December 2021 Outcrop by The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

OUTCROP Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Volume 70 • No. 12 • December 2021

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

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Vol. 70, No. 12 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

1999 Broadway • Suite 730 • Denver, CO 80202 • 720-672-9898 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.

2021 OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT

2nd VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT

Cat Campbell ccampbell@caminoresources.com

Mark Millard millardm@gmail.com

PRESIDENT-ELECT

SECRETARY

Rob Diedrich rdiedrich75@gmail.com

Jessica Davey jessica@desertmountainenergy.com

1st VICE PRESIDENT

TREASURER

Nathan Rogers nathantrogers@gmail.com

Rebecca Johnson Scrable rebecca.johnson@bpx.com

1st VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT

TREASURER ELECT

Courtney Beck Antolik courtneyantolik14@gmail.com

Mike Tischer mtischer@gmail.com

2nd VICE PRESIDENT

COUNSELOR

Peter Kubik pkubik@mallardexploration.com

Jeff May jmay.kcrossen@gmail.com

RMAG STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Bridget Crowther bcrowther@rmag.org OPERATIONS MANAGER

Kathy Mitchell-Garton kmitchellgarton@rmag.org CO-EDITORS

Courtney Beck Antolik courtneyantolik14@gmail.com Nate LaFontaine nlafontaine@sm-energy.com Wylie Walker wylie.walker@gmail.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Elijah Adeniyi elijahadeniyi@montana.edu

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Outcrop | December 2021 OUTCROP

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Rockies Members in Transition (MiT) is a joint effort of members of AAPG, DERL, DIPS, DWLS, RMAG, SPE-Denver, WENCO, WGA, and WOGA in the Rocky Mountain region to help association members in the midst of a career transition.

Dec. 9 12pm-1pm (MST)

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Vol. 70, No. 12 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

CONTENTS FEATURES

ASSOCIATION NEWS

6 2022 RMAG Summit Sponsorship Packet

2 RMAG Summit Sponsors

16 Lead Story: Land of Opportunity, Setting the Stage for Updating the Geologic Maps of Yellowstone National Park 30 Rockies Members In Transition: Closing A Chapter

4 Members in Transition Dec. 9 Webinar 10 Publish with The Mountain Geologist 11 Members in Transition Dec. 16 Webinar 13 2022 RMAG Mentorship Program

DEPARTMENTS

28 RMAG Educational Outreach Committee Updates

10 RMAG November 2021 Board of Directors Meeting

33 Book Review: Dietrich Roeder, Volumes One and Two

12 President’s Letter 24 Online Lunch Talk: Ali Jaffri

COVER PHOTO A view of the Absaroka Mountains near Pebble Creek in northeastern Yellowstonte. Photo by Emma Kerins.

26 Online Lunch Talk: Bob Fryklund 31 In The Pipeline 32 Outcrop Advertising Rates 32 Welcome New RMAG Members! 34 Advertiser Index 34 Calendar

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OUTCROP | December 2021

RMAG Summit Sponsorship

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Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists 1999 Broadway, Suite 730 Denver, CO 80202 Phone: 800.970.7624 | email: staff@rmag.org

November 30, 2021 Geoscience Community: RMAG could not exist without the very generous support of our Summit Sponsors, and we greatly appreciate all the companies that contributed as Summit Sponsors in 2021. The second year of a pandemic was not what any of us hoped for but, as we learn to live with the new reality, RMAG has continued to meet both the needs of our members and the greater geoscience community as well as honor our sponsors’ commitment to RMAG. We have hosted dozens of virtual events which included short courses, workshops, Members in Transition talks, monthly online luncheons, virtual trivia, and a virtual field trip. Slowly over the course of the year, we have been able to add back so many of our outdoor events, from the Annual Golf Tournament to six On the Rocks field trips across the region. With the assistance of the RMAG Foundation, we provided student memberships and professional development reimbursements to assist our geologic community. Your sponsorship dollars also supported our excellent publications including the monthly Outcrop newsletter, the quarterly Mountain Geologist journal, and special publications such as Subsurface Cross Sections of Southern Rocky Mountain Basins. We recognized your financial commitment with website and publication advertising as well as through social media before each online event. With a LinkedIn group of over 2600 members, we made our sponsors visible to the geoscience community for both virtual and in person events. We are in the process of planning for our upcoming year, and we need your help to continue our programs. 2022 will be an exciting year for RMAG as we celebrate our 100th anniversary with special events and publications to honor our association’s rich history. Summit Sponsor company names and logos will be prominently featured at all RMAG events, and while we plan to host more in person gatherings, we also will continue to hold online events which have been very popular with our membership. If you are already a Summit Sponsor, we look forward to your continued support in 2022. If you are not a sponsor, please look at the many free benefits included with the sponsorship levels. Please feel free to contact our staff with questions about sponsorship by email: staff@rmag.org or by phone at 800-970-7624. We and the staff of RMAG wish you all a successful and prosperous 2022 and look forward to seeing you at our events.

Rob Diedrich

Bridget Crowther

2022 RMAG President

RMAG Executive Director

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OUTCROP | December 2021

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2022RMAG Summit Sponsorship All sponsor benefit event tickets follow RMAG event registration deadlines. All benefits end 12 months after registration.

RMAG 2022 2 Summit Sponsorship Opportunities Platinum Sponsor Gold Sponsor Silver Sponsor

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phone: 720.672.9898

1999 730 Denver, CO, 80202 Vol. 70,Broadway, No. 12 | Suite www.rmag.org

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RMAG NOVEMBER 2021 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING By Jessica Davey, Secretary jessica@desertmountainenergy.com

looking for Outcrop and Mountain Geologist articles; please be in touch if you’re working on something! The On the Rocks Committee has added a handful of summer fieldtrips to the slate, plus some potential virtual trips over the winter months. The Educational Outreach Committee has been busy with outreach and recently facilitated volunteers for Arvada West High School on a field trip to the I-70 Roadcut. The Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity and Inclusion is pulling together comprehensive plans to improve diversity and inclusion within RMAG and the geosciences in general and will be working with all of the RMAG committees for implementation. It is that time of year where we reflect and give thanks. I want to thank every one of you for allowing me to serve as Treasurer for RMAG for the past two years. It’s hard to believe that I have only one more month in this role! Time sure flies when you’re having fun! I am also thankful for all of the friendships I have created through this wonderful group. I look forward to seeing you all at in-person events in the future (hopefully very soon)!

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are celebrating this wonderful time of year with friends and family. The 2021 RMAG Board of Directors once again met virtually at 4 pm on Wednesday, November 17; everyone was present for the meeting. Treasurer Rebecca Johnson Scrable reported that the RMAG financials remain good for the year, and the 2022 budget planning is well underway. Kathy has been diligently getting our new Executive Director, Bridget Crowther, up to speed in all things RMAG, and Bridget has been working to meet all of the Board of Directors members, Committee members, and volunteers. The Continuing Education Committee has Ali Jaffri of Applied Stratigraphix lined up for the December 1st luncheon talk; he will discuss Beyond Red Beds: What Makes Sandstone-Hosted Copper Work? The Membership Committee is in the preliminary planning phase for a 100-Year Anniversary party! Keep an eye out for details and possible volunteer opportunities. The Publications Committee is still working diligently to pull together the 100-Year Anniversary special edition publication. The Committee is also actively

Publish with… Why contribute? • Reach a broad industry and academic audience • Quarterly peer-reviewed journal • Permanent archiving includes AAPG Datapages • Quick turn-around time • Every subdiscipline in the geosciences Expanded geologic focus: • Entire greater Rocky Mountain area of North America • West Texas and New Mexico to northern British Columbia • Great Plains and Mid-Continent region

Email: mgeditor@rmag.org https://www.rmag.org/publications/the-mountain-geologist/

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Visit Petroleum Pivoters for more resources!

Dec. 16 12pm-1pm (MST)

Webinars are free and open to all

“Mining Brines: A Unique Approach to Traditional Exploration and Production” Register at www.rmag.org

Presenter: Thomas Smith, US Strategic Minerals Exploration, LLC

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OUTCROP | December 2021

PRESIDENT’S LETTER By Cat Campbell

interpretation of the meaning behind playng the song and accepting that, “It’s something unpredictable, But in the end is right, I hope you had the time of your life.” I can’t believe it’s been a year since our 2021 board of directors stepped into their roles, and now it’s time to announce the 2022 board and say our farewells to a few officers. Good Riddance is not the song I plan to blast as we exit our last virtual meeting, perhaps something along the lines of Rhianna’s Farewell, Semisonic’s Closing Time, or Here Comes the Sun (thanks Beatles). It’s hard to imagine January; Courtney won’t be patiently reminding me that my column was due last week. Rebecca won’t kindly respond to some crazy idea with, “well, it’s a fun idea, but how are we going to pay for it? Maybe we can budget next time?” Jeff and

I never say goodbye, because saying goodbye means going away, and going away means forgetting. —PETER PAN

I remember the last day of camp, summer 2001, my first (and last) year as a sleep away camp counselor, the owners of the camp blasted Green Day’s song, Time Of Your Life. I thought it fitting; the lyrics embraced the vast emotions we were all experiencing. “So take the photographs and still frames in your mind, Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time…” I smiled as my campers packed their things and we said our farewells. When it was just the staff, we looked up the lyrics to clarify some of the words and saw the actual name of the song: Good Riddance. I’m sticking with my sunnier

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2022 RMAG

Mentorship Program February 2022 December 2022 Applications due January 10, 2022

About RMAG pairs young professionals with senior professional mentors who can offer career path and technical mentorship. During the 11 month program, RMAG provides participants with multiple opportunities to get together, and encourages mentor/mentee pairs to arrange informal meetings as well.

Apply Accepting applications through January 10, 2022. Visit www.rmag.org for more information and to apply.

Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists Vol. 70, No. 12 | www.rmag.org 13 e: staff@rmag.org | p: 720.672.9898 | w: www.rmag.org

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PRESIDENT’S LETTER Rob will probably wonder why their stream of incoming emails is suddenly cut in half (really you guys, you are amazing). Jessica won’t have to keep track of the many conversation paths that occur during our monthly board meetings. I won’t get to hear the humor of Nate’s and Pete’s committee meeting summaries, Mike’s amazing attitude that kept us going on some of the more epic meetings or Mark’s play by play social media action. Thank you 2021 BOD, from the bottom of my heart, you guys truly were amazing. This was a tough year on many levels, but I know RMAG and each of us is coming out stronger! This brings up my next topic: What is next?

The only real problem in life is what to do next. -ARTHUR C CLARKE

Personally on the volunteer front, I plan to join Donna and the Outreach committee, and of course continue injuring myself while coaching under 8 soccer and teaching community yoga, but I think that’s it! 2022 will be focused on career, family, and

reconnecting with my friends who have morphed into mentors this year. It’s time for a glass of wine instead of a frantic text or email or lap around Golden. For RMAG, you my dear society are in good hands. May your 100th birthday lead you into new adventures, broaden your horizons, and bring geology into the world. I cannot wait to see where RMAG’s iniatives lead. From the work on diversity, branching out into all aspects of geology, and really connecting with members to be sure RMAG is what its members need, RMAG is on a good path. I could fill this entire column with thank yous to recognize the support I received this past year stepping into this role for RMAG, but the biggest recognition goes out to you. Thank you for havin faith in me to lead RMAG in its 99th year. It was truly an honor and I really hope to see you in person at some point in 2022. Is Time Of Your Life on constant repat in your head? Just checking, because I am coming back to this column a few days later, still singing it.

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LEAD STORY

Land of Opportunity Setting the Stage for Updating the Geologic Maps of Yellowstone National Park By Natali Kragh and Madison Myers Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University

What American landscape is more iconic than Yellowstone National Park? Towering peaks, boiling pools, rainbow geysers, and plentiful wildlife name just a few of the many attractions. Of course, none of these attractions would be there for our viewing pleasure without the expansive and living geology of the region. This unique aspect of Yellowstone was first recognized by the Tuka Dika people, also known as the Sheepeater tribe, who made a home in the area for centuries. Later on, during western migration, the gold rush, and colonization of the American West, multiple geologic surveys were conducted in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. The breathtaking landscape and rugged terrain played a quintessential role in the push to designate Yellowstone as the first national park in the United States in 1872. As with many expeditions of the time, multiple maps and paintings were created to document this vast region, with geologic study continuing in the park over the following decades. However, as the park is about the size of Puerto Rico, a larger and more directed effort was eventually required. As the 100th anniversary of

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the park neared, the United States Geological Survey enlisted twelve geologists to map the entirety of the park in detail (Fig. 1). The first version of this map was published in 1972 at a 1:125,000 scale, along with thirteen 1:62,500 scale maps within the park boundaries. An updated version of the 1:125,000 scale map was published in 2001. But let’s take a step back. What is the importance of a geologic map and why should the public care that their national and state lands are mapped accurately? Geologic maps provide a foundation for understanding a landscape. Yellowstone’s distinction as a supervolcano came from early geologic maps that recorded the extent of the pyroclastic deposits, their thicknesses and stratigraphic sequence. Geologic maps are indispensable tools for geoscientists working in the park and can be used to locate desired rock units for analysis, understand the lateral extent of a lava flow, or gauge the structural features that control a mountain range or a deep canyon, just to name a few uses. However, these maps are not just important to scientists. Geologic maps also help keep the public safe. Road construction relies heavily on accurate understanding of the geology and the National Parks Service keeps tabs on hazards such as landslides and thermal features that have been mapped.

HO DOESN’T LOVE YELLOWSTONE?

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ascertain funding and compile existing maps for this undertaking. As the current geologic maps of Yellowstone (both published and unpublished) were compiled, the organizations began to notice a common issue cropping up across the park: many of the geologic maps did not agree along their shared boundaries (Fig. 2) This is not an uncommon or unexpected

So in 2019, with Yellowstone’s 150th anniversary approaching in 2022, park geoscientists began to imagine what they could do to commemorate the rich geology and leave visitors with a souvenir of their time in the park. They decided that a higher resolution geologic map would be an excellent contribution, especially considering the previous maps’ release on the 100th anniversary. Thus, multiple institutions began working together to

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Map Database.

FIGURE 1: 1:125,000 geologic map of Yellowstone National Park, published in 1972. Image taken from the USGS and AASG National Geologic

LEAD STORY

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LEAD STORY

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occurrence, as compiling maps made by different authors with varying mapping objectives is bound to result in some disagreements. However, to publish a cohesive map, the broad Yellowstone team devised a plan to involve local resources to help resolve these issues. That’s where Montana State University came in. And oh, what a journey it became…

THE PROJECT

Yellowstone National Park is located a short 1.5 hours from Bozeman, MT, home of Montana State University. We began work on this project in June of 2020 with the ambitious (and in retrospect, naïve) hope of addressing the majority of the 485 boundary problems discovered in the park, to be covered over the course of two field seasons. We soon discovered that the task we set out to complete would be incredibly difficult, if not impossible. The reason for this is largely due to the landscape. For those that haven’t travelled off trail in Yellowstone, we deFIGURE 2: Reference map of the current, most detailed geologic maps in scribe it as a uniquely difficult area to Yellowstone National Park. The red lines between maps represent known boundary work. First off, this area is very heavdisagreements throughout the park. ily forested. And I don’t mean a walk in the woods. It’s filled with lodgepole pines, which tend to produce two landbeen buried by glacial sediment or is heavily eroded. scapes: a stack of pickup sticks where your best bet That said, all was not lost. Thus far we have visis to walk the downed tree highway (like playing the ited over 60 boundary issues and resolved 30. The game “the ground is lava”), or a tightly clustered netunresolved areas require more time to solve than work of young trees with clinging branches (referred we can offer in this project and are noted in detail to as Dog Hair Timber) that can quickly lead to clauswith suggestions on how to address them in the futrophobia (Fig. 3). Many times, our field excursions ture. Through these field visits, we have learned vast resulted in miles of walking to find that any ‘outcrop’ amounts about the issues of our current geologic only occurs within the roots of overturned trees; maps. In essence, not all boundary problems are crehardly the place to make strong geologic decisions ated equal, either in their complexity or in their reaand resolve boundary issues. Another factor adding son for existence. To help assess and evaluate this to the difficulty is that the greater Yellowstone ecocomplexity, we divided boundary problems into four types (Fig. 4): system was heavily glaciated for the majority of the last 150,000 years, so much of the rock outcrop has CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

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LEAD STORY

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1) “detail difference” problems (n = 264), 2) “contact offset” problems (n = 105), 3) “full stop” problems (n = 110), and 4) “double take” problems (n = 6).

Detail difference problems are the most frequent boundary problems and are defined as two maps disagreeing in their naming scheme, often due to differences in scale (which, if we are being honest, appears to be the reason for most boundary problems). For example, where a larger-scale, greater detailed map might divide out Quaternary units into “glacial outwash,” “landslides,” and “alluvium”, a smaller-scale, more general map would group those units into a more broad “Quaternary sediments.” These maps do not necessarily disagree with each other, but ultimately it is an issue that needs to be resolved for combining the two maps. The next most common boundary problem is referred to as a “contact offset” problem and is likely what most geoloFIGURE 3: MSU team making their way through “dog hair timber” in gists would expect to come across when comYellowstone’s backcountry. piling geologic maps. This error occurs when the contact between rock units does not line up across the boundary, appearing offset. This “double-take” error. This error occurs when one map offset is only an issue if it is beyond the National Map shows a rock unit that stops short of the map boundAccuracy Standard (NMAS) snapping tolerance. For ary, then reappears on the adjacent map. This would all contact offsets outside of snapping tolerance, the suggest that it should cross over the boundary. Since boundary in question needs to be visited in person both maps agree on the rock unit type, it then beto determine the true contact location. comes a ‘simple’ matter of whether or not the conThe third most common type of boundary probtacts are within snapping error, according to NMAS lem is the “full stop” problem. This is the most blaguidelines. If so, we can simply proceed with the contant of errors, where one map has a rock unit crosstact that makes most sense with the topography. If ing a boundary that then completely disappears in not… well, back to boots on the ground. the neighboring map, where a different unit then While MSU’s field team will cover a great deal appears. These errors are the most puzzling of the of the park in the duration of our research, it is unthree types and tend to be (surprise!) between maps likely that all problems will be addressed in time of different scales. These boundary problems also to produce a new geologic map for 2022. We deepmust be addressed in person and, we have found, ofly apologize. However, the fact is that our work has ten take more than one trip to resolve. Finally, the least common type of error is the CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

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LEAD STORY

FIGURE 4: The

four panels are examples of a) a “contact offset” boundary problem, b) a “double take” boundary problem, c) a “full stop” boundary problem and d) a “detail difference” boundary problem.

to bring undergraduate Earth Science majors into a large Earth Science project. Helping to update the geologic map of Yellowstone not only allowed them to increase their field experience and knowledge of Montana and Wyoming geology but allowed them to add a remarkable experience to their resume. In the summer of 2020, we worked with five undergraduate students who then spent their summer in Yellowstone mapping outcrops, backpacking, and describing a range of rocks (over 300 units make up the park!). In 2021, we brought on three more. The experience was so influential it led to one of these undergraduates deciding to pursue his master’s degree in our lab group and two others ended up in fieldbased, exploration geology internships the following summer. Because of the broad appeal of working on such a massive and important project, we felt we had the

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highlighted that there is ample room for mapping projects to occur in Yellowstone. This leaves the field of opportunity wide open for graduate students, USGS geologic mappers, state survey geoscientists, and many others to begin efforts of mapping the park at a higher resolution. At the very minimum, the nine quadrangles in the park that have not been mapped at a 1:62,500 scale should be brought up to the speed of their counterparts published in 1972. From there, a new comprehensive geologic map of the whole park could be published at varying scales (1:62,500, 1:100,000).

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AND FIELD EXPERIENCE OPPORTUNITIES

One unexpected but wonderful outcome of this work is that it has provided a unique opportunity Vol. 70, No. 12 | www.rmag.org

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LEAD STORY

FIGURE 5:

MSU field hands, volunteers, and master’s students checking out a glacial erratic on Mount Everts.

potential to involve a larger number of students in smaller field experiences. Field experiences have been found to be a huge part of Earth Science identity, but also can be non-inclusive in terms of both the financial burden and lack of exposure to outdoor safety. So, in 2021, we initiated a volunteer program where undergraduates from MSU’s Earth Science Department could participate in a short, and somewhat tailored, field experiences in Yellowstone (Fig. 5). Volunteers would come out for one week at a time and join in either a backpacking trip (field supplies and food provided) or a front country experience for newer participants in the outdoors. All volunteers gained experience in sample collecting, writing rock descriptions, and orienting themselves with the GPS. One might wonder how the student volunteers fared, especially considering some of them volunteered with little geology background and outdoors experience. We were also curious. Here’s what we learned from an anonymous survey of our volunteers: One student commented that “the week I volunteered was seriously the best week of my entire summer. It really showed me that I chose the right major

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and that I truly wanted to learn more about geology and the Earth Sciences as a whole.” Another student said, “Fantastic – I grew a lot as an individual over the course of this summer and I also got a deeper connection to the Earth Sciences department and I gained a sense of belonging within it.” The same survey asked volunteers to give advice or recommendations for future volunteers and one response read, “If you’re considering it, but aren’t sure if it’s for you, do it! I promise. I was on the edge and decided to go and it has easily been the best decision I’ve probably made in the last five years, including when I decided to go to college.”

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CONCLUSION

Ultimately, Yellowstone is a place that will continue to enthrall, mystify and educate for centuries to come. We have been lucky to take part in what we like to think is the rejuvenation of interest of geologic mapping in Yellowstone. We will leave this project with a new stratigraphic column, >50 resolved boundary problems, a new generation of inspired students, and a laundry list of future work to be accomplished.

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OUTCROP | December 2021

ONLINE LUNCH TALK Speaker: Ali Jaffri Date: December 1 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Beyond Red Beds What makes sandstone-hosted copper work? By Ali Jaffri, CEO - Applied Stratigraphix carry no depositional or climatic connotation. Furthermore, copper from classic “Redbed Type” mines is neither sourced nor hosted in redbeds. We propose a better predictor of copper occurrence is a combination of Cu-rich labile minerals, halite sourced brines to mobilize the minerals, and reductants that can be contained within sandstones of various depositional origins, not exclusively redbeds.

The “Redbed Type” model for sediment-hosted stratiform copper accumulations has been widely accepted for decades and serves as a template for greenfield copper exploration. The model assumes: 1) Redbeds are deposited in alluvial to fluvial environments, 2) Redbeds are associated with arid climates in rift basins, and 3) Redbeds are a primary source of Copper. Recent sedimentological work on redbeds challenges this paradigm. We now understand that redbeds

ALI JAFFRI, PH.D. is the CEO of US-based Applied Stratigraphix LLC and has twenty-two years of international experience. He has worked on projects in the US, Norway, Angola, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, UK, Mozambique, Madagascar, Pakistan, and Equatorial Guinea. He has a doctorate from Colorado State, Masters from Oklahoma State and Bachelor’s from University of Colorado. Specializing in sediment-hosted metals and Potash he has trained over five hundred geologists and engineers from fifty-six companies in ten countries. He is currently serving on the AAPG-Energy Mineral Division’s Uranium Committee.

OUTCROP | December 2021

Vol. 70, No. 12 | www.rmag.org

WE ARE GREAT WESTERN AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO:

PEOPLE

EXCELLENCE

TEAMWORK

GROWTH

STEWARDSHIP

RESILIENCE

WE ARE #CommittedtoColorado Vol. 70, No. 12 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | December 2021

ONLINE LUNCH TALK Speaker: Bob Fryklund Date: January 12, 2021 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

North America– what’s next? Bob Fryklund, IHS Markit performance. Consolidation is entering a new phase as well with commercial masters established for most basins. Key questions addressed in this talk will be: • How long will this cycle last? • What is the outlook for each basin and who are the commercial masters? • But will companies be tempted to put their feet on the growth pedal once again? • What will they do with all the cash that’s building up?

The US E & P continues to restructure, consolidate, and focus on strengthening balance sheets and doing more with less. Cash is king. And shareholders are watching to see how long the discipline can last. IHSMarkit forecasts US production in 2022 to grow once again, driven dominantly by the Permian and the Haynesville, but at a much more modest amount (3-5%). Other basins outside the Powder River are shifting to a plateau and the harvest mode. With this comes a focus on efficiency, cost, and

BOB FRYKLUND is Chief Upstream Strategist and VP at IHSMarkit. He has 40 years in the E &P business and has worked for majors and independents. He focuses on advising clients on strategic questions which change a company’s direction or share price. He is a geologist and lives in Houston. He gives back to the younger generation in our industry via mentoring and is on the Board of the IPAA, Arpel and AAPG Corporate Advisory Board. He has an AB in geology from Hamilton College.

OUTCROP | December 2021

Vol. 70, No. 12 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | December 2021

RMAG Educational Outreach Committee Updates By Donna Anderson, Educational Outreach Committee Chair

After almost two years of herding cats, we give a big thank-you to Sarah Compton as past Chair of the RMAG Educational Outreach Committee! She managed to keep the group together through the early and middle stages of the pandemic that caused such a huge upheaval in K-12 education and our daily lives. A big shout-out and kudos to Sarah! At the height of the pandemic, committee members engaged in virtual classroom activities. As schools have returned to in-person classrooms, committee members returned to in-person participation. September through early November were busy months for the committee. Need rocks? We’ve got them. At the bePHOTO 1: Rock and mineral kit ginnning of the Fall semester, one teacher, Sarah Edwards (former committee Chair and now high-school teacher) and RMAG chaperone and mentor about 70 junior and senior stumember Mike Tischer, borrowed 6 rock-and-mineral dents from Arvada West High School on the I-70 Roadkits to use in high-school and adult-education settings. cut geology trail. The students were from Clark Grose’s Mike commented that the kits were a great idea to use and Mary Kosloski’s combined Earth Science classfor adult as well as K-12 education. From their experies. Clark typically runs this and other field trips in the ences, we now have eight upgraded kits (see photo 1) Spring semester, but was stymied by the pandemic last to lend to RMAG members in the Denver area! Each year, and this year selected the Fall when the weather kit has 32 different specimens (with a key), coveris reliably better, or sort of. ing all basic rock types and common minerals, plus A brisk breezy 39 degrees at the 9:00 a.m. startMohs hardness-testing gear: porcelain, steel, and glass ing time was more than invigorating. But the sun plates, a magnet, a penny, and a nail. In the past, RMAG shone on the outcrop by 9:30, and we discovered members borrowed kits to share with their children’s that palm-sized samples of the “black rock” of the K-6 classes (hint, hint). Interested? Contact us at edSkull Creek Shale made for great handwarmers! Stuoutreach@rmag.org. dents broke into groups of 5-10. Each RMAG volThe Ed Outreach Committee is also back on the unteer and Arvada West teacher took a group and rocks! For the mornings of October 27 and 28, we walked down the outcrop while the students worked rounded up 7 RMAG volunteers, Rob Diedrich, Shawon a written assignment. For the first assignment, na Gilbertson, Mitchell Grimm, Katie Joe McDonough, Mike Tischer, Laura Wray, and Donna Anderson, to students (see photo 2) sketched the tilted beds and OUTCROP | December 2021

Vol. 70, No. 12 | www.rmag.org

changing colors across the south-side outcrop. Following that, they completed their assignment based on interpretive signage along the trail, that, sadly, has deteriorated, especially at the trail entrance. Remarks from RMAG volunteers: Laura: Sign me up next time; I like the challenge! Rob: I was really impressed with the engagement of the students, despite the wind and cold. What a great experience, and thank you, Clark and Mary, for putting this exercise together for your students. I had at least one ‘budding geologist’ in my group! Katie Joe: it was fun and you are doing a great job with those kids. Loved seeing all that interest in the world around them. Looking forward to other trips with your high-schoolers! And from Clark Grose, Arvada West High School teacher: A big thank you for all that participated, it was a great benefit to all of the students, and I heard nothing but positive comments concerning their interactions with them. I would really like to continue this scenario in the future. And a big thank-you to Clark for having us participate! If you have flexible work time that allows you to volunteer during weekdays, we keep a running list of potential volunteers for opportunities ranging from K-16 to adult education. Contact us at edoutreach@rmag.org. Finally, on Saturday Nov. 6, the Educational Outreach Committee participated as one of 16 exhibitors (see photo 3) at the annual (and virtual) Colorado Science Conference hosted by the Colorado Association of Science Teachers. The virtual booth-team consisted of Ginny Gent, Katie Joe McDonough, Lloyd Sobel and Donna Anderson. We had two Giveaways to attract people to visit the RMAG booth: 5 free one-year RMAG memberships, selected by a random-number generator, and free GeoHike challenge T-shirts to all 20 teachers who entered the membership Giveaway. The committee used this opportunity to advertise outreach capabilites and to promote the annual Earth Science Teacher of the Year Award, awarded in June of each year by the RMAG Foundation and the RMAG. More on that in 2022. Now that the end of the semester is upon us, we will rest, follow up on contacts from the Colorado Science Conference, and look forward to Spring!

PHOTO 2: (above) Students on the I-70 Geology Trail PHOTO 3: (below) The RMAG virtual booth at the

Colorado Science Conference

OUTCROP | December 2021

ROCKIES MEMBERS IN TRANSITION:

Closing a Chapter

group patterned after the existing Members in Transition (MiT) effort in the Gulf Coast that SPE started in 2017. The dedicated committee for the past 20 months included Ben Nathan from SPE Denver Chapter, Dawn Lima from Women’s Oil and Gas Association, Nathan Rogers from RMAG, Susan Nash with AAPG and me (RMAG and AAPG). All these folks have found relevant talks and moderated webinars. Deb Ryan (SPE), Robin Swank (RMAG), Brandy Butler (RMAG and

By Terri Olson Rockies Members in Transition formed in April of 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, plunge of oil prices, and dramatic shift in outlook for technical professionals in the petroleum industry. RMAG joined forces with AAPG and SPE to provide resources for geoscientists and engineers looking for support and information about pivoting within and beyond the oil business. Susan Morrice started the

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

Rockies MiT hosted two in-person networking events, one in July and one in September. Each attracted about 30 people and a surplus of beer. This was on Sept. 1 at Sloan’s Lake. OUTCROP | December 2021

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MEMBERS IN TRANSITION anyone looking for information about career options. Recordings of 2020 webinars have been viewed over 1200 times, and 2021 videos have been accessed over 500 times to date. Panel discussions with audience input have allowed for interactive participation. Panels of experts addressed numerous themes, notably recruiters’ perspectives, transitioning to teaching and to tech jobs, operating vs service company employment, hydrology jobs, CCUS, decarbonizing the energy workforce, software for freelancers, and energy economics and policy. In light of the economic rebound, rise in oil prices, and successful job hunts for many of our audience, we are winding down Rockies MiT. Both committee participation and average attendance at webinars has dropped off this fall. There are a few remaining MiT events scheduled for December and January: a webinar by Susan Nash about finding grant opportunities and writing grant proposals, one by petroleum engineer Tom Smith on critical mineral exploration, and one by a team of Chevron advisors on critical skills for new energy jobs. Watch for announcements and registration info from RMAG and on LinkedIn. I’d like to thank the committee for their active participation, the RMAG board for their support, and RMAG staff, especially Kathy Mitchell-Garton, for their strong support of members in transition.

» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30

WGA), Andrea Ayala (SPE Denver) plus Yulia Faulkner and Jenny LaGesse (DWLS) also contributed by providing ideas, webinar platforms and publicity. Julia Lemaster was an early participant and has helped publicize MiT events through the Petroleum Pivoters group that she founded on LinkedIn. More recently, Tim Rathmann (Denver International Petroleum Society) and Shishir Shivhare (SPE Denver) have hosted webinars and moderated talks for Rockies MiT and their societies. Kathy Mitchell-Garton (RMAG staff) has provided stalwart support throughout and hosted the majority of virtual events and registration through RMAG as well as designing the flyers for all events. Debby Watkins also helped by publicizing events through social media. Topics of MiT presentations have run the gamut from jobs and drivers of the energy transition to skills assessment and development. Some of the most popular talks have been about geothermal energy—three of the six talks related to geothermal garnered over 100 attendees and many more views of the recorded videos. Kudos and thanks to Emilie Gentry for organizing most of the geothermal talks. Other popular topics are Python skill development, and carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). Average attendance has been over 50 participants. The majority of the 39 webinars to date were recorded and can be linked to from the RMAG website under Events/Past Events/Members in Transition videos. This archive provides ongoing resources for

IN THE PIPELINE DECEMBER 1, 2021

DECEMBER 14, 2021

RMAG Online Luncheon. Speaker: Ali Jaffri. “Beyond Red Beds: What Makes Sandstone-Hosted Copper Work?” Online via RingCentral Meetings only. 12:00 PM-1:00 PM.

RMS-SEPM Webinar. Speaker: Amber Conner and Autumn Haagsma. “Advanced Petrophysical and Facies Investigations of the Conasauga to Determine Impact on CO2 Storage and Site Selection.” Email questions to information@rmssepm.org

Vol. 70, No. 12 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | December 2021

WELCOME NEW RMAG MEMBERS!

Thomas Bardol

is a Senior Geologist at Seneca Resources Company, LLC and lives in Cranberry Twp, Pennsylvania.

Eric Erslev

Ben Richards

works at University of Wyoming and lives in Frisco, Colorado.

is a Geologist at SM Energy and lives in Houston, Texas.

Nic Brissette

lives in Montrose, Colorado.

is a Consultant and lives in Arvada, Colorado.

Nick Damon

is a Graduate Research Assistant at Colorado School of Mines and lives in Chesterton, Indiana.

is a Geologist and lives in Jones, Oklahoma. is a student at Colorado School of Mines and lives in Lakewood, Colorado.

Charles Head

Matthew Keator

Elisa Robyn

Karen Whiteley

lives in Dillon, Colorado.

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OUTCROP | December 2021

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BOOK REVIEW

The Rocky Mountain Cordillera commonly exhibits both ductile and brittle fabrics. Top section is from the southern Alberta front ranges and bottom section shows the Absaroka thrust sheet along the Utah/ Wyoming border. Mixed structural styles may indicate large transport distances and discordant thrust faults, a key element of Cordilleran thrust tectonics.

Dietrich Roeder, Volumes One and Two By Judy West, Geologist

Vol. 70, No. 12 | www.rmag.org

Volume Two of Dietrich Roeder’s illustrative book series on American and Tethyan Fold–Thrust Belts was finally released in July 2021. A past RMAG member, his pioneering work began in the Canadian Rockies, Appalachians and Rocky Mountains, where Dr. Roeder worked as professor and exploration geologist. The Anschutz Corporation of Denver funded much of the world-wide research presented in the second volume. Some of this work was published by RMAG as a short course at the AAPG convention in Denver in 2001. Volume Two is called “American and Tethyan Inventories: Cross sections of FoldThrust Belts.” Volume One presents his observations, theories and scientific models on tectonic style zonation of Fold-Thrust Belts and is highly recommended to geologists still working or considering the Rocky Mountain Cordillera. The two volumes together provide a comprehensive survey of modern geology and geodynamics along convergent continental margins, where thermodynamic conditions and structural traps

Both volumes can be purchased from Borntraeger Science Publishers, Stuttgart, Germany. order@borntraeger-cramer.de www.borntraeger-cramer.de Tel. +49 (711) 351456-0 Volume One = Vol. 31 (84 euros) Volume Two = Vol. 34 (119 euros)

have created some of the world’s largest hydrocarbon accumulations. Dr. Roeder’s graphic restorations are balanced to pre-tectonic state, using concepts of wedge dynamics and predictive structural styles, together with available well control, seismic data and current understanding of the thermal evolution of internal fluids. New production from fold-thrust belts in the Rocky Mountain Cordillera will likely come from re-exploring earlier failed or abandoned ventures, using new and improved technology, with models based on observations world-wide. OUTCROP | December 2021

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CALENDAR – DECEMBER 2021 SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

RMAG Online Luncheon.

MiT Webinar: Susan Nash

RMS-SEPM Webinar.

MiT Webinar: Thomas Smith

24 CHRISTMAS EVE The RMAG office will be closed.

25 CHRISTMAS DAY The RMAG office will be closed.

31 NEW YEAR’S EVE The RMAG office will be closed.

OUTCROP | December 2021

Vol. 70, No. 12 | www.rmag.org

December 2021 Outcrop

Articles inside

RMAG President’s Letter