April 2007 Editor's Letter

Online Voting Comes to HGS and Using Scaled Models
by Bill Rizer
Highlights for the Bulletin this month include an invited technical paper by Martha Withjack, Roy Schlische and Alissa Henza of Rutgers University on "Scaled Experimental Models of Extension: Dry Sand vs. Wet Clay." This paper addresses two critical issues in physical modeling that have direct relevance to how we use models as an aid to interpretation and to predict structure in the subsurface. The short paper discusses the meaning of scaled models and how these models are constructed, and then shows examples of how two similarly scaled models using two different modeling materials give two very different results when deformed under the same boundary conditions. The differences are in how the deformation is distributed. In the more brittle sand models, deformation is concentrated (localized) along a few main faults. In the more ductile clay models, deformation is distributed widely among many smaller faults. Correct use of the models requires some knowledge of how deformation is distributed in the real structures, i.e., whether they act like brittle or ductile materials.
You may have noticed in recent years that the large majors have begun taking on complex and challenging projects that were considered too risky not long ago. Heavy oil, oil shale and deep water are just a few that come to mind. This month Michael Mileo of Chevron discusses one such project, Frade Field, a heavy oil concession in 1,100 m of water in the Campos Basin, offshore Brazil. The presentation, a jointly sponsored HGS and SPE luncheon, will be at the Petroleum Club on April 25.
Candidates for the various HGS offices are profiled in this issue. Not only do you get a chance to see what they look like, you get to read their bios and statements on why you should vote for them rather than the other "turkey" candidate(s). This year the HGS is developing an online voting system to make it easier for the membership to vote. All members who can should take advantage of this new system. Paper ballots will be provided for those who wish to mail in their choices. In either case, exercise your right to choose the officers who serve you. Information on how to vote will be forthcoming and will be posted on the Web site as soon as the system is ready.
The letters to the editor keep coming. This month's letter from Tom Ewing makes a number of important points, including one that I had not heard before--"...fossil fuels are chiefly responsible for the quality of life enjoyed by every American and much of the world. We (geoscientists and engineers) have found and are finding the wealth that has sustained the modern world." You are encouraged to read the entire letter.
This month the "Governmental Affairs" column describes a number of initiatives contained in the president's fiscal year 2008 budget request that are relevant to energy and climate change. In the same column, Henry Wise and Arlin Howles report that in a historical reversal from past policy the president admitted the "serious challenge of global climate change" in his State of the Union Address. They also report a number of hearings called by Democrats to address the issue of climate change and to investigate charges of censorship of government scientists and science to advance a particular political agenda. That issue is also discussed briefly in the "In the News" column.