May 2013 Outcrop by The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

OUTCROP Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Volume 62 • No. 5 • May 2013

RMAG Golf Tournament 63rd annual golf outing

Thursday, June 27th Fossil Trace Golf Club, Golden, Colorado

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

Registration Opens May 1st! 5/1/-5/17: $900 RMAG member foursome $250 RMAG member individual $1000 non-member foursome $275 non-member individual

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

$20 per ticket goes to support the RMAG Foundation, which provides scholarships to students in the geosciences annually Visit: www.rmag.org or call the RMAG office at (303) 573-8621 for more information

Sponsorship Opportunities are Available. Please contact the RMAG office at staff@rmag.org or (303) 573-8621 for more information.

Vol. 62, No. 5

May 2013

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The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists 910 16th Street • Suite 1125 • 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.

2013 Officers and Board of Directors RMAG Staff

Executive Director Emily Tompkins etompkins@rmag.org Office & Programs Manager Carrie Veatch, MA cveatch@rmag.org Accountant Carol Dalton cdalton@rmag.org

Co-Editors

Kristine Peterson k.peterson@laramidegeo.com Holly Sell hsell@nobleenergyinc.com

President – Debra Higley-Feldman higley@usgs.gov

Treasurer – Mike Kozimko mkozimko@yatespetroleum.com

President-Elect – Matt Silverman MSilverman@bayless-cos.com

Treasurer Elect – Reed Johnson reed.johnson@cometridgeresources.com

Secretary – Jacinda Nettik Brown jacinda@caerusoilandgas.com

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Cheryl Whitney cwhitney@laramidegeo.com Debbie Downs debradowns@att.net

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RMAG Office: 303.573.8621 Fax: 303-628-0546 staff@rmag.org www.rmag.org

Counselor (1 Year) – John Ladd john.ladd@fmr.com

2nd Vice-President – Laura Mauro Johnson lmauro@newfield.com

Ron Pritchett pritchett61@msn.com

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

1st Vice-President – Larry Rasmussen larryr@whiting.com

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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 1125• Denver, CO 80202

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RMAG March Board of Directors Meeting

By Jacinda Nettik Brown, Secretary (jacinda@caerusoilandgas.com) The Board of Directors meeting was held on March 20th, 2013 at the RMAG office. We began this meeting with guest, Tricia Beaver, representing the RMAG Awards Committee. Tricia presented her committee’s nominations for AAPG Honors & Awards. This AAPG program recognizes outstanding achievements and contributions by professional geologists. The nominations are confidential so all materials with nominees’ names were collected after the BOD approved the list. Past award recipients can be found at: http:// www.aapg.org/business/annual/ awards.cfm Next up was the Financial Report. RMAG Treasure Mike Kozimko is reworking the cumulative income and expense plots to better show when expenses and income are expected to hit the books rather than the current method that shows the budget as a straight line from the start to the end of the year. The reworked plots will allow the BOD to better understand month-to-month how RMAG is performing compared to the approved annual budget. RMAG was contacted by the Director for Center for Oil Shale Technology and Research at Colorado School of Mines regarding our 1974 RMAG 25th Field Conference Guidebook to the Energy Resources of the Piceance Creek basin, Colorado. RMAG BOD approved a motion granting a non-exclusive license to post an

electronic copy of this guidebook with a link back to the RMAG website. The makes the Guidebook available to a larger audience and gives RMAG additional exposure. As many of our RMAG members are aware The Mountain Geologist went digital this year. However, our non-member subscribers (libraries and universities) are still provided printed copies because an effective way for their users to digitally access The Mountain Geologist was not determined prior to their subscription renewal. The BOD approved the necessary unbudgeted funds for postage and printing of The Mountain Geologist for the remainder of 2013. RMAG BOD decided to table the discussion of RMAG contributing to GeoScienceWorld’s ebook and ejournals due to the upfront unbudgeted costs to RMAG. GSW ebooks would make RMAG Guidebooks available for purchase on the GSW website and ejournals would make Mountain Geologist available for purchase. GSW could be good investment opportunity for RMAG and can be evaluated at a later time. RMAG would like to extend a thank you to Connie Knight for volunteering to be Committee Chair for the Committee for Membership Issues. This committee with be charged with recruiting and engaging members and memorials. If you’d like to be on this committee please contact the RMAG staff. I hope to see many of our RMAG members at the upcoming events, including the RMAG Monthly Luncheon Program.

RMAG would like to extend a thank you to Connie Knight for volunteering to be Committee Chair for the Committee for Membership Issues.

Neil H. Whitehead, III Consulting Geologist PhD

CPG-AIPG

PG WY

Editors Note:

Rocky Mountain Basins Wellsite to Petroleum Systems ArcGIS 303-679-8573

fax 303-679-8574

31634 Black Widow Way

Vol. 62, No. 5

Conifer, CO

The editors welcome Ron Pritchett as a co-editor. Ron will be filling in for Cat the next few months while Cat is on leave from the Outcrop.

neil3@q.com 80433-9610

May 2013

OUTCROP Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

CONTENTS Features

39 RMAG Foundation Sponsors the Excellence in Teaching of Earth Science Award 39 2013 Proposed On-theRocks Field Trips 40 Attention Advertisers!

9 Lead Story: NioFracture Initiative at the University of Wyoming: GIS Analysis of Natural Fractures in the Rocky Mountains 23 NAPE Coming to Denver 34 Dinosaur Ridge Boy Scout Day 36 Thank You to Vince Matthews

Departments

association news 2 RMAG Golf Tournament 4 Editors Note 10 Big Society Happy Hour 15 Connect with RMAG Online! 16 Authors and Editors Needed: RMAG Oil & Gas Fields of Colorado 20 Thank You to 2012 RMAG Foundation Donors

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COVER PHOTO Complex, multi-stage natural fractures in the Niobrara Formation north of Walsenburg, Colorado. Photo by Eric Erslev.

21 RMAG 2013 Summit Sponsors 25 Come On Folks! 29 Mountain Geologist Welcomes New Assistant Editor 38 Submit a Manuscript to The Mountain Geologist

4 RMAG March Board of Directors Meeting 6 President's Column 8 Outcrop Advertising Rates 24 New Members 30 AAPG Distinguished Lecturer Luncheon Program 32 RMAG Luncheon Program 38 In Memoriam 39 In the Pipeline 44 Advertisers Index 44 Calendar of Events

Volume 62 • No. 5 • May 2013

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President’s Column By Debra Higley

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

The photograph above by Mike Lewan is from within the Athabasca oil (tar) sands accumulation of northeastern Alberta. It shows me standing to the right of Mike Ranger on an outcrop of Lower Cretaceous Mannville Group composed mostly of cross-bedded medium-grained point-bar sand that is cemented by bitumen. Fresh slump structures are black (middle left) and outcrop surfaces oxidize to gray. What’s in a name or nickname? Certainly slang terms for hydraulic fracturing have negative connotations to many that blur these processes that decrease oil imports from other countries and enhance U.S. recovery of oil and gas. Another touchy name is tar sands. Technically the tar sands are not oil, tar, or extra-heavy oil, and they are not always sand. They can include porous sandstone and carbonate, and can also contain some oil and gas. The “tar” is instead bitumen, basically the long-chain and polycyclic hydrocarbons that don’t readily degrade. The

Continued on page 8 »

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Vol. 62, No. 5

May 2013

12–14 AUGUST 2013 COLORADO CONVENTION CENTER | DENVER

“With URTeC, the key disciplines and technologies engaged in the development of North American resource plays have finally come together for one integrated event.” Luis R. Baez Technical Director — Unconventional Resources BG Group

URTeC: The Integrated Event for Oil & Gas Asset Teams Learn real-world, integrated solutions for the way you work today at URTeC, the Unconventional Resources Technology Conference, 12-14 August 2013 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. From exploration to appraisal to development and production, URTeC unites the disciplines and technologies focused on North American resource play development. URTeC is fueled by three of the world’s leading scientific societies — collectively, SPE, AAPG and SEG — which embody more than 170,000 oil and gas professionals worldwide. This conference and exhibition will showcase the science, products and solutions best suited for this dynamic industry. The Opening Plenary Session — Unconventional Resources: Breakthrough Integration Changes Everything — explores the foundational practices that, when leveraged by innovative integration in a multidisciplinary environment “moves the needle” across the value chain of unconventional resource identification, assessment and monetization. Opening Plenary Session Speakers Scott D. Sheffield Chief Executive Officer Pioneer Natural Resources

John Richels President & Chief Executive Officer Devon Energy Corporation

Vello Kuuskraa President and Chairman of the Board Advanced Resources International

M.W. Scoggins President Colorado School of Mines

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

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President's Column

Continued from page 6

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

335, 128 p. http://ugspub.nr.utah.gov/publications/open_file_ reports/OFR-335.pdf ERCB, 2012, Alberta’s Energy Reserves 2011 and Supply/Demand Outlook 2011-2021, Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, Statistical Series, ST98-2012, 290 p. www.ercb.ca/sts/ST98/ ST98-2012.pdf Gwynn, J. W., 2007, Taking another look at Utah’s tar sand resources: Utah Geological Survey, January 2007 Survey Notes article, 2 p. http://geology.utah.gov/surveynotes/articles/pdf/tarsand_ resources_39-1.pdf Gwynn, J. W., and Hanson, F. V., 2009, Annotated bibliography of Utah tar sands and related information: Utah Geological Survey Open-File Report 503, 140 p. http://geology.utah.gov/online/ ofr/ofr-503.pdf Higley, Debra K., Lewan, Michael D., Roberts, Laura N.R., and Henry, Mitchell, 2009, Timing and petroleum sources for the Lower Cretaceous Mannville Group oil sands of Northern Alberta based on 4-D modeling: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v 93 no. 2, 28 p. IOCC (Interstate Oil Compact Commission), 1983, Major tar sand and heavy oil deposits of the United States: Interstate Oil Compact Commission, p. 85-116. Schenk, C.J., Pollastro, R. M., and Hill, R. J., 2006, Natural bitumen resources of the United States: U. S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2006-3133, 2 p. http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2006/3133/ pdf/FS2006-3133_508.pdf.

References

Blackett, R. E., 1996, Tar-sand resources of the Uinta Basin, Utah: a catalog of deposits: Utah Geological Survey Open-File Report

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Vol. 62, No. 5

May 2013

LEAD STORY NioFracture Initiative at the University of Wyoming: GIS Analysis of Natural Fractures in the Rocky Mountains Eric A. Erslev1, Adjunct Professor; Laura Kennedy2, Research Scientist; Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY and post-Laramide back-sliding on Laramide thrusts can Introduction to NioFracture refract regional stress trajectories, greatly impacting Understanding fractures in units that host fracture orientations. unconventional resources (e.g., the Niobrara In 2012, the NioFracture Formation) is vital to predicting initiative received seed funding by the permeability and economic the School of Energy Resources potential of these tight reservoirs. The purpose of NioFracture at the University of Wyoming Just understanding fracture timing is to integrate diverse to develop a digital geographic is critical as the most recent information systems (GIS) fractures are more likely to be sources and representations database for fractures in the open, and thus control hydrocarbon of minor fault (mode 2 and eastern Rockies. The purpose of storage and permeability conduits. NioFracture is to integrate diverse Unfor tunately, the complex 3 fractures) and joint (mode sources and representations Phanerozoic tectonic history of the 1 opening fractures) data of minor fault (mode 2 and 3 Rockies makes predicting fracture fractures) and joint (mode 1 orientations and intensities difficult in order to graphically opening fractures) data in order because an orogenyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s minor faults portray the extent of Rocky to graphically portray the extent and joints commonly extend far of Rocky Mountain fracture beyond their major structures. Mountain fracture provinces. provinces. Initial datasets were For instance, minor fractures with largely academic surface data NE-SW to E-W extension during from basin margins but it is post-Laramide rifting extend well hoped that the data coverage will be expanded to basin beyond the Rio Grande Rift itself. In addition, localized interiors with industry subsurface data. fracturing mechanisms like syn-Laramide arch collapse Continued on page 11 Âť eerslev@uwyo.edu 2 laura.eve.kennedy@gmail.com, now at Weatherford Laboratories, Golden, CO 1

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Lead Story

Continued from page 9

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

location and source of data), attributes of the raw data (e.g., number of fractures measured, average plane/line orientations and degree of clustering), and interpretations (e.g., relative/absolute ages of fracture subsets and calculated stress/strain for each subset). Fracture orientations and stress/strain data are portrayed using smoothed rose diagrams superimposed on to satellite imagery and/or geologic bedrock maps. To date, 8300 minor faults and 4099 joints from the eastern Rocky Mountain area have been compiled and tabulated. At the outcrop scale, the rose diagrams are overlain by a point at their actual geographic location. The point size is scaled to the number of fractures for each locality. Data attributes for each rose diagram include fracture characteristics (number, orientation, clustering, etc.), geologic unit, inferred stress directions, and timing. Stereonets of 3D data, available field photos, and diagrams from the published data source can be linked to each rose plot (Fig. 1)

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

Continued on page 12 »

Base map image with locality data in rose diagrams

Outcrop photo linked to an individual locality

Joint stereonet for map area

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

Part of a typical attribute table

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

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Lead Story

Continued from page 11

Regional rose diagrams

Sub-regional rose diagrams

Rose diagram key: Yellow â&#x20AC;&#x201C; fault strikes Green â&#x20AC;&#x201C; joint strikes Red â&#x20AC;&#x201C; s1 trends Figure 2. Regional and subregional rose diagrams plotted on satellite imagery of the eastern Rocky Mountains.

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

Vol. 62, No. 5

Wyoming-Montana border to E-W orientations at the Colorado-New Mexico border. Application Example At the regional and sub-regional scales (Fig. 2), Laramide minor faulting commonly defines domains where either thrust or strike-slip faulting is dominant. The dominant fault type is revealed by fracture rose diagrams

May 2013

Lead Story

Percent Strike-slip

Fort Collins

Rose diagram key: Yellow – fault strikes Green – joint strikes Red –  trends Figure 3. Strike-slip shear zones in the northeastern Front Range revealed by rose diagrams and bubble plots of fracture data from Holdaway (1999) and Larson (2008).

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

difference in these cases is important to petroleum exploration because near-vertical strike slip faults would be expected to provide a far better vertical permeability and stimulation of overlying strata than low-angle thrust faults. 13

In order to explore the possibility of distinct domains of strike-slip and thrust faulting, locality-scale rose diagrams for fault data (Holdaway, 1998; Larson, 2008) along the NE Continued on page 14 »

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Lead Story

Continued from page 13

Conclusions The NioFracture compilation unifies diverse public domain fracture data into one comprehensive database, aiding predictions of unconventional reservoir fracture permeability. Initial results show a remarkable uniformity of Laramide fractures indicating ENE-WSW compression despite major differences in the trends of major structures. Zones where major structures are oblique to regional compression typically are dominated by strike-slip minor faults and ENE-striking joints. Post-Laramide E-W to NE-SW extension has locally created overprinting fracture sets roughly orthogonal to Laramide fractures. Thus, if an exploration effort wants to drill perpendicular to the major open fracture set, it is critically important to know the age of the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dominant fractures. Based on the regional patterns shown by the NioFracture GIS initiative, horizontal drilling targeting Laramide joints and minor strike-slip faults legs should be roughly NNW-SSE. If most reservoir permeability is created by NW-SE post-Laramide jointing and normal faulting, NE-SW horizontal drilling may be more ideal. These regional patterns are complicated by local fracture mechanisms, which the NioFracture initiative is currently investigating. For information on access to the NioFracture database, please contact Eric Erslev at eerslev@uwyo. edu.

Front Range between Loveland, CO and the Wyoming border were plotted (Fig. 3a). To more clearly portray the difference between thrust- and strike-slip-dominated localities, bubble maps of percent strike-slip faults were plotted (Fig. 3b), with low % strike slip fault localities (high % thrust faults) shown as green bubbles, high % strike-slip fault localities as red bubbles, and more equal proportions of strike-slip and thrust faulting as yellow bubbles. This bubble map clearly defines 2 wide strike-slip corridors. One is centered on the Livermore embayment, whose NE-striking high-angle faults were proposed to have dextral strike-slip motion by Erslev and Holdaway (1999), Larson (2008) and Tetreault (2008) on the basis of fracture orientation deflections, paleomagnetic pole rotations, and 3D structural restorations. Still, until this GIS analysis, we did not suspect that the zone of pervasive strike-slip shear extended beyond the exposures of the major strikeslip faults. In addition, this analysis also shows that the area around the plunging Milner Mountain anticline west of Loveland is also a shear zone of dominantly strike-slip minor faulting. The existence of strike-slip corridors and transfer zones in the Rockies, long advocated by Stone (1969) and others, may have important implications to natural fractures in resource plays. For instance, areas dominated by low-angle thrust faulting may lack large subvertical minor faults that create permeability conduits between units. This can be a good thing if bounding units contain water, but it can be a bad thing when well economics and fracture stimulation require communication between vertically-adjacent units.

The existence of strike-slip corridors and transfer zones in the Rockies, long advocated by Stone (1969) and others, may have important implications to natural fractures in resource plays.

Vol. 62, No. 5

References

Erslev, E.A., and Holdaway, S.M., 1999, Laramide faulting and tectonics of the northeastern Front Range of Colorado, in Lageson, D.R., Lester, A.P., and Trudgill, B.D., eds., Colorado and adjacent areas: Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of

May 2013

Lead Story

America Field Guide 1, p. 41-49. Erslev, E.A., and Koenig, N.B., 2009, 3D kinematics of Laramide, basement-involved Rocky Mountain AVAILABLE: deformation, U.S.A.: Insights from minor faults and GIS-enhanced structure maps, in Kay, S., Ramos, V., Access to extensive geological/geophysical data files and Dickinson, W.R., eds., Backbone of the Americas: accumulated over 50 years of oil and gas exploration in the Shallow Subduction, Plateau Uplift and Ridge and Rocky Mountain province and containing numerous Terrane Collision: GSA Memoir 204, p. 125-150. Holdaway, S.M., 1998, Laramide deformation of the undeveloped and/or untested prospects is available under northeastern Front Range, Colorado: evidence for negotiated consultation and assistance agreement. Call or deep crustal wedging during horizontal compression: email for particulars. Unpublished M.S. thesis: Fort Collins, Colorado State University, 146 p. CONTACT: 303-797-6308 don@dsstone.com Kennedy, L.E., 2011, Laramide transpression and block rotation followed by northeast-southwest extension, southeast Wind River Basin area: Unpublished M.S. Livermore Embayment: Unpublished M.S. thesis, Fort Collins, thesis, Laramie, University of Wyoming, 98 p. Colorado State University, 420 p. Kennedy, L., Erslev, E., and Aydinian, K., 2012, Mapping Rocky Stone, D.S., 1969, Wrench faulting and Rocky Mountain tectonics: Mountain fractures: GIS methods for resource plays: AAPG Mountain Geologist, v. 6, p. 67-79. Abstracts with Programs, 2012 Rocky Mountain Section Tetreault, J., Jones, C.H., Erslev, E., Hudson, M., and Larson, S., 2008, Meeting, Grand Junction, CO. Paleomagnetic and structural evidence for oblique slip folding, Larson, S., 2008, Laramide transpression and oblique thrusting in Grayback Monocline, Colorado: Geological Society of America the northeastern Front Range, Colorado: 3D kinematics of the Bulletin, v. 120, p. 877-892.

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Authors and Editors Needed: RMAG Oil & Gas Fields of Colorado! RMAG is working toward the publication of a guidebook dedicated to short field studies of a set of selected oil and gas fields in Colorado. In large part the format will be similar to earlier publications of this type: a several page article that will include a one page summary with a small set of maps and cross-sections adequate to give the reader a lot of information in a short amount of time. The RMAG committee working on this publication has selected 85 fields for review. In addition, we expect to have extended discussion around several large “resource play” areas such as the Piceance Basin or the Greater Wattenberg complex including the recent horizontal Niobrara play. The committee is currently looking for authors to do field studies and to put together material for publication. Each author may contribute one or multiple field studies. We will also need a group of editors for both technical and copy (grammatical and graphical) review. Please volunteer! Committee contacts below:

Logs Since 1971

L OG S G S LO LOGS OVER 6 MILLION WELL LOGS FROM THE ARCTIC TO THE GULF OF MEXICO

CA WOLF

Dean DuBois, Committee Chair; 720-876-5366 dean.dubois@encana.com

CAR

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James Milne, 303- 894-2100 x5117 james.milne@state.co.us

EAGLEFORD

James Rogers, 303-832-2328 jim_rogers1@comcast.net

LBAN NEW A

Steve Cumella, 720- 979-0718 steve.cumella@endeavourcorp.com

MONTNEY

Marshall Deacon, 303- 228-4215 mdeacon@nobleenergyinc.com

FA Y

Tom Feldkamp, 303- 228-4146 tfeldkamp@NobleEnergyInc.com

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BAKKEN LE L I V S E HAYN

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Chris Martin, 720- 440-6134 CMartin@bonanzacrk.com

www.mjlogs.com 1-800-310-6451 Vol. 62, No. 5

May 2013

RMAG and PTTC Present June Short Course JUNE SHORT COURSE ONE DAY CARBONATE ICHNOLOGY COURSE Thursday, June 20, 2013 The Denver Marriott City Center

Course Instructors: George Pemberton and Thomas DeKeyser RMAG Member Pre-Registration Available Through June 13, 2013 = $200 Non-Member Pre-Registration Available Through June 13, 2013 = $250 RMAG Member On-Site Registration = $250 Non-Member On-Site Registration = $300 *Registration Fee includes course notes handout, continental breakfast, and refreshment breaks. For more information, please visit the RMAG website at www.rmag.org or call the RMAG office at (303) 573-8621

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PTTC Workshops How to Find Bypassed Pay in Old Wells Using DST Data Tuesday-Thursday, May 21-23, 2013, 8:30 AM-5:00 PM Colorado School of Mines, Ben Parker Student Center Ballroom C Fee: $650; Includes: refreshments, workbook, and PDH certificate Instructor: Hugh W. Reid Geologists, engineers & technicians who encounter or utilize DST results and reports in their exploration & production decisions. In fact any professional who needs to make more sense of the numerous old DSTs which are present in so many wells, often with confusing results. Particularly appropriate for those prospecting for bypassed pay using logs and geology, who may wish to verify their conclusions from the DST or for regional geologists using show maps of DST results. A key emphasis of the course is to show how to identify missed (damaged) pay in competitor’s ‘dry’ wells & additional pay in your own producing wells. This is an important skill to complement log skills! Objectives By the end of the course participants should be able to accomplish the following:  understand DST pressure charts to identify obvious formation damage & depletion (small reservoir) and mechanical problems (eg. tool plugging).  recognize high vs. low permeability tests.  understand why data from cores and logs often conflict with DST data.  “make more sense” of DST results printed in PI well cards and field reports where no chart is available and even estimate approximate permeability & damage in some cases.  identify presence of limited natural fractures.  appreciate where recoveries of “oil cut mud” and gas rates of “TSTM” may be significant from an exploration standpoint.  determine when a gas test is co-producing water.  identify gas presence even where no gas was reported in certain tests.  identify potential oil zones from DSTs which recovered no oil (from the chart shape and air blow description).  estimate the approximate gas rate in DSTs of “GTS TSTM” by knowing the time gas took to reach the surface and the air volume of the test string.  make a decision as to whether old DSTs can be recompleted as commercial wells today from limited information.

Petroleum Geology for Non-Geologists

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

Petroleum Engineering for Non-Engineers

Wednesday July 10, 2013, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Colorado School of Mines, Berthoud Hall room 241 Fee: $250 (includes food at breaks, workbook, and PDH certificate) Instructor: Dr. Jennifer Miskimins (Colorado School of Mines) Class Descriptions and Register Online: www.pttcrockies.org For more information, contact Mary Carr, 303.273.3107, mcarr@mines.edu

Vol. 62, No. 5

May 2013

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THANK YOU TO 2012 RMAG FOUNDATION DONORS The Trustees of the RMAG Foundation wish to acknowledge the generous support of the Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s donors in 2012. Approximately $35,000 was raised for student scholarships and the general fund which supports geologic endeavors within the geologic community at large. The Foundation, a tax-exempt organization under section 501 (c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code (Tax ID # 84-0730294), relies on these donations for its ongoing contributions which are made each year from the interest accrued by the fund. In addition to the individuals, companies, and corporations on the facing page who gave in 2012, the Foundation would like to recognize a major gift to the scholarship funds by the RMAG Golf Tournament contributors. Thank you to all who organized and played in that tournament! If any donor has failed to be thanked individually by letter, please contact:

Vol. 62, No. 5

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

May 2013

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www.rmag.org www.rmag.org

PetroFecta® from Fluid Inclusion Technologies is a unique approach combining XRF (PDQ-XRF ®), Trapped Fluid Analysis (FIS ®), and High Resolution Photography (RockEye ®) of the entire wellbore from well cuttings or core samples of any age. All analyses are conducted on the same 1 gram sample (up to 575 samples per well) with an analytical cycle of four days. Data provided on a DVD with previewer software. Information about PetroFecta ® and the umbrella of FIT services, call 918.461.8984 or visit www.fittulsa.com

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Vol. 62, No. 5

3/19/13 1:24 PM

May 2013

NAPE Coming to Denver NAPE announced April 4 that it will add a Denver show to its lineup, this exhibition to be called NAPE Rockies. The exhibition will be held December 11-13 at the Colorado Convention Center. The focus of this show will be on properties in the Rockies. Some 2,000 to 2,500 people are expected to attend. “Energy has been central to Denver’s economy for the past 80-plus years and Denve remains an integral part of our economic Tom r Mayor Michael Hancock , RMAG Exec pkins an utive Directo landscape today,” Denver Mayor Michael announce d President-Elect Matt Silv r Emily ment. erman at the NAPE Rockie Hancock said. “From exploration to production s to research in all aspects of traditional and renewable energy, the Denver metro region has become partner societies including DAPL agreed to drop the a center of diverse energy innovation. It’s a perfect time annual fall Prospect Fair and Technofest in favor of for us to welcome NAPE Rockies to the Mile High City.” support for NAPE Rockies and some financial and Following a series of negotiations, RMAG and its participation guarantees.

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New Members

Welcome to New RMAG Members... Emily Brehm Emily Brehm is from Lakewood. Emily works as a Geoscientist at WPX Energy.

Sven Egenhoff Sven Egenhoff is from Fort Collins. Sven works as an Associate Professor at Colorado State University.

Alan Byrnes Alan Byrnes is from Denver. Alan works as a Chief Petrophysicist at C12 Energy, Inc.

Daniel Gralla Daniel Gralla is from Denver. Daniel works at Samson Oil and Gas.

Allie Connelly Allie Connelly is from Denver. Allie works as a Geotech at Forestar Petroleum.

Jeffrey Hannon Jeffrey Hannon is from Laramie. Jeffrey works at Wyoming State Geological Survey.

Tom Daigle Tom Daigle is from Denver. Tom works as at GEI Consultants, Inc.

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

Jeff DeTienne Jeff DeTienne is from Fort Collins. Jeff works as a Geologist at Tetra Tech.

Vol. 62, No. 5

May 2013

New Members

Rebecca Howell Rebecca Howell is from Denver.

Kathy Stolper Kathy Stolper is from Arvada. Kathy works at Stolper Geologic, Inc.

Robert Hunt Robert Hunt is from Lincoln. Robert works as a Professor Emeritus at University of Nebraska.

Scott Waggoner Scott Waggoner is from Loma. Scott works as a CEO at Terra Guidance LLC.

Matthew Jones Matthew Jones is from Lakewood. Matthew works as a Geologist at Samson Resources.

Come On Folks!

Marla Kula Marla Kula is from Denver. Marla works in Geosteering Sales at Columbine Logging.

We know there are more of you geologists that are also artists. Send your submissions for the virtual geologic art show to appear in the Outcrop this summer.

Seth Martin Seth Martin is from Denver. Seth works at Focus Geological Services, LLC. Rebekah Parks R e b e k a h P a r k s i s f ro m Northglenn. John Polleys John Polleys is from Houston. John works at Roff Oil & Gas, Ltd. Meagan Stephens Meagan Stephens is from Denver. Meagan works as a Geophysicist at Halliburton.

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Vol. 62, No. 5

3/8/2013 8:29:07 AM

May 2013

Mountain Geologist Welcomes New Assistant Editor The dq1000 Quadrapole Mass Spectrometer ®

The dq1000 ® is a portable quadrapole mass analyzer used on drilling wells that analyzes a range of petroleum species and other organic and inorganic compounds. The dq1000 ® delineates petroleum type, water saturation, fluid contacts and seals to a much greater extent than with conventional instrumentation.

Analysis

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

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AAPG Distinguished Lecturer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; May 1st

Petroleum Systems Modeling â&#x20AC;&#x201D; State of the Art and Future Directions By Marek Kacewicz, AAPG Distinguished Lecturer

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

Petroleum systems modeling (PSM) is an integration of different geological disciplines to analyze the formation and evolution of sedimentary basins and to study processes such as generation, migration, entrapment and preservation of hydrocarbons. PSM estimates mechanical and chemical compaction of sediments and the resulting porosity/permeability, computes pressure, estimates source rock maturity and the degree of kerogen transformation, models multicomponent hydrocarbon generation, expulsion and migration, provides likely locations where hydrocarbons are trapped, and estimates composition and volumes of accumulated hydrocarbons. In addition to its primary function, which is to help reduce exploration risk related to hydrocarbon charge, PSM has become very useful in prediction of pre-drill pressure and effective stress, which are utilized in reservoir and seal quality analysis. Computational complexity of PSM depends on the quality and resolution of seismic and well input data, maturity of the project (exploration, development or production), availability of tectonic/structural/mechanical earth models, and availability of geochemical data. Typical models at present are not too large (several millions grid cells) and the subsurface is represented by relatively simple structured meshes. The utilization of structured meshes often results in inadequately represented internal model boundaries such as faults and may lead to incorrect hydrocarbon migration scenarios. Continued on page 33 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.

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

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

Vol. 62, No.5

May 2013

See how Neuralog brings your logs, maps, sections and other critical information together to get the most from your data. Our solutions allow you to work with logs, maps and reports collectively to create quality geological interpretation and analysis. t -PH NBQ EJHJUJ[JOH t (FPMPHJDBM FWBMVBUJPO t 7PMVNFUSJDT SFTFSWFT t "VUP NBOVBM DPOUPVSJOH t & 1 %BUB .BOBHFNFOU t -PH 1SJOUJOH 4DBOOJOH

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RMAG Monthly Luncheon Program – May 8th

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

Biography Dr. W.C. “Rusty” Riese is a geoscientist based in Houston, Texas. He is widely experienced having worked in both minerals and petroleum as a geologist, geochemist, and manager during more than 39 years in industry. He participated in the National Petroleum Council evaluation of natural gas supply and demand for North America which was conducted at the request of the Secretary of Energy and in the more recent analysis of global supply and demand requested by the same agency. He is currently a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Committee on Resource Evaluations, and a member of the House of Delegates. Rusty has written extensively and lectured on various topics in economic geology including biogeochemistry, isotope geochemistry, uranium ore deposits, sequence stratigraphy, and coalbed methane petroleum systems; and he holds numerous domestic and international patents. He has more than thirty years of teaching experience including twenty five years at Rice University where he developed the curricula in petroleum geology and industry risk and economic evaluation. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at Rice University, the Colorado State University, and the University of New Mexico, where he sits on the Caswell Silver Endowment advisory board. He is a fellow in the Geological Society of America and the Society of Economic Geologists; and a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and several other professional organizations. He earned his PhD from the University of New Mexico in 1980; his M.S. in geology from the same university in 1977; and his B.S. in geology from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in 1973. He is a Certified Professional Geologist, a Certified Petroleum Geologist, and is a Licensed and Registered Geologist in the states of Texas and South Carolina respectively.

Increasing global demand for energy has forced societies the world over to look for and use ever more diverse and expensive forms of energy to fuel their economies. Oil is a key part of this energy supply, particularly in the arena of transportation fuels. The corporations that supply energy have been pressed into increasingly challenging environments to meet public and governmental demands for inexpensive energy. Unfortunately, as we are reminded by the Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon incident, accidents can happen, the environment can be damaged, and people can lose their lives when we operate at the leading edges of technology. When accidents occur, our responses typically tend to blame individuals, corporations, or regulators, rather than the public whose demand for cheap, readily available energy forces exploration in new, more challenging frontiers. Public opinions on this subject are shaped by a combination of self-education, fulminating politicians, and aggressive, sensationalist journalists. Exploring more than societal interests at a national level puts our pursuit of inexpensive energy into context. This context pits the competing interests of developing countries, which demand ever increasing shares of the world's resources, against broader, trans-national interests groups which are worried that continued dependence on energy-dense fossil fuels may cause runaway global warming and climate changes that may in turn destroy the earth's ecosystems. Ultimate responsibilities for oil spills lie within this mix of competing demands and expectations – a mix far more complicated than most people are aware of or are willing to consider. All of us who consume energy have an ethical obligation to educate ourselves, and those around us, on the consequences of our demands for energy and for the environment.

Vol. 62, No. 5

May 2013

AAPG Lecture Continued from page 30

Well Site Geological Consulting and

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The availability of high resolution seismic and well data allows for building higher resolution and more complex models, spanning from seismic to nano, hence allowing for more accurate representation of complex features and processes. This requires incorporation of unstructured/adaptive meshes and also the utilization of alg ori thms that couple poromechanics, basin modeling, seismic data and inversion, and utilization of high performance computing platforms, e.g., GPU- or FPGA-based as well as optimized libraries for solving large, illconditioned, sparse matrices. This talk presents the stateof-the-art in PSM and discusses recommended directions required for addressing future needs of exploration for conventional/ unconventional resources and interactions with geomechanics and seismic. Marek Kacewicz, AAPG Distinguished Lecturer Marek Kacewicz is research consultant and basin modeler at Chevron Energy Technology Company in Houston, Texas. His primary responsibilities include research and technology applications integrating petroleum systems modeling, seismic inversion, velocity modeling, pressure prediction, geomechanics, and structural modeling.

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Dinosaur Ridge Boy Scout Day By Gregg Guyer

Vol. 62, No. 5

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

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

May 2013

Growing up here in Colorado I was exposed to so many different experiences. Many of those experiences were because of my involvement in Scouting. I remember learning about Geology, and Paleontology in Scouts and taking many day trips to Alameda Ave and the Dakota Hogback to look at and wonder about the vast amount of track and bones that were exposed along that section. This was back in the 70s and 80s. Those experiences piqued an interest in me that eventually led to degrees in Geology and a career in Geology. I love to share my experiences with everyone (as I’m sure you do), but especially those that are in Boy and Girl Scouts. To see the light on their faces when talking about the dinosaurs that roamed Colorado and left their tracks and bones for us to see along the Dakota Hogback is truly inspiring. May 11th 2013, from 9am-3pm, is Boy Scout Day at Dinosaur Ridge (Girl Scout Day is October 12th). Scout Day at Dinosaur Ridge is open to scouts of all ages and provides an opportunity for Scouts to satisfy their geology requirements and earn pins, belt loops and merit badges. These awards are available through the Boy Scouts of America, not the Friends of Dinosaur Ridge. More than 60 earth scientists and other volunteers, including certified merit badge counselors, assist with the event. Dinosaur Ridge provides many activities to help Scouts complete all of the requirements for the varied badges, pins, and belt loops. At the Visitor Center, hands-on activities range from excavating “bones” in

Dinosaur Ridge Boy Scout Day

Learning about dinosaurs that roamed Colorado...

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THANK YOU to Vince Matthews By Laura Wray and Matt Silverman

In the coming months, the Many in the RMAG commu-nity Colorado Geological Survey (CGS) is heard Vince present a talk entitled scheduled to move to the Colorado “The Global Scramble form Natural School of Mines campus, separating Resources – Its Impact on Colorado.” it from the other Department of This paper contrasted the history Natural Resources’ agencies located of Colorado mineral commodity near the State Capital. Though we discoveries and price fluctuations with do not yet know all the details of the burgeoning worldwide demand for the plan to downsize and move the these commodities. Vince’s primary CGS, it is high time to recognize the message to the citizens of Colorado contributions of the CGS staff and was to recognize the value of these especially of its previous director and former State commodities for the future economic well-being of the Geologist, Vince Matthews. state and to develop environmentally sound protocols for Vince served as the State Geologist for almost the documentation and extraction of these resources in nine years and was with the Survey three years before the face of foreign efforts to buy up these resources. that. As the director of the Survey, he led the CGS in Vicki Cowart, the State Geologist who preceded fulfilling its primary mission of serving the citizens Vince, recognized Vince’s service to the state and his of Colorado. Vince and his staff extensive history of serving the conducted research and published profession of geology. She and Vince results in a great number of areas served on the Association of Women ...it is high time to recognize including petroleum resources, coal Geoscientists (AWG) Foundation the contributions of the CGS and mineral commodities, land decades ago, “impressed that a staff and especially of its use issues, geological hazards, man of his distinctive career, and previous director and surface and groundwater studies, frankly success, would join AWG former State Geologist, acid mine drainage testing and to work to improve the standing remediation, CO 2 sequestration and opportunities for women in the Vince Matthews. research, avalanche monitoring and field.” In 2000, Vince agreed to join forecasting, geological mapping, the staff of the CGS under Vicki’s and technical compilation of publications related to all leadership. “What a delight it was to be working sidethese topics. by-side with him and the other talented leaders of the Among other awards made to Vince’s staff, we can CGS to move it forward into the new century,” she wrote. all be particularly proud of three recognized by the When her career path eventually led her away from the Geological Society of America (GSA) in cooperation with CGS several years later, she was reassured by Vince’s the Association of American State Geologists (AASG). The appointment as her replacement that his experience in John C. Frye national award in Environmental Geology has industry and academia would give him the necessary been granted to the CGS an unprecedented three times experience to oversee the technical fields in which the in the last decade for: the 2006 “Groundwater Atlas of CGS worked. “He truly took the CGS to its next level, and Colorado,” the 2009 “Collapsible Soils in Colorado,” the citizens of Colorado and the field of geology are the and the 2012 “Natural Acid Rock Drainage Associated better for it,” Vicki said. with Hydrothermally Altered Terrain in Colorado.” The Vince has established a consulting company, latter award, supported with letters from the Division of Leadville Geology, and will no doubt continue to be active Reclamation, Mining and Safety, and the Department in the Colorado geological community. We look forward to of Public Health and Environment, documents that his participation in future geologic endeavors while taking acid waters that enter Colorado streams in a number of this opportunity to thank Vince for his many significant mining districts come from natural sources, rather than contributions to the state and its citizens during his or in addition to existing mine drainage. tenure as the State Geologist. Thank you Vince! Vol. 62, No.5 May 2013 36

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Five Great Days of the Finest Geoscience Training for One Low Price Courses include: Hosted by the Norris Conference Center:

s 2ESERVOIR %NGINEERING FOR 0ETROLEUM 'EOLOGISTS s 2OCKS 0ORES #APILLARY 0RESSURE 5NDERSTANDING 2ESERVOIRS 3EALS s 'ETTING 3TARTED IN &LUVIAL 3TRATIGRAPHY s &UNDAMENTALS OF 3ILICICLASTIC 3EQUENCE Stratigraphy s )NTRODUCTION TO 'EOSTEERING #ONCEPTS Procedures s 0ORE 0RESSURE 0REDICTION IN 0RACTICE s %SSENTIALS OF 3UBSURFACE #ONTOURING "Y (AND or By Computer s 3EISMIC )NTERPRETATION IN &OLD AND 4HRUST "ELTS 5SING &AULT 2ELATED &OLDING 4ECHNIQUES s 2ISK 2EDUCTION FOR 0LAYS 0ROSPECTS 5SING Quantitative Show s 3EISMIC 'EOMORPHOLOGY 3EISMIC 3TRATIGRAPHY s %XPLORING FOR 3TRATIGRAPHIC 4RAPS 5SING Multi-well Pressure/Depth Plots (Four concurrent sessions each day – mix and match according to your interests and training needs. Buffet Lunch and refreshments included each day.)

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

Registration and information:

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

Tuition for the week:

Price through 5/13/2013

AAPG Members..........................$1795 Non Members ............................$2095 Individual Courses ....................$500/day

Price increase after 5/13/2013

$1995 $2295 $550/day

(Your five-day badge can be transferred to a friend or colleague if you can't attend all five days.)

BY BECOMING AN AAPG MEMBER $ SAVE up to 500 AND/OR REGISTERING BEFORE MAY 13

OUTCROP

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Submit a Manuscript to The Mountain Geologist The Mountain Geologist is a quarterly, online, peerreviewed journal published by the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists since 1964. Circulation is about 2600. Editors for The Mountain Geologist welcome manuscripts that focus on or relate to geology of the U.S. Rocky Mountain region and environs. When writing a manuscript for The Mountain Geologist, please refer to the downloadable “Author Style Guide” found under “Publications – The Mountain Geologist” on the RMAG website: www.rmag.org It is important to write your manuscript according to this style guide to mitigate revision time for both authors and editors. The style guide is being updated in 2013; please send inquiries to the Executive Editor at jtpetr@ aol.com or refer to issues published in 2012-2013 when questions arise.

page, www.rmag.org). See also, “Cumulative Bibliography and Index to The Mountain Geologist, 1999-2010” by Michele Bishop, The Mountain Geologist, July 2011, v. 48, no. 3, p. 59-80 . Back issues of the journal are available on DVD (The Mountain Geologist 1964-2005 except 1985, v. 22, no. 4; The Mountain Geologist 2006-2010 with 1985, v. 22, no. 4) available through the RMAG office, 303-573-8621, or online on the RMAG website. Some issues in hard copies are also available from the RMAG office.

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

Back Issues A bibliography and index is available on the RMAG website (1964-2009, see The Mountain Geologist web

Vol. 62, No. 5

May 2013

May 1, 2013

RMAG AAPG Distinguished Lecturer Luncheon Marek Kacewicz, “Petroleum Systems Modeling – State of the Art and Future Direction.”

May 8, 2013 RMAG/AAPG Distinguished Lecture (Happy Hour Talk) W.C. "Rusty" Riese, "Oil Spills, Ethics, and Society: How They Intersect and Where the Responsibilities Reside."

May 11, 2013

On the Rocks Field Trip Mudrocks of the Southern Denver Basin, Pueblo, CO: Graneros, Greenhorn, Carlile and Niobrara Formations.

May 13 - 14, 2013

Bakken and Three Forks Completions Congress 2013 Denver, CO. See page 41 for more information.

May 14, 2013

USGS Rocky Mountain Science Seminar Dirk Wallschlaeger, Trent University. “Soluble arsenic-sulfur compounds in ambient waters – where geochemical knowledge gaps and analytical problems collide.”

May 21 - 23, 2013

PTTC Course “How to Find Bypassed Pay in Old Wells Using DST Data.”

May 23, 2013

Big Society Happy Hour at Katie Mullen’s.

May 28, 2013

USGS Rocky Mountain Science Seminar Darius Semmons, USGS Denver. “Where's the value? New Approaches to mapping the benefits we derive from nature.”

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

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

In the Pipeline

2013 PROPOSED ON-THE-ROCKS FIELD TRIPS Month/Day

Topic/Destination

Leader(s)

RMAG OTR Logistics Contact

May 11th*

Mudrocks of the Southern Denver Basin, Pueblo, CO: Graneros, Greenhorn, Carlile, and Niobrara Formations

Jeffrey A. May, Geologic Consultant; Donna Anderson, EOG Resources

Ron Pritchett

June 22nd

Eagle Basin, CO

Bob Raynolds, Denver Museum of Natural Science

Denis Foley, Phyllis Scott

July 20th

Mt. Princeton Geothermal Area, upper Arkansas Valley, CO

Paul Morgan, Sr. Geothermal Geologist, Colorado Geological Survey

Phyllis Scott

August 17th

Medicine Bow-Snowy Range, WY

Art Snoke, University of Wyoming

Cat Campbell

Sept. 7th

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

Dave Noe, Colorado Geological Survey

Sandra Mark

*pending insurance

OUTCROP

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ALL

Outcrop Ads

Geologic Art Show

The editors invite the artists of RMAG to submit a picture of their geologic art (jpeg or tiff, 300 dpi or greater). Send along a caption with an explanation of the subject matter and media details, when created, and why. The best submissions will appear in a future issue in our “virtual art show.” cwhitney@ laramidegeo.com

are in Color at No Extra Charge! Adver tising doesn't go unnoticed, and by having your business card or larger ad in color, the impact is much greater to potential customers. Since there is no additional charge for color for our online publication, you can use full color for any ad without any additional charges. See page 3 of this issue for our ad rates and contact the RMAG office today for more details on how to submit your ad.

Take advantage of the transition we made from offering the printed Outcrop to now posting it on the web. »

Vol. 62, No.5

Color DOES make an impact! Geologic Art Show

Contact the RMAG office today for more information! RMAG Office: 303-573-8621

Fax: 303-628-0546 staff@rmag.org • www.rmag.org Executive Director Emily Tompkins etompkins@rmag.org

Office & Programs Manager Carrie Veatch, MA cveatch@rmag.org

May 2013

RMAG Golf Tournament 63rd annual golf outing

Thursday, June 27th Fossil Trace Golf Club, Golden, Colorado

(See page 2 for more information.) Cost: $300 per person or $1100 per foursome— $20 per ticket goes to support the RMAG Foundation, which provides scholarships to students in the geosciences annually. For Independents Small starts ▪▪ Registration isLOCATION ▪▪ AM &and PM Shotgun limited! we’ll lease it, permit it, gather it and sell it Companies Includes entry, 18-holes of golf, cart, meals, & entry to win great door prizes!

• •

JLog® Petrophysical Software or call the RMAG oﬃce at (303) 573-8621 To register visit: www.rmag.org Consulting and Training

SponsorshipInc. Opportunities are Available. Jack Bowler – Bowler Petrophysics, Please303 contact the RMAG oﬃce at staﬀ@rmag.org or (303) 573-8621 for more information. 860 1641 www.jlog.biz jack@bowler-petrophysics.com

your ideas - we make them happen LEASING - PERMITTING - DAMAGES - ROW

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August 5 Í˛ 8, 2013 at the CSM: Risk, Uncertainty & Economic Analysis for Resource Assessment & Production Forecasting in Shale and Tight Clastic Plays x Covers the assessment methods required for the technical and economic evaluation of drilling programs in Unconventional resource plays x Designed for Geoscientists, Engineers, and Business Analysts charged with creating value from unconventional resources x Uses realistic games and exercises to illustrate principles of good estimating as well as analytical procedures used to identify, quantify and manage the uncertainty and risk associated with Unconventional resource assessment, development and production

Open Enrollment Tuition: $2,600 per registrant 10% discount with three or more registrations

http://www.roseassoc.com/Open_Enrollment_Courses.html lisaward@roseassoc.com 713 528 8422

Vol. 62, No. 5

May 2013

Coming Early 2013...

Studies in Geology 65

Application of Structural Methods to Rocky Mountain Hydrocarbon Exploration and Development Edited by C. Knight, J. Cuzella, & L. Cress

Co-published by Tulsa, OK and Denver, CO www.aapg.org/www.rmag.org

The American Association of Petroleum Geologists

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

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

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

Studies in Geology 65 Table of Contents

• Using Free-hand 3-D Drawings to Clarify and Verify Subsurface Structural Interpretations — D. Stone • Introduction to Low-temperature Thermochronologic Techniques, Methodology, and Applications — S. L. Peyton & B. Carrapa • Overview of Low-temperature Thermochronology in the Rocky Mountains and its Application to Petroleum System Analysis — S. L. Peyton & B. Carrapa • Using Detrital Zircon Geochronology to Solve Complex Structural Problems: Application with Pitfalls in the Helena Salient of the Montana Disturbed Belt, West Central Montana — P. T. Doughty, K. R. Chamberlain, & M. C. Pope OUTCROP

• Regional and Local Fractures of the Bakken Petroleum System, Williston Basin: Integrating Field Studies and 3-D Seismic Analysis — S. Angster & F. Sarg • Role of Wrench Faults and Fractures in Creating “Sweet Spots” in Tight Gas Exploration and Production at Rulison Field Colorado — T. L. Davis & R. D. Benson • Fracture Control of P-wave Azimuthal Anisotrophy in a Laramide Basement-cored Anticline at Casper Arch, Wyoming: Insights from Correlations with Surface Analogs and Curvature Analyses — R. D. Cooley & E. Erslev

• Natural Fractures and Strain Accommodation in the Tensleep Formation at Beer Mug Anticline — S. P. Cooper • Natural Fracture Patterns in Folded Tensleep Reservoirs, Wyoming — S. P. Cooper & J. C. Lorenz • Fractures, Hydraulic Injections, and Strain Accommodation in the Tensleep Formation at Flat Top Anticline, Carbon County, Wyoming — J. C. Lorenz • Beaver Creek Detachment System: Syn-Laramide Gravity Detachment and Folding Oblique to Regional Compression — S. Smaltz & E. Erslev

www.rmag.org

Advertisers Index AAPG.............................7, 37, 39, 42

Geosteering.................................... 15

RMAG................................. 2, 17, 42

Bowler Petrophysics..................... 41

Horizontal Solutions Intl............ 6, 24

RPM Geologic, LLC......................19

Breckenridge Expl. Inc................. 27

Karo, James C................................ 41

Rose & Associates.......................42

Canadian Discovery...................... 23

Kestrel Geoscience, LLC............... 25

SPE, AAPG, SEG............................. 7

Columbine Logging....................... 33

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

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

Core Lab........................................ 38

Leaverite Exploration Inc...............27

TGS................................................26

Decollement Consulting, Inc....... 28

MJ Systems.................................... 16

The Discovery Group, Inc................ 9

Mazzullo Energy Corp.................... 32

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

Dolan Integration Group............... 19

Neuralog......................................... 31

Vista GeoScience, John V. Fontana............................25

Donovan Brothers Inc................... 25

Noble Energy.................................. 19

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

Donze, Terry................................... 23

PTTC.......................................... 17, 18

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

Fluid Inclusion Technologies.22, 29

Quantum Water Consulting........... 23

Whitehead, Neil H., III.................... 4

May 2013 SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

RMAG AAPG Luncheon Speaker: Marek Kacewicz

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

8 RMAG/AAPG 9

14 USGS Rocky

MOTHER'S DAY

Mountain Science Seminar

Distinguished Lecture Speaker: Rusty Riese

ARMED FORCES DAY

Bakken and Three Forks Completions Congress

On the Rocks Field Trip

Big Society Happy Hour PTTC Course

27 MEMORIAL DAY

29 Vol. 62, No. 5

USGS Rocky Mountain Science Seminar

30 44

May 2013