Vol. 27, No. 6 June 2006

www.veritasdgc.com

JUNE 2006 3

On the cover: It’s a new century and a new era, but Horace Greeley’s famous words still ring true for today’s U.S. exploration efforts 2006-07 AAPG Officers Elected – if you want success, go west. This month’s EXPLORER offers our first Willard R. “Will Green, an serve the final year of a three-year term “Rocky Mountain Roundup” issue with a variety of stories that tell of the independent from Midland, Texas, was as Editor. voted president-elect by the AAPG Larry Jones, of Houston, will also struggles, accomplishments and remaining potential that can be found membership. He will serve as AAPG serve on the Executive Committee as throughout the region. Cover design by Rusty Johnson; photos courtesy president in 2007-08. chairman of the House of Delegates. of Lyco Energy, Bill Barrett Corp. and Rusty Johnson. Also elected were: Green, the fourth petition candidate ❏ Vice president – John C. Dolson, in the last four ballot seasons and in of TNK-BP, Moscow, Russia. the 89-year history of AAPG, is the ❏ Treasurer – Randi S. Martinsen, second petition candidate voted into University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyo. office. All three will begin their duties on Green was named winner after the July 1, serving on an Executive runoff system adopted last year was Committee headed by Lee Billingsley invoked, where the third candidate is The best of times, the worst of times: Finding success in the 6 as president. dropped and the preference votes rugged and remote West Tavaputs Plateau region of Utah Remaining on the committee are came into play for the two remaining was a tale of two proclivities. J. Michael Party, who will complete the candidates, with Green tallying over 50 second of a two-year term as percent. ❏ What does the AAPG Explorer of the Year know that you 10 secretary; and Ernest Mancini, who will don’t? He has two pieces of advice – and the success to back it up.

Environmental concerns were a major consideration 14 throughout the exploration and drilling activities at Wyoming’s Pinedale Field. President Reflects

The smiles were plentiful and broad, and with good reason. 16 The recent AAPG Annual Convention in Houston was, by On Past Fiscal Year all measures, the right place and the right time for By PETER R. ROSE by the Division of Professional Affairs and geologists to gather. This is the last letter I shall write to co-chaired by DPA’s Dan Tearpock. The AAPG members as their 89th president, first Geotechnical Training module was A note from the president of the world’s largest exploration 18 and it summarizes the Executive completed and presented at the Annual company, for all who worry that exploration efforts are too often Committee’s goals and accomplishments Convention in Houston. The taken for granted: That’s not necessarily a bad thing. during the 2005-06 fiscal year. AAPG/SPEE/SPE group provided the basis The accompanying table (see page 4) for proposing, with the World Petroleum provides details comparing the EC’s 11 Council and other sister societies, a spring An oil executive speaking in the heart of the Gulf Coast has 24 stated goals at the start of our fiscal year 2007 conference on reserves and an unexpected forecast for the future king of natural gas 2005-06 last July 1 (printed in bold) with resources in Washington, D.C., involving production: the Rocky Mountains. what has actually been accomplished (as three concerned groups – accounting a percentage) during the following 11 professionals, geotechnical/engineering months (in italic). professionals and government regulators, Industry snapshot: Experts at the recent record-setting 26 Following are some comments on a few administrators and legislators. Offshore Technology Conference share their views on developments not anticipated when I took what the industry and profession can expect in the office. From there I’ll move on to some ✓ Proposals affecting U.S. as well as immediate future. observations about AAPG policies and international AAPG members were directions, and conclude with some suggested by the president: personal observations about my year as ❐ Constitutional and Bylaws president. amendments creating two vice presidents Summary – a VP (Sections) and a VP (Regions) – ❐ Fiscal year 2005-06 has been an were passed overwhelmingly by the HoD Geophysical Corner 28 In Memory 34 excellent year for the Association. As on April 9 in Houston. promised, we stayed within budgeting The Constitutional Amendment was Washington Watch 29 Foundation Update 36 constraints and will finish in the black, with sent out to members for their approval on an expected surplus of around $500,000 April 26, and final results will be known by Professional News Briefs 30 Readers’ Forum 38 (final financial results will be reported in fall June 30. Spotlight on Education 31 Classified Ads 41 2006). ❐ Graduated dues based directly or ❐ Although membership continued its indirectly on “ability to pay” was referred to Regions and Sections 32 Director’s Corner 42 expected decline, active new measures a “blue ribbon” committee chaired by the Membership and Certification 34 DEG Column 42 are under way to reverse this trend next chair of the Advisory Council, for study year. and recommendation to the EC and HoD ❐ AAPG sponsored or co-sponsored leadership by Oct. 15, 2006. seven U.S. and international meetings ❐ Simplifying and facilitating during FY 2005-06. All were technically applications for AAPG membership was successful; six of the seven were referred to Executive Director Fritz, to be AAPG Headquarters – 1-800-364-2274 (U.S. & Canada only), others 1-918-584-2555 commercially successful. implemented by Tulsa HQ. Online ❐ The Executive Committee enjoyed a applications, with translations of Communications Director Correspondents Advertising Coordinator good working relationship with Executive applications into Chinese, Arabic, Russian Larry Nation David Brown Brenda Merideth Director Rick Fritz. and Spanish, plus establishment of e-mail: [email protected] Louise S. Durham P.O. Box 979 ❐ All the goals that are rated in the 50- Regional/Sectional Applications Review Susan Eaton Tulsa, Okla. 74101 70 percent range were multi-year initiatives Committee, were all under way in the last Managing Editor telephone: (918) 560-2647 that made a good start in their first year. half of FY 2005-06. Vern Stefanic Graphics/Production (U.S. and Canada only: There were no major disappointments. e-mail: [email protected] Rusty Johnson 1-800-288-7636) ✓ Responding to continued e-mail: [email protected] (Note: The above number is for * * * suggestions and inquiries (as well as the Editorial Assistant advertising purposes only.) Strategic Plan), I asked past president Susie Moore fax: (918) 560-2636 There were other unanticipated, but Marlan Downey to head a committee e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] noteworthy, developments during charged with evaluating the optimum long- FY 2005-06: term location of AAPG’s headquarters, and to report back to the Executive Committee Vol. 27, No. 6 ✓ AAPG undertook two legal actions – in June 2006. The AAPG EXPLORER (ISSN 0195-2986) is published monthly for members. Published at AAPG headquarters, 1444 S. Boulder Ave., P.O. Box 979, Tulsa, Okla. 74101, (918) 584-2555. e-mail address: [email protected] one to protect its copyrights from Periodicals postage paid at Tulsa, Okla., and at additional mailing offices. Printed in the U.S.A. unwarranted infringement, the other to ✓ Recognizing the long-term potential Note to members: $6 of annual dues pays for one year’s subscription to the EXPLORER. Airmail service for members: $45. Subscription rates for non-members: $63 for 12 issues; add $67 for airmail service. Advertising rates: Contact recover deposits from its ground operator financial liability represented by AAPG’s Brenda Merideth, AAPG headquarters. Subscriptions: Contact Veta McCoy, AAPG headquarters. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and videos must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope to ensure return. for the September 2005 international current Defined Benefits Pension Plan, the conference in Paris. Negotiations are EC established an ad hoc committee to The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) does not endorse or recommend any products or services that may be cited, used or discussed in AAPG publications or in presentations at events associated with AAPG. proceeding in both matters and favorable explore procedures by which the plan Copyright 2006 by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. All rights reserved. outcomes are expected. could be discontinued, fully compensate POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to AAPG EXPLORER, P.O. Box 979, Tulsa, Okla. 74101. participating employees and adopt an Canada Publication Number 40046336. ✓ The joint AAPG/SPEE/SPE Reserve alternate 401(k) plan. This committee Canadian returns to: Station A, P.O. Box 54, Windsor, Ontario N9A 6J5 e-mail: [email protected] Evaluator Training project continued to progress, implemented on behalf of AAPG See President, next page

JUNE 2006 4

TAKING STOCK, SUMMING UP AND REFLECTIONS ON FY 2005-06 AAPG EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE GOALS, 2005-06 VERSUS (%) ACTUAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS 1. DIGEST/CONSOLIDATE/INSTITUTIONALIZE 2004-05 6. INCREASE AAPG ANNUAL INCOME – $500K annual; Sources: INITIATIVES – Get iMIS/Great Plains, Zero Base Budgeting, NAPE, APPEX, Research Conferences, GEO, IPTC, etc. (100%) new overhead systems standardized. (95%) SUMMARY: Fully SUMMARY: Annual earned income increased ~$400K, plus AAPG accomplished and integrated; routine use as management tool Foundation grants may be increased; expenses reduced may need more time. (BULLETIN, Datapages) ~ $300K. Net surplus > $700K. Income sources diversified. 2. TRANSFORM TULSA – Work with Executive Director (ED); Finish second TacOps Committee report, start third report; 7. ESTABLISH GOV’T AFFAIRS OFFICE – Set up Board of staff organization and effectiveness issues: chain-of- Governors, choose new director; establish relationships, command, initiative, delegation, accountability, priorities and values, obtain support. (100%) SUMMARY: responsibility, performance reviews, continuous Board of Governors (BoG) appointed; GEO-DC up and running improvement (Hermann Eben). Dedicated clerical help for with excellent early results (Don Juckett, director) president. (60%) SUMMARY: Progress being made in adjusting a. BoG operating. culture, but uneven; need to become proactive rather than b. AAPG involved in government energy study. reactive; clearer performance-based culture with manifest service c. Advisories now regularly arriving to BoG, ED, GAC, EC. orientation; still a ways to go: d. Reserves and Resources conference planned spring 2007 a. Quarterly performance reviews with ED. with SPE, SPEE and WPC. b. TacOps Report #2 (Geoscience) completed, implementation under way; TacOps Report #3 (Business) will commence Q4. 8. OBTAIN NEW CONTRIBUTIONS – ~$4MM Foundation c. Staff organization and effectiveness – Sections/Regions campaign; corporate support; PRR cultivate Foundation coordinator moved to ED supervision, responsiveness relationship. (275%) SUMMARY: Greatly exceeding improved, some staff changes, regular staff coaching expectations. (Hermann Eben); chronic understaffing corrected by new a. Contributions in Year 1 > $11M. hires, with more stringent performance measurement. training, “hot” topics reviewed w/reports, very successful. b. Contributions coordinator hired. d. HQ Location Committee report due June 1. d. Membership retention – expanded, reorganized Membership c. Campaign under way by AAPG Foundation. e. Dedicated clerical support for president agreed as policy. Committee (Dan Smith). d. Good working relationship with Foundation leaders. e. More nominees for officer candidates, Honors and Awards – 3. REVITALIZE COMMITTEES – Motivated chairs, connected still uneven, AC representatives must be more proactive. 9. PRACTICAL LONG-RANGE PLAN – Final version (2005); with EC liaisons; training (Hermann Eben); valid charge w/buy- f. Need more effective communication to members about value “Call in the Experts”; measurable and achievable mid-term in; effective decision-making, balanced membership, goals of AAPG membership. strategies; sound, doable short-term tactical plan with clear and time-tables; monitored performance by CoC. (70%) goals. (95%) SUMMARY: Essentially completed. SUMMARY: Progress being made, need more frequent reports to 5. INCREASE INTERNATIONAL MEMBERSHIP – Goal ~ 1,000 a. Final management review finished. EC representatives; need earlier and more frequent committee new; PRR speaking tours (2) encourage Region annual b. Final edit due June 30, 2006. meetings to plan and monitor progress; this needs continued meetings; involve and invigorate regional leadership; involve c. ED designing business plan from the Long Range Plan. attention. with AAPG standing committees. (60%) SUMMARY: Much a. Revision and reorganization by EC from 48 committees to progress (laying foundations), must have follow-through in next 10. REVITALIZE THE DIVISIONS – Workshops; training in goal- 36. two years, two VPs proposal essential; won’t know for 6-12 setting, implementation, follow-through. (60%) SUMMARY: A b. Appointed active new chairs, connected with EC liaisons. months whether international efforts have been productive re good start, must maintain progress in FY 2006-07. c. Training for committee leaders re effectiveness, membership; evidence of stronger Regional communities via a. Divisions workshops (8-05 Dallas). performance (Hermann Eben). meetings, committee participation. b. Management training (Hermann Eben) 2005-06. d. Valid committee charges, re-evaluate leadership in Q4. a. PRR tours: 15 countries, 19 professional societies, 17 c. Regular conferences with ED. e. Balanced committee membership – more young student groups. d. Memberships stabilizing. professionals, international, industry representatives. b. PRR: 18 business meetings with international industry e. Developing new publications. f. Committee Oversight Committee monitored performance. leaders promoting AAPG. f. Focusing on pertinent tasks: DEG (field trip safety); DPA c. Regional meetings under way in all six Regions. (GEO-DC; reserve evaluator training project); EMD. 4. RENEW RELATIONSHIPS WITH SECTIONS – Peter R. Rose d. VP (Regions) important to represent and empower Region (PRR) Section speaking dates, AAPG Town Hall meetings, leadership. 11. PROMOTE JOINT EVENTS WITH SISTER SOCIETIES – SEG, emphasized Leadership Conference role, membership e. Graduated Dues committee set up, at work, reports to EC EAGE, SPE; Proactive pursuit of future cooperation and retention, increased nominations to AC. (70%) SUMMARY: Oct. 15. consolidation, especially joint annual meetings. (50%) Progress being made, needs more work in FY 2006-07. f. Applications easier, online, regional review committees being SUMMARY: Started, with uneven success; good ED buy-in. a. PRR visited all six sections, 13 affiliated societies, ~2,000 set up by HQ. a. SEG – Committee to review long-range joint plans; maybe members; repaired some relationships between HQ and g. Emphasize international participation in committees focus on near-term regional events; apparent support for Sections. (FY 2006-07). more cooperation from senior leadership. b. Sections/Regions coordinator hired, ED monthly h. Opened London office; evaluate others (Moscow, Bahrain, b. EAGE – Joint conferences and workshops, possible joint teleconferences with Section presidents, relationships Kuala Lumpur). overseas offices. improving, fewer complaints about HQ services from i. Proposed company sponsored memberships to four NOCs. c. SPE – Participation in IPTC, OTC; reserves studies; joint sections. j. Very successful GEO conference (Bahrain) March 2006. research conferences. c. Leadership Conference (Galveston) – largest ever, useful k. Monthly conference calls with ED. d. SPEE – Reserve evaluator initiative.

HOUSTON, WE HAD A MEETING! alleviate the problem. firm also contributing additional dues on President There were 8,223 attendees who With maximum visibility we should be behalf of their professional employees. For enjoyed excellent facilities, mind-boggling urging all available remedies – this he receives services and products that from previous page exhibits, a superlative technical program conservation, increased efficiency, are broadly analogous but somewhat and every ancillary feature and event one alternate sources, expanded access to reduced compared to AAPG’s. reported progress to the EC on May 22. could imagine. It was a truly memorable energy lands, a more active public voice So AAPG is a bona fide bargain; the convention, sponsored by an outstanding for AAPG and informed, responsible problem is that despite repeated efforts to In February, AAPG HQ received a host society – so successful that crude oil energy leadership from government. spread the word about our various number of complaints about our decision went up to $75 within two weeks afterward. Such a stance by AAPG also would be services to members, we still get frequent to award the 2006 Journalism Award to Now that’s performance! consistent with some policies espoused by critical comments from members who author Michael Crichton for his novels Members of the HGS worked for more the environmental lobby (for partly different aren’t aware of the services and values State of Fear (2004) and Jurassic Park than two years organizing and preparing reasons), which might provide some available through their membership. (1991). Most of the complaints were for the 2006 meeting. They deserve a welcome relief to the consistently opposed Take a look, friends! Are you taking full directed at State of Fear, for its warm thank-you from everyone who positions AAPG usually finds itself taking advantage of the service and products condemnation of scare-tactics employed attended. with respect to doctrinaire environmental AAPG provides? by the environmental lobby. interests! Fritz issued an excellent public * * * * * * justification of the award, while * * * acknowledging that it was poorly named. As a respected international association Fortunate circumstances made it The EC changed the name of the award at of professional geoscientists, it is now time As I have learned more and more about possible for me to devote all my time to its April 12 meeting to “Geosciences in the for AAPG to adopt an informed and AAPG over the past two years, I’m AAPG affairs, from January 2005 clear Media” Award. responsible public stance with regard to increasingly impressed with what great through to the end of June 2006. world supply and usage of crude oil and value AAPG provides to members for their For me, being AAPG president was a * * * natural gas. annual dues – much more value than do full-time job, and I am impressed that most We should not be arguing about when sister societies such as SPE, SEG and of my predecessors have carried out the Kudos and olive wreaths to General “peak oil” will arrive, because that is not EAGE. But what really gets your attention is president’s duties while holding down their Chairman Charles Sternbach, vice chairs the critical question. Instead we should when you ask other professionals what real jobs simultaneously! How in the world Deborah Sacrey and Dan Tearpock, and be warning the public about the steady services their professional associations were they able to accomplish that? technical program chair Bob Merrill for a convergence of global crude oil demand provide, and what their dues are. In any case, it really is a big job. During superb 2006 Annual Convention. upon available world productive For example, I have a relative who is a FY 2005-06 I logged 120,000 air miles, Contributions chair Gonz Enciso raised a capacity, as expressed by the decline of licensed member of the American Institute visited all six U.S. Sections and four record $600,000 in corporate OPEC spare capacity since January of Architects (membership about 70,000). contributions. 2003, and rational, feasible means to Annual dues are $700, with his employing continued on next page

JUNE 2006 5 continued from previous page a high privilege for me. worked collegially and productively for the members who allowed me to represent But I always remembered that the good of the Association, especially Lee their wonderful association during this past international Regions, made more than 60 spotlight was not on Pete Rose – rather it Billingsley, president-elect, who took on year. Ladies and gentlemen, it has been a formal presentations to professional and was on AAPG! necessary special chores, provided wise privilege and pleasure to serve as your student audiences and participated in at counsel and support and who will serve 89th president. least 40 business meetings. I wrote an * * * very capably as my successor. estimated 300 pages of text for the ✓ Executive Director Rick Fritz, who * * * EXPLORER and Delegates’ Voice, position I want to thank many people who admirably and cheerfully kept a complex papers and official correspondence, and helped make this a productive and fulfilling organization on track while embracing and Recommended reading: Human God only knows how many e-mails! year for me and for the Association: adapting to many new priorities and Nature, by James Trefill (2004), Times The Executive Committee met together ✓ The hard-working, capable and mandates. Books (Henry Holt & Co). nine times and by teleconference three cheerful AAPG headquarters staff, all good ✓ Rose & Associates LLP, which The first book I have yet found written times. A substantial aspect of the people who did their best to help an often generously provided financial support for by an informed, objective, broad-gauge president’s job is ceremonial, which I found demanding, occasionally impatient the 2006 Presidential Reception in scientist who examines the entire to be demanding, interesting and president. Houston, a real blast! environmental movement from a gratifying: demanding, because of the ✓ Receptive, intelligent and ✓ Elizabeth Sherry, my long-standing thoughtful, calm and rational perspective, required full attention to protocol and often conscientious House of Delegates’ office manager, whose proficient and free from either doctrinaire zealotry or impromptu public speaking; interesting in leadership and Advisory Council responsive help made my year possible. dogmatic denial. meeting many influential leaders; and representatives who translated my ✓ Alice Rose, my wife and primary Read it, you’ll like it! (especially) gratifying in being able to sometimes flawed visions into useful support, who accompanied me on many recognize and thank (on behalf of AAPG) legislation and procedural AAPG events, brightening them up for Onward! so many accomplished geoscientists who recommendations. everyone (and who looks forward to have contributed so much to our ✓ Faithful, diligent and objective getting her husband back!). profession and to society. That was indeed members of the Executive Committee, who ✓ And above all, to 30,000 AAPG

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Photos courtesy of Bill Barrett Corp. Exploration operations in Utah’s beautiful but rugged and remote West Tavaputs Plateau required determined and often innovative approaches – on land and in the air. Tough Topography,Tough Regulations Uinta Success Didn’t Come Easy

By DIANE FREEMAN drilling in the remote West Tavaputs excitement that success stories typically EXPLORER Correspondent Plateau area. “The area is rugged, carry. At times the story is a cautionary Success stories often include words remote and beautiful … The tale. like “fun” and “wonderful.” environmental obstacles were Either way, company officials had a When Roy Roux talks about his manageable, but the regulatory ones good reason for being enthusiastic company’s success in Utah’s remote and were very difficult.” about the play’s potential: The survey rugged Southwest Uinta Basin, different Roux, senior vice president of the Bill data showed substantial structures with words are used. Barrett Corp. in Denver, talked of the depth. And in the beginning, the Words like hard. Frustrating. experience at the recent 3-D Seismic 3-D project’s estimated cost was $4.2 Challenging. Symposium, an annual event in Denver million. And ultimately, of course, rewarding. sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Ultimately, costs ballooned to “All our activities have been difficult,” Association of Geologists. Roux said of the lengthy process of At times the story is filled with the See Nine Mile, page 8

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How rough is it? an 83-square-mile survey that covered “Seismic operations were Nine Mile “Our pumpers were carrying two to steep hillsides and a 6,000-foot offset. continuously followed by independent three spares in the trucks to get out “That’s where all our producing third party compliance, archaeological from page 6 there,” he noted. horizons were,” Roux said. “I was naive and ground motion monitors,” Roux The area saw an initial surge in the enough to think the geophysical said. $8 million. 1960s for oil, then a quiet period that problems would be the most difficult.” After 54 days, the survey was “We were completely unaware of the became active again in the 1970s. In Instead, it was the regulatory completed in mid-October 2004: obstacles we were facing,” he said. 2002 the Bill Barrett Corp. acquired 13 requirements that caused the biggest ✓ About 52 percent of the program Roux noted that patience and wells in the Stone Cabin, Jack Canyon challenge, he said; the BLM controlled was acquired with heli-portable drills. perseverance won out over the and Peter’s Point federal units and 95 percent of the surface. ✓ About 38 percent was acquired challenges of the project – but added adjacent areas in Carbon County Utah, “We faced a whole host of BLM with buggy drills. that “this project would have never got Southwest Uinta Basin. obstacles, from crew waste control to ✓ About 10 percent was acquired by off the ground if it had to pass yearly The company faced an array of road dust control,” he said. “It was a Vibroseis that was utilized on canyon financial metrics.” regulatory challenges in conducting its painful process of going through all the roads because of its low impact. Particle business in the area, far beyond what is steps with the BLM.” motion was required within 500 feet of all ‘Majestic, But Rough’ usually encountered on federal lands, he Finally, in March 2004, the company recorded archaeological sites, he said. said, including: received approval for the survey. Surface elevation on the prospect The site, located south of Utah’s Nine ✓ Special interest group scrutiny. The survey was conducted in the ranged from 4,700 feet to over 8,200 Mile Canyon, has seen sporadic ✓ Difficult regulatory practices from extremely rugged plateau area south of feet with several canyons bisecting the exploration and intermittent drilling for the Bureau of Land Management. Nine Mile Canyon that is known for 3-D with vertical relief over 3,000 feet, the last 50 years. However, rough ✓ Intense legal opposition from containing petroglyphs and rock art. he said. topography and access to markets environmental groups. More than 240 archaeological sites were “This difficult topography suppressed more thorough In April 2002 the company applied identified and avoided during the course necessitated the use of true heli- development in the past. for a 3-D seismic permit with the BLM for of the seismic project, he said. portable seismic acquisition techniques for both shot hole drilling and recording,” he said. “Several isolated plateaus within the 3-D boundary were recorded using recently developed microwave links, which allowed the company to avoid laying seismic cables across these rugged canyons. “It’s a majestic but rough area,” he said. “We used six microwave data links that were very helpful.”

And In the End …

Meanwhile, a lawsuit was brewing over the project. The Sierra Club, Wilderness Society and other environmentalist groups sued the BLM over the operation. “We spent 22 months with the BLM. Then we got hit by a lawsuit and we prevailed in court,” Roux said. Roux noted that the company consulted with 12 Native American tribes along with four state and three federal agencies, and 14 organizations and Carbon County government in its effort to drill in the area. After more than three years the company finally spudded a well at Peter’s Point. The target was located underneath the canyon floor of Jack Canyon, which required the well be deviated laterally some 3,500 feet. The well was spudded in May 2005 and reached a total depth of 15,349 feet in September. This deep discovery earned the company the Oil and Gas Investor magazine’s Discovery of the Year award. The company plans to drill two and perhaps as many as six Dakota/Jurassic locations this year. Future wells are slated to test the deeper Weber and Mississippian Formations at 17,000 plus feet. At the end of 2005, the West Tavaputs area had 33 producing wells and currently is producing 51 MMCFGD gross, he said. ❏ Ewing Voted DPA President-Elect Thomas E. Ewing, of Frontera Exploration in San Antonio, has been voted president-elect by the Division of Professional Affairs. Also elected were Suzanne Cluff, The Discovery Group, Denver, vice president; and Michael R. Canich Jr., Equitable Production, Pittsburgh, treasurer. They will join on the DPA Executive Committee Richard G. Green, LaRoche Petroleum Consulting, Dallas, president; Craig W. Reynolds, Cobra Oil and Gas, Wichita Falls, Texas, secretary; and Deborah K. Sacrey, Auburn Energy, Houston, past president. ❏

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AAPG’s Explorer of the Year Oil Finder Shares Some Insights

By DAVID BROWN EXPLORER Correspondent Dick Findley has two pieces of advice for working petroleum geologists. You’ll want to pay attention. Findley opened up a Bakken formation play that led to development of the giant Elm Coulee oil field in eastern Montana. The field now produces almost 50,000 barrels a day of high-quality crude. By his estimate, Elm Coulee’s total output will reach 200 million to 250 million barrels. In April, Findley received AAPG’s Outstanding Explorer Award. Few geologists saw the Bakken as a During the same month, his likeness target: “People thought of the Bakken as ended up on the cover of the Wall Street a re-entry, bailout zone,” he noted. Journal. But drilling disclosed good porosity Here’s his first advice: and a likely oil zone in the formation’s You have to think big to see big. fractured-dolomite middle section, “If you get focused on a small trap, between upper and lower shale layers. that’s all you’re going to see,” he said. “I was surprised there was porosity in “You’ve got to step back and see the big the middle member. When we went down picture.” into it, we had a really good drilling break,” Findley said. On Goes the Switch In the Williston Basin, the Prospector Oil Inc. The Bakken was one “That was a light-bulb moment for me.” Mississippian-Devonian Bakken extends of the formations he chose to re-evaluate, Findley, a member of AAPG for more from eastern Montana across most of but without great enthusiasm. A Tiger By the Tail than 30 years, speaks directly from North Dakota and into Canada. “I was looking for bypassed pay on experience. The upper and lower Bakken shale small closures at that time,” he said. Findley discussed the potential new His work in the Bakken dates back to a member has organic-rich source rock, The Devonian Nisku appeared play with a partner in Michigan. shale play in the 1980s. with as much as 14 percent organic promising to him, and a relatively under- “My partner asked a very profound “That play, in my opinion, got pretty carbon. Lots of people knew the Bakken explored stratigraphic trap in Richland question. He said, ‘Do we have any place badly over-developed,” Findley said. “It contained some oil. County, Mont., seemed like a good to develop this idea?’” he recalled. turned out there were just a couple of But everyone thought it was too prospect. Starting to the south, Findley searched sweet spots.” difficult to produce, and too limited to be “It was fairly well-defined when I out existing control to see if any other well So the linked phrase “Bakken shale” commercial. started out,” Findley said. “However, the became familiar to the industry, and not By the late 1980s, Findley had started updip trap was not well-defined. There always in a good way. his own small exploration company, was a large gap in control.” continued on next page

JUNE 2006 11 continued from previous page Big thinking for the Big Sky: Dick Findley knew he had to “think big” when he tackled the Bakken formation in showed the same Bakken porosity. eastern Montana – and doing so helped him to become “This porosity in the middle member the AAPG Explorer of the Year. turned out to be present in all the wells I looked at in that direction,” he said. Findley thought he’d been petting a kitten, but he had a tiger by the tail. He knew the upper Bakken held world-class source rock. Now he had unveiled a zone with good porosity, high resistivity and low water saturation. “Looking through the literature I found some depositional models where a shoreface model was proposed for the Bakken,” he said. “It looked like a big marine bar just offshore.” Findley began studying porosity readings and indications to determine the extent of the play area. “This is a very unique porosity zone. I’d been working this basin coming up to 25 years at the time, and I didn’t know there was porosity in the middle member,” he said. “If I made one mistake, I used too high a (porosity evaluation) cutoff. I think I used 8 percent as a cutoff,” he added. When he started the Richland County work, Findley was convinced he had a promising 320-acre stratigraphic trap to explore. He needed to think bigger. Now the potential productive area grew to 12 miles wide and 50 miles long. And talk about irony. Photo courtesy of Lyco Energy The overall size of the prospect excluded his company as the sole player. prospect. The miracle is in getting one Findley said. and a deal quickly came together. Findley concluded that leasing would drilled. “For most of its history, the Bakken, In 1996-97, Lyco began to examine require an initial $2 million cash, with Findley needed backing. At that point, except in the 1980s and 1990s, was not the Bakken play’s potential with 10 more money needed for the first tests – fate, luck and timing collided. seen in a very good light, so it was not a vertical wells. Out of those, seven an impossible financial hurdle for his An industry contact of Findley’s had formation most workers would have reached the formation and three failed, small company. been working with Bobby Lyle, head of focused on,” he noted. Findley said. Dallas-based Lyco Energy Corp. He When he flew to Dallas to meet with Timing and chance intruded again. Bad News, Good News … thought Lyle’s independent operation Lyle, an all-day marathon meeting “In 1997 there was the most might be interested in the Montana play. ensued, Findley recalled. precipitous price drop in the history of the As every playmaker geologist knows, “The first thing I had to tell Lyco was, ‘I Lyle “asked his staff to stay over that the magic isn’t in putting together a have a Bakken play – but it isn’t shale!” same night to do due diligence,” he said, See Findley, next page

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Findley Members Voting on VP Question from previous page basin. Oil went down to $8.50, I recall,” he Members are now voting if the information and a ballot and legal The Executive Committee said. Association will have two vice information concerning the proposal. previously had voted unanimously in Lyco suspended work, and “looking presidents, a proposal that was Online voting is available at favor of sending the proposal to the back, that was probably the best thing that approved by the AAPG House of www.aapg.org. Voting will cease June membership. could have happened to us,” Findley Delegates during its meeting at the 25 and results will be announced on In other action, the House also added. Annual Convention in Houston. July 1. voted Martin D. “Marty” Hewitt, with The partners had one heck of a With the session chaired by It will take a two-thirds majority of EnCana Oil & Gas, Calgary, as reservoir, and Findley was convinced that Donald D. Clarke, delegates voted members to approve the chairman-elect, and Jeannie Fisher oil “filled every pore space of the middle overwhelmingly with a “stand up” vote constitutional change, and it must be Mallick, an independent consultant in member.” to send the matter to the membership, completed by June 29. Houston, was elected But how to get it out? which is deciding whether to change The proposal specifically calls for secretary/editor. the constitution to provide for two vice changes to Article V of the Larry Jones, of Spartan Petroleum The Race Is On president positions – one for U.S. constitution, and will allow for seven in Houston, will take the House Sections and one for international members of the Executive Committee leadership role on July 1. Hewitt will In a story filled with twists and turns, Regions. (the HoD chair also is a voting serve as chairman in 2007-08. luck favored the partners once again. Active AAPG members were sent member of the EC). “We went to Halliburton and asked them to develop a frac. They had actually been doing a study looking at the Bakken,” Findley explained. “It turns out Halliburton thought there were no swelling clays, and they recommended using water,” he said. In addition, Halliburton drew on horizontal drilling expertise to tap the oil zone. That greatly expanded the area of the middle member available for fracturing. By 2000, Halliburton had invested its own money in the Bakken hunt, the first horizontal well was drilled in Findley’s play, and oil began to flow. Debates continue about the most effective development tools for the formation. “It’s still somewhat controversial, but based on the data we see, I think fracturing is just a small part of the reservoir,” Findley said. No one doubts the success of the basic approach, however. Drillers piled into the area, which should see more than 100 new wells this year. Estimates of total oil in place in the Bakken oil play range into the hundreds of billions of barrels, so the race is on to extend Findley’s concepts.

Finally, Keep It Simple

Only a short hike separates his Elm Coulee find from the Montana-North Dakota border. Because the Williston Basin Bakken can be found in most of North Dakota, interest in that state has soared. Findley also looked into prospects there, without getting over-excited. He sees more localized plays in North Dakota, and “a very large learning curve” to develop the Bakken as a resource. “I came to the conclusion there was not another Elm Coulee in North Dakota, but that’s not to say it has no potential,” he commented. Other operators are working the fringes of the Montana play, hoping to extend it. Another irony: After its big success with Bakken production, Lyco Energy couldn’t last long as an independent. In July 2005, Enerplus Resources Fund of Calgary announced it would acquire Lyco for $421 million. Elm Coulee has been called a “sleeping giant” because its potential went overlooked for so long. Findley finally changed that with a sound geological approach, backed by proof from the drillbit. Here’s his second piece of advice: The other thing I’ve learned to do in my career is to keep things simple. In the end, the working geologist has to keep going back to the vocabulary of reservoir, trap, seal and source, according to Findley. Focus on those fundamentals, and you should be able to stay in business as a small exploration company. Until you start thinking big.

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Wyoming Field‘ Like a Bowl of Potato Chips’ Pinedale: Tight Gas, Tight Rules

By DIANE FREEMAN section that’s called Lance Pool, is 7 percent. Drying the core plugs EXPLORER Correspondent comprised of highly discontinuous sands changes the fabric of the clays. If you Environmental concerns are a major and overpressured,” she said. “We view shrivel up all the clay, you do not factor in all U.S. exploration, but it is it as a stratigraphic play with a structural understand the rocks as well. especially true in the West. overprint.” “We try to preserve them as close to That includes Wyoming’s Pinedale In the reservoir itself, the sands are the reservoir condition as we can Field, a tight gas sand giant in the typically nine to 15 feet thick. because conventional analysis changes northwest part of the Greater Green “They typically come stacked in the rock structure,” she continued. River Basin. packages in excess of 50 feet,” she said. “That’s really changed some of our Ultra Petroleum, relying on cutting- “We describe it like it’s a bowl of potato understanding. We have almost no edge geophysical and geological chips. Some chips are bigger than mobile water. techniques, was able to unlock the others when we drill into the pile.” “Our formation water salinity is higher natural gas potential of Pinedale, the than the water we’re producing. Using country’s fourth largest field. Keeping It Fresh correct data gives us a thicker But they also relied on discontinuities,” she said. “It was a very productive section and we end up with a environmentally acceptable practices. Ultra acquired 450 square miles of powerful thing for us. We saw what types petrophysical model that has “Reasonable recovery will require 3-D seismic and has used it extensively of barriers exist on that scale.” significantly more gas in place than what wells drilled on equivalent to 10-acre in defining the area and establishing the Extensive core work also has been was originally perceived,” she said. density (5,000 wells) with wildlife and initial reserve. particularly significant in the Pinedale The petrophysical model was applied archaeological restrictions, water “We have nearly a 100 percent Field project, she said. to 283 wells to develop gas in place disposal and air quality issues, and success rate,” Zinke said earlier this year Geologic technology has helped estimates. Pinedale Field has in excess permitting constraints,” said Steve when speaking before the annual 3-D assess the resources in this high of 44 tcf of original gas in place. Kneller, Ultra Petroleum vice president of Seismic Symposium in Denver. pressure, low porosity and permeability “That gives us about 25.8 tcf domestic exploration. The company acquired its first 3-D interval. Extensive core work also has recoverable,” she said, “and that makes Ultra also relies on hydraulic frac seismic survey of the area in 1999. been significant in the Pinedale project, it a giant field. technology. Seismic data has been used for location she said. Ultra initiated a 21-interval, 10- “We use pretty extensive frac planning, reserve validation, lateral and well coring program that evaluated over A Sensitive Play treatments,” said Sally Zinke, Ultra’s vertical field expansion, drilling risk 900 feet of core across the entire field. Denver-based geoscience manager. assessment, completion monitoring and “We’ve discovered that it is extremely Meanwhile, because the field is “That’s been utilized for about a decade resource recovery planning. important to have fresh state cores,” she located in an environmentally sensitive in this area. That’s what makes Pinedale Geophysically, the company has used said. “The core information has really area, the company has limited surface economic.” crosswell seismic and achieved five-foot helped our understanding of reservoir disturbances by opting for multi-well Although Ultra is headquartered in horizontal and five-foot vertical resolution fluids.” pads. Houston, the Pinedale Field work is between wells to help verify the Zinke said this marked the first time “Typically we’re drilling 16 well pads, conducted from the company’s Denver discontinuity in the reservoir and fracture the company has handled cores this all directional,” she said. office or from Wyoming, Zinke said. The efficiency, she said. way. The average well cost in the field is Pinedale Field area covers a 90-square- “We monitored an 18-stage frac job Conventionally, cores are dried “but $5.7 million and typical reserves per well mile region. on one of the wells and saw the behavior we have a very small clay content in are 7.65 bcfe. ❏ “We have 5,700 feet of an alluvial of the fracs relative to the reservoir them,” she added. “Our typical porosity

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Big Crowds Help Make Houston a Big Success By VERN STEFANIC “So-called ‘peak oil’ is not imminent, but EXPLORER Managing Editor may occur toward the middle or end of the Smiles were broad and plentiful in next generation,” Rose said. “Even so, Houston in April, with good reason: The peak oil is not the key question. The larger AAPG Annual Convention there ended as issue is the shrinking of world productive one of the largest, most successful capacity compared with growing world oil meetings in association history. demand.” Final attendance figures showed 8,223 Rose said that because oil use people attended the event at the George R. continues to grow, “it will be increasingly Brown Convention Center, the highest expensive. It is now time for the figure since the 1985 New Orleans meeting professional societies, especially in the (9,276). United States, to publicly emphasize the It was the fifth largest meeting in AAPG immediate need for increasing energy history, behind only the meetings in 1981 efficiency and conservation, especially with (San Francisco), 1980 (Denver), 1985 and regard to motor fuels. Americans 1984 (San Antonio). accomplished such efficiencies once “Fantastic” is one word used to describe before, 25 years ago, and we can do it the meeting by general chair Charles again – but we must get started now.” Sternbach. Others included “innovative” He said the coming years for petroleum and “inspiring.” geoscience will be “global, challenging, “We also set the record for raising the exciting and rewarding. highest dollar amount of total sponsorship “Our basic task, as geoscientists and monies ($675,000),” Sternbach said. “We engineers, is to bridge the global energy also had 207 exhibitors showing the latest gap,” he said, “to find and develop the technologies, and representatives from necessary oil and natural gas supplies to nearly 80 countries attending. sustain living standards, buying time as the “This annual meeting was one for the world navigates a tricky transition to an record books,” he said. increasingly hydrogen-based economy. The meeting began with the opening “We should not expect that Western session and awards ceremony, which society will accept our warnings about featured a multi-media film montage that energy supply and necessary conservation honored “the joy of discovery,” plus a talk without suspicion and resentment,” he by author/geophysicist Peter Tertzakian added. “Nor will they applaud our (see related story, page 18), the sustaining contributions to global welfare. presentation of AAPG awards plus remarks We alone will recognize that our task is a from this year’s Sidney Powers medalist skilled, necessary and heroic undertaking. I Robert Mitchum, and the presidential have no doubt that petroleum geoscientists address from AAPG President Peter Rose. will be fully equal to the challenge.” ❏ Rose, in speaking on the meeting’s theme of “Perfecting the Search, Delivering For more information, on Promises,” set the scene for the next visit the AAPG Web site. generation’s energy future. JUNE 2006 17

JUNE 2006 18 Tough Future Awaits ‘We Deliver On Promises’ World of Oil Addicts Being Taken for Geophysicist and author Peter and painful for global economies and Tertzakian told the opening session for individuals. The bad news is for the audience in Houston that the world has first time in the history of energy become addicted to oil, a theme also consumption, there is no “magic bullet” sounded by U.S. President George W. offering an immediate, large-scale Granted Not Bad Bush. alternative. Tertzakian, author of A Thousand He noted developing technology to By LOUISE S. DURHAM “This is the biggest compliment we can Barrels a Second, said in the present produce energy is not akin to the easy, EXPLORER Correspondent get, and one of the greatest measures of environment the gap between world rapid pace of innovation in consumer Even though the majority of the global the industry’s success,” Cejka told the demand and supply has become so electronics like cell phones, PCs and population relies on energy from audience at the recent AAPG annual tight even small factors can send iPods. hydrocarbons each day, it’s taken for meeting All-Convention luncheon. “We prices higher, while multiple events There’s also good news, he said: granted for the most part, noted A.T. (Tim) deliver on promises.” have a cumulative impact greater than Forward-thinking nations, corporations Cejka, president of ExxonMobil Exploration It’s widely known that the world guzzles their sum. and individuals can anticipate and Co. and a vice president of ExxonMobil more than 80 million barrels of crude oil He said slowing down the global navigate the coming break point. Corp. each day. When you convert this to 40,000 addiction to cheap oil will be disruptive – LARRY NATION Here’s the news: That’s not necessarily gallons per second, it underscores why just bad. a minor supply disruption – or even the threat of one – spooks the oil traders and plenty of other folks. Cejka’s take on remaining resources is that large volumes remain to be tapped, We not only take enough to offer challenges for future generations. the pressure. In fact, he estimates global conventional oil resources to be 3.2 trillion barrels. Sperry Drilling Services Adding in non-conventional frontier resources ups the total to more than four gets it to you 3X faster. trillion barrels. These numbers include discovered and undiscovered resource estimates. It’s a proven fact: The GeoTap® formation-pressure-while- From the beginning through today, the industry has produced more than one trillion drilling (FPWD) sensor allows you to drill wells in real time with barrels. greater control, accuracy, safety, speed and reduced formation Even though significant volumes of hydrocarbons are estimated to remain, it damage—eliminating the need for costly, risky wireline formation would be naive to think they’ll be easy to pressure testing. find or extract. They not only will pose considerable scientific and technical challenges, it will require “big money” to LWD Formation Pressure Test find and wrest them from the reservoirs. 21000 “The International Energy Advisory 20500 Council estimates the energy industry must 20000 invest on average $200 billion each year 19500

19000 between now and 2030 to meet the

18500 demand in the world,” Cejka said. “All

18000 nations are bound to one another.” 17500 Additionally, the global gas market is 17000 anticipated to grow as the LNG supply 16500 grows. 16000

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15000 more challenging to ferret out, look for the 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 barriers between the disciplines to become blurred. Technology breakthroughs will often be Proven Superior Around the World found at the interface of the sub-disciplines, Cejka noted. Individuals with breadth and But the advantages don’t stop there. Compared to other FPWD scalability to integrate will be fundamental Geo-Span® to the industry’s success in finding and tools, overall test time is reduced using our two-way extracting the remaining resources. communication system. There are no backup shoes.And the Public misconceptions about energy are many and varied, he said. Some of the GeoTap sensor features the industry’s only “snorkel” apparatus, more obvious are: ✔ which punches through mudcake to secure better communication Prices – Price fluctuations are a fact of life in commodities. Cejka doesn’t expect with formation fluids for successful pressure measurements. today’s prices to be reflective of what will be seen over the longer term. Proven in major oil and gas areas worldwide, GeoTap sensors are ✔ Energy independence – This is way far away, if ever, Cejka said. For instance, highly effective in sandstones, carbonates, water- and synthetic wind and solar will average double digit oil-based and cesium formate muds. GeoTap sensors are available in growth over the next 25 years, yet wind and solar will account for only 1.2 percent of the widest range of hole sizes—from 5 3/4 inches to 18 inches. U.S. energy consumption in 2030. ✔ Insularity from others – No nation can Halliburton has the energy to help. For more details, contact us insulate itself from the global energy at [email protected]. market; energy is, after all, a global business. Angst abounds about the lack of new Unleash the energy™. talent coming into the industry – but for those companies evaluating the somewhat rare potential new-hire, it pays off in the long HALLIBURTON run to look for a lot more than grade point average. Look for excitement about the industry Drilling and Formation along with the ability and desire to learn, he Evaluation said. These traits can help carry the industry through the next down cycle, which some say is inevitable while others still cling to the thought (hope?) that this time really is © 2006 Halliburton. All rights reserved. different. ❏

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JUNE 2006 20 Future Rosy for Geologists, Speaker Says Lower Consumption Prescribed By SUSAN R. EATON its gas end users, and by redesigning its world’s multinational E&P firms during the EXPLORER Correspondent key industrial sectors. past couple of decades. Given the Amory Lovins wears many hats – Lovins challenged the DEG audience to opportunity, he would immediately retrofit theoretical physicist, adviser to the U.S. picture an American economy in 2025 the United States’ aging fleet of oil auto industry and to the Pentagon on that’s not held hostage by the global refineries, resulting in a 42-percent energy energy efficiency, and co-founder of the commodity price of oil or by the handful of cost savings with payout of capital Rocky Mountain Institute, a Colorado- countries that produce that oil. Further, he expenditures over three years. based think tank whose vision is a world described how the United States could “Oil is a great industry,” Lovins said, without oil by 2025. prosper on all fronts – corporate profits, “but a bad business, sort of like airlines. But during the luncheon address to the jobs and national security – while “The smartest oil companies have been Division of Environmental Geosciences at eliminating its geopolitical dependence on trying to broaden their business model for the recent AAPG Annual Convention in oil. several decades,” he added, suggesting Houston, Lovins added a new hat to his “The prize is enormous,” Lovins said of that E&P companies need to redefine collection – that of “wildcatter.” the potential change, “a world that doesn’t themselves as “energy” companies. Lovins regaled the audience with his depend upon or fight over oil. Public policy recent “exploration” discoveries – a “8.3- must support – not distort – this change.” Geologists’ Future: ‘Rosy’ million-barrel-a-day oil field in the Detroit Formation” and a 15-Tcf-a-year natural gas Having a New Model Lovins challenged the petroleum play somewhere in the continental United industry to squeeze significantly more States. These “discoveries” are actually Lovins suggested that market forces revenues out of assets that already have made through cutting consumption. and “business logic” – not government Lovins been amortized. At a time when the oil Lovins laid out the roadmap for the policies or subsidies – should drive this industry is reaping unprecedented profits, United States to offset its energy monumental step-change in how we “Whalers were astounded when they he called upon it to change its paradigm, consumption – without drilling a single oil consume energy. ran out of customers before they ran out of to invest in a diversified and energy or gas well – by the equivalent of 8.3 As a model he pointed to the financial whales,” he said. In fact, Lovins declared efficient portfolio. million barrels a day and 15 Tcf a year (or successes of the Royal Dutch Shell Group that many nations have adopted some of Should oil and gas geologists fear the half the nation’s annual natural gas and British Petroleum. During the past five the prescriptive moves detailed in hydrogen economy? Not according to consumption). Such a monumental feat years, British Petroleum has parlayed its Endgame, and that we have already Lovins who already views non-renewable could be accomplished, he said, through acronym “BP” into “Beyond Petroleum” – transitioned the hydrogen economy. fossil fuels – coal and petroleum – through the adoption of currently existing, energy an elegant marketing tool that’s predicated “Two-thirds of the fossil fuel atoms the lens of the hydrogen economy. efficient technologies and the substitution upon a multi-billion dollar investment in being burned worldwide are hydrogen,” he Geologists, he suggested, will continue of oil with hydrogen. solar, wind and hydrogen technologies. said. “We’re only talking about the last one- to play a crucial role in the decades to A co-author of Winning the Oil True to its mantra, as BP’s profits have third of these atoms, namely carbon.” come, even as the United States and the Endgame: Innovation for Profits, Jobs and increased, the corporation’s greenhouse No stranger to the oil and gas industry, rest of the world embrace the hydrogen Security, Lovins described how the United gases have decreased (on a percentage Lovins has consulted to the U.S. economy – geologists’ skills will be used to States can reduce, even eliminate, its basis, relative to the amount of energy Department of Energy and to many of the map subsurface reservoirs for enhanced escalating consumption of oil by building produced). oil recoveries and for carbon dioxide energy efficient, ultra-light automobiles and Lovins likens the demise of today’s oil For more on this subject, sequestration. aircraft, by substituting biofuels for oil, by industry to the transition that saw whalers visit the AAPG Web site. retrofitting the electrical power industry and lose market share in the 1850s. See Lovins, page 29

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Rockies New Gas Champ? ‘Unconventional’ Becoming Usual

By LOUISE S. DURHAM from unconventional reservoirs and these animals are real wells, maybe 20,000 EXPLORER Correspondent growing rapidly, totaling nearly 500 Tcf. feet total depth and 10-20 million a day An oil executive talking in the heart of “This is dominated by tight sands, IPs. the Gulf Coast pointed to an unexpected followed by coalbed methane and shale “Some plays are tens of thousands to locale in forecasting the “it” place for future gas, and the latter is quickly catching up,” millions of acres,” Dea added, “meaning gas production. he added. you must lease far and wide and think on a His pick to be the soon-to-be-crowned It is noteworthy, in deed, that the fairway scale. king of natural gas: the Rocky Mountains. Rockies are becoming the number one “They’re all different, so keep on A seemingly unconventional gas-producing region in the United States. thinking.” observation, perhaps, but then In fact, Dea said the region will surpass the “unconventional” is the buzzword these Gulf Coast between now and 2008, largely Things to Remember days in the Oil Patch. due to unconventional gas production. Want to be perceived as hip and cool? Issues to keep in mind when zeroing in Finding and drilling for unconventional ‘Think Shallow and Small …’ on unconventional deposits include: hydrocarbons should do it – perhaps one ✓ Prospect size and initial discovery more reason why the Rockies have The search for unconventional reserves estimates are often low by several become the domestic industry’s hot topic. hydrocarbons demands a number of traits orders of magnitude. Even some of the majors are taking on on the part of the explorers, including: ✓ Reservoir areal extent often grows. the challenge of going after these often- ✓ Vision. ✓ The vertical column expands. complex and sometimes mystifying ✓ The focus to stay on course. ✓ Structure turns out to be more reservoirs, which acquired bad reputations ✓ Calculated risks. Dea complex than anticipated. early on, e.g., too small to bother with or These traits apparently were lacking in Unconventional reservoirs often are too difficult and pricey to drill and produce. a number of well-known cases “back Patience and perseverance can break comprised of interbedded sandstone, That was then. when.” through the paradigms long-associated siltstone, mudstone and coals, so it’s wise Today, the volumes being produced During the 1950s to the 1980s, 5,000 with unconventionals. In fact, there have to think in terms of rock packages. And it’s from unconventional reservoirs are having wells blew right through the coalbed been a number of paradigm shifts relative highly important to understand the an impressive impact on the domestic methane deposits in the Powder River to the past when tight sands were deemed geological system and the pressure hydrocarbon supply, according to Peter Basin, Dea noted. Yet results in the 1990s too complex with excessively low regime, as well as the sequence Dea, president and CEO of Western Gas showed more than 20 Tcf of recoverable permeability, coals had low gas content or stratigraphy and the fracture system. Resources. gas. were too permeable or too tight, and shale Investors have become enamored of “There’s a growing importance of Likewise, in the now-active Pinedale- was defined as only a source rock. unconventionals – for a number of good unconventional gas resource plays,” said Jonah area, Dea said the wildcatters “Think shallow and small, like ‘Plankton reasons, as Dea pointed out: Dea, the featured speaker at the EMD smelled it as far back as the 1950s but plays,’ because it can take a lot of little ✓ High returns. luncheon held at the recent AAPG annual went home hungry (see related story, page things to add up to something significant,” ✓ Repeatable low risk development meeting in Houston. 14). Then in the 1990s, tens of Tcf were Dea said. “Some of these plays are less drilling. “We now see about 35 percent of the discovered. than 3,000 feet deep with subtle gas ✓ Long-term drilling inventory. technically recoverable reserves in the “Early comers exit, and late comers shows and low rates. ✓ Low finding and development costs. U.S. from unconventional plays,” Dea said. arrive,” Dea said. “It’s not always “However, you must think deep and ✓ Low lease operating expense. “Nearly a third of U.S. gas production is necessary to be the leader.” tight as well,” he noted, “because some of ✓ Field size grows over time. ❏

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JUNE 2006 26 Participant Concerns: Prices, People, Equipment OTC Crowd Reaches 25-Year High By LOUISE S. DURHAM Industry” was one of the panels to attract panel discussion took a different twist in Reinsborough, vice president of EXPLORER Correspondent a sizeable audience. that a series of multiple choice questions exploration at Nexen, that $72 is The huge crowd of attendees from 110 Remember several years back when were posed by the moderators to solicit extremely high. While there will be oil countries, along with the more than 2,000 the occasional independent would the opinions of the audience. This was shocks, the company’s view is the current exhibitors at this year’s Offshore venture out – not just to the mature followed by comments from the price isn’t sustainable and will settle into Technology Conference in Houston offshore shelf, but into deep water – by presenters. the $50s range. appears to make it official: the industry piggybacking on the majors? Today, On the other hand, Devon Energy’s has segued from boomlet to boom. they’re more likely to work alongside the Q: Regarding your expectations for outlook is that high prices will be When the final numbers were tallied, majors even in the ultra-deepwater, and future commodity prices: High prices will sustained for a long time. However, the registration topped out at 59,236, which is their role worldwide is increasing. be sustained for: company – like many of its peers – a 24-year high for the event. Vanco Energy, for instance, reportedly (a) Three-five years? doesn’t invest that way, according to Earl In addition to the many gee-whiz just inked a deal for Ukraine’s first (b) One-two years? Reynolds, vice president and general exhibits, the extensive technical program deepwater drilling rights. The company Response: (a) 42 percent (b) 26 manager. included an array of panel discussions holds an extensive acreage position off percent. Reinsborough emphasized some and other sessions. Africa. Not a lot of folks likely would argue areas of the world help make America “Independent Spirits Driving Offshore The latter part of the independents with the comment from Brian more energy independent. For example, Canadian oil sands, which are believed to contain vast reserves, are a safe bet for the industry – the region is stable. However, a lot of production around the world, which was once viewed as unconventional – and pricey – could not be sustained if oil were to drop to, say, $25. Continuing unconventional E&P supports current prices.

Q: Given work force shortages, what are your expectations of changes to come? Response: The industry will remain chronically understaffed for many years, according to 86 percent of the respondents. Devon is actively recruiting on campuses, offering multi-experience opportunities, Reynolds said, and it also is looking outside North America. Basically, however, companies are robbing from each other. Reinsborough noted that attracting people has a lot to do with giving them responsibility. The labor market is very tight in Canada, which may jeopardize some projects coming on in time. Nexen also is looking overseas for people.

Q: How long will we continue to see a shortage of drilling equipment and supplies? Response: Three years – 45 percent. Five years – 28 percent. Mariner Energy is considering how far out to extend contracts, according to Cory Loegering, vice president of deepwater at the company. More rigs will become available, but he questioned who will be available to operate them.

Q: Will access to people or to resources be the biggest challenge to our business over the next three-five years? Response: continued on next page

JUNE 2006 27 continued from previous page

Access to people: 48 percent. Access to resources: 34 percent. In deep water, technical excellence is crucial, noted John Simon, vice president of development at Amerada Hess, but it’s widely known the universities aren’t graduating the number of people the industry needs. Regarding resources, he cited what has become a common lament among operators: access to opportunities is becoming hugely competitive around the globe. Reynolds considers the resource issue to be more of a challenge than talent. He emphasized the need to have a clear strategy and relationships in place to conduct business outside North America going forward.

Q: Primary strategy for future growth of independent operators: Organic growth through the bit? Acquisition of underexploited assets? Acquisition of companies with strategies that fit? Response: All of the above: 43 percent. Nexen takes a balanced approach to At IHS, we see growth, according to Reinsborough, while Reynolds noted Devon remains consistent with its approach, whereby the company has grown via acquisitions. Acquisition of state data as a companies is on Mariner’s radar, Loegering said, but he noted all three methods are related. starting point. Q: Should independent operators buy back their stock? Response: Yes – 56 percent. More people in the field —Our scouts talk to 2,000 contacts in No – 24 percent. oil & gas provinces from the West Coast to West Virginia, tracking wells Nexen doesn’t need to buy back stock, Reinsborough said. His take on buybacks from drilling to initial potential. is that it means a company doesn’t have enough opportunities in inventory. Money More data details —In Texas alone, IHS has 106,000 wells with core should be put into growth programs rather data and more than 133,000 wells with DST data—attributes you won’t than stock. Devon has a different outlook on this find from vendors who simply re-publish state data. issue, according to Reynolds. He said the company thinks buybacks are good More accurate data —More than 100 geoscientists and data investments for shareholders. professionals conduct a series of quality checks, including adding Q: Do independents use (a) only proven formation names for local reservoirs and ensuring wells are assigned technology and push it to the limits? (b) to the correct field. Some new technology? Response: (a)Yes – 47 percent. State data gets our process rolling. We work with state agencies and our (b) Yes – 41 percent. own QC teams to enhance it. We scout every stage of a well’s life to add Loegering commented that Mariner uses proven technology and pushes it to updates and new attributes. Then we put the result in a consistent platform, the limits at which point new technology so you can mine it for actionable knowledge— and base your investment then begins to evolve. Reynolds predicted the industry likely decisions on the industry standard in E&P data. may see the independents using some highly innovative technology if commodity See for yourself. Visit ihs.com/energy/bestdata to see prices remain at lofty levels. Regarding technology, it is noteworthy our inventory comparison reports for well and production data. to mention that the independents led in many ways to unlock the deepwater Gulf of Mexico – think Kerr McGee – as Simon See further. See opportunity. See clearly. pointed out. ❏

888 OIL DATA www.ihs.com/energy

©2006 IHS Inc. All Rights Reserved.

JUNE 2006 28

Seismic Imaging? Try Stratal Slicing

(The Geophysical Corner is a regular column in the EXPLORER, edited by Bob A. Hardage, senior research scientist at the Bureau of Economic Geology, the University of Texas at Austin. This month’s column is titled “Stratal Slicing Makes Seismic Imaging of Depositional Systems Easier.”)

By HONGLIU ZENG Many people today view land surfaces from commercial airplanes or on satellite images and are amazed by the geomorphic forms of river channels, deltas, barrier islands, dune fields and other features. These views show us modern stratal-time surfaces of Figure 3 – A Pliocene interval from the Gulf of exposed landforms. Mexico. Dash horizons S1 through S4 are stratal Three-D seismic technology has now made it possible slices. Time intervals between stratal-slice pairs vary to image similar, but much older, geomorphic features in thickness across seismic image space, as seen and stratal surfaces preserved in the rock record. by comparing the interval between S1 and S2 at Historically, interpreters have analyzed vertical points A and B. Circled features are sandstone units. sections of 3-D seismic volumes line by line and found field-scale (50 meters or thicker) geologic and depositional features. Sometimes, reservoir-scale (three- 10 meters thick) features can be detected in these vertical sections, but many of these small-scale targets cannot be resolved and interpreted because of data bandwidth limitations. For example, in the vertical view in figure 1a the seismic facies around the dash line are interpreted to be fluvial deposits based on the presence of discontinuous, patchy events and frequent lateral changes in amplitudes. Wells drilled through the interval support this interpretation. However, correlating individual channel-fill sand bodies and marginal facies (levee, crevasse splay, etc.) on adjacent vertical views is difficult because these facies elements are thin (three-10 meters) and the Figure 1 – (a) Vertical section view of a fluvial seismic resolution barely resolves the tops and bases of environment (dash line and circled features); (b) the thickest units. Stratal slice showing small depositional features are In this particular section view it is not possible to better seen in horizontal view than in vertical view. decide what depositional elements are represented by the circled features.

* * *

One strategy to map depositional systems with high resolution is to change the emphasis of seismic interpretation from vertical sections to horizontal sections. Figure 2 – Distinctions among For a perfectly migrated 3-D seismic data set, time slices, horizon slices and horizontal resolution is the same as vertical resolution. stratal slices: A time slice (a) follows a constant Outcrop and subsurface studies show depositional image-time coordinate; a horizon slice (b) parallels bodies have horizontal dimensions greater than their a reference reflection event; stratal slices (c) divide vertical dimensions. As a result, small depositional bodies a time-varying interval thickness into uniform often can be resolved in plan view even if they can only geologic time increments. be detected in vertical view. As a demonstration of this principle, a stratal slice uniformly spaced subintervals. made by the method described in this article and then If the number of subintervals is 10 and the time passed through the dash line in figure 1a shows high- thickness between the reference surfaces at points A and quality images of fluvial channels, crevasse splays, flood B (figure 2) is 27 ms and 58 ms, respectively, then the plain and a mud plug (figure 1b). Although most of these thickness of each subinterval at coordinate A is 2.7 ms, depositional elements are less than 10 meters thick – and and at point B each subinterval is 5.8 ms thick. The thus below vertical seismic resolution – they are well interface between each pair of subintervals (the dash resolved in the horizontal dimension. lines in figure 2) approximates a stratal surface. To implement horizontal-view seismic interpretation, In principle, no major angular unconformities we must pick geologic-time surfaces (or stratal surfaces) (truncations) or other discordant reflections should occur Figure 4 – Large-area map views of geology from 3-D seismic volumes so that seismic attribute maps between the reference events. across the stratal surfaces defined in figure 3. across these fixed-geologic-time surfaces can be The position of the vertical section in figure 3 is analyzed in terms of depositional systems. * * * identified on each surface. Time slices and horizon slices are the horizontal- section views most commonly used by seismic Stratal slices provide a stratigraphic resolution that is about four meters thick. Image S3 is only six ms (seven interpreters (figures 2a-b). Time slices are extracted from cannot be achieved using vertical sections alone. meters) above slice S2 and is contaminated by some a data volume at a constant image-time coordinate. A The data in figure 3 show a Gulf Coast Pliocene interference from the S2 fluvial system. horizon slice is constructed by extracting a seismic sequence having a dominant frequency of 30 Hz and a Even so, identification of the meandering channel attribute parallel to a picked time-varying horizon. vertical resolution of 10 m. across stratal surface S3 is unambiguous. The image For either horizontal view to be an accurate Four stratal slices were taken inside a 30-ms (36-m) resolution achieved in this case is much smaller than representation of a stratal surface, one must assume the interval (figure 3, S1 through S4). Interpretation of wireline vertical resolution and probably represents the limit of formation being sliced is flat lying when time slicing is well logs (SP) across the interval shows the sandstones resolution expected from stratal-slice analysis for this used (figure 2a), or that the formation has a sheet-like are fluvial in nature. Some of the sandstone units (e.g., a, data set. geometry (figure 2b) when horizon slicing is used. b and e in figure 3) are thick (20 to 25 meters) and create Many depositional sequences, however, are amplitude anomalies. Others are thin (10 meters or less) * * * characterized by thickness changes (figure 2c), which and subtle (c, d and f in figure 3). cause horizon-slice and time-slice surfaces to sample In map view, the four stratal slices image four The software used to make stratal slices, including seismic events that are associated with strata of different episodes of fluvial deposition (figure 4, S1 through S4). necessary reconditioning of seismic data and various geologic ages. A different surface extraction method The fluvial systems on stratal slices S1, S2 and S4 are attribute applications, was developed by a joint effort of must be used to ensure an extracted surface follows a fully resolved without interference from overlaying or academia and industry, and is available at fixed-geologic-time surface. underlaying units. http://www.austingeo.com. One such method is “stratal slicing” (figure 2c), or Stratal slice S3 shows a narrow (35 to 70 meters, or proportional slicing, which divides the variable- 1 to 2 traces wide), well-developed meandering feature (Editor’s note: Zeng, an AAPG member, is research thickness vertical interval between two seismic interpreted to be a small coastal plain channel (figure 4, scientist with the Bureau of Economic Geology in Austin, reference events (figure 2) into a fixed number of arrows). Wireline logs indicate this channel-fill sandstone Texas.)

JUNE 2006 29

Be Alert: Actions Are Being Taken By DON JUCKETT is published, that effort should be under Association members. Presently we plan to interests more effectively and with greater GEO-DC Director way. have that area active by the end of June. insight into Association needs. Even with Congress in recess a large The design will provide for response and Good reading – Drilling Ahead: The part of the month of April, Washington * * * feedback to this office on breaking energy Quest for Oil in the Deep South 1945-2005, remains an active place – and to help keep news and events from Washington. by Alan Cockrell, 2005, published for the everyone better informed, Carl J. Smith and The various committee discussions Mississippi Geological Society by the the Government Affairs Committee are during the Houston meeting suggested * * * University Press of Mississippi/Jackson. working to reactivate the system of “Action there was a need for a mechanism that A very readable history of the events and Alerts” for notifying members of pertinent permitted greater real time communications I want to thank the many individual colorful players in 60 years of oil and natural issues. between the GEO-DC office and AAPG members who took time to visit with me gas exploration and development in the The first Alert 2006-1 addressed the draft members. during the Houston convention. I appreciate Deep South. of the Minerals Management Service 2007- In response to this need for current and welcome the candor of your 2012 Five Year OCS Leasing Plan, which information for members, AAPG will be suggestions and insights. (Editor’s note: Don Juckett, head of includes acreage in the Gulf of Mexico’s developing a GEO-DC area of the Web site I hope, too, that as a result of these AAPG’s Geoscience and Energy Office in “181” area, OCS Virginia and OCS Alaska. to provide greater coverage of current event conversations, the GEO-DC office will be Washington, D.C., can be contacted at A major effort by an ad hoc group of activities in Washington that could impact able to track and respond to member [email protected], (703) 575-8293.) interested parties – including retirees, consumer organizations, industry organizations and professional organizations – mobilized input for support for the Five Year Plan. The public open comment period on the draft plan closed on April 11, during the busy days of the AAPG Annual Convention in Houston. The ad hoc group acquired booth space at the convention and many of you stopped at the booth to add your comments to the final tally. The final overall count was: ✓ Favorable comments – 26,643 (70 percent). ✓ Opposable comments – 11,681 (30 percent). Defenders of Wildlife provided MMS with 9,827 comments at the 11th hour that significantly increased the “opposed” total. The ad hoc group will continue its efforts to update interested parties in preparation for the Minerals Management Service issuance of the 2007-2012 Final Plan this summer. At that point, there will be a final comment period that will require another push for public/interested party response. Although the start time and duration of the comment period has not been announced by the Minerals Management Service, look for the AAPG Government Affairs Committee to issue an “action alert” for Association members at the beginning of that comment period. Member participation in the draft plan comment period was excellent. The response for the final plan will have to be even better considering the clear message that was sent by the enhanced level of comments received by MMS as the result of the effort mounted to support opening of increased acreage in the 2007-2012 plan. Even greater membership participation will be needed in the next few months. In the interim, look for a push by the various upstream organizations, consumer groups and other parts of the concerned energy community to press the administration to include even greater OCS acreage in the plan. By the time this column Lovins from page 20

“The future is rosy for gas under any scenario, even mine,” he said, as natural gas is a key feedstock for hydrogen. Pointing to recent technological developments in biofuels, Lovins described how Brazil has replaced 34 percent of its oil needs with biodiesel, repaying initial government subsidies by 50-fold. And, he cited Europe’s adoption of biofuels as “a good transitional product.” He suggested, further, that the United States could replace one-fifth of its oil consumption (or four million barrels a day) with “modern” biofuels, substituting ethanol derived from costly, heavily subsidized corn-based sugars with ethanol from the woody parts of plants like switchgrass and

JUNE 2006 30

Jorge Eduardo Baldi, to general coordinator, Chevron (Indonesia), geophysicist, Pioneer Natural Resources, recent conference in Houston. manager, Repsol/YPF Oriente Medio SA Jakarta, Indonesia. Irving, Texas. McNaughton is editor, Oil IT Journal, (Iran branch), Tehran, Iran. Previously Sevres, France. E&P manager, Repsol E&P, Trinidad & James S. Gagliardi, to senior vice Steven Krause, to geologist, North Tobago. president and exploration manager, America gas, North Group, Jonah Asset, Alan H. Morgan, to vice president-land, Goldking Energy, Houston. Previously BP, Houston. Previously geologist, Access Exploration, Houston. Previously Jim Burnett, to senior geophysicist, division manager, U.S. subsurface Southern Africa BU, Chevron International vice president-land, Remora Oil, Denver. Chesapeake Energy, Oklahoma City. consulting, Landmark Graphics, Houston. E&P, Houston. Previously project geophysicist, EOG Robert S. Nail, to geologist, asset Resources, Midland, Texas. Stephen Hamm, to geoscience project Ed LoCricchio, to senior geologist, development-Permian technical team, manager, Sovereign Oil and Gas, Cordillera Energy Partners, Greenwood Chevron North American E&P, Midland, Tom Feldkamp, to geological adviser, Houston. Previously geophysical Village, Colo. Previously senior staff Texas. Previously petroleum geoscientist, Noble Energy, Denver. Previously senior consultant and geoscience specialist, geologist, El Paso Production-Medicine Nail Geoscience, Houston. geologist, Kerr-McGee O&G Onshore, Schlumberger DCS (Mexico), Bow Energy, Denver. Denver. Villahermosa, Mexico. John A. Parker, to senior vice president- Neil McNaughton was recently honored exploration, Phoenix Exploration, Houston. Matt Frankforter, to technical team Joseph J. Kmeck, to senior staff for his journalistic coverage of petroleum Previously exploration manager, Gryphon leader, Chevron North American E&P, geophysicist, Pioneer Natural Resources data management by the Petroleum Exploration, Houston. Anchorage, Alaska. Previously Kutei hub USA, Denver. Previously senior staff Network Education Conferences at its Brian C. Payne, to senior geoscience system analyst, El Paso E&P, Houston. Previously geoscience technology manager, Gryphon Exploration, Houston.

Doug Pethound, to exploration geologist, Continental Resources, Enid, Okla. Previously district geologist-Permian Basin, Chaparral Energy, Oklahoma City.

David W. Phelps, to senior geological adviser, Apache Energy, Perth, Australia. Previously senior geological adviser, Apache (Egypt), Cairo, Egypt.

Bryan Ritchie has been awarded the Young Explorers Medal from the Petroleum Group of the UK Geological Society, presented to those under the age of 35, for his outstanding contributions to both UK and international exploration. Ritchie is geoscientist-Sakhalin exploration team, BP, Houston.

Will M. Satterfield, to chief geologist, Libya, Occidental Oil and Gas, Houston. Previously senior geological adviser, Occidental Oil and Gas, Houston.

Stephanie Sofranoff, to staff geologist, TXOK Energy, Tulsa. Previously consultant, TXOK Energy, Tulsa.

Thomas E. Voytovich, to region vice president-exploration & production, Apache, Tulsa. Previously exploration manager, Apache, Tulsa.

Daniel B. Williams, to principal geologist, 3-D reservoir characterization, Envision AS, Stavanger, Norway. Previously senior reservoir geoscientist, Roxar, Houston.

Ian Woollen, to independent oil and gas consultant, Edinburgh, Scotland. Previously principal consultant and senior analyst, Wood Mackenzie, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Mark Yarlot, to geological adviser, Vintage Production California, Bakersfield, Calif. Previously senior geologist, Berry Petroleum, Bakersfield, Calif.

Andrew Zolnai, to consultant, Impington, Cambridge, UK. Previously petroleum manager, ESRI, Redlands, Calif. Zolnai also recently was inducted as a member of the Madison Who’s Who of Executives and Professionals, New York City.

(Editor’s note: “Professional News Briefs” includes items about members’ career moves and the honors they receive. To be included, please send information in the above format to Professional News Briefs, c/o AAPG EXPLORER, P.O. Box 979, Tulsa, Okla. 74101; or fax, 918-560- 2636; or e-mail, [email protected]; or submit directly from the AAPG Web site, www.aapg.org/explorer/pnb_forms.cfm.) JUNE 2006 for regional exploration. synthesize multipledatatypesessential exercises to thatallowparticipants a combinationoflectures andpractical petroleum systems.Itwillbetaughtusing their effects onregional geologyand understanding oftectonicphasesand Alejandro EscalonaandWilliamGalloway. Multiple DataSets A Workshop Using Stratigraphic Analysis: Seismic Data Region Caribbean Tectonics oftheGulfMexico and Geology, Paleogeography andRegional Exploration Prospects and probability ofsuccess. influence theprospect resource variance grading schemetocross-check and systematic andcalibratedamplitude We alsofocusonacomprehensive, quality, totrapdefinitionandcontainment. from source andmigration,toreservoir tothepetroleumuncertainty system– then systematicallylinksestimationunder view oftheworld’s deepwaterrealms, and Citron andJamesMacKay. geometry ofthedepositionalsystems. geometry facies andthesub-regional depositional successionof that defineboththevertical wireline logsandbiostratigraphic data integration ofseismicrecord sections, from around theworld,involve systems. Theexercises, using datasets facies, mostoftencalledturbidite on deepwaterdepositsofsand-prone series ofexercises andlectures focused Armentrout. salt bodiesand associatedsediments– basis tointerpret ofdiverse thegeometry interpreters withamechanicallysound with thegoalofproviding seismic tectonics present indeepwatersettings, Jackson. Martin challenges. and attemptto“de-mystify”someofthose six fallconference courseswilladdress exploration posesuniquechallenges,the exploration. is centered onthethemeofdeepwater Houston, butwithatwist–thisconference Education Conference, setSept.11-15in three years,sowedecidedtoaddaFall has gainedinpopularityoverthepast basins ofsoutheastAsia. Seaand Sea, GulfofMexico,North overpressure areas, suchastheCaspian the courseincludesmanyofclassic exercises andcasestudies. Materialfor mixture lectures, ofshort ample hands-on petroleum reservoirs. Thecourseisa efficient explorationandexploitation of pressure datarelate tothesafeand Traugott. taught byRichard Swarbrick andMartin course. quantitatively isamajorfocusofthe amplitude bothqualitativelyand data today. Theunderstandingof techniques applicableto3-Dseismic workstations andthespecialinterpretation thoughtful utilizationofinterpretation understanding ofseismicdata,the This courseprovides afundamental This coursebeginswithapanoramic This hands-onworkshopconsistsofa This reviews keyfeatures ofsalt ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ The coursesare: Recognizing thatdeepwater AAPG’s WinterEducationConference Designed to show participants how Designed toshowparticipants This emphasizestheproper Pore PressurePredictioninPractice Deepwater Sands–Integrated of Interpretation Three-Dimensional Jurassic-Recent Subsurface Deepwater Salt Tectonics Risk AnalysisofDeepwater , taughtbyAlistairBrown. , taughtbyPaulMann, , taughtbyJohn , taughtbyGary , taughtby , delay! Courses are already fillingup,sodon’t http://www.aapg.org/education/fec.cfm. Web siteat brochure andregistrationonour form or [email protected]. at(918)560-2650; education department the HiltonHoustonWestchase Hotel. 14! Specialgroup ratesare availableat non-members –ifyousignupbefore Aug. $1,095 forAAPGmembersand$1,195 lectures exercises. andshort interact. Thecourseistaughtusing andhowsaltflowsedimentation form and torecognize howthesestructures See youinHouston! You alsocandownloadaconference For morecontacttheAAPG information Registration fortheentire weekis ❏

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Gondwana General Chair Mateu Esteban addresses the opening session of the recent AAPG European Region conference in Look back Mallorca, Spain. to look forward

(Editor’s note: Regions and Sections is Total, the Government and University of a regular column in the EXPLORER the Balearic Islands, SAGEX, Chevron offering news for and about AAPG’s six and Carbonates International. LOOKLOOK FORWARDFORWARD TOTO international Regions and six U.S. The Region’s next conference, in Sections. Athens, Greece, will be held in the fall of Contacts: For Regions, Dana 2007. AAPG will announce details as REGISTRATION!REGISTRATION! Patterson Free, at 1-918-560-2616, or they become available. e-mail to [email protected]; for Sections, Donna Riggs, at 1-918-560-2612, or * * * e-mail to [email protected]. THE EARLIER YOU REGISTER, This month’s column was provided by AAPG’s education program has two people: The first part from John something very important in common THE MORE YOU SAVE! Brooks, president of the AAPG Europe with our Regions and Sections – it likes to Region, and the second by Debbi be “there,” with you, where the action is. Boonstra, of the AAPG education U.S. members have a variety of department.) upcoming short courses to consider, • Be an “early bird”– register by August 1 including Quantification of Risk (June 6- Officials are calling the first-ever 9) in Denver; Practical Salt Tectonics • Be a “regular bird”– register by October 16 AAPG European Region conference to (June 26-28) in Houston; Basic Well Log be held in Mallorca, Spain, a “great Analysis (Aug. 15-18) in Austin, Texas; • Don’t be a “late bird”! success.” and Practical Mapping for Reservoir The conference, “Architecture of Characterization (Sept. 30-Oct. 1) in New On-line registration – www.aapg.org/perth Carbonate Systems Through Time,” was Orleans, in conjunction with the SEG held in late April and attracted over 130 annual meeting. attendees from 31 countries – and over Also, a new course has been set in half of those attending were members of Jackson Hole, Wyo., July 31-Aug. 4, on AAPG. “Application of Structural Geology in The object of the conference was to Prospecting in Thrusted and Extended address the subject of carbonate Terrains.” reservoirs in a thematic sense – with an On the international scene are two emphasis on poster presentations – and upcoming field seminars: one in to attract an audience from Western Barcelona, Spain on “Folding, Thrusting Europe, the Middle East and North and Syntectonic Sedimentation – Africa. Perspectives from Classic Localities of The Mallorca conference was the the Central Pyrenees” (June 12-16), and second conference held by the European one that begins in Malaysia and ends in Region. The first was held in Prague in Brunei on “Fluvial to Turbidite Reservoir AAPG International 2004. Systems of Southeast Asia” (July 19-28.) These regional conferences are Four Hedberg Conferences – three in Conference and Exhibition designed to address both local and international locales – are currently regional topics of interest to members. scheduled in the next 12 months. They November 5-8, 2006 The organizing committee making this are: successful meeting possible included: ✓ Mobile Shale Basins, June 4-7 in — HOSTED BY— ✓ Mateu Esteban, general chair, Trinidad. Petroleum Exploration REPSOL/YPF. ✓ Heavy Oil: Origin, Prediction and Society of Australia ✓ Keith Gerdes, general vice chair, Production in Deep Waters, which will be Shell International E&P. presented with the AMGP Oct. 8-10, in ✓ Frans van Buchem, technical Veracruz, Mexico. program chair, IFP. ✓ Understanding World Oil Resources, ✓ Luis Pomar, technical program co- Nov. 12-17 in Colorado Springs. chair and field trip chair, Universitat de ✓ Basin Modeling Perspectives: les Illes Balears. Innovative Developments and Novel ✓ Arve Lønøy, technical program co- Applications, May 6-9 in The Hague, chair, Hydro ASA. Netherlands. ✓ Rudy A.J. Swennen, oral sessions For further details on any of these chair, University of Leuven. programs contact the AAPG education ✓ Philippe Lapointe, poster sessions department at (918) 560-2650, or visit the chair, Total. AAPG Web site at Co-sponsors of the Mallorca event www.aapg.org/education. ❏ Photos courtesy of Tourism Western Australia. included REPSOL/YPF, Statoil, Shell,

AAPG Convention Department P.O. Box 979 • Tulsa, OK 74101-0979 • USA Telephone: +1 918 560 2617 • Fax: +1 918 560 2684 Email: [email protected]

JUNE 2006 33

AAPG extends our sincere appreciation to the following companies for their financial and technical support of the 2006 AAPG Annual Convention

DIAMOND

TITANIUM

PLATINUM

GOLD EOG Resources, Inc. • Hydro Gulf of Mexico, L.L.C. • Subsurface Consultants & Associates, LLC “SCA” Total E & P USA • Woodside Energy (USA) Inc. SILVER Bass Enterprises Production Co. • Houston Exploration • Hunt Oil Company Noble Energy, Inc. • Rose & Associates • Southwestern Energy Company BRONZE Comstock Resources Inc. • Core Laboratories • Denbury Resources Inc • EBY Petrography & Consulting, Inc. Energy & Geoscience Institute • Five States Energy Co. LLC • Kerr-McGee • Newfield Exploration Company Nippon Oil Exploration USA Limited • RANGE RESOURCES CORP • Sinclair Oil Corporation • Spotfire, Inc. Stone Energy Corp. • University of Texas at Austin Bureau of Economic Geology PATRON ARCADIS • Auburn Energy • Daniel B. Stephens & Associates, Inc. • Environmental Resources Management KCS Energy, Inc. • Matador Resources Company • Petroleum Systems International, Inc • SANTOS USA CORP Sara Nan and Jim Grubb • Spartan Petroleum Corporation • STAR CREEK ENERGY, LLC Swift Energy Company • Tom Mairs Geologist, P.C. • Walter Oil & Gas Corporation

JUNE 2006 34

THE 4TH GEOLOGICAL CONFERENCE OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO FIRST CALL FOR PAPERS “Caribbean Exploration – Planning for the Next Century” Dates and Location: June 17-22, 2007, Hilton Trinidad, Port-of-Spain Trinidad and Tobago. The following candidates have Wise, Karen Celine, Shell Oil, Houston (reinstate); submitted applications for membership Yough, Charles Thomas, Kerr-McGee Oil and Gas, Conference Goals: Houston (M.J. Lahr, F.H. Burton, R.L. Grantham) This 4th Geological Conference of the Geological Society of Trinidad and Tobago (GSTT) is in the Association and, below, being organized to convene geoscientists, reservoir and petroleum engineers, certification by the Division of West Virginia Professional Affairs. This does not Hebert, Virginia Lee, Chesapeake Appalachia, environmentalists and government policy makers within Trinidad and Tobago, the S.E Charleston (L.C. Bridges, E.M. Rothman, J.P. Lemon) Caribbean and South America. Scientists from the various disciplines are invited to constitute election, but places the names participate in this conference to discuss state-of-the-art concepts, methodologies, results, before the membership at large. Any policies and case histories. information bearing on the qualifications Canada of these candidates should be sent Dolph, David, Talisman Energy, Calgary (J.R. Hogg, Oral Sessions: Three days of oral presentations each 20 minutes in length in the following promptly to the Executive Committee, G.R. Karlen, M.D. Hewitt) categories: P.O. Box 979, Tulsa, Okla. 74101. England • Petroleum Geology and Geophysics (Names of sponsors are placed in Izatt, Christopher Neil, BG Group, Reading, (B.A. • Biostratigraphy and Sedimentology parentheses. Reinstatements indicated Smith, R.W. Glendinning, M.A. Bond) • Environmental Policies, Standards and Geohazards do not require sponsors.) India • Mining of Natural Resources Membership applications are Parmeshwar, Vishwanathan, Geoservices S.A., • Geochemistry and Petrophysics available at www.aapg.org, or by Mumbai (V.K. Jain, G.R. Amruthapuri, S.N.V.V. • Reservoir Characterization & Engineering contacting headquarters in Tulsa. Perumalla) • GIS Applications, Remote Sensing and Data Management New Zealand • Tectonics of the Caribbean Browne, Gregory Hawtrey, GNS Science, Lower Hutt Poster sessions: Presentation by authors in separate sessions. For Active Membership (J.M. Beggs, R.A. Cook, M.J. Arnot) Symposium: Half day interactive session with prominent geoscientists. Nigeria Registration Fees: To be announced. All speakers must register. California Adebanjo, Titilayo Olubunmi, Amni International, Short Courses: At least three short courses will be offered Negrini, Robert Mark, California State University, Ogun-State (T.J. Afolabi, V.F. Agbe-Davies, E.A. Bakersfield (R.A. Horton Jr., L.C. Knauer, M.L. Wilson); Ojelabi) Publication of Papers: Papers in digital format (MS Word) with colored diagrams and Urrego, Alexandra, Occidental Oil & Gas, Tupman (R.J. Webster, M.L. Couchot, M.I. Mora-Glukstad) attachments are anticipated to be published in Conference Transactions on a Compact Disc. For inclusion in this volume, papers Colorado should be submitted prior to February 28, 2007. Kendall, Ted K., Fidelity Exploration and Production, Certification Denver (H. Terbest Jr., W.T. Brown Jr., A.F. Jacob) The following are candidates for Abstract Submittal: Please submit in English a digital abstract (1-3 pages) including certification by the Division of optional figures (up to 2) via email or hand delivered before the Florida Rodgers, Bruce Allen, Electric Fuels Corp., St. Professional Affairs. deadline date of November 15, 2006 to: Petersburg (W.G. Leel, J.M. Lloyd, J.B. Brami) Geological Society of Trinidad and Tobago Petroleum Geologist th Louisiana C/O 4 GSTT Geological Conference Jordan, Kevin Brian, PetroQuest Energy, Lafayette (G. Phone: 868-679-6074 Fax: (868) 679—7217 Carpenter, N.R. Crowson, T.D. Keegan) Louisiana E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] Moore, John Michael, AmSouth Bank, Include all co-authors’ names (including contact information for the Texas Bunge, Robert James, Anadarko, Houston (M.R. Shreveport (W.R. Meaney, P.J. primary author). An abstract cover sheet is required for all submitted Thomasson, T.L. Fasnacht, B.E. Hogenson); Miller, Wheeler Jr., T.H. Marshall) abstracts. Log on to http://www.gstt.org or contact Ms. Nazreen James F., Anadarko Petroleum, Houston (T.H. Morris, Mohammed at GSTT Secretariat to obtain this form. L.T. Shannon, T.W. Griffith); Pearson, Ben Neal, ConocoPhillips, Houston (B.K. Reitz, D. Rutan, H. Ge); Texas Sellepack, Brandi, ConocoPhillips, Houston (S.W. Franklin, Christopher T., T-C Oil Co., Deadline for Submission of Abstracts: November 15, 2006. Young, B.K. Reitz, B.N. Pearson); Soethout, Joost A., Victoria (reinstatement) Shell, Houston (L.A. Pearce, L. Zarrow, B.T. Mitchell);

Donald F. Towse, a former EMD president of EMD in 1989-90. In addition president and longtime active Division to serving in a number of EMD leader, died April 16 while snorkeling off leadership positions, Towse provided the San Blas Islands, Panama. He was generous financial support to the AAPG 81. Foundation, helping to establish and Towse, of San Jose, Calif., was fund the Energy Minerals Named Grant. George Bramald Amery, 79 Casper, Wyo., Donald N. Smith, 53 Houston, March 12, 2006 October 2005 Sparta, N.J., Paul D. Anderson (AC ’82) Robert Wynn Grayson, 83 September 2005 Midland, Texas Austin, Texas, July 5, 2005 Shelby Wilman Smith, 82 William Earl Bauer, 77 Werner Henry Metairie, La., San Clemente, Calif., Heidtbrink Jr., 83 March 27, 2006 April 3, 2006 Denver, Feb. 20, 2006 Charles Odell Tucker, 76 Clarence E.S. Bellows III John Drew Hill, 82 Oklahoma City, (EM ’48) Dallas, Feb. 10, 2006 March 28, 2006 Midland, Texas John Fowler Ireland, 77 Edwin Humes Arden Francis Blair, 81 Fort Meyers, Fla., Stinemeyer Jr., 97 Billings, Mont., Jan. 3, 2006 July 9, 2005 Bakersfield, Calif., Augustus Bart Brown Edward Rogers Kemp, 86 March 30, 2006 (AC ’37) Houston, Dec. 20, 2005 Richard Allen Struble, 81 Dallas Margaret Applegate Kitchen Columbus, Ohio, Harry M. Buchner (EM ’41) (AC ’47) Dec. 19, 2005 Holdenville, Okla. Sylvania, Ohio John Endre Szatai, 87 John Judson Chapman, 87 Jean Louis Lee, 83 Greenwich, Conn., Sylva, N.C., March 21, 2006 Calgary, Canada, Nov. 25, 2005 William John Coffman, 75 Feb. 1, 2006 Dewey Elton Thornton, 78 Norman, Okla., March 2006 Robert M. Leibrock, 85 Midland, Texas, La Vern Albert Curry, 82 Midland, Texas, Jan. 13, 2006 Midland, Texas, April 3, 2006 Donald F.Towse, 81 March 18, 2006 Rodney Conant Leland San Jose, Calif., Raymond W. Dudley, 93 (AC ’51) April 16, 2006 Lenexa, Kan., Conroe, Texas William Harwell Wise, 84 Feb. 12, 2006 Clyde Vernon Lisman Jr., 88 Metairie, La., Sept. 23, 2006 Robert Edward Eggerton, 75 Black Mountain, N.C., Paul L.H. Worley (AC ’77) Slidell, La., Dec. 15, 2005 August 2005 Bakersfield, Calif. Stewart H. Folk, 90 Henry Madison Morris Houston, Feb. 15, 2006 (AS ’75) Waldo Emerson Ford Jr., 93 Santee, Calif. (Editor’s note: “In Torrance, Calif., Carl Arnold Nilsen (AC ’50) Memory” listings are based March 9, 2006 Oklahoma City on information received from Theodore Max Gard, 65 Herbert George Officer, 84 the AAPG membership Lafayette, La., Austin, Texas, department. Age at time of Dec. 18, 2005 Feb. 26, 2006 death, when known, is listed. Lester G. Germany, 60 Gordon Walter Prescott, 93 When the member’s date of Evans, Ga., March 16, 2006 Concord, N.C., death is unavailable, the Joseph Gallagher Gibson, 78 Feb. 21, 2006 person’s membership Houston, February 2005 Jack Aaron Simon (EM ’48) classification and anniversary James Paul Gillum, 82 Urbana, Ill.

JUNE 2006 35

Mark your Calendars Now! Rocky Mountain Natural Gas 2006

Two Great Meetings, Geology & 1st Annual AAPG Resources One Great Event Conference Fall Education co-sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Association Conference of Geologists & the Houston, TX Denver Geophysical September 11-15, 2006 Society

Focusing on Deep-Water Exploration Sound Science – Smart Business Energy Summit Courses will include: x Jurassic-Recent Subsurface Geology — GOM/Caribbean RMAG/DGS x Pore Pressure Prediction in Practice Technical Sessions include: and x Interpretation of 3D Seismic Data • Overview: Giant Gas Fields in the Rockies x Risk Analysis of Deep-Water Exploration Prospects • Emerging Rocky Mountain Oil & Gas Plays Strategy Conference & • Shallow Gas Resources and Plays Investment Forum x Deep-Water Sands — Integrated Stratigraphic Analysis hosted by the x Deep-Water Salt Tectonics • Shale Gas Plays Colorado Oil & Gas • 3D Seismic and Resource Plays Association HOSTED BY THE HILTON HOUSTON WESTCHASE HOTEL • CERI-supported Research www.coga.org 9999 WESTHEIMER ROAD • Transforming Gas Resources to Supplies 713-974-1000 • Public Land Issues FAX: 713-974-6866 • Petroleum Systems of Natural Gas SPECIAL AAPG GROUP RATES! • The Informed Professional August 7 through 9 Colorado Tuition for the week is only $1095 for AAPG Members Pre-Registration Deadline: July 7th or $1195 for Non-members* Convention Center Denver or $275/day for individual courses For registration or sponsorship opportunities, go to For more information: *(price increases to $1195/1295 respectively after August 14, 2006) www.rmag.org www.rmag.org or www.denvergeo.org REGISTRATION AND INFORMATION: or Ph 303-861-2387 Toll-free (U.S. and Canada) 888-338-3387, or 918-560-2650 www.denvergeo.org e-mail: Fax: 918-560-2678; e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] Download a registration form at http://www.aapg.org/education/fec.cfm

JUNE 2006 36 Foundation Elects New ‘Members’

Six new Regular Members have been Corporation is broadly to influence the five years,” Threet said. “The support I funding for Texas A&M University was elected to the AAPG Foundation’s direction and activities of the received from my fellow Trustees, the endowed by Will Green, Midland, Texas. Members of the Corporation. Foundation. As such, the Members of staff and all our generous friends of the Each university will benefit in perpetuity Elected in Houston during a Members the Corporation elect members from Foundation was always most welcomed of this gift, which provides over 450,000 of the Corporation meeting were: their ranks to be Trustees of the and allowed us to pursue proudly, pages of AAPG’s digital library. ❐ Robbie Gries, Denver. Foundation. generously and successfully the mission ❐ Don O’Nesky, Venice, Fla. While not a requirement, all 20 of the Foundation and assure even more * * * ❐ John Shelton, Tulsa. members of the corporation also are success for the future. ❐ Ray Thomasson, Denver. Trustee Associates. “I truly look forward to continuing my In other Foundation news: ❐ Marta Weeks, Miami, Fla. Downey was elected Foundation service to the Foundation as Trustee ✓ William and Jean Crain, of Danville, ❐ Mike Wisda, Houston. Trustee to fill the unexpired term of Emeritus, particularly in the upcoming Calif., have provided funding for an Weeks was elected to replace Marlan Eugene “Bud” Reid, who died last financial campaign,” he said. annual $1,000 grant in their names for a Downey, who was elected as a member October. Bill Gipson was elected New officers for the Board of Trustees geoscience graduate student at the of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. Foundation Trustee to replace Jack will be announced in the July University of Minnesota, Duluth. The election of Gries, O’Nesky, Threet, who is not seeking re-election. EXPLORER. ✓ AAPG President-elect Lee Shelton, Thomasson and Wisda expands His term expires July 1. Billingsley, of Corpus Christi, Texas, has Regular Member membership to 20, Threet said that the combination of * * * accepted an invitation for membership which is intended to broaden and his age plus the available pool of highly to the Foundation Trustee Associates. diversify the membership base and talented Trustees helped him decide to The AAPG Foundation recently ✓ Also joining the group is Thomas J. provide additional positions for not seek re-election for another three received funding for two new Digital Schull, of Danville, Calif. recognizing persons who demonstrate a years. Product University subscriptions. The group currently has 265 continuing, significant interest in the “I have thoroughly enjoyed being a Funding for a Texas Tech University members. ❏ Foundation. Trustee of the Foundation for the past 12 subscription was endowed by member The role of the Foundation years and being chairman for the past Michael R. Wisda, of Houston, and Guilty Plea Brings Expulsion Levorsen Winners Announced

The AAPG Executive Committee AAPG President Peter R. Rose said Levorsen Award winners, honored for Mid-Continent Section has voted unanimously to expel an the process as laid out in the bylaws presenting the best paper at Section ✓ Raymond P.Sorenson, Anadarko Active member who pleaded guilty to was followed “meticulously” and the meetings, were recently announced. All Petroleum, Houston, for “A Dynamic two felonies. action “serves as a reminder to will receive their awards at this year’s Model for the Permian Panhandle and Sara Sue Foland, of Craig, Colo., members that ethics charges will be Section meetings. Hugoton Fields, Western Anadarko was expelled under the bylaws properly investigated and enforced.” Basin.” provision authorizing the Executive Foland was offered the opportunity Eastern Section Committee to consider the expulsion to appear at a hearing before the ✓ J. Fred Read, department of Rocky Mountain Section from AAPG of a member pleading Committee on the expulsion, but opted geosciences, Virginia Tech University, ✓ Glenn Ulrich, LUCA Technologies, guilty to a felony. Foland had pleaded to have a letter sent from her attorney Blacksburg, Va., for “Greenhouse, Golden, Colo., for “Active Biogenesis of guilty last December to criminal on her behalf, which was considered Transitional and Icehouse Eustasy Yield Methane in Ft. Union Coals of Wyoming’s impersonation and forgery charges in by the Executive Committee before the Distinctive Parasequence and Sequence Powder River Basin.” ❏ Colorado. unanimous vote. ❏ Stacking on Carbonate Platforms.”

JUNE 2006 37

Foundation (General) James D. Copen Jr. Randall K. Stephenson Bonnie L. Milne-Andrews James A. Hartman Jeffrey B. Ahbe Rex Dean Coppedge The names that appear here are of those who have made donations Richard Clay Stever Ronald Pattinson Student Fund Beth Ann Aldrich William C. Cornell Hugh Leighton Steward Richard Allen Olsen Robert J. Alexander Jason Charles Cox to the AAPG Foundation in the past month – predominately through Sarah Johanna Stoll Michael L. Allred Weyman W. Crawford adding some additional monies on their annual dues statement. Dennis Gene Storhaug Digital Products Fund James E. Hooks David J. Anderson Myrt E. Cribbs To these people, and to those who have generously made Raymond Tracy Stotler Jr. Jack Edward Deibert Memorial Grant Henry Sherman Anderson James H. Cropp Stephen Malcolm Strachan Carl Allen Dimon Jack G. Bryant donations in the past, we sincerely thank you. Douglas Gordon Hill Paul Curtis Anderson Kenneth W. Crouch Bard L. Strong Frank E. Kottlowski Thomas Westley Angerman Thomas Marvin Cullum III The AAPG Foundation will continue its stewardship for the John Martin Stroud II Terry Wayne Massoth L. Douglas McKee Memorial Grant J. David R. Applegate Norbet Everett Cygan betterment of the science and the profession of petroleum geology, Paul Milton Strunk Gretchen K. Hoffman Richard L. Appling In memory of E.F. “Bud” Janine Mary Sturdavant J. Michael Poole thanks to you. Adriana Raileanu Karl H. Arleth Reid The AAPG Foundation Trustees In memory of Norman Mruk Family Named Grant Bruce Philip Arndt Larry B. Dale Foster Peter Robbins Vail Peter MacKenzie Abdelmadjid Attar Barry William Dalkey David M. Sturm In memory of Larry Sloss Gretchen Nakayama Richard Warren Aurisano Stephen W. Dart Jr. James George Sullivan Jr. Bloomer Charles W. Landmesser William Enfield Perkins Oklahoma State University Memorial Grant Jonas W. Bailey Charles Robert Daubert Robert Bidwell Suydam Joseph Richard Green Andrew P. Langley Pieter Jan Pestman Alumni Stephen B. Conger Kate Hadley Baker Edward K. David Richard G. Green King David Lankford Jr. Clark Allen Petersen Bruce R. Swartz John W. Shelton Ewart Merlin Baldwin Nicholas George De Ath Victor Richard “Rick” Green James Robert Lantz Benjamin Leland Peterson Gary Allen Swits In memory of V. Brown Ohio Geological Society Lawrence Archer Baldwin Alan Lee De Good Kent Alan Greenes Quinn Cassel Laukel Robert Howard Peterson Kevin John Sylvester Monnett Named Grant David Wayne Ballard Anthony E. De La Sota C. Clare Gregg Timothy Frost Lawton Edward Beauregard Picou Jr. Kathryn Lydia Tamulonis Peter MacKenzie Jack W. Ballard Kees C. De Leeuw In memory of Alexander Vasillaq Vaso Leci Leo Piedimonte Mustafa T. Tasci University of Wisconsin Nicole Lee Venteris William Wayne Ballard Carolyn S. De Vine Boardman William Chaffee Lefler Jr. Emmanuelle Piron J. Hall Taylor Alumni David Bruce Bannan John Richard Denis Jack T. Gregory Joseph Franklin Leising Jr. Supaporn Pisutha-Arnond Michael Wright Taylor Joseph Gettrust Donald A. and Mary O’Nesky Jack R. Banttari Rodger Espy Denison Donald Paul Teason Named Grant Bob Greider J. Keet Lewis Robert Gregory Pitzer Distinguished Lecture Fund Rebecca M. Barber In memory of Bill In honor of William Fischer Sherry Kay Hyer In memory of Jean Vladimir Liakhovitch Raymond W. Podany Tristan Jon Aspray Albert George Baroski Hilseweck Robert Keith Templeton In honor of Don and Mary Funkhouser Henry Cestero Libby Bernard Podolsky Dona Long Crouch Kenneth Thomson Barrow Matthias Raymond Densley Charles Sinclair Tenney O’Nesky James Barry Gresham In honor of A.T. “Toby” Michael D. Podolsky William Sterling Donovan B. Reid Beecher David D. Dernick Craig T. Tester David G. Griffin Carleton and in memory of In honor of Bernard Paul Dennis Hess Alexander and Geraldine James Andrew Beer Timothy R. Dever Mark A. Thomas Paula Ann Gural L.E. Gnagy Podolsky Gordon James Knox Wanek Named Grant Lamont Stanford Beers Donald D. Dodge Jr. Robert Brinley Thomas Richard C. Haack William B. Lines Rex Fenton Poling Gregory Martin Larberg Warren Jerald Hudson Fred H. Behnken Barry Edward Donaldson Mark Edwin Thompson Herbert David Hadley David Foster List Nicholas G. Popp Douglas Keene Morton John Edward Donnellan Tommy Shannon Thompson K-12 Fund Wayne Adriance Belding Alan R. Haight Steven Rick Lockwood Paul Edwin Potter In memory of James P. Weldon C. Doran Jr. Peter Gerhard Tilke Matthew D. Adams Gerald Leverne Bell John K. Hall Sergio Daniel Lopez F. Pierce Pratt Gillum Robert Henry Dott Jr. Loren Milton Toohey American Geological Institute Ray Louis Bellande Robert Thornbury Halpin Grant Kenar Los Irving John Prentice Juan Rogelio Roman-Ramos In memory of Robert H. Barton Jacob Torbert Bruce S. Appelbaum Paul G. Benedum Jr. Caven Worth Halsey John Hyer Lyle Robert Henry Prewitt Jr. Peter Robbins Vail Dott Sr. Charles Eugene Trowbridge Charles C. Barrick Bruce A. Bennett Wesley Hansen Vance M. Lynch Rex C. Price In memory of Larry Sloss Garnett M. Dow Richard Tucker Timothy John Bennett Orville Roger Berg William E. Hanson George Raymond Kenneth Edward Proctor William Martin Whiting Verne E. Dow Peter Robbins Vail Richard W. Boebel Robert Webster Berry John W. Harbaugh Macaulay Jr. Richard Desporte Provensal Robert Stewart Williams Henry Lee Berryhill Jr. Marlan Wayne Downey John William James Hardy Peter MacKenzie Gerald Wayne Pybas In memory of Larry Sloss Alexander E. Booth In memory of Parke D. In memory of Robert Mark E. Hargis Donald Bradford Macurda Jr. Michael Joseph Quinn Willem J.E. Van De Graaff Grants-in-Aid Fund Bonner Boyd Bowden Snavely Jr. Sneider James Maurice Harmon Thomas M. Maher Rafael E. Ramirez Jack Richard Van Lopik Audrey W. Adams Todd M. Broussard Perry W. Bilyeu Steve Allen Drake Wendell Nickell Harper Jr. M. Dia El Din A.F. Mahmoud Davis W. Ratcliff Richard Howard Vaughan Philip Rodney Brown John O.D. Byrd William E. Black Louis H. Du Bois Joe William Harris Jr. Steven J. Malecek Julie Frances Ratcliffe Daniela Vlad Christopher Frank Elders John Thomas Coleman Raymond Neil Blackhall In memory of Shephard Sherod Alexander Harris Brian Charles Mallick Barry Joseph Rava Noel B. Waechter Theodore R. Enterline Michael C. Dean James Jay Blaylock Lowman Frank W. Harrison Jr. Keith Nicholas Mangini Viola M. Rawn-Schatzinger Karen Jenece Waggoner Leigh M. Fall Amelia Marie Drake James Younger K. Blevins Harvey Richard Duchene John Cleveland Harrison William Paul Mann G.K. Reddy James Prentice Walker M. Charles Gilbert Peter Durbin Salman Bloch In memory of Scott Butler Jeffrey W. Harwell Alden Jeffrey Martin Philip Ernest Charles Reed Valerie K. Walker In memory of V.E. Monnett George Howard Fentress Taylor Evans Blood Herbert David Duey John O. Hastings Jr. Jack P. Martin Thomas Donald Reed Keith Sterman Wall Gilmor Semmes Hamill IV Charles Andrew Ferguson Matthew Regis Bob Joseph Patrick Dugan Jr. Fred Haston In memory of John Bernard William Regel E. Kay Waller In memory of James Michael Follis David Francis Boneau William Leroy Duggan Eric Gene Hathon Partridge Chase Savage Reid Henry V. Watkins Jr. Hooks Carrie Foster Lawrence Cook Bonham Matthew Duke Thomas Hauge Robert Anthony Martin Donald Dean Reitz John Mark Watkins Nedra Keller Hansen Christopher Dale Franks Robert Lee Borger Katy Ann Duncan James Taylor Cantlay Hay Frank George Matzinger Jr. Justin C. Reuter Thomas Allen Watkins In memory of Kenneth In honor of John J. Thomas L. Botts Carrie Beth Dunn Richard Craig Hayes Darrell Lee Mauldin John Cecil Rhodes William Gorom Watson Keller Chapman Joseph E. Boudreaux Michael A. Durcanin Robert Alexander Hefner IV Eugene L. Maxwell Donald Eugene Rice In memory of Robert N. Chester C. Haun William H. Gillespie Aafke E. Bouma John Harold Durrie Jr. Arch Wesley Helton In memory of Neil Albert L. Richardson Watson Nazila E. Hummer Larry Dee Gore Michael Richard Box Wayne Richmond Dwyer Donald Edward Henkel Wendling Noel D. Rietman Thomas V. Weis In honor of Mr. and Mrs. David Mark Harber Angus Martin Boxall Jack Calvin Dyer Brian B. Herridge John Reed Maxwell Kenneth Rigdon Bonnie Renee Weise Emadian Karl Gordon Henck Richard Gordon Boyd James Efstathiou Gary Charles Herring Robert W. Maxwell Jr. Manuel Rigo De Righi Stewart William Welch James C. Jones II Raymond Paul Henkel Richard George Bozanich Christopher Einchcomb Jimmie Calvin Herrington Robert Graham Maynard Pilar R. Ritcherson In memory of Hugh D. In honor of Christina Janice Lorraine Hill Bruce M. Brady III Mohamed Abdou El Saadany In memory of Bruce In memory of Ted Bear Jess Perry Roach Miser Alberding John Alan Hord Wayne F. Braunberger Jack Ray Elam Jr. Choate Robert Ramsey McConnell Jeff Roberts Kenneth Joseph Wells David F. Kluesner Emily E. Jackson-Reardon Herbert Lee Brewer Douglas Wayne Ellenor Britni Paige Higginbotham Beryl Rosa McCormack Jeffrey Alan Roberts Randall Wade Wells Darrell L. Kramer Elizabeth A.E. Johnson Lawrence O. Brewer Joel S. Empie Bernard Louis Hill Jr. Robert Keith McCormack Richard Douglas Robertson Joseph Edward West Robert Charles Lanz Thomas Ernest Johnson James Gregory Brewton Robert E. Enwall In memory of Burton L. John Roger McCoy Clay Robinson Jr. Joe Rolfe White Jr. John Vincent Leone Thomas Clifton Kartrude Donald A. Brice Eric Akporherie Erigha Shullaw Mark Douglas McCuen Margaret Anne C. Rogers James A. Whitson Jr. Louis L. McCormick Jr. Michael Dean Karvelot Andrew L. Brill Terence Brent Eschner Kevin Bruce Hill Vincent J. McDermott Juan Rogelio Roman-Ramos Thomas DeWitt Whitwell In memory of Jean G. Raymond E. Kasino David Henry Brink Leonard Dwight Espinosa Melvin James Hill John William McDonald Clement Robert Rondeau Richard Paul Wilkerson Funkhouser John Douglas Laker John Forsyth Brint Robert W. Esser In memory of John Jarrod Alan McGehee William Dake Rose Jr. In memory of Sue Willets Joseph Michael McKniff Christopher Morrow Launer James Hollis Britton Jr. Garth R. Evans Kilkenny Terry Michael McGuire John H. Rountree Louis Edward Willhoit Jr. Haydn Herbert Murray In honor of Janet B. Huber Stephen Douglas Brooks Ronald E. Evenson Stephen James Hill James Ronald McIntyre Bret Ward Rowland Albert Earl Williams Richard Brian Nagai Kay Lani Lee James Alexander Brown Jr. Linda Ewing Robert E. Hilty George Stanley McJannet Brian H. Russell John Thomas Williams In memory of Frank Bell Nina C. Lian Spencer Lawrence Brown In memory of Ernie Horton Nolan Hirsch Clifton Daniel McLellan Christopher E. Ruud Robert Stewart Williams John W. Rold Peter MacKenzie William Travis Brown Jr. James L. Eymann David Marcel Hite David Albert McMahon Jr. Lisa Marie Ryan In memory of James A. Lori Smith Schell Thomas Mairs In memory of Dennis Irwin Jeffrey Allen Faber William J. Hlavin Richard C. McMillan Robert Thomas Ryder Weig, Edwin Steinmeyer Robert William Scott In honor of James A. James Earl Bruning Nathaly A. Famiglietti Bill Bob Hobbs John G. McPherson Alice Coffee Salisbury and George Wesley Hicks Richard Lawrence Stallings Gibbs Arthur Charles Brunton Philip T. Farquharson Andrew J. Hodges III Asa Duncan McRae Phillip Salvador William Otis Williams Steven Hunter Tennant Douglas Charles Manske Cary Edmund Brus Barry Martin Faulkner Veit-Enno R.K. Hoffmann Sally J. Meader-Roberts Laurence Spencer Sams W. David Willig Robert Scott Tucker Truitt Floyd Matthews Leonard Elton Bryans In honor of George Robert Stephen Hojnacki David Mark Meadows Robert Wayne Sandridge James E. Wilson Jr. In honor of Susan Landon James A. McCarty H. Paul Buchheim Blakslee John Edmond Hollberg William Richard Meaney Jon Sanjuan Paul Daniel Wilson Peter Robbins Vail Stanley Ray Morris Thomas Peter Bulling Michael Davis Fawcett L. Edward Hollingsworth Frederick W. Meyer Luther Weidner Sappenfield Todd Montgomery Wilson In memory of Larry Sloss Joseph Paul Mueller Jeffrey C. Bulsa Leo F. Fay Peter Fielding Holterhoff Robert Dean Meyer Robert L. Scamman Richard Lambert Winborn James Ronald Weber Arthur C. Mullenax Robert James Bunge Glenn Marion Fedderson Judson David Hooks Robert Lee Meyer Sven Schaefer Michael Bush Wisnebaker Chunshou Xia Howard M. Orlean Daniel Burggraf Jr. Robert Bruce Ferguson Charles Ray Horne Edward George Mickel Daniel David Spelling John Stephen Wonfor Tianguang Xu In memory of Tillie Orlean Earl Patrick Burke Jr. Claude David Fiddler William Meredith House Midwest PTTC/Illinois State Wolfgang E. Schollnberger Jack Landis Woods Kristin Farris Pope Arthur Wallace Butler III Andrea Fildani John Ward Howe Geological Survey William B. Schroeter J.G. Woodward Gustavus E. Archie Gene Anthony Radzewicz John Walter Buza Richard Dale Finken Guonong Hu Robert Calvin Milici Thomas J. Schull John Lee Wray Memorial International Grant William Wilson Rathke Fred Varian Byther III Dennis J. Fischer Nathan M. Huber David Hunter Miller Norman West Schultz Cary L. Wright Donald Ransom Lindsay Z.W. Rogers Jr. Tracie Lynn Cagle Thomas A. Fitzgerald A. Curtis Huffman Jr. Floyd Henry Miller Jr. Dietmar Schumacher Timothy Francis Wright In memory of Robert and Steven James Rosscoe David G. Campbell In memory of Robert E. Jonathan Von Hufnagel Harry A. Miller Jr. William Lawrence Scott Changshu Yang Ramona Sneider Sharon M. Sartain F. Wayne Campbell Megill and James R. Cynthia A. Huggins Charles John Minero Allen Benjamin Scouler Michael Francis Yarussi Gustavus E. Archie John Christian Scheldt Harry Duncan Campbell Jackson Jr. Dudley Joe Hughes Douglas Freddie Minken George William Self Jr. John Milton Yater Memorial Grant Janie B. Schuelke Kenneth Walter Carlson Clifford G. Flittie Gary A. Hummel Robert Bruce Mitchell Robert Alan Seltzer Anthony Khee Chuang Yeo John Kaldi Daniel Sevier John R. Carmony Gregory Brian Flynn Scott Humphrey Robert Mitchell Mitchum Jr. Sameer Praveen Sethi Sun Yongge Douglas Jay Seyler William Plack Carr Gerald Glenn Forney Curtis Carlyle Humphris Jr. Phil C. Moffitt Bryan C. Sexton Charles George K. Young Barrett Family Grant In memory of L.A. Curry In memory of William Michael C. Forrest William Herbert Hunt Julio Andres Montano William Emmett Shafer Frederick Louis Zeiser Albert Haertlein John H. Silcox Plack Carr Sr. Jesse Charles Fowler Ayorinde Olusegun Idowu Stephen Roy Montgomery Robert Edward Sharp Donald Henry Zenger Keith Skipper Richard W. Beardsley William Chris Carrigan Kenneth Francis Fox Jr. Tanya Lynn Inks William Arthur Moon Jr. Roy Gene Sharrock Yingcheng Zhao Isaac John Smith Named Grant Jack Cleveland Cartwright Robert E. Fox Marvin Lee Ivey Jr. Jesse Clay Moore Terrel Lee Shields Robert Leonard Zinn John Frank Sobehrad Craig R. Cormany Tom Ann L. Casey John Paul Franklin Russell W. Jackson Joseph E. Moreland Jr. Jeffry Shrallow Roger T. Steinberg Awards Fund William H. Harmon G. Stewart Causey Julia Michelle Frazier Carl E. Jacobson Michael Brown Morgan Bruce R. Sidner Alan H. Stevens Wenche Helena Asyee Peter MacKenzie Stephen John Cawley Jack Quentin Frizzel Jacek Jaminski Frank Ray Moulton Jr. Rudolf B. Siegert Neil C. Sutcliffe Clarence Peter Cazalot Jr. In memory of Richard R. Chester O. Johnson Charles G. Mull Mark Alan Sippel Best Student Paper and Edward C. and Caroline Ronald E. Tepley Jon Duckett Champeny Bloomer Thomas Johnson Joiner George King P. Munson Isaac Edwin Skillern Poster Award Beaumont Named Grant J.C. Thompson Romulo Chang John George C.M. Fuller Marion K. Jones David J. Murphy James Lockert Sleeper Jr. Robert James Leckenby Kent Mangold Glenn D. Tracy Bruce Ned Cheatham James M. Funk John Francis Karlo William Gerard Murray Arthur Edward Smith Jr. Paul R. Troop Stewart Chuber Lawrence W. Funkhouser Charles Edward Katherman Stephen R. Narr Arthur Tremaine Smith Ziad Beydoun Norman H. Foster Peter Robbins Vail In memory of Jack G. In memory of Gwinn Lewis Robert A. Kaufmann Luis Navarrete Daniel Lester Smith Memorial Award Memorial Grant In memory of Larry Sloss Elam Laurens Gaarenstroom James Benjamin Keller Thomas Howard Neel Dwight V. Smith Ian David Maycock Brian Russell Frost Paul Joseph Wagenhofer Malcom P. Clark Earl Edward Gaertner Donald E. Walker Roland Bradford Keller Kathleen M. Neset Harvey A. Smith A.I. Levorsen Jean G. Funkhouser Robert Todd Clark John Duncan Galloway James Craig Waugaman William Douglas Kendall Jr. Kenneth Wesley Nickerson Jerry Alan Smith Memorial Award Memorial Grant Robey H. Clark Peter Bradford Gamwell Joseph Leonard Weitz Stephen Robert Kenney John Glenn Nikkel Micheal William Smith David Wayne Childers Edward Bassett Wasson Roy L. Clement Carmen Garcia-Carballido In memory of Hugh D. Ken L. Kenworthy Jr. Uno Nummela Brian McKenzie Smyth Srdjan Zarko Jovanvic In memory of Jean Miser Kenneth Paul Clements Arthur John Garden Robert McPherson Kenyon Obinna C. Okoli Barbara Jeanne B. Solomon Funkhouser Gerry Click Julie Ann Garvin Roy C. Kepferle Mark E. O’Koren Mark David Sonnenfeld Wallace E. Pratt Cliff Merrell West Jr. Philip Henry Close III Alan Kim Gatheridge Michael Warren Killeen In memory of Billy E. Penn In memory of Robert Memorial Award Robert K. Goldhammer Richard Lee Whitney Thomas Arthur Cloud Gerard Julian Genik James Richard King Henry David Olson Goldhammer John William Robinson Memorial Grant Donna Caraway Willette James C. Cobb Anthony T. Gibbon Jeanette A. King John Peter Olson Dennis M. Sparks Tina Rayna Foster In memory of Paul D. Peter Robert Cobbold James A. Gibbs John Robert Kinney Robert Anselm Ortalda Stephen William Speer Teacher of the Year Award Kerry F. Inman Willette James Bruce Coffman William Carleton Gibson Gregory L. Kirkland In memory of Keith Berry In honor of William R. Jacek Bozydar Filbrandt Michael W. Jackson Elizabeth A. Wilson In memory of Merrill Haas Jonathan H. Giesen Louis Marie Kiteley Robert Earl Ostrander Speer Daniel A. Busch In memory of Robert K. In memory of Doris Curtis Walter Ferrell Coleman Judd Goldberg Uwe Klein-Helmkamp Robert Charles Pace Jerry L. Spring Library Fund Goldhammer Gregory P. Yvarra In memory of Malcolm Jefferson B. Goldman Jr. Walter P. Kleweno Edward Allen Paden Edgar E. St. James Mohit Khanna Orville Roger Berg Katrina Emergency Oakes Douglas Robinson P. Tim Klibert Mark Alan Parchman Colin Leonard Stabler Stephen C. Ruppel Gerry and Sue Friedman Relief Efforts Tyrol Burley Coley Goodwin James J. Knapik William A. Parisi David William Stangl Jan Henk Van Konijnenburg In memory of Amy Busch Renee M. Clarly Stanley H. Collins Donn Sherrin Gorsline Mary Harry Koelmel Robert K. Park In memory of John Donald A. O’Nesky Andrew Myron Hrycushko Clarence Frederick Conrad In memory of Doris Curtis Myron Kropan Robert Wade Parker Kershner and John Black Merrill W. Haas In memory of Amy Busch Memorial Grant Eric Conrad Barry L. Gouger William Nelson Krebs Matthew J. Parsley David Roger Steele E.F. Reid In memory of James M. Patrick Sean Gratton John T. Kulha Dennis Michael Paterson Neil Joseph Stefanides Continuing Education Fund Paul H. Dudley Jr. In memory of Merrill Haas Scouting Endowment Fund White Robert Roy Graves In memory of Robert George Michael Patterson Richard Steinmetz Carlos Barcat Arthur Paul Baclawski Louis J. Conti Gordon Harris Gray Sneider Barbara L. Pearl Harry R. Stenson Eloi Dolivo Scott Patrick Cooper In memory of Richard R. Jessica Marie LaMarro Morton M. Pepper Michael Dale Stephenson Peter D’Onfro JUNE 2006 38

Obstacles Editor’s note: Letters to the editor should include your name and address and “The scientific understanding of climate I just got an e-mail regarding the should be mailed to Readers’ Forum, c/o AAPG EXPLORER, P.O. Box 979, Tulsa, change is now sufficiently clear to justify upcoming ballot (proposed vice president Okla. 74101, or fax (918) 560-2636; or e-mail to [email protected]. Letters may be nations taking prompt action ... a lack of amendment; see page 12), and in it the edited or held due to space restrictions. full scientific certainty about some aspects following sentence stands out: of climate change is not a reason for “E&P globalization is accelerating delaying an immediate response that will, rapidly in key overseas regions such as Make it easier to become a member. The Decimal Point at reasonable cost, prevent dangerous Russia, the Middle East, India and China, Some existing members may feel their Allow me to be among the first 500 anthropogenic interference with the where our sister societies (SPE, SEG and membership gives them extra geologists to tell you of a major goof in the climate system.” EAGE) are actively expanding right now. status/credibility. Then ensure there are April EXPLORER. On July 6, 2005, President George W. AAPG is not, and we need to affirm the good rules for removing members who do The world does not use 854 million Bush stated: “I recognize that the surface importance of international members in our not behave according to the code of barrels of oil a day. You left out the decimal of the earth is warmer and that an increase Association if we are to take our proper practice. I expect this to be required only point – 85.4. Actually, that may be a million in greenhouse gases caused by humans place in the International E&P community.” very rarely anyway. or so high at the moment, but in any event is contributing to the problem.” In my view there are two areas of It may not be easy to convince the it is close. On May 3, 2006, the Bush possible improvement, both of them easy membership, but these items would There are some quite spectacular Administration’s Climate Change Science to implement, but possibly with a high definitely help a lot, so it is worth the effort. figures on the oil industry. One that strikes Program issued the following statement emotional connotation for many members. Many other associations have gone me is that our DAILY oil import bill – crude with White House approval: An important obstacle to many is through this type of change, so we should and refined products – is now more than “There is no longer a discrepancy in the undoubtedly the name of the association. be able to do this, too. three-quarters of a billion dollars! rate of global average temperature On one hand, the word “American” does Han Raven How long can that last when our annual increase for the surface compared with not indicate this is an international The Hague, Netherlands international deficit in balance of payments higher levels in the atmosphere,” and that association. One has to know more about now is in excess of $800 billion! The world there is “clear evidence of human it to realize this, but one sees that the main Voting No now loans us more than $2 billion a day to influence on the climate system.” focus of the Association is still the United Regarding the proposed creation of two support our happy life style. We live in a Accordingly, I, an AAPG member for 22 States – which will probably stay that way, vice presidents for AAPG: I do not think it “fuels paradise” and it is unsustainable. years, wish to know what justification as this is where most members come from. is a good move to have two vice Then what? AAPG uses retaining an official position Especially the last few years, the presidents – one for U.S. Sections and one “Interesting times” lie directly ahead. statement on global climate change that association with “America” creates a for International Regions (read, other non- Walter Youngquist includes such falsehoods and misleading massive barrier to many in the Middle East U.S. countries). The world is already Eugene, Ore. statements as “scientific examination ... and central Asia (and a lot of other places) divided based on so many criteria; let us does not support the supposition of due to the actions of a very narrow-minded not bring it into AAPG. (Editor’s note: Actually, not quite 500 let human-induced global climate change,” government. Getting mail with the word If the workload is more (than one us know about the goof, but we appreciate and “detailed examination of current “America” prominently displayed can be person can handle), then we can have all who did.) climate data strongly suggests that current unacceptable. A simple change would be more than one vice president – but there observations do not correlate with the to rename the AAPG to APG (drop should not be separate vice presidents for On Global Warming assumptions or supportable projections of American) or IAPG (change for different regions/country. On June 7, 2005, the U.S. National human-induced greenhouse effects.” International). Kanak R. Nambiar Academy of Sciences (in conjunction with Either we are, as AAPG claims, an The other item is that it is quite a hassle Karaikal, India the national scientific academies of Brazil, international “scientific” society or we are a to become a member – requiring a lot of (Editor’s note: Voting at www.aapg.org Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, lobbyist group for the energy industry. If paperwork and others to support you. I on the constitutional amendment to create India, Japan, Russia, Spain and the United the latter, we deserve to lose our tax- myself deferred my membership a new vice president post is open through Kingdom) issued a statement on climate application many years for this reason. June 25.) change that said: See Forum, page 40

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JUNE 2006 39 Commentary Prices Creating New Conversations

(Editor’s note: A report on AAPG’s complaining about high gasoline prices. participation in this year’s “Congressional Elected officials are beginning to consider Visits Day” was included in the May AAPG member Skip Hobbs increasing access and permitting new EXPLORER’s Washington Watch column.) (standing) offers a “Petroleum refineries and energy infrastructure. Geology 101” course on oil Now is the time to talk to our officials at By G. WARFIELD “Skip” HOBBS reservoirs to U.S. Rep. Chris the local and national level about energy. As a follow-up to my meeting in Shay (R-Conn.) in his follow-up Like Shays, they will listen. We encourage Washington, D.C., with U.S. Rep. meeting after the annual all AAPG members – domestic and Christopher Shays, R-Conn., during April’s "Congressional Visits Days" international – to get more involved in “Congressional Visits Days,” I met with event in Washington, D.C. energy policy deliberations. Shays again in May to give him a “The congressman was truly “Petroleum Geology 101” course on oil interested,” Hobbs said, “and (Editor’s note: Hobbs is managing reservoirs. When we met in Washington, asked lots of questions.” partner of Ammonite Resources in New the congressman had asked about how oil Canaan, Conn., and a recent candidate forms, what are reservoirs like and what oil for AAPG president-elect.) sands and oil shales look like. After a constituents meeting in New Canaan, Conn., Shays and I met to look at some of my conventional core and oil samples, and samples of Colorado oil shale and Utah tar sands. The congressman was truly interested, and asked lots of questions. Shays and Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., have introduced a comprehensive, bipartisan bill called “The Energy for Our Future Act.” This bill will promote conservation and alternate energy sources, and reduce dependence on foreign oil. During the public meeting, I commended the congressman for his initiative in proposing new energy legislation, but said that in addition to conservation and alternative energy that the necessary third “leg” of the energy policy must be access to lands in America that are likely to enable us to boost domestic oil and gas production, such as Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), the Rockies, Eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic continental shelf. I pointed out that ANWR could produce 1 MMBO/day for 20 years per U.S. Geological Survey estimates, and that would save $22 billion per year that we would not be paying to oil exporters that despise the American way of life (a number of people applauded). Shays responded that he is prepared to consider increased access if the petroleum industry actively supports conservation and new energy technologies. He will not support access to ANWR until we improve conservation and make more progress on alternate energy technologies, but would consider supporting drilling to the Atlantic and Eastern Gulf. He views ANWR as a future “strategic reserve,” and recommended more exploration in the areas of Alaska that already are open to exploration. He also said that the Canadian government have contacted him and asked him to support a treaty between the United States and Canada concerning preservation of the Arctic wildlife reserves that are contiguous in the U.S. and Canadian arctic. After the public meeting I was accosted by an individual who was very much against the proposed offshore Broadwater LNG terminal in Long Island Sound. He asked me if I were a recreational boater, as the LNG facility would “ruin” recreational boating in Long Island Sound. I assured him that I had sailed in Long Island Sound all my life and had no problem with the facility. In fact, I told him, the fishing just might improve with a major artificial reef formed by the LNG terminal. I suggested that he contact the recreational fishermen’s associations in the Gulf Coast. As I reported after the Congressional Visits Day, Shays’ position represents a “crack in the door” in the anti-oil position of so many liberal congressional and senatorial officials. Constituents are JUNE 2006 40

with Jim Rine’s depiction of this award as Forum an “in your face” move, and Roger Barnaby’s criticism of it as a political action from page 38 contradictory to AAPG’s own award guidelines. exempt status. The editorial response states that AAPG Our policy position on this issue is is “not making a policy statement as an 2006 COURSES embarrassing and costs us credibility. Association, or saying that every AAPG Whoever is responsible must answer to the member agrees with the content or • Deepwater Clastics • Deepwater Reservoirs: membership. conclusions in Dr. Crichton’s books.” The • August 2-4, 2006 James E. Evans same piece also notes, “AAPG’s official An Integrated Course and Bowling Green, Ohio policy is that there is not enough data at • Durango, Colorado Field Seminar this time to determine the actual • $1,100.00 per person Our Reputation anthropogenic effect on global climate • October 9 - 13, 2006 By recognizing Michael Crichton with change.” • Includes course notes, CD • Tabernas and Sorbas Basins, the Journalism Award, the AAPG Executive Despite claims to the contrary, I and lunches Spain Committee and the Advisory Council perceive the Crichton award as a political Details & registration: Awards Committee have disgraced our statement. Intentions and perceptions do • $2,400.00 per person organization and its membership. not always coincide. As a loyal, long-time www.cosseygeo.com • Includes tuition, ground While the AAPG leadership would like AAPG member, I request that my or email: [email protected] AAPG to be perceived as an international organization not speak for me on fiction, transport, guidebook, lunches organization, this award and the editorial global warming or any other area outside or call +1 (970) 385 4800 response to criticism (April EXPLORER) the membership’s expertise. only diminish AAPG’s reputation. I concur Our organization, in its scientific and legitimate lobbying efforts, should stick to what its membership knows best – geology and its role in petroleum exploration and development. While our members, like all informed citizens, should be well-read and have a right to opinions on other matters, such as global warming, very few of us have expertise in this area. Our organization supports the licensing of geologists and it should know well that pronouncements on global warming, an area outside our expertise, represents malpractice. When I joined AAPG in 1978 it was a world-class scientific organization, and the AAPG BULLETIN remains a fine journal – but the lobbying efforts of our organization are increasingly troubling. Our membership needs to decide whether AAPG is to be known primarily as a world- class scientific organization or as a lobbying organ of the petroleum industry. I am not sure that it can do both effectively. Regarding the membership trends, I have no idea why AAPG membership is stagnant (April EXPLORER), but I would like to venture a hypothesis. As our organization has taken positions based more on political than scientific grounds, many college graduates and international geologists see AAPG as a petroleum industry lobbying arm rather than a world- class scientific organization. (The recent Journalism Award is a case in point.) Many members may not care how the outside world perceives us, but they should if they hope to effectively lobby for BECAUSE A HEALTHY DIET their profession and see our organization grow. Perhaps we should poll potential DOESN’T GUARANTEE ANYTHING. members to learn why they have elected not to join. Steven Boyer Tacoma, Wash.

Workstations and Geology Regarding Cindy Yeilding and her views on workstations and geology THE GEOCARE BENEFITS HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNT QUALIFIED INSURANCE PLAN. QUALITY BENEFITS (January EXPLORER): It is not too late to congratulate (Yeilding) for her selected AND TAX-DEFERRED SAVINGS. NOW THAT’S SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT. The NEW GeoCare Benefits topic and its relevance. Different people Health Savings Account (HSA) Qualified Insurance Plan can give you the valuable protection you and involved in geology (students, engineers, scientists) who try to improve their work your family need, with the added benefit of a savings account that lets you pay for your deductibles and using computers, advanced interpolation out-of-pocket healthcare expenses using tax-deferred savings. The NEW HSA Plan. It’s sure to put a and interpretation methods, workstations ... expected that results could be better than smile on your face. results obtained by geologist’s hands and head. THIS MAY BE THE PERFECT HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN FOR YOUR FAMILY. THE GEOCARE BENEFITS Unfortunately, or better fortunately for us, the real job is not so simple, or cannot HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNT HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN. CALL 1-800-337-3140 OR VISIT US ONLINE AT be described as “simple system.” WWW.GEOCAREBENEFITS.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING ELIGIBILITY AND RENEWAL Fieldwork, office panels, academic education, short courses, discussion in PROVISIONS, EXCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS AND RATES. teams about subsurface framework – all of them can be only supported by GeoCare Benefits Health Insurance Plans, P.O. Box 9006, Phoenix, AZ computers. 85068, Email: [email protected]. The Health Insurance Plans are Geology is natural science, including underwritten by New York Life Insurance Co. (51 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10010). New York Life bears no responsibility for the establish- math, engineering, paleoclimate ment and administration of any Health Savings Accounts. All coverage processes ... But, from my modest opinion, is subject to approval by New York Life. any prospect with e.g. five wells can be mostly better described by hand-made continued on next page JUNE 2006 41

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An Ethical Question As a victim of the 1986 crash, I would like to make the following comments regarding “Crash of ‘86 Left Permanent Scars” (January EXPLORER): In my experience, the most painful aspect of our sudden and unexpected dismissals was the casual cancellation of our pensions as well. Even after seven years of dedicated work for Marathon (three in the UK plus four in Tunisia), I receive nothing. Pension rules in the UK are that “if you leave your employer’s pension scheme after two years or more, you will be entitled to a pension and the benefits that go with it.” My pension was due in 1998. Yet, I receive nothing either from the state or the company. Queries on the subject remain unanswered. Does the AAPG Code of Ethics regard this situation as “par for the course”? J. Pierre Copponex London, England

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Science: A Core Value of AAPG

By RICK FRITZ “... People really do not change unless processes and information for use and “... People really do not change development by all AAPG members and unless they continue to learn.” other interested entities. As I am writing this column I am they continue to learn.” When I was a kid I liked to throw a returning from the first European Region handful of small pebbles into the center field workshop held in Mallorca, Spain. of a large pond. The small wave rings Once again, I am wondering how close would grow and interfere, but would the airlines are going to move the seats ultimately form a larger ring that covered (my knees are now arm rests for the Approximately 140 people attended, build a dataset of parameters that would the pond. Results from scientific person in front of me), and eating food so it was about the size of a large help each worker build models for each presentations at meetings or in that nobody would touch in a regular Hedberg conference. unique situation. This was a revelation to publications are part of the “scientific restaurant. One of the great parts of any me – and I realized that this is ring” of information that grows over time Before I left, I heard on the news that conference is the people. The attendees something that AAPG should and could to be used by the largest company to some airline is testing a system to strap were from all over the world, and each help facilitate. the smallest consultant. passengers onto boards so we can Region and most of the Sections were Also, there was general recognition of I am convinced that people really do stand up the whole trip. Maybe it would represented. the role AAPG played in developing not change unless they continue to be easier to swallow the food! The important part was the power of modern analogues during the 1960s learn. It is that essence of learning and the pure passion for science. and 70s. Several participants lamented its ultimate distribution to interested * * * the fact that there are only a few groups professionals that make an association * * * working on modern analogs and there of geoscientists, like AAPG, valuable In any case, sitting or standing, has been little work on modern and unique. Mallorca was worth the trip, because it In our quest to provide service and carbonates published since that time. brought me back to the roots and products to members we often focus on Most agreed to the need for additional * * * essence of our society. membership problems, business issues work in modern carbonates. The Mallorca conference was titled or delivery of products and services. At Again I asked, “Is there someway for By now we have been on the plane “Architecture of Carbonate Systems the conference I was reminded that AAPG to facilitate?” for over eight hours, and everybody Through Time.” This conference was “science” and the ability to wrestle looks like they were at an all night party primarily focused on Mesozoic and scientific questions with one’s peers is * * * – including myself. The flight attendants Tertiary carbonate strata in the circum- one of the key dynamics that drive just served the pre-landing snack and Mediterranean and Middle East. It lasted people to be part of our Association. All the discussion, talks and posters we are all eating like bears just out of three days and included oral sessions At the end of each day there was opened my eyes again to AAPG’s prime hibernation. followed by poster sessions each general discussion on the things we had directive – the dissemination of scientific Who said travel was glamorous? morning and afternoon. learned and what problems needed data. That “science” represents the The conference was hosted by the additional consideration. heart of AAPG. This group of diverse AAPG European Region, and the There was considerable debate participants representing industry, conference organizers were led by about the need for carbonate reference academia and government institutions is general chair Mateu Esteban (see page models. Some thought models were one of the several nuclei of leaders that 32). essential; others felt it would be better to help foster new ideas and ultimately new Cooperative Ventures with EMD CO2 at the Center of DEG Projects

By STEVEN P.TISCHER The goal is to have the publication DEG President A joint effort by the Energy Minerals compiled and ready to hand over to AAPG Division and the Division of Environmental Geosciences has been publications no later than the early spring undertaken to compile peer-reviewed contributions of research and of 2007. applications of geological sequestration of CO2 being performed in the petroleum, energy minerals, and environmental fields into an AAPG Grobe also is the contact for those given a contribution for their publication. special publication. who are interested in being a reviewer The DEG Executive Committee humbly Matthias Grobe, chair of the for the future publication. thanks and appreciates the sponsoring EMD/DEG CO2 Book Committee – which donation provided by the EMD Executive consists of Rebecca L. Dodge, Jack C. * * * Committee. Pashin, Robert Menzie and Andrew R. putting together the initial Field Safety Scott – are seeking new material The June Environmental Geosciences * * * Leadership short course that was held (results) in the area of CO2 geological (Volume 13, Number 2) is a special immediately before the annual storage from research programs, pilot issue titled “Characterization of I must acknowledge the members of convention. The course was a great demonstration projects and commercial Demonstration Projects of CO2 the present DEG Executive Committee success, drawing attendees from applications in oil and gas reservoirs, Geological Sequestration – Part I.” for all their work this year. I really academia and industry. Our goal is to saline aquifers and deep coal beds. The peer-reviewed manuscripts for appreciate all the diligence to service have this short course as an offering at This can include, but is not limited to, this volume are truly global in nature. and camaraderie, from president-elect next year’s annual meeting in Long regional assessment studies on The initial article is from the UK sector of Jane McColloch; vice president Craig Beach. suitability and storage capacity as well the North Sea, while those that follow are Dingler; secretary-treasurer Nancy I would be remiss if I did not as project-specific studies on site contributions from the Ohio River valley, Dorsey; editor-in-chief Jerry Baum; and acknowledge the AAPG Foundation, selection, baseline characterization, Gulf Coast Frio Formation and southeast past president Ken Vogel. again, for its generous grant for the operation and performance. Queensland, Australia. Dingler (pulling double duty) and publication of EG. The goal is to have the publication The September 2006 Environmental Robert Menzie put together excellent I look forward to working as past- compiled and ready to hand over to Geosciences (Volume 13, Number 3) is DEG sessions for the annual meeting in president on next year’s issues with Jane AAPG publications no later than the another special issue, titled Houston, and arranged for our luncheon McColloch; incoming president-elect early spring of 2007, before the next “Characterization of Demonstration speaker, Amory Lovins (see related Charles (Chip) Groat; in-coming vice AAPG Annual Convention in Long Projects of CO2 Geological story, page 20). All the Advisory Board president Mike Jacobs; Nancy Dorsey, Beach, Calif., April 1-4. Sequestration – Part II.” Again, the members and committees put in an in a second year of a two-year term as If you have an abstract on CO2 articles for this volume will be from effort to make this a successful year for secretary-treasurer; and new-term sequestration that fulfills the requested across the globe. DEG. editor-in-chief, Jerry Baum. ideas mentioned above, please submit it For both upcoming special issue I especially appreciate Kevin Bohacs Thank you for a successful year for the to Grobe at [email protected]. volumes of EG, the EMD has generously and Stephen Oliveri with ExxonMobil for DEG – and remember to volunteer! ❏

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JUNE 2006