november 2013 outcrop

OUTCROPNewsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Volume 62 • No. 11 • November 2013

November 2013Vol. 62, No.11 222

CALL FOR PAPERS!2014 Rocky Mountain Section-AAPG Annual Meeting

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www.rmag.org3OUTCROP

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.

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The Rocky Mountain Association of GeologistsOUTCROP

President – Debra [email protected]@usgs.gov

President-Elect – Matt [email protected]@bayless-cos.com

1st Vice-President – Larry [email protected]@whiting.com

2nd Vice-President – Laura Mauro [email protected]

Secretary – Jacinda Nettik [email protected]@caerusoilandgas.com

Treasurer – Mike [email protected]@yatespetroleum.com

Treasurer Elect – Reed [email protected]@cometridgeresources.com

Counselor (2 Year) – Laura L. [email protected]@wpxenergy.com

Counselor (1 Year) – John [email protected]@fmr.com

2013 Officers and Board of Directors

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The Outcrop is a monthly publication of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists910 16th Street, Suite 1125• Denver, CO 80202

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Hosted by the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists


RMAG September Board of Directors MeetingBy Laura Wray, Acting Secretary

The Board of Directors meeting was held on September 18, 2013 at the RMAG office. Minutes of the August meeting were approved and Treasurer Mike Kozimko reviewed the Financial Report, pointing out that incremental income to date was ahead of budget while expenses were under budget.

The vast majority of the meeting was spent reviewing the budget for all projected operating costs and revenues. Our accounting consultant, Carol Dalton, ably assisted by our office staff, Emily Tomkins and Carrie Veatch, presented itemized budget proposals for the Outcrop and Mountain Geologist, additional publications, membership dues and sponsorships, monthly luncheons, symposia and core workshops, sporting events and tournaments, conventions, field trips, social events, and administrative costs. Only a few belt-tightening recommendations were made by the Board, allowing the final budget to be reviewed at the October Board meeting.

The RMAG office will be moving to the 12th floor of the building (910 Sixteenth Street) in November to

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take advantage of reduced rental costs. Come visit in December!

DVDs for the Geologic Atlas of the Rocky Mountain Region, fondly known as the “Big Red Book,” will be available before the end of the year. The amount of digital data included promises to be outstanding. Also available for sale, hot off the press, is the “Structural Applications to Rocky Mountain Hydrocarbon Accumulations,” edited by Connie Knight, Jerry Cuzella, and Leland

Cress. Our own Mountain Geologist is devoting the October 2013 and January 2014 issues to the Niobrara, featuring many student papers. Congratulations and thanks to all whom continue to contribute publications for the benefit of the geologic communities here and beyond the Rocky Mountain region.

On the social scene, the Rockbuster’s Ball will be held in downtown Denver (!) on Saturday, November 9th at the Oxford Hotel. NAPE is coming to Denver in December, complete with a reception (of course!). Be sure to consult the Outcrop and/or the RMAG website for additional information.

»

The RMAG office will be moving to the 12th floor of the building (910 Sixteenth

Street) in November to take advantage of reduced rental costs. Come visit in

December!


C O N T E N T S

OUTCROP

Volume 62 • No. 11 • November 2013

COVER PHOTOAlmost vertical fold axes in the French Slate phyllite. The pen is positioned parallel to the fold axes defined by the crenulation cleavage. The vertical orientation of the folds indicates a substantial degree (~90°) of post deformational rotation. Photo by Ronald L. Parker.

Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Features8 Lead Story: RMAG On-

the-Rocks Field Trip

association news2 Call for Papers!7 VOTE for Your Officers

15 Rockbusters Ball23 Studies in Geology 65

Pre-Sale Form24 Thank you, Ron!25 RMAG Members Well

Represented at RMS-AAPG Awards Luncheon in Salt Lake City

26 RMAG Awards27 20/20 3D Vision Call for

Papers28 Membership Highlights32 20th Annual 3D

Seismic Symposium Invitation and Speaker Commitment Form

35 Mark Your Calendars! RMAG Geosteering Forum

36 We want you back! We need you!

37 2013 RMAG Dues Renewal40 Connect with RMAG Online!

41 Thank you to 2012 RMAG Foundation Donors

42 RMAG 2013 Summit Sponsors

47 RMAG Presents NAPE on the Rocks

49 Submit a Manuscript to The Mountain Geologist

Departments4 RMAG September Board

of Directors Meeting 4 Advertising Rates6 President's Column

40 New Members44 RMAG Luncheon

Program45 Note Regarding

November Luncheon46 In the Pipeline51 Advertisers Index51 Calendar of Events


Happy Thanksgiving!

President’s ColumnBy Debra Higley

Best wishes to all of you for a warm and cozy Thanksgiving holiday. November is a time for giving thanks and sharing (which doesn’t extend to sharing turkey white meat or drumsticks, of course).

RMAG is evolving, and these are necessary changes. Emily Tompkins, Executive Director, Carrie Veatch, Office and Programs Manager, and Carol Dalton, Bookkeeper, inherited and integrated a jigsaw puzzle of more than 2,000 members that range in age from their 20's and 80's and have varied interests; a Board that changes every year (and for whom you provide your knowledge and patience); overseeing more than 20 committees that include Publications and Continuing Education; running the office, which combines communication, financial, legal, and insurance aspects; being the primary contact with RMAG members and other organizations; updating the RMAG website; managing sponsorships, understanding Copyright law, digital publication processes and outside providers such as AAPG Datapages; and the list continues. Emily, Carrie, and Carol, thank you for your excellent skills in organizing and running RMAG. It is a complex set of processes that makes me glad that I am a geologist instead of an administrator.

I would like to thank Tricia Beaver and her committee members. Tricia has served for numerous years as chair for the RMAG Professional Awards Committee, which oversees professional awards for RMAG and provides recommendations for AAPG awards. This Outcrop lists this year’s professional award recipients; they have contributed greatly to the scientific community by sharing their time, expertise, and selves with us. Awards will

be presented at the Rockbusters Ball on November 9th that will be held at The Oxford Hotel in downtown Denver. The years at Columbine Country Club were great fun, but a downtown location is more accessible and provides the option of staying overnight. Thanks also to other RMAG award committees, awards of which are presented at several RMAG lunches: Vito Nuccio heads The Mountain Geologist Best Paper, Dean Dubois is chair of the Luncheon Speaker Awards, Jerry Cuzella chairs the Teacher of the Year Award, Vicki Oulellette chairs the Student Pick Award, and Susan Wager is in charge of the Student Science Fair committee. These are important functions of RMAG and the RMAG Foundation.

The RMAG Board voted last year to have The Mountain Geologist as a digital-only publication for members. Reasons for this include (1) cost savings because there are no page or ink charges, (2) that we can publish without charging authors, which is particularly useful when the contributor is a consultant or student, (3) color figures do not result in extra page charges, and (4) yes, I do like to hug trees (although not the ones with lots of splinters). Paul Lillis, chair of the Publications Committee, and committee members have done a great job providing science and information in the RMAG Outcrop newsletter, The Mountain Geologist, and other publications, as well as learning about Copyright law and deciphering Datapages, GeoScienceWorld, and other contracts.

(which doesn’t extend to sharing turkey white meat

»


Please see the October issue of the Outcropfor the candidate biographies.

Marvin D. Brittenham – President ElectJane Estes-Jackson – President Elect

Michael P. Dolan – First Vice PresidentHeather LaReau – Frist Vice President

Michele Bishop – 2nd Vice PresidentDavid A. Taylor – 2nd Vice President

Nick Nelson – SecretaryJohn South – Secretary

Paul G. Lillis – Treasurer-ElectRyan Thompson – Treasurer-Elect

Mike Kozimko – CounselorTerrilyn Olson – Counselor

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LEAD STORY – RMAG On-the-Rocks Field Trip

Medicine Bow Mountains Snowy Range, August 17th, 2013: The Time Machine to the PaleoproterozoicText and photos by Ronald L. Parker, Senior Geologist, Fronterra Geosciences, 700 17th Street, Suite 1700, Denver, Colorado 80202

The RMAG field trip to the Snowy Range in the Medicine Bow Mountains of SE Wyoming, August 17th, 2013, continued a superb string of field trips run under the “On-the-Rocks” (OTR) banner. Simply, these are among the best one-day field trip opportunities to be had in the Rockies, and, they are free. As elucidated in the April 2013 Outcrop “RMAG OTR trips provide participants with opportunities to explore site geology, together with a trip expert and the camaraderie of those who are willing to share geologic knowledge.” This summer has been rich with five OTR field trip offerings and they have all been resounding successes. Praise is due RMAG organizing committee members (Catherine Campbell, Dan Plazak, Denis Foley, Jeff Glossa, John Ladd, Jeff Glossa, John Ladd, Sandra Mark, Phyllis Scott and Ron Pritchett) and field trip leaders (Jeff May, Donna Anderson, Bob Raynolds, Paul Morgan, Art Snoke and David Noe) for enriching lucky participants. As Don Rasmussen quipped at the conclusion of Bob Raynold’s Eagle Basin trip ,“this was the best field trip I have been on in years…including my own.”

The Snowy Range field trip was excellent for several reasons. First, it was a scintillating, high pressure, blue sky day which made everyone cheerful. Professor Art Snoke, from the Department of Geology & Geophysics at the University of Wyoming, was the perfect leader.

Dr. Snoke has been teaching field-oriented structural geology at Wyoming almost since the Paleoproterozoic, having arrived in Laramie in 1974 after 10 years at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Snoke has a wide-ranging interest that is reflected in his numerous publications from many parts of the world (Tobago, Italy, Tunisia, California, Oregon, Nevada, South

Carolina and, of course, Wyoming). http://www.uwyo.edu/geolgeophys/faculty/arthur-snoke.html). We were rewarded by his vast reserve of knowledge. On top of it all, Professor Snoke is also a world-class nice guy.

The OTR field trip to the Snowy Range of the Medicine Bow Mountains w a s a s u b s t a n t i a l departure from the rest of the RMAG OTR retinue of the RMAG OTR retinue for the summer in that we visited rocks from deep in time. The Medicine

Bow Mountains display the tectonic boundary between the Archean Wyoming Province (3.6-3.0 Ga) and the accreted terranes that added to the southern margin of Laurentia (Hoffman, 1988). During the Paleoproterozoic, the southern edge of the Wyoming Province was an Atlantic-style rifted passive margin that consisted of a thick layer (~10 km) of 2.4-2.1 Ga miogeoclinal sediments (Snowy Pass Supergroup) atop 2.7-2.5 Ga Archean basement (Whitmeyer, 2007). The Snowy Pass Supergroup is comprised of the 3.6 km thick Deep

Professor Art Snoke at the start of the trip pointing out the variation of exposures


Lake Group (primarily metaconglomerates a n d q u a r t z i t e s ) overlain by 7.4 km t h i c k L i b by L a ke Group. The Libby Lake Group is subdividied into a 4.4 thick lower p a r t c o m p r i s e d mostly of quartzites and a 3.0 km thick upper part composed o f m e t a d o l o m i t e and black phyl l i te (Sullivan, 2013). The P a l e o p r o t e r o z o i c suture (the Cheyenne Belt) developed during the Medicine Bow Orogeny, (1.78 to 1.74 Ga), which resulted from an oceanic-arc terrane collision of with this thick accumulation of passive margin sediments. There is ongoing debate about the polarity of subduction and a recent paper by one of Dr. Snoke’s students (Sullivan, 2013) suggests that the boundary may have been a “subvertical transpressional stretching fault system that simultaneously accommodated sinistral strike-slip motion, penetrative horizontal shortening and, dip-slip motion…” (p. 1319). This fundamental tectonic boundary is presently exposed as a thick (0.7 to 7.0 km thick) suite of mylonite zones that isolate individual tectonic blocks. The present day exposures in the Medicine Bow Mountains reflect rapid (~10 Ma) Laramide crustal uplift of these Paleoproterozoic with subsequent Tertiary unroofing and glacial sculpting during the Pleistocene.

The first 4 stops on the field trip visited the metamorphically altered and structurally deformed sediments that developed along the Paleoproterozoic passive margin. The final stop brought us to higher grade metavolcanic rocks of the East Bear Lake block in the middle part of the Cheyenne Belt. The following is a quick synopsis of the stops we visited augmented by photos.

Our first stop visited the French Slate near the Nash Fork Campground. This stop is a structural geologist’s dream, with an abundance of deformational features in an upper greenschist facies graphitic phyllite. The French slate is characterized by a NE-striking subvertical foliation that is buckled by kink bands and

Lead Story

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Bright green coloration of one of the quartzites. According to Professor Snoke, the color derives from the mineral Fuchsite, a chromium-bearing muscovite, K(Al,Cr)3Si3O10(OH)2. The most likely scenario for chromium introduction is from the inclusion of chromite (Fe,Cr)3O4 as a part of the accessory suite in the protolith quartz sandstone. Chromite necessitates weathering of an ultramafic source.

November 2013Vol. 62, No.11 101010 October 201310Vol. 62, No. 10

Lead StoryContinued from page 9

Kneeling,L to R: Amy McKay, Donna Anderson, Pilar Ritcherson, Art Snoke, Ronald Parker. Standing, L to R: Roger Kneeling,L to R: Amy McKay, Donna Anderson, Pilar Ritcherson, Art Snoke, Ronald Parker. Standing, L to R: Roger Kneeling,L to R: Amy McKay, Donna Anderson, Pilar Ritcherson, Art Snoke, Ronald Parker. Standing, L to R: Roger Charbonneau, Doug Hurcomb, Ron Pritchett, Joe Kneck, Phil Nelson, Jim Eagan, Janet Marks, Carl Brink, Janis Klein, Nathan Marolf, Ian Hogan, and Janet Pitman.

RLP RMAG Snowy Range FT Group August 17, 2013.

Lead Story

a pronounced crenulation cleavage (Sullivan, 2013; Snoke 2013). The glacially abraded outcrop cuts across this foliation to display superb examples of isoclinal folds that have been refolded during polyphase deformation. Many of the isoclinal folds display a beautiful axial planar cleavage defined by pressure solution residue. Beds of slightly more quartzo-feldspathic material in the original pelitic mud deform by shortening that yields en echelon shear packets that also display internal

isoclinals folding. At this stop we also got a 1st look at the quartzites that abound in the region. A g lac ia l l y t ranspor ted q u a r t z i t e b o u l d e r , which had fragmented on the striated outcrop, revealed internal primary sedimentary structures, including graded bedding and trough crossbedding.

Our second stop, at the Medicine Bow Peak Overlook was located on the geologic map at a “nexus of faults.” It provided a spectacular overview of the Snowy Range, dominated



Enjoying the view on lunch break

Hiking toward the NE along the Pinedale moraine on the way to our lunch stop at the far end of Lookout Lake (in the middle distance). The moraine is comprised of Medicine Peak Quartzite, as are the cliffs to the left. The dark rock to the right is the mafic Lookout Schist. A dark gabbroic sill is evident about halfway up the slope above the dark lake waters in the distance.



by 12,013’ tall Medicine Bow Peak. The resistant quartzite ridge, with a prominent mafic sill, provided the perfect backdrop for a group photo. Nearby, we saw the remains of the Red Mask mine, a failed Au and Ag enterprise. At this stop we observed a tan weathering outcrop of the steeply dipping Nash Fork metamorphosed dolostone. A block of this dolomarble near the parking lot attracted a lot of attention because of a delicate boxwork pattern of healed fractures. Close inspection revealed the presence of malachite and opalline silica in fractures. A metal sign, cemented to a large quartzite boulder, informed the group of a tragic event that occurred on October 6th, 1955 when United Airlines Flight 409 crashed into Medicine Bow

Peak, killing all 66 people aboard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Airlines_Flight_409. At the time, this was the worst airline disaster in American aviation history.

After the Observation Point, we proceeded to the base of Medicine Bow Peak were we walked along a quartzite boulder moraine paralleling the base of the cliffs. Our destination was Lookout Lake where we ate lunch in the midst of breathtaking natural beauty. This stop afforded ample opportunity to interrogate huge blocks of the quartzite

that appeared as both talus blocks and morainal debris. The quartzite was remarkable because it was so uniform, yet still preserving primary structures. The


Art Snoke illustrating the use of a Paleoproterozoic skill – drawing the 3D development of a refolded fold using multicolored chalk…upside-down!.

Field trip stops and geologic map.


Lead Story

Stratigraphic Column, Snowy Range, legend geologic units shown in geologic map previous page.Stratigraphic Column, Snowy Range, legend geologic units shown in geologic map previous page.

November 2013Vol. 62, No.11 141414

fragments present in the talus and the moraine displayed an abundance of planar surfaces, the result of penetrative fracturing of the rock mass from ancient stress. Cracking apart along these planar fractures, many of which intersected, gave the quartzite fragments a uniformly s h a r p , a n g u l a r appearance. Along the way, we crossed several outcrops of the Lookout Schist, the unit stratigraphically above the Medicine Peak Quartzite. This mafic rock is a graphitic

schist that contained a n a b u n d a n c e of biotite in hand sample, suggested m e t a m o r p h i c condi t ions above greenschist facies. T h i s sch i s t , l i ke the French Slate, displayed a pervasive foliation which was sometimes intricately folded.

From the Medicine Bow Peak area we drove 2 miles NE to the Lewis Lake Picnic Ground where the

group hiked along Medicine Bow Peak Trail No. 295. We were exposed to sweeping vistas of raw beauty that

included a look back toward our previous stop to the SW. There, we were able to see the stratigraphic success ion o f the Medic ine Peak Quartzite, Lookout Schist and younger Sugarloaf Quartzite standing on end. Continuing along the path, Professor Snoke pointed out several occurrences of Medicine Bow Quartzite that were colored a deep green color—quite a departure from the normally uniform white of the quartzite. Dr. Snoke explained that this coloration was the result of disseminated crystals of fuchsite, a chromium bearing muscovite. Purportedly, the chromium was liberated from chromite that was incorporated into the accessory mineral suite of the original quartz sandstone. This mechanism would necessitate exposure and weathering of ultramafic rocks in the provenance area of the protolith.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the trip came next. We hiked


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Structural geology laboratory in one meter-scale chunk of the Nash Fork metadolomite (with schistose interbeds).


and amphibolites of the East Bear Lake Block that were characterized by intensely transposed isoclinal folds, fold interference patterns, sheared mafic layers and late stage injection of cross-cutting granitic rocks. By this time, the sun was beginning to sink low in the sky. We headed back to the meeting point (the Friendly Store in Centennial, Wyoming). Some of us met at the restaurant next door for a barley pop and a hamburger before heading to our respective homes.

The Snowy Range – Medicine Bow Field Trip was an excellent experience, on a remarkable day with an affable and entertaining guide and a jovial and highly engaged assemblage of participants. RMAG OTR Field Trips continue to be impressive opportunities for learning about the highly varied complexity of the Rocky Mountains. Make certain you go on one soon!

ReferencesHoffman, Paul Fl, 1988, The United Plates of America, the Birth of a

Craton: The Early Proterozoic Assembly and Growth of Laurentia, Ann. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 16:543-603.

Knight, S. H., 1968, Precambrian Stromatolite, Bioherms and Reefs in the Lower Half of the Nash Formation, Medicine Bow Mountains, Wyoming, University of Wyoming Contributions to Geology, 7(2): 75-116.

Noffke, N. and S. M. Awramik, 2013, Stromatolites and MISS – Differences Between Relatives, GSA Today, 23(9):4-9.

Snoke, Arthur , 2013, RMAG Snowy Range, Medicine Bow Mountains, Wyoming Field Trip, unpublished field trip handout.

Sullivan, W.A. and R. J. Beane, 2013, A New View of an Old Suture Zone: Evidence for Sinistral Transpression in the Cheyenne Belt. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 125(7/8): 1319-1337.

Whitmeyer, Steven J. and Karl E. Karlstrom, 2007, Tectonic Model for the Proterozoic Growth of North America, Geosphere, 3(4): 220-259.

about a half-mile into the backcountry in order to track down stromatolitic bioherms in the Nash Fork metadolomite. Using a detailed map published by Knight (1968), we found a gigantic domal stromatolite along the edge of Prospector Lake. This one single stromatolite was approximately 30 feet across – by far the largest I have ever seen. Because the Nash Fork is dipping at a steep angle, the almost horizontal surface of the exposure afforded an excellent cross-section of the giant fossil(s). During the Paleoproterozoic, stromatolites were almost the only form of preservable life, due to construction of a hard substrate. Created by a community of benthic microorganisms (a “biofilm cooperative”), chiefly cyanobacteria, these organic structures were built by sediment trapping and binding onto sticky mucilaginous sheaths protecting the prokaryotic microorganisms (Noffke, 2013). Because cyanobacteria are photosynthesizers, they remove CO2 from the water to combine with H20 to make basic sugars. Removing CO2 results in precipitation of CaCO3, essentially creating a cemented and hardened skeletal framework that grows larger over time, perhaps even altering wave and current flow and creating protected leeward environments. Everyone was impressed by the magnitude and the preservation of the domal stromatolites. Many discussions ensued both on top of the beast and on the long walk back to the vehicles.

Our last stop of the day was along Barber Lake Road across the boundary of the Cheyenne Belt. We visited one of the tectonic blocks, bounded by mylonite zones that comprise this ancient geosuture. In this case, we stopped to look at high-grade orthogneisses


Driving to Stop #5 we were lucky to see five Moose hanging out by the side of the road. All 5 are present in this photograph. Can you pick them out?

»

Photos continued on pages17, 18, 20 »


Lead Story


(Photo below) Stop 2: Medicine Bow Peak Observation Point The Snowy Range is so named because it is comprised of the white-colored Medicine Peak Quartzite that looks to be mantled in snow even when it is not. This 1000’ ridge of steeply dipping Paleoproterozoic quartzite (Lower Libby Creek Group) is highly resistant and has been carved by glaciation. A mafic intrusion cuts the quartzite at the left third of the photo and a mafic dike is evident just below the ridgeline heading toward the maximum elevation of 12,013’ at Medicine Bow Peak.

At the last stop along Barber Lake Road, Professor Snoke shows us some of the highly transposed granitic orthogneisses within a pod of rock surrounded by mylonitic shear zones. This highly deformed rock was injected by later granitic dikes. This outcrop displayed numerous isoclinal folds.

As we perched upon the Nash Fork metadolomite , there ensued a lively discussion about the nature of the prokaryotic cyanobacteria that were capable of creating such large domal stromatolite bioherms during the Paleoproterozoic.

Giant stromatolites are always great icebreakers. Here Amy McKay (left) meets Joyce Trygstad Nelson (right).




Roger Charbonneau scaling the French Slate at Stop 1. This rock, actually a phyllite, is the youngest (Upper part) of the Libby Creek Group, which is the younger part of the Snowy Pass Supergroup. The French Slate displays a range of features recording polyphase deformation. Among these features is a penetrative crenulation cleavage that deforms an earlier foliation. The best part?...The axes of the crenulation folds are almost vertical. The fragmented glacial erratic atop the French Slate is the Medicine Peak Quartzite, an older part of the Libby Creek Group. Graded quartz pebbles and concave trough cross-beds exposed on the flat fracture face to the right indicate that the boulder is “upside down.”

(Photo below) Following Professor Snoke as we hike back to the cars after lunch. Note the dark-colored gabbroic (or diabase) intrusion to the right of the prominent peak in the right middle distance. Art had been in Nevada the previous week and had injured his ankle. In spite of this injury, he often outpaced the entire group.

View from Medicine bow Peak Trail no. 295 looking to the west. The high, rounded ridge in the far distance are comprised of Medicine Peak Quartzite. The conical peak in the left middle distance is Sugarloaf Peak, comprised of Sugarloaf Quartzite. In the saddle between the resistant quartzites is a darker mafic rock, the Lookout Schist. The rocks are younger to the left.


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Probably the most exciting part of the field trip was experiencing the massive size of this giant domal stromatolite bioherm from the Nash Fork metadolomite. Bedding in the Nash Fork is steeply dipping, facilitating the cross-sectional view of this truly massive fossil. Here the giant colonial organism is scaled by Laura Nelson, a graduate

Student in the Botany Department at the University of Wyoming. The internal lamination and vertical microstructure of the stromatolite are evident in the inset photo. It is remarkable that this fabric survived marble recrystallization of the dolomite.

Refolded fold in the French Slate. Note how the axial planar cleavage from the 1st folding episode is bent in the middle by a second generation of folding (with an axial plane oriented top to bottom across the photo). The folded whitish bands are quartzo-feldspathic horizons that displayed a different rheologic behavior to shear than the pelitic material of the slate. These quartzose layers display internal shear that has separated them material into microlithons separated by pressure solved residual material. Individual microlithons are themselves isoclinally folded (inset).

Boulder of Nask Fork metadolomite at Stop 2 characterized by Fe-oxide healed fractures in a boxwork pattern. Dominic Pyanoe observed small blebs of malachite on this specimen.


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Outcrop Deadlines for the Outcrop advertising is the 1st of the month, the deadline for

other content is the 5th of the

month.


—— PRE-SALE FORM —— Studies in Geology 65

Application of Structural Methods to Rocky Mountain Hydrocarbon Exploration and Development

Edited by: Constance N. Knight, Jerome J. Cuzella, Leland D. Cress

Co-published by The American Association of Petroleum Geologists

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

With increasing industry emphasis on developing “unconventional” tight reservoirs and on enhancing recovery from existing fields, geologists are facing new challenges. Identifying fracture characteristics within petroleum systems is essential. Understanding the timing of tectonics and the formation of structures is important, as these factors strongly influence hydrocarbon generation, migration, entrap-ment, and preservation. The purpose in publishing this collection of key papers is to aid future works in addressing complex interrelationships between structural geology and hydrocarbon exploration and development. The first four chapters of this book focus on structural concepts and techniques. The second part of this book is a collection of Rocky Mountain fault and fracture studies. These well-documented studies are valuable reference materials for all petroleum geologists.

I agree to pay the RMAG:

RMAG member—$159 X ___ (# ordering) = _____ + sales tax + shipping*

non-member—$249 X ___ (# ordering) = ______ + sales tax + shipping* *shipping is based on UPS rates, therefore we will charge you based on your shipping zip code Name as it appears on card: _______________________________________________________ Billing address on card: ___________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Credit Card Number: _____________________________________________________________ Verification/security code: ____________________ Expiration Date: ______________________ Signature: _______________________________________________ Date: _________________ Email address for receipt: __________________________________________________________

More information is available on the RMAG website under Publications. Questions? Would you like to pay by check?

Please call the RMAG office (303) 573-8621 or email [email protected]

Coming in September! Order your copy today!

November 2013Vol. 62, No.11 242424

Thank you, Ron!The editors of the Outcrop

wish to thank Ron Pritchett for helping to edit the Outcrop the past few months while one of the editors was on leave. This was above and beyond the call of duty; Ron was commencing his long-awaited retirement. Thank you Ron!

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


RMAG Members Well Represented at RMS-AAPG Awards Luncheon in Salt Lake City

The contributions and accomplishments of several RMAG members were recognized at the 2013 AAPG Rocky Mountain Section Meeting’s All-Convention Luncheon in Salt Lake City on September 24th. Receiving the section’s highest award, the Lifetime Contribution Award, was Dr. Robert Weimer, professor emeritus at Colorado School of Mines. His citation, prepared and read by former RMAG President John Robinson, covered Bob’s many activities as a geoscientist including his consulting work, teaching, and numerous publications over a period spanning more than 50 years. As John so succinctly summarized Bob’s accomplishments, “hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students at CSM and industry professionals have benefited from the courses he taught in stratigraphy, sedimentology, and petroleum geology” during his years as a professor

at CSM from 1957 to his “retirement” in 1983. As a further tribute to Bob, going forward this annual award will be called the Robert J. Weimer Lifetime Contribution Award.

For the first time, the RMS-AAPG also offered its “Rocky Mountain Landmark Publication Award” given to recognize authors or editors of a book, guidebook, or other publication over the past decade or so that has had exceptional impact on developing new hydrocarbon plays or improving fundamental understanding of the geology of the Rocky Mountain region. This year’s award went to Susan Landon, Mark Longman, and Barbara Luneau for their papers on the sedimentology and hydrocarbon source rock potential of the Niobrara Formation published in The Mountain Geologist in 1998 and 2001. The citation on their award reads in part: “These two papers established the stratigraphic and organic geochemical framework of the Niobrara Formation at a regional scale. That framework drew attention to the potential of the Niobrara as a potential shale oil resource play across many Rocky Mountain basins. It just took more than half a decade for the technology of drilling and completing horizontal wells to catch up with the resource play so well outlined in these papers.”

Other RMAG awardees were Edmund “Gus” Gustason and Matthew Pranter who received the Steve Champlin Memorial Award sponsored by the Wyoming Geological Association. This award, created in 1986, is presented to the author(s) of the best poster presentation at the preceding year’s RMS-AAPG Meeting. Gus and Matt won for their poster entitled: “Integrated characterization and modeling of reservoir lithofacies and reserves of the Sussex Sandstone, House Creek North area, Powder River Basin, Wyoming.”

Next year’s RMS-AAPG meeting will be held in Denver at the Colorado Convention Center from July 20 to 22nd. The General Chair for this meeting is Peter Bucknam. Mark your calendars early and plan to attend this special annual event.

»

November 2013Vol. 62, No.11 262626

RMAG Distinguished Public Service to Earth Science Award 2013Kendall Kittleson

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists is honored to present the 2013 Distinguished Public Service to Earth Science Award to Kendall (Ken) Kittleson in appreciation of his contributions in promoting earth science to the general public.

Ken began volunteering with the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS) in May 2004 when he joined the Denver Basin research project team, sharing his geologic expertise supporting Museum scientists working to understand ancient Colorado environments through study of the fossil record.

From 2006 through 2008, Ken served as a tour facilitator, leading groups and families through Prehistoric Denver, the Museum’s world-famous diorama halls, until that program was discontinued. In addition, he led schoolchildren through the gems and minerals exhibit and the fossil laboratory.

Since 2009, Ken has exclusively focused his DMNS volunteer efforts on the WEBS/Adventures in Nature program. This program is conducted in partnership with the Denver Public Schools’ Balarat Outdoor Education Center. Balarat provides field trip transportation for 3rd grade students and the Museum provides a trained crew of volunteers to facilitate the full-day field trips. Half of the field trip is a nature hike in Genesee Mountain Park balanced with the Museum, examining and touching authentic specimens from its collections and supported diorama exploring time. Ken’s science background, love of the outdoors, and passion for inspiring young minds makes him a perfect fit for leading the nature hikes.

Ken gives of himself without a thought about recognition. His reward is in the ‘ah-ha’ moments he creates when a child begins to understand, realizes she/he has what it takes to be a scientist, and experiences the joy of exploring and discovering the world around her/him. Ken knows how to connect with kids, how to bring out their

natural curiosity and how to motivate them in the field.Ken is in his 10th year of service with the Museum’s

volunteer corps. Over the past 9 years, he has contributed more than 550 hours. His unique set of skills and abilities continue to reach children with the message that science is for everyone and it is fun. Ken plays an integral part in inspiring young minds, important and rewarding work with far-reaching impacts.

In recognition of his long-term and valuable contributions as a volunteer with the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, the RMAG proudly presents Ken Kittleson with the 2013 Distinguished Public Service to Earth Science Award.


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November 2013Vol. 62, No.11 282828

RMAG Honorary Membership 2013Ira Pasternack

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists is pleased to present to Ira Pasternack the 2013 Honorary Membership Award. Ira is being awarded this honor for his service to RMAG and his 36 years in the oil and gas industry as a whole.

Ira has been a member of the RMAG and AAPG since 1977. He has been active as a leader in the RMAG starting as Treasurer in 2002 and Secretary in 2005. He was awarded RMAG’s Luncheon Speaker of the Year in 2005 and was awarded the AAPG A.I. Levorsen Award for co-authoring the best paper presented at the Rocky Mountain Section in 2010. He served as 1st Vice President in 2008, Publications Committee Chairman in 2009, President-Elect in 2010 and President in 2011. As President, Ira guided the Association through the difficult transition of key office staff.

Ira has been the author or contributing author for 16 articles on Cretaceous geology of the Rocky Mountains and Alaska. He has written other papers on topics such as horizontal drilling, carbonate reservoir characterization, natural fracturing effects on gas production, sequence stratigraphy and online geological resources.

During his career as a geologist, Ira received several performance awards from his former employer Amoco. These include mentoring and hiring new staff, evaluation of 900 undrilled locations in the San Juan Basin and completing the first Thrust Belt horizontal well (1987), and several horizontal wells in the San Juan Basin (1994). His efforts in the San Juan Basin, Moxa Arch, Anadarko Basin, Wyoming Overthrust, Pinedale and Jonah fields, and Montana have led to hundreds of new wells being drilled by Amoco, Kestrel Energy, Encana, Comet Ridge Resources and other operators.

In addition to RMAG, Ira has memberships with AAPG and SPWLA. He has also been a member of the Potential Gas Committee Technical Advisory Board in the Green River Basin.

Due to his accomplishments both within the RMAG and in the oil and gas industry, the Association is proud to bestow RMAG Honorary Membership to Ira Pasternack. His outstanding service to geology and to the RMAG make him a deserving recipient of this award.

Membership HighlightsJacinda Nettik Brown and her

husband Kevin Brown welcomed their first child, a boy, Merit Andrus Brownon June 26th. He weighed in at 7lbs 2oz. Merit is one happy and easy going baby. In this photo he is 3 months old and sporting his new favorite hat.

Congratulations to Jacinda and Kevin!

Continued from page 26


Distinguished Service to RMAG 2013David Scolman

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists is pleased to present its Distinguished Service to RMAG award to David Scolman. David is being recognized for years of service to RMAG and the professional community through his efforts on the 3D Symposium Committee.

David has served on the 3D Symposium Committee for over 12 years and has been Co-Chair of that extremely important group for at least 4 years. The 3D Symposium, year after year, has been one of RMAG’s most popular and successful ventures. It is a joint event with the Denver Geophysical Society (DGS) and provides the community with a robust educational and networking opportunity as well as providing RMAG with a significant source of income. The symposium committee works with the societies as well as the rest of the professional community to ensure the topics continue to be relevant and that the event functions smoothly. The committee chair sets the tone and expectations for the committee, bringing experience and wisdom in coordinating with the two societies.

Dave has filled several roles on the committee over the years. His first responsibility was as Fundraising Coordinator which is a key role. He later has been Co-Chair or Lead Chair. His service helped the symposium successfully navigate beyond the early guidance under Randy Ray and Bill Pearson and into a new era with leadership under a different set of eyes and minds. Dave has helped maintain the 3D Symposium “brand” and is now considered the “wise old man” on the committee. There has been a tendency over the years in the broader professional community to undervalue the role that RMAG plays in this event as compared to DGS. Dave appreciates the essential nature of RMAG’s role in this important symposium, and emphasizes those contributions of others as part of his role on this RMAG committee.

Dave is a geophysicist with a successful and diverse consulting business. He has over 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, has earned a very good technical reputation and is considered by his peers as a consummate professional.

In recognition of his long and valuable service to RMAG and to the greater professional community through his work on the 3D Symposium Committee, the RMAG proudly presents David Scolman the 2013 Distinguished Service to RMAG Award.


RMAG Outstanding Scientist Award 2013 Harvey R. DuChene

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists is pleased to recognize the scientific contributions Harvey R. DuChene has made in his widespread work in the field of speleology.

Harvey’s extraordinary exploratory spirit arose during the late 1960s and early 1970s when he was exposed in Carlsbad Caverns to the “darndest things I ever saw” (Lindop, 2004). Harvey had developed a keen interest in geological exploration, and in caves, by 1973, when he earned his M.S. at the University of New Mexico. Harvey is known for his ground-breaking work as a member of the team that explored and mapped Lechuguilla Cave in the Guadalupe Mountains of New Mexico. Because it had been recently discovered, Lechuguilla offered unique scientific value in that it was geologically “fresh.” This work was reported in numerous papers published from 1989-2000, many of them authored or co-authored by Harvey.

His work at Lechuguil la reflects Harvey’s characteristically thorough approach to his geologic and scientific contributions. Principally it is his work that supports the concept that caves can be formed by dissolution by sulfuric acid. This concept was proposed in the early 1970s and Harvey has been a leading participant in the development and support of this hypothesis. In addition, he is credited with the idea of significant porosity development in carbonate hydrocarbon reservoirs generated by sulfuric acid dissolution. These concepts have been extended to other “sulfur cave” systems worldwide resulting in Harvey’s authorship of more than sixty widely referenced papers on the subject, and he spends much of his time organizing symposia on caves.

Coinciding with his cave exploration and studies, Harvey has had a long and successful career in the oil and gas business, playing a significant part in the discovery and development of several oil and gas fields.

Harvey DuChene is an accomplished professional geologist and the Association is proud to grant him the 2013 RMAG Outstanding Scientist Award.


RMAG Journalism Award 2013Dr. Scott Sampson

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists is pleased to present to Dr. Scott Sampson its Journalism Award for 2013 in recognition of his contributions as primary scientific consultant and on-air host of the four-part Discovery Channel series Dinosaur Planet,as Dr. Scott the Paleontologist, in the PBS children’s series Dinosaur Train, as well as for his book, Dinosaur Odyssey: Fossil Threads in the Web of Life (University of California Press, 2009). Dinosaur Odyssey is the first comprehensive review of dinosaur paleontology for a general audience in more than two decades. As host of Dinosaur Planet, Dr. Scott Sampson adds tremendous educational value to the series with periodic segments that explain the scientific evidence related to the storyline, much of which is based on new information. Dinosaur Train episodes combine an animated story followed by a live action segment by Dr. Sampson, who interacts with the children to explain the science behind the stories as he demonstrates the details. The Dinosaur Train series encourages scientific thinking and teaches about natural

science. As the show’s paleontologic consultant, Scott contributes tremendous educational value on modern concepts and paleontological research.

Dr. Scott Sampson is a paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and educator who serves as Vice President of Research and Collections & Chief Curator at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Focuses of his research are the ecology and evolution of Late Cretaceous dinosaurs, with fieldwork in Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Madagascar, Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Dr. Sampson is currently serving as the lead researcher on a large project in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah that has yielded abundant remains of a previously unknown assemblage of dinosaurs. In addition to contributions and achievements mentioned above, he has published numerous scientific and popular articles as well as lectured extensively to audiences of all ages on many topics, including dinosaurs, evolution, and connecting people with nature.

Dr. Sampson is serving the geologic profession by bridging the gap between science and the public in an engaging manner and thus deserves the 2013 RMAG Journalism Award.

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20th Annual 3D Seismic Symposium

November 2013Vol. 62, No.11 343434

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

RMAG GEOSTEERING FORUM IMPACTING THE BOTTOM LINE

Presented by The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

TUESDAY, APRIL 29th, 2014

RMAG is pleased to announce its 1st Geosteering Forum. The objectives are to examine advanced geosteering techniques and applications in horizontal wells among geoscientists and engineers. Discussions will include software, downhole tools and techniques, and their usefulness in well planning, stratigraphic interpretation, staying in-zone, dealing with hazards, drilling efficiency, and maximizing productivity of horizontal wells. Join us for this PREMIER event on geosteering! Topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Geosteering techniques and applications • Case histories • Pros/cons of software packages • Downhole tools and techniques • Well planning/stratigraphic interpretation • Dealing with hazards and drilling efficiency • Analyzing geosteering data to understand and boost production • The relative merits of remote, on-location and in-house geosteering

Target Audience: geoscientists, drilling engineers, and reservoir engineers

Marriott Denver City Center Downtown

COMING SOON CALL FOR ABSTRACTS, SPONSORS, AND EXHIBITORS

November 2013Vol. 62, No.11 363636

Every RMAG member is being requested

to keep his/her online membership profile information

up to date.

We want you back! We need you!

The RMAG is facing a serious membership dilemma.During 2013, over 700 RMAG memberships have lapsed.

The recent l y c reated membership committee, the RMAG board of directors, and the RMAG office staff are working to resolve membership issues. We need your help. Recently Debra Higley, Dudley Bolyard, Matt Silverman, and Connie Knight contacted some of the “lapsed” members by phone and by email. Of the members contacted, most

were very concerned that their memberships had lapsed.

Every RMAG member is being requested to keep his/her online membership profile information up to date. We need your help to resolve this problem. If (after reading the profile article of this issue) you require assistance using the online RMAG website and database, please contact the RMAG office.

»


Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists, RMAG 910 16th Street Mall, Suite 1125, Denver, CO 80202

(303) 573-8621 phone (303) 628-0546 fax

www.rmag.org [email protected]

2013 RMAG Dues Renewal

Name: _____________________________________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________________________ City: ________________________________ State: _________ Zip code: ______________ Current email address: _______________________________________________________ 2013 Dues: $41.00 (December 1, 2012 - November 30, 2013) **$25.00 (June 1, 2013 – November 30, 2013)** half year dues + late fee Other Optional Contributions: RMAG Contribution: $_________

(which supports the calendar of 2013 of RMAG events, including short courses, symposia, social events, monthly luncheons, and more)

RMAG Foundation General Fund Contribution: $_________

(which helps support the following: Norman H. Foster Scholarship, University of Colorado (Bolyard) Scholarship, Colorado School of Mines (CSM) Scholarship, Colorado State University (CSU) Scholarship, Veterans Memorial Scholarship, Stone/Hollberg Graduate Scholarship in Structural Geology, Philip J. McKenna Scholarship, Babcock Scholarship)

Total Contribution Payment: $_________

All contributions are tax deductible under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS. Please return this form with payment: Payments may be made by check (payable to RMAG) or credit card (please either fill out the enclosed credit card authorization form or go to www.rmag.org to pay online). Easy steps to update your membership online:

1. Go to RMAG website at www.rmag.org 2. Click on MEMBERSHIP 3. Under MEMBERSHIP, click on Member Log In 4. Under the Member Login box, click where it says “Forgot your information? Click here” 5. Enter your current email address 6. You will then receive an email with your login information

If this is unsuccessful, please contact the RMAG office at (303) 573-8621 or by email at [email protected] for further assistance.

2013 RMAG Dues Renewal


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Authors and Editors Needed:RMAG Oil & Gas Fields of Colorado!

RMAG is working toward the publication of a guidebook dedicated to short field studies of a set of selected oil and gas fields in Colorado. In large part the format will be similar to earlier publications of this type: a several page article that will include a one page summary with a small set of maps and cross-sections adequate to give the reader a lot of information in a short amount of time. The RMAG committee working on this publication has selected 85 fields for review. In addition, we expect to have extended discussion around several large “resource play” areas such as the Piceance Basin or the Greater Wattenberg complex including the recent horizontal Niobrara play.

The committee is currently looking for authors to do field studies and to put together material for publication. Each author may contribute one or multiple field studies. We will also need a group of editors for both technical and copy (grammatical and graphical) review.

Please volunteer! Committee contacts below:

Dean DuBois, Committee Chair [email protected]

James Milne303-894-2100 [email protected]

James [email protected][email protected]

Steve [email protected]

Marshall [email protected]

Tom [email protected]

Chris [email protected]

Well SiteGeologicalConsulting

andMudlogging

Services~ Since 1980 ~

Info:

OUR COMMITMENT

November 2013Vol. 62, No.11 404040

New MembersWelcome to New RMAG Members...

Amanda CegonAmanda Cegon works at Weatherford works at Weatherford Laboratories.Laboratories.

Robert Costas Robert Costas works at Holland Services. works at Holland Services.

Rebecca Deck Rebecca Deck works at PDCE.works at PDCE.

Iain DrewIain Drew lives in Denver, Colorado. lives in Denver, Colorado.

Allen Frierson Allen Frierson works at Devon Energy Corp. works at Devon Energy Corp.

Kasey GarrandKasey Garrand lives in Rapid City, South Dakota. lives in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Richard GermanoRichard Germano works at TerraSpark works at TerraSpark Geosciences. Geosciences.

Frank GrafFrank Graf works at Anadarko Petroleum. works at Anadarko Petroleum.

John HarperJohn HarperJohn Harper lives in Golden, Colorado. lives in Golden, Colorado. lives in Golden, Colorado.

David Hensley works at Columbine Logging.

Theresa Jehn-DellaportTheresa Jehn-Dellaport is the President at is the President at Quantum Water Consulting, Quantum Water Consulting,

Tony KratochvilTony Kratochvil is a Geologist at BHPBilliton. is a Geologist at BHPBilliton.

Scott McWhirter Scott McWhirter works at Columbine Logging.works at Columbine Logging.

Denton O'Neal Denton O'Neal is a student at Colorado School of is a student at Colorado School of Mines. Mines.

Jason Reed Jason Reed is a Geoscience Manager at QEP is a Geoscience Manager at QEP Resources.Resources.

Emily Revielle Emily Revielle works at Internat Aestus, LLC. works at Internat Aestus, LLC.

Farsheed RockFarsheed Rock works at Chesapeake Energy. works at Chesapeake Energy. Farsheed RockFarsheed Rock works at Chesapeake Energy. Farsheed RockFarsheed Rock

Sharon Sadle Sharon Sadle works at Columbine Logging. works at Columbine Logging.

John Silhavy is a student- Economics and Geology at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Nathan Snyder is a Geologist, living in Boulder, Colorado.

Andrew Spickert lives in Basalt, CO.

James Spiers works at Alliance Insurance Group.

Chris Steinhoff works at Anadarko.

John Williams works at Columbine Logging.

Helen Zang is a Geoscientist at C&C Reservoirs Helen Zang is a Geoscientist at C&C Reservoirs Helen ZangInc. »

Vol. 62, No.11 404040

CONNECT WITH US ON LINKEDIN!

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER!

Connect with RMAG Online! You can now connect tothe RMAGon Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook.

You can now connect tothe RMAGon Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook.

Outcrop Deadlines for the Outcrop advertising is the 1st of the month, the deadline for other content

is the 5th of the month.

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=3355814&trk=myg_ugrp_ovr

https://www.facebook.com/RMAG1922

https://twitter.com/RMAGDenver

THANK YOU TO 2012 RMAG FOUNDATION DONORS

The Trustees of the RMAG Foundation wish to acknowledge the generous support of the Foundation’s donors in 2012. Approximately $35,000 was raised for student scholarships and the general fund which supports geologic endeavors within the geologic community at large. The Foundation, a tax-exempt organization under section 501 (c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code (Tax ID # 84-0730294), relies on these donations for its ongoing contributions which are made each year from the interest accrued by the fund.

In addition to the individuals, companies, and corporations on the facing page who gave in 2012, the Foundation would like to recognize a major gift to the scholarship funds by the RMAG Golf Tournament contributors. Thank you to all who organized and played in that tournament!

If any donor has failed to be thanked individually by letter, please contact:

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


November 201342Vol. 62, No.11 42 www.rmag.org42OUTCROP


RMAG Luncheon Programs – November 6th

» »

Luncheon will be held at the Marriott City Center at California and 17th St. Please check the event listing in the lobby for the room. Check-in/walk-in registration begins at 11:30 a.m., lunch is served at 12:00 noon, and the talk begins at 12:20 p.m. The luncheon price is $30.00. To listen only to the talk, walk-in price is $10.00. If you make a reservation and do not attend the luncheon, you will be billed for the luncheon. Online registration closes at 4:00 p.m. on the Thursday before the luncheon. Cancellations are not guaranteed after that time.

Luncheon ReseRvations & infoRmation

Call 303-573-8621, email [email protected],

or register online.

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

Using PSDM Seismic Volumetric Curvature Attributes in Paleokarst Reservoir Characterization Studies: Results from an Arbuckle Extended-Reach Lateral By Jason Rush and John Doveton, Kansas Geological Survey, Energy Research Section, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, November 6

This DOE-funded project evaluates the utility of seismic volumetric curvature (VC) attributes for predicting stratal and structural architecture diagnostic of paleokarst reservoirs. VC has been championed for identifying faults that cannot be imaged by conventional 3-D seismic attributes such as coherence. The objective of this research is to prove-up PSDM VC-techniques for reducing uncertainties in reservoir compartmentalization studies and seal risk assessments. A 2,000-ft horizontal lateral was purposefully drilled across VC-imaged radial lineaments — interpreted to record a fault-bounded collapsed paleocavern — to confirm their presence by evaluating triple combo, full-wave sonic, and image logs.

The 15-mi2 study area is located in southeastern Bemis-Shutts Field and is situated along the crest of the Central Kansas Uplift (CKU) in Ellis County, Kansas. Here, the uppermost Arbuckle (Early Ordovician) records extensive paleokarst features including collapsed paleocaverns and dolines related to exceedingly prolonged pre-Simpson (Sauk–Tippecanoe) and/or pre-Pennsylvanian subaerial exposure. A horizontal lateral was successfully drilled across the full extent of a VC-inferred paleokarst doline. Mud losses were unexpectedly minor (i.e., from seepage), which provided excellent hole conditions for the logging program. Results from the formation evaluation reveal breccias (e.g., crackle, mosaic, chaotic), fractures, solution-enlarged

Mud losses were unexpectedly minor (i.e., from seepage), which provided excellent hole conditions for the logging program.


RMAG Luncheon

faults, touching vugs, well-rounded pebbles, and unaffected host strata. VC-faults, touching vugs, well-rounded pebbles, and unaffected host strata. VC-inferred lineaments coincide with 20–80-ft wide intervals of high GR values inferred lineaments coincide with 20–80-ft wide intervals of high GR values (100+ API), matrix-rich breccias, and faults.(100+ API), matrix-rich breccias, and faults.

Interpretations of the PSDM volume, 3-D VC-attributes, and drill pipe-Interpretations of the PSDM volume, 3-D VC-attributes, and drill pipe-conveyed logs provide an integrative assessment of paleokarst architecture and conveyed logs provide an integrative assessment of paleokarst architecture and karst geomorphology. Cycle-scale, strata-bound breccias observed in flat-lying karst geomorphology. Cycle-scale, strata-bound breccias observed in flat-lying host strata are interpreted to record evaporite karst. The upper Arbuckle in host strata are interpreted to record evaporite karst. The upper Arbuckle in northwest Bemis-Shutts is characterized by large dolines (>1000-ft wide) that northwest Bemis-Shutts is characterized by large dolines (>1000-ft wide) that coincide with radiating lineaments as imaged by the VC-attributes. In contrast, coincide with radiating lineaments as imaged by the VC-attributes. In contrast, the Arbuckle in southeast Bemis-Shutts forms a gently sloping peneplain. the Arbuckle in southeast Bemis-Shutts forms a gently sloping peneplain. We propose that collapsed paleocaverns promoted the formation of dolines, We propose that collapsed paleocaverns promoted the formation of dolines, which then functioned as small basins characterized by interior drainage. which then functioned as small basins characterized by interior drainage. Surface water runoff would have been focused into the dolines along channels Surface water runoff would have been focused into the dolines along channels preferentially formed along radial fractures associated with brittle failure of preferentially formed along radial fractures associated with brittle failure of paleocavern roofs. We believe that a karsted plateau developed where runoff paleocavern roofs. We believe that a karsted plateau developed where runoff was diverted into a groundwater system via dolines (i.e., disappearing streams), was diverted into a groundwater system via dolines (i.e., disappearing streams), moved laterally along an aquitard, and emerged as spring-fed streams at the moved laterally along an aquitard, and emerged as spring-fed streams at the base of an escarpment.base of an escarpment. »»

Note Regarding::

NOVEMBER LUNCHEON

Luncheon will begin early at 11:45, with a brief overview of the proposed RMAG bylaw

changes. The membership will then vote electronically or via paper ballot on the proposed bylaw changes with the 2014

board of directors election.

November 2013Vol. 62, No.11 464646

Conducting More Rigorous Reservoir Studies.” Instructor Conducting More Rigorous Reservoir Studies.” Instructor Bill Savage of NITEC. Denver Athletic Club.Bill Savage of NITEC. Denver Athletic Club.

November 8, 2013DIPS Luncheon.DIPS Luncheon. Speaker Jim Granath.” Billions and Speaker Jim Granath.” Billions and

Billions of Barrels. What is Going on in Kurdistan?”Billions of Barrels. What is Going on in Kurdistan?”

November 9, 2013RMAG Rockbusters Ball. RMAG Rockbusters Ball. Oxford Hotel.Oxford Hotel.

November 12, 2013Desk and Derrick Luncheon. Desk and Derrick Luncheon. For reservations, For reservations,

please contact [email protected] contact [email protected]

November 13-15, 2013Hart DUG (Developing Unconventional Gas).Hart DUG (Developing Unconventional Gas). East. East.

Pittsburgh, PA.Pittsburgh, PA.

November 14, 2013DGS Luncheon.DGS Luncheon.

November 14, 2013RMS/AAPG. RMS/AAPG. Young Professionals Happy Hour. Young Professionals Happy Hour.

Paramount Café 4:30-6:30 p.m.Paramount Café 4:30-6:30 p.m.

In the PipelineIn the PipelineNovember 6, 2013

RMAG Monthly Luncheon.RMAG Monthly Luncheon. Speaker Jason Rush. Speaker Jason Rush. “Using PSDM Seismic Volumetric Curvature Attributes in “Using PSDM Seismic Volumetric Curvature Attributes in Paleokarst Reservoir Characterization Studies: Results Paleokarst Reservoir Characterization Studies: Results from an Arbuckle Extended-Reach Lateral” Denver City from an Arbuckle Extended-Reach Lateral” Denver City Center Marriott. See page 44 for more information.Center Marriott. See page 44 for more information.

November 7, 2013PTTC Course.PTTC Course. “COZ-New Reservoir Simulation “COZ-New Reservoir Simulation

Software Designed to Aid Smaller Operators in Software Designed to Aid Smaller Operators in

DONOVAN BROTHERS INCORPORATED

Wellsite Drilling Engineering • Well Plans • Geomechanics Formation Evaluation • Optimize Drilling Using Logs

Bill Donovan

Geologist • Petroleum Engineer • PE

780 E. Phillips Dr. S. • Littleton, CO 80122 (720) 351-7470 (voice) • (303) 794-7470 (message)

[email protected] www.petroleum-eng.com

Continued on page 48 Continued on page 48 »»

www.breckex.comTexas Office • Ph: 254-559-7566 • Fax: 254-559-6337

2301 US Hwy 180 East • P.O. Box 789 • Breckenridge, TX 76424Denver Office • Ph: 303-563-5301 • Fax: 303.260.6401

600 17th Street, Suite 2800 S • Denver, CO 80202

Project Planning | Acquisition | Permitting | Surveying | Safety Compliant | Results

All crews utilizing OYO GSX Wireless System

and AHV-IV 364 Commander Vibrators or Shothole


NAPE ON THE ROCKS Dec 11th, 2013

3-5pm Welcome reception for nape rockies

COLORADO Convention Center

The Rocky Mountain Association of

Geologists PRESENTS

Sponsorship Opportunities Available! Contact Sue Jackson at [email protected]

November 2013Vol. 62, No.11 484848

November 15, 2013RMS-AAPG Young Professionals

Dine & Discuss. Speaker Katie Kocman. “X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis, Williston Basin.”

November 19, 2013DWLS Luncheon.

November 26. 2013RMS-SEPM Luncheon. Speaker

Juergen Schieber. “Depositional Process-Fabric-Pore: Conceptualizing the Connection Between Depositional Regime, Pore Types, and Porosity in Mudstones.”

November 27, 2013Oilfield Christian Fellowship

Luncheon. To RSVP call Barb Burrell at 303-675-2602 or e-mail [email protected].

The dq1000 ® is a portable quadrapole ® is a portable quadrapole ®

mass analyzer used on drilling wells that analyzes a range of petroleum species and other organic and inorganic compounds.

The dq1000 ® delineates petroleum type, water saturation, fluid contacts and seals to a much greater extent than with conventional instrumentation.

The dq1000 ® Quadrapole ® Quadrapole ®

Mass Spectrometer

Analysis

gas ratios

additives

Applications

completions

monitoring

Fluid Inclusion Technologies

www.fittulsa.com

If you have any events that you would like to post in this column, please submit via email to Holly Sell at [email protected] or to the RMAG office at [email protected] for consideration.

In the Pipeline

»

»


YOUR AD




The Mountain Geologist is a quarterly, online, peer-reviewed

journal published by the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

since 1964. Circulation is about 2600. Editors for The Mountain

Geologist welcome manuscripts that focus on or relate to geology

Geologist welcome manuscripts that focus on or relate to geology

Geologistof the U.S. Rocky Mountain region and environs.

When writing a manuscript for The Mountain Geologist, please

refer to the downloadable “Author Style Guide” found under

“Publications – The Mountain Geologist” on the RMAG website: www.

rmag.org It is important to write your manuscript according to this

g It is important to write your manuscript according to this

ggstyle guide to mitigate revision time for both authors and editors.

The style guide is being updated in 2013; please send inquiries to

the Executive Editor at [email protected] or refer to issues published or refer to issues published or refer to issues published

in 2012-2013 when questions arise.

Back issuesA bibliography and index is available on the RMAG website (1964-

2009, see The Mountain Geologist web page, The Mountain Geologist web page, The Mountain Geologist www.rmag.org). See

also, “Cumulative Bibliography and Index to The Mountain Geologist,

1999-2010” by Michele Bishop, The Mountain Geologist, July 2011,

v. 48, no. 3, p. 59-80 .

Back issues of the journal are available on DVD (The Mountain

Geologist 1964-2005 except 1985, v. 22, no. 4; The Mountain

Geologist 2006-2010 with 1985, v. 22, no. 4) available through the

Geologist 2006-2010 with 1985, v. 22, no. 4) available through the

GeologistRMAG office, 303-573-8621, or online on the RMAG website. Some

issues in hard copies are also available from the RMAG office for

issues in hard copies are also available from the RMAG office for

$15.

»Submit a Manuscript to

November 2013Vol. 62, No.11 505050

Rocky Mtn. PTTC Workshops COZ- New Reservoir Simulation Software Designed to Aid Smaller Operators in Conducting More Rigorous Reservoir Studies Thursday, November 7, 8:30 am – 2:00 pm Fee: $130, Denver Athletic Club, includes lunch, workbook, and PDH certificate. Instructor: Bill Savage, NITEC

DOE-NETL has recently funded development of a new PC-based reservoir simulator by Denver based reservoir engineering firm, NITEC LLC. The user focus was on small to mid-size operators who may have limited simulation expertise in-house or who may not wish to deal with the cost of commercial simulation software. The simulator was to also focus on application to CO2-EOR field problems in a timely manner. The software (COZ) was released to the public, free of charge in February 2013 and can be downloaded from NITEC’s website (www.nitecllc.com).

This workshop will lead the attendees through the process of building a simulation model, submitting prediction cases and evaluating the simulation results. While there are many features to ease the process of simulating CO2-EOR, the finite difference, 4-component, compositional simulator can also handle more conventional reservoir exploitation process – primary depletion, water injection, and hydrocarbon gas injection at the well, pattern or field levels. The software has been validated against other commercial compositional simulation software. The user interface, complete with graphical plots and 3D displays, is focused on setting up the prediction cases. GeoGraphix Training: An Overview and Refresher Course Wednesday, November 20, 2013, 8:30 am – 5 pm, Colorado School of Mines, Berthoud Hall Rm. 201 Fee: $250, includes food at breaks, workbook, and PDH certificate. Instructor: Fred Poland, Littleton, CO

Well Bore Integrity throughout its Life Cycle Tuesday, December 10, 2013, 8:30 am – 5 pm, Colorado School of Mines, Ben Parker Student Center Ballroom A Fee: $250, includes food at breaks, workbook, and PDH certificate. Instructor: Talib Syed, PE

Carbonate Depositional Systems and Seismic Sequence Stratigraphy Tuesday-Wednesday, January 21-22, 2014, 8:30 am – 5 pm, Colorado School of Mines, Ben Parker Student Center Ballroom E Fee: $500, includes food at breaks, workbook, and PDH certificate. Instructors: Dr. John Humphrey and Dr. Joseph Richard Sarg

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

Build and view structure model

interactively


November 2013 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

Advertisers IndexAAPG .............................................. 22

Bowler Petrophysics ........................7

Breckenridge Expl. Inc. ................ 46

Canadian Discovery ...................... 31

Columbine Logging ....................... 39

Decollement Consulting, Inc ....... 36

The Discovery Group, Inc. ............. 24

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

Donovan Brothers Inc. .................. 46

Fluid Inclusion Technologies .38, 48

Geosteering ................................ 25

Gustavson, John B...................... 31

Horizontal Solutions Intl. .... 21, 24

Karo, James C. ........................... 45

Kestrel Geoscience, LLC ........... 26

Kluth and Associates ................. 21

MJ Systems .................................. 9

Mazzullo Energy Corp. ............... 31

Noble Energy .............................. 31

PTTC .................................................. 50

Quantum Water Consulting ............. 21

RPM Geologic, LLC .......................... 14

Stoner Engineering, LLC .................. 43

Summit Mudlogging Services ......... 26

TGS .................................................... 19

Weatherford Laboratories .. 21, 30, 34

Weber Law Firm, LLC ....................... 21

Whitehead, Neil H. ........................... 24

RMAG Luncheon: Jason Rush

1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30THANKSGIVING

RMAG OFFICE CLOSED

Desk & Derrick

Luncheon

RMS-SEPM Luncheon

DGS Luncheon

RMS-AAPG YP Dine & Discuss

RMS-AAPG YP Happy Hour

Oilfield Christian Fellowship Luncheon

PTTC Course

DWLS Luncheon

DIPS Luncheon

RMAG Rockbusters

Ball

Hart DUG (13th-15th)Hart DUG (13th-15th)Hart DUG (13th-15th)

november 2013 outcrop

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