CSPG Reservoir

14 From the Brain Scan to the Wellbore: MRIL® Application in Tight Gas 18 Practical Sequence Stratigraphy XIII: Sequence Boundary Hierarchy 24 Climate Change VI: Fearmongering 32 Events Associated with the 100th Anniversary of the Discovery of the Burgess Shale Fauna

JUNE 2009 VOLUME 36, ISSUE 6 Canadian Publication Mail Contract – 40070050 Since 1927... Define Reservoir Parameters with Confidence

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JUNE 2009 – VOLUME 36, ISSUE 6 Define Reservoir ARTICLES From the Brain Scan to the Wellbore: MRIL® Applications in Tight Gas ...... 14 Practical Sequence Stratigraphy XIII: Sequence Boundary Hierarchy ...... 18 Parameters with Climate Change VI: Fearmongering ...... 24 Graduate Thesis Awards ...... 30 CSPG OFFICE Confidence #600, 640 - 8th Avenue SW Events Associated with the 100th Anniversary of the Discovery of the Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 1G7 Tel: 403-264-5610 Fax: 403-264-5898 Burgess Shale Fauna ...... 32 Web: www.cspg.org Office hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:00pm Apegga Honorary Life Membership Award ...... 33

Executive Director: Lis Bjeld Apegga’s L. C. Charlesworth Professional Service Award ...... 33 Email: [email protected] Advertising & Sponsorship Coordinator: Alyssa Middleton Thank You to our Volunteers ...... 34 Email: [email protected] Communications Coordinator: Heather Tyminski Connecting Industry Professionals with University Students Across Canada ...... 35 Email: [email protected] Member Services Coordinator: Kasandra Klein Welcome to the Annual Mixed Golf Tournament ...... 37 Email: [email protected] Registration Coordinator: Dayna Rhoads Email: [email protected] DEPARTMENTS Joint Annual Convention Committee Convention Manager: Shauna Carson Executive Comment ...... 5 Email: [email protected] Convention Coordinator: Tanya Santry Technical Luncheons ...... 8 Email: [email protected] Division Talks ...... 12 EDITORS/AUTHORS Please submit RESERVOIR articles to the CSPG office. Submission Rock Shop ...... 29 deadline is the 23rd day of the month, two months prior to issue date. (e.g., January 23 for the March issue).

To publish an article, the CSPG requires digital copies of the document. Text should be in Microsoft Word format and illustrations should be in TIFF format at 300 dpi., at final size. For additional information on manuscript preparation, refer to the Guidelines for Authors published in the CSPG Bulletin or contact the editor.

Technical Editors Ben McKenzie Colin Yeo (Assistant Tech. Editor) Tarheel Exploration EnCana Corporation Tel: 403-277-4496 Tel: 403-645-7724 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Coordinating Editor Heather Tyminski Looking to maximize opportunities in today’s volatile market? Comunications and Public Affairs, CSPG Tel: 403-513-1227, Email: [email protected]

Combine the power of PETRA® and IHS Critical Information including well and ADVERTISING Advertising inquiries should be directed to Alyssa Middleton, log data to define reservoir parameters and determine new opportunities faster and Tel: 403-513-1233, email: [email protected]. The deadline more cost effectively. to reserve advertising space is the 23rd day of the month, two months prior to issue date.

The RESERVOIR is published 11 times per year by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Let IHS information solutions improve your decision-making and reduce your risk. Geologists. This includes a combined issue for the months of July and August. The purpose of the RESERVOIR is to publicize the Society’s many activities and to promote the geosciences. We look for both technical and non-technical material to publish. The RESERVOIR is not intended to be a formal, peer-reviewed publication. Additional information on the RESERVOIR’s guidelines can be found in the May 2008 issue (p.46-48; available at http://www.cspg.org/publications/reservoir/reservoir-archive-2008.cfm). For more information on PETRA visit us at No official endorsement or sponsorship by the CSPG is implied for any advertisement, insert, or article that appears in the Reservoir unless otherwise noted. FRONT COVER www.ihs.com/reservoirsolutions Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland. Pillow basalts formed during the The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in full without the consent of the publisher. opening of the Iapetus Ocean. These basalts form part of the Tablelands Ophiolite Complex; Green Gardens of Gros Morne National Park. Photo by Brett Miles. Design & Layout by Sundog Printing. Printed in Canada by Sundog Printing. ©2009 IHS Inc. All rights reserved. Additional copies of the RESERVOIR are available at the CSPG office for $3.00 each. RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 3 RJW DOUGLAS MEDAL Since 1927... CALL FOR NOMINATIONS The RJW Douglas Medal is awarded annually by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists for outstanding scientific contributions to the understanding of sedimentary geology in Canada, commending major contributions to regional tectonics, petroleum, and structural geology.

The award is open to all geologists who follow the example of Bob Douglas in contributing to the development of Canadian sedimentary, petroleum, and structural geology.

Nominations for the award of the medal must be endorsed by at least three members of the CSPG. Nominations may be proposed at any time, but to be considered for a particular year, they must be received by the Society before September 1.

The sponsors of a nominee for the award should supply: 1. A curriculum vitae (outlinin g the nominee’s career and previous honours or distinctions). 2. A list of publications by the nominee. 3. A summary of the nominee’s achievements in a form suitable for use as a citation for the award. 4. An analysis of the nominee’s achievements, highlighting the contributions for which he or she is being recognized, and relating these to the appropriate publications in the bibliography.

The last item of information is a key part of the nomination and should convey the magnitude and scope of the nominee’s scientific contributions, with comments on the influence that these contributions have had on others. An example of a submission may be provided on request.

Completed nominations should be sent to: Margot McMechan CSPG Douglas Medal Committee Chairman, c/o Margot McMechan GSC – Calgary 3303, 33rd Street NW, Calgary, Alberta T2L 2A7 Telephone (403) 292-7154 Email: [email protected] Since 1927... EXECUTIVE COMMENT RJW DOUGLAS MEDAL A message from the Outreach Director, Mike DesRoches

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS Updating CSPG The RJW Douglas Medal is awarded annually by the Canadian Society of Outreach Petroleum Geologists for outstanding scientific contributions to the understanding CSPG As CSPG’s latest Outreach Director, having again – I’m sure of it. The good news from of sedimentary geology in Canada, commending major contributions to EXECUTIVE recently inherited the position from Greg CSPG is that CSPG Outreach is alive and Lynch after spending 2008 as the Assistant well. Our committees are intact and strong regional tectonics, petroleum, and structural geology. President Director, I am busy trying to familiarize and are well into planning for their various Graeme Bloy • Canada Capital Energy Corporation myself with the many worthwhile and popular programs for 2009. We’re not immune to [email protected] Tel: (403) 975-5784 Outreach programs being supported by the downturn though and are certainly The award is open to all geologists who follow the example of CSPG. As well, I have been getting to know feeling some of the effects, particularly in Bob Douglas in contributing to the development of Canadian Vice President and learn from the numerous energetic and the area of program funding. Rather than committed volunteers that are making these cutting out entire programs though, where sedimentary, petroleum, and structural geology. John Varsek • EnCana Corporation programs work so well. Most Outreach possible and practical, we have trimmed the [email protected] Tel: (403) 645-2000 initiatives are operating well and are well budgets of some of the committees with the Nominations for the award of the medal must be endorsed by at least received by their intended audiences, though goal of keeping the core of the programs three members of the CSPG. Nominations may be proposed at any Past President one or two could use some shoring up. This alive, but postponing any new initiatives or time, but to be considered for a particular year, they must be received Lisa Griffith • Griffith Geoconsulting I will discuss in more detail below. not funding low-impact components until by the Society before September 1. [email protected] Tel: (403) 669-7494 the fortunes of the patch improve again. Unless one has been living under a large rock Finance Director for the last year, or perhaps on a desert The flagship program of CSPG Outreach island, we are all only too familiar with the has to be the Student Industry Field Trip, or The sponsors of a nominee for the award should supply: David Garner • Chevron Canada Resources [email protected] Tel: (403) 234-5875 significant and dramatic – mostly negative – SIFT, which recently took place for the 32nd 1. A curriculum vitae (outlinin g the nominee’s career and previous changes that have recently occurred within consecutive year, over the first two weeks our beloved petroleum industry. These of May. As I write this comment in late April, Assistant Finance Director honours or distinctions). changes go far beyond our relatively limited the tireless SIFT committee is in the final Greg Lynch • Shell Canada Ltd. 2. A list of publications by the nominee. scope into the general economy of Canada stages of planning for a very busy two-week [email protected] Tel: (403) 691-3111 and that of much of the rest of the world. program for the 31 students from across 3. A summary of the nominee’s achievements in a form suitable for Canada that will be arriving in Calgary next use as a citation for the award. Program Director As CSPG President, Graeme Bloy, detailed weekend. As you read this note in late May Randy Rice • Suncor Energy Inc. in his comments in the February issue of though, the students will have frantically 4. An analysis of the nominee’s achievements, highlighting the [email protected] Tel: (403) 205-6723 the Reservoir, things have changed, a lot. learned all they possibly could about the contributions for which he or she is being recognized, and The last year or so has been vastly different oil industry in western Canada over two relating these to the appropriate publications in the bibliography. ASSISTANT Program Director from the heady days of early 2008 when jammed-packed weeks of excitement, not commodity prices seemed to have nowhere very long ago, and will most likely still be Scott Leroux • EnCana Corporation [email protected] Tel: (403) 645-2000 to go but up and we were often worrying catching up on their sleep, having flown back The last item of information is a key part of the nomination and should that most things seemed to be going way to wherever they call home. too fast. In the April Reservoir, CSPG SERVICES DIRECTOR convey the magnitude and scope of the nominee’s scientific contributions, Program Director Randy Rice delved even The SIFT committee has not only been with comments on the influence that these contributions have had on Ayaz Gulamhussein • NuVista Energy Ltd. deeper into discussing the negative impacts hurriedly putting the finishing touches on others. An example of a submission may be provided on request. [email protected] Tel: (403) 538-8510 that those of us old enough to remember the program planned for the students but experienced in previous down cycles of the has also been very diligent about doing Assistant Service Director petroleum business in Canada over the last everything possible to reduce their costs for Completed nominations should be sent to: Penny Colton • Geophysical Service Inc. couple of decades. Suffice to say that not running SIFT 2009. Their recent estimates [email protected] Tel: (403) 514-6267 many people enjoyed those difficult times indicate that they have been able to trim Margot McMechan and this latest downturn isn’t looking much nearly 15% from what they anticipated at CSPG Douglas Medal Committee Chairman, Outreach Director better. budget time last year that they would need Mike DesRoches • Talisman Energy Inc. to spend to run SIFT 2009 - great work by c/o Margot McMechan However, the slump our industry is presently all in tough times. Above all though, the [email protected] Tel: (403) 513-6843 GSC – Calgary mired in is no longer news to anyone and SIFT committee and CSPG want to express 3303, 33rd Street NW, Calgary, Alberta T2L 2A7 we’ve all heard about it far too much lately, our gratitude to the corporate sponsors Communications Director Telephone (403) 292-7154 so enough about that. It’s only a matter of of SIFT 2009, for without their generous Peggy Hodgkins • CGGVeritas time before the good news starts rolling in (Continued on page 7...) Email: [email protected] [email protected] Tel: (403) 266-3225

RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 5 Since 1927...

Knowledge is power. Especially in a tough economy.

The 4th Annual AAPG Fall Education Conference September 21-25, 2009 / Norris Conference Center / Houston, Texas

10 GREAT COURSES ON THE BUSINESS OF • Keys to Complex Well Economic Success PETROLEUM EXPLORATION. • Think on Your Feet—The Importance of Clarity, Brevity • Risk Analysis & Decision Making in E&P and Impact™ • Petroleum Resources & Reserves: An Overview of • The Energy Industry from the Investor’s Perspective: Recommended Geological Practices How will the new policies affect investment strategies? • Decision Methods and LNG Value Chain • Exploration Success and Failures from Pore • Creativity in Exploration Pressure Assumptions • Knowledge Transfer in the Multi-Generational Workplace • Farm-ins and Farm-outs for Explorationists

TO REGISTER, OR FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 888-338-3387 OR VISIT WWW.AAPG.ORG/FEC

$1595 (AAPG Members) • $1695 (Non-Members) • Price increases $100 after August 24, 2009 Courses may be purchased individually.

www.aapg.org/fec ©2009 AAPG More science than you can shake a pick at. Since 1927... (...Continued from page 5) excellent University Outreach Committee help in these difficult times, running the Chair for the last several years so that she SIFT program would be much more difficult could take some time off to see the world. for all involved. The 2009 SIFT sponsors The chair position has been assumed by are: (Platinum) ConocoPhillips, EnCana, and the very capable Simon Haynes. He and his Shell; (Prime) Devon and Imperial Oil; (Gold) hard-working committee of volunteers have Suncor Energy and Talisman Energy; (Silver) continued along without missing a beat. Canadian Center for Energy Information, Canadian Natural Resources, Sundog Another tireless CSPG group that has Printing, Weatherford International, and successfully run their annual public outreach Green Bean; (Bronze) AGAT Laboratories, event for many years now is the Honorary Albertan Energy Utilities Board, Angle Address Committee. The Honorary Address Exploration, Apache, Ayrton Exploration in 2008 was held on October 28th at the Consulting Ltd., Bonavista Energy Trust, Jubilee Auditorium, in Calgary, Alberta. Canext Energy, Ember Resources, Enerplus The topic of “The Science of Big Wave Resources Fund, Golder Associates, Surfing” was a bit of a change from the usual Harvest Energy, Husky Energy Inc., MGM and more locally related subject matter (I CORPORATE energy Corp, Neo Exploration, Nexen, haven’t seen too many surfers trying out MEMBERS OPTI Canada, Palliser Oil & Gas, Paramount the breakers of Chestermere Lake in the Energy, Rigstar Communications, Royal last year or two) but it proved to be very Tyrell Museum, SAIT, Spearpoint Energy, interesting for all and lots of fun too. The APACHE CANADA LTD. and University of Calgary. talk was attended by around 1,800 school kids during the day and another 1,000 BAKER ATLAS The University Outreach Committee members of the public in the evening, so ConocoPhillips Canada limited is another busy and dedicated group the outreach aspect worked out extremely of volunteers working in the Outreach well. The Honorary Address Committee Devon Canada Corporation portfolio. University Outreach for this has written an excellent summary of the enerplus resources trust committee means helping to run a wide event which can be found on CSPG’s Knowledge is power. variety of interesting activities, all directly website at www.cspg.org/events/events- geologic systems ltd. benefiting university geology students at honorary.cfm. Access to webcasts of the GEOMODELING TECHNOLOGY CORP. schools across the country. By supporting, talks and a few other interesting tidbits are Especially in a tough economy. attending, and providing modest cash awards also available there. Hunt Oil Company Of Canada, to the best papers given at the three annual HUSKY ENERGY INC. inter-university conferences: the AUGC, The Committee has already managed to WIUGC, and AESRC, the University secure Brian Keating of the Calgary Zoo, IHS Outreach Committee is helping improve a very popular and interesting speaker who Imperial Oil Resources our future geoscientists’ awareness of the is guaranteed to give a highly entertaining Canadian petroleum industry. and interesting talk, for the 2009 Honorary The 4th Annual AAPG Fall Education Conference Lario Oil & Gas Company Address. This will be given on either September 21-25, 2009 / Norris Conference Center / Houston, Texas little rock document services This committee also sponsors CSPG student November 2nd or 3rd of 2009, so stay chapters at a number of universities across tuned. MJ Systems Canada, providing the students with a modest 10 GREAT COURSES ON THE BUSINESS OF • Keys to Complex Well Economic Success Murphy Oil Company subsidy to host a few social events to bolster Last but not least, the remaining dedicated PETROLEUM EXPLORATION. • Think on Your Feet—The Importance of Clarity, Brevity the local geology clubs and linking them Outreach committees include the Graduate Nexen Inc. Thesis Awards Committee, the 100 Student • Risk Analysis & Decision Making in E&P and Impact™ to the many CSPG activities. At present, only about a third of the universities with Jobs Committee, KISP/K-12, and the • Petroleum Resources & Reserves: An Overview of • The Energy Industry from the Investor’s Perspective: PENN WEST PETROLEUM LTD. geology programs across the country are Regional Graduate Scholarships Committee. Recommended Geological Practices How will the new policies affect investment strategies? Petro-Canada Oil And Gas actively participating in this initiative, so it While perhaps smaller in scope than the • Decision Methods and LNG Value Chain • Exploration Success and Failures from Pore PETROCRAFT PRODUCTS LTD. is the goal of this committee to find ways larger committees described above, these • Creativity in Exploration Pressure Assumptions to solicit more groups to join as chapters in groups are no less important to our ongoing • Knowledge Transfer in the Multi-Generational Workplace • Farm-ins and Farm-outs for Explorationists provident energy ltd. future years. Outreach efforts at CSPG. For that reason I’m making it a priority to become more RPS Energy CANADA LTD. Another very popular program organized by familiar with the activities of these groups TO REGISTER, OR FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 888-338-3387 OR VISIT WWW.AAPG.ORG/FEC Shell Canada Limited the University Outreach Committee is the so that I can better understand what they do visiting lecturer program. Knowledgeable and how they are helping CSPG reach out to Sproule Associates LImited $1595 (AAPG Members) • $1695 (Non-Members) • Price increases $100 after August 24, 2009 scientists, mostly from the Calgary area, are individuals outside of our Society. Courses may be purchased individually. Suncor Energy Inc. sent to a number of different universities to speak to the students on topical issues, Thank you to all of the many hard-working Talisman Energy Inc. usually relating to petroleum geology. This volunteers serving in the committees of www.aapg.org/fec TECK Cominco Limited program has proved to be very popular CSPG’s Outreach portfolio, with which I and is well received and appreciated by the feel fortunate to be entrusted. ©2009 AAPG Total E&P Canada Limited More science than you can shake a pick at. students and their professors alike. tourmaline oil corp. We have recently bid adieu to Erin Crerar, the AS OF APRIL 29, 2009

RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 7 TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS june Luncheon sponsored by

Primarily, these involve application of Synchrotron synchrotron light in the areas of X-Ray Diffraction (S-XRD), X-Ray Absorption light in the earth Spectroscopy (XANES/XAFS), X-Ray Fluorescence (S-XRF), and Computed sciences: Micro-Tomography (S-CMT). applications to The Canadian Light Source (CLS), a 2.9 GeV the petroleum synchrotron facility located at the University of Saskatchewan, is a multi-faceted research geosciences tool where intense beams of light are generated to help probe the nature and SPEAKER structure of matter. Opened in October Jeff Cutler 2004, this centre is in routine operation Canadian Light Source Inc. (24 hours a day / 5 days a week) with users, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK both academic and industrial, coming to Saskatoon from around the world. Twenty- 11:30 am two beamlines (with very heavy involvement Thursday, June 11, 2009 from the Canadian scientific communities) Telus Convention Centre are now in various stages of operation, Calgary, Alberta commissioning, construction, and planning. Due to the recent popularity of talks, we strongly These beamlines and associated endstations Please note: The cut-off date for ticket suggest purchasing tickets early, as we cannot will be extremely useful for research in sales is 1:00 pm, Monday, June 8, 2009. guarantee seats will be available on the cut-off date. the petroleum geosciences – using infrared CSPG Member Ticket Price: $38.00 + GST. spectroscopy and spectromicroscopy, soft Non-Member Ticket Price: $45.00 + GST. Did you know that you can book a table for the and hard x-ray imaging, μ-XAFS, single Technical Luncheon? To book your table, or to crystal diffraction, and small- and wide-angle buy individual tickets, visit www.cspg.org or call scattering. This presentation will report on CSPG’s office at (403) 264-5610. the current status of the Canadian Light HUGH REID’S Source and some insight into the future of As applied research moves into the 21st the facility. FALL century, scientists are discovering that traditional analytical techniques are not BIOGRAPHY COURSES answering all of their questions. For Jeffrey Cutler is the Director of Industrial example, new materials are being developed Science at Canadian Light Source Inc. and daily that may have significantly different an adjunct professor in the Department of PRACTICAL DST CHART properties but are chemical indistinguishable Chemistry at the University of Saskatchewan. using current analysis techniques. It is Through his various roles at the CLS, Dr. Cutler INTERPRETATION important for researchers to understand is building the overall scientific program at the (Thorough Basic Course) these differences and be able to go back synchrotron by introducing industry to the power Oct. 5-9, 2009 to the laboratory and impart those unique of synchrotron light as an R&D tool. properties to new products or processes. Therefore, today, scientists are turning to Dr. Cutler received his Ph.D. from the University new tools to shed light on old and new of Western Ontario, Canada in physical inorganic questions. One such tool is synchrotron chemistry and prior to coming to the Canadian HYDRODYNAMICS light-based analysis, which is now being seen Light Source, spent several years working for the SEMINAR as the enabling technology that will help United States Air Force as a research scientist. (Oil & Gas Finding Aspects) answer many of these difficult questions. In 1981, Dr. Cutler was presented the Gold Oct. 19-23, 2009 award of the Duke of Edinburgh’s award by His In particular, application of synchrotron Royal Highness Prince Phillip. light in the earth sciences has proved to be extremely beneficial for physical, Canadian Light Source Inc. (CLSI) operates mineralogical, and chemical characterization the Canadian Light Source, Canada’s national In-house courses available. of complex geologic systems such as: synchrotron research facility. Located at the For course outline visit: • micron-scale, crystalline intergrowths; University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, the www.hughwreid.com • elements (S, N) and phases (CH4, CLS is a world-class, state-of-the-art facility CO2) in geomacromolecules (kerogen, that is advancing Canadian science, enhancing asphaltenes) and fluid inclusions; and the competitiveness of Canadian industry, and 262-1261 • neoformed low-temperature, semi- contributing to the quality of life of people amorphous minerals. around the world.

8 RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS JUNE Luncheon sponsored by The sedimentology of ancient mangroves: swamped with hydrocarbon potential

SPEAKER Jon Noad Shell Canada Series of steep-sided mangrove channels, incised into mudstones bearing rooted trees, from eastern Borneo.

11:30 am source of oil, sourced mainly from the waxy root systems. The sheet-like sandstones are Thursday, June 18, 2009 cuticles of mangal species. Using analogue massive with rare rooted intervals, and are Telus Convention Centre data to give an indication of the lateral extent interpreted as shallow extensive broads, Calgary, Alberta of the fossil mangrove sandbodies, plays can open areas within the mangrove system. All be developed invoking stratigraphic traps of these sandbodies are potential reservoirs. Please note: sourced from the associated organic-rich A variety of beautifully preserved plant and The cut-off date for ticket sales is mudstone deposits. Both arid (carbonate) animal fossils support these interpretations. 1:00 pm, Monday, June 15, 2009. and humid (clastic) fossil mangroves show CSPG Member Ticket Price: $38.00 + GST. great potential as self-sourcing hydrocarbon Arid mangrove systems share some of the Non-Member Ticket Price: $45.00 + GST. reservoirs, and may indeed already be features of clastic mangrove systems, but producing oil from misidentified or are dominantly carbonate in character. Due to the recent popularity of talks, we strongly unrecognised ancient mangroves. Interpreted mangrove deposits from the suggest purchasing tickets early, as we cannot Miocene of eastern Mallorca, Spain were guarantee seats will be available on the cut-off date. Several morphologically distinct sandbody studied by Coppes (unpublished M.Sc. thesis, classes within the successions from Borneo Delft University, 2005), who recorded a Did you know that you can book a table for the have been assigned to channel and inter- variety of limestone beds encased in Technical Luncheons? To book your company’s mangrove broads, based on analogues from carbonate muds. These are typically heavily table, or to buy individual tickets, visit www.cspg.org both the Everglades of Florida and modern rooted, with fenestra and an absence of large or call CSPG’s office at (403) 264-5610. Bornean mangroves. The channelised channels. Well developed soil horizons form sandstones have extremely steep banks key marker beds within the stratigraphy. They Fossil mangrove deposits have received and appear to accrete vertically, thought are commonly associated with reefal and relatively little attention in the published to be due to the constraining mangrove (Continued on page 10...) literature, despite their significant potential as hydrocarbon-prone source rocks. Recent fieldwork examining both ancient and modern deposits suggests that mangroves may also host significant oil deposits. Fossil mangroves can be classified as either humid or arid mangroves. The former are clastic in character, comprising shales encasing both channelised and sheet-like sandstones. Detailed sedimentological analysis of Miocene coastal clastic deposits in the Sandakan region of eastern Borneo has identified several well preserved mangrove systems, and enabled the development of new criteria enabling the recognition of these facies in other locations. Ancient arid, or carbonate mangroves, were studied in Mallorca.

Unpublished data from Brunei suggests that mangrove mudstones may provide a significant Rooted mangrove tree, from eastern Borneo.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 9 (...Continued from page 9) tidally influenced, stromatolitic carbonates. Co p p e s c re at e d a t hre e - d i m e n sio n a l re se r vo ir model of these high vertical permeability deposits in Petrel and simulated production exploring collaborating from fossil mangroves at a scale previously Do more unrecorded, with impressive results, which will be presented here.

BIOGRAPHY carbon capturing pushing the envelope team building Jon Noad works for Shell Canada as an exploration geologist in basin-centred gas. He began his career in gold and platinum mining in South Africa after graduating in 1985 from Imperial College, London. Returning to the UK he joined British subsurface subsea subanywhere smiling geosteering Telecom as their first marine geologist, responsible for routing and burial of international subsea telecommunications cables. He also completed a Masters in Sedimentology at evening classes, with globe-trekking horizontal drilling ecothinking biking a thesis project based in Dinosaur Provincial Park here in Alberta, leading on to a full-time Ph.D. at University College London. There he worked on the sedimentary evolution of eastern Borneo, kindling a lifetime interest in fossil mangroves. technology leading project leading industry leading He joined Shell in 1998, based in Holland, and worked mainly on Middle Eastern exploration before moving to Canada in 2006. He also taught at Delft University for two years half-time. Jon is currently President of the British Sedimentological groundbreaking digital mapping remote sensing Research Group. Heavily rooted limestone beds, separated by thin, laterally persistent palaeosol horizons, from Mallorca.

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10 RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 Do more exploring collaborating carbon capturing pushing the envelope team building subsurface subsea subanywhere smiling geosteering globe-trekking horizontal drilling ecothinking biking technology leading project leading industry leading groundbreaking digital mapping remote sensing rock sampling rock climbing relaxing on the weekends playing creative thinking stress reducing parenting mud logging well logging caring for our environment life balancing family bonding skiing hockey playing initiative grabbing challenging yourself here.

Do more with your career. Do more with your life. Right here in Calgary. At the one energy company that offers more than a thousand employee enrichment programs around the world. Find your dream job now. Just visit DoMoreHere.com.

The overall Georges Bank Basin formed barrels oil (1.0 billion barrels) and 150 x exploring collaborating Revisiting the during the Triassic when the landmass of 109m3 natural gas (5.3 TCFG). The GSC’s Do more Pangea began separating along rift zones. speculative estimate for the basin was 350 East Georges A prominent Paleozoic basement high, the x 106m3 barrels of oil (2.1 billion barrels) Yarmouth Arch, separated the East Georges and 307 x 109m3 gas (10.8 TCFG). Since project leading technology leading industry leading Bank Basin, Bank Basin from the West Georges Bank 1983 when these reserve estimates were Basin, and had a dominant influence on made by the GSC, drilling has proven up offshore Nova sedimentation until Middle Jurassic. During significant reserves of natural gas in various the Middle Jurassic, major growth faulting fields on the Scotian Shelf and this would Scotia: what the and halokinesis commenced in the basin. seem to indicate that on a regional basis subsurface subsea subanywhere smiling geosteering the likely hydrocarbon that may occur in explorationists The structural and stratigraphic evolution of the East Georges Bank Basin would be gas the East Georges Bank Basin has resulted in rather than oil. saw two decades the development of a variety of seismically defined prospects. The Geological Survey of In order to gain more insight into the globe-trekking horizontal drilling ecothinking biking ago Canada (GSC) published in 1983 (Proctor interpreted geology of the East Georges et al.) that the average hydrocarbon Bank basin, in 1992 the author visited SPEAKER expectation of the basin was 168 x 106m3 (Continued on page 38...) Tako Koning Advisor, Tullow Oil, Luanda, team building carbon capturing pushing the envelope Angola and Residential Representative, Yme Foundation Angola

12:00 Noon groundbreaking digital mapping remote sensing Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 Encana Amphitheatre, 2nd Floor East End of the Calgary Tower Complex 1st Street and 9th Avenue S.E. Calgary, Alberta playing family bonding creative thinking stress reducing

The East Georges Bank Basin is located offshore Nova Scotia on the southeastern Canadian continental shelf. The basin covers 10,000 square kilometers (2.5 million rock sampling rock climbing skiing hockey playing acres) and is one of the last undrilled basins in North America.

The geological understanding of this basin is based on 16,000 km of seismic data, mud logging well logging caring for our environment which was studied and interpreted in the early to mid-1980s by Texaco Canada’s geoscientists. The first public presentation of the interpreted data was at a CSPG- GAC-MAC conference in 1988 in St. life balancing parenting relaxing on the weekends John’s, Newfoundland and thereafter the geological and geophysical interpretations were presented at a number of oil industry conferences worldwide, including initiative grabbing challenging yourself the Conjugate Margins Conference at Dalhousie University in 2008. This here. presentation is a re-presentation of the 1988 and subsequent papers. In 1988, the government placed an oil activity moratorium on Georges Bank. No activity such as seismic surveying has taken place since that time. Therefore, although this presentation is based on old seismic data, Do more with your career. Do more with your life. Right here in Calgary at the it must be viewed as up-to-date since no largest deepwater operator in the world. Find your dream job at DoMoreHere.com. new data has been acquired on the bank for over twenty years. © 2009 StatoilHydro. An equal opportunity employer.

12 RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 Do more exploring collaborating project leading technology leading industry leading

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The recent development of new enabling technologies in the energy services industry has fueled additional interest in unconventional gas – especially tight gas formations. These new gas plays are far more challenging to develop than conventional resources; technology for understanding these complicated reservoirs is essential for operators to unlock their potential.

Tight gas reservoirs are nano-Darcy formations that were once thought of as seals; now they are considered reservoirs of the future. With discoveries made in Canada in the Montney and the Horn River Basin, technology that will yield knowledge of permeability, porosity, fluid identification, and horizontal placement is needed to delineate Figure 1. NMR Brain Scan vs. NMR Rock Thin Section. Hydrogen-rich brain tissues are visible to NMR. Bone is the zones of productivity. The days when dark and is not seen by NMR. Hydrogen atoms are visible to NMR. Rock Material is not seen by NMR. operators could rely solely on conventional logging methods are long gone; now, geologists • Total NMR porosity; describe fluids and as a contrast to T1, which and geophysicists require new and better • Total bound fluids, micro-clay bound contains no diffusion. Light oil has long T1 and methods to unlock the mysteries of these water, and capillary bound water; T2, where heavier oils have shorter T1 and vast pools of hydrocarbons. In particular, • Free Fluid Index; T2 values; increased viscosities can behave operators need accurate permeability • Effective porosity; like a solid (oil sands ranging in the 100,000+ measures to optimize horizontal placement • Permeability estimates; and centipoise range). The T1 gas signal occurs and completion design, minimize water cuts, • NMR fluid typing. later in time, as seen in track 4 of Figure 2, plan fracture stimulation, and generally lower Figure 1 illustrates the NMR measurement in where the T2 gas signal smears amongst the costs and increase production. a brain scan versus a cross-section of rock. water signal in track 3. T1 can differentiate gas

diffusivity from water. The red line on the T1

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance T1, T2, and Diffusion Values log indicates theoretical methane, based on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) The MRIL tool measures the polarization or reservoir temperature and pressure. technology has moved from the medical the magnetization buildup (T1) and the decay lab to the wellbore to help provide the or the magnetization decay (T1) of hydrogen MRIL service Porosity reservoir knowledge tight-gas operators (Balliet, 2008). Where T2 is affected by and Permeability need. Understanding the science behind diffusion, T1 is used as a simple and direct Halliburton’s MRIL service porosity NMR technology will help to show the value method to evaluate light hydrocarbons. As measurement is independent of rock matrix; of NMR data to tight-gas development. The the hydrogen protons become polarized, instead, the measured porosity is a function physics involved with the NMR are on the the MRIL tool can measure the time to align of the fluid volume occupying the pore space. nuclei scale. Hydrogen nuclei undergo nuclear the hydrogen protons to the tool’s magnetic Using multiple echo spacings (0.6 ms and 1.2 resonance when exposed to a magnetic field; field, yielding a T1 distribution and porosity ms) and simultaneous T1-T2 measurements, protons align or polarize themselves to a (integration of the area under a T1 distribution the MRIL service can fractionalize porosity powerful magnet. An oscillating magnetic field curve). T2 is measured simultaneously by into total porosity (MSIG), effective porosity tips the protons enabling the measurement of acquiring a large number of spin echoes (MPHI), free fluid index (MFFI), and clay- the polarization and decay times. The time during the last T1 build-up time measurement. bound water (MCBW). Because the MRIL distribution measurement from NMR can be Generally, bound or immovable fluids have measurement is independent of matrix, the used to analy ze t he f luids wit hin t he pore space short T1 and T2 times with a small diffusion tool is not affected by grain density, which in the reservoir (Coates, Xiao, and Prammer, value (D) resulting from the smaller pore can sometimes be challenging in a siltstone 1999). Specified pulses provide a spin-echo size (Coates, Xiao, and Prammer, 1999). Free or shale formation such as the Montney train and associating echo wait times yield raw or moveable fluid T1, T2 times and D values in northeastern British Columbia. Due to NMR data. From these physics, Halliburton’s are larger, while hydrocarbon values vary the factors affecting density porosity, total ® Magnetic Resonance Imaging Logging (MRIL ) depending on diffusivity and viscosity. While T1 porosity can be compromised as a result service offers information about the quality responds from two mechanisms, surface and of grain density uncertainty. A density of the fluids in the rock, properties of these bulk T1, T2 has three decay mechanisms which sandstone matrix of 2.65 g/cc might yield an fluids, and attributes related to the size of contribute – surface, bulk, and diffusion. As invalid bulk density and / or porosity value pores that contain these fluids (Coates, the MRIL sensor contains a well characterized, when formation grain density is actually Xiao, and Prammer, 1999). The MRIL service consistent magnetic field gradient, the effect 2.74 g/cc or higher, resulting in pessimistic provides data on: of diffusion is used with T2 measurements to reservoir estimations. 14 RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 Figure 2. T2 Gas Diffusivity vs. T1 Distribution.

NMR Porosity is fractionalized into bin (Coates, Xiao, and Prammer, 1999). NMR differentiator on final production numbers. porosities based on T1 and / or T2 times, reduces the reliance on resistivity-based Typically, tight gas reservoirs in the Montney dividing them into Bulk Volume Irreducible measurements, which can compromise Formation can vary from a poor 0.1 mD (BVI), Micro-Clay porosity, effective porosity, potential pay in a low-resistivity pay zone or to a fair 1.0 mD, depending on location. and total MRIL porosity measurement. where a fresh Rw exists. Combining T1, T2, Porosity values range between 3 p.u. to Bound and moveable fluid cutoffs are utilized and diffusion values with the resistivity model 6 p.u. depending on formation. Varying for both T1 and T2 distribution; a spectral can strengthen reservoir characterization grain densities can affect the density tool bound-fluid method is also used. and certainty. readings, skewing bulk density and density- derived porosity values. With NMR porosity The determination of MRIL service MRIL SERVICE in tight gas measurement independent of matrix and permeability is based on the Coates Tight gas optimization is challenging, and using the T1 distribution for gas identification, permeability equation when either a single- a technology that can characterize these geologists and geophysicists can acquire a phase or multiphase formation fluid system emerging resources plays can be the (Continued on page 17...) containing water and / or hydrocarbon exists. A continuous qualitative permeability estimate is available in real time. The Coates permeability equation is extremely flexible and may be tuned to NMR core measurements to produce a quantitative Hydrogeologist – Carbon permeability estimate. The Coates permeability equations offer advantages over and Energy Management the T2 geometric mean model, which is best applied only in single-phase fluid systems. The Carbon and Energy Management (CEM) group works with national Equation (1) shows the Coates equation for and international companies to proactively address greenhouse gas a multiphase formation. issues. A focus of the group is the assessment and characterization of suitable sites for the geologic storage of CO and for other subsurface clean 2 2 2  FFI energy technologies such as geothermal energy. k= (( C ) * ( BVI )) As a Hydrogeologist you will apply hydrogeological methods to analyze and interpret the flow and characteristics of potable groundwater, formation brines and injected CO at various scales. The successful where:  = Porosity 2 FFI = Free Fluid Index candidate should possess the ability to employ quantitative methods to BVI = Bulk Volume Irreducible understand the system response to stresses brought on by fluid and/or

C = Constant CO2 extraction and injection.

MRIL SERVICE The ideal candidate will possess at minimum a Masters degree in hydrocarbon typing Hydrogeology/Geology and suitable experience. Field experience and a wide range of capabilities such as hydrogeological modeling, data When understanding the physics of the T1, T2 and diffusion measurements, inferences can management, site assessment and groundwater monitoring would be be drawn on their respective distribution to a definite asset. Proficient use with graphical and data manipulation assist in hydrocarbon typing. Fractionalizing software programs is required. The individual must be able to work and the NMR porosity into free fluid, BVI, and conduct research independently as well as part of a multi-disciplinary micro-porosity is a large differentiator from team. Well-developed communication skills are essential. other porosity measurements. The use of a resistivity-based, dual-water-saturation For more details and to apply, please visit our website at www.arc.ab.ca model, MRIANTM (MRI-Analysis), can identify water saturations in the virgin formation

RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 15 built to trim size 8.325built to x trim10.875” size Bleed8.325 x.25 10.875” Bleed .25

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Alberta’s Professional Geoscientists and Engineers provide Albertans Alberta’swith many Professional of the essentials Geoscientists of daily living. and TheEngineers work that provide they Albertansdo allows withall of many us to of enjoy the essentials warmth, light, of daily power, living. water The workand thethat ability they do to allows travel alland of communicate us to enjoy warmth, over distance. light, power, water and the ability to travel and communicate over distance. Since 1920, Members of APEGGA, The Association of Professional SinceEngineers, 1920, Geologists Members andof APEGGA, Geophysicists The Association of Alberta, of have Professional made a Engineers,difference in Geologists the daily lives and of Geophysicists millions of Albertans of Alberta, by bringing have madescience a differenceand innovation in the to daily life. lives of millions of Albertans by bringing science and innovation to life. The P.Geol., P.Geoph., P.Eng., and R.P.T. professional designations Therepresent P.Geol., the P.Geoph.,highest standards P.Eng., andof quality, R.P.T. professionalism professional designations and ethics representin geoscience the highest and engineering. standards APEGGAof quality, Membersprofessionalism can take and pride ethics in inthe geoscience role they play and and engineering. the contribution APEGGA they Members make to Alberta.can take pride in the role they play and the contribution they make to Alberta. APEGGA and its 54,000 Members are committed to public safety APEGGAand well-being and its through 54,000 the Members self-regulation are committed of the geoscienceto public safety and andengineering well-being professions through in the Alberta. self-regulation of the geoscience and engineering professions in Alberta. Visit www.apegga.org for more information. Visit www.apegga.org for more information.

Geologists Professional GeophysicistsGeologists Professional { EngineersGeophysicists { Engineers

we make a difference www.apegga.org we make a difference www.apegga.org built to trim size 8.325built to x trim10.875” size 8.325 x 10.875” Bleed .25 implemented with the MRIL service, which Bleed .25 helps identify lower water cuts, and higher porosity and permeability values. The MRIL service also helps enable fracture planning, optimizing the effectiveness of each stage reducing cost and increasing productivity.

Summary MRIL service is a technology that provides some of the crucial metrics for reservoir characterization – measurements that are unavailable from other technologies. Understanding permeability in a tight environment is essential to the producibility of the well. Porosity independent of matrix

and a simultaneous T1 and T2 measurement enables better decisions that ultimately affect the bottom line. In a cost-sensitive market where investors demand results, accurate information and complete reservoir cognizance is crucial. Porosity, permeability, fluid identification, and horizontal placement are the keys to unlocking these challenging reservoirs. NMR technology has helped unlock some of the mysteries of the brain; Proudly brought to you by Professionals in today it is helping to unlock the potential of Proudly brought to you by Professionals in Canada’s tight gas reservoirs. Geoscience and Engineering Geoscience and Engineering About the author: Bruce Keen is a business development representative for Halliburton’s Open Hole Wireline services in Canada, where he served as a member of the startup team introducing Alberta’s Professional Geoscientists and Engineers provide Albertans these services into Canada in 2007. Bruce has Alberta’swith many Professional of the essentials Geoscientists of daily living. and TheEngineers work that provide they Albertansdo allows spent five years as a wireline field engineer withall of many us to of enjoy the essentials warmth, light, of daily power, living. water The workand thethat ability they do to allows travel prior to taking on a business development role. alland of communicate us to enjoy warmth, over distance. light, power, water and the ability to travel He has worked in Australia and the United and communicate over distance. States. Bruce is a Hydrogeological Engineering Since 1920, Members of APEGGA, The Association of Professional graduate from the Northern Alberta Institute SinceEngineers, 1920, Geologists Members andof APEGGA, Geophysicists The Association of Alberta, of have Professional made a of Technology and is currently completing a Engineers,difference in Geologists the daily lives and of Geophysicists millions of Albertans of Alberta, by bringing have madescience a Bachelor of Science degree. differenceand innovation in the to daily life. lives of millions of Albertans by bringing science and innovation to life. Acknowledgement: The P.Geol., P.Geoph., P.Eng., and R.P.T. professional designations Bruce Keen would like to thank Ron Balliet, represent the highest standards of quality, professionalism and ethics The P.Geol., P.Geoph., P.Eng., and R.P.T. professional designations Halliburton’s MRIL® Champion, for guidance representin geoscience the highest and engineering. standards APEGGAof quality, Membersprofessionalism can take and pride ethics in and review with this paper. inthe geoscience role they play and and engineering. the contribution APEGGA they Members make to Alberta.can take pride in the role they play and the contribution they make to Alberta. APEGGA and its 54,000 Members are committed to public safety References APEGGAand well-being and its through 54,000 the Members self-regulation are committed of the geoscienceto public safety and Balliet, R. 2008. NMR Technology and andengineering well-being professions through in the Alberta. self-regulation of the geoscience and Applications. Halliburton Energy Services, Open engineering professions in Alberta. Hole Petrophysics Workshop, Houston, TX. Visit www.apegga.org for more information. Visit www.apegga.org for more information. Figure 3. MRIL® Tool Illustration. Halliburton Magnetic Resonance Imaging Logging (MRIL®) tool provides a measurement Coates, R., Xiao, L. and Prammer, M. 1999. using nine frequencies with simultaneous dual wait times and echo spacing. Sensitive volume is paramount in an NMR Logging: Principles & Applications. ® environment dominated by low porosity. This sensitive volume is the MRIL tool’s differentiator in a tight gas reservoir Halliburton Energy Services, Halliburton Energy where statistics affect the measurement. Tight gas reservoirs pose many challenges to the operator, and understanding these variables results in better decisions. NMR technology in tight gas can offer an understanding of bound fluid versus Services Publication H02308. moveable fluids, identification of reservoir intervals and quality, continuous permeability, and fluid identification and quantification. T logging answers the diffusion question that enables gas versus water identification. Geologists 1 Professional GeophysicistsGeologists This article was contributed by Halliburton. Professional { EngineersGeophysicists (...Continued from page 15) of the magnet increasing signal response. CSPG thanks Halliburton for the contribution. { Engineers more accurate understanding of reservoir The continuous qualitative and quantitative quality and potential. Further, the MRIL permeability measurement offers reservoir service can resolve porosity values in the 3 to indicators that will influence the testing 6 p.u. range as a result of the sensitive volume or the completion of the well. Horizontal we make a difference www.apegga.org measurement capabilities and the strength placement and completion can be effectively we make a difference www.apegga.org RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 17 Practical Sequence Stratigraphy XIII: Sequence Boundary Hierarchy | by Ashton Embry

Introduction succession and, without a hierarchy, any two 1991; Vail et al., 1991; Posamentier and The various surfaces and units of sequence recognized sequence boundaries, regardless Allen, 1999). Such an approach is based on stratigraphy have been described in the of their magnitude, (e.g., two MFSs in the the hypothesis that sequence stratigraphic previous articles of this series. It is most case of genetic stratigraphic sequences and surfaces are generated by eustasy-driven, important that sequence stratigraphic surfaces any combination of two SU, SR-U, or MRSs sinusoidal base-level changes and that such be assigned to a hierarchy if numerous in the case of a depositional sequence) could, eustatic cycles increase in amplitude with sequence stratigraphic surfaces are used for in theory, be used to form the boundaries of decreasing frequency. Thus, very large regional correlation or if individual sequences a sequence (Figure 1). This would result in a amplitude changes, driven by tectono-eustasy are delineated and mapped (Embry, 1993, huge number of potential sequences and the (changes in volume of ocean basins), occur 1995). The main reason for this is that only way to escape such chaos is to establish rarely and the resulting sequence boundaries very many sequence stratigraphic surfaces a hierarchy of surfaces. are assigned to either a 1st or 2nd order of greatly varying magnitude occur in a given category. Such orders are usually referred It is widely recognized that there is a great to as low-order boundaries although a few variation in the magnitude of sequence authors refer to such boundaries as high- stratigraphic surfaces and that there is a order boundaries. I follow the practice of need to separate large magnitude sequences / referring to 1st, 2nd and 3rd order boundaries sequence boundaries from much smaller-scale as low-order boundaries and 4th, 5th and 6th ones. This is a natural consequence of the order boundaries as high-order boundaries. recognition that sequence boundaries and the enclosed sequences are not scale dependent. In the model-driven hierarchy, high-order Notably, two very different methodologies boundaries are related to climate-driven, for developing such a hierarchy of sequences Milankovitch cycles, which drive high and sequence boundaries have been proposed frequency, eustatic changes in the 20,000 – a theoretical, model-driven method and an year to 400,000 year band. In such a model- empirical, data-driven method. driven approach, a sequence is assigned to a given order based on the amount of Model-Driven Hierarchy time represented by the sequence – that is, The model-driven approach has been the amount of time which lapsed between championed by Exxon scientists (e.g., Vail the development of each of its bounding et al., 1977; Mitchum and Van Wagoner, surfaces.

Figure 1. Because a depositional sequence is defined as a unit bound by subaerial unconformities and correlative surfaces, it is essential that a hierarchy of sequence boundaries be defined. If a hierarchical system is not used, up to 45 sequences could be Figure 2a. A schematic diagram illustrating the faulty logic of using boundary frequency for the establishment of a defined in the above schematic succession with 10 sequence hierarchy. In a succession which spans 20 Ma and contains 14 sequence boundaries, many combinations recognized sequence boundaries (e.g., 1-2 1-3, 1-4, of boundaries (only three shown) can be used to create second-order sequences with a 10 MA year frequency. 1-5, etc.). Such a chaotic and unacceptable situation is avoidable only by separating the sequence boundaries Figure 2b. A diagram from Haq et al. (1988) that illustrates the use of the concept of boundary frequency to into different classes (orders) and arranging them into define a series of second-order sequences (LZB-2, etc.). The boundaries of the second-order sequences have been a hierarchy. subjectively selected to fit the desired result (sequences of 10 Ma duration).

18 RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 This model-driven approach culminated in a publication by Vail et al. (1991) in which six orders of boundaries were defined solely on boundary frequency. The six orders and their characteristic boundary frequencies in this hierarchical scheme are:

1st order – ≥50 MA 2nd order – 3-50 MA 3rd order – 0.5-3 MA 4th order – 0.08-0.5 MA 5th order – 0.03-0.08 MA 6th order – 0.01-0.03 MA

Such a model-driven approach to establishing a hierarchy of sequences is highly prone to circular reasoning. Because any given stratigraphic section contains numerous depositional sequence boundaries (unconformities and MRSs), any desired frequency of boundary occurrence can be determined simply by selecting only the boundaries that fit the desired result. For example, if fourteen sequence boundaries were recognized within a succession spanning 20 MA, there are many combinations of boundaries that could be chosen to delineate a sequence with a boundary frequency of 10 MA (Figure 2a). As shown in Figure 2b, Haq et al. (1988) applied such a methodology for the delineation of 2nd order cycles on their global sequence charts. The boundaries of the second order cycles (sequences) on the charts have been subjectively selected to fit the desired result (sequence duration of ~ 10 MA).

The fundamental flaw of the above, model- Figure 3. A schematic depiction of five orders of sequence boundaries which are determined by observable criteria, driven methodology is that you can’t such as degree of tectonic regime change and penetration of the unconformity into the basin. The criteria needed to determine the frequency of occurrence of build such a hierarchy must reflect the amount of base level change which resulted in the formation of the sequence stratigraphic surfaces. an entity or a phenomenon until you have a clear definition of the entity or phenomenon. It simply comes down to the premise that, of boundaries is established on the basis allow the characterization of the relative if one wants to determine the frequency of the interpreted relative magnitude of magnitude of a sequence boundary. Such of 2nd order sequence boundaries, one the boundaries. The interpreted relative criteria would reflect the magnitude of must be able to empirically recognize 2nd magnitude of a boundary would reflect the the base level change which generated the order boundaries in the first place. Boundary magnitude of base-level shift that generated boundaries. The attributes of a sequence frequency is a conclusion that can be only the boundary in the first place. A base- boundary I have found useful to estimate the be reached once the different orders of level change of 500 m is going to result relative magnitude of a sequence boundary, boundaries are defined with reasonable in a relatively large magnitude sequence and indirectly the amount of base level objectivity. Duration is not an observable boundary that has different attributes than change that generated the boundary in the characteristic of a sequence. a smaller magnitude sequence boundary that first place, are listed below. Such observable was generated by a base level change of 10 m characteristics are placed in order of Data-Driven Hierarchy or less. In a given basin, the largest magnitude their importance for assessing the relative Embry (1993, 1995) advocated for the use boundaries (i.e., the sequence boundaries magnitude of a given depositional sequence of an empirical, data-driven methodology generated by the largest interpreted base boundary with the first one being most for establishing a hierarchy of sequence level changes) are assigned to the 1st order important. stratigraphic boundaries and enclosed units. category in the hierarchy and the smallest Such an approach is based on reasonably magnitude boundaries recognized (i.e., those 1) The degree of change of the tectonic objective scientific criteria rather than on a generated by the smallest interpreted base setting across the boundary. priori assumptions and untested hypotheses, level changes) would be assigned to the 2) The degree of change of the depositional as is the case for the model-driven approach highest order established (e.g., 4, 5, or 6). regime and sediment composition described above. across the boundary. To apply such a methodology, it is necessary 3) The amount of section missing below In the data-driven approach, a hierarchy to find observable, scientific criteria which (Continued on page 20...)

RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 19 the unconformities. Also the magnitude of tectonic regime change is significantly less. The separation of 1st order boundaries from 2nd order ones can be somewhat subjective, but in most instances the two orders can be consistently differentiated from each other within a basin.

3rd order boundaries exhibit no tectonic regime change but do have a noticeable change in sedimentary regime across them. Once again it is likely that tectonics is the main driver of 3rd order boundaries because it is very difficult to explain the noticeable change in sedimentary regime on the basis of eustasy. The amount of erosion and basin penetration of the unconformable portions of 3rd order boundaries, as well as the subsequent deepening during the following transgression, are less than that for 1st and 2nd order boundaries (Figure 3). Notably 1st, 2nd, and 3rd order boundaries can usually be correlated throughout most or all of a basin and are the main ones recognized on seismic sections.

Sequence boundaries which exhibit no change in tectonic or depositional regime, are associated with little erosion and subsequent drowning, and the unconformity and shoreline facies do not extend past the basin margin, would be high-order, low-magnitude boundaries (e.g., 4th,5th, and 6th order) (Figure 3). Parasequence boundaries would constitute the highest order, lowest magnitude boundaries in the hierarchy and they reflect little to no base Figure 4. Principles of determining the order of a sequence based on hierarchical rules. A sequence cannot contain level change. Correlation of these high-order a sequence boundary with the same or larger magnitude (same or lower order) as its smallest magnitude (highest boundaries is usually limited to local areas order) boundary. Thus a 2nd order sequence cannot contain any 1st or 2nd order boundaries. In this way the with widespread correlation being possible chaos illustrated in Figure 1 can be avoided. only if control points are close and numerous (e.g., WCSB). (...Continued from page 19) Such sequence boundaries are most often the unconformity at as many localities readily apparent and correlatable and would For sequence boundaries generated during as possible. Localities close to the basin bound 1st order depositional sequences. “Greenhouse” conditions (i.e., no continental edge are very helpful. Because of the tectonic and sedimentary glaciers), there tends to be a consistency for 4) The estimated amount of deepening at regime changes, there is little doubt that each of the five criteria to point to the same the maximum flooding surface above such boundaries were generated by tectonics result in regards to assignment of an order the sequence boundary where it is an (Figure 3) and denote very large, base-level to boundaries. In these cases, the magnitude unconformity. changes both within the basin and in the of the boundary correlates closely with the 5) How far the subaerial unconformity and surrounding hinterlands. basinward extent the unconformity, with associated shoreline facies penetrate the amount of section eroded and with the into the basin. 2nd order boundaries also mark a change amount of subsequent deepening. Those in the tectonic and depositional regimes, as large magnitude boundaries in which the It is important to note that not all these well as large changes in base level. Similar unconformity extends far into the basin and characteristics can be applied for each to 1st order boundaries, they are mainly for which significant erosion and subsequent boundary, but in many cases most of them driven by tectonics as evidenced by the drowning are present almost always have a can be. In many instances, the largest tectonic regime change across the boundary. significant change in depositional regime, if magnitude boundaries in a basin, which Evidence of tectonic movements including not also tectonic regime. would be 1st order boundaries for that faulting, folding, and tilting can often be basin, mark a significant change in tectonic discerned beneath 1st and 2nd order Problems with assignment sometimes occur and sedimentary regime and are associated boundaries. 2nd order boundaries differ from for sequence boundaries formed during with large amounts of erosion and significant 1st order ones in that the amount of base- “Icehouse” conditions when continental deepening. The unconformity and shoreline level change is distinctly less as evidenced by glaciers were intermittently present. During facies usually penetrate far into the basin. less erosion and basinward penetration of such times, relatively large base level changes

20 RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 first-order boundary recognized in another. Once a hierarchy has been established for a basin, that is, each recognized order has been assigned a specific set of characteristics, the assignment of a given boundary to a given order can involve some subjectivity but in most cases can be done with reasonable consistency and objectivity.

This methodology emphasizes the establishment of a hierarchy based on the interpreted relative magnitude of the depositional sequence boundaries. Thus, if one wants to establish a hierarchy for sequences rather than boundaries, the various sequence boundaries must be ranked first. The order of a sequence is equal to the order of its lowest magnitude (highest order) boundary. Thus a sequence with a fourth- order boundary at the base and a first-order Figure 5. An outcrop of Triassic siliciclastic strata on Greely Fiord Ellesmere Island. Three 2nd order depositional boundary on top is a fourth-order sequence. sequence boundaries are present. These are unconformable shoreline ravinements across which there are major changes in tectonic and depositional regimes. Substantial erosion occurred beneath each boundary. A 3rd order This brings us back to our original problem boundary occurs within the Lower Triassic 2nd order sequence and 4th and 5th order boundaries (MRSs) are indicated. of trying to avoid a chaotic delineation of sequences in a succession with multiple sequence boundaries of varying magnitude. With the establishment of a hierarchy of sequence boundaries as described above, one simple rule of hierarchies now allows us to recognize a sensible and orderly succession of sequences. This rule states that a sequence cannot contain within it a sequence boundary that has an equal or greater magnitude (equal or lower order) than that of its lowest magnitude (highest order) boundary. For example, a second-order sequence cannot contain a second- or first-order boundary. It can contain many higher order (3rd – 6th) boundaries. This is of most importance and is the only way that an orderly delineation of sequences can be produced (Figure 4).

Figure 5 illustrates an outcrop of Lower to Upper Triassic strata on the eastern flank of the Sverdrup Basin of Arctic Canada along Figure 6. An outcrop of the Middle Triassic 2nd order sequence at the head of Otto Fiord, Ellesmere Island. The the north side of Greely Fiord, Ellesmere sequence is bound by a 2nd order boundary, a maximum regressive surface at the base, and an unconformable Island. Three large-magnitude, 2nd order shoreline ravinement at the top. Once again significant changes in tectonic and depositional regimes occur across depositional sequence boundaries are present these boundaries. A prominent 3rd order boundary (MRS) occurs with this 2nd order sequence and subdivides it into two 3rd order sequences. Smaller magnitude 4th order boundaries are delineated in each 3rd order and consist of prominent, unconformable sequence. Unlike the 2nd and 3rd order boundaries, no change in depositional regime occurs across these 4th shoreline ravinements. They separate order boundaries sequences which have different tectonic and depositional regimes and they record major (up to ~ 120 m) due to climate-driven, eustatic with no regime change had similar properties falls of base level followed by large rises. In sea level changes were often accompanied by on the basis of the last three criteria. various areas of the basin, tectonic tilting essentially no change in depositional and is present beneath these unconformities tectonic regimes. In general, changes in these It must be emphasized that for each basin (Embry, 1991, 1997). A third-order boundary latter two criteria most often reflect major the interpreter must establish his or her is delineated in the Lower Triassic 2nd order base-level-change episodes and should be own hierarchy based on the listed criteria. sequence and it separates red-weathering, used as the final arbiters for recognizing the Thus there is no characteristic, generic fluvial strata of the Smithian 3rd order greatest magnitude, low-order boundaries. first-order sequence boundary that can be sequence from the grey-weathering, shallow Thus a boundary with a substantial amount defined. First-order boundaries in a given marine strata of the Spathian 3rd order of change of depositional regime and /or study are those that are interpreted to have sequence. Fourth- and fifth-order sequence tectonic regime would be ranked higher the largest magnitude in the basin. Thus, boundaries (MRSs) can be delineated in the (lower order) than one with no change in a first-order boundary recognized in one 3rd order Spathian sequence (Figure 5). these regimes, even if it seemed that the one basin may be somewhat different from a (Continued on page 22...)

RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 21 (...Continued from page 21) Steel, et al. (eds.). NPF Special Publication 5, p. 1-11. Posamentier, H. and Allen, G. 1999. Siliciclastic Figure 6 (page 21) illustrates an outcrop of sequence stratigraphy – concepts and applications. the Middle Triassic 2nd order sequence in the Embry, A. F. 1997. Global sequence boundaries of the Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists Sverdrup Basin at the head of Otto Fiord on Triassic and their recognition in the Western Canada Concepts in Sedimentology and Paleontology, # 7, north-central Ellesmere Island. The sequence Sedimentary Basin. Bulletin Canadian Petroleum 210 p. is bound by two 2nd order boundaries, a Geology, v. 45, p. 415-433. maximum regressive surface at the base Vail, P. et al. 1977. Seismic stratigraphy and global and an unconformable shoreline ravinement Haq, B., Hardenbol, J., and Vail, P. 1988. Mesozoic and changes in sea level. In: Seismic stratigraphy: at the top. Large base-level changes are Cenozoic chronostratigraphy and cycles of sea level applications to hydrocarbon exploration. C. Payton represented by these boundaries and they change. In: Sea level changes: an integrated approach. (ed.). American Association of Petroleum Geologists are readily correlated over the entire basin. C. Wilgus, B. S. Hastings, C. G. Kendall, H. W. Memoir 26, p. 49-212. On the basin margins they are associated Posamentier, C. A. Ross, and J. C. Van Wagoner (eds.). with tectonic tilting. Substantial changes in Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Vail, P. et al. 1991. The stratigraphic signatures of subsidence rate (> 5X) also occurred across Special Publication 42, p. 40-45. tectonics, eustasy and sedimentology – an overview. both these large magnitude boundaries. In: Cycles and events in stratigraphy, G. Einsele, et al. A 3rd order sequence boundary (MRS) Mitchum, R. and Van Wagoner, J. 1991. High frequency (eds.), Springer-Verlag, New York, p. 611-159. occurs within the 2nd order sequence and sequences and their stacking patterns: sequence subdivides it into two 3rd order sequences. stratigraphic evidence for high frequency eustatic Both 3rd order sequences contain 4th order cycles. Sedimentary Geology, v. 70, p. 131-160. sequence boundaries which at this locality are maximum regressive surfaces.

Figure 7 illustrates the correlation of various orders of sequence boundaries in the Middle Triassic 2nd order sequence of the Sverdrup Basin in the subsurface of the Lougheed Island area. Notably this area is about 650 km southwest of the outcrop section of Figure 5 and the same boundaries are present. Two 2nd order unconformable shoreline ravinements bound the Middle Triassic sequence and a 3rd order unconformable shoreline ravinement occurs within it. A number of 4th order boundaries (MRSs) occur within each 3rd order sequence.

Summary It is necessary to assign the recognized sequence boundaries and other associated sequence surfaces of a basin to a hierarchy so as to allow the delineation of various orders of sequences. Such a hierarchy is best generated by the use of observable criteria that relate to the magnitude of base level change that resulted in the generation of the sequence surfaces. The largest magnitude sequence Superior Quality boundaries within a basin are assigned to the first order and sometimes up to six orders of boundaries can be determined. CGGVeritas is committed to acquiring and processing superior quality data in REFERENCES the locations where you operate. With the highest quality data library in Canada, Embry, A. F. 1991. Mesozoic history of the Arctic Islands. In: Innuitian Orogen and Arctic Platform: you’ll have access to multi-client data in the most desirable regions of Canada and Greenland. H.P. Trettin (ed.). Geological Alberta and North-East British Columbia. Survey of Canada, Geology of Canada no. 3 (also GSA, The Geology of North America, v. E), p. 369-433. Count on CGGVeritas to help you explore, develop and produce with confidence.

Embry, A. 1993. Transgressive-regressive (T-R) sequence analysis of the Jurassic succession of the Sverdrup Basin, Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Canadian Figure 7. The 2nd order unconformable shoreline ravinements that bound the Middle Triassic 2nd order sequence Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 30, p. 301-320. are correlated between two wells in the Lougheed Island area of the western Sverdrup Basin using gamma ray logs. This is the same sequence illustrated in Figure 6 but this locality is 650 km to the southwest. The 3rd order boundary within the sequence is a significant unconformable shoreline ravinement in contrast to the maximum Embry, A. 1995. Sequence boundaries and sequence regressive surface which formed this same 3rd order sequence boundary on Figure 6. Tilt related truncation is Contact: hierarchies: problems and proposals. In: Sequence apparent on this boundary indicating that tectonics was the primary driver of boundary formation. More subtle, stratigraphy on the northwest European margin. R. lower magnitude, 4th order boundaries occur within both 3rd order sequences. Tel: +1 403 205 6000 cggveritas.com

22 RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 Superior Quality

CGGVeritas is committed to acquiring and processing superior quality data in the locations where you operate. With the highest quality data library in Canada, you’ll have access to multi-client data in the most desirable regions of Alberta and North-East British Columbia. Count on CGGVeritas to help you explore, develop and produce with confidence.

Contact: Tel: +1 403 205 6000 cggveritas.com CLIMATE CHANGE VI: Fearmongering | by Dr. A. Neil Hutton

There is an endless litany of misinformation of more hurricanes, tornadoes, and cyclones; attributed to the cause of anthropogenic disseminated by those espousing human desertification and droughts; floods and global warming.(AGW) The data, if the media induced warming. So much so that it will not torrential rains; animal extinction; and finally, was alert and competent, is only a few mouse be possible to refute all of the erroneous spreading disease and death. The worst clicks away, so that, with very little effort, claims within this article. The list is long: offenders in all of this are our media, (print, the facts can be easily checked. Much of the melting icecaps, retreating glaciers, rising sea wireless, and visual) who happily regurgitate information is a matter of public record, and level, and ocean acidification; “the spin cycle” every sensationalized and exaggerated claim the vast majority of the claims can easily be discredited. The remainder is grossly exaggerated.

Perhaps one of the most egregious sources of misinformation is the Gore documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth.” Very recently, the British High Court decided that the film was unsuitable to be shown in the British Schools because of at least nine errors of fact, and the high level of misleading and exaggerated statements. Nonetheless, our public broadcaster, CBC, has this year seen fit to screen the Gore film without disclaimer or any presentation of balance to the exaggerated claims. In the plethora of misleading hype in the media, Gore’s movie hit on all of them, no fewer than 35 false or erroneous claims documented by Moncton (2007) following the High Court case.

The National Geographic Magazine is a fine publication but it is equally as guilty as Gore in producing seriously misleading articles on Climate Change. An article in the June 2007 issue is a case in point. Entitled “The Big Thaw,” the article retreads all of the Pick a card, any card unwarranted claims contained in the Gore movie: Improve your exploration odds with Divestco. “A Global Retreat: Ice is on the run At Divestco we want the odds to be in in its mountain and polar strongholds. your favor so we have given you a whole As the ice sheets on Greenland and deck of geological products and services to choose Antarctica shrink in the next few from. Divestco’s integrated offering for geological centuries, seas could rise 20 ft. (6.1 m). The shrinkage of mountain glaciers will professionals gives you the ability to choose from dry up rivers and alter landscapes.” a wide range of geological products and services to suit your unique needs. Pick as The first problem is the assumption that many individual cards as you want or let our climate should not change when in reality it is continuously cyclical, with well documented experts deal you a winning hand. historic warm periods in which temperatures matched or significantly exceeded our Call us at 403.537.9904 or email current warmth. The kind of apocalyptical [email protected] for more information. claims made above simply are not supported by the evidence.

TSX: DVT Also, the cyclical advance and retreat of www.divestco.com glaciers with climate is well documented from historical and archaeological records. It is very clear that the Earth has been in a warming cycle since the end of the Little Ice Age in the

24 RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 the path of advancing data, since 1979, indicate that the mountain glaciers during the temperature as recorded by accurate satellite Little Ice Age: data has declined by 0.22°C. Nevertheless, the glaciers continue to retreat. In order to “The year was maintain a glacier’s areal extent, there has to 1645, and the be a balance between winter precipitation glaciers in the Alps such that added snow cover will equal were on the move. summer melt. The decline in Kilimanjaro’s In Chamonix at ice cap is the result of a significant decline in the foot of Mont precipitation in the last Century, not global Blanc, people warming. watched in fear as the Mer de Glace The Great Arctic Meltdown, as reported in Figure 1. The bold line is the six-year running mean of Arctic temperature (after glacier advanced. the National Geographic Magazine quoted Polykov et al. 2003). The dashed line is the annual temperature. Two distinct In earlier years above and also in the New York Times warming periods are clearly evident from approximately 1915 to 1945 and from they had seen the states, “Arctic Ice is Melting at Record 1970 to 2000. Compared to the global and hemispheric temperatures, the Arctic slowly flowing Levels, Scientists Say”. Of course all of this temperature increase was stronger in the late 1930s and early 1940s than in recent decades. The warming of the 1930s occurred at a time before greenhouse ice engulf farms is attributed to AGW. There is abundant gases could have caused significant warming. and crush entire data to demonstrate that the reported villages.” conditions are not without precedent. Arctic temperatures were significantly warmer in The people turned the 1930s and 1940s as shown by Polykov to the Bishop of et al. 2003 (Figure 1). Although Arctic Ice Geneva for help, cover has been decreasing in recent decades, and, at the ice front a especially in the summer of 2006, there has rite of exorcism was been a significant rebound subsequently. It performed. Little by is difficult to explain this behaviour on the little the flow ceased basis of Arctic air temperature, which has and, the glacier shown no significant variation in summer receded. Similar temperatures since 1958 (Polykov et al., dramas unfolded 2003). A mild trend of warming has been throughout the Alps, identified in the winter but this has no effect Scandinavia and since it is much too cold at that time for Iceland during the ice to melt. To achieve this rapid melt of late 1600s and early Arctic pack ice requires changes in oceanic 1700s” (Smithsonian circulation. Figure 2. A graphical presentation of the areal extent of sea ice in the Arctic Archives). Ocean. The maximum this century occurred in 2003 and the minimum in 2007. Polykov and Johnson (2000) identify several The sea ice area has been increasing since 2006, and 2009 appears on trend likely to exceed all years since 2004. As of April 2009, the sea ice extent matched Nevertheless, the oscillatory modes in Arctic Climate. The the levels of 2002 and 2003. (data summarized from NASA Earth Observatory) hype continues. The decadal Arctic Oscillation and an associated New York Times, Low Frequency Oscillation with a time scale middle of the nineteenth Century. We should 19th February, 2001 edition had an article in the range of 60-80 years are both strongly expect that glaciers will retreat after 150 stating: linked to the North Atlantic Oscillation. years of warming – this is natural and cyclical, These climate oscillations result in f luc tuations and is well illustrated by the Schnidejoch “The icecap atop Mount Kilimanjaro, in the thermohaline circulation between the Glacier in the Swiss Alps (Svensmark and which for thousands of years floated Arctic basin and the North Atlantic with a Calder, 2007). Artifacts have been recovered like a cool beacon over the shimmering strong impact on Arctic ice pack variability. in the pass as the Glacier retreats indicating plain of Tanzania is retreating at such In the winter of 2008-2009, the Arctic Ice that during warm periods the Schnidejoch a pace that it will disappear in less pack returned to the same levels observed Pass was used by travelers to cross the Swiss than fifteen years, according to new in 2001. Alps. The earliest artifact is a birch quiver studies.” dated to the close of the Holocene Climate The threat of losing the Polar Ice Pack was Optimum (4,700 years ago), and more than This is a classic overstatement from the raised in the Gore Film and was also made 300 items indicating extensive use of the pass press. What the study actually showed was in the Third Assessment Report of IPCC, in the Roman and Medieval Warm Periods. that between 1912 and 1953, when surveys where it was claimed that there had been Warming and associated glacial retreat are were completed, the snow cap lost 45% of a 40% decline in the thickness of polar natural processes and are not in themselves its areal extent. This snow loss occurred pack ice. This conclusion was based on a an indication of adverse or human-induced during a period of warming before the profile of 29 measurements taken by US climate change. industrial output of CO2 could have had Nuclear Submarines (Rothrock et al., 1999). any significant role (Thompson et al., 2002). As it turned out, the profile, through the The history of the Schnidejoch Glacier’s At this rate of loss (10% per decade) it central Arctic, was conducted at a time when advance and retreat is replicated for glaciers would be fair to say that by the year 2000 prevailing winds and ocean currents had throughout the world. While people are the snow cap would be gone. However, the moved the ice out of the profile areas such being told that they are responsible for glacial snows of Kilimanjaro remain and the rate that the extrapolation of the limited data retreat, consider the dread of people in of loss has declined considerably. Satellite (Continued on page 26...)

RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 25 simply can not reach the frozen base of the glacier before becoming so charged with debris and rock flour that it flows within the ice-forming internal stream deposits above the rock floor.

As glaciers retreat they leave extensive deposits of fluvio-glacial material, eskers (stream deposits), kames (internal deltas), and terminal and lateral moraines. The U-shaped valleys and the mass of these deposits is a testament to the erosive power of the glacier. The downward motion of the glacier is the result of the relentless power of gravity which comes from the elevation of the snowfield accumulation area over the exit point, which, in this case, is sea level. Moreover, the base of the glacier is a zone Figure 3. Figures documenting increasing sea ice around Antarctica after Parkinson (2002). The left-hand figure of permafrost extending into the underlying illustrates the length of the sea ice season for a period of 21years (1979-1999). Purple areas indicate annual cover, soil and rock. There is no potential slip or while light blue are limits of winter ice. The right-hand panel indicates trends where ice days are increasing (blues) glide plane that can lubricate the glacier’s and locations where they are decreasing. Parkinson points out that this is inconsistent with global warming theory. movement. The actual glacier flow velocity is still controlled by the vertical mass of ice (...Continued from page 25) reported that the main mass of the glacier above the glacier’s baseline. If the velocity of to the entire Arctic grossly exaggerated the above 6,500 feet is rising at about 0.2 inches flow of the terminal portion of the glacier ice loss. Subsequent research by Holloway per year. Part of this may be attributable to somehow exceeds the normal gravitational and Su in The Journal of Climate (2002), isostatic rebound, due to the unloading of flow rate, it should result in a large crevasse demonstrated that because of the biased the continental ice sheet, of which Greenland or series of major crevasses at the transition sampling the ice loss was not 40%, as was a part. But the conclusions of Krabill and from the natural upper glacier flow, to the trumpeted by the media, but only 15%. This his colleagues was that the whole region has so-called accelerated water-lubricated zone. remarkable recovery of the Arctic Ice mass been in balance. This has never been reported. received no media coverage whatsoever. Meantime, the Gore documentary continues Glaciers flow under their gravitational The entire thrust of the claims of Greenland to be shown – claiming a 40% ice loss. It load so that the flow rate is a function Ice Cap accelerated melting are advanced is not stated, but implied, that this would of the accumulation of the snow pack. If in order to support extremely exaggerated elevate sea level. The fact is that even if the precipitation is high the glacier will accelerate claims of sea level rise – 20 feet (6.1 meters) Arctic Ice disappeared entirely it would not but if it decreases then the glacier flow will in the National Geographic article above. affect sea level. slow. At its termination the movement of Greenpeace has trumpeted levels of 5-7 the glacier is a function of the ambient air meters (16-23 feet), potentially correct if In order to change sea level, to any significant temperature. If summer temperatures are the entire ice sheet were to disappear, but degree, it is necessary to actually melt high, and glacial advance is slow, then the even the IPCC do not subscribe to this the land-fast ice caps of Greenland and glacier will retreat. If the glacier advances, level of loss. The Third Assessment Report Antarctica. For both of these land masses, it implies that the load of the snow pack at attributes only -0.02 to 0.09 meters (-0.78 to the temperature records show that they high elevations is greater than the rate of 3.5 inches) in the next 100 years, Therefore, are not warming. A very thorough study melting. Therefore, the Greenland Ice Sheet IPPC recognized the possibility that melting by Hanna and Cappelin (2003) shows that would appear to be in a healthy balance. Also, of the Greenland Ice Cap may actually reduce the surface records in southern Greenland, warming can have a contrary effect on an ice sea level. As Krabill’s research indicates, the potentially the most sensitive area of the cap, since it may actually increase the amount ice loss on Greenland is a mere 0.13mm/ Ice Cap, have been cooling since 1958, and of precipitation as warmer air encounters year or only 1.3 centimeters (0.5 inches) the sea surface temperature demonstrates subzero temperatures of the ice cap at high after 100 years. This is a very far cry from a similar trend. In fact, the southern coastal elevations. the Greenpeace and National Geographic stations of Greenland show a drop of 1.27°C. exaggerated claims of 20ft (6.1m), which Nevertheless, in the June 2007 National The suggestion in the National Geographic would require 4 millennia to achieve at Geographic article, it is claimed that ice article is that, during summer melt, the high present melt rates. sheets covering Greenland are shrinking levels of surface water – temporary ponds unexpectedly fast and the outlet glaciers and surface lakes – will fracture the ice and In Antarctica, a very similar picture exists that carry ice to the sea are accelerating. drain down through to the glacier base and – temperatures have been declining since Shrinking and accelerating are contradictory lubricate its flow. The authors of this idea the 1960s as reported by Doran (2002), terms so far as glaciers are concerned. The do not seem very familiar with the erosive Jones (1995), and Sansom (1989). Since 1979 outflow from a glacier is not dependant on air power and characteristics of an active glacier. the microwave sounder units on NASA temperature but on the accumulation of snow The base of a glacier is charged with rocks satellites record declining temperatures. pack at the highest elevation of the glacier. and debris stripped from its base and frozen Nevertheless, Gore and others have made Krabill, in 1980, indicated a thickening of up into the ice mass so that it resembles a giant much exaggerated claims regarding glacial to seven feet on the Greenland ice cap and, rasp constantly tearing, grinding, and eroding calving in blocks the size of Rhode Island from again in 2000, with a number of coauthors, its base and the sides of the valley. Meltwater the west Antarctic Peninsula. The peninsula is

26 RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 like a thumb trending northwest towards INQUA has harshly criticized the IPCC for A constant drumbeat of alarmism is maintained Argentina. Because of past sea level rise, its handling of sea level forecasts: ignoring the in the media, and once again, as an example the ice is anchored only on a small number scientists who produce most of the data and we can turn to the National Geographic of islands. It is underlain by ocean and so is observations related to sea level and relying Magazine in the November, 2007 issue (The less stable than the main mass of Antarctica. instead on unproven model results. Nils Axel Acid Threat, p. 113). Having attempted to The west peninsula does not show the same Morner, who until recently was the president convince us that we will drown in a new range of cooling as east Antarctica but, as of INQUA’s Sea Level Commission, states Noah’s flood, this article suggest that by we have discussed, air temperature in itself, that sea level shows no trend at all over the end of the next century the oceans will does not determine glacial behaviour. It the past three hundred years, and satellite be so acidic they will be devoid of life. The is a simple matter to review the ice areal telemetry shows virtually no change in the IPCC argue that only a trivial amount of CO2 extent maps showing the ice is expanding and last decade. Therefore, the IPCC models can be dissolved in the oceans, but, on the thickening (Figure 3). Currently, the ice mass are totally without scientific objectivity or other hand, maintain this is enough to cause is at record levels (see http://arctic.atmos. relevance. According to Morner, there is no a catastrophe by dissolving all the calcium uiuc.edu/cryosphere/). What is the evidence fear of any massive future flooding as claimed carbonate in the sea! The IPCC hypothesis for the National Geographic statement: “If in most global warming scenarios. (Continued on page 28...) vulnerable parts of the ice that blankets Greenland and Antarctica succumb, rising sea levels could flood hundreds of thousands of square miles – much of Florida, Bangladesh, the Netherlands – and displace tens of millions of people”. What credibility can be given to this extraordinary claim? The critical word is “if” but what is the real probability? The Greenland Ice Cap has survived the previous warming cycles and is still well beyond its position at the time of the Danish settlements in the Medieval Warm Period (Tkachuck, 1983, p.2). The evidence shows that Antarctica is cooling but it seems that the less evidence there is, the more shrill and exaggerated are the claims. A case in point is the fact that Michael Mann (the author of the now-discredited temperature hockey stick) and colleagues are now attempting to show, by statistical manipulation, that Antarctica is actually warming, a premise of which even other global-warming activists are skeptical.

Sea level rise is always a good subject to get people’s attention, especially with the number of heavily populated coastal cities. Aside from the hysteria of improbable seven- meter increases, what is really known? In 1990, the IPCC predicted that man-made warming would result in an increase of 30 to 100 cm, (12 to 39 inches) but by 2001 this estimate was lowered to 9-88 cm, (3.5 to 34.6 inches) and by 2007 in the IPCC fourth assessment, given the oceans’ lack of response, was reduced to 18 and 59 cm, (7 to 23.2 inches), an approximately 50% reduction in the estimate from 1990. However, these estimates are not actually based on real observations, but on unverified model results – in other words, guesswork!

What do scientists report who actually specialize in sea level? According to these specialists there is no way to predict, scientifically, any sea level rise in the 21st Century. The International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA) is a 75-year- old scientific organization dedicated to researching global environments and climatic changes over the last two million years.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 27 biochemistry of these organisms, the fixing of carbonate ions comes from absorption of carbonic acid. The article also illustrates the incredible biological richness of a drop of sea water, representing only a tiny fraction of the zooplankton and phytoplankton in ocean waters. The illustrations demonstrate the great abundance of cyanobacteria that, at the base of the food chain, fix carbon dioxide by photosynthesis, converting it to oxygen and sugars required to construct and nourish the organism. Even more astonishing, in the light of the “Acid Threat Article,” are satellite images of extensive coccolithophore blooms Figure 4. A major phytoplankton bloom off the west coast of Ireland covering thousands of square kilometers. It is off the coast of Ireland (Figure 4). Here we probable that this bloom is caused by the coccolithophore, Emiliani huxleyi, one of the most prolific forms in the have another example of the tremendous modern oceans. Conservative estimates suggest that coccoliths are one of the largest calcite producers in modern capacity of the live ocean to fix carbon oceans. Very conservative estimates suggest that they contribute calcium carbonate in excess of 1.5 million tons per annum. In light of the chlorophyll distribution in the world’s oceans (Figure 5) the estimate seems very low. dioxide and deliver the calcium carbonate However, it provides another indication of the capacity of the world’s oceans to buffer CO2. to ocean sediments. Coccolithophore blooms are not rare. They are widespread in the world’s oceans and now, because of satellite imagery, we have evidence of their

extent and capacity to fix CO2. Blooms in the North Atlantic are recorded covering areas of 200,000 square miles, and this is only one of a rich variety of planktonic microorganisms which have the capacity for photosynthesis and incorporation of carbon dioxide, often in the form of carbonic acid, to construct their internal carbonate structure. A visual assessment of world photosynthesis by phytoplankton is illustrated in Figure 5 showing chlorophyll concentration in the world’s oceans.

The approach of the IPCC is to consider the oceans as if they were dealing with a beaker of lifeless brine lacking any biological Figure 5. Contrary to the “Acid Threat” promoted in National Geographic, here is an actual observed measurement or sedimentological content. The live oceans of the life in our oceans. This is an image from a satellite sensor indicating the distribution of chlorophyll in the have an almost infinite buffering capacity as world’s oceans. This is a measure of the distribution of phytoplankton, which use chlorophyll in the same manner a result of biological and sedimentological as terrestrial land plants. At least half the Earth’s source of oxygen is generated by phytoplankton in the oceans, and not, as one might expect, the equatorial rain forests. Chlorophyll is shown in milligrams / cubic meter with processes. We can show that all of the the greatest concentrations in yellow while the deep blue indicates where nutrients are too scarce to promote calcium carbonate, as calcite or aragonite, phytoplankton growth, in contrast to the cold CO2-rich polar oceans. deposited in the oceans is mediated by organic activity with an immense capacity

(...Continued from page 27) Geographic, was ignored. Warming oceans to buffer atmospheric CO2. There are requires very long residence times for CO2 give up CO2 as it becomes less soluble, not other extensive oceanic buffers resulting in the atmosphere of 50-200 years, although the opposite as implied by the “Acid Threat” from sedimentological diagenesis which will there are numerous publications of isotopic article. Even when the errors within the result in the stabilization of oceanic pH. analyses that indicate an average residence article were identified in detail, there was For example, anorthite felspar is typically time of only 5-6 years (Segalstad, 2009). no response from National Geographic, nor reduced to kaolinite, releasing aqueous any corrective acknowledgement. This is a calcium ions available for absorption with

The National Geographic article is based classic form of censorship exerted by media CO2 into exoskeletons of mollusks and on pseudo-science lacking any proper generally, in which only alarmist material is crustaceans of the ocean shorefaces. In clay comprehension of physicochemical or presented and those of us who retain our rich waters, CO2 is absorbed releasing silica biochemical nature of the oceans. In a very critical faculties are ignored. which may result in chert diagenesis but also crude experiment, ocean water was acidified provides silica for the endoskeletal structure by adding carbon dioxide until tiny, calcareous On page 109 of the November 2007 article of diatoms and silicoflagellates. The former shells of dead copepods became corroded. is an absolutely superb photograph of a living are very abundant planktonic organisms This was then presented as evidence that pteropod. This very tiny planktonic organism forming extensive deposits in some deep the oceans would be totally acidified if no appears with its calcareous shell completely marine environments. They absorb CO2 steps were taken to curb the emission of surrounded by ectoplasm, the living tissue of during photosynthesis and contribute to the

CO2. The fact that this was totally without the organism. It is within the ectoplasm that very large buffering capacity of the oceans. relevance to the real world’s oceans, even as the pteropod secretes its supportive shell, Since the oceans have the capacity to absorb illustrated in this particular issue of National not in contact with the sea water. In the (Continued on page 38...)

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ROCK SHOP

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RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 29 Graduate Thesis Awards | Sponsored by

The CSPG Graduate Thesis Awards are structural interpretations in times when of the transverse structural-diagenetic presented annually for the best Ph.D. and data collection was physically demanding features have implications for carbonate M.Sc. theses either originating from a and laborious. Like Douglas, Cooley also reservoir development in many parts of Canadian university, regardless of project recognized the fault-fold relationships the overthrust belt. location, or dealing with a Canadian and distinctive chevron-style, flexural-slip sedimentary / petroleum geology topic, thrust-propagation folds. However, Cooley GRADUATE STUDENT THESIS regardless of university location. found that these folds contain unusual AWARD – Best M.Sc. sinuous axial planes that resulted from The winner of the 2008 Graduate Thesis CSPG gratefully acknowledges and out-of-sequence thrusting along trailing, Award – Best M.Sc. is Aaron J. Desroches appreciates the continued support from bedding parallel faults. Those industry for his thesis entitled “Integrated ARC Financial Corporation in their workers involved in horizontal wells in Ichnology, sedimentology and stratigraphy sponsorship of the Graduate Thesis and folded carbonate reservoirs would be well of the lower Falher Member, Spirit River Undergraduate Awards programs. advised to consider these fold-solution Formation, northeastern British Columbia possibilities in the subsurface. Cooley and central Alberta” (supervised by GRADUATE STUDENT THESIS illustrates these folds nicely in a series Professor James MacEachern at Simon AWARD – Best Ph.D. of structural cross- sections and detailed Fraser University). The winner of the 2008 Graduate geological maps. Thesis Award – Best Ph.D. is Michael Desroches’ work is one of a series of A. Cooley, for his thesis entitled “The While collecting regional structural data, CSPG award-winning theses on basin- structural, thermal, and fluid evolution of C o o l e y a l s o r e c o g n i z e d t h e o c c u r r e n c e centered gas accumulations in the British the Livingstone Range anticlinorium, and of many carbonate-filled fractures, some Columbia-Alberta border area. He studied its regional significance to the Southern of which are associated with tear faults. 40 cores and over 200 geophysical well logs Alberta Foreland Thrust and Fold Belt” The geochemistry of the vein calcite and integrated ichnology, sedimentology, (supervised by Professor Ray Price at and dolomite suggests a pre-thrusting, and stratigraphic analyses in order to Queen’s University). deep basement origin for carbonate complete a comprehensive study of the emplacement. Cooley speculates that the lower Falher Member. Desroches divided Cooley’s thesis is an investigation of early fractures could have developed along the lower Falher Member into 11 facies outcrops in southwestern Alberta, mainly preexisting basement faults, related in and six recurring facies associations. CANADIAN SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGY in the Livingstone Range, an area that some way to the “Vulcan Low,” a regional These rock types were deposited in is well known in industry circles for magnetic anomaly in southwestern wave- and storm-dominated strandplain CALL FOR NOMINATIONS prolific Devonian and Mississippian gas Alberta. Basement-derived hot fluids then and contemporaneous deltaic settings. wells. The region has a long history moved along the fracture/fault-enhanced The recognition of distinct, yet subtle, 2010 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE of coal mining, oil and gas exploration, permeability pathways, emplacing sedimentological and ichnological features and even some titanium mining. Part of base metals, calcite, dolomite, and in each facies or facies assemblages is an In accordance with Article VI, subparagraph (a) of the By-Laws, the Nominating Committee the Livingstone Range was first mapped bitumen. Early fractures appear to have essential part of any exploration model, in 1946-1947 by R.J.W. Douglas. This become active again during contraction particularly in the search for elusive deltaic hereby calls for Nominations to Stand for Election to the 2010 Executive Committee of the famous geologist was well known for deformation and now form transverse reservoir conglomerates. Desroches’ thesis Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists. his detailed geological mapping practices structural discontinuities within the fold is an excellent synthesis of subsurface core and for producing remarkably advanced belt. The occurrence and predictability and well log data, and it is very well written Nominations can be made in two ways: 1) Formal Nominations are to be made in writing, signed by at least twenty-five members in good standing and and illustrated. The study will be of great endorsed by the nominee who is consenting to stand for office. Candidates nominated in this fashion will interest to the CSPG membership, since it automatically be added to the Nomination Slate. Nominations should be forwarded to the CSPG office by encompasses several important producing September 11, 2009. The slate of candidates will be published in the November Reservoir and the election will pools, including Hiding Creek, Wapiti, take place on December 9, 2009. Elmworth, and Gold Creek. 2) Informal Nominations can be made via email or letter; please confirm that the nominee is willing to stand for GRADUATE STUDENT THESIS the office of choice and send to CSPG Office to the attention of the Past President. Candidates nominated in AWARDS – Ph.D. Honorable this fashion will be considered for addition to the Nomination Slate by the Nominations Committee. Mentions Two honorable mentions were given The following vacancies exist for 2010: • Vice President • Assistant Services Director• Assistant Communications Director in the Ph.D. category to Xavier Roca- • Assistant Finance Director• Assistant Outreach Director• Communications Director Argemi (University of Western Ontario, • Assistant Program Director supervised by Professor Guy Plint) for his thesis entitled “Tectonic and eustatic Successful candidates for the Directorships will serve two-year terms and the elected Vice President, a third one-year controls on the allostratigraphy and term as Past President. Interested parties should contact the office for details and general requirements of service depositional environments of the lower on the Executive. Colorado Group (upper Albian) central

30 RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 foothills and adjacent plains of Alberta, tectonism and eustacy are supported fracture design to enhanced commercial Western Canada Foreland Basin” and to by numerous allomember ispach maps. gas production. Shale gas explorationists Daniel J. K. Ross (University of British His research is a substantial contribution will find the subsurface geochemical Columbia, supervised by Professor Marc to the regional understanding of the data, adsorption capacity measurements, Bustin) for his thesis entitled “Investigation lower Colorado Group in a structurally mineralogy content, and rock property into the importance of geochemical and complicated part of the basin. Anyone data very useful. In addition, the data may pore structure heterogeneities for shale working in this area would certainly supplement an existing, costly in-house gas reservoir evaluation.” benefit from reading Roca-Argemia’s well shale sampling and analysis program. illustrated work. Roca-Argemia’s regional stratigraphic The full Graduate Thesis Award citations study builds on earlier work of Jessica Ross’ thesis focuses on Jurassic, Mississippian appear in the March 2009 issue of the Krawetz (née Rylaarsdam), the winner of and Devonian shales of the Western Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology. last year’s M.Sc. Thesis Award. His study Canada Sedimentary Basin. It is timely area encompasses the overthrust belt and research that adds considerable analytical Many thanks are extended to all the western part of the undeformed basin in detail to potential shale gas exploration members of the Graduate Thesis Awards British Columbia and Alberta, an area which targets. Key findings documented in this committee for their dedication and time in has been burdened by a somewhat confusing thesis show that shale pore structure is ot her wise ver y busy schedule s. A lso t h ank s stratigraphic nomenclatural scheme. A a function of organic content, mineralogy, are extended ConocoPhillips Canada and large dataset was used to establish new and thermal maturation, and that methane ARC Financial for their financial support. chronostratigraphic, allostratigraphic, and sorption capacity increases with increasing depositional interpretations for the lower total organic content (TOC). The sampled The committee is always looking for Colorado Group, including the Viking and Mississippian and Devonian shales are members interested in reading and judging Paddy/Cadotte formations. Roca-Argemia shown to adsorb more gas on a weight theses. Participation provides members used 161 cores and 34 outcrop sections percent TOC basis than do Jurassic with an opportunity to keep up to date to support detailed paleo-environmental shales, possibly making them attractive with current university research. If you and paleogeographic interpretations. In exploration targets. Quartz-rich Devonian are interested in serving on next year’s addition, an extensive cross-section grid, shales display tight-rock characteristics, committee, please contact Andre Chow comprising 50 well/outcrop sections, was small median pore diameters, and low ([email protected]) for used to delineate problematic stratigraphic permeability. This suggests the need for additional details. relationships. Further interpretations on detailed study in order to optimize hydraulic

CANADIAN SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGY CALL FOR NOMINATIONS 2010 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE In accordance with Article VI, subparagraph (a) of the By-Laws, the Nominating Committee hereby calls for Nominations to Stand for Election to the 2010 Executive Committee of the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists.

Nominations can be made in two ways: 1) Formal Nominations are to be made in writing, signed by at least twenty-five members in good standing and endorsed by the nominee who is consenting to stand for office. Candidates nominated in this fashion will automatically be added to the Nomination Slate. Nominations should be forwarded to the CSPG office by September 11, 2009. The slate of candidates will be published in the November Reservoir and the election will take place on December 9, 2009.

2) Informal Nominations can be made via email or letter; please confirm that the nominee is willing to stand for the office of choice and send to CSPG Office to the attention of the Past President. Candidates nominated in this fashion will be considered for addition to the Nomination Slate by the Nominations Committee.

The following vacancies exist for 2010: • Vice President • Assistant Services Director• Assistant Communications Director • Assistant Finance Director• Assistant Outreach Director• Communications Director • Assistant Program Director

Successful candidates for the Directorships will serve two-year terms and the elected Vice President, a third one-year term as Past President. Interested parties should contact the office for details and general requirements of service on the Executive.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 31 Events associated with the 100th Anniversary of the Discovery of the Burgess Shale Fauna | by Philip Benham and Randle Robertson

the Burgess Shale discovery gives us an Teachers (August 15-20th). opportunity not only to celebrate scientific discovery but also engage the public. Special events: July 14th Centennial Kickoff event: In the hundred years since Walcott first “The Fossil and the Astronaut” by stumbled upon the imprint of Marella Dr. Roberta Bondar at the Calgary Telus splendens, what is the state of earth science Convention Centre. in our high school programs? Sadly, the junior and senior school curricula are nearly void June 30th to September 14th: of any geology / earth science. The students Chautauqua series; paired science talks and are not aware of what career choices or hikes. The nineteen lecture topics range what programs are available to them at the from the Galapagos finches to a geologist’s post secondary levels of study. This comes bicycle tour of Iceland. at a time when the leaders of tomorrow will be faced with maintaining adequate Geo-Paleo Art for Families on July petroleum and mineral resources, sources 22nd: Canmore Geoscience Centre, of water, dealing with climate change, clean Alberta and July 23rd Field Elementary air issues, and population growth. Earth School, July 26th Community Spirit Square sciences will be required more than ever to in Golden, B.C. help resolve these problems. August 3-7th Presentations on the Life of For many years now, the responsibility for Mary Vaux and Charles Doolittle Walcott by providing public access to the Burgess Shale Henry Vaux in Field, Golden, and Canmore. has fallen to the not-for-profit society known as Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation. August 21st Geological Survey of Canada A view of the Burgess Shale quarry site with a scenic Each summer and early fall, hikers make Re-union. Field Elementary School. background. The photographer is Wally Randall and the pilgrimage to the fossil site in the the image is owned by The Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation. capable hands of volunteers (most of them September 4-5th; Centennial re- CSPG members) who focus on providing enactment of Walcott’s ride by horse to the 2009 is an auspicious year for paleontology. a safe and informative adventure. Besides site of the quarry. BBQ, dance, and silent Not only is it the 200th anniversary of administering the educational hikes, the auction to follow. the birth of Charles Darwin, but it is also mandate of Foundation is to: integrate earth the 100th anniversary of the discovery of sciences into the curricula from kindergarten For more information and a schedule of the Burgess Shale Fauna. In late summer to grade 12; and to interest high school these events please visit http://burgess- of 1909, Charles Walcott encountered students in pursuing post-secondary studies shale.bc.ca/. amazingly preserved Cambrian fossils in the earth sciences. near Burgess Pass in what is now Yoho We would also like to mention the National Park. The site is important for With this in mind, and on the occasion International Conference on the Cambrian its preservation of soft parts, diversity of of the multiple anniversaries, the Burgess Explosion, to be held in Banff August 3-8th, species, and its occurrence so early in the Shale Geoscience Foundation has organized 2009. Many of the top researchers will be Phanerozoic. The five-eyed Opabinia, truly a number of events focused on promoting attending and presenting at this event. For bizarre Hallucigenia, and the top predator of science to the general public. Participate, more information on this event visit: http:// the Cambrian seas, Anomalocaris, are now volunteer, get the word out. Let’s put Earth burgess-shale.info/. all part of the science and lore associated back in the sciences. with the Burgess Shale. They and well over Philip Benham is CSPG Paleontology Division a hundred other genera give us an early Regular Events: Chair and an active volunteer for the Burgess picture into the development of metazoan Educational Hikes: Burgess Shale, Mount Shale Geoscience Foundation (BSGF). He co- lineages. Stephen Trilobite Beds. Climate Change / Ice- designed and helps lead the annual Earth line Trail. Weather permitting, hikes begin in Science Professional Development Workshop In 1981 The Burgess Shale was designated late June and last into mid September. Spots for High School Teachers, which is run by the as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, are limited and fill up very quickly. BSGF. Randle Robertson is director of the and three years later was integrated into the Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation. Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO The tenth annual Earth Science Professional World Heritage Site. The anniversary of Development Workshop for High School

32 RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 APEGGA Honorary Life Membership Award | This is a reprint from the APEGGA Annual Conference Summit Awards® Gala book

Dr. Gordon Williams, P.Geol., has been a coal projects in Alberta, British Columbia, leader in the geoscience community and a key Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, and player in APEGGA’s regulatory functions. He Saskatchewan. Dr. Williams is currently was born and raised in a farming community a sessional instructor in petroleum land in southwestern Manitoba, obtaining his management in the Haskayne School of B.Sc. from Brandon College (University of Business at the University of Calgary. Manitoba) in 1955 and his Ph.D. in geology in 1960 from the University of Alberta. Dr. Williams has been an active APEGGA volunteer for more than 30 years. He played Over the course of his career, Dr. Williams a pivotal role in establishing the Canadian has been active in the advancement of Council of Professional Geoscientists (CCPG), the profession and its future professionals. is an honorary member and past-president of He taught geology and served as chair of the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists the Geology Department at the University (CSPG), and a distinguished fellow of the of Alberta. Dr. Williams also taught at Geological Association of Canada (GAC). Dr. the University of Queensland in Australia, Williams has been recognized by receiving served as dean of science and technology at APEGGA’s L.C. Charlesworth Professional Dr. Gordon Williams on the right, receiving his award from John McLeod, past president of APEGGA. Mount Royal College, and now operates his Service Award, CCPG’s first-ever Canadian own consulting company. Professional Geoscientist Award, GAC’s The Council may confer Honorary J. Willis Ambrose Medal, and CSPG’s Life Membership in APEGGA upon any Dr. Williams has been employed by oil President’s Award. Professional Member who has rendered companies in western Canada and has eminent service to the Association. worked on oil and gas, oil sands, oil shale, and APEGGA’s L.C. Charlesworth Professional Service Award | This is a reprint from the APEGGA Annual Conference Summit Awards® Gala book

executive committees and boards, he has accomplishments. Dr. McIlreath had the chaired and led numerous major committees honour of being the youngest CSPG and has been an active member on many president when he held that office in 1983. more, including international organizations. He is the only person to have served as Dr. McIlreath’s work with the Canadian the president of both the CSPG and the Society of Petroleum Geologists (CSPG) Geological Association of Canada, and he and the Canadian geoscience community, also served as president of the Canadian particularly the Geological Association of Geological Foundation. Dr. McIlreath was Canada (GAC), has made a significant and the General Chairman of GeoCanada 2000, positive impact. He received his Ph.D. from Canada’s first national earth science meeting. the University of Calgary in 1977, following He is currently the General Chairman of an M.Sc. and a B.Sc. in Engineering Geological GeoCanada 2010, the second summit. For Sciences from Queen’s University. his contributions to the profession, Dr. McIlreath has received numerous honours After completing his Ph.D., Dr. McIlreath and awards. joined Shell Canada as an exploration geologist for three years. Subsequently, he A mentor, teacher, researcher, editor, Dr. Ian McIIreath (right) receiving his award from has held various technical and discipline author, and critical reviewer, Dr. McIlreath former APEGGA President Dr. Gordon Williams at the lead, as well as management, positions has also served the broader community 2009 APEGGA Summit Awards. at Petro-Canada, Agat, PanCanadian, and having sat as a board member on the Alberta Dr. Ian A. McIlreath, P.Geol., has devoted EnCana. In January, 2009 he joined Talisman Science and Technology Leadership Awards more than 30 years of his career to active Energy as manager geoscience discipline Foundation, the Burgess Shale Foundation, participation in Canada’s leading earth science in the Exploration and Technology and and the University of Calgary Senate. He organizations. He has made, and continues Geoscience department. currently sits on the Board of Trustees to make, truly outstanding contributions to of the Canadian Science and Technology the field of geology on both a national and His commitment to his profession Museum Corporation in Ottawa. international level. He has served on many is evidenced by his many impressive

RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 33 Thank You to Our Volunteers

Thank you to all the volunteers on the Organizing Committee who Organizing Committee (...continued) made the 2009 CSPG CSEG CWLS Convention a success! Fiona MacDonald Publications Chair Laura Brick Special Events Chair General Co-Chairs Lyndsey Nicholas Volunteer Coordinator Mike Cecile CSPG Travis Hobbs Short Courses & Field Trips Mike Jones CSEG Debbie Legaspi Short Courses & Field Trips Dave Greenwood CWLS Alexi Belonogov Short Courses & Field Trips Organizing Committee Julia Baumeister Short Courses & Field Trips Kevin Root Technical Program Nicole Lehocky Short Courses & Field Trips Rob Vestrum Technical Program Andy Anderson Short Courses & Field Trips Satyaki Ray Technical Program Blair Neil Short Courses & Field Trips Darren Aldridge Finance Chair Jennifer Leslie-Panek Short Courses & Field Trips Flo Reynolds Exhibits Chair Petra Buziak Short Courses & Field Trips Victor Irwin Exhibits Committee Dara Welch Posters Craig van Dongen Exhibits Committee Dave Clyde Logistics Wade Whitlow Exhibits Committee Gary Taylor Judging & Awards Randy Smith Exhibits Committee Sarah Cutten Judging & Awards Chris McGregor Exhibits Committee Darren Singleton Core Conference Terry McCoy Sponsorship Chair Norm Cooper Core Conference

34 RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 Thank You Connecting Industry Professionals to Our Volunteers with University Students across Canada | by Chad Glemser

Lecture tours organized by CSPG’s University present to students and faculty at the students, exciting careers in the petroleum Outreach Committee attempt to bring oil universities of Windsor, Western Ontario, industry and, most importantly, a great and gas industry professionals together with Waterloo, Laurentian, Ottawa, and Carleton. way for students to network with industry university students to talk about careers in the professionals. In addition to the Lecture petroleum industry and the many technical Scott Rayner’s lecture about “Quaternary Tours, the University Outreach program challenges that face us everyday. This year and Tertiary Period Buried Bedrock Channels offers many other benefits to university CSPG’s University Outreach Committee was in Alberta’s Athabasca Oil Sands Region; students through Student Chapters, student proud to send out six lecturers to visit Implications to the regional hydrogeology memberships, field trips, and student awards. various universities across Canada to present and in-situ oil sands project’s groundwater The Lecture Tours provide a great way to their work to students and faculty. The supply” provided an excellent example of promote these benefits. University Outreach Committee expresses a hydrogeological case study, incorporating their sincere appreciation and thanks to Quaternary, Tertiary, and Cretaceous With the many impressive lectures given this all universities involved with hosting the geological, hydraulic head, and groundwater year and in the past, the University Outreach lecturers on tour this year. chemistry mapping that displayed the Committee is always looking for enthusiastic implications of source well deliverability and individuals with new and creative lecture In the fall of 2008 two lecturers, Marianne source water chemistry to an in-situ oil sands ideas to bring to aspiring undergraduate and Molgat, a geologist with Talisman Energy project’s water supply. Students and faculty graduate students across Canada. If you, in Calgary, and Bill Martindale, a geologist at Dalhousie, St. Francis Xavier, and Acadia or someone you know, have an idea for a with Petro-Canada, traveled east to talk to universities were treated to an informative talk you would like to give on any aspect students in Ontario and Quebec. Molgat’s talk, talk displaying these practical implications. of petroleum geology, please feel free to entitled “The Petroleum Industry in Ontario: contact either Chad Glemser (C.Glemser@ History, Reservoir Geology and Geologists” In March 2009, Terrence Lukie toured five shell.com) or Tracy Allen (Tracy_Allen@ provided an excellent overview of the western Canadian universities (University of nexeninc.com). petroleum industry in Ontario, its reservoir Manitoba, University of Regina, University geology, and recent technological advances of Saskatchewan, University of Victoria, that allow geoscientists to more accurately and Simon Fraser University) while Alex and correctly identify hydrocarbons. Molgat’s J. MacNeil headed east to Ontario and lecture tour was appropriately focused Quebec to lecture at McMaster, Queen’s, towards Ontario universities, where she and McGill. Lukie’s talk, entitled “The Ups visited the University of Toronto, Lakehead and Downs of Horizontal Drilling in the University, and Laurentian University. Molgat Alberta Foothills” provided an excellent also provided a first-hand account of the introduction to students and faculty about daily activities of a geologist in the petroleum the many technical, environmental, and industry, the diversity of their work, as well regulatory challenges of drilling gas wells in as training and cross-training opportunities. the Alberta foothills. Lukie’s lecture “was the Bill Martindale traveled to Waterloo, Queen’s single most effective and best talk I have ever University, Carlton University, University of seen on introducing geoscience students to CSPG Hot Tip Ottawa, McGill, and western universities. the petroleum industry” stated William Last, Professor of the University of Manitoba. Did you know that The winter lecture tours featured CSPG Members have access Dr. Michael Rygel, Assistant Professor at the While Lukie was lecturing in the west, State University of New York, College at MacNeil talked with students about his Ph.D. to the online Potsdam; Scott Rayner, a senior consultant work on “New Insight to Controls on the CSPG Member Directory? at Matrix Solutions Inc.; Terrence Lukie, a Nature of Devonian Reefs – Contributions You can search for a fellow senior sedimentologist with Talisman Energy; from the Upper Devonian Alexandra Reef and Alex J. MacNeil, a geologist with Imperial System” for which he was the 2007 recipient member’s contact information Oil Ltd. in Calgary. Dr. Rygel’s lecture, of the CSPG Ph.D. Graduate Thesis Award. either by their name, company entitled “The Magnitude of Late Paleozoic MacNeil’s lecture was very well received or CSPG member ID. Glacioeustatic Fluctuations: A Synthesis” by both students and faculty, attracting provided a comprehensive literature review upwards of 80 students and faculty at all To use this resource, visit the of over 100 published papers showing that three universities and inspired many students Members Only section of the the magnitude of eustatic fluctuations varied to become CSPG student members. website by selecting throughout the Carboniferous and Permian and that at least eight distinct phases can The CSPG Lecture Tours provide an “Member Login” in the top be recognized. The University Outreach excellent way for students and faculty to right corner at Committee was pleased to have Dr. Rygel, learn about CSPG and its many benefits www.cspg.org. the 2006 CSPG Ph.D. Thesis Award winner, for both undergraduate and graduate

RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 35 Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists 20th ANNUAL MIXED GOLF TOURNAMENT www.cspg.org FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2009 - LYNX RIDGE GOLF CLUB

Format: Modi ed Texas Scramble, shotgun start at 8:00 am. Teams will be assigned according to handicap or average score. This is a fun tournament open to both men and women. Registration includes a Continental Breakfast, Dinner, Green Fees and Power Carts.

Registration Deadline August 7, 2009 (Priority will be given to CSPG Members). CSPG Members: Register online at http://www.cspg.org/events/events-social-golf.cfm. Non-Members and Guests: Mail or fax your form to CSPG’s of ce (contact information below).

� CSPG - Member # � Non Member Name:

Company:

Address:

Phone (daytime): Phone / Cell (evening):

Email:

� Male � Female Club Handicap or average 18 hole score:

Guest Name: (One guest allowed per CSPG Member)

� Male � Female Club Handicap or average 18 hole score:

Please note: A Waiver must be signed by EACH participant 5 business days prior to the Mixed Golf Tournament. A waiver form will be distributed to you once your registration form has been processed. If a waiver is not signed prior to the tournament, your registration will be removed from the tournament. All registrations must be accompanied by full payment. All Cancellations or Amendments to registrations must be received in writing via email to Dick Willott at [email protected]. Phone requests will not be accepted. The Cancellation or Amendment must be received by 4:00 pm on August 14, 2009. A 15% Cancellation and Administration fee will apply.

For more information, contact Dick Willott at 403-543-5387, Brenda Pearson at 403-206-3339, or David Caldwell at 403-852-5571.

$ 85.00 Member $ 125.00 Non-Member / Guest $ 25.00 Extra Meal Ticket (Non-playing guests. Maximum 10 spots;  rst-come,  rst served.) $ TOTAL (GST Included. GST # 118836295)

� VISA � MC � Cheque/Money Order (Payable to CSPG)

Card Number: Expiry:

Name of Cardholder: Signature:

Registrations to be sent to: Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists Attn: Mixed Golf Tournament 600, 640 – 8 Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta T2P 1G7 Phone: 403.264.5610 Fax: 403.264.5898

Welcome to the ANNUAL Mixed Golf Tournament

This year’s tournament will be held on look forward to the return of our sponsors As tournament chairs, we are completely Friday, August 28th, at Lynx Ridge Golf for this fun event, and will continue our satisfied that Events Online will provide a Course in northwest Calgary. We are back support for the CSPG Trust “Geoscientist safe and secure area for registration and to the Friday morning and back at Lynx for the Future” fundraising. event payment. Your information will not be Ridge. Once again, our committee: Darin sold or distributed to anyone by using the Brazel, David Caldwell, Penny Christensen, Entry deadline for the tournament will registration site. Carter Clarkson, Norm Hopkins, Alyssa be Friday August 7th, with non-members Middleton, Kevin Muir, Brenda Pearson, accepted in date priority until the tournament If you have any questions, please phone or Dick Willott, and Hugh Wishart will bring is filled. Priority is always given to CSPG email either of the CSPG Mixed Golf co- together a first class tournament for all members first. Questions concerning chairs Brenda Pearson or David Caldwell. participants. registration can be directed to Dick Willott from Boyd Petrosearch at his office 403- CSPG Mixed Golf Committee: The CSPG Mixed is a four-person best-ball 543-5387 or by email to dickw@BoydPetro. Dick Willott – Boyd Petrosearch tournament with an 8:00 am shotgun start. com. You can also contact Brenda Pearson Penny Christensen – Schlumberger Golfers’ average scores / handicaps are used at 206-3339 or bpearson@birchcliffenergy. Carter Clarkson – Hycal to create balanced teams so everyone has a com or David Caldwell at 403-852-5571 or Kevin Muir – Recon Petrotechnologies chance to contribute. The CSPG Mixed is a [email protected]. Hugh Wishart – Oilexco social tournament, intended for fun, and an Brenda Pearson – Birchcliff Energy opportunity to network and socialize with This year we are using the on-line registration Darin Brazel – LogTech Canada your colleagues and peers from industry, services of Events Online to collect Norm Hopkins – Fairmount Energy and provides mix and meet opportunities for the registration information and charge David Caldwell – Command Equipment geoscientists, industry, and consultants. We members and guests the registration fees.

CSPG Calendar 2010 Call for Photos

$200 Prize for Best Photo $200 Prize for Best Canadian Photo Deadline: June 30, 2009

• Any Landscape Oriented Photo of Geological Interest – Canadian or International • Digital Photos Only. Files must be tiff or quality jpeg with a minimum resolution of 3 megapixels.

To submit your photo, use our online submission form at www.cspg.org via the Publications tab. If you have any questions, please contact Dave Hills at [email protected].

Photo by Glen Stockmal

RESERVOIR ISSUE 6 • JUNE 2009 37 OPEN HOLE WIRELINE LOGGING

(...Continued from page 28) Holland, Jennifer S. 2007. The Acid Threat. The Errors in Al Gore’s Movie. Science and Public approximately 50 times the amount of CO2 National Geographic Magazine, November, Policy Institute. www.scienceandpublicpolicy.org. contained in the atmosphere, not including the 2007, Photography by David Liitschwager. immense contribution of the living biological Morner, Nils Axel. 2004. Estimating Future Sea communities, it is apparent that the oceans Holloway, G. and Sou, T. 2002. Has Arctic sea Level Changes from Past Records. Global and by controlling the amount of atmospheric ice rapidly thinned? Journal of Climate, v. 15, p. Planetary Change, v. 40, issues 1-2, January, p.

CO2 play a vital part in maintaining stable 1691-1701. 49-54 New York Times, December 8, 2002 conditions suitable for organic life on earth.

It is well known that atmospheric CO2 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Polykov, I. V., et al. 2003. Trends and variations has been at much higher levels in the past. 1990. Climate Change 1990: The IPCC in Arctic climate systems. EOS. Transactions of During the Palaeogene, values up to five Scientific Assessment. Cambridge University American Geophysical Union, v. 83 p. 547-48. times current atmospheric levels have Press, Cambridge. been reported (1,885 parts per million – Polykov, I. V. and Johnson, M. A. 2000. Arctic Pagani, 2005) without injury to ocean life. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. decadal and interdecadal variability. Geophysical For rock-solid reliability — According to the ocean acidification theory, 2001. Climate Change 2001: The Physical Research Letters, v. 27, p. 4097-4100. miles underground — look into life could never have evolved on earth! Science Basis. Cambridge University Press, That this is nonsense is obvious, but the Cambridge. Rothrock, D. A., Yu, Y., and Maykut, G. A. 1999. our precise imaging solutions. constant unqualified repetition in the media Thinning of the Arctic sea ice cover. Geophysical of unsubstantiated claims of disaster raises Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Research Letters, v. 26, p. 3469-72. unwarranted concern among the general 2007. Climate Change: The Physical Science Halliburton Wireline and Perforating Services has the most public. This is particularly so when it occurs Basis. Summary for Policymakers, Fourth Segalstad, Tom. 2009. Carbon Isotope Mass in respected mainstream media outlets. Assessment Report. Geneva, Switzerland. Balance vs. Oceanic CO2. International reliable imaging solutions in the world—including the new Conference on Climate Change, New York. REFERENCES: Jones, P. D. 1995. Recent variations in mean www.heartland.org/events/NewYork09/ Appenzeller, Tim. 2007. The Big Thaw, Ice on temperature and the diurnal temperature range proceedings.html. Oil Mud Reservoir Imager (OMRI™) tool and its X-tended the Run, Seas on the Rise. National Geographic, in the Antarctic. Geophysical Research Letters, June 2007. v. 20 p. 1345-48. Sansom, J. 1989. Antarctic surface temperature Range Micro Imager (XRMI™) water-based time series. Journal of Climate, v. 2, p. 1164- Doran, P. T., et al. 2002. Antarctic climate Krabill, W., et al. 1994. Greenland Ice Sheet 72. tool version—both of which generate cooling and terrestrial ecosystem response. Thickness Changes Measured by Laser Nature, advance online publication. Altimetry. Geophysical Research Letters, v. 22, Thompson, L. G. 2002. Kilimanjaro ice core crisp, digital wellbore images across p. 2341-2344. records: evidence of Holocene climate change in Gore, Al. 2006. An Inconvenient Truth. Movie. tropical Africa. Science 298, p. 589-93. the full range of formation resis- Krabill, W., et al. 2000. Greenland Ice Sheet: Hanna, E. and Cappelin, J. 2003. Recent cooling High elevation balance and peripheral thinning. Tkachuk, R. D. 1983. The Little Ice Age. tivities and with excellent in coastal Southern Greenland and relation Science v. 289, p. 428-430. Geoscience Research Institute, v. 10, issue 2, p. with the North Atlantic oscillation. Geophysical 56-65 or www.grisda.org/origins/10051.html. vertical resolution. Research Letters, v. 30, 32-1 to 32-3. Moncton, C. W. 2007. 35 Inconvenient Truths,

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(...Continued from page 12) Halliburton Wireline Morocco on an AAPG field trip since the organization (www.yme.no). Over the years, pre-rift conjugate margin basin equivalent he has given many presentations to the CSPG and Perforating Services— to the East Georges Bank Basin is exposed International Division on a variety of subjects in the High Atlas Mountains of Central related to exploration and production projects the leader in reliability and Morocco. Indeed, spectacular outcrops in the countries where he has lived and worked. in the High Atlas provide support for the His first presentation to the International geological analysis of some two decades Division was in 1987 and this will be his 15th service excellence. For more ago, as will be shown in this presentation presentation in the past 22 years. information, please visit us Biography INFORMATION Tako Koning is Holland-born but Alberta- There is no charge. Please bring your lunch. at www.halliburton.com/wireline. raised and graduated in 1971 with a B.Sc. The facilities for the talk are provided in Geology from the University of Alberta. complimentary of EnCana and refreshments He also earned a B.A. in Economics from by Geochemtech Inc. For further information the University of Calgary in 1981. He was or if you would like to give a talk, please employed by Texaco for 29 years as a geologist contact Bob Potter at (403) 863-9738 or and manager in Canada, Indonesia, Nigeria, [email protected] or Trent Rehill at and Angola. He retired in 2002 when Texaco Tullow Oil. He is also involved with aid work (403) 606-6717 or [email protected]. merged with Chevron and continued to live and in northern Angola drilling water wells with work in Angola where he is a consultant for Yme Foundation, a Norwegian humanitarian

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