rocky Mountains, eastern Great Basin, or Williston Basin applied to petroleum geology. Norm Foster, a distinguished member of our profession and association, served as president of RMAG and AAPG, was responsible for a number of petroleum discoveries and fundamental publications on the occurrence of oil and gas, and was unfailingly enthusiastic about teaching and guiding young geologists. Three scholarships, each for $2,500, were awarded for 2014-2015 in memory of Norm. Thanks go to each member of the selection committee for their extended consideration of applications.

Vol. 63, No. 8 OUTCROP

August 2014 www.rmag.org

RMAG Luncheon Programs

Continued from page 34

A Comparison of Petrophysical Analytic Sequence to Describe Both Conventional and Unconventional Reservoirs. By Michael Holmes, Digital Formation, Inc., October 1st

Using the technique of Corey (1954) continuous profiles of relative and effective permeabilities to both wetting and onwetting phases can be created.

Digital Formation has developed a series of petrophysical models to analyze reservoir properties. A demonstration of how the models can be combined into a comprehensive petrophysical reservoir evaluation will be presented. In addition to standard deterministic petrophysical analysis, the method includes information from: Rock Physics Modeling Create pseudo acoustic (both compressional and shear) curves, based on Gassmann and Kreif geophysical models. The model allows for the estimate of acoustic data where no (or limited) acoustic data exists. From this modeling, mechanical properties including brittle vs. ductile distinction can be made. Reference Holmes, SPWLA 2004, SEG 2005. Relative Permeability Modeling Procedures are available to estimate profiles of irreducible water saturation, which can be compared with the actual water saturation. Reference Holmes AAPG 2009. Using the technique of Corey (1954) continuous profiles of relative and effective permeabilities to both wetting and on-wetting phases can be created. Knowing viscosities of reservoir fluids water/oil or gas/water ratios can be determined as continuous curves. Petrophysical Analysis of Unconventional Reservoirs Methods for examination of the shale intervals independently of the clean formation are considered in addition to kerogen and total organic carbon

Luncheon Reservations & Information 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.

Your attendance is welcomed and encouraged. Bring a guest or new member!

Vol. 63, No.8

Call 303-573-8621, email staff@rmag.org, or register online. August 2014

RMAG Luncheon Programs (TOC) content of the reservoir which is crucial to the overall assessment of the hydrocarbon potential. Quantitative calculations of free and adsorbed hydrocarbons need to be assessed for a complete analysis. We have developed a technique to identify small to very small volumes of “free shale porosity” not associated with TOC. Reference AAPG 2010, 2011, 2013. Fracture Analysis This procedure was developed to estimate the presence of fractures – both open and healed – from standard open hole logs. Anonymously rapid rates of change are attributed to fractures. If the trend is to higher porosity, open fractures are suggested. Alternatively if the trend is to lower porosity, healed or cemented fractures are indicated. For wells with image logs, we have observed fair to good correlations with imaged identified fractures. The presentation will show how these various models can be combined with standard analytic procedures to derive a full evaluation of reservoir potential: • Porosity, fluid saturation, shale volume, permeability • In-place and recoverable hydrocarbons

Quality Mudlogging Geologic Interpretation

• Free hydrocarbons in the shale fraction • TOC and adsorbed hydrocarbons • Profiles of relative and effective permeabilities to the fluid phases • Profile of water/hydrocarbon rations

Wellsite Geology | Geo-Steering | Coring Supervision Serving the Williston Basin and Rocky Mountain Region Joseph H. Large

• Brittle vs. ductile distinction Examples from unconventional oil and gas reservoirs of North America are presented. » OUTCROP

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August New Members

Welcome to New RMAG Members... Jared Abraham is a Geophysicist at XRI Geophysics LLC.

Tim Rathmann is an Exploration Geologist at Olympus Exploration, LLC.

Shea Atkins lives in Fort Worth, Texas.

Patricia Rodrigues works at Whiting Petroleum Corporation.

Jerome Bellian is a Senior Geomodeler at Whiting Petroleum.

Paul Schietinger works at Newfield Exploration.

Felicia Bryan works at TGS.

Darren Schmidt works at Statoil.

Zach Crosby is a Petrophysicist at Weatherford.

Penn Selman works at Great Divide Consulting, Inc.

David Grey is the owner of Upstream Energy Consultants, LLC.

Anita Thapalia lives in Denver, Colorado. Maurits Thayer is a Geologist at Moosetooth Enterprises, LLC.

David Hawk works for Energy Analysis and Answers.

Katerina Yared works at Baker Hughes. »

Matthew Mannick is the President at Great Divide Geological Consulting, Inc. Christine Nims lives in Louisville, Colorado.

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Vol. 63, No.8

August 2014

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Vol. 63, No.8

August 2014

Advertisers Index AAPG............................................... 19

Donovan Brothers Inc..................38

Noble Energy................................ 29

Bowler Petrophysics...................... 38

Fluid Inclusion Technologies......22

PTTC.............................................. 24

Bradsby Group................................ 31

Geosteering..................................11

RPM Geologic, LLC...................... 37

Breckenridge Geophysical............ 18

Great Western Oil & Gas............. 37

RPSEA........................................... 15

Canadian Discovery..........................6

Gustavson, John B......................... 6

Stoner Engineering, LLC.............. 13

Columbine Logging........................ 22

Horizontal Solutions Intl.............. 12

Summit Mudlogging Services..... 14

DGS Children's Hospital................ 26

Karo, James C.............................. 14

Tracker Resources....................... 22

Daub & Associates........................ 25

Lario Oil & Gas Company............. 31

Weatherford Laboratories............. 2

Decollement Consulting, Inc........ 10

MJ Systems.................................. 25

Weber Law Firm, LLC................... 11

The Discovery Group, Inc................38

Mazzullo Energy Corp.................. 38

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

Dolan Integration Group.................14

Newfield Exploration................... 21

WPX Energy.................................... 8

Aug u s t 2014 SUNDAY

anuary MONDAY

1 TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

RMAG Luncheon Speaker: Ron Broadhead

27 Oilfield

COGA Rocky Mountain Energy Summit Golf Tournament

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Christian Fellowship Luncheon

PTTC Rockies Short Course

RMAG On the Rocks Field Trip