HGS Calendar Events RSS Feed

May Bulletin Deadline

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:00:00 GMT

May Bulletin Deadline
Start Date: 15-Mar-10 5:00 PM
End Time: 15-Mar-10 5:00 PM
Event Details:

Last Day to Submit Material for the

May 2010 Bulletin!

AAPG / HGS Deepwater Technology Workshop

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:00:00 GMT

AAPG / HGS Deepwater Technology Workshop
Start Date: 16-Mar-10 7:00 AM
End Time: 17-Mar-10 5:30 PM
Location: Norris Conference Center/City Centre, Houston, TX 77024
Speaker: Mike Hudec-Keynote Speaker

Event Details:

GeoscienceTechnology Workshop: Deepwater and Ultra-Deepwater Reservoirs in the Gulf of Mexico

Space is limited, so sign up early!

To Register click link below:

http://www.aapg.org/gtw/houston03mar162010.cfm

The event will be held March 16-17, in Houston and registration is now available.
The cost of the conference is $695 for AAPG members and
$795 for non-members if you sign up before February 22– after that the price goes up!

Special Deal for HGS Members!

** One free AAPG webinar (an archived one) -- $145 value (email snash@aagp.org)
** HGS members receive AAPG member discount

The goal of this meeting is to develop knowledge that can enhance exploration, production, and appraisal efforts in deepwater reservoirs in the Gulf of Mexico. Experienced practitioners and researchers will participate in lively discussions to share both personal experiences and best practices in applying geology, geophysics, and engineering data to the challenges of exploration, appraisal, development drilling, and reservoir characterization and simulation. Sessions will include results of studies on existing fields, as well as exploration frontiers, geophysical issues, and emerging technologies for imaging and data acquisition. The workshop will conclude with “big picture” discussions in which lessons learned are applied to future endeavors. Check the AAPG Learn! Blog http://blog.aapg.org/learn/ for updated program information! To facilitate the exchange of ideas, there will be no abstracts or publications released from this symposium, much like the very successful SPE Applied Technology Workshops. Participants will have many opportunities to network and to discuss practical issues.

Come be part of the exciting and dynamic new meeting format!

Attendees may earn up to 1.5 CEUs by attending the Deepwater / Ultra Deepwater GTW

**Approved Training Provider -- Texas Workforce Commission -- you may be eligible for tuition reimbursment **

Norris Conference Center/City Centre

803 Town and Country Ln., Suite 210

Houston, TX 77024

HGS Northsiders Lunch: Geologic Controls on Shale Oil

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:30:00 GMT

HGS Northsiders Lunch: Geologic Controls on Shale Oil
Start Date: 16-Mar-10 11:30 AM
End Time: 16-Mar-10 1:00 PM
Location: Crowne Plaza Hotel - Greenspoint (formerly Sofitel), Houston, TX 77060
Speaker: Aris Pramudito

Event Details:

Understanding the Geologic Controls on “Shale Oil Play”: Lessons Learned from the Bakken Formation, Williston Basin, Elm Coulee Field, Montana

The Bakken Formation is a subsurface formation in the Williston Basin that is divided into three informal members: upper, middle and lower. Upper and lower Bakken consist of dark grey to black pyritic and finely laminated mudstones. The middle member of the Bakken is composed of various lithologies including siltstones, sandstones, limestones and dolostones. Total thickness of the Bakken Formation in the Williston Basin ranges from 0 ft – 110 ft with the upper member ranges from 0 ft - 30 ft, the middle ranges from 0 ft - 92 ft, and the lower ranges from 0 ft - 46 ft.

The upper and lower mudstones are world-class petroleum source rocks with TOC range from 8% to 36% wt. with average of 25% to 28% wt. across large areas of the basin, and can be easily identified by their high radioactive signatures (GR > 200 ^oAPI). The Bakken was estimated to have generated 200 – 400 billion barrels, low sulfur (< 0.1%), 40 – 45 ^oAPI gravity oil in place.

The lower Bakken is absent in the Elm Coulee Field. Source of petroleum in the middle Bakken is primarily from the upper Bakken mudstone with TOC varies from 8% - 15% wt. with estimated initial TOC ranges from 12% – 25% wt., increasing towards the basin center (northwest to the Elm Coulee).

The total thickness of the Bakken Formation in the Elm Coulee field 10 ft - 50 ft with the middle Bakken ranges from 5 ft – 45 ft. Low permeability rocks characterize the overall middle Bakken member lithologies. The accommodation space for the Bakken in the Elm Coulee field is believed to be developed by the dissolution of the evaporite Prairie Formation to the north of Elm Coulee or by basement related structures or both.

The upper Bakken mudstone is dark-grey to black, hard, siliceous, slightly calcareous, pyritic, and fissile. The mudstone consists of dark organic kerogen, minor clay, silt-size quartz, some calcite and dolomite. The kerogen consists mainly of amorphous material and the organic material is distributed evenly throughout the mudstone interval. The middle Bakken in the Elm Coulee Field consists of dolostones with 3 identified lithofacies: calcareous dolomudstones, bioturbated dolomudstones and sandy dolostones. Identified lithofacies represent different rock properties of the middle Bakken. Sandy dolostone lithofacies has the greatest porosity and permeability both calculated from core analysis and wireline logs (5% - 10% porosity and 0.05 – 0.2 mD of permeability). The pore network development in the middle Bakken is the function of degree of bioturbation, mineralogical-depositional fabric, and diagenesis. Permeability is highly dependant by matrix porosity from intergranular and intragranular from the dissolution of dolomites, with less of natural fractures involved based on core observation in the field.

Due to the simplicity of structural deformation in the Williston Basin, the oil generated by the upper and middle Bakken remains in the system. Therefore Bakken petroleum system is a self-sourced system. The middle Bakken in this field is oil saturated. Both fractures and pore network are the important factors in controlling petroleum charge access from the upper Bakken source to the middle Bakken tight reservoir.

The middle Bakken fairway boundaries in the Elm Coulee field were defined using porosity from neutron-density logs with cutoff of 5%, and true resistivity above 20 Ohm-m. Net thickness of saturated oil zone within the middle Bakken ranges from 5 ft to 25 ft. The Bakken in the field is slightly overpressured due to petroleum generation. The over-pressuring and middle Bakken reservoir quality are the important factors in understanding the oil production rates in the Elm Coulee Field. The middle Bakken is a brittle dolostone, which is fracture-able for hydraulic fracturing completion. Long-lateral horizontal drilling and multi-stages hydraulic fracturing of the middle Bakken dolostones are keys of success in the Elm Coulee Field development area.

Crowne Plaza Hotel - Greenspoint (formerly Sofitel)

425 North Sam Houston Pkwy

Houston, TX USA 77060

HGS Environmental & Engineering Dinner: Ethanol-Blended Fuels

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:30:00 GMT

HGS Environmental & Engineering Dinner: Ethanol-Blended Fuels
Start Date: 16-Mar-10 5:30 PM
End Time: 16-Mar-10 8:30 PM
Location: Black Lab in the Churchill Room, Houston, TX 77006
Speaker: Brent P. Stafford, PhD, PG

Event Details:

Fate and Transport of Ethanol-Blended Fuels
Brent P. Stafford, PhD, PG

Concerns regarding potential impacts to environmental resources from releases of ethanol-blended fuels have increased due to the rise in use and transport of ethanol fuel blends. Potential release scenarios include ethanol-blended gasoline (10-20% v/v ethanol) or E85 (85% v/v ethanol) leaking from underground storage tanks at service stations, and fuel grade (denatured) ethanol (95-97.5% v/v ethanol) spills during transport or after reaching bulk terminals.

The hydrophilic properties of ethanol drive the environmental transport of these fuels and influence the locations and geometries of generated non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) secondary source zones from the gasoline or denaturant fuel fractions. Also, due to the ability of highly concentrated ethanol to dissolve NAPL, large releases of fuel grade ethanol may exacerbate impacts to groundwater or surface waters at sites with pre-existing NAPL in soils or sediments. As a result, commonly understood and utilized conceptual models used as tools for site management for released (non-ethanol blended) fuels may be inadequate for some ethanol fuel blends.

This study presents and overview of the state of knowledge on the fate and transport of released ethanol-blended fuels. Included are recent quantitative results from bench- and pilot--scale experiments that simulated releases of fuel-grade ethanol near the water table, highly concentrated ethanol in the capillary zone upgradient of a pre-existing residual NAPL, and dissolved ethanol and aromatic hydrocarbons from a steady-state simulated gasohol source in groundwater. The results show (1) fuel ethanol releases that reach the water table will be largely confined to the capillary zone due to ethanol’s physical properties. As a result, generated secondary NAPL sources from gasoline fuel fractions in fuel grade ethanol will largely form within a collapsed capillary fringe. (2) The mass transfer of ethanol from the capillary zone will determine the resulting ethanol concentrations in groundwater; thus, surface recharge, water table fluctuations, and groundwater seepage velocity and dispersion, and position within and down-gradient of the source will be important determinants of aqueous ethanol concentration; and (3) pre-existing residual NAPL may be mobilized by ethanol in the capillary zone closer to the water table, which would increase hydrocarbon concentrations in neighboring groundwater.

Collectively, there have been recent significant gains in the state of knowledge on the fate and transport of ethanol-blended fuels. These compiled results from recent research and field investigations provide insight for evaluating or managing potential risks to environmental resources.

Black Lab in the Churchill Room

4100 Montrose Blvd.

Houston, TX 77006

Thirsty Thursday

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:00:00 GMT

Thirsty Thursday
Start Date: 18-Mar-10 6:00 PM
End Time: 18-Mar-10 8:00 PM
Location: Cedar Creek Cafe Bar & Grill, Houston, TX 77008
Event Details:

The March Edition of Thirsty Thursdays is being held at Cedar Creek Cafe, Bar, and Grill. We'll be there from 6-8 pm so bring a friend and join the NeoGeos for an after work brew.

Cedar Creek Cafe Bar & Grill

1034 W 20th St

Houston, TX USA 77008

HGS Int''l Explorationists Dinner: Understanding the Deep Crust

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 22:30:00 GMT

HGS Int'l Explorationists Dinner: Understanding the Deep Crust
Start Date: 22-Mar-10 5:30 PM
End Time: 22-Mar-10 8:30 PM
Location: Westchase Hilton, Houston, Texas 77042-3802
Speaker: Dr. Walter D. Mooney

Event Details:

From the Bay of Bengal and Beyond!

Using seismic techniques to understand the earth's crust beneath sedimentary basins.

Dr. Walter D. Mooney

United States Geological Survey

Understanding how sedimentary basins evolve is an exciting but difficult task. Seismic reflection data do a marvelous job of imaging the internal structure of sedimentary basins. There is no better technique. However, we often want more than just a detailed image of the basin. Of particular interest are the physical properties within the basin and below it, within the crystalline crust. For example, seismic P- and S-wave velocities are closely tied to lithology, and hence crustal type (oceanic versus continental). Consequently, seismic reflection studies are complemented by seismic velocity studies. Such velocity information is very effective in determining basin geometry, and can be used to determine Poisson’s ratio, an important parameter for determining the kind of source rocks, crustal type, as well issues related to the Law of the Seas convention.

One good way to obtain reliable deep seismic velocities is to shoot wide-offset seismic refraction profiles. Actually, this technique is a classical one that every student encounters in their first course about the Earth’s crust. Indeed, seismic refraction profiles formed the basis for the early exploration of hydrocarbon resources. Today, high resolution seismic refraction profiles are recorded one land and at sea using a wide variety of techniques.

In this talk I will present a global synthesis of what we have learned from deep crustal seismic velocity profiles, from the Gulf Coast to the Bay of Bengal, and beyond. A very extensive literature search has been undertaken to track down as many of the seismic refraction publications as possible. The resulting database contains over 10,000 one-dimensional P-wave and S-wave profiles, making it the largest such catalog in existence. These data, especially when examined as complete crustal cross sections, reveal a number of surprising results, such as the discovery of highly thinned continental crust extending 100’s of km offshore; serpentinized peridotite (rather than basalt) right at the sea floor, and evidence that deep, highly metamorphosed sediments that mimic crystalline basement rocks, thus confounding traditional basin interpretations. Indeed, many of these results challenge conventional views of “how the Earth works”. That’s just what makes this investigation so exciting!

Westchase Hilton

9999 Westheimer

Houston, Texas 77042-3802

HGS N. American Dinner: Hydrocarbons Associated With Igneous Rocks

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 22:30:00 GMT

HGS N. American Dinner: Hydrocarbons Associated With Igneous Rocks
Start Date: 29-Mar-10 5:30 PM
End Time: 29-Mar-10 8:30 PM
Location: Westchase Hilton, Houston, Texas 77042-3802
Speaker: Steven Schutter

Event Details:

Hydrocarbons Associated With Igneous Rocks (N. America & Worldwide)

Explorationists generally disregard igneous rocks and their immediate surroundings, condemning the surrounding sediments as overmature and the igneous rocks themselves as nonporous crystalline masses. However, these are misconceptions, and there is opportunity in moving beyond them. The maturation effects of the igneous activity are often overrated. Most shallow igneous intrusions are volumetrically too small to affect a large volume of rock, and even flood basalts cool too quickly to have a marked effect. Most thermal effects are due to regional heating or hydrothermal circulation.

Porosity in igneous rocks may be due to fracturing, particularly due to cooling. Some extrusive rocks are also vesicular or may have a clastic texture. However, retrograde metamorphism can also provide significant porosity; essentially a vuggy texture. Combinations of these can produce effective reservoir rocks.

Igneous rocks can also provide their own traps. Variations in porosity can produce a pseudostratigraphic trap; however, thick intrusive bodies (such as laccoliths and plugs) and volcanic cones can also provide trapping structures. Dikes can block hycrocarbon migration pathways. Syndepositional sedimentary and igneous facies may also provide traps, as well as post-emplacement draping over noncompacting igneous bodies.

While generally not considered to be source rocks, extrusive igneous terrains are often lake-prone, and thus may provide source rocks for subsequent igneous rocks.

Migration in igneous areas is predominantly normal, but both CO₂-dominated systems and those subject to supercritical steam may be present and they may have distinctive favorable peculiarities. Since they are nonpolar fluids, they are considerably more effective than water-dominated systems at mobilizing hydrocarbons, and the conventional “rules of thumb” for organic matter type, richness, and maturity may not apply.

Exploration methods need to be as variable as the igneous reservoirs. Some igneous rocks contain abundant iron, and have a strong magnetic signature. Others do not. Some igneous rocks are much denser than the surrounding rock; others are not. Notably, one of the earliest plays in Texas, the “serpentine” trend, was instrumental in developing many of the early geophysical techniques. Likewise, log results may be so variable as to be ambiguous. Some characteristics may be recognizable, but the nature of the igneous rocks and their relationships must be considered.

Due to the lack of “rules” and systematic study, currently the best approach to exploration in and around igneous rocks is to look for analogs. The search for analogs cannot be limited to one area or continent, but a global view is needed. Analogs from around the world have applicability to possible plays in North America. Thus, an extensive reference list of possible analogs should be considered.

More broadly, the presence of hydrocarbons in or around igneous rocks in a basin may be a sign for an effective hydrocarbon system in that basin. There are still basins in the world where leaking hydrocarbons may indicate the potential of the basin. Also, large areas of productive sedimentary basins are covered by volcanics, both flood basalts and ash-flow tuffs. Exploration models can complement and enhance geophysical methods in such areas.

Useful References

DeJarnett, B. B., 2007, Oil in a basaltic reservoir? West Rozel Field, Box Elder County, Utah: Houston Geological Society Bulletin, v. 50, n. 3 (November), p. 35, 37.

Schutter, S. R., 2003, Hydrocarbon occurrence and exploration in and around igneous rocks: in Petford, N., and McCaffrey, K. J. W., eds., Hydrocarbons in crystalline rocks, Geological Society of London, Special Publication 214, p. 7-33.

Discussion.

Schutter, S. R., 2003, Occurrences of hydrocarbons in and around igneous rocks: in Petford, N., and McCaffrey, K. J. W., eds., Hydrocarbons in crystalline rocks, Geological Society of London, Special Publication 214, p. 35-68.

List of occurrences.

Westchase Hilton

9999 Westheimer

Houston, Texas USA 77042-3802

ETGS Tech 2010 and Prospect Expo

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:30:00 GMT

ETGS Tech 2010 and Prospect Expo
Start Date: 30-Mar-10 8:30 AM
End Time: 30-Mar-10 4:30 PM
Location: Tyler's Harvey Convention Center, Tyler, TX
Speaker: H. Craig Clark / Rick Turner

Event Details:

Tyler's Harvey Convention Center

2000 W. Front St.

Tyler, TX

HGS General Lunch: Boquillas (Eagle Ford) Outcrops, South Texas

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:30:00 GMT

HGS General Lunch: Boquillas (Eagle Ford) Outcrops, South Texas
Start Date: 31-Mar-10 11:30 AM
End Time: 31-Mar-10 1:30 PM
Location: Petroleum Club of Houston, Houston, Texas 77002
Speaker: Lauren Peschier

Event Details:

The Boquillas (Eagle Ford) Formation of South Texas: Potential Outcrop Analogs for Nonconventional Eagle Ford Shale Reservoirs in the Subsurface

The Eagle Ford Shale (and the laterally equivalent Tuscaloosa Shale) of the Gulf Coast Basin has long been considered to be a source rock for Mexico, Texas, and northern Louisiana production but is now drawing interest as a resource play. With industry focus on non-conventional reservoirs and advancements in multilateral horizontal completion technology, fractured bituminous shales have become viable exploration targets. Well known examples of shale reservoirs include Bakken Shale (Mississippian of Williston Basin), Barnett Shale (Mississippian of Forth Worth Basin), Woodford Shale (Late Devonian/Early Mississippian of Arkoma Basin), and Marcellus Shale (Middle Devonian of Appalachian Basin). The Cretaceous experienced three major Oceanic Anoxic Events, including one at the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary, represented by the Eagle Ford, and it is not surprising that exploration interest is now being attracted.

The current study is concerned with outcrops observed along U.S Highway 90 in Val Verde and Terrell counties, Texas, where the Eagle Ford (locally called the Boquillas Formation) lies on the northern margin of the Maverick Basin. The Boquillas Formation (Cenomanian-Turonian) is about 200 ft thick in this area but thickens ten-fold in northern Mexico. It was deposited during a time of exceptionally high sea levels and represents a transgressive-regressive sequence. For the purpose of the study, the formation was divided into three members based on lithological differences, including limestone to shale ratio. Attention was focused on the lowest member, which has characteristics of slope depositional conditions. Features seen in this member contradict previous interpretations of the Boquillas in this area, which had been thought to be composed of tidal-flat or shallow shelf sediments. The sedimentary features of the lower member include slump folds, debris flows, probable turbidites, and possible contourites (previously interpreted as hummocky cross bedded grainstones). The strata consist mainly of interbedded limestone and calcareous shales. These sediments were probably once black and organic-rich, but there are no exposures where the lower member is sufficiently unweathered. Diagenetic differentiation, the repartitioning of carbonate from the shales into the limestone, has selectively exaggerated the geometry of the contourites and caused their resemblance to hummocky cross-stratification. When freshly broken, the limestone beds emit a hydrocarbon odor. The faunal assemblage of the lower and middle members consists mainly of planktonic foraminifera, calcispheres, and ammonites. Bottom dwelling fossils are less common and are mainly found in the matrix of debris flow deposits, with the exception of Inoceramus sp. This bivalve genus has species that are adapted to low oxygen conditions. The lack of bioturbation and scarcity of fossils suggests deep water and possibly anoxic bottom conditions. The combination of lithofacies observed in outcrop, and the fauna, suggest that the lower member of the Boquillas represents the beginning of sea level rise with sediment accumulating on the upper margin of the basin’s slope, in moderately deep water.

The transition between the lower and middle members is marked by the abrupt end of the unstable slope features and a much higher proportion of organic-rich shales to limestones. At the base of the three deepest road cuts along Highway 90, fresher rock is exposed. When freshly broken, these shales are black. They are very finely laminated on a millimeter scale, and contain planktonic foraminifera and calcispheres. Coarser laminae, ranging from millimeter to centimeter thick, consist of microfossil concentrations that are thought to be a product of winnowing by bottom currents. Inoceramids are also present in the middle member. Some of the interbedded limestones are laterally continuous while others are more nodular in appearance. The preservation of fine laminae, with little to no bioturbation, combined with the fauna present, indicate anaerobic to dysaerobic conditions with a total lack of infauna during the time of deposition. Water depth for the majority of the middle member was probably deeper than for the lower member, with sediment being deposited on the middle to lower basin slope. Nearing the top of this member there is an increase in limestone beds suggesting a decrease in water depth, consistent with the interpretation of a transgressive-regressive cycle.

The upper member consists mainly of somewhat bioturbated limestones that are much thicker than those of the other two members. Trace fossils include Chondrites, which still suggests relatively low oxygen levels. The upper member appears to lack the high organic content present in the rest of the Boquillas. This top unit represents a progressive return to shallower, better oxygenated conditions. Along with pyrite-filled burrows, an abundance of regular and irregular echinoids supports this interpretation.

Petroleum Club of Houston

800 Bell St., 43rd Floor

Houston, Texas USA 77002

HGS General Dinner: GOM Hydrates

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 22:30:00 GMT

HGS General Dinner: GOM Hydrates
Start Date: 5-Apr-10 5:30 PM
End Time: 5-Apr-10 8:30 PM
Location: Hilton Houston Westchase, Houston, Texas 77042
Speaker: Dan McConnell

Event Details:

The Discovery of Rich Gas Hydrate Accumulations in Sand Reservoirs in the Gulf of Mexico: Results from DOE-Chevron Joint Industry Project Drilling

Dan McConnell, AOA Geophysics;

Ray Boswell, U.S. Department of Energy;
Timothy S. Collett, U.S. Geological Survey;

Matthew Frye and William Shedd, Minerals Management Service;

Stefan Mrozewski, Gilles Guerin, and Ann Cook, Columbia University;

Dianna Shelander and Jianchun Dai, Schlumberger;

Paul Godfriaux and Rebecca Dufrene, Minerals Management Service;

Emrys Jones and Rana Roy, Chevron

In April and May of 2009 the Gulf of Mexico Gas Hydrate Joint Industry Project realized its second field program (Leg II) with the semi-submersible Helix Q4000 drillship. The three week, $11.5M expedition drilled seven logging-while-drilling (LWD) holes at three sites that tested a variety of geologic/geophysical models for the occurrence of gas hydrate in sand reservoirs in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Over 17,000 ft of sedimentary section were logged using a state of the art bottom hole assembly. The three sites drilled were Walker Ridge (WR) 313, Green Canyon (GC) 955, and Alaminos Canyon (AC) 21. The expedition was completed on-time and under budget. The locations for JIP Leg II drilling were the result of an integrated geological and geophysical prospecting approach that considered direct geophysical evidence for gas hydrate-bearing strata in the context of evaluation of indicators for gas sourcing, gas migration pathways to the shallow section, and occurrence of sand reservoirs within the gas hydrate stability zone. High saturation gas hydrate deposits in sands were found, where predicted, at four of five holes at two sites, WR313 and GC 955. The third site, AC 21, indicated low to moderate gas hydrate saturation in extensive shallow sands. The full research-level LWD assembly deployed for Leg II collected gamma-ray, neutron and density porosity, neutron spectroscopy data, as well as full azimuthal resistivity and acoustic velocity, including both compressional and shear-wave measurements.

Leg II was clearly a high-risk proposition, as despite the drilling of a large number of industry wells in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, there had been only one prior instance (at Alaminos Canyon block 818) in which gas hydrate had been reported to occur in sand. Nonetheless, the potential for gas hydrate at high saturation in sands was large; an assessment conducted under the leadership of the Minerals Management Service produced a mean estimate of 6,700 tcf gas-in-place in gas hydrate-bearing sands in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Perhaps the primary scientific objective of the Leg II program was to provide ground truth data to test the soundness of the prospecting techniques developed with the JIPs site selection team. One part of this approach was pre-drill inversions of seismic data to estimate areal variations in gas hydrate saturation.

The two wells in WR 313, in the Terrebonne Basin, confirmed the pre-drill models. The main gas hydrate targets were approximately 2,700 ft below the seafloor. The first well WR 313 G had a predrill prediction of 57% gas hydrate in the target sand. LWD indicated a net of ~30 ft of sand containing gas hydrate at saturation of 70% at the target horizon. The second well approximately 0.6 miles east and updip, WR 313 H, tested a similar, but stratigraphically deeper target. The pre-drill saturation was 53% at the primary target. Results show two lobes of very clean sand with over 90% gas hydrate saturation in the upper lobe. Saturations in the lower lobe ranged from 50% to 60%. In addition, both holes revealed a shallow unit with 350-500 ft of grain-displacing fracture fills gas hydrate in clays beginning approximately 600 ft below the sea floor.

Three holes were drilled in GC955 just outboard of the Sigsbee Escarpment, where a wide and thick late Pleistocene channel complex has been fractured and uplifted by a shallow salt stock. A highly faulted four-way closure with numerous amplitude anomalies at the base of gas hydrate stability is near-to but west of the channel axis. The first well GC955 I was closest to the industry well that penetrated thick sands. As expected, the “I” well encountered a thick sand section but the sands contained primarily water – with only a few feet of potential gas hydrate.

The next two wells, GC 955 H and GC 955 Q, targeted the sand at the four-way closure approximately 0.7 miles proximal to the youngest well preserved channel axis in the depositional sequence. The LWD data obtained at this location indicate over 100 ft of gas-hydrate-bearing zones within a single sand-rich unit with saturations estimated to be over 70%. This accumulation is overlain, underlain, and most surprisingly, interbedded with gas-hydrate-free, water-bearing sands. In addition to the gas hydrate in the target sand, fracture fill gas hydrate was detected in the clay-prone section above the target. GC 955 Q is believed to have encountered at least 50 ft of highly saturated gas hydrate sand at the target, but drilling was aborted because of a potential gas hydrate dissociation event and subsequent gas flow. The LWD data, however, show complex acoustic responses and are still being analyzed before a confident interpretation of the pore fill in the drilled interval can be offered. However, it appears that gas hydrate occurrence at the GC 955 site, both in the sands and in the overlying clays, is highly complex, and potentially complicated by fault-controlled compartmentalization and related lateral variations in gas delivery, thermal gradients, pore-water salinities, and other phenomena.

The two wells drilled in Alaminos Canyon block 21 (AC21), in the vicinity of the Diana development, confirmed the pre-drill prediction of potential extensive occurrence of gas hydrates in shallow sand reservoirs at relatively low (<40%) saturations. However, further sample collection and analyses at AC-21 are needed to confirm the existence and quantity of gas hydrate.

The expedition demonstrated the ability to reasonably predict gas hydrate occurrence through seismic data in the absence of pre-drill well data. At WR313, the model linking aligned phase reversals at multiple levels with gas-hydrate bearing sands at the base of gas hydrate stability (BGHS) was confirmed. Furthermore, initial results suggest that gas hydrate has the potential to fully saturate reservoirs well above the BGHS, with the primary control being occurrence of reservoir quality facies. In addition, unexpected findings, such as the complex nature of the gas hydrate occurrence at GC955, and the discovery of the extensive, strata-bound shallow hydrate occurrence at WR313, raise exciting new questions.

The DOE and the JIP are committed to making these data publically available as soon as possible to support a wide range of scientific studies. The initial reports will be published shortly at http://www.netl.doe.gov/MethaneHydrates/JIPLegII-IR/

Hilton Houston Westchase

9999 Westheimer Road

Houston, Texas USA 77042

AAPG Annual Meeting: New Orleans

Sun, 11 Apr 2010 13:30:00 GMT

AAPG Annual Meeting: New Orleans
Start Date: 11-Apr-10 8:30 AM
End Time: 14-Apr-10 5:30 PM

Jun. Bulletin Deadline

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 22:00:00 GMT

Jun. Bulletin Deadline
Start Date: 15-Apr-10 5:00 PM
End Time: 15-Apr-10 5:00 PM
Event Details:

Last Day to Submit Material for the

June 2010 Bulletin!

HGS International Dinner: Interfering K-T Rift Systems, Turkana Depression, E. Africa

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 22:30:00 GMT

HGS International Dinner: Interfering K-T Rift Systems, Turkana Depression, E. Africa
Start Date: 19-Apr-10 5:30 PM
End Time: 19-Apr-10 8:30 PM
Location: Westchase Hilton, Houston, Texas 77042-3802
Speaker: Ian Hutchinson

Event Details:

Interfering Cretaceous and Tertiary Rift Systems of the Turkana Depression

EXPLORING A UNIQUE RIFT SYSTEM CROSSING THE SUDAN, ETHIOPIA AND KENYA

IAN HUTCHINSON, GEOLOGIST WITH RPS ENERGY

HENLEY ON THAMES, UK

The Turkana Depression has for some time been the subject of speculation regarding the geometric relationship of an obvious Miocene Rift system crossing between Kenya and Ethiopia and an older sequence of rifts – oblique to the East African Rift System (EARS) – that is evident in the Mesozoic Anza Graben of Kenya and the Muglad and Melut systems of Southern Sudan. Up to five phases of rifting potentially affected the area. The Early Cretaceous to Paleogene systems of the Anza, Muglad and Melut basins, (ca. 120 Ma, 70 Ma and 40 Ma) have been overprinted by the Miocene East African Rift system (ca. 20 Ma and 10 Ma). Crucially a lack of geological or geophysical data have hampered an understanding of this critical area of interfering rift systems.

The East African Rift System (EARS) of Tertiary age is predominantly located in zones of Precambrian orogenic belts avoiding stable Archaean cratonic areas. The geometry of the rift system is largely controlled by the Precambrian mobile belt architecture, however, later extensional events of Permo-Triassic (Karoo), Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Palaeogene ages have also affected the location and orientation of the Tertiary rift systems to a greater or lesser degree A major challenge of the area is that outcrop comprises either volcanic rocks or metamorphic basements with little in the way of sedimentary sequences that give indications of East African or earlier rift systems.

Seismic knowledge was restricted to mid 1980’s data shot over the Lotikipi and Gatome Basins of northwest Kenya by Amoco, plus the ship-borne PROBE data acquired over the Lake Turkana rift. There was sparse gravity data over a large part of the Depression, outside of Kenya.

A pioneering, tri-nation airborne gravity and magnetic survey was flown offered a new insight into the complex rift geometry of the Turkana Depression. The survey highlighted an interfering older rift system running from the Anza into the Muglad-Melut systems. Cretaceous rifting extends from the Anza Graben through the Turkana Region and links with the Sudanese rifting of Muglad and Melut Basins. Maastrichtian rifting appears to extend northwestwards from the Anza Graben, and may be present within basins of SW Ethiopia, and northern Kenya. Similar rifting occurred in the Eocene and Oligocene-Miocene rifting is vident in the west Turkana Basins. Mid to Late Miocene East African rifting cross-cuts all of these earlier rift geometries.

Source rocks are known in the Miocene of Ethiopia and Kenya, the Oligocene (?Eocene) of the Loperot-1 well, and are predicted in the earlier rift phases. In southwest Ethiopia, north of the Turkana Depression, Middle Miocene oil-shales and coals have been shown to have excellent source rock properties and equivalents may be preserved within the Rift system. The presence of marine Cretaceous sequences is supportive of earlier source rocks. Suitable reservoirs are developed in all tectono-stratigraphic phases of rifting. The interfering rifts of the Turkana Depression provide several new exciting exploration plays and the probability of numerous trapping scenarios. Undoubted challenges are presented by the complex thermal history and the presence of volcanics and volcanic activity.

Westchase Hilton

9999 Westheimer

Houston, Texas USA 77042-3802

HGS Environmental & Engineering Dinner

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:30:00 GMT

HGS Environmental & Engineering Dinner
Start Date: 20-Apr-10 5:30 PM
End Time: 20-Apr-10 8:30 PM
Location: Black Lab in the Churchill Room, Houston, TX 77006
Speaker: Thomas McGehee

Event Details:

Development of Methodologies for the Characterization of Fluvial Aquifers

Groundwater modeling software tools such as HORIZONS in GMS have provided modelers new tools for characterizing subsurface heterogeneity. While this approach has provided acceptable results for simple models they fall short in the development of stacked aquifer sequences. Recently groundwater modelers have been tasked to simulate the fate and transport of contaminants in complex fluvial systems.

Scenarios such as these require a more detailed subsurface geometry than previous models. The primary research focus is to develop a set of procedures that compensate for the inherent weakness of the characterization process. Idealized fluvial landforms were used in the creation of these procedures to create a baseline from which further work can be calibrated and tested against.

The results of this phase of research include not only a more accurate representation of a fluvial aquifer but produce a set of tools and guidelines that can be adapted for future hydrogeologic modeling.

Black Lab in the Churchill Room

4100 Montrose Blvd.

Houston, TX 77006

NeoGeo Picnic

Sat, 24 Apr 2010 17:00:00 GMT

NeoGeo Picnic
Start Date: 24-Apr-10 12:00 PM
End Time: 24-Apr-10 4:00 PM
Location: Memorial Park Picnic Loop
Event Details:

The 3^rd Annual NeoGeo – SMT Beer Tasting Picnic

SMT invites the NeoGeo Club to “rock out” in the park with us! Enjoy food, music, nature trails, games, giveaways, and the special beers the Seismic-Micro Brewers Home Brewing Club is making to taste and sample.

Saturday April 24, 2010

12PM-4PM

Guests are welcome but please register all attendees
through the HGS registration associated with this event.

Memorial Park – the Picnic area (south side of Memorial Dr.)

Directions:

From I-10: 610S, exit Woodway, left on Woodway (becomes Memorial), right on N. Picnic Lane, right into the picnic area. Proceed 1/4 mile, picnic area on left (see photo), look for the SMT banner. Parking will be limited, you may need to park on N. Picnic Lane and walk into the picnic area.

Look for SMT signs directing you to the area

Hosted by

Memorial Park Picnic Loop

HGS Shrimp Peel

Sat, 15 May 2010 23:00:00 GMT

HGS Shrimp Peel
Start Date: 15-May-10 6:00 PM
End Time: 15-May-10 10:00 PM
Location: Sam Houston Race Park, Houston, TX
Event Details:

HGS Shrimp Peel
Sam Houston Race Park

7275 N. Sam Houston Pkwy. West

Tickets $30 Advance / $35 at the Door

Event held indoors - Pavilion Centre-Enter through North gates
Purchase tickets online at www.hgs.org

Or use form with check or credit card

Valet parking available
Purchase tickets by May 7 - No Refunds

Many thanks to our Gold sponsors

Order Form

Send ticket order form and check or credit card information to:

Houston Geological Society, Shrimp Peel,

14811 St. Mary’s Lane, Suite 250 • Houston, Texas 77079-2916

Make checks payable to: HGS Shrimp Peel.

For more information call 713.595.5116 or email lshelton@knowledge-reservoir.com

Boiled Shrimp - Beer & Beverages - Horse Races - Music - Door Prizes - Boiled Shrimp - Beer & Beverages - Horse Races - Music - Door Prizes - Boiled Shrimp

Saturday May 15th

6 p m - 1 0 p m

HGS Shrimp Peel

Sam Houston Race Park

7275 N. Sam Houston Pkwy. West

Houston, TX

HGS Environmental & Engineering Dinner:

Tue, 18 May 2010 22:30:00 GMT

HGS Environmental & Engineering Dinner:
Start Date: 18-May-10 5:30 PM
End Time: 18-May-10 8:30 PM
Location: Black Lab in the Churchill Room, Houston, TX 77006
Speaker: Michael D. Campbell, P.G., P.H & Henry M. Wise, P.G.,

Event Details:

Uranium Recovery Realities in the U.S. – A Review

With the current concern for greenhouse gas emissions, interest in nuclear power has increased substantially over the past 5 years in the U.S. where more than 50 permit applications are now under review for building new plants. Nations around the world are looking to increasing their use of nuclear energy to generate greenhouse gas emission-free electricity because it is the cleanest technology available that is capable of producing the amount of electricity required at a competitive cost. With this increase in interest, there has been an increase in uranium exploration and production which has also encountered an equally increased resistance from a few adversarial groups, especially in Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. These groups base their objections on exploration and mining techniques and mining laws that were in effect 30 years ago and more. Unfortunately, many in the news media have been reporting on these complaints without regard to important improvements in exploration and uranium recovery techniques, and environmental protection laws. The general public has consistently been lead to believe that uranium exploration and recovery will poison both land surface and underlying aquifers over vast areas. We will discuss these misconceptions in some detail.

Black Lab in the Churchill Room

4100 Montrose Blvd.

Houston, TX 77006

HGS 2010 Annual Guest Night

Sat, 22 May 2010 23:30:00 GMT

HGS 2010 Annual Guest Night
Start Date: 22-May-10 6:30 PM
End Time: 22-May-10 10:00 PM
Location: Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston, TX 77030
Speaker: Patricia Wood Dickerson, PhD

Event Details:

The 2010 Annual HGS Guest Night will be an evening
of great conversations and food while sitting in the
museum exhibits areas, special activities, a feature
presentation and a 3D IMAX movie.

=============================

Feature Presentation:

"Big Bend -- Where the Rockies Meet the Appalachians
Discoveries and Enigmas"

=============================

The 2010 Houston Geological Society Guest Night program will be held at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. HGS members and their guests will have access to the first and second floors of the Museum for a fun and informative evening. Upon arrival and check-in, HGS members and guests will have about an hour and a half to enjoy the Museum’s spectacular collection of fossils, minerals, and oil and gas exhibits. Attendees will enjoy a delicious Texas-sized buffet dinner, beverages and dessert inside the Museum’s main hall. Following the social hour and dinner, guests will retreat to the IMAX Theater for a presentation by Dr. Patricia Wood Dickerson of the Jackson School of Geoscience at the University of Texas. Dr. Dickerson will present an intriguing geological analysis of the stunning and mystical Texas treasure ... The Big Bend!.

Always a sell-out, the 2010 HGS Guest Night program will limited to 400 people due to seating capacity limitations of the IMAX Theatre. Prepayment is required, and tickets will NOT be available for walk-ins. Register early and pay online.
Registration will open April 1, 2010.

Houston Museum of Natural Science

One Hermann Circle Drive

Houston, TX USA 77030

Geology of the Grand Canyon Field Trip

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Geology of the Grand Canyon Field Trip
Start Date: 13-Jun-10 10:00 AM
End Time: 21-Jun-10 2:15 PM
Event Details:

Geology of the Grand Canyon Field Trip: June 13-21, 2010

Please join us on an incredible “trip through time” as HGS once again visits the Grand Canyon. Click here for an article about the 2009 trip. Again this year, we’ll see plenty of textbook geology as we raft down the exciting white water of the Colorado River, and each day offers hiking side trips providing an opportunity to get closer to the rocks. This trip has plenty to interest both geologists and non-geologists. The hikes do require a reasonable level of physical fitness.

This field trip runs from June 13 through 21, 2010; we start and end in Las Vegas. Estimated cost is $3000 per person. A $300 deposit paid to HGS is required to secure your spot and, as this trip always fills fast, we encourage you to sign up early to avoid disappointment.

Additional details

This trip joins in Las Vegas, Nevada departing the airport about 10 am on chartered bus. We’ll have stops in Zion National Park before arriving in Marble Canyon/Lee’s Ferry for the evening. Alternate arrangements to meet the group at Lee’s Ferry are possible. The next morning 28 lucky participants will board two large, motorized rafts to begin our seven day journey down the river into the Grand Canyon. Our outfitter is Hatch River Expeditions and they will take very good care of us all week. Along with the exciting rapids on the Colorado (hold on tight!), we will have hikes of varying length each day, some require scrambling. Participants should be in good physical condition.

There is a $300 deposit to secure your spot which is non-refundable; that said, you can likely recover this money provided you get someone to take your spot and we normally have a waiting list of people wanting to go. The balance will be due in the HGS office by January 15, 2010. HGS runs this trip at cost and we still need to determine some of the expenses, but estimate the balance will be $2700 per person. This covers bus ride, motel Sunday evening, all food and drink while on the river, river guides and transportation back to Las Vegas. Not covered is dinner the first Sunday or any special drinks you may want to bring on the trip. We will advise all participants in December what the final cost will be.

Trip leader this year will be Steve Earle who takes over from Dave Lazor. Steve received his B.S. from the University of Arizona in 1974 where he spent considerable time in the Canyon and surrounding areas. If you have questions, please call him at 713-328-1069 (office) or 281-435-5020. You may also e-mail him at steve.hgseditor@gmail.com.

10th Annual GSH / HGS Saltwater Tournament

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 11:00:00 GMT

10th Annual GSH / HGS Saltwater Tournament
Start Date: 19-Jun-10 6:00 AM
End Time: 19-Jun-10 8:00 PM
Location: Fish Spot Marina, Texas City, TX 77590
Event Details:

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

ATTENTION ALL ANGLERS!

10^TH ANNUAL GSH/HGS SALTWATER

FISHING TOURNAMENT

The 2010 GSH/HGS SALTWATER TOURNAMENT

will be held Saturday, June 19, 2010 for you and your

guests at
The Fish Spot Marina, located at 4009 20^th Street North, Texas City, Texas

DOWNLOAD REGISTRATION FORM

INFORMATION AND RULES

Fish Spot Marina

4009 20th Street North

Texas City, TX 77590

HGS Northsiders Lunch

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:27:20 GMT

Start Date: 20-Apr-10 11:30 AM
End Time: 20-Apr-10 1:00 PM

Crowne Plaza Hotel - Greenspoint (formerly Sofitel)

425 North Sam Houston Pkwy

Houston, TX USA 77060

HGS Northsiders Lunch

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:27:20 GMT

Start Date: 18-May-10 11:30 AM
End Time: 18-May-10 1:00 PM

Crowne Plaza Hotel - Greenspoint (formerly Sofitel)

425 North Sam Houston Pkwy

Houston, TX USA 77060