November, 1999 HGS Meetings Calendar

November, 1999HGS Meetings

HGS Dinner Meeting
"Structural arrays and depositional geometries in hydrocarbon provinces: a view from orbit"

Abstract:
Exploration success, whether for resources on Earth or on neighboring planets, depends on an explorer's skill in three-dimensional visualization and pattern recognition. In some provinces, fault and fracture patterns replicate from the scale of an entire orogen down to the scale of a thin-section. In repeatedly and complexly deformed regions, the challenge becomes one of discriminating among superposed patterns—critical for evaluating trap integrity and predicting porosity/permeability distribution. Three-dimensional relationships between structures, basin configurations, sediment-body geometries, and volcanic vent distribution are readily observable in photographs by astronauts. Photographic data can be registered to maps and plots of other data and co-displayed using off-the-shelf computer programs. Such displays reveal details of source-reservoir juxtapositions and variations in fracture networks over a basin.
The pattern of rifts, for example, is one of long, straight, steeply dipping faults bounding basins that are longer than they are wide. Basins are generally half-grabens, and the flanks with greatest structural relief are depositional sites for coalesced alluvial fans. Axial lakes with evaporites, abundant algae, and fine-grained, low-permeability sediments provide oil-prone source beds. Half-grabens are separated by transfer zones, across which the tilts of grabens reverse. Volcanic vents occur at rift/transfer-zone junctions and, less commonly, along basin-bounding faults; thermal effects on surrounding strata are minimal. Most of these attributes can be examined in single synoptic frames captured from orbit.
Geomorphologist Hoover Mackin observed that geology is rarely a science of brilliance; it is a science of wisdom. The best geologist is one who has observed a lot of rocks from every possible vantage point. Orbiting spacecraft provide an exceptional vantage point for viewing rocks at the scale of an entire tectonic province, for the eyes and minds of informed observers.
Biographical Sketch:
Pat Dickerson was born at a very early age in Waukegan, Illinois. She has worked as a geologist, editor, photographer, writer, dancing instructor and apricot cutter for a California fruit-packing firm (not in that order).
For the past two years, as a scientist in the NASA Office of Earth Sciences, she has been training Shuttle, Mir and Space Station crews in global tectonics and drawing from their photographs in her tectonics research and publications. She is creating electronic handbooks on global tectonic topics for crew use—handbooks that will eventually become resources for public education—and has received an award from the Astronaut Office for those efforts.
The Rio Grande Rift of west Texas and New Mexico—particularly the Big Bend province—has been the subject of much of her geological/geophysical research, field work, and her publications over the past 30 years. She returned to the rift this spring to stage, in collaboration with colleagues at the New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, the first field geophysical training exercise to prepare astronauts for planetary exploration.
In addition, Pat has worked in Argentina, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Belize, northern Mexico, the Adriatic region, the gold mines of Nevada, the Rocky Mountains, and the Midcontinent.
Attempts have been made to educate her in geology and archaeology at various institutions, among them California State University at San Jose and the University of Texas at Austin, where she received a bachelor's degree in geology/Greek archaeology (1970), a doctorate in geology (1995), and held a postdoctoral fellowship in tectonics (1996).

Environmental / Engineering Dinner Meeting
"Best kept secrets of field monitoring equipment"

Abstract:
The talk will consist of a "show and tell" explaining the differences between various kinds of air monitoring equipment. The discussion will include the following issues:

differences between a FID and a PID
how a PID and a FID function
how to choose the appropriate detection device
calibration techniques
care and maintenance.

Here's a great opportunity to delve into the black boxes that we curse and kiss, and demystify them.
Biographical Sketch:
Mr. Beyer is a graduate of Purdue University with a major in Forestry. He worked with Heath Consultants for 28 years partly as a Regional Manager in Houston responsible for sales and operations in an eight-state area. In 1992, Mr. Beyer became manager of Milco Safety Rental (MSR), a water and gas leak detection equipment rental business servicing utility companies. He now is the owner of MSR.

International Dinner Meeting
"Play and prospect diversity, a platform for continued success at Totalfina"

Abstract:
Total (now Totalfina) experienced rapid growth in production and reserves during the last decade, fueled by a variety of fields in different parts of the world.
These fields exhibit great geological diversity, from complex thrust structures in Colombia, Venezuela, and now Bolivia, through the challenges of very different types of traps in carbonates in Iran, Myanmar, and Libya, to the multitude of (often thin) fluvio-deltaic sands of the Mahakam Delta and Gulf of Thailand.
Over this period, assets in both the Far East and Latin America have become important contributors to the performance of the company. Illustrations of a selection of these fields will demonstrate their extraordinary diversity. It is also interesting to try and trace some of the exploration decision points leading to the steps in the growth of the portfolio of producing assets in these areas.
This geological diversity has ensured that both our geoscientists and exploration management are offered excellent opportunities to gain experience, which is essential to enable the right decisions to be made. This experience will give the company a good chance of maintaining its growth in the future and of adapting to the abrupt changes that the coming years are likely to bring.
Biographical Sketch:
Andy joined the oil industry in 1969 armed with an honours geology degree from Reading University, England. After 4 years with Abu Dhabi Petroleum Company in the Emirates, he joined Total in 1974 and transferred to Paris for a few years (which enabled him to become fluent in French.) He was promoted to Exploration Manager in 1984, first in the UK and then in Indonesia until the end of 1990. After another spell in the Paris head office, he moved to Nigeria in 1994 to open up the E&P office in Lagos, and moved on from there as General Manager of the Singapore New Ventures office in 1997 until its closure in April 1999. He is currently assigned to

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1999 HGS Website

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Monday, November 1, 1999

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1999 Calendar

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Abstracts

November, 1999 HGS Meetings Calendar

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