OUTCROP Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists
Volume 63 • No. 6 • June 2014
Vol. 63, No.6
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June 2014
OUTCROP
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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Associate Editors
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RMAG April Board of Directors Meeting
By Nick Nelson, Secretary (nnelson@samson.com) This month’s board meeting was held on April 16th, 2014. With so many events, programs and publications going on this summer, the meeting started off at full speed. At the time of the meeting the board asked for any last minute details regarding the Geosteering Forum, but the committee, chaired by Laura Johnson, had everything wrapped up. I personally attended the forum, and the committee did a very good job with the event, it had good attendance, exhibiters and presenters. The financial report was then given by Reed Johnson, the numbers for the first part of the year are looking good. We have already completed several events, and we are all excited about what the rest of the year will hold for the organization. With the increased number of publications available digitally, the revenue from Datapages is above what was originally predicted and the luncheons are also doing very well. Be sure to check the RMAG website for upcoming Luncheon topics. Just before the board meeting, the registration opened for the Rocky Mountain Section of AAPG, which is being held in Denver on July 20th-22nd. Registration is going well, but we are all concerned about the sponsorship and exhibitors during the section meeting. This is a busy year for conventions being held in Denver,
so if your company or organization is interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at RMS-AAPG be sure the sign up on the RMAG website and contact the office with any questions. Another big subject that was discussed by the Board of Directors this month was the continued efforts, spearheaded by Marv Brittenham, in creating a long term strategic plan for the organization. This will be a formal plan that will encompass all of the components of the organization, including but not limited to; membership, publications, financials and personnel. It will allow future boards to properly plan and organize the year over year expenses as well as put the entire organization in a better place for the decades to come. The plan is still in the works and it will be finalized by the 2015 board. Be sure to sign up for the RMS-AAPG meeting, the technical program and a list of the field trips is on the RMAG website. With the beautiful summer weather just around the corner, be sure to finish reading the rest of this issue of the Outcrop and then go outside and get some fresh air. Remember, that hummocky cross stratification is not going to describe itself.
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Vol. 63, No.6
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June 2014
OUTCROP Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists
CONTENTS Features
7 RMS/AAPG Cracking The Source Highlights 9 Statewide Oil and Gas Rezoning Overturned 11 Overview of Selected Shale Plays in New Mexico 14 Lead Story: The University of Nebraska State Museum 19 Geology Stops: New York City 25 Mineral of the Month: June
23 Volunteer Position for the Managing Editor for Outcrop Open 28 Save the Date! 29 Did You Work on "The Big Red Book"? 30 Authors and Editors Needed: RMAG Oil & Gas Fields of Colorado 30 Connect with RMAG Online!
Association News
of Directors Meeting President's Column In Memoriam In the Pipeline Check it Out! RMAG Luncheon Programs New Members Advertisers Index Calendar of Events
9 Colorado Science and Engineering Fair 10 Early Alert-RMAG Publication: Oil & Gas Fields of Colorado 11 Save the Date! 18 2014 RMAG Dues Renewal 20 Thank You to 2013 Foundation Donors 22 Submit a Manuscript to The Mountain Geologist
Departments
4 RMAG April Board 6 15 21 21 26 31 33 33
COVER PHOTO Stromatolite tubes of the Proterozoic-age Huttenberg Formation, part of the Upper Otavi Group. One of the interpreted reservoir facies in the Owambo Basin of Northern Namibia. Photo by RMAG member, Tom Hoak.
Volume 63 • No. 6 • June 2014
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President’s Column By Matt Silverman
Cracking the Source The highlight of the year for RMAG will be the Rocky Mountain Section Meeting of AAPG, to be held July 20 -22 at the Denver Convention Center. The theme is Cracking the Source, recognizing the key role of the geosciences in developing the unconventional resources of the region. I encourage you to register now and attend this extraordinary conference, sponsored by RMAG. For the first time, leadership of this meeting consists largely of young professionals, including General CoChairs Cat Campbell and Laura Mauro Johnson. These volunteers have put together an amazing schedule of events, focused like no other meeting this year directly on source rocks, shale plays and exploration in the Rockies. Here are some of the highlights: Two full days of technical presentations on timely, crucial themes such as: • Everything You Want to Know About Source Rocks
• New Structural Investigations: Rockies and Beyond • Petrophysical Techniques for Core and Log Analysis • Stratigraphy of Rocky Mountain Basins and Beyond • Reservoir Characterization Blending Conventional and Emerging Technologies Poster sessions will include: • Core Posters from the Williston, Powder River and Denver basins • Exploration/Exploitation • Sedimentary Geology • Structure and Tectonics
• Advanced Technologies for Visualization and Completion
• Source Rocks and Petroleum Systems Four great field trips are planned: • Unconventional Reservoirs and Stratigraphy of the Southern Denver Basin: Graneros, Greenhorn, Carlile, and Niobrara Formations. This is a two-day trip led by Jeff May and Tofer Lewis. • The Eagle Basin, an Over-mature Hydrocarbon-rich Paleozoic Basin hiding in plain sight amidst the Laramide Rockies. Bob Raynolds is the leader of this two-day trip. • Ancestral Rockies to the Western Interior Seaway: Geology and Petroleum Implications of the Morrison, CO area. This is a special field trip for students and young professionals; Donna Anderson will lead.
DONOVAN BROTHERS INCORPORATED Wellsite Drilling Engineering • Well Plans • Geomechanics Formation Evaluation • Optimize Drilling Using Logs
• Permian Depositional Systems, Cycles and Petroleum Geology along the Northern Colorado Front Range. This three-day, post-conference trip will be led by Marshall Deacon, Rick Geesaman and Max Pommer. There are also three, one-day short courses that should appeal directly to geologists active in the region: Continued on page 8 »
Bill Donovan
Geologist • Petroleum Engineer • PE
780 E. Phillips Dr. S. • Littleton, CO 80122 (720) 351-7470 (voice) • (303) 794-7470 (message) donovan@petroleum-eng.com www.petroleum-eng.com
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June 2014
Rocky Mountain Section—AAPG Annual Meeting July 20-22, 2014 in Denver, CO at the Colorado Convention Center
Visit www.aapgrms.org/2014 to register! The RMS-AAPG Annual Meeting Highlights:
Two full days of technical presentations — Everything You Wanted to Know About Source Rocks I and II — Advanced Technologies for Visualization and Completion — New Structural Investigations: Rockies and Beyond — Stratigraphy of Rocky Mountain Basins and Beyond — Petrophysical Techniques for Core and Log Analysis — Reservoir Characterization Blending Conventional and Emerging Technologies
Teacher’s Program at Dinosaur Ridge
All-Convention Luncheon: Robert D. Jarrett, Ph.D., “Colorado’s Extraordinary Flooding in 2013”
Two Core Poster Sessions
Three Short Courses — Beyond Porosity: Petrophysics for Geologists — Source Rocks 101 — Heath Core Workshop
A Night at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, July 21st
Four Field Trips — Unconventional Reservoirs and Stratigraphy of the Southern Denver Basin: Graneros, Green horn, Carlile, and Niobrara Formations — The Eagle Basin: An Over-mature Hydrocarbon-rich Paleozoic Basin Hiding in Plain Sight Amidst the Laramide Rockies — Student and YP trip: Ancestral Rockies to the Western Interior Seaway: Geology and Petroleum Implications of the Morrison, CO Area
— Permian Depositional Systems, Cycles, and Petroleum Geology Along the Northern CO Front Range
Social and Networking Events OUTCROP
For more information, visit: www.aapgrms.org/2014 7
www.rmag.org
President's Column Continued from page 6
• Beyond Porosity: Lithology from Logs for Geologists will be given by Dan Krygowski and Bob Cluff.
The All-Convention Luncheon will be a presentation on Colorado’s Extraordinary Flooding in 2013 by Robert D. Jarrett. The DPA luncheon • Source Rocks 101 will be taught will present legendary explorer Bill by Nick Harris. Barrett telling his Stories and Lessons • A core workshop on the Heath from 60 Years of Rocky Mountain Self-Sourcing Tight Oil System, Wildcatting. The Monday night event Montana will be offered by Rich will be an evening of social and Bottjer, Martin Cohen, Taylor Gray educational immersion at the Denver and Peter Purrazzella. Museum of Nature and Science. Bob 1 and 2 man Mudlogging Summit Raynolds will offer a Gas Referencing™ Geosteering Mudlogging lecture titled, Where Services have we come from and where are we Mike Barber Manager going? From the Rift Serving the Rocky Mountain Region Valley in Africa to beyond the Internet, 230 Airport Rd. Ph (435)657-0586 Unit D Cell (435)640-1382 some global Heber City, Utah 84032 email: mbarber@summitmudlog.com considerations. www.summitmudlog.com
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And there’s more. For additional details or to register for this meeting, visit www.aapgrms.org/2014 or www. rmag.org. Sponsorship opportunities are still available and RMAG can use the support. Your participation in this conference sustains the Rocky Mountain Section and RMAG at a time when competition from other meetings is a huge financial problem. Contact: RMS.AAPG.2014@gmail. com. If your company would like to exhibit at this premier event, a few spaces were still available when this issue went to press. Check with Laura Wray at laura.wray@wpxenergy. com. See you there! »
June 2014
Statewide Oil and Gas Rezoning Overturned In 2012, the Pennsylvania State legislature passed the Pennsylvanian Oil and Gas Act to regulate and expand the State’s oil and gas industry. Part of the Act was to prohibit local regulation of oil and gas operations and “required statewide uniformity among local zoning ordinances with respect to oil and gas resources,” and gave the development of oil and gas resources a useby-right in every zone district in the state. Because Pennsylvania’s constitution gives citizens a right to environmental quality, certain groups filed an appeal to the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court, arguing that the new Act would violate the environmental quality provision in the State constitution (Massachusetts, Hawaii, Illinois, Rhode Island, and Montana have similar environmental rights provisions). Citing with the appeal groups, the Supreme Court overturned the Act and ruled that the State of Pennsylvania must zone so as to provide environmental protections to its citizens, as well as develop assurances that the State must garner public trust in those protections. The Court went further to state that oil and gas operations that “inevitably do violence to the landscape” violate the State’s responsibility to protect the environment; therefore, the use-by-right zoning for oil and gas operations is invalidated. For additional information see Robinson Township v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, (2013 WL 6687290),
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December 19, 2013, (Pa). Source: Molly Stuart, American Planning Association staff attorney, 2014. Time will tell if pending lawsuits in Colorado with similar issues will be affected by the Pennsylvania ruling.»
Colorado Science and Engineering Fair The Colorado Science and Engineering Fair was held at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, April 10-12, 2014. Regional junior and senior high school winners from across Colorado participate in this event. The RMAG grants awards to exceptional projects in the earth sciences. Richard Louden represented the RMAG as Special Awards Judge. The RMAG awards Certificates of Excellence and a cash award of $250 from the RMAG Foundation to each of the winners. This year, the winner was Misha Kummel (8th Grade) for her project: A River Degraded: The Effect of Fountain Creek on Fluvial Processes and Ecology of the Arkansas River. There were many fine projects and it is always a pleasure to interview the students and give them an opportunity to discuss their work. Congratulations to the all participants of this year’s Colorado Science and Engineering Fair.»
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June 2014
Overview of Selected Shale Plays in New Mexico
By Ron Broadhead, New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, A Division of New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM New Mexico, with its multiple productive and frontier basins of different ages, has multiple opportunities for shale plays in strata ranging in age from Early Paleozoic to Upper Cretaceous. For this presentation, emphasis is placed on the emerging Mancos Shale play in the San Juan Basin. Also discussed are productive and potentially productive shale plays in the Permian Basin, the Raton Basin, and a frontier play in the Pedregosa Basin of southwestern New Mexico. In the San Juan Basin the Mancos Shale (Upper Cretaceous) has been productive from three plays: 1) the basal Niobrara (“Gallup”) offshore marine sandstone bar play in the southwest; 2) the naturally fractured Mancos shales along the southeastern and northwestern flanks of the basin; and 3) “offshore” shales with thinly interbedded sands that occur northeast of the offshore bars. The first two plays are conventional and mature. The third play is unconventional and consists of marine shales and thinly interbedded sandstones deposited further offshore (northeast) of the marine bar sandstones. These shales have been produced mostly subeconomically by vertical wells in sparsely drilled reservoirs. The shallower Mancos along the south flank of the basin is within the oil window and the deeper Mancos in the northern part of the basin
is within the thermogenic gas window. With the advent of horizontal drilling and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing this play now has the potential to be economically developed on a large scale. Recent exploratory drilling has been positive. Several plays are present in the Permian Basin in southeastern New Mexico. The Bone Spring Formation (Permian) has seen extensive development within the Avalon shale, but horizontal drilling has mostly switched to the Second and Third Bone Spring sandstones as the Avalon has proved gas prone in its western extent. The Bone Spring sandstones have been mostly responsible for the rise in New Mexico oil production from 70 million bbls to 100 million bbls over the last three years. Other possible plays include the Barnett Shale (Upper Mississippian) and the Woodford Shale (Upper Devonian). The Niobrara Shale of the Raton Basin of north-central New Mexico is an emerging gas play. The Niobrara has been productive from five vertical exploratory wells. The Niobrara is within the thermogenic gas window within the deeper axial part of the Raton Basin and is thermally mature along the shallow eastern flank of the basin, resulting in the possibility of both gas and oil plays. Southwestern New Mexico has seen multiple stages of tectonic deformation from the Pennsylvanian through the late Tertiary. The marine Percha Shale (Upper Devonian) is dominated by gas-prone kerogens and is affected structurally and thermally by all tectonic stages. The Percha is within the thermogenic gas window throughout southwestern New Mexico and is metamorphosed where proximal to large intrusive bodies. »
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June 2014
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LEAD STORY
The University of Nebraska State Museum
By R.F. Diffendal, Jr., PhD, Curator, UNSM Invertebrate Paleontology Collections I first walked through the doors of Morrill Hall on the main or City Campus of the University of Nebraska on a day late in August of 1962 and thought that I had entered paleontology heaven. Morrill Hall then housed the University of Nebraska State Museum (UNSM), most of the Geology Department, and some other parts of university units. I was a new graduate student hoping to pursue research in invertebrate paleontology in the Department of Geology and was on my way to see the department chairman for the first time. When I entered Elephant Hall. the building I walked through a vestibule and found myself headed directly into one huge gallery of fossil elephants, Elephant Hall. Wow, what a sight! Even today, more than 50 years later the hall is extraordinar y with its fully mounted mastodons and mammoths and its fine displays of all things proboscidean. These were not invertebrate fossils, but they were wonderful. Mineral displays. The history of the museum started in 1871 with the establishment of a “Cabinet” for natural history specimens by the University Board of Regents. The present museum building, Morrill Hall, was dedicated in 1927 and has undergone many improvements since then. UNSM has eight informal divisions: Anthropology, Botany, Entomology, Invertebrate Paleontology, Parasitology, Vertebrate Paleontology, Zoology, and Informal Science Education. There are
separate Geology collections of minerals, rocks, and meteorites. UNSM is fully accredited. The museum is currently housed on three floors of the building with plans to expand to the fourth floor in the near future. The first floor houses 16 beautiful Nebraska Wildlife dioramas showing plants and animals native to regions across the State. Cabinet displays in the adjacent hallways have mounted examples of invertebrates (including some from the entomology collections) and of vertebrates. There are other displays that are changed from time to time. The second floor has Elephant Hall, of course, along with galleries of fossil rhinos and horses, ancient life from Precambrian through the Paleozoic, a Mesozoic life gallery, and one devoted mostly to displays about the Nebraska Highway Salvage Program, one funded by the State for collection of fossil remains found during highway construction across Nebraska. Mueller Planetarium is also on this floor. The third floor has galleries devoted to areas of anthropology, to dinosaurs, and to evolution as well one with special exhibits. Minerals and rocks are displayed in cases in the hallways. The museum has huge research collections of millions of specimens from the divisions plus geology. These are housed principally in another building on Continued on page 16 »
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June 2014
In Memoriam Kirby L. Cockerham, Jr., January 27, 2014 Bob Pott, who worked for Forest Oil for 34 years and retired in 1986, died April 20, 2014 at the age of 91. A graduate of the Montana School of Mines, Bob worked for Sinclair Oil, prior to joining Forest Oil. Bob traveled widely for work and pleasure. He went on safari to Namibia at the age of 84, always full of life. »
Making Unconventional, Conventional
If you would like to submit an in memoriam for an RMAG member please send either to the RMAG office or to the editors.
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Lead Story Continued from page 14
is the only place I know of where you can see fully ar ticulated skeletons of Miocene age rhinos, horses, and other vertebrate animals in place where they were found. Ashfall is cooperatively run by UNSM and the Nebraska Fossil trilobite from the Pennsylvanian rocks of Fully articulated fossil rhinos being excavated at G a m e a n d P a r k s Commission. Trailside Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park. southeastern Nebraska. is known for “The Clash the campus. Many of these collections are outstanding of the Mammoths” display, skeletons of two mammoths records of the natural history of Nebraska and that died while their tusks were locked. worldwide. References UNSM has two satellite museums, the Trailside R.F. Diffendal, Jr., PhD, Curator, UNSM Invertebrate Paleontology Collections Museum of Natural History on the grounds of Fort The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Morrill Hall, 645 N. 14th St., Robinson State Park in northwest Nebraska and Lincoln, NE 68588-0338; (402) 472-2642; http://museum. Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park in north-central unl.edu. » Nebraska. Ashfall is a National Natural Landmark and
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June 2014
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Learn More digforenergy.com 303.531.2030 www.rmag.org
Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists, RMAG 910 16th Street Mall, Suite 1214, Denver, CO 80202 (303) 573-8621 phone (303) 628-0546 fax www.rmag.org staff@rmag.org
2014 RMAG Dues Renewal 2014 RMAG Dues Renewal Name:____________________________________________________________________________________ Last
First
Please select one: No change in contact information Please update my contact information:
Address: __________________________________________________________________________________ City: ___________________________________ State: ______________ Zip Code: _____________________ Email address: _____________________________________________________________________________ 2014 Dues:
$41.00 (December 1, 2013 - November 30, 2014)
Other Optional Contributions: RMAG Contribution:
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RMAG Foundation General Fund Contribution:
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Total Contribution Payment: All contributions are tax deductible under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS.
$_________
(which supports the calendar of 2014 of RMAG events, including short courses, symposia, social events, monthly luncheons, and more)
(which helps support the following: Norman H. Foster Scholarship, University of Colorado (Bolyard) Scholarship, Colorado School of Mines (CSM) Scholarship, Colorado State University (CSU) Scholarship, Veterans Memorial Scholarship, Stone/Hollberg Graduate Scholarship in Structural Geology, Philip J. McKenna Scholarship, Babcock Scholarship)
Please return this form with payment: Payments may be made by check (payable to RMAG) or credit card (please either fill out the enclosed credit card authorization form or go to www.rmag.org to pay online). Easy steps to update your membership online: 1. Go to RMAG website at www.rmag.org 2. Click on MEMBERSHIP 3. Under MEMBERSHIP, click on Member Log In 4. Under the Member Login box, click where it says “Forgot your information? Click here” 5. Enter your current email address 6. You will then receive an email with your login information If this is unsuccessful, please contact the RMAG office at (303) 573-8621 or by email at staff@rmag.org for further assistance.
PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW SUITE NUMBER – 910 16TH STREET MALL, SUITE 1214, DENVER, CO 80202 Vol. 63, No.6
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June 2014
Geology Stops: New York City By Andre Scheinwald Editor’s Note
The summer travel season is upon us so we thought that we would bring you some lessor known exhibits and sites to view along your way. For those of you heading east to the nation’s financial district - one of RMAG’s newest members and our newest associate editor shows brings you some geologic relief amidst the concrete.
By the time this publishes, I will have moved to Denver from New York and as a personal sendoff I am writing a series of pieces on places of geologic interest starting on the East coast. These are all personal accounts, so at times there will be a lack of geographic continuity. I will be starting this series with four stops in New York City; focusing in and around Central Park, as well as uptown Manhattan. The first stop of interest is on the southeast corner of 68th St. and Madison Ave. The closest way to get there is by taking the 6 train to 68th St. and walking west on 68th towards Central Park West. What you will find is not in situ, as it is the building itself. The building is composed of fossiliferous limestone with visible fossils such as crinoid stems and brain coral. One does not have to look hard; in fact, you can even see the texture of the building in Google street view. As we all know, whoever chose this building material did so poorly. You can see the structural damage from the high weathering rate of limestone in the region. What I hope the reader learns from this is that interesting geology is all around us. I have learned from this observation to pay more attention to the buildings I pass and have found interesting rock types such as oolitic limestone and sandstone with bedding. After the first stop you can continue on to Central Park West and take the entrance into the park just south of 67th St. and 5th Ave. Follow the path west approximately 480ft (or ~146m) to find an outcrop of schist with exact coordinates of 40.769500º, -73.971000º. Depending on whom you ask, schist in the NYC region is classified as either one or two different types: Manhattan schist only, or Manhattan schist and the Hartland Formation. Whatever the case may be, this specific schist outcrop contains prominent bands of quartzite, large specimens of muscovite, and pegmatite intrusions. The outcrop is the result of sediment deposition during the Cambrian and metamorphosed by the Taconic Orogeny, 450 MYA (Merguerian and Merguerian, 2004.) Also of interest is that this outcrop appears to be a Roche moutonnée based on the smooth up-slope of the outcrop OUTCROP
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Wellsite Consulting Geology Mud-logging Geo-steering
and craggy downslope. A Roche moutonnée is a glacial weathering feature with the up-slope caused by glacial abrasion and the craggy downslope from glacial plucking due to pressure melting and refreezing of the ice. Rough observation from this one outcrop indicates that glacial motion followed a northeast to southwest direction created during the Pleistocene. Another stop in Central Park is on the east side closest to the 59th St. and Columbus Circle entrance, accessible from the 59th St. station using the A,B,C,D, or 1 train. On the northwest corner of Heckscher Playground you will find another outcrop of schist with glacial striations running from northwest to southeast, possibly indicating a series of glacial advancements during the Pleistocene as it traces a different direction than the previous stop. This outcrop is known as Umpire rock or Rat rock, and also happens to be a good location for bouldering in the city. At either
www.decollementconsulting.com 303-578-6875
Continued on page 23 »
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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.6
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
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June 2014
In the Pipeline June 3-12, 2014 PTTC Workshop. “Complex Wells-Core Competency 2014.” For more information contact Mary Carr (mcarr@ mines.edu) 303.273.3107.
Springs. Trip leaders: Dr. Paul Myrow and Dr. Christine Siddoway from Colorado College. June 25, 2014 Oilfield Christian Fellowship Luncheon. 303-6752602.
June 3, 2014 RMS-SEPM Luncheon. Speaker Andrew Madoff. “Tectonic Controls on Deposition, Cozzette Sandstone (Campanian), Book Cliffs, CO.”
July 2, 2014 RMAG Luncheon. Speaker Christopher Laughery. “Petroleum Systems Modeling Research: Modeling Physical and Chemical Processes from Basin to NanoScale.”
June 4, 2014 RMAG Luncheon. Speaker Mark Chapin. “Integrated Static and Dynamic Modeling of the Pinedale Tight Gas Field, WY.” Marriott City Center.
August 6, 2014 RMAG Luncheon. Speaker Ron Broadhead, “Overview of selected shale plays in New Mexico.”
June 17, 2014 DWLS Annual Summer Social.
December 10-12, 2014 NAPE Rockies. Colorado Convention Center. »
June 19, 2014 RMS-AAPG Young Professionals Happy Hour. Paramount Café 4:30-6:30.
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.
June 21, 2014 RMAG- On the Rocks Field Trip. Topic: Neoproterozoicto-Ordovician Front Range and Structure near Colorado
Check it out! Guidelines for Voluntary Baseline Groundwater Quality Sampling in the Vicinity of Hydraulic Fracturing Operations Dustin Fross and Shane Lyle, Kansas Geological Survey, Kansas Geological Survey Public Information Circular (PPIC) 34. http://www.kgs. ku.edu/Publications/PIC/pic34.html
was published in the "Journal of Geophysical Research" in March, 2014. More information may be found at http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/ article.asp?ID=3819. Geomagnetic Referencing –The Real-Time Compass for Directional Drillers Andrew Buchanan et al, Oilfield Review, Autumn, 2013. htttp:// geomag.usgs.gov/downloads/ publications/3_geomagnetic.pdf
New study details relationship with waste injection and 2011 Oklahoma Earthquake "Observations of Static Coulomb Stress Triggering of the November 2011 M5.7 Oklahoma Earthquake Sequence," by D.F. Sumy, E.S. Cochran, K.M. Keranen, M. Wei, G.A. Abers, from the University of Southern California, USGS, Cornell University, Brown University, and the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University, OUTCROP
Ancient whodunit may be solved: Methane-producing microbes did it! Permian extinction may be result of evolution of Methansarcina bacteria. http://newsoffice.mit.edu/2014/ ancient-whodunit-may-be-solved-microbes-did-it Continued on page 24 »
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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
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June 2014
Geology Stops: New York City Continued from page 19
location in Central Park I do not recommend trying to take any samples with a rock hammer. It is frowned upon and quite possibly illegal in the parks. The last location is at the northern tip of Manhattan in Isham Park right next to the A train 207th St. Station. Along the length of Isham St. between Broadway and Seaman Ave. are outcrops of Inwood Marble which were metamorphosed from limestone during the Taconic Orogeny (Merguerian et al., 2011). These outcrops are a stark contrast to Manhattan schist in the area due to their low lying, heavily weathered nature. Feel free to take samples of marble that have weathered off the outcrop or are loose enough to pry off. New York City has a variety of geologic features that beckon a geologist’s attention in quieter sections of the city. Some of these are the glacial Roche moutonnées in Central Park molding schist outcrops and the Inwood marble formations in northern Manhattan’s Isham Park. Those of you familiar with the city and its’ geology may be questioning: “What about the Palisades sill? Or the Fordham gneiss? Or the minerals you can collect at Tubby Hook?” My response is that the city has a rich and varied number of geologic landmarks waiting to be observed and
researched by interested geologists visiting the area. So much so that one could write a short book on everything that can be found. That’s not to say that books have not been written on the subject. Three resources that I have not personally read are Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City, published by Harry N. Abrams in 2013 and available for $18.71 on Amazon; Geology and Engineering Geology of the New York Metropolitan Area, published by the American Geophysical Union in 1989;and The Geology of New York City and Environs, by Christopher J. Schuberth published in 1968. References
Merguerian, C., Merguerian, M., and Cherukupalli, E., 2011, Stratigraphy, structural geology, and metamorphism of the Inwood Marble Formation, northern Manhattan, NYC, NY: in Hanson, G.N., chm., Eighteenth Annual Conference on Geology of Long island and Metropolitan New York, 09 April 2011, State University of New York at Stony Brook, NY, Long Island Geologists Program with abstracts, 19 p. Merguerian, C., and Merguerian, M., 2004, Geology of Central ParkFrom rocks to ice, http://www.geo.sunysb.edu/lig/Conferences/ abstracts-04/merguerian/Merguerians2004.pdf (accessed April 29, 2014)
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Volunteer Position for the Managing Editor for Outcrop Open We are seeking a volunteer to assume the position of managing editor for the RMAG monthly newsletter Outcrop. Applicants must be experienced geoscientists capable of identifying and capturing stories of interest to the membership both within and outside of RMAG activities. The managing editor coordinates the production of the Outcrop with the RMAG staff and editors working directly with the layout artist. Availability to proof and cycle material and edits quickly is a must. Inquiries should be directed to Kristine Peterson @laramidegeo. com, the current managing editor, or Larry Rasmussen, RMAG Publications Committee Chairman, larryR@whiting. com. » www.rmag.org
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June 2014
MINERAL OF THE MONTH: June – Wulfenite By Cheryl Whitney
Mineral Name: Wulfenite Mineral Composition: PbMoO4 (a lead molybdate mineral) Color: Orange, yellow, red, gray, white (rare) Luster: Adamantine to vitreous. Crystal System: Tetragonal Specific Gravity: 6.8 Mohs Scale of Harness: 3 Fun fact: Wulfenite and scheelite are isostructural (have the same structure). Calcium may substitute lead, to form a partial series to powellite Ca(Mo, W)O4 References: Klein, Cornelis, and Cornelius Searle Hurlbut. The 22nd Edition of the Manual of Mineral Science: (after James D. This specimen of wulfenite was found in Touissit, Morocco, and is now part of the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum. Photo Courtesy Dana). New York; Toronto: J. Wiley, 2002. ...Next month: Tennantite
of Colorado School of Mines Mineral Museum.
Have a mineral you want to see? E-mail cwhitney@alumni.nmt.edu
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RMAG Luncheon Programs
Integrated Static and Dynamic Modeling of the Pinedale Tight Gas Field, Wyoming
By Mark A. Chapin, Jennifer K. Bobich, Gracel P. Diomampo, Heather L. Schiller, Sheena M. Hurd, Nicholas W. Brandon, Gustavo Ugueto, and Carolyn H. Fleming, Shell Western Exploration and Production Company, June 4th The giant Pinedale gas field in the Green River basin of Wyoming produces from a 5500 to 6000 ft (1700-1800 m) interval of Upper Cretaceous and lowermost Tertiary sediments. The reservoir comprises discontinuous, lenticular fluvial sands intercalated with overbank sand, silt and mud. Average porosity in reservoir sandstone is <10% with permeability in the micro-Darcy range. A typical well may have 50 channel sand packages, bundled into 15 to 20 frac stages and commingled. Modeling to date has focused on the interaction of complex fluvial sand geometry with hydraulic fractures, increasing pore pressure with depth, and variable water saturation. Although natural fractures have been recognized, their demonstrable impact to production is localized. Despite significant compaction and cementation, we can demonstrate good correspondence of core and log petrophysical properties to facies. Because of this, it is desirable to use facies to populate reservoir models. A multi-step approach was used to populate small (approximately one square mile [2.6 sq km]) â&#x20AC;&#x153;sectorâ&#x20AC;? models of different parts of the field. Logs were used to determine facies via neural nets and petrophysical cutoffs. Facies were distributed via object modeling, and then petrophysical properties were distributed within facies using sequential Gaussian simulation. Gross channel ribbons and bar objects were placed first, guided by interpolated V-shale, which is a proxy for sand correlation. Detailed facies bodies were then distributed within those elements. Because net/gross, sand thickness, sand correlation, and overbank character change throughout the section, different zones were modeled using different body dimensions in consideration of analogs. In dynamic reservoir simulation, acceptable history matches were attained despite the architectural complexity using production data, bottom-hole pressure, production logging tools, and distributed permanent pressure gauges. These models were used to help assess incremental recovery related to increased well density. Continued on page 28 Âť
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.6
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Call 303-573-8621, email staff@rmag.org, or register online. June 2014
Neil H. Whitehead, III Consulting Geologist PhD
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RMAG Luncheon Programs
Continued from page 26
Geochemical Characterization of Post Mature Gases from Middle Devonian Marcellus Formation, Northern Appalachian Basin, USA – Insights into Deep Basin Hydrocarbon Generation, Alteration, and Productivity
By C. D. Laughrey, Weatherford Laboratories, Golden, CO, July 2nd
The isotope composition of production and mud gases collected from 24 wells in the highest maturity area implies high thermal stress.
Vol. 63, No.6
The Marcellus Formation in northeast Pennsylvania produces gas from post mature marine mudrocks. Organic matter reached the metagenetic stage of thermal evolution. Mean vitrinite reflectance increases from 2.5 percent in Bradford County to ~4.5 percent in Sullivan and Wyoming counties, before decreasing to ~3 percent adjacent to the Jack’s Mountain Anticlinorium in Luzerne County. In the most mature Marcellus samples (prehnite-pumpellyte facies), measured kerogen H/C and O/C ratios are 0.4 and 0.06, respectively. Mean illite crystallite thickness is 211 Å and the Kübler Index is 0.428. The isotope composition of production and mud gases collected from 24 wells in the highest maturity area implies high thermal stress. Production δ13C1 ranges from -28.69 to -24‰. Mud gas δ13C1 ranges from -27.3 to -21.5‰. All gases exhibit carbon isotope reversals with respect to carbon number. δ13C1 approaches, or is heavier than, δ13CKEROGEN. Production gases exhibit hydrogen isotope reversals (methane δ2H > ethane δ2H). δ13CO2 ranges from -19.7 to -10.2‰. The δ13C and δ2H isotope reversals may be interpreted in one of four ways: (1) mixing of gases from different sources, (2) a combination of mixing, Rayleigh fractionation of C2 and C3, and exchange of methane hydrogen with formation water, (3) water-reforming followed by FischerTropsch synthesis, and (4) destruction of C2+ alkanes followed by reforming via gas-phase radical recombination reactions. Post mature Marcellus prospects are limited by thermal maturity, geologic structure, hydrocarbon residence time, and loss of organic porosity. Gas isotopes help to predict well performance. Productive wells have δ13C1 ≥ δ13CKEROGEN, δ13C2-3 < δ13CKEROGEN, and high δ13C1-3 correlation. Marginal wells have δ13C1 ≥ δ13CKEROGEN, δ13C2-3 < δ13CKEROGEN, and variable δ13C1-3 correlation. Unproductive wells have δ13C1 > δ13CKEROGEN, δ13C2 ≥ δ13CKEROGEN, trace C3+, and poor δ13C1-3 correlation. » 28
June 2014
Did You Work on “The Big Red Book"? RMAG will soon be launching a GIS version of tectonic material from the RMAG Geologic Atlas of the Rocky Mountain Region (the “Big Red Book”) We would like to talk to you, get your remembrances and take a group photo. If you are of one the participants in the original atlas or know someone who was and can assist with contact data, please telephone or email me. Thank you. We look forward to speaking with you. Kristine Peterson 303-980-6770 k.peterson@laramidegeo.com
cveatch@rmag.org
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Authors and Editors Needed: RMAG Oil & Gas Fields of Colorado!
Connect with RMAG Online! You can now connect to the RMAG on Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook.
RMAG is working toward the publication of a guidebook dedicated to short field studies of a set of selected oil and gas fields in Colorado. In large part the format will be similar to earlier publications of this type: a several page article that will include a one page summary with a small set of maps and cross-sections adequate to give the reader a lot of information in a short amount of time. The RMAG committee working on this publication has selected 85 fields for review. In addition, we expect to have extended discussion around several large “resource play” areas such as the Piceance Basin or the Greater Wattenberg complex including the recent horizontal Niobrara play. The committee is currently looking for authors to do field studies and to put together material for publication. Each author may contribute one or multiple field studies. We will also need a group of editors for both technical and copy (grammatical and graphical) review. Please volunteer! Committee contacts below:
CONNECT WITH US ON LINKEDIN! LIKE US ON FACEBOOK! FOLLOW US ON TWITTER!
Dean DuBois, Committee Chair 720-876-5366 dean.dubois@encana.com
LOCATION we’ll lease it, permit it, gather it and sell it
James Milne 303-894-2100 x5117 james.milne@state.co.us James Rogers 303-832-2328 jim_rogers1@comcast.net Steve Cumella 720-979-0718 steve.cumella@endeavourcorp.com Marshall Deacon 303-228-4215 mdeacon@nobleenergyinc.com Tom Feldkamp 303-228-4146 tfeldkamp@NobleEnergyInc.com
your ideas - we make them happen LEASING - PERMITTING - DAMAGES - ROW
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Chris Martin 720-440-6134 CMartin@bonanzacrk.com Vol. 63, No.6
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June 2014
New Members
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Welcome to New RMAG Members... Christopher Brus is a Geologist at Nerd Gas Co. Cambrey Cammon is a Seismic Project Developer at TGS.
Logs Since 1971
Olivia Coats is a Geologist at Emerald Oil Inc. Blake Eatherton lives in Denver, CO.
L OG S G S LO LOGS
Hunter Eden is a Client Relations Manager at StratoChem Services. Brett Edwards works at Enercat USA.
OVER 6 MILLION WELL LOGS
Scott Hampton is a Geologist 2 at Bill Barrett Corporation.
FROM THE ARCTIC TO THE GULF OF MEXICO
Katherine Hartig is a Staff Geologist at QEP Resources.
CAMP
WOLF
Jeremy Kassouf works at Halliburton.
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Jake Lacy is a Sr. Operations Geologist at Hess Corporation.
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Rebecca Lewis is a Senior Geologist at FIML Natural Resources.
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LBAN NEW A
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Jennifer Livermore is s Geoscientist- EM at NEOS GeoSolutions.
FAY ETT EVI
William Long is a Senior Geologist at Ultra Petroleum.
ORKS
EF THRE
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BAKKEN
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AY
BARNETT N IOBRARA UTICA
David Matchen works at Weatherford Laboratories. Felipe Pimentel works at Sunburst Consulting. Justin Sommerville lives in Billings, MT.
www.mjlogs.com 1-800-310-6451
Jason Sturms is Sr. Geologist at Koch Exploration Company, LLC. John Tesone is President, Geologist at PaleoVentures, Inc.
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John Worthy-Blackwell works as a Geophysicist.
ILLE
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www.rmag.org June 2014
Advertisers Index AAPG..................................................2
Donovan Brothers Inc.................... 6
Newfield Exploration.................. 24
Bowler Petrophysics...................... 15
Fluid Inclusion Technologies......15
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Peterson, Kris............................... 11
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Great Western Oil & Gas.............24
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Canadian Discovery..........................9
Gustavson, John B....................... 27
Stoner Engineering, LLC.............. 12
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Karo, James C..............................30
Weatherford Laboratories........... 13
Decollement Consulting, Inc........ 19
Lario Oil & Gas Company.............15
Weber Law Firm, LLC................... 11
The Discovery Group, Inc................27
MJ Systems.................................. 31
Whitehead, Neil H........................ 27
Dolan Integration Group................. 17
Mazzullo Energy Corp.................. 27
WPX Energy.................................. 29
Jun e 2014 SUNDAY
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anuary MONDAY
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DWLS Annual Summer Social
AAPG Young Professionals Happy Hour
Oilfield Christian Fellowship
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RMAG On the Rocks Field Trip
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