june 2015 outcrop

Volume 64 • No. 6 • June 2015

OUTCROPNewsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

OUTCROP | June 2015 2 Vol. 64, No. 6 | www.rmag.org

Gold Sponsors

2 0 1 5 S u m m i t S p o n s o r s

Exclusive Luncheon Sponsor

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

GEOMARKGEOMARK

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Student Sponsor

www.rmag.org

Vol. 64, No. 6 | www.rmag.org 3 OUTCROP | June 2015

Vol. 64, No. 6 | www.rmag.org 3 Outcrop | June 2015

OUTCROPThe Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

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.

910 16th Street • Suite 1214 • Denver, CO 80202 • 303-573-8621

PRESIDENTMarv [email protected]

PRESIDENT-ELECTJohn Ladd

[email protected]

TREASURER-ELECTTom Sperr

[email protected]

2nd VICE PRESIDENTChris Eisinger

[email protected]

1st VICE PRESIDENTMel Klinger

[email protected]

SECRETARYStephanie B. Gaswirth

[email protected]

1st YEAR COUNSELORJane Estes-Jackson

[email protected]

TREASURERPaul Lillis

[email protected]

2nd YEAR COUNSELOR Terri Olson

[email protected]

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORCarrie Veatch, MA

[email protected]

MEMBERSHIP & EVENTS MANAGER

Hannah [email protected]

PROJECTS SPECIALISTEmily Tompkins Lewis

[email protected]

ACCOUNTANTCarol Dalton

[email protected]

MANAGING EDITORWill Duggins

[email protected]

ASSOCIATE EDITORSHolly Sell

[email protected]

Greg [email protected]

Cheryl [email protected]

Andre [email protected]

DESIGN/PRODUCTIONNate Silva

[email protected]

2015 OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS RMAG STAFF

WEDNESDAY NOON LUNCHEON RESERVATIONS

RMAG Office: 303-573-8621 | Fax: 303-476-2241 | [email protected] or www.rmag.org

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

ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Rates and sizes can be found on page 50. 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.

www.rmag.org

www.rmag.org

mailto:[email protected]


mailto:tsperr%40bayless-cos.com?subject=











mailto:will.duggins%40i-og.net?subject=





mailto:nate%40nate-silva.com?subject=


www.rmag.org


Come Join PTTC at the URTEC Convention urtec.org/2015 - Field trip only registration available!

Pre-Conference Field Trip Eagle Ford – An Unconventional Mudstone Reservoir Saturday and Sunday, July 18-19, 2015 Lozier Canyon, Terrell County, Texas. Fee: $550, Ground transportation, one night lodging, field guide, lunch and refreshments Instructor: Dr. Art Donovan, BP Global Exploration Post-Conference Field Trip Hidden Valley Fault Zone Canyon Lake Gorge Thursday July 23, 2015, 7:30 am – 6:00 pm Fee: $300, Includes, Ground transportation, guidebook, and lunch Instructor: Dr. David Ferrill and Ronald N. McGinnis, Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas Paleozoic Stratigraphy and Reservoirs, Permian Basin–West Texas and New Mexico Thursday – Sunday July 23-26, 2015 Fee: $1600, Includes, Ground transportation, four nights lodging, field guide, lunches and refreshments Instructor: Dr. Rick Sarg, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado Appalachian Basin Gas Shale Thursday – Friday July 23-24, 2015 Fee: $1600, Includes, Ground transportation, three nights lodging, field guide, lunches and refreshments Instructor: Dr. Terry Engelder, Pennsylvania State University

One-Day Workshops to Improve Your Skills Beyond Resistivity Wednesday, August 19, 2015, 8:30 am – 5 pm, Colorado School of Mines, Ben Parker Student Center, Berthoud Hall 243 Fee: $250, includes food at breaks, class notes, and PDH certificate Instructor: Dr. Dan Krygowski, Discovery Group The course assumes a basic understanding of common openhole logging measurements and their interpretation, and uses that working knowledge to consider the determination of formation fluid content through the equations which describe water saturation and water content (Archie’s equation and bulk volume water). The course illustrates how graphical methods that we once used to quickly determine fluid saturation and moveability (Pickett, Hingle, and Buckles plots) can now be used to determine calculation parameters for the equations, leaving the arithmetic to the hardware while the user concentrates on the interpretation of the data. Exercises provide the means to put the information shared here into practice. Decline Curve Analysis and Economics – A Basic Introduction Wednesday, September 23, 2015, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Colorado School of Mines, Ben Parker Student Center, Ballroom C Fee: $250, includes food at breaks, workbook, and PDH certificate. Instructor: Dr. L. Peter Galusky, Jr. P.E. Principal Environmental Eng. Texerra LLC.

This one-day course will provide an overview and primer on the use of decline curve forecasting of oil and gas production and economics. The course may be useful to engineering and economic professionals needing a hands-on, practical understanding of decline curve analysis to make them more effective users of petroleum economics software. Following a review of basic mathematics (tailored to class needs), Microsoft Excel will be used to “build” decline curve models and to do mathematical and economic computations. Expected course outcomes include an understanding of the mathematical concepts of decline curve analysis and the use of these methods in forecasting oil and gas production and economics. This is a beginning-level course for entry-level professionals and those new to decline curve analysis. Students are encouraged (but not required) to bring laptop computers to class.

Class Descriptions and Register Online: www.pttcrockies.org For more information, contact Mary Carr, 303.273.3107, [email protected]

www.rmag.org


OUTCROPNewsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

FEATURES

32 Announcement

34 Lead Story: M 7.8 Earthquake Hits Nepal

46 RMAG On the Rocks Field Trips

DEPARTMENTS

6 RMAG April Board of Directors Meeting

10 President’s Letter

18 Mineral of the Month

22 RMAG Luncheon Programs: Speaker – Wesley Ingram

26 RMAG Luncheon Programs: Speaker – R.S. Bell

28 Welcome New Members!

29 In the Pipeline

50 Calendar

52 Advertiser Index

ASSOCIATION NEWS

2 RMAG 2015 Summit Sponsors

31 RMAG Symposium: Hot Plays

33 Rockbusters Ball 2015

39 Sporting Clay Tournament

41 Summer Industry Happy Hour

42 RMAG Scholarship Awards Luncheon

43 Thank You to Night at the Zoo Sponsors

45 Geoland Ski Day

48 RMAG 2015 Publications Sale

51 RMAG Annual Golf Tournament

52 RMAG Foundation

COVER PHOTOUnknown location and photographer. Please contact Will Duggins if you took this photo so you can be credited.

CONTENTS

www.rmag.org


The April meeting of the RMAG Board of Direc-tors was held on April 15, 2015 at 4 p.m. Treasurer Paul Lillis reported another good month financially for RMAG. Luncheons continue to sell out, so reserve your spot early! The speaker schedule is full for 2015; Chris Eisinger ([email protected]) is already filling slots for 2016 if you have suggestions.

At the April meeting, the board voted to approve the RMAG Strategic Plan. This important document clari-fies RMAG’s mission, vision, core values and goals. It will be posted on the RMAG website for all members to view.

Registration for the 2015 AAPG ACE meeting is

RMAG APRIL 2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

By Stephanie Gaswirth, [email protected]

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

Daub & Associates, Inc.

SPECIALIZING IN PROFESSIONAL GEOLOGICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, HYDROLOGICAL, GEOTECHNICAL AND PERMITTING SERVICES

Gerald J. Daub, P.G., C.P.G.

President

[email protected]

Kestrel Geoscience, LLCLittleton, CO USA

Phone: (303) 933-5805 Cell: (720) 375-3015

[email protected] kestrelgeoscience.com

Thomas E. Hoak, Ph.D.Consulting Geoscientist

Structural GeologySeismic InterpretationMagnetic and Gravity InterpretationBasin Analysis and RestorationRegional Desk StudiesIntegrated ExplorationProspect GenerationPresentation Graphics

KESTR

EL GEOSCIENCE, LLC

www.rmag.org



Geochemistry for Energy TM

digforenergy.com 303.531.2030

“Producers will work hard to improve efficiency and lower costs”Daniel Yergin, Who will Rule the Oil Market?, New York Times Op-Ed Online, Jan 23, 2015

DIG CAN HELP

www.rmag.org


RMAG ApRil 2015 BoARd of diRectoRs MeetinG

well underway. RMAG-sponsored short courses, core workshops and field trips are filling up fast, as is the Night at the Zoo event on Tuesday, June 2. If you ha-ven’t already, go online to register for what is sure to be a terrific professional meeting.

By the time this goes to print, registration for the golf tournament at Arrowhead Golf Course will be open (and possibly full...). If you haven’t signed up, get your team together and register for what will be a fun day in the sun! Also, speaking of outdoor fun,

the On the Rocks Committee has some fantastic up-coming field trips; see the RMAG website for details and sign-up.

Be sure to check out the “new” RMAG website! Hannah Rogers has done a great job redesigning the look of the RMAG site. Also, congratulations to Car-rie Veatch for her one-year anniversary as executive director of RMAG! Thank you to Carrie, Hannah, and the rest of the office staff for doing such a wonderful job managing our organization!

» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

l mazzullo

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

2015 Schedule 20 – 24 April 18 – 22 May 24 – 28 Aug

Course led by: William W. LiLle, Ph.D. InformaOon and sign up at:

hLp://liLleww.wordpress.com

S I N C L A I R P E T R O L E U M E N G I N E E R I N G , I N C .

Unconventional Well Modeling Specialist

Shale, CBM, Tight Gas, Primary, Secondary

Reserve Reports, Property Evaluations

Production Forecasting

J o h n S i nc l a i r , P h . D . , P . E . L i c e n s e d i n C O , U T , M T , & W Y

w w w . s i nc l a i r e ng i n ee r i ng . co m

307-587-5502 (o) 307-431-6382 (c) [email protected]

-

Providing Geosteering Services and Software Solutions for Over 20 Years

KC Oren1.303.249.9965

www.horizontalsi.com

www.rmag.org45OUTCROP

230 Airport Rd. Unit D Heber City, Utah 84032

Ph (435)657-0586 Cell (435)640-1382

email: [email protected]

1 and 2 man Mudlogging Gas Referencing™

Geosteering

Mike Barber Manager

Serving the Rocky Mountain Region

www.summitmudlog.com

Summit Mudlogging Services

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 [email protected] 31634 Black Widow Way Conifer, CO 80433-9610

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 other FIT services, call 918.461.8984

or visit www.fittulsa.com

MakingUnconventional,Conventional

www.rmag.org


www.rmag.org


THE 800 POUND GORILLA - UPDATED

Are we looking at the floor for U.S. crude oil prices? Will this be a repeat of 2008-2010? Stay tuned!

A SECURE FUTURE FOR RMAG

In last month’s column the subject was “TEN STEPS FOR CAREER SURVIVAL AND

SUCCESS” for geo-scientists. Many of those suggestions also apply at the or-ganizational level. As it turns out, we were right to be concerned for the long term future of RMAG a year ago when we engaged RMAG in a long range planning exercise. As a result the RMAG Strategic Plan for the Period 2015 -2019 was approved last month by the

Board. This month I’ll provide a summary of the key parts of the plan. The full plan will also be posted to the website.

A special “thanks” to Execu-tive Director Carrie Veatch and her staff, the Long range Plan-ning Committee, the 2014 and 2015 Board of Directors and other volunteers who contribut-ed much time and effort to com-pletion of the plan.

PLAN SUMMARYIn April 2014 the RMAG

Board approved the proposal that RMAG develop a long term strategic plan. RMAG President, Marv Brittenham, and Exec-utive Director, Carrie Veatch, have sponsored and advanced the planning process over a two year period with the support of the 2014 & 2015 Board of Direc-tors and the Long Range Plan-ning Committee. The plan clari-fies RMAG’s mission, vision, core values and goals, as well as sets priorities for resource alloca-tion. The plan also provides a clear focused course of shared governance direction to the RMAG volunteer leadership and

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

By Marv Brittenham


RMAG – What’s the Plan?

www.rmag.org


pResident’s letteR

RMAG Staff. The plan is intended to be a living document, re-

viewed annually but subject to addition and change as necessary. Goals and strategies have been out-lined, but priorities and action plans will be deter-mined and documented by the organization’s volun-teers and staff in the months following approval.

HIGH PRIORITY GOALSFifteen goals were recognized for action during

the planning period with early priority given to six for immediate action:• Monitor the current energy industry downturn and

determine actions to assist members • Build an adequate reserve for an industry reces-

sion or unforeseen financial difficulties• Provide means for input from supporting compa-

nies – Corporate Advisory Board• Complete policies & procedures for staff evalua-

tion, development and retention

• Improve delivery of materials, particularly the Out-crop, publications and website design

• Improve public outreach

THE PLANNING PROCESS Mission

Vision Values

Strategic Issues Goals

Strategies

ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTIONThe Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

(RMAG) is one of the oldest and largest associations of geologists in the United States with over 2,100 members. RMAG is composed of earth scientists

PRESIDENT’S LETTER



www.rmag.org



from industry, government, and aca-demia encompassing a wide spectrum of backgrounds. All share a common inter-est in the geology of our Rocky Mountain area. Founded in 1922, RMAG is one of the most active and second largest AAPG affiliate in the country.

The RMAG supports professional ex-change and education through sponsor-ship of events, publications, training, and seminars. RMAG publishes a monthly newsletter, The Outcrop, a quarterly sci-entific journal, The Mountain Geologist, guidebooks and other books on a variety of subjects.

MISSIONThe mission of RMAG is articulated

in its bylaws:

• To promote interest in geology and allied sciences and their practi-cal applications,

• To foster scientific research,• To encourage fellowship and coopera-

tion among its members,• To disseminate geologic information

DIVERSE CONSTITUENCY

Although RMAG is a member-ship-based organization, it is recognized that it has a diverse constituency with three major categories:• Members• Employers / supporters• General Public – 501 (c)(3)

Members are primarily geoscien-tists from industries, academia, state and federal governments, and students. The RMAG events, publications, and oth-er contributions are financially support-ed and used by industries / academia / government / employers. RMAG also is

A PROUD MEMBER OF YOUR COMMUNITY.

encana.com/communities/usa/djbasin



www.rmag.org



a public source of geologic informa-tion and has an obligation to the gen-eral public by virtue of its corporate structure and non-profit status.

VISIONRMAG is the oldest and larg-

est geological society in the Rocky Mountain region. As the organization approaches its centennial anniver-sary in 2022, the vision of its leader-ship is to be:

The place for Rockies Geoscience.

VALUESAs an organization we consis-

tently demonstrate dedication to five core values:

• Ethics, integrity, professionalism• Fellowship, sense of community• Geoscience excellence• Volunteerism• Education

During the planning process the leadership groups recognized three primary categories of strategic is-sues, or opportunities for improve-ment. Its strategies and goals for the five-year term were derived from those issues.

STRATEGIC ISSUES• Relevance to constituents

A. Member engagementB. Public awarenessC. Industry/Employer involve-

ment & supportD. Career development

• SustainabilityA. Financial healthB. Member retention / growth C. Staff retention & development


» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 » CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

www.rmag.org



D. Continuity of leadershipE. Internal controls & audit

reviews

• Flexibility in changing environmentsA. Membership demographics /

diversityB. Cooperative relationships / in-

dustry input & supportC. Relevance of programsD. Industry economic trendsE. Methods of communication &

delivery of publications

TIMELINE & SCOPEThe RMAG Long Range Planning

Committee, comprised mainly of cur-rent and past presidents and the Ex-ecutive Director, will have ownership of the 3-5 year plan. The 2014 Board had oversight of drafting the plan and its process. An objective facilita-tor was utilized for a session with the staff and 2014 Board. A draft discus-sion document was produced during 2014 and the final Strategic Plan during 2015. This allowed for the participating officers to be from two board cycles during the Strategic Plan process. It also provided for more in-put and buy-in from officers, staff and other volunteers, and resulted in hav-ing additional information beneficial to the completion of the plan.

Crude oil prices have dropped by fifty percent during the planning process, resulting in budget and staff cuts in the energy industry. A majori-ty of RMAG’s members are employed directly or indirectly in that indus-try. Therefore, a priority focus of this plan is the welfare of the member-ship and the financial sustainability of the organization.



www.rmag.org



LONG TERM FINANCIAL PLANFinancial models were construct-

ed for the planning period. A top-down analysis was done due to the complexities of the accounting sys-tems, the historical inconsistencies in accounts and accounting methods, the complexities and uncertainties of internal and external drivers, and the periodic large cash sources from AAPG events. The models are meant to tie to the organization’s account-ing so that results are comparable and measurable.

The Base Case follows RMAG’s budgeting philosophy and may be considered to be the budget for the plan period. The 2015 fiscal budget was used as a basis. The staff con-structs the budget in detail bottom-up (program by program). It is general-ly conservative so that there is good probability of meeting budget year to year.

The two charts on the right sum-marize the results of the modeling.

Financial modeling demon-strates that RMAG has fundamental strength. This is largely due to the ex-cellent performance of FY 2014 and the front-loaded income from the two large AAPG events hosted by RMAG in 2014 and 2015. The Low Case gen-erally replicates the performance of the 2009 -2013 historical period. The potential driver of that case, a recent dramatic price fall, as seen in the Crude Price Chart (the 800 Pound Gorilla) is in play. The current price erosion is similar so far to the prior downturn in 2009. Since this down cycle is more fundamental to our primary industry employers, this case, or worse, is a possible outcome. A critical action for the near future is to monitor this downturn and adjust the forward plan / budget to reflect the consequence of events as they unfold.

The Base and High cases both indicate a robust future. The Base Case is RMAG’s budget for the peri-od. If either case occurs RMAG will have additional program funding options for its next strategic plan. One strategic issue before RMAG is the necessary size of its reserve fund. It appears in either of these two cases that sufficient reserves will be in place ear-ly to midway through the plan.



$(300)

$(200)

$(100)

$-‐

$100

$200

$300

$400

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

RMAG Income Models $1,000s

High Case

Base Case

Low Case

$-‐

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

RMAG ASSET MODELS $1,000s

High Case

Base Case

Low Case

www.rmag.org



A healthy reserve fund should exceed $750,000 (2015 $) or three years minimal general & administra-tive budget. A testament to the resil-ience of RMAG during the five years prior to 2014 is the realization of an annual average positive net income in spite of the multiple external (oil price) and internal (staff turnover) threats! On the other hand FY 2014 was a highly successful year without any extraordinary circumstances. So, given the 2014 performance, RMAG’s current business model appears to be quite robust.

There is more detail in the plan document which will be posted on the website. I invite your comments at [email protected]

RMAG is The Best Place for Rockies Geoscience.


Stay in the Zone-

www.horizontalsi.com

Maximize Target Penetration Maximize Production Avoid Costly Redrills

Senior geosteering sta� on call 24/7 to keep you in-zone and respond to structural stratigraphic changes

Premier geonavigation/geosteering services since 1995

Denver, ColoradoKC Oren 303.249.9965

Carrollton, Texas972.416.1626

Lario Oil & Gas CompanyEstablished 1927

WWW.LARIOOIL.COM

Proud sponsor of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

VOLUNTER!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!

UPCOMING EVENTS THAT NEED VOLUNTEERS:

• Golf Tournament• Continuing Education• Membership Committee• Long Range Planning• Publications Committee

If you would like to volunteer for any of these committees or events, please contact the RMAG office at (303) 573-8621 or [email protected]

www.rmag.org




www.rmag.org


MineRAl of the Month: June

MINERAL NAME: Pyrite, Iron Sulfide, Fool’s Gold. Pyrite is the most common sulfide (Dana, 1959).

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION: FeS2. Ni, Co, Au, and Ag may exist in small quantities (Voynick, 1994).

COLOR: Brass yellow, but can be darker due to tar-nishing (Voynick, 1994).

STREAK: Greenish black-brownish black (Voyn-ick, 1994).

LUSTER: Metallic, splendent, opaque (Voyn-ick, 1994).

CRYSTAL SYSTEM: Isometric, diploid (Dana, 1959).

CRYSTAL HABIT: Pyrite most commonly forms cubes with perpendicular striations on the fac-es. Pyrite also forms in pyritohedron, octahe-dron, and a combination between these two

MINERAL OF THE MONTH: JUNE

By Cheryl Fountain

PYRITE


This specimen was found at the Huanzala mine in Peru. It displays a cubo-octahedral crystallography and can be found on display at the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum in Golden, CO. (Photo by Ron Wolf, courtesy of Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum).

www.rmag.org


MINERAL OF THE MONTH: JUNE

www.rmag.org


MineRAl of the Month: June

crystallographies. Less commonly, pyrite can be massive, granular, reniform, globular or stalactitic.2

SPECIFIC GRAVITY: 4.9-5.2 (Voynick, 1997).

HARDNESS: 6-6.5 (Voynick, 1994).

FORMATION: Pyrite can develop in many differ-ent environments. Pyrite can form as an accesso-ry mineral during magmatic segregation in igne-ous rocks, contact metamorphism, hydrothermal deposits in veins, and can be both a primary and secondary mineral in sedimentary rocks. Although pyrite is generated at both low and high tempera-tures, the largest deposits are found at high tem-peratures (Dana, 1959).

OTHER PHYSICAL PROPERTIES: Brittle, will frac-ture unevenly, and can be faintly iridescent (Voyn-ick, 1997). How can you tell if you have Pyrite, gold or chalcopyrite in your hand? Pyrite is brittle, gold is not. Chalcopyrite can be scratched with steel whereas pyrite cannot (Dana, 1959).

FUN FACT: Pyrite comes from the Greek word fire. It received this name because of the sparks created when struck with steel (Dana, 1959).

Pyrite is quick to oxidize when exposed to air, and when it does it produces sulfuric acid and free iron ions, eventually the iron is precipitated out as iron hydroxide. This is what gives most mine tail-ings the yellow-brown to yellow orange color. For many rockhounders, tailings are a good place to start. Do not get discouraged by the mud-like ap-pearance, dig down until you reach minerals that have not been oxidized. If you find a specimen that is oxidized, often the surface can be removed to reveal the non-oxidized pyrite underneath (Voyn-ick, 1994).

LOCATIONS: Pyrite is common and found in many locations. Most notable are Rio Tinto in Spain, Pro-tugal, several counties in Virginia, New York, Mas-sachusetts, California, Colorado, Arizona (Dana, 1959) and New Mexico (Voynick, 1997).

For those in search of specimens, listed below are counties in the mineral belt which are known to contain pyrite.

COLORADO COUNTY LOCATIONS: Boulder, Chaf-fee, Clear Creek, Custer, Eagle, Gipin, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Jackson, Lake, La Plata, Mineral, Moffat, Otero, Oura, Pueblo, Rio Grande, San Juan, San Mi-guel, Summit (Voynick, 1994).

NEW MEXICO COUNTY LOCATIONS: Catron, Col-fax, Dona Ana, Grant, Guadalupe, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Luna, Sandoval, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socor-ro, Taos (Voynick, 1997).

ARIZONA COUNTY LOCATIONS: Apache, Coch-ise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Mo-have, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai (Anthony, et al., 1995).

USES: Pyrite is mined for the gold associated with it, for the sulfuric acid which is used in mineral fer-tilizers (Dana, 1959), and for the dyeing of glass (Voynick, 1994), preservation of wood, and as a disinfectant (1959).

Next Month…Wavellite

REFERENCESAnthony, J., Williams, S., Bideaux, R., & Grant, R.

(1995). Mineralogy of Arizona (3rd ed., p. 507). Tucson, AZ: The University of Arizona Press.

Dana, J., & Hulbut, C. (1959). Dana’s manual of min-eralogy (17th ed.). New York: Wiley.

Voynick, S. (1994). Colorado rockhounding: A guide to minerals, gemstones, and fossils. Missoula, Mont.: Mountain Press Pub.

Voynick, S. (1997). New Mexico rockhounding: A guide to minerals, gemstones, and fossils. Missou-la, Mont.: Mountain Press Pub.


www.rmag.org


www.rmag.org


RMAG LUNCHEON PROGRAMS

Speaker: Wesley Ingram — June 10, 2015

Recent advances in core-scanning technology have provided the necessary data to model uncon-ventional reservoirs at extremely high resolution us-ing non-destructive techniques. These include Dual Energy Computed Tomography (DECT) and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), which measure bulk density and chemical composition (rock matrix), respective-ly. These fine-scale core scanning methods resolve geologic thin-beds (cm-scale), and output data can

be up-scaled to match traditional wireline logs for regional assessment. Core-scanning also provides rich chemical datasets, and in the case of XRF yields up to 30 elements, including majors and traces – this greatly exceeds that of industry standard core gam-ma scans (K, U and Th).

The integration of both core scanning tech-niques (XRF and DECT) can also be used to generate

Multimineral modeling using new core scanning technology

By Wesley Ingram


Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, QEP Resources, Inc. (NYSE: QEP) is an S&P 500 Index member company.Learn more at www.qepres.com.

POSITIONEDFOR GROWTHWith a proud legacy and an exciting future, QEP Resources is an industry leader in crude oil and natural gas exploration and production. We’re focused on some of the most prolific natural resource plays in the continental United States. These include two world-class crude oil provinces – the Williston Basin and Permian Basin; two prominent liquids-rich gas plays – the Pinedale Anticline and the Uinta Basin; and a premier dry gas asset – the Haynesville Shale.

www.rmag.org


www.rmag.org


Ingram, Wesley C., Ph.D., is a geochemist at Weatherford labs in Golden CO, with a primary focus on X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) technology and interpretation of elemental data. His expertise includes sedimentary geochemistry, biogeochemistry, and petrophysics. Prior to Weatherford, he worked at Devon Energy in exploration and development as a geologist and petrophysicist. Within Weatherford, he is involved with developing new XRF core scanning services and reservoir evaluation techniques. He received his undergraduate and masters from Florida State University in Geography and Geological Sciences and his doctorate from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in Oceanography.

high-resolution reservoir models. Bulk density and elements from XRF scanning are used to solve for mineralogy, total porosity, clay bound water and effective porosi-ty. Continuous kerogen estimation is also possible by calibration of elemental proxies, and is critically important for organic-rich source beds. Summation of the calculat-ed mineral volumes and kerogen, if present, defines solid-phase ma-trix density, which can be combine with bulk and fluid densities to calculate reservoir storage along with bound versus free fluids in the reservoir. This multiminer-al model is calculated using core scanning results; hence has utility for comparison to log-based pet-rophysical solutions.

RMAG luncheon pRoGRAMs


O I L & G A S C O M PA N YGreat Western

[email protected]

Great Western a rocky mountain operator


[email protected]



[email protected]


www.rmag.org



www.rmag.org


RMAG LUNCHEON PROGRAMS

Speaker: R.S. Bell — July 1, 2015

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is preparing to issue rules governing the civil use of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (aka drones) in 2015, perhaps as soon as May or June. A recent FAA ruling known as “Exemption 333” was created as a transitional path forward to enable individuals and companies to legally operate drones in US air space for profit under what is known as a Certificate of Au-thorization (COA). Privacy advocates are fighting the use of drones tooth and nail. Some are so passion-ate in their advocacy that they seek to ban the use of drones entirely. However, it is clear that the eco-nomic benefits of the airborne robotic technologies are too numerous to rationally accept the unreason-able constraint imposed by bad legislation borne out of fear of what might possibly happen. Drones are emerging as a technology that industry and con-sumers alike will come to reply on, much like how we have grown accustomed to using smart phones and the internet as the primary means for facilitating communication and conducting business.

One significant industry that is pumping up the demand for drones is the agribusiness. Drones are employed to monitor crop health through the sys-tematic imaging of fields at low altitude using auton-omously operated airborne robots equipped with

high definition photographic and spectral imaging technologies. A key factor driving the adoption of the technology is the huge savings realized through se-lective and limited use of amendments, herbicides, and pesticides. The very same sensor technologies used to improve profitability in the agribusiness are being combined with advancements in geophysical sensors to map surface and subsurface variations in lithology as well as locate buried infrastructure rel-evant to the exploration for and development of oil and gas, metallic minerals, geothermal energy, and ground water resources.

The boom in the use of drones is just begin-ning to impact how exploration geoscience is be-ing done and how it will be accomplished during the next decade and beyond. The economic argu-ment for employing drones for exploration geosci-ence is that they make it possible to acquire high-er resolution data in less time at lower cost which is undoubtedly sweet music to the ears of every exploration manager challenged by the reality of significantly diminished budgets during the cur-rent period of low commodity prices. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that drones will change exploration geoscience!

Drones Will Change Exploration Geoscience!By R.S. Bell

R. S. Bell is a 35+ year veteran in application of geophysical methods to the exploration for mineral, groundwater, geothermal, and hydrocarbon resources as well as subsurface characterization for environmental and engineering investigations. He was a founder and principal of a geophysical software company as well as a market maker for an electrical geophysical technology to monitor the flow of fluid in geologic formations, oil reservoirs, and gold heap leach pads. Along with an international team of seasoned industry professionals, he formed Aerobotic Geophysical Systems, LLC, a Colorado company, to manufacturer small UAS equipped with geophysical and imaging sensors specifically designed for advanced, cost effective geoscientific mapping. He holds a BS in Applied Physics from Michigan Technological University and has decades of hands-on, practical experience in the acquisition, processing, visualization, and interpretation of geophysical data. Contact info: [email protected] | 720-220-3596

www.rmag.org



Oilfield Helping Hands raises money through annual events that everyone is welcome to attend. The financial support of our corporate members

and sponsors defers operation expenses for each event, helping to net the highest percentage of

proceeds to assist families. For more information, email [email protected] or visit

www.oilfieldhelpinghands.org.

Rocky Mountain ChapterSporting Clays - September 18

Bowling and Billiards Bash - December 3

OHH Rocky Mountain Ad051915.indd 1 5/19/15 11:53 AM

www.rmag.org


Thomas Arthur works at Encana Oil and

Gas in Centennial, CO

Justine Carstairs lives in Hawthorn, Australia

Laura Davies works at Getech PLC in Leeds, United Kingdom

Mason DeMist lives in Fort Collins, CO

Kevin Eastham lives in Anchorage, AK

Laurence Gilmore is an Exploration Manager at Antelope

Energy Co., llc in Denver, CO

Chase Lybbert lives in Lantana, TX

Douglas Parker is a Geophysical Advisor at Energy

Corporation of America in Denver, CO

Cheryl Poteet is a Geological Technician Lead

at WPX Energy in Denver, CO

Christopher Poythress lives in Arvada, CO

Debra Rens works at Newpek LLC in Denver, CO

WELCOME NEW RMAG MEMBERS!

DécollementConsulting

Inc.

Experience Integrity Professionalism

We, at Decollement, pride ourselves with some of the most experienced Geologists in the �ield. Our Geologists have on average, ten years of experience. We have been operational since 1979 in all of the Rocky Mountain basins. We have assisted hundreds of clients on thousands of wells.

www.decollementconsulting.com | 303-578-6875DécollementConsulting

Inc.



www.decollementconsulting.com | 303-578-6875

DécollementConsulting

Inc.



www.decollementconsulting.com | 303-578-6875


www.rmag.org


MAY 31-JUNE 3, 2015

AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition. Denver, CO.

JUNE 2, 2015

RMAG & AAPG ACE Social Event. Night at the (Denver) Zoo.

JUNE 4, 2015

AAPG/PTTC Rockies Short Course. “Confessions of a Frac Engineer: 200 Field Studies Prove Our Frac Jobs Are Not Optimized.” Denver, CO.

JUNE 10, 2015

RMAG Luncheon. Speaker Wesley Ingram. “Multimineral Modeling Using New Core Scanning Technology.” Location: Maggiano’s Little Italy, Downtown Denver.

JUNE 11, 2015

11:30 – 1:15; Wynkoop Brewing Company;. Karen Barry recently accepted the position of Colorado State Geologist and will speak to an open luncheon group hosted by the Colorado Section of the American Institute of Professional Geologists. Please contact: [email protected] for more information.

JUNE 15-18, 2015

SIPES Annual Meeting. Dear Valley, UT.

JUNE 16, 2015

DWLS Annual Summer Social.

JUNE 17, 2015

RMAG Golf Tournament. Arrowhead Golf Course.

JUNE 23-25, 2015

Hart DUG-East. Pittsburgh, PA.

JUNE 24, 2015

Oilfield Christian Fellowship. For reservations, RSVP to [email protected] or 303-675-2602.

JUNE 30, 2015

RMS-SEPM Luncheon.

IN THE PIPELINE

December 201444Vol. 63, No. 12 44

June 21st On-the-Rocks Field Trip

»

Lario Oil & Gas CompanyEstablished 1927

WWW.LARIOOIL.COM

Proud sponsor of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

created a sensational buzz in the scientific community and elsewhere is testimonial to excellent research conducted by Dr. Siddoway, her students and her collaborators. The members of the OTR field trip, on the longest day of the year, were able to catch a bit of that magic. As a final act of closure, the skies opened up as we drove back to collect our cars at the Visitor’s Center. Dime-sized hail pelted the group and made continued discussion, and even goodbyes, impossible. What started as a nice day with great potential turned into a highly memorable learning experience with impact.

References : Myrow, P.M., Taylor, J.F., Miller, J.F., Ethington, R.L., Ripperdan,

R.L., and Allen, J., 2003, Fallen Arches: Dispelling Myths Concerning Cambrian and Ordovician Paleogeography of the Rocky Mountain Region: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 115, no. 6, p. 695–713

Siddoway, C., Myrow, P., and Fitz-Díaz, E., 2013, Strata, Structures, and Enduring Enigmas: A 125th Anniversary Appraisal of Colorado Springs Geology, in Abbott, L.D., and Hancock, G.S., eds., Classic Concepts and New Directions: Exploring 125 Years of GSA Discoveries in the Rocky Mountain Region: Geological Society of America Field Guide 33, p. 331–356.

Siddoway, C, Shatford, S. and Contreras, A. A. 2013, ARMO Reactivation of Cambrian-Ordovician or Older Structures: Detrital Zircon Evidence from “Structureless” Sandstones of the Souther Front Range in Colorado Springs, GSA Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 45, No.7, p.887. https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013AM/webprogram/Paper226741.html

Siddoway, C. S. and G. E. Gehrels, 2014a, Basement-hosted sandstone injectites of Colorado: A Vestige of the Neoproterozoic Revealed Through Detrital Zircon Provenance Analysis, Lithosphere, doi:10.1130/L390.1

Siddoway, C. S. and G. E. Gehrels, 2014b, Cryogenian Sandstones in Colorado: A New Terrestrial Record for Laurentia (Rodinia) Revealed Through Detrital Zircon Provenance Analysis, GSA Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 46, No. 6, p.763, https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2014AM/webprogram/Paper246788.html.

Sterne, E.J., 2006, Stacked, “Evolved” Triangle Zones along the Southeastern Flank of the Colorado Front Range: The Mountain Geologist, v. 43, p. 65–92.

Continued from page 43

Sponsorship opportunities for the annual RMAG Golf Tournament are available!

Visit www.rmag.org to learn more.

www.rmag.org





www.rmag.org


John Smith is a Completions Manager in

Greenwood Village, CO

Nancy Strabala is a Sr. Account Executive

at IHS in Littleton, CO

Carter Timbel lives in Denver, CO

Richard Williamson is a VP Customer Support at

Excel Geophysical Services in Greenwood Village, CO

Kasmira Workman lives in Lakewood, CO


WELCOME NEW RMAG MEMBERS!

1700 Broadway | Suite 2300 | Denver, Colorado 80290-2300 Phone: 303.837.1661 | Fax 303.851.4923

At Whiting Petroleum, our teams are dedicated to achieving and surpassing our record results. Our hydraulic fracturing advancements, state of the art geoscience lab and expertise in exploration have made us the number one producer in North Dakota.

From shale plays to CO2 floods, Whiting teams are focused on record results to thrive at current price levels.

Whiting: A Bigger and Better TeamVisit us at www.Whiting.com

A Proud Sponsor of the Rocky Mountain

Association of Geologists




































Association of Geologists DONATE NOW

Please to contribute to the RMAG.

Your RMAG contribution supports the calendar of 2015 of RMAG events, including short courses, symposia, social events,

monthly luncheons, and more.

Click here to make a contribution online!

www.rmag.org

http://www.rmag.org/i4a/forms/index.cfm?id=18


With all the unconventional activity occurring across the globe, it is time to review what is driving the technical quality of the “Hot Plays” in the greater Rocky Mountain region. Please mark your calendars for what is sure to be the “HOTTEST” event of the Fall 2015 Technical Season. Geological, Geophysical, Geochemical, Petrophysical, and Structural technical drivers will be presented, describing what the RMAG membership has determined to be the Hottest Plays in the Rocky Mountains.

2015 RMAGSymposium

Hot PlaysOctober 8th

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologistspresents: the RMAG Fall Symposium

Hot Plays of the Rocky Mountain RegionOctober 8, 2015 at the Denver City Center Marriott

email: [email protected] phone: 303.573.8621 fax: 303.476.2241 web: www.rmag.org

Kick off Speakers: Mark Sonnenfeld & Lyn Canter

910 16th Street #1214, Denver, CO, 80202 follow: @rmagdenver

Exhibitor Registration and Sponsorship Registration are open!

Please visit www.rmag.org for more information.

Registration opens July 1st!

www.rmag.org


Karen Barry recently accepted the position of Colorado State Geologist and will speak to an open luncheon group hosted by the Colorado Section of the American Institute of Profes-sional Geologists.

Ms. Berry would like to talk about the CGS’ work plan for the next fis-cal year (July 2015 to July 2016), future projects, and a longer term strategic plan for CGS. The Geolog-ical Survey has been physically and

administratively relocated from the state’s Department of Natural Re-sources to the Colorado School of Mines.

Cost for the luncheon is $25/per-son, $5/walkin, with serving starting about 11:50 AM and Ms. Berry’s pre-sentation to start at 12:30 PM. Res-ervations may be left with [email protected] or by phone message, 303-241-2572 up until noon, Tues. 6/9/15

ANNOUNCEMENT

Announcement from Colo. Section, Amer. Institute of Professional Geologists

DETAILS

DATE: May 11, 2015

RE: Luncheon Speaker Announced for June, 2015 – Colorado State Geologist Karen Barry

JUNE 11, 2015: 11:30 – 1:15 Wynkoop Brewing Company, Mory/Brown Room, 1634 18th Street, Denver, 80202

RMAG HAS A BLOG! Here you can find stories, member highlights, event wrap ups, and much more. Find the RMAG blog at rmagblog.wordpress.com.

www.rmag.org



https://rmagblog.wordpress.com/


www.rmag.org

© H

rlum

anog

| Dr

eam

stim

e.co

m -

NEP

AL-E

ARTH

QUAK

E-DI

SAST

ER P

hoto


www.rmag.org


M 7.8 Earthquake Hits Nepal

LEAD STORY

Editors Note: While the information in this ar-ticle is preliminary and subject to change there is lit-tle doubt that the people of Nepal have been through a lot in the last month. We live in a time where data is accessible via the USGS nearly instantaneously. Researching the power of this earthquake is quick and easy – just click a link and the data is at your fingertips. It’s also easy to help people in ways big and small that have had a dramatic hardship thrust upon them. The charities below are vetted and good candidates if you would like to help with the relief ef-fort in Nepal.

AmeriCares: An emergency response and global health organization.

CARE: A humanitarian organization fighting glob-al poverty.

Catholic Relief Services: The humanitarian agency of the Catholic Church which maintains field office in Nepal.

DirectRelief: A nonprofit that specializes in provid-ing international medical assistance.

GlobalGiving: A charity fundraising website that’s collecting funds to “help first responders meet survivors’ immediate needs for food, fuel, clean water, hygiene products, and shelter.

International Relief Teams: A 4-star humanitarian organization that specializes in disaster relief.

Operation USA: An LA-based agency that has had operations in Nepal since the mid-1980s.

Save The Children: An international NGO dedicated to promoting children’s rights and providing relief and support to children in developing countries.

TECTONIC SUMMARYThe April 25, 2015 M 7.8 Nepal earth-

quake occurred as the result of thrust fault-ing on or near the main frontal thrust be-tween the subducting India plate and the overriding Eurasia plate to the north. At the location of this earthquake, approximate-ly 80 km to the northwest of the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu, the India plate is con-verging with Eurasia at a rate of 45 mm/yr towards the north-northeast, driving the uplift of the Himalayan mountain range (Figure 1). The preliminary location, size and focal mechanism of the April 25, 2015 earthquake are consistent with its occur-rence on the main subduction thrust inter-face between the India and Eurasia plates (Figure 2).

Although a major plate boundary with a history of large-to-great sized earth-quakes, large earthquakes on the Himalayan thrust are rare in the documented historical era. Just four events of M6 or larger have oc-curred within 250 km of the April 25, 2015 earthquake over the past century. One, a M 6.9 earthquake in August 1988, 240 km to the southeast of the April 25 event, caused close to 1500 fatalities. The largest, an M 8.0 event known as the 1934 Nepal-Bihar earth-quake, occurred in a similar location to the 1988 event. It severely damaged Kathman-du, and is thought to have caused around 10,600 fatalities.


Provided by USGS

www.rmag.org

http://www.americares.org/who-we-are/newsroom/news/americares-responding-to-nepal-earthquake.html

http://www.care-international.org/where-we-work/nepal.aspx

https://secure.crs.org/site/Donation2;jsessionid=20BC42A03254C5D0BCB67D3169F23446.app260b?df_id=8400&8400.donation=form1

http://www.directrelief.org/2015/04/nepal-earthquake-emergency-update/

http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/nepal-earthquake-relief-fund/

https://irteams.org/current-projects/nepal-earthquake-response/

http://www.opusa.org/news-release-operation-usa-to-aid-recovery-efforts-in-nepal-following-magnitude-7-8-earthquake/

https://secure.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.9274575/k.FD90/Nepal_Earthquake_Childrens_Relief_Fund/apps/ka/sd/donor.asp


leAd stoRy

FIGURE 1

www.rmag.org


leAd stoRy

USGS AFTERSHOCK FORECAST FOR THE MAGNITUDE 7.8 NEPAL EARTHQUAKE OF APRIL 25, 2015

In the coming week, the USGS expects 3-14 M≥5 aftershocks of the magnitude 7.8 Nepal earthquake. Additionally, the USGS estimates that there is a 54% chance of a M≥6 aftershock, and a 7% chance of a M≥7 aftershock during this one-week period. After this, in the following month and then the following year, USGS expects several M≥5 aftershocks, with a significant chance of M≥6 aftershock (greater than 50%). The potential for an aftershock larger than the mainshock remains, but is small (1-2% in each time period).

Felt earthquakes (i.e., those with M≥ 3 or 4) will be common over the next weeks to months. Based on general earthquake statistics, the expected number of M≥ 3 or 4 aftershocks can be estimated by mul-tiplying the expected number of M>=5 aftershocks by 100 or 10, respectively. The expected location of

the aftershocks will be in the zone of current activi-ty and at its edges. Currently aftershocks are occur-ring in a zone extending approximately 200 km away from the mainshock epicenter.

SEISMOTECTONICS OF THE HIMALAYA AND VICINITY

Seismicity in the Himalaya dominantly results from the continental collision of the India and Eur-asia plates, which are converging at a relative rate of 40-50 mm/yr. Northward underthrusting of India beneath Eurasia generates numerous earthquakes and consequently makes this area one of the most seismically hazardous regions on Earth. The surface expression of the plate boundary is marked by the foothills of the north-south trending Sulaiman Range in the west, the Indo-Burmese Arc in the east and the east-west trending Himalaya Front in the north of India.

The India-Eurasia plate boundary is a diffuse



www.rmag.org


leAd stoRy

boundary, which in the region near the north of In-dia, lies within the limits of the Indus-Tsangpo (also called the Yarlung-Zangbo) Suture to the north and the Main Frontal Thrust to the south. The In-dus-Tsangpo Suture Zone is located roughly 200 km north of the Himalaya Front and is defined by an ex-posed ophiolite chain along its southern margin. The narrow (<200km) Himalaya Front includes numer-ous east-west trending, parallel structures. This re-gion has the highest rates of seismicity and largest earthquakes in the Himalaya region, caused mainly by movement on thrust faults. Examples of signifi-cant earthquakes, in this densely populated region, caused by reverse slip movement include the 1934 M8.0 Bihar, the 1905 M7.5 Kangra and the 2005 M7.6 Kashmir earthquakes. The latter two resulted in the highest death tolls for Himalaya earthquakes

seen to date, together killing over 100,000 people and leaving millions homeless. The largest instru-mentally recorded Himalaya earthquake occurred on 15th August 1950 in Assam, eastern India. This M8.6 right-lateral, strike-slip, earthquake was widely felt

38 mm/yr 48 mm/yr

43 mm/yr

Kazakhstan

China

Bhutan

Thailand

BangladeshIndia

1950 M8.6

110°E100°E

90°E

90°E

80°E

80°E

70°E

70°E

40°N

30°N

30°N

20°N

MAP EXPLANATIONEarthquakes M6.0+ 1900-2014 Magnitude

6.0 - 6.5

6.5 - 7.0

7.0 - 7.5

7.5 +

Nucleation Points (M8.3 +)

Aftershock Zones

Faults

Subduction

Transform

Divergent

Others

0 500 1,000250Kilometers

Eurasia Plate

India Plate Burma

Nepal

Afghanistan

Pakistan

Kyrgyzstan

UzbekistanTajikistan

FIGURE 2


» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37 The narrow (<200km) Himalaya Front has the highest rates of seismicity and largest

earthquakes in the Himalaya region, caused mainly by

movement on thrust faults.

www.rmag.org


9 / 1 7 / 2 0 1 5The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

l a yCournament

A t K i o w a C r e e k S p o r t i n g C l u b

porting

Tournamen

t

Sporting Clay RMAG Email: [email protected]

RMAG Phone: (303) 573-8621RMAG Fax: (303) 476-2241

Registration & Sponsorship opens July 13, 2015 at 8:00am.Four Person TeamMember Rate: $400

Non-Member Rate: $500

IndividualMember Rate: $100Non-Member Rate: $125

www.rmag.org


leAd stoRy

over a broad area of central Asia, causing extensive damage to villages in the epicentral region.

The Tibetan Plateau is situated north of the Hi-malaya, stretching approximately 1000km north-south and 2500km east-west, and is geologically and tectonically complex with several sutures which are hundreds of kilometer-long and generally trend east-west. The Tibetan Plateau is cut by a number of large (>1000km) east-west trending, left-lateral, strike-slip faults, including the long Kunlun, Haiyuan, and the Altyn Tagh. Right-lateral, strike-slip faults (com-parable in size to the left-lateral faults), in this region

include the Karakorum, Red River, and Sagaing. Sec-ondary north-south trending normal faults also cut the Tibetan Plateau. Thrust faults are found towards the north and south of the Tibetan Plateau. Collec-tively, these faults accommodate crustal shortening associated with the ongoing collision of the India and Eurasia plates, with thrust faults accommodating north south compression, and normal and strike-slip accommodating east-west extension.

Along the western margin of the Tibetan Pla-teau, in the vicinity of south-eastern Afghanistan and western Pakistan, the India plate translates oblique-ly relative to the Eurasia plate, resulting in a com-plex fold-and-thrust belt known as the Sulaiman Range. Faulting in this region includes strike-slip, reverse-slip and oblique-slip motion and often re-sults in shallow, destructive earthquakes. The active, left-lateral, strike-slip Chaman fault is the fastest

December 201448Vol. 63, No. 12 48

Our business is about more than exploration and production. It’s about improving the lives of those around us by

helping the communities in which we live and work grow and prosper. It’s about providing our employees with

opportunities to make positive contributions and constantly challenging ourselves to fif ind better solutions. It’s about

continuously striving to be a better industry partner and leaving behind a legacy of sustainability wherever we can.

Energizing the World, Bettering People’s Lives

®�

www.nobleenergyinc.com

AS OUR TOUCH GETS LIGHTER…

THE OPPORTUNITIES GROW LARGER.

ww w.mjlogs.com1-800-310-6451

Logs Since 1971

R

BAKKEN

HAYNESVILLEEAGLEFORD

WOODFORD

THREE FORKS

HORN RIVER

DUVERNAYBARNETT

WOLFCAMP

CARDIUM

FAYETTEVILLE

NIOBRARA

MONTNEY

UTICA

NEW ALBANY

LOGS

LOGSLOGS

OVER WELL LOGS6 MILLIONFROM THE ARCTIC TO THE GULF OF MEXICO



The active, left-lateral, strike-slip Chaman fault is the fastest moving fault in the region. In

1505, a segment of the Chaman fault near Kabul, Afghanistan, ruptured causing widespread

destruction.

www.rmag.org


Summer Industry Happy HourPresented by The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

CONNECT

LINKEXPLORENETWORK

ENGAGE

August 20, 2015Maggiano’s Little Italy

email: [email protected] phone: 303.573.8621 fax: 303.476.2241 web: www.rmag.org 910 16th Street #1214, Denver, CO, 80202 follow: @rmagdenver

www.rmag.org


leAd stoRy

moving fault in the region. In 1505, a segment of the Chaman fault near Kabul, Afghanistan, ruptured causing widespread destruction. In the same region the more recent 30 May 1935, M7.6 Quetta earth-quake, which occurred in the Sulaiman Range in Pa-kistan, killed between 30,000 and 60,000 people.

On the north-western side of the Tibetan Pla-teau, beneath the Pamir-Hindu Kush Mountains of northern Afghanistan, earthquakes occur at depths as great as 200 km as a result of remnant lithospher-ic subduction. The curved arc of deep earthquakes found in the Hindu Kush Pamir region indicates the presence of a lithospheric body at depth, thought to be remnants of a subducting slab. Cross-sections through the Hindu Kush region suggest a near ver-tical northerly-dipping subducting slab, whereas cross-sections through the nearby Pamir region to the east indicate a much shallower dipping, souther-ly subducting slab. Some models suggest the pres-ence of two subduction zones; with the Indian plate

being subducted beneath the Hindu Kush region and the Eurasian plate being subducted beneath the Pamir region. However, other models suggest that just one of the two plates is being subducted and that the slab has become contorted and overturned in places.

Shallow crustal earthquakes also occur in this region near the Main Pamir Thrust and other active


» CONTINUED FROM PAGE 40 On the 18 February 1911, the M7.4 Sarez earthquake ruptured in the Central Pamir Mountains,

killing numerous people and triggering a landside, which blocked the Murghab River.

www.rmag.org


Presenting Sponsor

Platinum Sponsors

RMAG & AAPG ACE Night at the ZooThank you to our sponsors!

www.rmag.org


leAd stoRy

Quaternary faults. The Main Pamir Thrust, north of the Pamir Mountains, is an active shortening struc-ture. The northern portion of the Main Pamir Thrust produces many shallow earthquakes, whereas its western and eastern borders display a combination of thrust and strike-slip mechanisms. On the 18 Feb-ruary 1911, the M7.4 Sarez earthquake ruptured in the Central Pamir Mountains, killing numerous people and triggering a landside, which blocked the Murghab River.

Further north, the Tian Shan is a seismically ac-tive intra-continental mountain belt, which extends 2500 km in an ENE-WNW orientation north of the Tarim Basin. This belt is defined by numerous east-west trending thrust faults, creating a compressional basin and range landscape. It is generally thought that regional stresses associated with the collision of the India and Eurasia plates are responsible for fault-ing in the region. The region has had three major earthquakes (>M7.6) at the start of the 20th Century, including the 1902 Atushi earthquake, which killed an estimated 5,000 people. The range is cut through in the west by the 700-km-long, northwest-south-east striking, Talas-Ferghana active right-lateral, strike-slip fault system. Though the system has pro-duced no major earthquakes in the last 250 years, paleo-seismic studies indicate that it has the poten-tial to produce M7.0+ earthquakes and it is thought to represent a significant hazard.

The northern portion of the Tibetan Plateau it-self is largely dominated by the motion on three large left-lateral, strike-slip fault systems; the Altyn Tagh, Kunlun and Haiyuan. The Altyn Tagh fault is the longest of these strike slip faults and it is thought to accommodate a significant portion of plate con-vergence. However, this system has not experienced significant historical earthquakes, though paleo-seismic studies show evidence of prehistoric M7.0-8.0 events. Thrust faults link with the Altyn Tagh at its eastern and western termini. The Kunlun Fault, south of the Altyn Tagh, is seismically active, pro-ducing large earthquakes such as the 8th November 1997, M7.6 Manyi earthquake and the 14th Novem-ber 2001, M7.8 Kokoxili earthquake. The Haiyuan Fault, in the far north-east, generated the 16 Decem-ber 1920, M7.8 earthquake that killed approximately

200,000 people and the 22 May 1927 M7.6 earth-quake that killed 40,912.

The Longmen Shan thrust belt, along the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, is an important struc-tural feature and forms a transitional zone between the complexly deformed Songpan-Garze Fold Belt and the relatively undeformed Sichuan Basin. On 12 May 2008, the thrust belt produced the reverse slip, M7.9 Wenchuan earthquake, killing over 87,000 peo-ple and causing billions of US dollars in damages and landslides which dammed several rivers and lakes.

Southeast of the Tibetan Plateau are the right-lat-eral, strike-slip Red River and the left-lateral, strike-slip Xiangshuihe-Xiaojiang fault systems. The Red River Fault experienced large scale, left-lateral duc-tile shear during the Tertiary period before chang-ing to its present day right-lateral slip rate of approx-imately 5 mm/yr. This fault has produced several earthquakes >M6.0 including the 4 January 1970, M7.5 earthquake in Tonghai which killed over 10,000 people. Since the start of the 20th century, the Xiang-shuihe-Xiaojiang Fault system has generated several M7.0+ earthquakes including the M7.5 Luhuo earth-quake which ruptured on the 22 April 1973. Some studies suggest that due to the high slip rate on this fault, future large earthquakes are highly possible along the 65km stretch between Daofu and Qianning and the 135km stretch that runs through Kangding.

Shallow earthquakes within the Indo-Burmese Arc, predominantly occur on a combination of strike-slip and reverse faults, including the Sagaing, Kabaw and Dauki faults. Between 1930 and 1956, six M7.0+ earthquakes occurred near the right-lateral Sagaing Fault, resulting in severe damage in Myanmar includ-ing the generation of landslides, liquefaction and the loss of 610 lives. Deep earthquakes (200km) have also been known to occur in this region, these are thought to be due to the subduction of the eastwards dipping, India plate, though whether subduction is currently active is debated. Within the pre-instru-mental period, the large Shillong earthquake oc-curred on the 12 June 1897, causing widespread de-struction.


www.rmag.org


GeoLand Ski Day

Everyone who participated in the Geoland Ski Event this year was treated to a great day in the Colorado Mountains. On March 7th we had three busses filled with eager skiers ready to hit the slopes with fellow Geologists, Landmen and other oil industry professional. We departed the Lakewood Federal center early so people were happy to see (PFS) Petroleum Field Services help out again serving coffee and donuts to all the participants before everyone boarded the busses. Beaver Creek Resort hosted us with a beautiful day of warm temps, clear skys and nice dry powder covering a 63” base. We had a large group of 230 skiers, snow boarders and party goers. Everyone had the opportunity to ski the runs know as the “Birds of Prey” including trails such as Peregrine, Goshawk and the world Championship downhill course on Golden Eagle.

The NASTAR course was very popular with over 40 racers competing for one of the fastest times and race awards. The course was unforgiving this year with many spills and complete wipe –outs. In the men’s group Skyler “the hawk” Gary took first place with a time of 32.34 sec. Justin Cammon was a close second finishing at 32.65 sec. and Paul Whisenand came in third with a time of 33.62 sec. Once again Doug Potter, Gary Davis and Steve Chamberlin were in hot pursuit of the top finishers. In the woman’s division Katy “to quick” Burchart won with a finishing time of 36.74 sec. Carla Konopka was second at 39.9 sec. and Paula Dean took third place at 42.45 sec. Close behind them we saw Pamala Kingery, Lisa Kreydatus and Marla Reeves all finish with great times.

After a long day on the slopes everyone was welcome to a wonderful Apres Ski party and awards ceremony at the Westin Riverfront resort in Avon. A delicious array of tasty appetizers a pasta bar, wine, beer, race awards, door prizes and a silent auction all made for a great place to meet and celebrate with all the participants. A Special thanks goes out to all those that joined in and skied with us this year. Chairman for the RMAG were Chris Gough and Larry Bennett. Patsy Botts was the Chair for the DAPL.

Thank you to our 2015 Geoland Ski Day Sponsors!Bus Sponsors: Beatty & Wozniak, PC, Beckman Law Firm, Orange Energy Coporation | Extreme Terrain Sponsors: Burleson, LLP, Jost & zzShelton Energy Group, PC, Purple Land Management, Steptoe & Johnson, PLLC | Double Black Diamond Sponsors: Baseline Minerals, Inc., Davis Graham & Stubbs, Dufford & Brown, Enerplus, Fox Rothschild, LLP, Lathrop & Gage, LLP, Poulson Odell & Peterson, LLC, R.K. Pinson & Associates, Rocky Mountain Hydrocarbon, LLC, EOG Resources, Uintah Engineering & Land Surveying, Welborn Sullivan Meck & Tooley, PC |Black Diamond Sponsors: Bayswater Explooration & Production, LLC, Becker Oil Corporation, Bjork Lindley Little, PC, DJ Resources Inc, Drillinginfo, Holland Services, Meagher Energy Advisors, Mesa Energy Partners, LLC, Rampart Energy Company, Shanor & Collins, LLC, Tjornehoj & Hack LLC | Blue Sponsors: Angelle & Donohue Oil & Gas Properties, Inc, Energy Investments, Inc, Flagg Diamond Corporation, J L Oburn Jr. & Co, Norstar Petroleum, PDC Energy, Inc, Reagan Resources, Inc, Robert L. Bayless Producer, LLC, TGS, T.S. Dudley Land Company, Inc | Green Sponsors: Aaron Resources, Denver Earth Resources Library, MEQ Geo, Inc, Mountain States Energy Advisors, PLLC, Willbros | In-Kind: Alpine Wine & Spirits, Bonfire Brewery, Lear & Lear, Marlowe’s Restaurant, Petroleum Field Services, LLC

www.rmag.org


SPACE-TIME TRAVEL FROM THE ANCESTRAL ROCKIES TO THE LARAMIDE AND BEYOND –

A TRANSECT OF THE COLORADO FRONT RANGE

Leaders: Ned Sterne and Bob Raynolds

Join us on a traverse across the Front Range from DIA to State Bridge. Ponder the Arse-nal well and a prestack depth mi-gration of the Rocky Flats seis-mic line. Cross the Front Range and dive into the thrust detach-ments of the Breccia Spoon Syn-cline to get a sense of what the guts of the range looked like where they haven’t been stripped to basement. Exit the Laramide

Front Range at the Williams Range Thrust and contemplate post-Laramide, Miocene-age thrusting. Finally, dive off the An-cestral Rockies-age, Front Rangia Uplift into the Eagle Basin and sa-vor the Paleozoic section of the Central Colorado Trough. Bring your favorite conceptual baggage and see if we can all find ways to jettison some of our most super-fluous burdens.

AUGUST 8

SEPTEMBER 19JULY 25

ON THE ROCKSFIELD TRIPS

CRIPPLE CREEK & VICTOR GOLD MINE TRIP

The Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine trip will start at the Cripple Creek & Victor Visitor Center in Cripple Creek at 11:00 am. We will have an opportunity to tour the facil-ity. We will leave the Visitor Center at 12:15 and drive to Victor where will take the tour provided by the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine. The tour takes approximately 2.5 hours and all safety equipment will be provided by the CCV. We should be back in Victor around 3:30pm. There will be a limit of 13 people for this trip and the cost will be $22.50 per person.

SOUTH PARK FIELD TRIP

Logistics Leader: Phyllis Scott; Trip Geologist: Peter Barkmann of

the Colorado Geological Survey

Recent mapping efforts have brought to light the magnitude in complexity of a structural basin al-ready recognized for its unique sed-imentary and tectonic setting. This field trip will explore how Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic strata record, and even create, varied tectonic fab-rics defining one of Colorado’s gems.

Longs Peak, Front Range, Colorado (Photo Wikipedia Creative Commons)

www.rmag.org

FIELD TRIPS


LARAMIDE BASIN EVOLUTION AND DRILLING ACTIVITY IN THE NORTH PARK – MIDDLE PARK BASIN, COLORADO

This two-day field trip will re-view the geologic history in con-text with the past and present pe-troleum exploration in the North Park-Middle Park Basin (or Colo-rado Headwaters Basin, CHB) in north-central Colorado.

The first oil and gas well, Con-tinental Oil’s Sherman A-1, was drilled in 1925 in the northeast part of the basin, and produced mostly CO2 from the Dakota Sand-stone. Later wells were more suc-cessful in finding oil and/or gas and exploration and production in the area is ongoing, most notably in the unconventional Niobrara play.

The basin has a complex geo-logic history that is critical to un-derstanding these oil and gas plays. Geologic discussions will include the Mesozoic sedimentary deposits that contain hydrocarbons includ-ing the Dakota Sandstone and Ni-obrara Formation, the subsequent basin formation and fill during the Laramide orogeny (Coalmont and Middle Park formations), and also highlight some of the late-Laramide deformation in the area.

The Paleocene-Eocene stra-ta reveal a complex and episod-ic evolution of the CHB. Deposits range from coarse-grained fluvi-al to paludal and lacustrine. Pa-leocurrent trends and distinctive volcanic-porphyry cobbles indi-cate significant sediment transport northward from central Colorado sources (unexpected implications for paleodrainage).

Rapid subsidence is indicated

by great sediment thickness (>2.5 km) within a short timeframe. Stops will also present evidence for (1) widespread uplift and erosion in early Paleocene time; (2) broad tilting and local folding before on-set of subsidence/deposition in middle Paleocene time; (3) faulting and local intra-basin uplift during sedimentation; and (4) post-mid-dle(?) Eocene contraction and even younger deformation.

The present shape of the CHB reflects the geometry of (largely) post-depositional faults and folds that are (in many cases) different from the structures of the original depositional basin.

DATES: Saturday, October 10, Sunday October 11

LEADERS: Marieke Dechesne, Jim Cole (USGS, Denver, Colorado), Chris Martin (Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc., Denver, Colorado)

INCLUDES: 1 night lodging in Walden, 2 lunches, transportation

LIMIT: 30

OCTOBER 10 & 11

Bottom: Active drilling in the McCallum Anticline area. Top: Lacustrine delta in the Coalmont Formation near Walden.

www.rmag.org


RMAG 2015Publications Sale!

May 15 - June 15

S A L E40% off

[email protected] | (303) 573-8621 | www.rmag.org | @rmagdenver

www.rmag.org


RMAG Member Only Sale

2011 Bakken Guidebook

2009 The Paradox Basin Revisited: New Developments in Petroleum Systems and Basin Analysis

2011 Revisiting and Revitalizing the Niobrara in the Central Rockies

Geologic Atlas of the Rocky Mountain Region - CD

2003 Piceance Basin Guide Book CD

The Mountain Geologist 1964-2005 - DVD Set

The Mountain Geologist 2006-2010

2008 Shale Gas in the Rocky Mountains and Beyond

The RMAG Library 1937-2001 13 CD Set

The RMAG Library 1937-2001 DVD Set

TRAILWALKERS GUIDE to the Dinosaur Ridge, Red Rocks and Green Mountain Area

2008 Hydrocarbon Systems and Production in the Uinta Basin, Utah

2005 Gas in Low Permeability Reservoirs in the Rocky Mountain Region

www.rmag.org


1 Time 2 Times 6 Times 12 Times

Full page (7-1/2” x 9-1/4”) $330 $620 $1,710 $3,240

2/3 page (4-7/8” x 9-1/4”) $220 $400 $1,110 $2,100

1/2 page (7-1/2” x 4-5/8”) $175 $330 $930 $1,740

1/3 page horizontal (4-7/8” x 4-7/8”) $165 $250 $690 $1,200

1/3 page vertical (2-3/8” x 9-1/4”) $165 $250 $690 $1,200

1/6 page (2-3/8” x 4-7/8”) $75 $120 $330 $600

Professional Card (2-5/8” x 1-1/2”) $20 $34 $84 $144

OUTCROP ADVERTISING RATES

CALENDAR | JUNE 2015

7

14

21

28

1

8

15

22

29

2

9

16

23

30

3

10

17

24

4

11

18

25

5

12

19

26

6

13

20

27

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

RMAG & AAPG ACE Social Event.

DWLS Annual Summer Social.

RMS-SEPM Luncheon.

RMAG Luncheon.

RMAG Golf Tournament.

Oilfield Christian Fellowship.

AAPG/PTTC Rockies Short Course.

Karen Barry Luncheon.

AAPG ACE

SIPES Annual Meeting.

Hart DUG-East.

www.rmag.org


1 Time 2 Times 6 Times 12 Times

Full page (7-1/2” x 9-1/4”) $330 $620 $1,710 $3,240

2/3 page (4-7/8” x 9-1/4”) $220 $400 $1,110 $2,100

1/2 page (7-1/2” x 4-5/8”) $175 $330 $930 $1,740

1/3 page horizontal (4-7/8” x 4-7/8”) $165 $250 $690 $1,200

1/3 page vertical (2-3/8” x 9-1/4”) $165 $250 $690 $1,200

1/6 page (2-3/8” x 4-7/8”) $75 $120 $330 $600

Professional Card (2-5/8” x 1-1/2”) $20 $34 $84 $144

W e d n e s d a y , J u n e 1 7 , 2 0 1 5

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists’Annual Golf TournamentAt Arrowhead Golf Club

Registration Closes June 4th at 4:00pm

Follow Us!

RMAG Member Team of 4Non-Member Team of 4RMAG Member IndividualNon-Member Individual

$800$900$200$225

Sponsorship and registration opportunities are available. Please visit www.rmag.org for more information.

phone: (303) 573-8621 | email: [email protected] | fax: (303) 476-2241

www.rmag.org


• AAPG................................................................................................ 17, 21, 37

• Alliance Insurance Agency .......................................................................... 14

• Anschutz Oil Exploration.............................................................................. 14

• Breckenridge Geophysical ........................................................................... 23

• Crown Geochemistry ..................................................................................... 8

• Daub & Associates, Inc. ................................................................................ 6

• Décollement Consulting Inc......................................................................... 28

• Devon ........................................................................................................... 11

• Dolan Integration Group ................................................................................ 7

• Donovan Brothers Inc. ................................................................................... 6

• Encana ......................................................................................................... 12

• Enerplus ....................................................................................................... 32

• Fluid Inclusion Technologies ........................................................................ 25

• GeoMark Research, LTD .............................................................................. 25

• Geosteering, LLC.......................................................................................... 23

• Great Western Oil & Gas Company ............................................................. 24

• Horizontal Solutions Intl. ......................................................................... 8, 16

• iBall Instruments.......................................................................................... 19

• James C. Karo Associates Land Services ................................................... 29

• Johnson Geo-Consulting, LLC........................................................................ 6

• Kestrel Geoscience, LLC ................................................................................ 6

• Lario Oil & Gas Company............................................................................. 16

• Louis J. Mazzullo, LLC ................................................................................... 8

• Milner Geology ............................................................................................ 20

• Mineral Appraiser, LLC .................................................................................. 6

• MJ Systems ................................................................................................. 40

• Nautilus ....................................................................................................... 24

• Neil H. Whitehead III ..................................................................................... 8

• Oilfield Helping Hands ................................................................................. 27

• PTTC ............................................................................................................... 4

• QEP Resources ............................................................................................. 22

• Samson Energy ............................................................................................ 10

• Sinclair Petroleum Engineering, Inc. ............................................................. 8

• Stephens Production Company.................................................................... 13

• Stoner Engineering, LLC ................................................................................ 9

• Strathochem Services.................................................................................. 19

• Tracker Resources ........................................................................................ 13

• T-Rex Oil Inc. .................................................................................................. 6

• Whiting Petroleum Corporation................................................................... 30

• William W. Little, Ph. D. ................................................................................ 8

ADVERTISER INDEX

2013-14RMAG FOUNDATION

SCHOLARSHIPS

SCHOLARSHIPS

McKenna FundColorado College

CSU FundBolyard FundCU Boulder

CONTRIBUTIONS

CONTRIBUTIONS

Stone/Holberg FundStudying Rocky Mtn Structural Geology

Colorado School of MinesGolden

FosterStudying Rocky Mtn Geology

AAPG - Imperial BarrelRocky Mtn Section

AAPG Student LeadershipRocky Mtn Section

Friend of Dinosaur Ridge

Golden Pick AwardRMAG Guidebook contributionAAPG Sectional meetingRockbuster Ball awards

+

Contibutions can be made at https://www.rmag.org/i4a/ams/publicLogin.cfm for RMAG membersRMAG Foundation | 910 16th Street Mall, Suite 1214 | Denver, CO 80202

Babcock FundRocky Mtn region Universities

Veterans Fundawarded to veterans attendingRocky Mtn Region Universities

University of WY Fund

Morrison Natural HistoryInner City School attendance

PTTC Futures in EnergyRocky Mtn Section

Denver Public Schoolsmineral sets

RMAG Student Summit sponsorCO Science Teacher of the YearCO State Science Fair winners

www.rmag.org

june 2015 outcrop

Documents