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VOLUME 31, ISSUE 3 MARCH 2004

Trends in the Canadian Oil Patch Dolomites: The Spectrum – Mechanisms, Models, Reservoir Development The CSPG and its Members – The Source of so much! I.C.E. 2004 Field Trips and Short Courses Professional Societies serve to enrich your careers…’ Information Technology and the Oil Industry AccuMapTM

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WIN a valuable IHS Energy map! Check this issue of the Reservoir. CSPG OFFICE #160, 540 - 5th Avenue SW Calgary,, Canada T2P 0M2 Tel:403-264-5610 Fax: 403-264-5898 Email: [email protected] Web: www.cspg.org Office hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:00pm CONTENTS Business Manager:Tim Howard Email: [email protected] Office Manager: Deanna Watkins Email: [email protected] Communications Manager: Jaimè Croft Email: [email protected] ARTICLES Conventions Manager: Lori Humphrey-Clements Email: [email protected] Corporate Relations Manager: Kim MacLean Email: [email protected] TRENDS IN THE CANADIAN OIL PATCH ...... 18 DOLOMITES: THE SPECTRUM EDITORS/AUTHORS – MECHANISMS, MODELS, RESERVOIR DEVELOPMENT ...... 22 Please submit RESERVOIR articles to the CSPG office. Submission deadline is the 23th day of the THE CSPG AND ITS MEMBERS – THE SOURCE OF SO MUCH! ...... 23 month, two months prior to issue date. (i.e., January 23 for the March issue). I.C.E. 2004 FIELD TRIPS AND SHORT COURSES ...... 24 ‘PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES SERVE TO ENRICH YOUR CAREERS…’ To publish an article, the CSPG requires digital copies of the document. Text should be in AN INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENTS OF Microsoft Word format and illustrations should be in TIFF format at 300 dpi. For additional GEOTECHNICAL/PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES AND ASSOCIATIONS . . . . . 26 information on manuscript preparation, refer to INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE OIL INDUSTRY ...... 32 the Guidelines for Authors published in the CSPG Bulletin or contact the editor.

COORDINATING EDITOR & OPERATIONS Jaimè Croft CSPG DEPARTMENTS Tel:403-264-5610 Fax: 403-264-5898 Email: [email protected]

TECHNICAL EDITOR CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP ...... 5 Ben McKenzie GEOCAN Energy Inc. EXECUTIVE COMMENT ...... 7 Tel:403-261-3851 TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS ...... 8 Email: [email protected] DIVISION TALKS ...... 14 ADVERTISING ROCK SHOP ...... 17 Kim MacLean Corporate Relations, CSPG 2004 CALENDAR OF EVENTS ...... 19 Tel:403-264-5610, Ext 205 Email: [email protected] JACK PORTER: VIGNETTES OF CANADIAN PETROLEUM GEOLOGY ...... 20 KEEPING TRACK ...... 22 Advertising inquiries and all artwork should be directed to Kim MacLean.The deadline to reserve advertising space is the 23th day of the month, two months prior to issue date.

The RESERVOIR is published 11 times per year by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists. This includes a combined issue for the months of July/August.

Advertisements, as well as inserts, mailed with the publication are paid advertisements. No endorsement or sponsorship by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists is implied.

The CSPG Rock Shop is an attractive and affordable way for advertisers to present their services to the CSPG readership. Spaces are sold at business card sizes (3.5” wide by 2” high). To reserve space or for more information, please contact Kim MacLean at 403-264-5610, ext. 205.

The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in full without the consent of the publisher. FRONT COVER Design & Layout by McAra Printing Printed in Canada by McAra Printing Rocky Candy Mine, British Columbia – Epithermal veins of green and purple fluorite, cut by vuggy quartz veinlets, are developed in fine- to medium-crystalline andesite.Vugs are often lined with crystals of barite, quartz, Additional copies of the RESERVOIR are and fluorite. Although the deposits once commercially provided flux for local copper and gold smelters, the available at the CSPG office for $3.00. presence of quartz in the fluorite makes the mine uneconomic and it is now mainly used for mineral collection. Photo by Darran Edwards. 3 © 2003 Baker Hughes Incorporated. All rights reserved. ATL-03-5518 4 Baker Atlas –TheBestChoice orientation andnet-to-gross. fracture texture, rock features, andsedimentary to accuratelyidentifystructural Imagerinyour oil-basedwell Call ustodaytofindouthow youcanusetheEarth coverageina203 mmhole. 64.9% borehole pads providing 153-533mm,withthe 6individuallyarticulated from It operatesinboreholes loggingspeedof274m/hr.3 mm,withastandard oflessthan resolution imagercanobtainavertical resistivity micro The proven great holecoverage. micro resistivityimagesinoil-basedmud, with Baker Atlas-deliveringhighresolution The EarthImagerfrom have neverseenbefore! an oil-basedimagelikeyou The EarthImagerdelivers www.bakeratlasdirect.com have neverseenbefore! an oil-basedimagelikeyou The EarthImagerdelivers www.bakerhughes.com Baker Atlas Grande (780)5393505 Red Deer(403)3471152 Calgary (403)5373400 Brooks (403)6322736 Nisku (780)9553033 CORPORATE MEMBERS

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5

EXECUTIVE COMMENT A MESSAGE FROM THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR PRESIDENT but also in the long term – ‘visionary’ sort of Craig Lamb Husky Energy way. So… please volunteer! Tel: 750-1499 [email protected] At the end of each fiscal year a general vision for CSPG Programs is presented to the VICE PRESIDENT Executive outlining short- and long-term Jeff Packard goals in each of the areas for which Burlington Resources Canada Programs is responsible. Following is a Tel:260-8041 Fax: 269-8285 summary of what was developed by past [email protected] Program Director Elizabeth O’Neill (kudos to Liz for a superb job!!) and myself, as to PAST PRESIDENT where we, and the Executive, believe John Hogg Programs should be headed: EnCana Corporation Tel:645-2533 Fax: 645-2453 CSPG Programs are responsible for • General Aim: To improve and modernize [email protected] Continuing Education, Technical Divisions technical standards of the CSPG using (Basin Analysis, Core and Sample, Emerging innovative means to reach out to both FINANCE DIRECTOR Petroleum Resources, Environmental, professional and academic petroleum Pauline Chung Geomathematics & Computer Applications, geoscience communities. Burlington Resources Canada Hydrogeology, International, Paleontology, Tel:260-1713 Fax: 260-1160 Reservoir Development, Sedimentology, • Education: To improve and expand the [email protected] Sequence Stratigraphy, and Structural technical and professional abilities of the Geology), Technical Luncheons, and – in a membership through geoscience education ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR small way – conference planning.The role of relative to their needs. Specifically, to Allan Schink the CSPG Program Director is largely to Berland Exploration continue revitalizing the Continuing serve as a liaison between Program Tel:770-2002 Fax: 770-2051 Education Committee and to support, committees and the CSPG Executive, as well [email protected] nurture, and monitor the Geoscience as a facilitator when new initiatives are being Professional Development Centre. Also, to undertaken or new committees and sub- PROGRAM DIRECTOR seek opportunities to forge links with other committees are being established or Lavern Stasiuk geological / geotechnical societies for changed. Many of the activities of CSPG GSC – Calgary mutual benefit. Tel:292-7000 Programs are thus, at their root, important [email protected] sources of technical, scientific, educational, and professional training information for • Technical Divisions: To improve the synergy between Technical Divisions. ASSISTANT PROGRAM DIRECTOR CSPG members – effectively the ‘life blood’ Promote the Technical Divisions on the web Doug Hamilton of our petroleum geoscience society. EnCana Corporation site and facilitate inter-division interactions Tel:290-3193 Fax: 290-3129 During the past year as CSPG Assistant to achieve cross-divisional presentations. [email protected] Program Director, it became clear that the Monitor each Technical Division’s day-to-day work of the Society is handled by performance and provide assistance where SERVICE DIRECTOR a very competent and effective CSPG office it is needed to renew and refresh the Wayne Dwyer led by Tim Howard (Business Manager) and volunteer base. Anadarko Canada assisted by Deanna Watkins (Programs & Tel:231-0339 Services Manager), Jaime Croft • Technical Luncheons: Provide a wide [email protected] (Communications Manager), Lori Humphrey- variety of current and relevant technical Clements (Conventions Manager), and Kim and scientific presentations for the CSPG ASSISTANT SERVICE DIRECTOR MacLean (Corporate Relations Manager). membership under the steerage of the Astrid Arts Coupled with the CSPG office and Executive, Technical Luncheon Committee. Achieve ConocoPhillips Canada are a large, dedicated contingent of amazingly full schedule of webcasts and promote Tel:233-3049 effective volunteers ranging from the more development of the Technical Luncheon [email protected] visible Program committee chairs (e.g., Presentation virtual library through archiving of webcasts. Attempt to make COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Continuing Education – Godfried Wasser and available selected webcasts to up and Ashton Embry Dave Russum; Conventions – George Eynon; GSC - Calgary Technical Luncheons – Jim Gardner) to the coming petroleum geologists. Tel:292-7125 Fax: 292-4961 many, many committee members and event [email protected] volunteers.With people such as these and all • Conferences: To seek opportunities for the other active volunteers, (and I am sure as thematic, topical mini-conferences and many others equally as committed and collaboration with other societies on joint enthusiastic waiting in the wings to devote conventions. This is now the practical their time!), the CSPG should be well placed responsibility of the Conventions to be successful not only in the short term, Committee – ongoing support will be

Continued on Page 34 . . . 7 MARCH LUNCHEON

“If the bus stops at the bus generation of synthetic seismograms, geophysicist who is a leader in the station and the train stops at phase filtering, or inversion. They could application of new seismic techniques. the train station, what not handle anything but the input data volume.The fundamental advantage then He received his B.Sc. (Hons) in Geology in happens at the became the routine process of pick, 1960 and his Ph.D. in Geophysics in 1968 workstation??” post, and map. Contemporary work from the University of Glasgow in Scotland. stations are precise in their ability to His professional experience includes positions SPEAKER pick and transport data to mapping with Ray Geophysical Company in Libya, the Easton Wren, Consultant packages. However, contemporary United Nations in Uganda, Amoco Canada, workstations do not always satisfy the and PanCanadian Petroleum. In 1978 he 11:30 am seismic interpreter’s objectives to go founded Petrel Consultants and was President Tuesday, March 9, 2004 beyond this pick-post-map process. and General Manager of the company until TELUS CONVENTION CENTRE 1986. Since that time he has been an CALGARY, ALBERTA Seismic interpreters are forced to independent consultant. produce interpretation maps of multiple Please note: data sets in relatively short time. The Dr. Wren is current in state-of-the-art The cut-off date for tickets sales is main complaint from the interpreter is seismic methods, has lectured at U.S. and 1:00 pm,Wednesday, March 3rd. that it is not possible to do everything to Canadian universities, has developed and Ticket price is $28.00 + GST. fine-tune a seismic prospect with the presented industry-oriented training courses The huge volumes of 3D datasets current crop of workstations. It is to a wide variety of audiences. His recorded in the 1970s created the need desirable to be able to investigate the “Geophysics for Geologists” has been for a machine to handle the tasks quality of the seismic data processing and presented in Calgary annually for over associated with routine picking of the final seismic product before twenty years. seismic events, their posting, and committing to a well location. Often it is subsequent mapping. It was not possible necessary to investigate the pre-stack Easton was elected President of the to cope with the rapidly escalating data database (CDP gathers, offset gathers, Canadian Society of Exploration volumes on paper sections. cross-plotting, etc.) to establish any AVO Geophysicists for 1981, received the signature that might be critical in addition Society’s Best Paper award in 1974, the Just like other early developments of to assessing the quality of processing. Meritorious Service Award in 1977, and calculating devices (abacus, log tables, Honorary Membership in 1988. He has slide rule, hand calculator) The early Therefore, much of the essential work authored several papers on seismic workstations did not have too many frills: that should be performed on the processing and interpretation, is a past simply elementary operations without workstation cannot be done. editor of the Journal of the CSEG, and too much demand for computing power. Bulletin of the CSPG, and was General However, the human operator was This presentation will take a historical Chairman of the joint CSEG-CSPG always in charge. This is a non-trivial look at the process of computation and Convention, Exploration Update, in 1979. aspect of the human-machine interaction. suggest where we might be headed in Also there were no statistical estimates the future with respect to the In 1987, he was Distinguished Lecturer for or assumptions with these early workstation world. the American Association of Petroleum operations.They were precise. Geologists (AAPG). He is also an active BIOGRAPHY member of SEG,CSEG,and APEGGA. He was Early workstations had no capacity for Easton Wren is well known in Canada and the host of the CFAC-TV Calgary “Science processing, calibration with and recognized internationally as an innovative Spectrum” documentary programme.

MARCH LUNCHEON

The two facies of Piscichnus, CO-AUTHOR 1:00 pm,Wednesday, March 17th. water-bound vertebrates are Ian Armitage Ticket Price is $28.00 + GST. Gemini: paleogeography and 11:30 am The trace fossil Piscichnus represents the process ichnology using Tuesday, March 23, 2004 vestige of subaqueous feeding behavior. feeding traces and trace fossils TELUS CONVENTION CENTRE The trace fossil typically resembles a CALGARY, ALBERTA SPEAKER conical- or bowl-shaped structure, depending on the caliber and Murray Gingras Please note: The cutoff date for ticket sales is cohesiveness of the sediment. Although

8 the behavior is normally interpreted to the bivalve-made structures probably Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in 1987, represent water jetting by an animal into a developed over 20 to 60 years—thereby a a B.Sc. from the University of Alberta in 1995 substrate, some types of digging activities temporal significance can be attached to the and his Ph.D. from the University of Alberta in might produce similar trace fossils. Drawing observed surface; and, (2) if feeding 1999. Dr. Gingras has worked professionally in from two distinctive examples, this paper excavations in paleo-Willapa Bay,Washington the hydrocarbon industry, at the Northern Alberta contrasts occurrences of modern and ancient were produced by walruses, their herds must Institute of Technology, and as an Assistant Piscichnus and reveals a range of behavioral have wandered along the northern Pacific Professor at the University of New Brunswick. His inferences that might be applied to rock rim from their present habitat in the Bering research focuses on using sedimentology and record occurrences of Piscichnus. Shelf and Chukchi Sea whilst enjoying a colder (glacial?) climate. ichnology to interpret sedimentary rock The first example, observed in great successions. This broad field has strong links to abundance on tidal flats in the Bay of Fundy, BIOGRAPHY the hydrocarbon industry, is used extensively in comprises a crescent-shaped impression and Murray Gingras received his Diploma in paleogeography, and is applied in modern a plug-shaped excavation.The morphology of Mechanical Engineering Technology from the sedimentary environments. the trace strongly links it to foraging Atlantic sturgeon. Surfaces characterized by numerous occurrences of the feeding trace, contain a variety of organisms including mollusks, polychaete worms, and amphipods. Analysis of the distribution and orientation of the feeding traces shows that feeding activity is greatest within 500m of the mean high-tide mark and coincides with the maximum concentration of the amphipod Corophium volutator. Within this zone, voluminous quantities of mud and silt are resuspended by the feeding activity of sturgeon. Extensive soupy substrates result from suspension deposition of silts and muds at slack tide as well as the impoundment of seawater within the feeding excavations. Thus, it is suggested that feeding by the Atlantic sturgeon locally represents one of the chief erosional/depositional agents on the intertidal mudflat zone within the upper reaches of the Bay of Fundy.

Our second example focuses on Piscichnus observed in gravelly Pleistocene deposits adjacent to Willapa Bay, Washington, which are co-occurent with bivalve trace fossils. The suite of biogenic structures manifest two distinct occurrences: (1) symmetric or asymmetric u-shaped structures with flared limbs containing occurrences of graded bedding (Piscichnus) and (2) vertical to sub- vertical columns where laminae and bedding deflect downward (bivalve burrows). Piscichnus cross-cut the bivalve-generated structures and are interpreted to represent a predatory relationship. Several animals have been reported to feed on bivalves including: elasmobranch fishes, crabs, sea stars, sea otters, whales, and walruses. In particular, walruses generate distinctive excavations on the sea floor as they root for prey with their snouts and emit a hydraulic jet that liquefies the substrate where a bivalve has burrowed. Earlier documentation of seafloor furrows and pits produced by the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) provides modern analogues for the aforementioned structures. The presence of these trace fossils is significant in that: (1) given the growth rate of likely tracemakers,

9 MARCHAPRIL LUNCHEON LUNCHEON

Methane hydrates and What caused repeated, remarkably rapid, BIOGRAPHY climate change: the global warming events that occurred in Richard J. Behl graduated in 1978 with his less than one human lifespan during the B.A. in Chemistry with Earth Sciences clathrate gun hypothesis late Quaternary? A likely, but Specialization from the University of controversial, culprit is methane hydrate California, he then went on to receive his SPEAKER (or clathrate), which makes up a vast Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from the University Richard J. Behl reservoir of frozen methane in ocean of California at Santa Cruz in 1992. AAPG Distinguished Lecturer sediments. Destabilization of the reservoir Between 1978 and 1987 Richard worked through changes in sea-floor temperature as a wellsite geologist for a number of AUTHORS and pressure may release methane (a companies. From 1992 to 1995 Richard Richard J. Behl powerful greenhouse gas) into the ocean was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the California State University and atmosphere, with dramatic climatic University of California. From 1995 Long Beach, California consequences. The Clathrate Gun to1999 Richard was an Assistant Kevin G. Cannariato Hypothesis proposes that the marine Professor at California State University. University of Southern California methane hydrate reservoir was repeatedly Presently Richard is an Associate Professor Ingrid L. Hendy reloaded and discharged as clathrates at California State University. University of Michigan accumulated during cold glacial intervals James P.Kennett only to be dissociated when triggered by Richard has authored and co-authored 29 University of California, Santa Barbara pulses of warmer intermediate water professional papers, 54 abstracts, and 1 impinging on the continental slopes. This book on marine sedimentology and 11:30 am mechanism could have greatly amplified stratigraphy, diagenesis of silica- and organic Thursday,April 8, 2004 and accelerated global warming episodes. carbon-rich sediments, and Could methane hydrates play a role in paleoceanography. Richard has a special TELUS CONVENTION CENTRE present and future climatic change,as well? interests in the sedimentary record and CALGARY, ALBERTA This presentation explores whether the diagenesis of the Neogene through present is always the best key to the past, Quaternary of the California Margin. Please note: or whether these dramatic episodes in Richard is involved with AAPG, American The cut-off date for ticket sales is Earth's history were unique in their Geophysical Union, GSA, International 1:00 pm, Monday April 5th. sensitivity to certain triggers of climatic Association of Sedimentologists, and the Ticket price is $28.00 + GST. and environmental change. Society for Sedimentary Geology.

MARCHAPRIL LUNCHEON LUNCHEON

Tide-dominated This talk begins by illustrating the culture With subsequent transgression, S1C sedimentation in an arid rift and landscapes of Yemen which leads deposits show rising water table and a basin – Cretaceous Qishn into a brief discussion of the petroleum nonmarine flooding surface, overlain by Clastics, Masila Block, geology of Yemen’s Masila Basin. The tidal-flat/inlet deposits. Ongoing Republic of Yemen – a billion Cretaceous Qishn Clastics Member was transgression resulted in wave- barrel oil field deposited in a rift basin connected to the ravinement overlain by shallow shelf Paleo-Indian Ocean – an ideal set-up for clastics and deeper shelf carbonates of SPEAKER tidal amplification and domination. the S1B. The overlying S1A comprises Dale A. Leckie Recoverable hydrocarbon reserves are bioturbated, clastic shelf deposits related Nexen Inc. 1.1 billion barrels. Facies associations are to a drop in sea level. Accommodation consistent with an estuarine system – was relatively high, except for low AUTHORS sand shoals, tidally influenced point bars, accommodation associated with regional Dale A. Leckie and Tom Rumpel mud flats, etc. Lowermost Qishn onlap sheet sandstone of the S3. Nexen Inc. resulted in deposition of tidal estuarine 11:30 am to bay facies. A sequence boundary Qishn Clastic sediments meet the Thursday,April 22, 2004 truncates the Lower Qishn at the base of criteria of a macrotidal, tide-dominated the S3, a low-accommodation braidplain estuary, yet a more appropriate analog TELUS CONVENTION CENTRE deposited close to the shoreline. A may be the Shatt al-Arab River flowing CALGARY, ALBERTA flooding surface at the top of the S3 into the Arabian Gulf. Is the latter a Please note: heralds S2 progradational, tide- tidally-influenced delta flowing into a gulf The cut-off for ticket sales is 1:00 dominated deltaic deposits. Delta - or a large bayhead delta? Application of pm, Monday,April 19th. progradation culminated in clastic existing terminologies - estuaries, syn-rift Ticket Price is $28.00 + GST. dolomitic deposits on the coastal plain. clastics, deltaic, strait, Gulf, bay - is

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confusing to the practicing explorationist, explore for and develop hydrocarbons. He Tom Rumpel is Staff Geological Consultant at particularly when attempting to convey a has published over 100 refereed papers and Nexen Inc., developing the petroleum reserves mental image of the environmental received numerous awards including: AAPG in Nexen's new Al-Hajr Block in Yemen. In a setting of the reservoir. Distinguished Lecturer, SEPM Distinguished twenty-nine-year career as a professional Lecturer, CSPG Distinguished Lecturer, CSPG geoscientist in the petroleum industry, he has BIOGRAPHY Presidents Award, CSPG Medal of Merit, worked in a variety of capacities for several Dale Leckie, Chief Geologist at Nexen Inc., CSPG Link Award. Dale co-edited AAPG Intermediate and Junior Exploration & has worked on basins in Canada, Yemen, Memoir 55, Foreland Basins and Fold Belts Production companies, including field geologist, Australia, Colombia, New Zealand and the (1992) and CSPG Memoir 15, Sequence exploration/exploitation geologist, consulting U.S. He utilizes sedimentological and Stratigraphy: Surface, Subsurface and geologist, Vice President of Exploration, and sequence stratigraphic technologies to Sedimentology. Chief of Computer Geoscience.

Thank you to everyone who attended the CSPG 2004 Volunteer Appreciation Social on February 10th. Congrats to the 2003 Volunteer Award Recipients and to the 10 Prize Draw Winners

The CSPG is a success due to our dedicated volunteers and we express our gratitude to all of them. For more details on this event, award recipients, or volunteering click on VOLUNTEER SOURCE @ www.cspg.org Special Thanks to our Sponsor:

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The real significance of pushing all correlations through where reasonable correlations cannot be sequence stratigraphy to everywhere, a method almost guaranteed made, particularly where anomalous to produce errors. lowstand sands or channels occur. In subsurface geological work conclusion, without the simple concept Correlatable surfaces are recognized by of numerous breaks in the stratigraphic SPEAKER an abrupt lithologic change reflecting a record, reasonable correlations and Doug Cant change in deposition. Each represents interpretations cannot be made on well- Doug Cant Geological Consulting the surface of the sediment at one time. log or seismic sections. Correlation patterns therefore should 12:00 Noon show consistency.A few simple rules for BIOGRAPHY Wednesday, March 10, 2004 correlation can be applied on a properly Doug Cant has worked on subsurface hung stratigraphic section: 1) geology, particularly the Mannville Group EnCana Amphitheatre correlations should slope seaward; 2) since 1977. Other projects have been located 2nd Floor, east end of the Calgary marine regressive cycles are continuous from Argentina to the Mackenzie Delta and Tower Complex and their number changes only at the the Scotian Shelf to British Columbia. 1st Street and 9th Avenue SE shoreline; 3) units should fine offshore; Calgary, Alberta 4) unit thicknesses should not vary INFORMATION randomly; 5) where superimposed units BASS Division talks are free. Please bring Many industry geologists believe sequence show complementary thickening and your lunch. For further information about stratigraphy to be of little importance to thinning, the correlation between them the division, joining our mailing list, a list of their day-to-day work, partly because is misplaced. Units may terminate upcoming talks, or if you wish to present a most sequence stratigraphic presentations proximally by onlap, distally by downlap. talk or lead a field trip, please contact emphasize esoteric theory and jargon.The either Steve Donaldson at 403-645-5534, real significance for exploration geologists Unconformities are the most important email: [email protected] or lies in how it allows a completely different control on clastic reservoir facies, and Mark Caplan at 403-691-3843, email: approach to well-log correlations. Many they occur extremely commonly. They [email protected] or visit our web geologists still use a layer-cake approach, sometimes can be inferred on a section page at www.cspg.org/basin_analysis.html.

PALAEONTOLOGY DIVISION

Unwrapping the Past: Sunday March 21st a pair of limited Special Presentation Eighth Annual APS space workshops will be available to 11:15 – 12:15 p.m. Palaeontological those who register (see below). Gerhard Maier, ESSO Symposium African Dinosaurs Unearthed: SPEAKER SCHEDULE The Tendaguru Expeditions (All lectures to be held in Jenkins Saturday March 20, 2004 Theatre, Mount Royal College) 12:15 – 2:00 p.m. Poster Session Mount Royal College Science Wing 9:30 – 10:00 a.m. Lunch Break & (Lower Level) Don Henderson, University of Calgary 4825 Richard Road SW Sauropod Dinosaurs were the 2:00 – 2:30 p.m. Calgary, Alberta Colossal Corks of the Mesozoic. Marisa Gilbert, University of Alberta Approaches in Vocalizing the Alberta Palaeontological Society, 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. Science of Palaeontology Canadian Society of Petroleum Lisa Budney, University of Alberta to the Public of All Ages Geologists (Paleontology Division), and New Technologies Challenge Old Mount Royal College Department of Views on the Evolution of Reptilian 2:30 – 3:00 p.m. Earth Sciences jointly sponsor the Dental Morphology and Histology Richard McCrea, University of Alberta symposium. On Saturday all lectures and and Lisa G. Buckley, South Dakota poster displays are free and open to the 10:30 – 10:45 a.m. Coffee break general public. A fossil identification School of Mines and Technology booth and fossil displays will be at the 10:45 – 11:15 a.m. Excavating British event. Keynote talk is on Leonardo, a Darren Tanke, Royal Tyrrell Museum Columbia’s First Dinosaurs, mummified hadrosaur excavated in Discovery of William E. Cutler’s and other Palaeontological Montana and certified by Guinness as Winter 1919–1920 Fieldcamp, Projects in the Tumbler the world’s best-preserved dinosaur. On Dinosaur Provincial Park,Alberta Ridge Area

14 3:00 – 3:30 p.m. LOCATION: Geological Survey of Canada, to dissect carcasses should not enroll. David Eberth, Royal Tyrrell Museum 3303 - 33 St. NW, Calgary. FEE: $15.00. Limit: 20 participants. Revising the Group: Learn to categorize plant fossils into A Framework for Assessing morphotypes based on leaf structure. Workshop registration deadline is March 7, Biostratigraphy and Climate Change Participants will practice their new skills 2004.To sign up contact Vaclav Marsovsky at using Paleocene leaf fossils. (403) 547-0182 or [email protected]. Keynote Talk FEE: $15.00. Limit: 20 participants. Cheques should be made payable to Alberta 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Palaeontological Society. Payment may be Nate Murphy, Director of Vertebrate 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. handed to Vaclav or mailed to the APS mailing Paleontology, Phillips County Museum, Jaw Form and Function:Adaptive address, PO Box 35111, Sarcee Postal Outlet, Montana Radiation of the Mammalian Calgary,AB, Canada T3E 7C7 Leonardo, the Virtual Dinosaur Masticatory Apparatus INSTRUCTOR: Dr.Anthony Russell INFORMATION THE WORKSHOPS LOCATION: University of Calgary (building For information or to present a talk in the future Sunday, March 21 and room to be announced) please contact CSPG Paleo Divison Head Philip This workshop will focus on muscles, bones Benham at 403-691-3343 or 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and joints as they relate to jaw form and [email protected]. Visit the APS Plant Morphology function.The workshop is hands-on and website for confirmation of event times and INSTRUCTOR: Georgia Hoffman includes dissection.Those who do not wish upcoming speakers: http://www.albertapaleo.org/

SEDIMENTOLOGY DIVISION

Stratal pattern and sequence clinoforms that prograded into the Western This general trend was modified by rapid stratigraphy of the Upper Canada Interior Seaway. fluctuations in the relative sea level, which Cretaceous Upper Colorado created a complex sediment infill of the basin. The sequences of the Carlile Formation are The rate of sediment input and grain size also Group in southern Alberta and dominated by low-angled shingled stratal changed at this time. The Medicine Hat southwestern patterns, which reflect a period of low Member was deposited when large quantities accommodation space and low sediment of very fine sand bypassed the littoral energy SPEAKER input to the shelf.The sediments of the Carlile fence and were deposited as pervasive sand Karsten Nielsen Formation were deposited in an offshore to sheets in an offshore to shelf environment. In Nexen Inc. shelf environment and are dominated by shale contrast to the linear reservoir trends of the and siltstone. Minimal sand-size sediment Cardium Formation, the Medicine Hat 12:00 Noon, bypassed the littoral energy fence to the Sandstones are widespread (up to 3,000 km2) Monday, March 22, 2004 offshore during this period. The main deposits that form excellent reservoirs for reservoir of this stratigraphic interval is the biogenetic shallow gas in parts of southern EnCana Amphitheatre, Tower Centre Cardium Formation in western Alberta, which Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan. Room 498 (TC498) 2nd Floor, forms linear reservoir trends tens of east end of Calgary Tower Complex kilometres long. INFORMATION 1st Street and 9th Avenue SE Talks are free – don’t forget to bring your lunch! Calgary, Alberta The sequences of the Niobrara Formation are For more information about this talk, or about characterized by a general upwards-change in presenting a talk, please call Scott Rose at (403) A method of utilizing closely-spaced stratal pattern from high-angled to low-angled. 875-7673, (email: [email protected]) resistivity wire-line logs to delineate regional stratal patterns allows a new detailed sequence stratigraphic interpretation of the Geological Survey and Saskatchewan Industry and Resources marine Upper Cretaceous Upper Colorado Group in southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan. The results show thirteen Twelfth Williston Basin Horizontal sequences: seven in the lower regressive Well and Petroleum Conference Carlile Formation and six in the upper transgressive Niobrara Formation. May 2 – 4, 2004 Holiday Inn Riverside The large-scale stratal patterns of the thirteen Minot, North Dakota, USA sequences vary considerably in scale and orientation direction. The patterns are For more information, please call: explained by changing accommodation space (701) 328-8000 United States or (306) 787-7662 Canada and sediment input through time. Paleo-water depth and changing direction of sediment input Informal talks, poster discussions and workshops on geology, engineering, and geophysics pertaining to new developments in petroleum exploration and production within or are also major factors in the creation of these applicable to the Williston Basin. major shaly and fine-grained sandstone

15 EMERGING PETROLEUM RESOURCES DIVISION

North American “deep” margin of the basin may be part of a gradients may preserve oil potential to natural gas potential: “basin-center” accumulation that very deep depths. opportunities in Canadian continues into the basin center. In the Columbia Basin, the sedimentary • Sverdrup Basin, a very deep basin with cratonic and ocean sequence does not appear to be very encouraging shallow successes. margin basins extensively gas-saturated due to factors that prohibited the development of a • Proterozoic basins of northern SPEAKER typical basin-center gas accumulation. Interior Platform where thick K. G. Osadetz sedimentary sequences (>15 km) Geological Survey of Canada Deep Canadian resources are essentially occur east of Mackenzie Mountains. unassessed; however, geological While the potential of these basins 12:00 Noon characteristics suggest that: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 should be assessed, it is only by drilling 1) Some existing Canadian petroleum that existence of this resource will be ConocoPhillips Auditorium production comes from settings that established in Canada. (3rd Floor – west side of building) were previously “deep” (> 5km) and 401-9th Ave SW that these petroleum accumulations BIOGRAPHY (Gulf Canada Square) have survived both deep burial and Kirk Gordon Osadetz is a graduate of the Calgary, Alberta subsequent exhumation. University of , Ontario (B.Sc,, 1978; M.Sc. 1983). Mr. Osadetz is the Manager of The United States recognizes both “Basin 2) Other Canadian sedimentary basins are the Earth Sciences Sector’s Gas Hydrates – Centre” and “Deep” natural gas resources “deep”, but essentially uncharacterized, Fuel of the Future? Program;the Head,Energy that are not part of the Canadian resource including: and Environment Subdivision, at the inventory. Characterization of American Geological Survey of Canada’s Calgary Office; “Deep” resources allows comparison • Alberta Basin, where deep reservoirs and the leader of a project of Petroleum between Canadian and American basins, may exist adjacent to and within Resource Assessment Methodological suggesting that similar resource may be foreland fold-thrust belt. Development for the Project of Energy present in Canada. The U.S. Geological Research and Development. Mr.Osadetz has Survey has analyzed potential deep and • Intermontane basins, where new performed studies of petroleum resource basin-centre gas accumulations and discoveries of effective petroleum evaluation, as well as having research resources (USGS Bulletins 2184, parts a- systems suggest a real potential. e). Gas accumulations in the Hanna Basin, interests related to petroleum system Wyoming and in the Columbia Basin, • Cratonic and Oceanic basins of the Washington are among the deepest in the Atlantic margin, from Nova Scotia to INFORMATION U.S., and they provide insights into the Baffin Bay, where syn-rift, sub-salt All luncheon talks are free – please bring your geologic variability of such resources. In reservoirs are but one possible play. own lunch. If you would like more information the Hanna Basin, gas-charged about future EPRD activities, please join our e- overpressuring in the Niobrara and • Mackenzie Delta, where low mail distribution list by sending a message with Frontier Formations along the southern geothermal and organic maturity the title “EPRD list” to [email protected].

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16 ROCK SHOP

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17 TRENDS IN THE CANADIAN OIL PATCH BY DAVE RUSSUM

A Brief History of Canada’s site: www.geohelp.ab.ca). Notice the length of 1907 - Rudyard Kipling visited Medicine Hat Natural Gas Production time it has taken to bring frontier gas discoveries and described it as having "all hell for a to market and that our forays into basement" unconventional gas are very recent. Also, 1909 - "Old Glory" well drilled at Bow Natural gas has been the primary driver in according to the AEUB, Alberta’s remaining Island; largest gas well to that time in Alberta’s growth for the past fifteen years. reserves peaked in 1982 and yet our production Canada; drilled by the CPR, reportedly on Figure 1 shows the trend in Canadian peaked in 2001. A detailed understanding of the the wrong location marketed gas production (Bcf/d) since 1947 history of our industry provides insights to 1912 - Gas pipeline built from Bow Island to (CAPP Data). The red line is the total better predict future trends. Calgary (275 Km) by Canadian Western production while the brown line is the Natural Gas contribution from Eastern Canada. Even 1859 - Natural gas discovered in New 1914 - First discovery of Gas-condensate today, with the production of gas from Sable Brunswick; flared as a waste product reservoir at the Dingman #1 in Turner Island, the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin 1883 - First gas found in Alberta, at Langevin, Valley (from Cretaceous) (WCSB) produces 97% of all Canadian gas; near Medicine Hat, while drilling a water 1923 - Edmonton converted to Natural gas Alberta contributes nearly 80% of that supply. well for the CPR(!) 1924 - Gas condensate reservoir discovered 1889 - Eugene Coste drilled in Essex County, in Mississippian at Turner Valley Some of the key dates in the development of Ontario for natural gas to supply nearby 1930 - Bow Island field exhausted, having Canada’s natural gas industry are listed below (a communities produced 336 Bcf into the Calgary market more complete chronology and extensive 1901 - First commercial gas field developed 1938 - Alberta Petroleum and Natural Gas bibliography can be found on Geo-Help’s web at Medicine Hat Conservation Board formed by Social Credit Government; significantly reduced flaring of natural gas as a by-product of oil production 1944 - Jumping Pound discovered by Shell; first efforts to recover sulphur from sour gas 1957 - First gas exported by Westcoast Transmission Company via Vancouver to US markets 1957 - First gas exported to Eastern Canada by Trans Canada Pipelines 1967 - Sable Island gas discovered by Shell 1969 - First drilling by Panarctic resulted in the discovery of Drake Point gas field (nearly six Tcf) at Melville Island in Canadian Arctic 1972 - Parsons Lake discovered by Gulf Canada in McKenzie Delta (1.8 Tcf) 1976 - Discovery of Elmworth and concept of Deep Basin Gas by Masters and Gray of Canadian Hunter 1982 - Amoco Dome Brazeau 13-12-48-12W5 Figure 1 - Canada’s Gas Production 1947 to 2003 showing the four main phases in the blew out creating a stink across Alberta development of the industry. (Data adapted from CAPP and other sources) 1982 - Pre-build section of Alaska Pipeline opened 1982 - Alberta’s remaining natural gas reserves peaked at 65 Tcf 1985 - Western Accord by Brian Mulroney's Conservative Government started process WATERWATER RESOURCESRESOURCES && of Deregulation of the Oil Industry 1986 - Discovery of Caroline Swan Hills Field by Shell ENERGYENERGY DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT 1995 - Alberta's Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) changed MARCH 19 - 20, 2004 name to Energy Utilities Board (EUB) RADISSON HOTEL & CONFERENCE 1999-2000 - Ladyfern Slave Point Field discovered by Apache, Murphy, and Beau CENTRE, CANMORE, ALBERTA Canada Abstract Submission Deadline: December 10, 2003 2000 - First gas production from Sable Island; first Canadian offshore gas development Registration Opens On-Line Monday, January 5, 2004 2000 - First shipment of gas on Alliance Pipeline 2000 - (December 11th) - Spot price for Alberta gas closed at a record $16.95 For more information visit: www.cspg.org or contact the CSPG Office at 264-5610 (Cdn) per gigajoule

18 2001 – Alberta gas production peaked at 14 shut-in by the AEUB to preserve reservoir an exhaustive study of Canada’s future gas supply Bcf/day marketable gas pressure for future bitumen extraction and demand. He has developed some unique 2002 - (January) - Experimental gas hydrate approaches to both shorten the timeframe and project at Malik in the McKenzie Delta by In 2003 a record number of gas wells were improve the results of exploration activities. More an industry / government consortium drilled in Canada; however,it appears that this information can be found at www.geohelp.ab.ca 2002 - (August) - Encana announces plans for activity is still insufficient to sustain current the first commercial Coalbed Methane levels of production. We live in a world of INFORMATION project in Canada ‘just-in-time’ delivery but are we doing This is part of a series of snapshots of the 2003 - (August) - Access Northeast Energy enough to ‘deliver’ in the future? Canadian industry designed to provide up-to-date Inc. announced plans to build an LNG information and give possible insights into the terminal at Bear Head, Nova Scotia BIOGRAPHY future of oil and gas exploration. The comments 2003 - (September 1) - 337 gas wells (about Dave Russum has spent more than 25 years are strictly the views of the author; your views and 100 MMcf/d) in the Fort McMurray area exploring for hydrocarbons. He recently completed feedback are encouraged ([email protected]).

2004 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

DATE: March 19-20, 2004 DATE: May 10-13, 2004 EVENT: Water Resources & Energy Development - William EVENT: 2004 CSEG National Convention C. Gussow Geoscience Conference Theme: Great Explorations – Canada and Beyond (A CSPG Seminar) LOCATION: Calgary,Alberta LOCATION: Raddison Hotel, Canmore,Alberta INFORMATION: For more information visit INFORMATION: SESSIONS: www.csegconvention.org Water resources for petroleum exploration and production (Dr. Kevin Parks,Alberta DATE: May 17-20, 2004 Geological Survey - Chair); Resources for EVENT: SIPES Annual Meeting waterfloods, steam generation, etc. LOCATION: San Antonio,Texas Resource Conflict (Dave McGee,Alberta INFORMATION: The San Antonio Chapter of the Society of Environment - Chair): Industrial impacts on surface Independent Professional Earth Scientists will host and shallow groundwater resources. the 2004 National Convention at the Plaza San Handling and disposal of produced water Antonio Hotel on S.Alamo St. The theme of the (Dr. Ian Hutcheon, University of Calgary - Chair); meeting will be "The Economics of Being an Coalbed Methane waters, co-produced freshwaters Independent"; papers presented will deal solely with from shallow gas, SAGD produced water, treatment the business life and times of independents in the oil and compatibility, disposal of acid gases into and gas business, and how to make them more aquifers, etc. profitable. Stewart Chuber will chair these sessions, KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: and presenters will be several proven independent Dr. Marios Sophocleous, Kansas Geological Survey "players". A field trip to the gorge formed by spillway Dr. Bill Gunter,Alberta Research Council overflow from Canyon Lake on the Guadalupe River Dr. David Percy, Dean of Law, University of Alberta during the 2002 flood will be an option for attendees CALL FOR POSTERS: – as will barge rides on the San Antonio River, golf, Oral talks will be by invitation only. However tennis, lunch at New Braunfels (Gruene) for field trip delegates are welcome to submit abstracts for attendees, and Mission tours. Of course, the poster presentations pertaining to the subject of the Convention will start off with an Ice Breaker. three main themes of the conference. For more information, registration, and electronic submission of abstracts contact Lori Humphrey-Clements at We expect about 150 members and their guests to (403) 264-5610, Ext. 202 or email to [email protected]. attend, representing SIPES chapters from Denver to New Orleans. If you would like to attend any or all DATE: April 18-21, 2004 of the program, please contact Don McGregor, EVENT: AAPG Annual Convention Convention Chairman, at 210-826-6668, or visit the LOCATION: Dallas,Texas SIPES website at www. sipes.org. INFORMATION: For more information visit www.aapg.org DATE: May 31 - June 4, 2004 DATE: May 2 - 4, 2004 EVENT: I.C.E. 2004 - Innovation, Collaboration and EVENT: Twelfth Williston Basin Horizontal Well & Exploitation, CSPG - CHOA - CWLS Joint Convention Petroleum Conference LOCATION: Round-Up Centre, Calgary,Alberta LOCATION: Holiday Inn Riverside, Minot, North Dakota INFORMATION: For more information watch the Reservoir and INFORMATION: Informal talks, poster discussions, and workshops CSPG website (www.cspg.org). on new technology and developments in petroleum exploration and production within or applicable to DATE: September 19-22, 2004 the Williston Basin. Conference is co-sponsored by EVENT: ICAM 2004, 8th International Congress the North Dakota Geological Survey and the on Applied Mineralogy Saskatchewan Industry and Resources. For LOCATION: Aguas de Lindoia, Brazil information call either (701) 328-8000 or (306) INFORMATION: For more information contact EPUSP,Av. Prof. 787-7662. Registration information and forms Luciano Gualberto,Trav.3, nº 380, 05508-900, Sao available at www.state.nd.us/ndgs or Paulo, SP,Brazil; (55) 1130915420; fax (55) www.ir.gov.sk.ca. 38145909; www.icam2004.org.

19 JACK PORTER- VIGNETTES OF CANADIAN PETROLEUM GEOLOGY Continued from the February Reservoir

The Controversy Surrounding that the Company had met its preconditions History Of The Hudson’s Bay Company, pub., Henry Kelsey’s Inland Journey to conduct exploration into the interior of its McClelland and Stewart,Toronto, p. 65). of 1690-1692 Rupert’s Land. Robson purposely distorts the reason for One of the witnesses testifying in support of Kelsey’s departure inland from . Henry Kelsey and his Indian boy companion Dobbs’ case was Joseph Robson, a According to Robson, Kelsey had violated the (Thomas Savage) had returned from the disillusioned former employee of the Company’s strict code of conduct applicable Barrens to York Factory following their Hudson’s Bay Company, who had spent six to its servants. Although, point of fact, he had unsuccessful search for the Northern Indians years as surveyor and stonemason supervising fraternized with the natives and, in so doing, (Chipewyan) during a fifty-three-day absence the initial construction of Fort Prince of learned to converse in their language. This in the summer of 1689. Their wandering, Wales (Fort Churchill). Although, during the familiarity with the natives by Company across this inhospitable landscape was one of inquiry, his testimony was ineffectual, he servants was seen to place in jeopardy the extreme privation for it was devoid of wood nevertheless had published, some three years Company’s regimen of conduct governing its which would have afforded shelter and fuel after the Parliamentary Committee’s inquiry, a trading practices. It was because of this for warmth and food preparation as well as book expunging the Company’s assertion of questionable misdemeanor that Robson was providing smoke to deter the incessant its compliance with the provisos of its able to concoct a spurious account of hordes of mosquitoes. Despite the failure of Charter. (1752, Robson, Joseph: Accounts of Kelsey’s motivation for his subsequent inland the two teenagers to fulfill Governor Geyer’s the Six Years Residence in Hudson’s Bay,1733- departure. Robson contrived that Kelsey’s directives through no fault of their own, he, 6 and 1744-7, pub. London.) The contents of behavior had earned the wrath of Governor nevertheless was impressed with young this book was a vitriolic attack on the Geyer and was, accordingly, administered a Kelsey’s performance. Geyer had recognized Company, having at its roots an antagonism whipping. Having resented the governor’s that Henry Kelsey possessed an aptitude for engendered towards York Factory’s residence discipline, Kelsey took it upon himself to adventure, empathy toward natives, and a governor, Richard Norton. The latter’s desert York Factory. This he did on June 12, resilience to nature’s vicissitudes. unwarranted interference in the early 1690 in the company of some Indian friends. Accordingly, in 1690, he reported to the construction of the massive stone fort was The following year Governor Geyer received Governor and Committee at Beaver House considered by Robson to be an affront to his in London, in reply to their urging him to engineering ability. select one of his servants to leave York Factory for a journey inland; that: “I sent up The events relating to Henry Kelsey’s two- NATURALLY-FRACTURED Henry Kelsey up into the Country of the year absence from York Factory during the TIGHT GAS RESERVOIRS Assinae Poets (Siouan speaking Assiniboins), period June 12, 1690 to July 15, 1692 were with the Captain (Chief) of that Nation, to purported by Robson to have been gleaned OF THE SAN JUAN BASIN call, encourage and invite the remoter from legendary accounts of Kelsey,originating Indians to trade with us.” (Ibid., 1939, from former Company servants who had Application to Canadian Tight Morton,Arthur S., p.111). been Kelsey’s associates. Much of the Gas Exploration & Development accounts were biased and were derived from Petrel Robertson Consulting Ltd. will host a four-day The controversy, concerning the credibility of unsubstantiated hearsay. field seminar to examine structural and stratigraphic Henry Kelsey’s inland expedition during controls on fracture development in "tight" (matrix 1690-1692 was argued, amongst other Robson, in his book, correctly portrays permeability <0.1 md) Cretaceous sandstones of allegations, before a committee of the British Kelsey’s character in describing him as a the San Juan Basin in new Mexico and Colorado. Field work and discussions will focus on: House of Commons in April of 1749. Arthur high-spirited young lad, ever enjoying the Dobbs had instigated the inquiry in his companionship of the natives and in doing Outcrop fracture occurrences as models for attempt to prove that the Hudson’s Bay so, learned to converse in both the subsurface reservoirs Company had not fulfilled its obligations as Algonquian tongue of the and Siouan Seismic characterization of fracture "sweet spots" Exploration and development examples and set forth in the Royal Charter granted to the tongue of the Assiniboins. In the first decade analogues in the West. Can. Sedimentary Basin Company by King Charles II on May 2, 1670. of the eighteenth century, Henry Kelsey had The Company, in its defense, submitted compiled an English/Cree dictionary. The Trip begins and ends in Albuquerque, New Mexico, hitherto undisclosed documents supporting Committee in London had his manuscript with stays near Chama, N.M. and Durango, CO. its claim of adherence to the provisions set published and in 1710 sent him printed Dates: Sun. May 2 – Thur. May 6, 2004. forth in its Charter to conduct exploration in copies with a complimentary the interior. Their testimony that the acknowledgement which stated: “You doe Instructors: Company’s marine exploration along the well to Educate the men in Literature but Dr. Bruce Hart, McGill University northwest coast of by Company especially in the Language that in time we Dr. John Lorenz, Sandia National Lab owned and operated vessels in search of the may send them to travell if wee see it Dr. Brad Hayes, Petrel Robertson Consulting Ltd. North West Passage, was self-evident of their convenient.” and further,“We have sent you accountability. As well, Kelsey’s journals were your dictionary Printed that you may better Visit www.petrelrob.com or contact Brad Hayes at resurrected from their archives and figured instruct the young Ladds with you, in ye [email protected] or call 403-218-1607. prominently in the hearing as further proof Indian Language.” (1936, MacKay, Douglas: A

20 a letter from Kelsey, written with charcoal on Arthur G. and Martin, Chester,with introd. to birch bark and dispatched by an Indian the 1929 ed., p. xxvii). Suffice to say, they messenger. Its contents contained an apology refute Dobbs’ assertion that Henry Kelsey by Kelsey, in which he requested a pardon had run away from York Factory because of and permission to return to York Factory. Governor Geyer having punished him. Upon receiving a reply from the governor, granting his pardon, Kelsey, along with his The most revealing of the various papers native wife, as well as a party of Indians, left contained in the collection include Kelsey’s for the fort. On arriving there, Kelsey 1689 journey to the Barrens with his young requested that his wife be allowed to live Indian companion, Thomas Savage, as well as with him within the fort’s interior. Governor Kelsey’s journal of 1691. The latter contains, Geyer initially refused his request but as an introduction, a somewhat doggerel- acquiesced after Kelsey threatened to resign style verse which serves to summarize his from the Company, protesting that he would inland expedition. Most captivating are his not be separated from his wife. records, in quaint prose, of the daily events which occurred during his journey to the Arthur Dobbs’ unsubstantiated published , commencing from Deering’s Point account of Henry Kelsey’s rational for on July 15, 1691 and continuing until deserting York Factory for the interior was September 12, 1691. Apart from his diary exposed 174 years later with the revelation records, Kelsey’s journal of 1691-1692 of the Kelsey Papers. The authenticity of the includes fascinating accounts of the customs handwriting in these documents has been which were peculiar to the of verified as that of Kelsey and were written by that period. Their behavior was solely him in the period 1689 to 1722. His papers influenced by superstition. Some of their surfaced in 1926, after having been ensconced beliefs involved the adornment of distinct in Castle Dobbs, Carrickfergus, Northern talismans to prevent their enemies from Ireland presumably since the Parliamentary killing them in battle or for the procurement Committee’s inquiry of 1749. They were of food; the treatment of the sick by singing; donated to the Public Record Office of and the dreaming of their two deities, namely: Northern Ireland by Major A. F. Dobbs – no the buffalo and the eagle, which happening doubt of the Arthur Dobbs lineage (Kelsey, Henry: The Kelsey Papers, eds. Doughty, Continued on Page 22 . . .

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21 Continued from Page 21 . . .

was to portend the fulfillment of a wish by (an enlargement of the Nelson River) where Canadian West To 1870-71, pub. Thomas the dreamer. The exclusion of the women in a conjoining of the Burntwood and Grass Nelson and Sons Ltd.,Toronto, p. 111). This, the performance of many of the rituals was Rivers occur. It had, historically, been a locale now generally accepted Saskatchewan indicative of their subservient role within the for the natives engaged in trafficking in furs location, would appear to be in Lsd. 5, Sec. 36, tribal organization. to rendezvous. The name “Kelsey” marks the Twp. 55, Rge. 25 W3M, some six miles north termination of a railway spur line which joins of Kelsey Lake and approximately 238 miles Deering’s Point was the site of a rendezvous the main branch of the Canadian National’s southwest of Low’s proposed location at Split station for natives conveying their furs down route to Churchill, manitoba. It is positioned Lake/Nelson River. to York Factory or returning with bartered near the Nelson River at the south end of articles to their inland habitats. Kelsey Split Lake. Dr. Arthur P. Low of the To be continued . . . named the site in honour of Sir Edward Geological Survey of Canada (1882-1907), Dering, the third Deputy Governor of the Director, 1906-1907) had postulated that Hudson’s Bay Company, during the period of Deering’s Point was associated with Split 1685-1691. He took possession of Deering’s Lake since one of Governor Geyer’s reports Point on July 10, 1690 and recorded the event had indicated Deering’s Point to be located KEEPING TRACK in a poetic style; to quote: on the Nelson River (1908, Burpee, Lawrence J.: The Search For The Western “At deering point after the frost Sea, pub. The Musson Book Company, I set up their a Certain Cross Toronto, pp. 104, 105). WAYNE DWYER In token of my being there Cut out on it ye date of year Following critical examinations of the Kelsey New: And likewise for to veryfie the same Papers, most historians, as well as other added to it my master sir Edward researchers, came to the common conclusion Contract Operations deerings name.” that Deering’s Point lay on the bank of the Geologist at Anadarko near . Its Calgary Alberta (Ibid.; Kelsey Papers --- p. 3). probable location can be credited to the late Dr. Arthur S. Morton, formerly of the Prior to the emergence of the Kelsey Papers Department of History, University of Previous: in 1926, the location of Deering’s Point, let Saskatchewan. He states that: “As the point Senior Operations Geologist alone other mysteries concerning Kelsey’s at which they (Kelsey and the Assiniboins) left water and land routes, remained speculative. the Saskatchewan was eighteen miles above at ConocoPhillips, It was originally assumed that Kelsey and his Deering’s Point, it follows that the Point was Calgary, Alberta Assiniboin (Stone Indians) companions had the sharp bend of the river about twelve ascended the Nelson River system and that miles below the present The Pas.” (1939, Deering Point’s was positioned on Split Lake Morton, Arthur S.: A History Of The

DOLOMITES: THE SPECTRUM – MECHANISMS, MODELS, RESERVOIR DEVELOPMENT

On January 13th through 15th 2004 the CSPG pages with many full colour illustrations) on Finally the organizing committee would like to Fall Conference on Dolomites was held. By all specific dolomitized reservoirs or strata, recognize and extend its sincere thanks to our accounts this fully-subscribed technical principally from the WCSB. corporate sponsors. Your involvement was meeting was an unqualified success, and the critical to the successful staging of the organizing committee would very much like to The technical conveners would particularly conference, and we enthusiastically applaud express its appreciation to the many like to thank Professor Eric Mountjoy of your committment to geotechnical excellence. geoscientists (and their respective parent McGill University for serving as our organizations) who made oral and core honourary chairman at this conference, and Jeff Packard and Graham Davies presentations. The depth and breadth of as well, for his on-going role as mentor to so Conference Chairs coverage of the contributions was outstanding many of us, on subjects "dolomitic". and collectively have made this enigmatic reservoir rock a little less mysterious!

The proceedings of the conference will presently be available to the general public through the CSPG bookstore.The proceedings consist of a CD of seven extended abstracts on dolomitization concepts, models, and constraints, as well as 34 short papers (synoptic case histories, each averaging 20

22 THE CSPG AND ITS MEMBERS – THE SOURCE OF SO MUCH! BY JON DUDLEY, CSPG PUBLIC AFFAIRS CHAIR

As a petroleum geologist, have you ever public outreach activities. It sponsors awards numerous memoirs, lexicons, and field guides thought of yourself as “the Source” of at the annual Calgary Youth Science Fair. It is published by the CSPG. These sources of much of the world’s quality of life? Do you a long-standing sustaining supporter of the technical information are there for CSPG see the CSPG as “the Source” of many of national EdGeo program. Each year EdGeo members year after year. Pause a moment the services and activities you need to fulfill provides funding to workshops on Earth …imagine your career without them! your role as a petroleum geologist? Few of science for Canadian teachers from coast to us in our busy lives and careers pause to coast. Through teachers, and their students, When next you see “the Source” oil drop, think about these perspectives. Without EdGEO seeks to cultivate a heightened take a moment to imagine your world if “the successful petroleum geologists, there awareness and appreciation of our planet. Source” dried up! Imagine the world without would be no petroleum industry and, geologists finding petroleum, without plastics, therefore, many of the everyday things we A highlight of the CSPG’s outreach activities without polar fleece! Imagine being a take for granted in lives; no polar fleece, no is the Annual CSPG-CSEG Honorary Address petroleum geologist without the CSPG. nylon, no plastics, no paved roads, much less which over the years has exposed its Without “the Source”, many good things provincial revenue going toward services audiences of adults and elementary and would quickly dry up. Don’t take it for for the common good! We don’t think secondary school students to a wide range of granted - use it, support it and nurture it! about these things because we wake up scientists and scientific topics including with them everyday – as articulated in the anthropology, space exploration, weather, ‘60s, we commonly “don’t know what we deep sea exploration, and dinosaurs. 1 Joni Mitchell, Big Yellow Taxi have ‘til it’s gone”1. Many members use the CSPG rock and In the last year you may have noticed “the mineral kits to share their passion for geology Source” as a recurring theme in CSPG with classrooms of eager young minds. materials. It first appeared as a large banner over the CSPG Centre at the 2003 Annual The CSPG also reaches out to university Conference and is now on the website as the geology students through its sponsorship of Career Source,Volunteer Source, the Source inter-university geology conferences, pan- for Promotional Opportunities through Canadian lecture tours, and numerous Corporate Relations, and the Source for academic scholarships and awards. Each year Geoscience Publications on the Publications the Student Industry Field Trip (SIFT) Catalogue. It occurs with a stylized oil drop introduces industry professionals and as an instantly recognizable symbol reflecting undergraduate geology students who share the message that the CSPG and its members an amazing voyage into the world of the are “the Source” of many critical products. petroleum geologist. Many students go on to pursue a career in the industry as a To its members, the CSPG strives to be “the result of their SIFT experience. Source” of the essential services of Networking, Public Awareness, and Professional and Career Development. Regardless of the stage of your career (a seasoned veteran or in Networking is critical for the sustenance and your first job as a petroleum vitality of one’s career and the CSPG is the geologist), the CSPG is your Source for numerous networking Source of professional opportunities. It provides the ever-popular development opportunities social events at the Annual conference, annual which help you maintain and squash, golf and hockey tournaments, develop new skills. The monthly news in The Reservoir, services such Annual Conference offers as group insurance and member discounts, over 100 technical talks and and website services such as the member posters as well as field trips, Directory and Career Source information. short courses, core displays, and service provider Public Awareness is critical to ensuring the information and contacts. In vitality of both our profession and industry. addition to the conference are If the Public doesn’t know what we the 19 technical luncheon talks contribute and how exciting and diverse a and over 50 free talks sponsored career in petroleum geology can be, apathy by 11 society divisions. The will prevail and few students will be attracted Bulletin of Canadian to our profession. Petroleum Geology contains 20-30 articles per The CSPG, commonly through the CSPG year and the Publications Educational Trust Fund,is the Source of many Catalogue lists the

23 I.C.E. 2004 FIELD TRIPS AND SHORT COURSES

Mt. Stephens Fossil Beds hike, Field BC Geological Interpretations Of The FIELD TRIPS INSTRUCTOR: Randle Robertson McMurray And Wabiskaw Oil Sand The following is a preliminary list of field trips DATE: June 5th 2004 Deposits planned in conjunction with the I.C.E. 2004 Joint INSTRUCTORS: Murray Gingras (University of Conference. Detailed descriptions of each trip Exploration Targets in the Canadian Alberta) & Mike Ranger (Consultant) along with costs are available at www.cspg.org, Rocky Mountain Foothills: Calgary to DATE: May 27th and 28th 2004 www.choa.ab.ca, and www.cwls.org Moose Mountain, a Helicopter Supported Field Trip. The Architecture of Fluvial Systems:A Coal and CBM in the Fernie Area Mines, INSTRUCTORS: Andrew C. Newson & Short Course And Core Workshop southeastern B.C. Deborah Sanderson INSTRUCTORS: Andrew D. Miall (University of INSTRUCTORS: Lynn Taylor, Barry Ryan, and DATE: June 5th 2004 Toronto) and Peter Putnam (Petrel Kendal Umscheid Robertson) DATE: May 29th and 30th 2004 Marginal Marine Depositional DATE: June 7th through June 9th 2004 Environments and Facies in the Calgary – Banff Field Trip Bearpaw-Horseshoe Canyon Formation Rock Fabric Approach to Carbonate INSTRUCTOR: Bill Ayrton Transition, Drumheller,Alberta;A Field Reservoir Characterization DATE: June 5th 2004 Trip for Students INSTRUCTOR: F. Jerry Lucia (University of INSTRUCTORS: Jason Lavigne and Dave Mundy Texas at Austin) Geological Walking Tour - The Building DATE: May 30th 2004 DATE: May 27th and 28th 2004 Rocks of Calgary INSTRUCTOR: Bill Ayrton Coal and Coalbed Methane in the Siliciclastic Sequence Stratigraphy DATE: June 2nd 2004 (half day – afternoon) Alberta Plains:A Comparison of Coal INSTRUCTORS: Henry Posamentier and David Geology and characteristics of the James,Anadarko Canada Basics of Oil and Gas - Calgary to Canmore Ardley and Drumheller Coal Zones. DATE: May 26th and 27th 2004 INSTRUCTOR: Al Kimmel INSTRUCTORS: Andrew Beaton and Willem DATE: May 28th 2004 Langenberg,Alberta Geological Survey 3-D Seismic Visualization – Workflows (Alberta Energy and Utilities Board) and Applications Geology of the Athabasca DATE: May 29th 2004 INSTRUCTOR: Henry Posamentier,Anadarko INSTRUCTORS: Mike Ranger and Murray Gingras Canada Date: May 23rd through May 25th 2004 SHORT COURSES DATE: June 7th 2004 Sedimentology, Stratigraphy, and The following is a preliminary list of short 3-D Seismic Interpretation Ichnology of Modern and Pleistocene courses planned to either precede or INSTRUCTOR: Bruce Hart (McGill University) Deposits at Willapa Bay,Washington immediately follow the I.C.E. 2004 Joint DATE: May 25th and 26th 2004 State, U.S. Conference. Detailed descriptions of all courses INSTRUCTORS: Ed Clifton and Murray Gingras are available at www.cspg.org, www.choa.ab.ca Clastic Facies and Depositional DATE: June 5th through June 9th 2004 and www.cwls.org Environments In Core INSTRUCTOR: Bill Arnott (University of Sand-rich Submarine Fan Deposystems; Ottawa) the Upper Cretaceous Nanaimo Group DATE: May 24th through May 26th 2004 on Denman and Hornby Islands, B.C. CSPG PROPOSED INSTRUCTORS: Peter Mustard, James SHORT COURSES Structural Styles and Interpretation MacEachern, Deanne Katnick, and Kevin Techniques in Fold-Thrust Belts Treptau Modern Industrial Paleontology - INSTRUCTOR: Shankar Mitra (University of DATE: May 29th and 30th 2004 Chronostratigraphic And Oklahoma) Paleoenvironmental Applications For DATE: May 26th through May 28th 2004 A Revised Stratigraphy For The 21st Century Petroleum Exploration And Edmonton Group and its Potential Production Reservoir Engineering For Geoscientists Sandstone Reservoirs INSTRUCTOR: Paul Sikora, (Energy & INSTRUCTOR: Mauro Cimolai (Core INSTRUCTOR: Dave Eberth Geoscience Institute, University of Utah) Laboratories Canada Ltd) DATE: May 30th 2004 DATE: June 8th 2004 DATE: June 9th and 10th 2004

24 CWLS PROPOSED SHORT COURSES

Resistivity and Water Saturation INSTRUCTOR: David Herrick (Baker Atlas) DATE: May 25th 2004

Key Issues in Coring, Core Analysis and Rock Mechanics INSTRUCTOR: Bob Skopec (Petrophysical Applications International) DATE: May 26th 2004

Acoustic Logging This year’s conference is fast approaching and INSTRUCTORS: Denis Schmitt (Halliburton), so is your opportunity to register! Doug Patterson (Baker Atlas), John Walsh (Schlumberger) Registration opens on Thursday April 1, 2004. DATE: May 27th 2004 Beat the line-ups and save a stamp by registering online for: Log-Core Integration Technical Program • Poster Displays • Core Conference INSTRUCTORS: David James, John Nieto, Ross Field Trips • Short Courses • Exhibit Hall • Special Events McLean (Anadarko Canada Corp) DATE: May 28th 2004 Registration fees for this year’s conference are as follows: The Integrated Solution in Coal Bed Methane Reservoirs Early Bird Regular On-Site INSTRUCTORS: Barry Ryan (BC Ministry), Registration Registration Registration Satyaki Ray, Joseph Frantz, Charles Boyer, Deadline: Deadline May 31-June 2, Salman Khalid (Schlumberger) DATE: May 28th 2004 April 23, 2004 May 19, 2004 2004 Member $250 $350 $450 Principles of Formation Testing INSTRUCTORS: Steve Burnie, Andy Chen (CSPG/CHOA/CWLS) (Consultant) Non-member $350 $450 $550 DATE: June 3rd 2004 Retired Members $150 $150 $200 (CSPG/CHOA/CWLS) CHOA SHORT Student $50 $100 $150 COURSES OUTLINE Day Pass – Exhibition Hall $50/day The CHOA is offering a set of Short Courses *On site only designed to provide an overview of the varied sectors of the heavy oil industry. The Short Luncheon Tickets $50 each Courses will address technical issues at a high, introductory level and present a Additional Icebreaker Tickets $25 each wonderful opportunity for participants, who are new to the industry or who are focused in a specific specialty area, to gain an On-site registration will be located outside the Exhibition Hall in the Round Up understanding of the broad spectrum of Centre, Stampede Park. The hours for on-site registration are: technical knowledge accumulated over the Monday, May 31, 2004: 7:30 am to 6:30 pm history of heavy oil development. Tuesday, June 1, 2004: 7:30 am to 4:00 pm The topics to be covered include: Wednesday, June 2, 2004: 7:30 am to 12:00 pm • In Situ Recovery and SAGD presented by K.C.Yeung, Suncor Energy Inc. Payments may be made online with credit cards only (VISA, MC or AMEX). To pay by check or money order, please make payable to 2004 CSPG/CHOA/ • In Situ Facilities Design presented by Mark Doig, Colt Engineering Corporation CWLS Conference. Send payment with registration form(s) to:

• Oil Sands Mining and Processing presented by Bob Tipman, Shell Canada, and John I.C.E. 2004: CSPG CHOA CWLS Joint Conference Sharpe, Canadian Natural Resources C/O Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists 160, 540-5th Ave SW • Upgrading Technologies presented by Bharat Bansal, KBR Inc. Calgary, AB T2P 0M2 The CHOA Short Courses will be held on Thursday, June 3, 2004, conveniently scheduled to immediately to follow the Technical Program For Registration and more information regarding the held from May 31 – June 2. The venue will be I.C.E. 2004 CSPG-CHOA-CWLS Joint Conference please visit: the ConocoPhillips Theatre on the 3rd Floor, 401 – 9th Avenue S.W., Calgary. www.cspg.org www.choa.ab.ca www.cwls.org

25 ‘PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES SERVE TO ENRICH YOUR CAREERS…’ An interview with Presidents of geotechnical/professional societies and associations

This is the second and final part of an article that reversed this year with a slight increase in “downsized” members for support of their originally appeared in the December issue of the members. Interestingly, the growth is largely future careers, is also a concern and I think CSEG Recorder. Permission to reprint the article is outside the US. For the first time in history a most societies struggle with how to help their gratefully acknowledged.The first part of the reprint majority of our members are living or working members who have become unemployed appeared in the February issue of the Reservoir. outside the US. I believe other societies are through corporate mergers and acquisitions. seeing the same trends. The RECORDER Editors recently approached the Steve Sonnenberg, President AAPG: Presidents of a variety of geotechnical/professional Bill Goodway, President CSEG: We see the effect in our total membership societies and associations.The aim was to get their Beyond the obvious impact on the membership numbers. Our membership in 1985 was 45,000 views on a wide range of topics, and gain an numbers I suspect there is little change in the whereas currently it is approximately 30,000. In understanding of issues that members appear to be activity of professional societies beyond a general addition, we see the membership changing curious or doubtful about. Our questions elicited commiseration amongst members who are geographical areas to relocate in the important interesting and insightful responses from these either laid off or still hanging on to dead end jobs. oil and gas centers like Houston,TX. industry leaders. (Please note just as this article From my own experience and observation there goes to print in October/November the 2003 SPE is little or no interest in professional societies Andrew Young, President SPE: President Andrew Young hands over to the new shown by the management who control these SPE membership has not been affected by the 2004 President Kate Baker). downsizing or “rightsizing” cycles. In fact I think current downsizing in the sector. Actually our they are unaware that these societies exist and membership has been growing steadily for the that some of their employees have volunteered past few years to its highest level since 1986, How do the professional societies reflect the to help run them with the aim of encouraging the albeit the demographics of membership have 8 effect of occasional downsizing in the technical aspects of our profession. changed substantially with nearly 50% of petroleum sector, by way of mergers, etc.? members now residing outside of the USA. John Hogg, President CSPG: Notwithstanding some downsizing, around the Peter Duncan, President SEG: We find it hard to keep up with the demand globe the aggregate number of people working The SEG has seen 10 years of year-on-year placed upon the society for the training of the in the industry is increasing and SPE’s reach to decline in membership. This has to be a younger geologists in the industry because that the global E&P community is increasing. reflection of the contraction in our industry on type of training is no longer found in the mid- both the buy and sell side.That trend has been sized independents. The training for the Continued on Page 28 . . .

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26

Continued from Page 26 . . .

Mike Smyth, President APEGGA: cost of living between countries that may be more products and services are probably the most APEGGA has not been particularly impacted by significant. Some form of comparison based on diverse offered by any scientific society. these moves as industry restructures itself; buying power would probably show less variance. there continues to be opportunity and need for Andrew: qualified, licensed professionals. John: Members of SPE receive many tangible and CSPG does not look at surveys outside the intangible benefits, that all lead to giving them Canada market. the knowledge that they need to stay abreast of In the salary surveys conducted by different new information and technology in the E&P 9 professional societies, e.g. SPE, AAPG, CSPG, Steve: world. For instance, SPE members receive SEG, CSEG,APEGGA, what differences do you The cost of living and salaries vary around the discounted rates to more than 50 meetings and perceive? Do some groups see themselves world. The total compensation packages also vary conferences worldwide annually; they receive a as better or worse paid than others? (vacation, salary, benefits, etc.). For that matter, monthly issue of the Journal of Petroleum salaries vary from large companies to small Technology, access to SPE.org, free access to Peter: companies. International companies generally pay internet-based Technical Interest Groups, a Sorry but I haven’t seen the other salary surveys more than the National Oil Companies. monthly e-newsletter, a quarterly printed so I can’t comment. newsletter, participation in local Section Andrew: activities, and professional development and Bill: Again I cannot give you a quantified answer, continuing education opportunities. All this in I think that the CSEG is probably the most however certainly qualitatively salaries in many addition to the invaluable networking. financially efficient society to which Canadian parts of our Industry around the globe are geoscientists might consider joining. By efficient significantly lower than in the North America, Mike: I do not mean the cheapest but rather offering however one needs to take into account the local Besides the professional recognition granted, more for the membership subscription than purchasing power for a thorough comparison. there is a long list of benefits of membership in comparable societies. APEGGA. The opportunity to participate in a Mike: self-governing profession is top-most and there In the area of technical exchange, we manage to We have no data to support or refute such a are over 500 opportunities to do that within rival societies with two to three times our budget variance. APEGGA. I have already mentioned our through national conventions and extensive involvement in continuing professional continuing education. We also have recently development. APEGGA members can benefit created a world-class publication in the form of In what way(s) does your from sponsored benefits such as insurance the Recorder that rivals the SEG’s Leading Edge. 11 society/association help the individual programs, RRSP and the like from approved members? service providers. We continue to investigate So CSEG members might feel that they get additional membership benefits that meet better value from their society, but I don’t Peter: approved criteria of the Council. believe there’s much effort to compare CSEG SEG provides a wealth of opportunities for members’ salaries with those of other societies’. members to stay current with the science of geophysics, to stay current with what the Serving as a volunteer or appointment to John: vendors are offering, to stay current with what 12 Committees or Boards on a professional In general, at most levels in Calgary, geophysicists other geophysicists are doing in their careers society enables you to meet other active are paid at a slightly higher rate than geologists and to be active members of a community of people in the industry. What are the with the same level of experience and education. like minded professionals, professionals who other benefits one gets on serving as an The most extensive salary survey in Alberta, have a great love of the earth and a great love of Executive of the Society? APEGGA’s survey, also confirms this assessment. the science of exploring the earth. Peter: Steve: Bill: It’s not all about benefits. For me there is a I have not looked at salary surveys from the Primarily we follow our mandate to encourage certain sense of wanting to give back to a other organizations. In general, I believe that the technical exchange of ideas through a variety profession that has been a source of great engineers are paid more than geoscientists. of avenues such as conventions, seminars and personal fulfillment. Holding an office is just continuing education.We also have a strong and another facet of that fulfillment. Serving on Andrew: active membership network that helps create the SEG Exec has been like a trip to summer I really cannot give you a quantified answer at opportunities for employment and new ventures. camp. You make new friends. You do some this time, not having the data at hand. service work. The change from the normal John: routine is relaxing. Sometimes you get to start Mike: Training, Luncheons, Conferences, Publications, a project and see it grow within the society Our 2003 employer salary survey has just been Social Events, Volunteering Opportunities, and become meaningful to others. Frankly, released. Data on salaries paid within different Networking, Membership Lists, Website, most of those I have served with have all felt employment sectors is reflected in that data. Employment Database online for prospective the same way. employers are all ways the CSPG tries to deliver additional services to the membership. Bill: There could be some variance in salaries In my particular situation I have become more 10 due to the nationality of the respondents Steve: aware and can better relate to the traditional being non-US or non-North American. We offer many products and services to our Canadian industry within Alberta, B.C. and Do you agree with that? membership. Our products include publications Saskatchewan, as this is outside my focus at work, (such as the AAPG Bulletin, Bulletin Archives which is primarily outside western Canada. Peter: Online, Search and Discovery e-journal, AAPG I don’t have data by nationality. Our own Explorer, and other memoirs and special John: surveys show average salaries to be higher in publications). We also have mid-career training Experience with management of a company, the USA with the exception of a couple of centres set up in various locations. We have Budget, Operations experience, Staff overseas locations. distinguished lectures for our membership. We management, and working with senior leaders offer conferences, field trips and short courses and most of all serving with a great bunch of Bill: for our members. We also have personal professional Geologists that make running the I agree there is probably a significant variance in member programs such as the Retirement Executive Committee fun every two weeks at salaries but there is an associated variance in the GeoVest Program, Health Care Programs. Our our meetings.

28 Continued on Page 30 . . . CONTOURING CROSS SECTIONS MAPPING OPTIONS CROSS PLOTS DECLINE CURVES Faulted contours Digital and/or Rastor Bubble maps Log crossplots Compute EUR, RR, etc. Isopachs Geocolumn shading Production charts “Z” crossplots Hyperbolic or exp. Volumetrics Multiple rasters/well Log curves Lithologies to facies Rate/Time or Cum P/Z Grid operations Stratigraphic/Structural Posted data Pickett plots User defined Econ. Limit New flexing options Shade between crossover Highlighted Symbols Regression curves User defined Extrap. Time Dipmeter data User defined overlays

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Steve: disciplines of geology, geophysics, and geology. However, these legal requirements are Other benefits include helping shape policy engineering. With many of the lines of each mitigated by allowing qualified registered decisions for the organization. Each new discipline becoming mixed, mostly through professionals to oversee and conduct due president has an agenda. This year I’m focussing technology advancement, I think it’s a good thing diligence regarding the work of non-registered on: promoting Professionalism; enhancing for our industry. but competent professionals. I believe student programs; promoting international professional societies such as the CSEG are development; increasing AAPG’s digital Steve: playing a more significant role in encouraging products; increasing Public Outreach; increasing At AAPG we are working on a new long-range and facilitating the continued education of intersociety programs; and creating a new long plan to incorporate the changes occurring geophysicists than APEGGA. range plan for the organization. around us. We want to continually assess the changes so that we may move to make changes John: Andrew: to meet the needs of our membership. We are Across Canada the same new requirements Someone who volunteers in SPE’s activities is also working on several projects with our sister apply for geologists to be registered to protect able to help shape the society’s mission, societies (e.g., SEG and SPE) to help meet the public. I believe that most of the other therefore helping get information out to other changing industry needs. provinces follow very similar rules to Alberta industry professionals. All SPE activities require where we all have an obligation to be registered a certain amount of volunteerism. SPE would Andrew: with APEGGA. not function without its volunteers - they make I believe that the industry is becoming more the society work by reviewing papers, organizing technologically driven. We are finding that Steve: technical programs, making board-level companies like Intel, Microsoft, and HP are We offer the public a means to recognize decisions, making presentations, managing developing sectors that cater to the energy properly educated and trained professionals. committees, authoring papers and books, and industry.These companies offer innovative ways Our membership requirement includes the much more. Volunteers have the added benefit to move into the future of the industry, with following: 1) a three-member sponsorship of being involved in a Society that is respected new technologies, software, communications (attesting to the high ethical character of the as the premiere organization in the industry. and developments. Communication technology, member), 2) adequate education, and 3) particularly, is enabling the dissemination of adequate experience levels. We also offer However, the overarching tangible fringe benefit knowledge in a very different paradigm to even several certifications (Certified Petroleum of being actively involved in SPE, is for one’s just five years ago.The society also is becoming Geologist, Certified Coal Geologist, and personal technical and managerial development more global by opening new decentralized Certified Geophysicist). The certification which will add value to the company. Every offices to service members in areas that before programs offer reciprocity to other manager should be made aware of this attribute, did not have direct contact with SPE staff. organizations that have similar requirements noting that much of the volunteer work is done (SIPES, AIPG).The new demands in Alberta will in the individual’s own time. Finally it is noted that the Society’s strategy is all probably have a ripple effect to other areas. So embodied in a periodically reviewed Long Range far, we have not seen any new demands, Mike: Plan which is the road map which guides the legislation, etc. Meeting a variety of people with similar Board’s governance.This LRP is available for all commitments to leadership of professional members to review and have input to. Andrew: associations in Canada is a huge benefit to me SPE, together with the AAPG and WPC, many both personally and professionally. Working Mike: years ago jointly developed and approved of a with committed, dedicated volunteers and Absolutely. From such world-impacting issues global standard for Oil & Gas Reserve association permanent staff gives active such as climate change to the impact of Definitions. In 2000 SPE further developed a set involvement and "hands-on" opportunity in non- technology on daily life, we must adapt or else of Resource Guidelines for use in our industry profit leadership and governance. surrender to becoming irrelevant. APEGGA and world-wide.The Reserve Definitions have been its members are adapting to such changes as a accepted by the SEC in US and by equivalent normal part of professional life. organizations in many other countries. Are geo-science / geo-engineering 13 adapting to the changes going on SPE assists in setting exams for registration of around us and positioning for a future Are there demands (by members, the Petroleum Engineers in US, and is currently in a changed world? 14 public perception, or regulators) for addressing the wider issue of certification of common professional guidelines, Engineers in other countries following the Peter: standards or certification or licensing? demand from members around the globe. Absolutely. I see all the professional societies In Alberta for example, there been new changing to address the reality of globalization, requirements by the Alberta Securities Mike: to cope with the changing age demographics of Commission for evaluations of reserves Much of what APEGGA does, and you have their membership, and to attract and retain the by independent professional picked out a few of them, comes from demands entry level professionals as members. evaluators. APEGGA has issued new from the public, other regulators, and members guidelines for serving as a witness in for common standards. In many instances an Bill: court, relying on the work of others, and organization that has authority such as the I believe that in the geosciences we have initiated requirements for developing Alberta Boiler Safety Association, Alberta embraced and lead the world in applied computer Professional Practice Management Environment, or municipal organizations such technology involved primarily in imaging, inversion Plans to ensure due diligence for as cities and towns will insist there be and visualization.As an example, within my career applied science practices. professional authentication of work that is we have moved from two-pass post-stack 3D Peter: submitted to them for approval. time migration to the verge of economically viable I don’t see this very much in my travels. For 3D pre-stack finite difference depth migration example, geoscientists have only become that incorporates anisotropy. This has occurred licensed this year in Texas,years behind Alberta What message would you like to send through the use and encouragement of significant and other jurisdictions, and the exploration 15 out to members of different improvements in computing power specifically business is exempt from that licensing. societies/associations? driven by demands within the seismic industry. Bill: Peter: John: In an ideal world, APEGGA expects total Professional associations exist only because of In general, the younger geoscientists seem much compliance for professional and technologist their members. The programs of each are more adaptable to the integration of the registration within engineering, geophysics and usually the direct result of some individual

30 member’s initiative. If you see a good opportunity that is being missed by your INTEGRATED DECISIONS BRING BETTER EVALUATIONS. association don’t ask why, rather ask how you Before PetrelTM workflow tools, there was nothing very fluid about Heavy Oil can help make it happen. It’s your association. well planning, 3D grid design, geostatistical modeling and simulation. Today, a streamlined, intuitive and powerful Petrel workflow exists for Heavy Oil Bill: exploration and development, all within a single software interface, and it's being I would like to encourage members of other actively used in Canada. societies to attend and interact more frequently with the CSEG’s technical functions such as Geologists can now generate multiple sensitivity models in just a few minutes and luncheons, conventions, continuing education seamlessly share them with reservoir engineers all in this same Windows®-based and workshops. This would bring a new application. And Petrel allows for innovative and flexible rescaling of 3D grids to perspective and enthusiasm for the challenges ensure the right amount of detail is provided to various team members. that face exploration and development of oil, gas Heavy Oil demands increased precision in areas such as petrophysical property and other mineral resources. distribution, well trajectory design and reservoir simulation—all situations where small inaccuracies can quickly result in failed extraction attempts and costly John: downtime in this more complex environment. Petrel delivers the details you need With continuation of the aging of our to your desktop. professions, it is imperative that all of our societies remain vigilant in the promotion of our www.sis.slb.com/Petrel profession to the youth of the world. We should also look for ways to work together, as a Schlumberger product group societies and have our industry help the professional associations and societies promote the message of our industry to the students that the industry will, in five to ten years, lose upwards of 50% of the professional staff as the baby boomers of the fifties start to retire.

Steve: The petroleum industry will remain vital for world energy and other societal needs. The future looks very bright for new students entering the business. AAPG has many programs that we offer to our membership. Please consider joining our society. Geologists can now generate multiple, highly accurate and detailed sensitivity models— Andrew: in minutes—something that would have My message is to become involved in your taken days before Petrel workflow tools. society at every level possible. My time as the president of SPE has been most gratifying and has opened my eyes to the many benefits of membership. Moreover, I have been astounded at the enthusiasm and passion professionals have for their work and the industry all over the world. In addition I have seen wonderful cooperation between various international and national societies. I encourage this, as I see enormous value to be gained between the Now HEAVY OIL SPE, the AAPG, the SEG, the EAGE and others. It is only logical that these societies, and others can mutually benefit from linking can flow in CANADA. websites, e-libraries, workshops, conferences, distinguished lecturers and short-courses. I encourage every individual involved in the E&P industry to learn about their society and the opportunities available to them. It can only enrich their career and help them in their professional development.

Mike: APEGGA is pleased to collaborate with related associations and societies. There are hundreds of excellent technical societies to which our members belong. The chief purpose of most of these societies in providing professional development opportunities to professional engineers and geoscientists is entirely in tune with APEGGA's mission to serve society and protect the public by © 2004 Schlumberger Information Solutions. All rights reserved. regulating, enhancing and providing leadership in TM Petrel is a trademark of Schlumberger. ® Registered trademark of Microsoft. IS_03_185_0 the practice of the professions.

31 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE OIL INDUSTRY

BY BEN MCKENZIE

The oil industry, despite its history and one component of an information system (the This leads to the second stage of the technology continued image of rugged individuals going out others being people, data, and procedures) and cycle, termed the build-out phase, where huge to pound on rocks, is a very high-tech business. generally deals with hardware and software. amounts of capital are invested in developing or In the constant quest for finding hydrocarbons acquiring it.Thus, the window of opportunity in cheaper and faster,the industry is frequently on According to Carr, in the past 35 years, capital which a company can gain an edge from the new the leading edge of technological advances.This expenditures by U.S. companies for information technology is open only for a short while. The is done to gain an edge – a strategic advantage technology rose from less than 5% to nearly rush to join leads to greater production / – over a company’s competitors. Over time, 50%. The commonly held belief behind this capacity and increased competition, which in technology to do this has ranged from highly growth appears to be that as IT’s potency and turn, leads to lower prices.This results in making specialized modeling programs (and the ubiquity increased, so did its strategic value. the technology much more accessible and hardware to run them) to software that allows However,this misses the fundamental point that affordable to smaller companies. for more efficient scheduling of meetings. It is what makes a resource strategic is not its a rare situation where an oil company ubiquity but its scarcity. What defines a The third stage of the cycle arises as the employee doesn’t use or have access to some competitive advantage is the possession or technology becomes broadly adopted. During kind of computer technology.However,a major ability to do something that one’s competitor this period, technical standards become component of the business (like any other can’t have or do. Additionally, as information uniform and the best practices are built into the industry) deals with mundane day-to-day technology becomes more common, the system. This effectively removes the benefit of activities and what was once considered cutting- competitive advantage becomes a negative re- proprietary systems. At this point in the life- edge technology is now frequently incorporated enforcer. That is, you can lose without it but cycle, the technology has become a commodity. into standard business operations. can’t win with it. It becomes an additional cost of business as everyone tries to keep up with Carr believes that IT is an infrastructural An article by Nicholas G. Carr (IT Doesn’t the latest and greatest technology. technology – it transports, processes, and Matter, Harvard Business Review, May, 2003, stores its goods (i.e., digital information) just Vol.81, Issue 5, p. 41-49) espouses the concept Generally speaking,technology can be classified as railroads do with raw products and that as Information Technology becomes more as proprietary or infrastructural. With manufactured goods or as the power grid common, its strategic advantage decreases. proprietary technology, a single company can does with electricity. Like the infrastructural The following is a review of that article. As effectively control the related business technology life-cycle, IT has progressed used in this context, information technology is advantage, e.g., through a patent.The advantage through the proprietary stage to wide-spread exists as long as the proprietary aspect remains standards adoption and acceptance to the in place. In contrast to proprietary technology, commodity stage where it can easily be where a company tries to keep the technology acquired. At this point, there is little incentive CSPG VOLUNTEER to themselves, infrastructural technology from a cost or competitive advantage works best when shared so that it becomes an viewpoint for a company to build proprietary COORDINATOR integral part of the business. The advantage systems. Moreover, as the growth of the goes to the company that either controls the internet increasingly provides an improved infrastructure or makes best use of it. delivery system, the need to own entire application suites decreases. The individual If you are looking for a There tends to be a natural progression from software components most important to a volunteer opportunity proprietary to infrastructural technology. As company’s business become increasingly within the CSPG, Blythe long as access is limited – through cost, lack of available and cost-effective as ‘web-services’. will be happy to help you standards, legal limits, etc. – the competitive advantage exists. As the technology spreads, As mentioned above, the window of find your volunteer niche. costs drop, standards evolve, and the strategic opportunity during which a company can benefit advantage decreases. However, it is possible from a new technology is relatively narrow. In She can also provide information that a new strategic advantage can be created the information technology world, the window about any of the Society’s numerous by identifying new ways to use the technology is even smaller because of the speed at which committees if you require it. or by recognizing its broader implications. For new innovations are replicated and become part example, the expansion of railroads led to the of the standard. While the resource is essential Blythe will also assist with finding growth in large-scale, mass-production to remain competitive, it has little strategic replacements for current committee factories to take advantage of an expanded value.This is a crucial turning point. consumer market. Economies of scale allowed volunteers who need a change them to edge out the small plants that had At this stage, the goal of information and help them to find different previously dominated local markets. technology management is less one of growth volunteer opportunities in the and development and more of security and Society, if desired. Infrastructural technology follows a fairly efficiency. Because the use of IT is highly uniform growth pattern. Frequently, it begins entwined in the operations of a company, any Blythe Lowe can be reached as a proprietary technology, where physical disruption potentially can paralyze its in Calgary at 403-645-3516. limitations, cost, or lack of standards allows performance to varying degrees.While security one company to use it to advantage over its is an obvious concern, safeguards exist that, if Give her a call! rivals.As the more efficient aspects of the new used effectively, will minimize disruption issues. technology become wider known, more and More important is the capital cost aspect of more companies rush to take advantage of it. IT. Hardware wears out, software becomes

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outdated, and companies will grow. All these of the storage capacity of a typical windows When Carr’s article came out last year, there factors require constant attention to costs network is wasted. This represents an was an enormous outcry from the versus benefits.The competitive nature of the enormous unnecessary expense. Information Technology sector, generally hardware and software industries leads to negative. An extreme example is the 126- ever-changing prices. Likewise, new ways of page book that was written in rebuttal to As information technology matures, a new conducting business, such as out-sourcing, Carr’s eight-page article (Smith, Howard and partnerships, and web-services, can lead to set of rules for its management is developing: Peter Fingar, 2003, IT Doesn’t Matter – cost savings. Business Processes Do: a Critical Analysis of 1) Spend less (i.e., spend wisely). As IT Nicolas Carr’s I.T. Article in the Harvard One way that companies can save on IT is by becomes more of a commodity and less of a Business Review, Meghan-Kiffer, ISBN 0- cutting out waste. The majority of employees strategic advantage, purchases need to be 929652-35-5). Admittedly, Carr’s title was typically use only a fraction of the computing designed to provoke a response and while questioned on a cost / benefit basis. power or applications available to them. Yet, the points he makes are valid, the article companies, particularly the larger ones, have shouldn’t be seen as a blanket condemnation established on-going across-the-board 2) Follow,don’t lead.Typically,the longer you of information technology. As mentioned hardware and software upgrade programs. wait to make an IT purchase, the more you’ll above, IT is just one component in an Likewise, data storage, which can account for a get for your money.This also decreases the risk information system. It is still possible to obtain significant portion of the IT expenditures, is of buying something technologically flawed. a competitive advantage through the smarter poorly used. According to Carr, the bulk of / better / less common use of existing what’s being stored on corporate networks information technology and related systems. 3) Focus on vulnerabilities, not has little to do with making products or serving With declining reserves and increasing opportunities. It is difficult to gain a customers. Much of this archived material competition, oil companies have to cut costs consists of saved e-mails, internet spam, MP3s, competitive advantage from a mature and become more efficient in finding and video clips, and outdated files. An estimate by infrastructural technology, but even a brief producing hydrocarbons. Innovative use of Computerworld suggests that as much as 70% disruption in its availability can be devastating. information technology will assist in this goal.

EXECUTIVE COMMENT (...CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7)

provided as needed. Monitor and elevate Petrology. The last two societies are not technical and scientific quality of large in terms of total membership, but it is Now available for import into conferences through discussion with, and precisely small geoscience societies such as ACCUMAP and other recommendations to, Conventions these that offer new scientific ideas and highly Committee. specialized techniques many in the petroleum mapping programs: industry may not be overly familiar with.And, A central theme of many of these points is speaking of mini-conferences, the organizers 1)Mississippian Subcrops and Devonian continued collaboration and interaction and contributors of DOLOMITES 2004 are  Reef Edges – Alberta, NE BC, Sask. and between the CSPG and other scientific and to be congratulated for very successful  NWT - completely updated in 2003/04 technical societies for both conferences and seminar and core sessions. I would suggest,  continuing education. Last year’s highly however, that perhaps the focused mini- 2)Glauconitic Channel Trends   – Southern and central Alberta successful CSPG Annual Convention was an conference seminars close with a speaker  example of such co-operation with the reviewing what was presented, summarizing 3)Colony Reservoir Trends  meeting being jointly hosted with the where we are and what needs to be  – East-central Alberta Canadian Society of Exploration researched, with respect to the theme.  Geophysicists.This year’s annual convention Nonetheless, DOLOMITES 2004, and all 4)Bluesky-Dunlevy Reservoir Trends (May 31 - June 4) will even go further, co- those involved,Well Done!  – NE BC operating with the Canadian Heavy Oil  5)Halfway-Doig Shoreline Trends Association, and the Canadian Well Lastly, if you would like to give a talk in any of  – NE BC, NW AB Logging Society. As for societal co- the technical divisions, please contact the  operation in the more focused, thematic Technical Division Chairs (contact 6)Charlie Lake Siphon, Cecil and North Gussow mini-conferences series, a current information at cspg.org), who are particularly  Pine Reservoir Trends – NE BC proposal being considered by the Committee keen on trying to achieve cross-divisional co-  On Conventions for the next mini- operation with talks showing multi- -all edges are formatted as map conference on Coal Bed Methane could disciplinary and applied technical and features and as editable annotation involve the CSPG, Canadian Society for scientific methods. lines and regions Unconventional Gas, The Society for For more information contact Organic Petrology, and The Canadian Lavern D. Stasiuk Society for Coal Science and Organic CSPG Executive Program Director Mike Sherwin at 262-1151 Email [email protected] or view at www.sherwingeological.com

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