May 2017 Outcrop by The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

OUTCROP Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Volume 66 • No. 5 • May 2017

OUTCROP | May 2017

Vol. 66, No. 5 | www.rmag.org

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.

2017 OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT

TREASURER

Larry Rasmussen larryr@whiting.com

Karen Dean deankaren@comcast.net

PRESIDENT-ELECT

TREASURER-ELECT

Terri Olson tmolson8550@gmail.com

Robin Swank robin.swank@gmail.com

1st VICE PRESIDENT

SECRETARY

Steve Sturm 303petro.images@gmail.com

Jennifer Jones jaseitzjones@gmail.com

2nd VICE PRESIDENT

1st YEAR COUNSELOR

Cat Campbell CCampbell@bayless-cos.com

Jim Emme jim_emme@yahoo.com 2nd YEAR COUNSELOR

Rob Diedrich rdiedrich@sm-energy.com

RMAG STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Barbara Kuzmic bkuzmic@rmag.org MEMBERSHIP & EVENTS MANAGER

Hannah Rogers hrogers@rmag.org ACCOUNTANT

Carol Dalton cdalton@rmag.org PROJECTS SPECIALIST

Kathy Mitchell-Garton kmitchellgarton@rmag.org MANAGING EDITOR

Will Duggins will.duggins@i-og.net ASSOCIATE EDITORS

ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Rates and sizes can be found on page 30. Advertising rates apply to either black and white or color ads. Submit color ads in RGB color to be compatible with web format. Borders are recommended for advertisements that comprise less than one half page. Digital files must be PC compatible submitted in png, jpg, tif, pdf or eps formats at a minimum of 300 dpi. If you have any questions, please call the RMAG office at 303-573-8621. Ad copy, signed contract and payment must be received before advertising insertion. Contact the RMAG office for details. DEADLINES: Ad submissions are the 1st of every month for the following month’s publication. WEDNESDAY NOON LUNCHEON RESERVATIONS

RMAG Office: 303-573-8621 | Fax: 303-476-2241 | staff@rmag.org or www.rmag.org

Holly Sell holly.sell@yahoo.com Greg Guyer Greg.Guyer@halliburton.com Cheryl Fountain cwhitney@alumni.nmt.edu Ron Parker ron.parker@taskfronterra.com DESIGN/PRODUCTION

Nate Silva nate@nate-silva.com

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

Vol. 66, No. 5 | www.rmag.org

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Outcrop | May 2017 OUTCROP

Rocky Mountain Section Annual Meeting

R E G I S T R AT I O N I S O P E N

RM S - A APG B I L L I N G S M O N TA N A

NG PL I A EW

2017

JUNE 25-28

G RESOU

EARLY REGISTRATION ENDS MAY 25 http://rmsaapg2017.com/ For more information contact: General Chairman Robert Schalla (406) 294-3525 covecreekresources@msn.com

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Technical Program Chairs Steve Van Delinder svandelinder@ballardpetroleum.com Mark Millard mmillard@sm-energy.com 4

Vol. 66, No. 5 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

CONTENTS FEATURES

ASSOCIATION NEWS

24 Lead Story: The Interactive Map Brings Together Groundwater Information from Several Agencies

2 RMAG 2017 Summit Sponsors

DEPARTMENTS 6 RMAG December 2016 Board of Directors Meeting 8 Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Letter 14 RMAG Luncheon Programs: Mark Millard

13 WGA 2017 Field Conference 19 Paleozoic and Mesozoic GIS Data from the Geologic Atlas of the Rocky Mountain Region: Volume 1, Available Now! 21 2017 RMAG Golf Tournament

18 RMAG Luncheon Programs: Ned Sterne

23 Save The Date: RMAG DWLS Fall Symposium, RMAG Core Workshop

22 Welcome New RMAG Members!

26 2017 Colorado Science and Engineering Fair

22 In The Pipeline

27 Save The Date: RMAG Rockbusters Bash

28 Advertiser Index 30 Calendar

COVER PHOTO Wind River Canyon in Wyoming. Shutterstock.com

29 RMAG On The Rocks Field Trips

30 Outcrop Advertising Rates

Vol. 66, No. 5 | www.rmag.org

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RMAG DECEMBER 2016 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING By Jennifer Jones, Secretary jaseitzjones@gmail.com

KES T

OSCIENCE L GE , LL RE

Thomas E. Hoak, Ph.D. Consulting Geoscientist Kestrel Geoscience, LLC

Structural Geology Seismic Interpretation Magnetic and Gravity Interpretation Basin Analysis and Restoration Regional Desk Studies Integrated Exploration Prospect Generation Presentation Graphics

Littleton, CO USA

Phone: (303) 933-5805 Cell: (720) 375-3015 kestrelco@comcast.net kestrelgeoscience.com

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

The On the Rocks committee has organized a fantastic trip to the Picketwire Dinosaur Trackways on May 13-14 - registration opened April 17. Barbara also reported that membership is up, and publication sales have been strong. The summer golf tournament is planned for June 14 at Arrowhead; please see the RMAG website for details. All months are now booked for the monthly luncheon program. RMAG is working on improving the member/attendant feedback process for the luncheons, so please be on the lookout for those surveys when you attend. The Big Red Book will be for sale starting May 1. The Continuing Education committee has several exciting events in the planning stages, and the Fall Symposium is coming along nicely – please see the RMAG website for the call for papers. As always, please check the RMAG website often for the exciting events and opportunities coming up soon! We look forward to seeing you.

The March meeting of the RMAG Board of Directors was held March 15, 2017 at 4 PM. Guest Carol Dalton gave a presentation on proposed fiscal year adjustments for the organization; discussions are ongoing. Treasurer Karen Dean and Treasurer-Elect Robin Swank reported that the RMAG financials are continuing as expected. Barbara Kuzmic and Rob Diedrich reported that the 3D Seismic Symposium was a great success – the event was sold out.

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Join Us in Billings at RMS-AAPG Petrophysical Evaluation of Unconventional Reservoirs Saturday, June 24, 2017, 8:00 am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 5:00 pm Double Tree - Skybridge One, Billings Montana Fee: $275, includes lunch, class notes, and PDH certificate Instructor: Jack Breig

Course description: The course will cover the petrophysical approaches to the evaluation of Shale Oil, Tight Gas Sands, and Shale Gas Techniques using both open and cased hole logs. Attendees will learn basic interpretation procedures to determine porosity, hydrocarbon saturation, TOC, volumes of in-place hydrocarbons, recoverable hydrocarbon estimates, and net pay criteria. Worked examples from a number of North American reservoirs will be part of a comprehensive workshop manual to be provided to all attendees. Instructor: Jack Breig is a Petrophysical Consultant with Precision Petrophysics in Denver. He was formerly the Chief Petrophysicist with Whiting Petroleum and a Senior Petrophysicist with Newfield Exploration. His experiences with unconventional resources include foundational studies on the Woodford Shale in Oklahoma, and development of advanced evaluation programs for the Bakken, Three Forks, Niobrara, Eagle Ford, and Marcellus formations. Jack is a member of SPWLA, AAPG, SPE, and the current VP-Technology for the Denver Well Logging Society.

Petroleum Geostatistics

Sunday, June 25, 2017, 8:00 am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4:30 pm Double Tree - Skybridge One, Billings Montana Fee: $250, includes lunch, class notes, and PDH certificate Instructor: Dr. Todd Hoffman, Montana Tech, Petroleum Engineering Dept. Course description: This course will teach you how to use geostatistical tools to create high quality petroleum reservoir models. Fundamental techniques such as kriging and sequential simulation will be covered along with more recent developments such as object based methods and multipoint geostatistics. We will use hands-on examples to create a deeper understanding of the methods as well as use software to perform field scale applications. By the end of the course, you know when to use particular techniques and the general concepts and equations behind the techniques. Instructor: Todd Hoffman is an Associate Professor in the Petroleum Engineering Department at the Montana Tech. He has worked as a reservoir engineering consultant specializing in flow modeling and fractured reservoirs. As a petroleum engineering professor at Colorado School of Mines, he taught courses on Geostatistics, Fluid Properties and Reservoir Engineering. Todd has worked on reservoir models for more than 30 fields on six continents, and has published 40+ technical papers. His research involves fracture modeling and improved recovery for conventional and unconventional oil reservoirs. Todd received his B.S. in petroleum engineering from Montana Tech and his M.S. and Ph.D. in petroleum engineering from Stanford University. Class Descriptions and Register Online: rmsaapg2017.com

For more information, contact Mary Carr, 303.273.3107, mcarr@mines.edu 7 OUTCROP | May 2017

Vol. 66, No. 5 | www.rmag.org

PRESIDENT’S LETTER By Larry Rasmussen

‘Right-hemisphere’ Geology My daughter is a great artist. I’m not. Maybe that’s one of those things that skips a generation, because her grandparents are also good artists. I’m not sure I could sketch my way out of a paper bag, but my daughter can create these beautifully elaborate three-dimensional drawings that can literally raise the hairs on the back of my neck. No joke. She has genuinely enviable talent, one I might be good at if I had put as much effort into it as she did when she was first honing her craft. Yet, I am more than happy to sit back and marvel at other people’s artistic abilities much in the same way that I love to go see bands play but wouldn’t want to be the one performing on stage. I was always told that one of the skills that makes a good geologist is the ability to channel the right side of the brain, the hemisphere that controls imagination and creativity. I suppose that I’m creative, or at least I try to be, but I wouldn’t consider myself an artist. One of my mentors over the past 10 years has repeatedly emphasized hand-drawing structural contour maps and cross sections, and I have improved at it over time with lots of practice. Drafting maps and cross sections by hand is something that I find both relaxing and rewarding, and it’s probably about as close as I come to OUTCROP | May 2017

Stone’s memoir from 2013 featuring his watercolor titled, “Front Range Pumpers” artistic expression as a geologist. It goes without saying that handdrawn structure maps and cross sections are generally far superior to any that are generated with computer software. The importance of creative, right-hemisphere thinking to 8

geology is compellingly presented in a 2013 article by Don Stone titled “Using Freehand Three-dimensional Drawings to Clarify and Verify Subsurface Structural Interpretations.” It takes geologic artistry to the next level by

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LEADERS IN PETROLEUM GEOCHEMISTRY ROCKY MOUNTAINS

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

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integrating structural contour maps and cross sections into hand-drafted 3-D block diagrams as a way of validating complex subsurface geologic structures. Regarding 3-D visualization, Don states: Many geologists have difficulty with 3-D perception, apparently more because of neglect during their formal education and later inattentiveness than because of an absence of innate ability. Overemphasis on today’s industry demands for computer skills (a left-brain domain) and lack of encouragement from mentors probably contribute to this neglect. However, improvement in spatial perception can be developed with dedication and practice. (Stone, 2013, p. 3)

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In other words, all geologists have the ability to channel the right sides of our brain – we just have to work hard at it and practice, practice, practice. Reading Don Stone’s 330-page autobiography, Memoir of an Independent Geologist: Navigating the Oil Patch Minefields, I was struck by the variety of non-geologic artistic skills that Don possesses. He paints, sculpts, draws, acts and sings, and he plays the drums and piano. If you’ve been to the Rockbusters Ball that RMAG puts on every year in November, Don is the guy playing drums in the jazz ensemble, and he’s been doing it for 50 years! Don’s artistic talents, and his ability to think in three dimensions has no doubt played

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Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, QEP is an S&P MidCap 400 Index member company (NYSE: QEP). Learn more at www.qepres.com.

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PRESIDENT’S LETTER

The Three Feathers Trio performing on the Ted Mack Amateur Hour television show, 1951. Don Stone (drums), Tom Foulks (piano), Dave Higgins (gut bucket). (Photo courtesy: Don Stone)

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an experienced seismic interpreter, Larry Malarin, who taught him how to construct seismic depth sections and how to integrate surface geological mapping, well data and 2D seismic into three-dimensional geologic interpretations. Becoming expertly skilled at seismic interpretation and structural mapping served Don well throughout his career. Don made the move to Denver in 1961 and worked for Franco Western Oil Company as district geologist (1961-65), as exploration geologist with Chevron (1965-68) and, finally, as exploration geologist with Baumgartner

a large role in his success as a structural geologist. It seems that Don’s career as a geologist has been greatly enhanced by constantly exercising the right side of his brain. Don grew up in Garden City, New York and spent his summers Upstate on the northwest shore of Lake Champlain. There, he and his cousins would collect fossils from the Ordovician Chazy Limestone and the Canajoharie Shale. Although this was his first exposure to geology, it wasn’t until his junior year at Hamilton College that his professor and mentor, Phil Oxley, encouraged him to

consider a career as a geologist. Things moved quickly following graduation in 1950. In 1951, Don applied for and received the Eleanor Tatum Long Graduate Scholarship in Structural Geology at Cornell University. He completed his MS thesis on tectonic breccias of the Taconic Orogeny during his first year. In the summer of 1951, he accepted a position with SOCAL (Standard Oil Company of California, now ChevronTexaco) and moved to San Francisco. Over the next 10 years, Don worked in several SOCAL offices, including a short stint in Utah as a “party geologist” for a seismic crew. During his time in the Sacramento office, Don was mentored by

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PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Oil Company (1968-70). While he was with Baumgartner, Don was given the freedom to select areas of study to develop, assemble and sell drilling prospects. It was a unique and valuable learning opportunity, and he was engaged in everything from generating the prospect and acquiring leases, to negotiating and selling a readyto-drill prospect. These acquired skills prepared Don for the next phase of his career as an independent, entrepreneurial geologist. In 1972, he struck out on his own, first as Sherwood Exploration Company, later as an independent consulting geologist, and over the next 30 years he developed and sold numerous successful prospects in the Rockies. Eleven of these prospects are described in detail in Don’s memoir and make for fascinating reading. Over the span of his career, Don Stone contributed greatly to his field, publishing nearly 80 articles in peer-reviewed publications. He holds a particularly honorable record with RMAG, having published 20 articles in The Mountain Geologist, the most by any one author. I’ve read several of Don’s articles over the years (what I haven’t read, however, could fill a book!) and have always enjoyed his logical approach to addressing a particular hypothesis. Especially engaging are the ‘Discussion’ and ‘Reply’ articles in which Don either challenges authors’ opposing views or defends his own written work. However, one of my favorite publications by Don Stone is not so much an article as it is a work of art. This is his Wyoming

Vol. 66, No. 5 | www.rmag.org

Transect, a 409-mile structural cross section that starts along the Wyoming Overthrust and proceeds across the Green, Wind River, Bighorn and Powder River basins and their intervening uplifts. Don saw the Wyoming Transect as a challenging and enlightening exercise, and it was never meant to be a profitable venture, and, as such, took a back seat to Don’s higher-priority prospect generation. Between its initiation in 1985 and completion in 1987, the Transect was a labor of love. It was a compilation of 15 individual segments constructed from all available published geologic maps, well data and 2D seismic data. The Wyoming Transect was

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PRESIDENT’S LETTER

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Presentation of Wallace E. Pratt Award for best paper in the AAPG Bulletin (2002) by AAPG President Steve Sonnenberg, 2004. (Photo courtesy: Don Stone) raising four daughters with his wife of 65 years, I’m left with the conclusion that Don is the ultimate optimist. No task or skill was insurmountable as long as he believed that he could do it and as long as he properly applied himself. Challenging work was viewed as engaging and stimulating, and any ‘failures’ were seen as valuable learning opportunities. Along with the right-brained creativity that aided Don’s success in the oil patch is an underlying altruism. Don has given back to the Rocky Mountain geologic community time and again through numerous publications and professional talks, service to RMAG (past-VP and President) and AAPG and, of course, the Stone-Hollberg Scholarship. Shortly before starting this piece, I was talking to Don on the phone and he was telling me that he is donating his archives to the 12

Denver Earth Resources Library. He was enthusiastic about the notion that his life’s work might be useful to new generations of geologists. “I’m just so excited to think that my work might be able to help out younger geologists!” Don’s memoir would be an interesting read to anyone in the business, but it is a particularly fascinating read to a geologist like myself. If you would like to buy a copy of Don’s memoir, you may get in touch with him directly via email. To contribute to the Stone-Hollberg Graduate Scholarship in Structural Geology, please contact the RMAG Foundation. Digital copies of the Wyoming Transect are still available from RMAG and all proceeds go toward the Stone-Hollberg Graduate Scholarship.

enthusiastically received at GSA and RMS-AAPG conferences in 1987. Hand-colored, hard copies of the Transect were sold to major and independent oil companies with offices in Denver, and it was used as a trading medium for seismic data as well as a critical lease in one of Don’s prospects. In 2007, Don teamed up with John Hollberg to digitize the Wyoming Transect and offer it for sale to the geologic community. Don decided to parlay the net proceeds from the sales of one of his finest artistic achievements to a graduate scholarship in structural geology. As he explains, he probably would not have been able to attend Cornell University without a graduate scholarship, and he would have missed out on the excitement and challenges of being a structural geologist in the petroleum field. Together, Don and John contributed a total of $40,000 to seed the Stone-Hollberg Graduate Scholarship in Structural Geology. The RMAG Foundation contributed an additional $10,000 and awards scholarships annually. This year’s scholarship was awarded on April 12 to Katrina Lucia Soundy, a Master’s student at New Mexico Technical University, whose thesis topic is titled, “Characterization of fault micro-structures from the Sawtooth Mountains and West Salton detachment fault, New Mexico and California.” Pondering all of Don’s contributions, his career as a successful independent geologist and his varied artistic hobbies, all of which were conducted while

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Wyoming Geological Association Geology & Energy Resources of Northern Wyoming

September 811, 2017

NEW DATE!

WGA

2017 Field Conference

Conference to be held in beautiful Casper, Wyoming

More details to come!

This year's conference will focus on all general (energy AND nonenergyrelated) geologic topics in the northern half of Wyoming.

Call for Papers You are invited to submit a technical paper relating to this year's theme. Collected papers will undergo peer review and will be released in an upcoming WGA Guidebook. Submit papers to info@wyogeo.org by JUNE 5, 2017

Call for Speakers In addition to papers, we are inviting people to present at a oneday technical session on topics related to this year's theme.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PAPER GUIDELINES OR SPEAKING, CONTACT: Mike Mellin: 3077020813 Jesse Self: 3073151891 Vol. 66, No. 5 | www.rmag.org 13 OUTCROP | May 2017 mike.mellin@urenergy.com jesse.self@urenergy.com

RMAG LUNCHEON PROGRAMS Speaker: Mark Millard — May 3, 2017

Seeing the Forest for the Tree A Simplified Workflow for Target Optimization utilizing Correlation Matrices: An Example from the Bakken Formation Mark Millard, SM Energy

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Area of Interest (AOI) in the basin center to quantitatively determine which log facies the wells transected. The percentage of feet drilled in each facies and the net thickness of each interval were compiled for each well in a database along numerous geological and production variables. Following compilation of the variables, correlation matrices were utilized to identify key geologic production drivers. The geologic drivers were then utilized to normalize the horizontal well dataset, creating subsets of horizontal wells drilled in areas of “similar” geology. Results from the initial study show a very poor relationship between drilling in-zone and well

Over the past few years, the Middle Bakken play in the Williston Basin has evolved from delineation and step-out drilling to significant infill development. As wells are being drilled at a faster pace, the need to understand the target zone is of greater importance. This study presents a workflow for horizontal target optimization by utilizing correlation matrices coupled with log facies modelling, reverse-geosteering, and geologic mapping. In this study, we created a regional petrophysical log facies scheme by employing a Principle Component Analysis (PCA) utilizing standard wireline log suites and core analyses. We then “reverse geosteered” 164 Middle Bakken horizontal wells in an

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RMAG LUNCHEON PROGRAMS

the reservoir in the AOI is relatively homogenous with regards to pore-throat size, and therefore permeability. In the second phase of the study, the same methodology for evaluating percent in-zone was applied to another portion of the basin where capillary pressure data showed the Middle Bakken to have greater pore-throat size heterogeneity. Results from the second phase of the study show that in regions of the Williston

Basin where pore-throat heterogeneity in the Middle Bakken is greater, in-zone drilling greatly improves well results. While this study specifically analyzes well results in the Middle Bakken, the methodology of utilizing correlation matrices is readily applicable to many types of problems in petroleum exploration and development. (This talk has been presented at the 2016 RMS-AAPG and 2017 AAPG ACE)

results in the AOI. The poor correlation is likely a combination of uncertainty in geosteering interpretations, variations in well completion methods, lateral variations in reservoir quality, and/or homogenous reservoir (minimal vertical variations in porosity and permeability). Evaluation of mercury injection capillary pressure data for the Middle Bakken show that

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Mark Millard is a Senior Exploration Geologist at SM Energy. He spent the last 5 years exploring the Rockies out of their Billings office, and is now currently working the Permian Basin out of their Denver office. Prior to that, he worked the Eagle Ford and Edwards for Pioneer Natural Resources in Dallas, Texas. He received his M.S. in Geology from Baylor University in 2007 where he studied seismogenic faults in Malibu, California, and received his B.S. in Geology from Brigham Young University-Idaho in 2005. He is a Past President of the Montana Geological Society and is on the advisory board for the Geology Department at BYU-Idaho. He was the recipient of the A.I. Levorson Best Paper Award at the 2014 Rocky Mountain Section of AAPG meeting, and the Frank Kottlowski Memorial Award by the Energy Minerals Division at the 2014 National AAPG.

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Vol. 66, No. 5 | www.rmag.org

Available now as a digital download! Non-member - $70

Member - $50 Corporate - $300

Hydrocarbon Source Rocks in

Unconventional Plays, Rocky Mountain Region Editors: Michael P. Dolan, Debra K. Higley, Paul G. Lillis Stratigraphy and Depositional Origin of Tyler Formation (Pennsylvanian) Source Beds in the Williston Basin, Western North Dakota - TIMOTHY O. NESHEIM and STEPHEN H. NORDENG

Introduction - Michael P. Dolan, Debra K. Higley, and Paul G. Lillis Marine mudstone source rocks in epicontinental basins: Development of a conceptual facies model and application to Cenomanian/Turonian mudstones of the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway - BRUCE S. HART Overpressure development through time using 4D pressure-volume-temperature modeling in the deep Anadarko Basin, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas DEBRA K. HIGLEY

Vitrinite Reﬂectance of Cretaceous Coaly Material and Thermal Maturity of the Niobrara Formation, Denver Basin, Colorado, USA - DANIEL G. HALLAU, RYAN J. SHARMA, and ROBERT M. CLUFF Evolution of the Lower Tertiary Elko Lake Basin, a Potential Hydrocarbon Source Rock in Northeast Nevada - RONALD C. JOHNSON and JUSTIN E. BIRDWELL

The Chuar Petroleum System, Arizona and Utah - PAUL G. LILLIS

Geochemistry of the Green River Formation, Piceance Creek Basin, Colorado - JEREMY BOAK, SHEVEN POOLE, and JUFANG FENG

Insights into the Evolution of an Intracratonic Foreland Basin: A Regional Assessment of the Duvernay Formation - Matthew Davis, Glenn Karlen, Mark Tobey, and David Tivey

Source Rock Characterization of the Green River Oil Shale, Piceance Creek Basin, Colorado - JUFANG FENG, J. F. SARG, AND K. TÄNAVSUU-MILKEVICIENE

Petroleum system model of the Upper Devonian-Lower Mississippian Bakken Formation in the northern Williston Basin, Saskatchewan, southwestern Manitoba, and southeastern Alberta, Canada - DEBRA K. HIGLEY and NICHOLAS J. GIANOUTSOS

Geological, Geochemical, and Reservoir Characterization of the Uteland Butte Member of the Green River Formation, Uinta Basin, Utah - JUSTIN E. BIRDWELL, MICHAEL D. VANDEN BERG, RONALD C. JOHNSON, TRACEY J. MERCIER, ADAM R. BOEHLKE, and MICHAEL E. BROWNFIELD

The Integration of Geochemical, Stratigraphic, and Production Data to Improve Geological Models in the Bakken-Three Forks Petroleum System, Williston Basin, North Dakota - MARK MILLARD and RILEY BRINKERHOFF

Generation and Migration of Bitumen and Oil from the Oil Shale Interval of the Eocene Green River Formation, Uinta Basin, Utah- RONALD C. JOHNSON and JUSTIN E. BIRDWELL Silver Sponsor

Sponsored by:

email: staﬀ@rmag.org

phone: 303.573.8621

Vol. 66, No. 5 | www.rmag.org

910 16th Street #1214, Denver, CO, 80202

fax: 303.476.2241

web: www.rmag.org OUTCROP | May 2017

follow: @rmagdenver

RMAG LUNCHEON PROGRAMS Speaker: Ned Sterne — June 7, 2017

From mantle to mountain top A restorable east-west transect across Colorado following Interstate 70 Edward J. (Ned) Sterne1, Stephen P. Cumella2, Robert G. Raynolds3, John J. Miller4, James W. Granath5 1. Consulting Geologist, 2. Consulting Geologist, 3. Research Associate, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 4. U.S. Geological Survey Emeritus, 5. Granath and Associates Consulting Geology

OUTCROP | May 2017

show greater depths within some of the hinterland relative to the foreland basins suggesting underthrusting may have been an important structural process. Preliminary versions of the restoration show approximately 67 km of translation or 26% shortening across the uplifts between the Denver and Piceance basins. This synthesis indicates an early Laramide phase of differential subsidence starting at ~78 Ma and coincident with the arrival of magmatism related to encroaching flat-slab subduction beneath central Colorado. This was followed by a late Laramide phase of differential uplift starting at ~68 Ma and continuing episodically to at least 56 Ma. Onset of the early Laramide phase was marked by abrupt realignment of isopach trends with stratigraphic thicks developing in the Piceance and Denver basins separated by a thin across what are now South Park and the Sawatch Range. Onset of differential uplift during the late Laramide is indicated variously by the appearance of basement clasts in the Arapahoe Conglomerate at ~67 Ma, thrust deformation before, during and after intrusion of sills at ~63 Ma, fault gouge dated between ~68 and ~56 Ma, possible inflections in the apatite fission track elevation/age gradients at ~67 Ma, and deformation after the Laramie Fm. (~69 Ma) and before the South Park Fm. (~67Ma). The post-Laramide was marked by denudation and development of the Rocky Mountain Erosional Surface starting at ~45 Ma with localized increased heat flow and reburial of this surface beneath

In the spirit of past Colorado structural syntheses by Hayden, Grose and Tweto, the aim of this project is to build a restorable transect following Interstate 70 east to west across the state. The section incorporates disparate data sets including potential field, seismic, well, thermochronology, and outcrop data, much of which has become available since a section like this was last published, to illustrate Colorado’s structural evolution. Restoring Laramide geometries involved using a projected top Cretaceous horizon as the upper bounding surface and a mid-crustal interface as the basal decollement/lower bounding surface. Refraction seismic combined with magnetotellurics provide evidence for the undulating mid-crustal interface at subsea depths between 12 and 29 km. In areas stripped to basement, missing stratal and structural cover geometries were projected into the section aided by low-temperature thermochronology and by analog to structures seen along strike. Ancestral Rocky Mountain structures were treated as early elements of the Laramide fault arrays, a premise supported by their reactivation during the Laramide. To permit restoration, the crooked section following Interstate 70 was projected into a straight profile oriented parallel to N65E, which approximates the Laramide transport direction. Recent wells and reflection seismic showing fault-bend folds, multiple bedding-parallel detachments, and stacked triangle zones guide the structural style and allow greater translation to be interpreted within the Laramide thrust systems. These data also

»»CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

Vol. 66, No. 5 | www.rmag.org

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Paleozoic and Mesozoic GIS Data from the Geologic Atlas of the Rocky Mountain Region: Volume 1 The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists (RMAG) is, once again, publishing portions of the 1972 Geologic Atlas of the Rocky Mountain Region (Mallory, ed., 1972) as a geospatial map and data package. Georeferenced tiff (Geo TIFF) images of map figures from this atlas has served as the basis for these data products. Shapefiles and file geodatabase features have been generated and cartographically represented for select pages from the following chapters: • Phanerozoic Rocks (page 56) • Cambrian System (page 63) • Ordovician System (pages 78 and 79) • Silurian System (pages 87 - 89) • Devonian System (pages 93, 94, and 96 - 98) • Mississippian System (pages 102 and 103) • Pennsylvanian System (pages 114 and 115) • Permian System (pages 146 and 149 - 154) • Triassic System (pages 168 and 169) • Jurassic System (pages 179 and 180) • Cretaceous System (pages 197 - 201, 207 210, 215, - 218, 221, 222, 224, 225, and 227).

Available now, as a digital download! Prices will increase on November 1st.

Member Price: $75 Non-Member Price: $95 Corporate Price: 2-5 copies - 5% off member price per copy 6-10 copies - 10% off member price per copy 11+ copies - 15% off member price per copy

Visit www.rmag.org to purchase your copy today.

The primary purpose of this publication is to provide regional-scale, as well as local-scale, geospatial data of the Rocky Mountain Region for use in geoscience studies. An important aspect of this interactive map product is that it does not require extensive GIS experience or highly specialized software.

Vol. 66, No. 5 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | May 2017

RMAG LUNCHEON PROGRAMS

ÂťÂťCONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

extensive volcanics to ~30 Ma. Differential extension overprinting the earlier contractional orogen began at ~28 Ma with the development of the Rio Grande Rift and other Tertiary basins and continues today. Finally, recent passive-source seismic shows low-density mantle and crust underly high elevations, active denudation and epeirogenic uplift centered on Colorado since ~10 Ma.

Well Site Geology Remote Geosteering Petrographic Analysis Field Geologic Studies

phone 406. 259. 4124 sunburstconsulting.com OUTCROP | May 2017

Ned Sterne received a B.A. in geology from Harvard University in 1979 having finished an undergraduate honors thesis on the Indus-Tsangpo Suture Zone of Ladakh, northern India. He completed an M.A. in geology in 1981 at Dartmouth College after studying ammonium illites associated with exhalative ore deposits in the Delong Mountains of northern Alaska. Following a stint in Rocky Mountain and international petroleum exploration for Amoco from 1981 to 1992, he has been an independent play generator and consultant, except for the period of 2004 to 2009 when he worked for Petro-Hunt doing Rocky Mountain exploration. He is currently active as an independent in the Denver Basin and consults on a variety of domestic and international exploration projects. Recent international projects include interpreting deep crustal seismic profiles in the offshore of Tanzania and Mozambique and, across the East Russian Arctic Shelf. His extracurricular activities include structural research along the Front Range and across Colorado, sculpting, and amusing his wife and three daughters.

Vol. 66, No. 5 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | May 2017

WELCOME NEW RMAG MEMBERS!

Selena Neale

Nick Barber

is a Geotechnician at Caerus Oil and Gas in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

Richard Gibson

is a GeoTech at Fracture ID in Denver, Colorado.

is a Sr. Geologist at SM Energy in Denver, Colorado.

is a student in Boulder, Colorado.

Daniel Hosler

is a Geologist at Crescent Point Energy in Conifer, Colorado.

Kyungho Jeon

is a student in Boulder, Colorado.

Katherine Pfeiffer

Cameron Thompson

is a Geologist at Pinyon Environmental in Denver, Colorado.

Samuel Walker

lives in College Station, Texas.

Mandy Williams

Paula Leek

is a Senior Geologist at Burgess Creek Exploration Inc in Calgary, Alberta.

James Mackie

a student in Boulder, Colorado.

is a Geologist and Thin Section Specialist at Paula Leek Petrographics in Denver, Colorado.

William,

is a Geologist at Brigham Resources in Austin, Texas.

IN THE PIPELINE

OUTCROP | May 2017

MAY 16, 2017

RMAG Luncheon. Speaker: Mark Millard. “Seeing the Forest for the Trees: A Simplified Workflow for Target Optimization utilizing Correlation Matrices: An Example from the Bakken Formation.” Maggiano’s Little Italy, Denver. RSVP to staff @rmag.org.

MAY 6, 2017

MAY 3, 2017

RMAG Geology Trail Tour. Contact: staff@rmag.org

DWLS Luncheon. Call 303-770-4235.

MAY 14, 2017

MAY 24, 2017

RMAG On the Rocks Field Trip. “Mother’s Day on the Rocks at the Picket Wire Canyonlands Dinosaur Track Site, Southeastern Colorado”.

OCF Denver Chapter Luncheon. RVSP to 303-258-6401.

Vol. 66, No. 5 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | May 2017

LEAD STORY

The Interactive Map Brings Together Groundwater Information from Several Agencies

SINCLAIR

PETROLEUM

Datasets used in the initial release of the atlas are WSEO groundwater well permits, USGS produced and environmental water quality, USGS hydrologic units with links to WWDC basin plan groundwater reports, spring locations digitized from USGS topographic maps and hydrostratigraphic characteristics of Wyoming’s bedrock geology by the USGS, WSGS and WWDC. Data from WSGS groundwater projects, such as the recent Statewide Groundwater Baseflow Study, are presented in the atlas as well. Reference base layers include roads, political boundaries, surface hydrology, township ranges and general geologic data. “The groundwater atlas brings together commonly used groundwater information from several

A wide range of information about Wyoming’s groundwater can now be found on an interactive online map recently launched by the Wyoming State Geological Survey (WSGS). The new Groundwater Atlas of Wyoming will enable users to obtain basic groundwater data quickly, which will be helpful in an arid state where groundwater is used extensively for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes. “The groundwater atlas is another example of the Wyoming State Geological Survey’s efforts to provide ready access to important and useful geologic data and information to as many people and entities as possible,” says Tom Drean, WSGS director. The online atlas offers an easy-to-use digital format that combines publicly available datasets from the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office (WSEO), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Wyoming Water Development Commission (WWDC).

Marty Hall

ENGINEERING,INC.

Program Development Manager Multi-Client Services

www.sinclairengineering.com

- Well and Field Simulation - Production Data Analysis - Shale, Tight Gas, CBM, Conventional, EOR - Reserve Determinations, Property Valuation - General Reservoir Engineeing

John Sinclair, Ph.D.,P.E. Licensed in CO, UT, MT, & WY

P: 720.851.6152 C: 303.885.8860

307-587-5502 (o) 307-431-6382 (c) Cody, Wyoming

john@sinclairengineering.com

OUTCROP | May 2017

7765 Windwood Way P.O. Box 549 Parker, CO 80134 USA

geokinetics.com marty.hall@geokinetics.com

Vol. 66, No. 5 | www.rmag.org

www.wsgs.wyo.gov For more information please contact: Christina George, (307) 766-2286 x231 christina.george@wyo.gov 1 and 2 man Mudlogging

Vol. 66, No. 5 | www.rmag.org

agencies to help users quickly find out what public data is available in their area of interest,” says Jim Stafford, WSGS resource analyst and author of the atlas. Research features of the map include the ability to search for WSEO groundwater rights by permit number, location, depth, use type and status. Additionally, users can search USGS produced water sites based on water quality and obtain hydrologic information for specific geologic formations in Wyoming’s major river basins. The attributes for all features are viewable, and results of queries and manual selections are available for download in tabular format. When a user zooms in on a map location, more detailed data appears along with labels for well depth, static water level and water quality. A popup provides instructions to users upon launching the map. An information panel with dataset descriptions and links to original data sources is also available.

Summit Gas Referencing™ Geosteering Mudlogging The Groundwater ServicesAtlas of Wyoming will

be updated frequently to enhance ease of use Mikeavailable. Barber and as new data becomes The atlas is Manager Serving the Rocky Mountain Region free to use and can be found via the WSGS website. Additional information about Wyoming 230 Airport Rd. Ph (435)657-0586 groundwater can be found by contacting ChrisUnit D Cell (435)640-1382 Heber City, Utah 84032 email:x231, mbarber@summitmudlog.com tina George at 307.766.2286 or christina. www.summitmudlog.com george@wyo.gov

Neil H. Whitehead, III Consulting Geologist PhD

CPG-AIPG

PG WY

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

fax 303-679-8574

31634 Black Widow Way

OUTCROP

Conifer, CO

neil3@q.com 80433-9610

OUTCROP | May 2017

2017 Colorado Science and Engineering Fair The Colorado Science and Engineering Fair was held at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, April 6 – 8, 2017. Regional junior and senior high school winners from across Colorado participate in this event. The RMAG Foundation grants awards to exceptional projects in the earth sciences. This year, Dick Louden, Laura Wray, Lisa Reeves and Anna Phelps represented RMAG and the Foundation as Special Awards Judges. The RMAG Foundation awarded Certificates of Excellence and a cash award from the RMAG Foundation of $250 for the top winners and $125 for the second place winners in the Senior and Junior Divisions.

THIS YEAR’S WINNERS WERE:

• Top Junior Division presenter: Alex Tseng • Top Senior Division presenter: Eric Bear • Second place Junior Division: Sam Haggans • Second place Senior Division: Leo Foster Greer

Susan Wager – Committee Chair

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.

W.W. Little Geological Consulting, LLC William W. Little, Ph.D. Senior Consulting Geologist • Field Studies 20 South 5000 West • Geological Mapping Rexburg, Idaho 83440-3613 • Sequence Stratigraphy Cell: 208/201-6266 • cSedimentary RMAG p ublication A d-‐-‐-‐prof ard size 2Petrology 5/8 X 1/1/2; 12 issues @ $144 wwlittle@gmail.com • GIS Services Website: http://littleww.wordpress.com • Training Courses

Advanced mass spec mud gases while drilling and data analysis for reservoir evaluation and intelligent completion design. Tracy Wicker-‐geologist, account manager tracy@crowngeochemistry.com 580-‐214-‐1271

Save the Date

RMAG Rockbusters Bash Professional Awards Celebration

November 9, 2017 The Curtis Hotel, Denver, CO email: staï¬&#x20AC;@rmag.org

fax: 888.389.4090

phone: 303.573.8621

Vol. 66,16th No.Street 5 | www.rmag.org 910 #1214, Denver, CO, 80202

web: www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | May 2017 follow: @rmagdenver

ADVERTISER INDEX

• Cardinal Accounting Services LLC �� 6

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• Donovan Brothers Inc. �� 26

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• SM Energy �� 15

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• Spancers & Associates �� 6

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• Kestrel Geoscience, LLC �� 6

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• Louis J. Mazzullo, LLC �� 26

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• MJ Systems �� 16

• W.W. Little Geological Consulting, LLC �� 6, 26

RENEW!

Renew your dues for the 2017 year today! RMAG members make up the heart of the organization, and without our loyal membership, the RMAG would be unable to produce relevant publications, host strong technical talks, and provide great networking events. As a member you’ll enjoy discounted rates on events and publications, as well as access to the 6 most recent The Mountain Geologist issues, and much more.

CLICK HERE TO RENEW TODAY!

VOLUNTER! OUTCROP | May 2017

As a diverse community of individuals working towards a worthy cause, we believe that your unique talents can bring us all forward. Volunteers are always needed and welcome! If you would like to volunteer for any of our committees or events, please contact the RMAG office at (303) 573-8621 or staff@rmag.org

Vol. 66, No. 5 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | May 2017

CALENDAR | MAY 2017 SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

6 RMAG Geology Trail Tour.

RMAG Luncheon.

RMAG On the Rocks Field Trip.

DWLS Luncheon.

OCF Denver Chapter Luncheon.

OUTCROP ADVERTISING RATES 1 Time

2 Times

6 Times

12 Times

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Vol. 66, No. 5 | www.rmag.org