18 Microseismic Hydraulic Fracture Monitoring: Part 3 26 Go Take a Hike 33 Oil Rocks: the First City on the Caspian Sea Geoconvention 2012: Vision See Center Insert!

18 Microseismic Hydraulic Fracture Monitoring: Part 3 26 Go Take a Hike 33 Oil Rocks: The First City on the Caspian Sea GeoConvention 2012: Vision See Center Insert!

$10.00 APRIL 2012 VOLUME 39, ISSUE 4 Canadian Publication Mail Contract – 40070050

RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 1

April 2012 – VOLUME 39, ISSUE 4

ARTICLES Microseismic Hydraulic Fracture Imaging – Part 3: Height Growth ...... 18

CSPG OFFICE 2011 Link Award ...... 22 #110, 333 – 5th Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 3B6 2011 Medal of Merit Award ...... 23 Tel: 403-264-5610 Web: www.cspg.org Go Take a Hike ...... 26 Office hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:00pm The CSPG Annual Classic Golf Tournament is Evolving ...... 29 Executive Director: Lis Bjeld Tel: 403-513-1235, Email: [email protected] Canadian Federation of Earth Scientists ...... 30 Member Liaison: Bea McDowell Tel: 403-513-1226, Email: [email protected] 12th Annual Long-time Members Reception ...... 30 Communications and Publications: Caitlin Young Email: [email protected], Tel: 403-513-1230 Oil Rocks: The First City on the Caspian Sea ...... 33 Programs Development: Aileen Lozie Tel: 403-513-1227, Email: [email protected] 2012 23rd Annual CSPG Mixed Golf Tournament ...... 37 Accounting and Office Administration: Kasandra Klein Tel: 403-513-1233, Email: [email protected] Five Alive GeoSkills Training Day Enters its 5th Year ...... 41 Corporate Sponsorship: Lis Bjeld Tel: 403-513-1235, Email: [email protected] Earth Science for Society: Planting the Seeds of Future Geoscientists ...... 42 EDITORS/AUTHORS Please submit RESERVOIR articles to the CSPG office. DEPARTMENTS Submission deadline is the 23rd day of the month, two months prior Executive Comment ...... 5 to issue date. (e.g., January 23 for the March issue).

To publish an article, the CSPG requires digital copies of the document. Featured Geologist: David Campagna ...... 7 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 Technical Luncheons ...... 8 preparation, refer to the Guidelines for Authors published in the CSPG Division Talks ...... 11 Bulletin or contact the editor.

Technical Editors Rock Shop ...... 10, 11, 14, 30, 40 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 Caitlin Young, Publications Coordinator, CSPG Tel: 403-513-1230, Email: [email protected],

ADVERTISING Advertising inquiries should be directed to Caitlin Young, Tel: 403-513-1230 email: [email protected]. The deadline 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 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. Additional information on the RESERVOIR’s submission guidelines can be found at http://www.cspg. org/publications/pubs-reservoir-submissions.cfm. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in full without the consent of the publisher. Additional copies of the RESERVOIR are available at the CSPG office. No official endorsement or sponsorship by the CSPG is implied for any advertisement, insert, or article that appears in the Reservoir unless otherwise noted. All submitted materials are reviewed by the editor. We reserve the right to edit all submissions, including letters to the Editor. Submissions must include your name, address, and membership number (if applicable). The material contained in this publication is intended for informational use only. While reasonable care has been taken, authors and the CSPG make no guarantees that any of the equations, schematics, or devices discussed will perform as expected or that they will give the desired results. Some information contained herein may be inaccurate or may vary from standard measurements. FRONT COVER The CSPG expressly disclaims any and all liability for the acts, omissions, or conduct of any third-party user of information contained in this publication. Under no circumstances shall the CSPG and its officers, directors, Moeraki Boulders scattered along Koekohe Beach just north of employees, and agents be liable for any injury, loss, damage, or expense arising in any manner whatsoever Dunedin, New Zealand. The boulders are perfectly spherical concretions that have from the acts, omissions, or conduct of any third-party user. been eroded out of the coastline by the ocean and lie scattered along the beach. Design and Layout by Sundog Printing. Printed in Canada by Sundog Printing. Photo by Nina Prefontaine.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 3 Miles of Shale Experience

With over 10,000 sq miles of acquisition, imaging, and analysis of shale data, CGGVeritas is the smart choice for shale. We offer integrated geophysical solutions for shale reservoirs designed to optimize well location and completion. • Identify hazards and sweet spots, reducing development risk and costs • Tailored solutions, from survey evaluation and design to rock property analysis, provide the most detailed reservoir models to optimize resource exploitation • Seamless integration of best-in-class services from the leading global provider of geophysical solutions

Safer, Smar ter, Better Get to Know Our SeisAble Benefits cggveritas.com/UR EXECUTIVE COMMENT A Message from the Educational Trust Fund Interim Chair, Steve Dryer

CSPG CSPG Educational EXECUTIVE Trust Fund (ETF) President Robin Mann • AJM Deloitte The CSPG Educational Trust Fund (ETF) funding according to the agreement with [email protected] Tel: (403) 648-3210 exists for the purpose of supporting and the two parties. funding petroleum geoscientific education. Vice President We currently have assets of $1.2 million During the fall of 2011, the ETF identified Paul MacKay • Shale Exploration Ltd. [email protected] Tel: (403) 457-3930 and from that we fund approximately the need to create a Funding Proposal $40,000 of projects yearly. The details of Guideline for funding requests and to Past President that support will follow. define the selection process as a result Kirk Osadetz • Geological Survey of Canada, Calgary of defining Petroleum Geoscience. These [email protected] Tel: (403) 292-7022 The contribution of many individuals forms are available on the CSPG website. to the ETF is greatly appreciated. The Finance Director Trustees have the objective of continuing All the ETF Trustees are here to represent Andrea Hood • geoLOGIC systems ltd. [email protected] Tel: (403) 262-1992 to build the fund. We would like to be you and can be contacted through the working with $5-10 million which would CSPG website. As Interim Chair, I Assistant Finance Director make the funding of many more projects would also like to thank the Trustees Samantha Etherington • CNRL possible. There are two ways you can be for continuing to serve on the ETF. [email protected] Tel: (403) 386-6459 part of this ambitious goal. The first is Currently the ETF is comprised of myself, to communicate your ideas or vision of Interim Chair; Dan Krentz, Secretary; Program Director what can be done. For example, could Peter Harrington, Treasurer; and Trustees Jon Noad • Murphy Oil Corporation [email protected] Tel: (403) 294-8829 it be something like a “Noble Prize” John Cuthbertson, Simon Haynes, Dawn which recognizes contributions that Hodgins, John Hogg, Brett Norris, Kirk ASSISTANT Program Director have advanced petroleum geoscience Osadetz, Kyla Poelzer, and Clint Tippett. Dave Russum • AJM Deloitte education? The second way to be part of I would like to personally thank Claus [email protected] Tel: (403) 648-3228 the ETF and create a personal legacy is to Sitzler who chaired the ETF in 2011 contribute financially. In this way you can followed by Dan Krentz as Interim Chair. SERVICES DIRECTOR give back to the profession that enabled Michelle Hawke • Apache Canada Ltd. [email protected] Tel: (403) 261-1200 your own success.

ASSISTANT SERVICES DIRECTOR For fiscal year 2010-2011, the ETF funded Mike Seifert • Canadian Discovery the CSPG $40,610 in support of the [email protected] Tel: (403) 269-3644 following: CSPG bursaries ($2,000), Long Time Graduate Thesis Awards ($5,500), and the Communications Director Honorary Address ($4,000). Additional Members Jim Barclay • ConocoPhillips Canada [email protected] Tel: (403) 532-3889 funding went towards geoConvention: recovery 2011 ($5,000), the Andrew Reception ASSISTANT Communications Director Baillie Award ($1,000), EdGeo ($12,500), Curtis Evans • ERCB Calgary Youth Science Fair ($610), and the Wednesday, May 16, 2012 [email protected] Tel: (403) 297-8386 Glen Ruby Scholarship ($10,000). During the year, CSPG collected donations on 5:30 – 7:30pm Outreach Director Simon Haynes • Statoil Canada Ltd. behalf of the ETF in the amount of $23,571. [email protected] Tel: (403) 724-0364 TELUS Convention Centre The CSPG Educational Trust Fund as an ASSISTANT Outreach Director Alberta-registered charity has restrictions, Macleod Hall D Dawn Hodgins • Imperial Oil Resources both within its Deed and as a registered [email protected] Tel: (403) 232-5931 charity, as to the amount it is allowed to (By invitation only) fund yearly. Commencing in fiscal year Executive Director Lis Bjeld • CSPG 2011, the ETF is now able to increase its [email protected] Tel: (403) 513-1235 funding by reducing its capital by up to 10% per year. It also has the option to accept restricted donations that will allow

RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 5 They can copy us. They just can’t be us. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, we’re one flattered group. Drawing on a quarter century of oil and gas experience, geoLOGIC continues to be the market leader in data, software solutions and support. And while we lead the way, our competitors desperately create parity products, sometimes years after us. For details on how geoLOGIC leads the way, visit www.geoLOGIC.com/leader

Leading the way with customer-driven data, integrated software and services for your upstream decision-making needs. geoSCOUT | gDC | petroCUBE at www.geoLOGIC.com Featured Geologist: David Campagna | By Caitlin Young

CSPG is known for having the country’s resources as well as the potential impacts leading geologists as members, and it is that fracking has on the surrounding with great pride that we introduce to environment. “There are places that we you someone who we hope you will get can improve on fracking including: more to know through the upcoming Gussow precise methods to control the frac; using CORPORATE Geoscience Conference in November: cleaner fluids for stimulation; establish David Campagna. David is the General better drilling methods; and decrease the SPONSORS Manager of Unconventional Resources impact that fracking has on the surface” at Nexen Inc. and will be the Co-Chair says Campagna. The theme of this Gussow Diamond of the next CSPG Gussow Conference Conference is very topical and likely to IHS along with Christopher Clarkson of the be controversial and emotional. It is geoLOGIC systems ltd. University of Calgary. The conference critical that the program strive to be Schlumberger Canada ltd. theme will focus on the timely, and multidisciplinary with a strong science- controversial, topic of hydraulic fracture based approach.” Platinum stimulation or ‘fracking’.” The title of Cenovus the conference is “Hydraulic Fracture Fracking is also considered to have suffered Stimulation: The Science and Perception a less-than-positive reputation because ConocoPhillips of Fracking” and will discuss what is of the initial lack of communications EnCana currently known regarding the science between the industry and people living Imperial Oil of the process that will hopefully provide in areas where fracking is taking place. Nexen Inc. information to address current public Increasing this transparency is one of Shell perceptions. the ideas that the Conference hopes to instill in each delegate that attends. Talisman Energy “In Alberta we are used to oil and gas Direct communication through advocate Poggenpohl activity, we know about it and acknowledge organizations such as the CSPG to it. Other areas of the world may not have environmental and local groups that Gold such familiarity, which is one reason for oppose fracking is the most effective way APEGGA the controversy surrounding fracking,” to address common perceptions. CSPG Educational Trust Fund David states. “The Gussow Conference Devon Canada is meant to be a rational discussion based CSPG is extremely excited for David Imperial oil on scientific observation from which we Campagna to be one of the leaders of can formulate a reasonable assessment of our next Gussow Conference, and we Shell the value, costs and risks associated with are proud to feature him as our next Weatherford Laboratories hydraulic fracture stimulation. Geologist of the Month. Silver With over 25 years of experience in ENERPLUS the oil and gas industry, and 18 years JewelSuite alone in Unconventional Resources, David Roxar Campagna is a strong leader for such CSPG Awards Taqa North a timely and relevant topic. “Fracking has allowed us to access vast resources, Ceremony and our success has directly affected Bronze Tuesday, May 15, 2012 athabasca oil sands natural gas prices as well as trade.” The conference will look at the impact that blueback Reservoir fracking has on the environment, as well 5:30pm – 7:00pm Paradigm as water management, chemicals used, and Geovariances the potential for earthquakes based on Telus Convention Centre CSEG Foundation the actual rock mechanics of fracking. “I husky energy think that some of the problems fracking Macleod Hall D has come across in the past are that loring tarcore labs people are just not familiar with what Join us in honoring our roke technologies we actually do know about the process RPS Boyd Petrosearch as well as what we do not and that is 2011 award recipients. Halliburton Energy Services where the misconceptions come from. Suncor Energy With the Gussow Conference our goal is Everyone is welcome to attend. SUNDOG PRINTING to provide information that could be the basis from which we can have a dialogue regarding the benefits of unlocking these AS OF MARCH 10, 2012

RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 7 TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS april Luncheon Webcasts sponsored by

Each CSPG Technical Luncheon is 1 APEGGA PDH BIOGRAPHY Structural credit. Tickets may be purchased online at www. Stephen E. Laubach is a geologist at the Bureau cspg.org. of Economic Geology with expertise in structure, diagenesis, fractures, diagenesis, fluid flow, and rock Structural diagenesis is the study of the mechanics. His research focuses on chemical and resource plays, relationships between deformation or mechanical interactions in rock. He has worked deformational structures and chemical changes on geological and engineering issues pertaining to the Highlands to sediments. In shale resource plays, in tight gas tight gas, shale gas, and coalbed methane since sandstones, and in many other rocks the cross- 1986. He supervises graduate students in the of Scotland, disciplinary structural diagenetic approach to Geosciences Department of Geological Sciences fracturing, fault growth, compaction, and other and was first chair of the Jackson School Energy and curriculum mechanical processes is a key to unlocking Geoscience Education and Research Group in scientific knowledge about a part of the Earth’s 2008-2009. development interior that is of great intrinsic and practical interest, and a perspective that is increasingly Dr. Laubach served as a member of the SPEAKER important in the geoscience curriculum. Committee on Advanced Drilling Technologies, Stephen E. Laubach National Research Council from 1992–1994 and Bureau of Economic Geology Using examples from core-based studies of is a member of the National Research Council AAPG Distinguished Lecturer shales and tight-gas sandstones from Texas, Committee to Assess the Deep Underground Colorado, and Argentina, and outcrop examples Science and Engineering Laboratory. He co- 11: 30 am from NW Scotland, this talk shows how this chaired the first North American Rock Mechanics Tuesday, April 10, 2012 approach leads to new insights into fracture Symposium in 1994. He was a Distinguished Calgary, TELUS Convention Centre growth rates, how natural fractures evolve, Lecturer for the Society of Petroleum Engineers in Calgary, Alberta how they may impact production, and how 2004 and was a Member of the Geological Society the surprisingly heterogeneous attributes of of America Panel on energy and mineral resources Please note: The cut-off date for ticket sales fractures can be better predicted and efficiently policy in 2007–2008. He is Elected Editor of the is 1:00 pm, Tuesday, April 3, 2012. diagnosed. Some important remaining American Association of Petroleum Geologists CSPG Member Ticket Price: $42.00 + GST. challenges are outlined that have implications (2010-present) and is a member of the AAPG Non-Member Ticket Price: $45.00 + GST. for industry practice and for student training. Executive Committee.

WELL COMPLETIONS OPTIMIZE YOUR COMPLETION SUCCESS » Identify completion trends/most common practices FRAC » Benchmark drilling and completion costs DATABASE » Analyze competitor performance

The Well Completions & Frac Database is a searchable, web-based application offering digital completions and fracturing data. Currently covering all Resource Plays in Western Canada, the database focuses on horizontal multi-stage fracs, vertical multi-event fracs and client requests. WWW.FRACDATABASE.COM

Canadian Introspec Energy Group Inc. Discovery Ltd. Petroleum Consultants

8 RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS april Luncheon Webcasts sponsored by

family collection (Medicine Hat), and BIOGRAPHY Feathers and University of Alberta specimens, feather Ryan McKellar is currently a Postdoctoral fragments were observed as a very rare Fellow at the University of Alberta. He was protofeathers in component in the assemblage. Within the educated at that institution, with degrees more than 4,000 inclusion-bearing amber spanning a range of palaeontological Canadian pieces observed, 11 feather specimens topics including: vertebrate palaeontology, were discovered. Surprisingly, this find particularly theropod dinosaurs (B.Sc., Cretaceous constitutes the most abundant and diverse Honours); invertebrate palaeontology, suite of feather fossils yet documented specifically the Devonian phacopid trilobites amber from a Mesozoic amber deposit. The of Morocco (M.Sc.); and palaeoentomology suite of feathers is exceptional in that (Ph.D.). His doctoral dissertation dealt with SPEAKER alongside feather fragments structurally inclusions in Canadian amber. The main Ryan C. McKellar indistinguishable from those of modern focus of this work was parasitic Hymenoptera Department of Earth and Atmospheric birds, the amber also contains simple (microscopic wasps) in amber, but work on Sciences, University of Alberta (unbranched) feather types. These the deposit permitted the study of a number ‘protofeathers’ had previously been of other insect groups, along with unique 11: 30 am discovered as compression fossils inclusions, such as feather fragments. In Tuesday, April 24, 2012 surrounding dinosaur skeletons in the addition to studying amber inclusions, he Calgary, TELUS Convention Centre Lower Cretaceous of Liaoning, China, but has been involved in the use of Fourier- Calgary, Alberta are unknown from modern bird plumage, transform infrared spectroscopy, and stable suggesting a dinosaurian source. isotopic analyses of amber, in an effort Please note: The cut-off date for ticket sales to characterize various amber deposits. is 1:00 pm, Tuesday, April 17, 2012 In addition to preserving both ends of the Combined with amber inclusions, this line of CSPG Member Ticket Price: $42.00 + GST. evolutionary-developmental spectrum for research has provided a more comprehensive Non-Member Ticket Price: $45.00 + GST. feather morphologies, Canadian amber picture of source trees in amber-producing preserves plumage with a high degree of forests, as well as some of the ecological Each CSPG Technical Luncheon is 1 APEGGA fidelity. The amber displays good clarity, conditions at the time of amber production. PDH credit. Tickets may be purchased at and bears little in the way of a suspended www.cspg.org. particulate load. This, coupled with the Dr. McKellar is currently involved in an effort practice of embedding and slide-mounting to expand the number of inclusion-bearing The main deposit of Canadian amber specimens for long-term preservation, amber deposits being studied within western occurs within the Taber Coal Zone in has provided the opportunity to observe Canada, and has also resumed trilobite the uppermost part of the Foremost pigmentation and micrometer-scale research. The ongoing amber research will Formation (Campanian in age). These structures within the plumage. Pigment provide a more comprehensive record of coal seams have been mined in the distribution and intensity indicate plumage insect evolution, paleo-forests, and terrestrial vicinity of Grassy Lake, southern Alberta, colours ranging from white to nearly conditions throughout the Late Cretaceous leaving behind tailings piles where amber black within the sample set, with some and into the Paleocene. Alberta offers one accumulates at the surface as a result specimens displaying visible reddish- of the most complete records throughout of erosion. Grassy Lake amber and a brown colouration. Among the feather this time interval, as well as the opportunity secondary deposit of the same material fragments comparable to modern bird to study amber in direct association with along the shores of Cedar Lake in western plumage, fine structural details of the dinosaur remains. Manitoba are collectively referred to as barbules also indicate specific functions. ‘Canadian amber’, and have been known Much of the plumage is plumulaceous for more than a century. Despite the (downy) in structure, but some specimens length of time that this material has been possess barbules specialized for forming studied, work upon the amber inclusions vaned flight feathers. One specimen in has been sporadic, and has typically particular possesses distinctive, coiled focused on single groups of insects found barbules that are only found in modern as inclusions. Taphonomic studies have bird feathers adapted for water uptake (to indicated that inclusions are present in facilitate transport to the nest or diving one out of every 50 to 100 amber pieces behavior). collected, so large collecting efforts have been key to our understanding of the Canadian amber provides a snapshot deposit’s assemblage. As a result, many of feather morphologies, appearances, of the largest advances in our knowledge and functions within a Late Cretaceous of the assemblage have taken place within palaeo-forest. Although the plumage the last two decades. is not found in direct association with skeletal material, the amber record In a recent survey of Grassy Lake amber provides unmatched preservation and is a within the Royal Tyrrell Museum of valuable addition to the vertebrate fossil Palaeontology collections, the Leuck record of Alberta.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 9 TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS MAY Luncheon Webcasts sponsored by

Natural fracture characterization is an sandstones. One aspect commonly observed An integrated important component of reservoir flow in shales is a very small fracture spacing capacity assessment as well as hydraulic to mechanical thickness ratio, often much approach to fracture propagation analysis. This talk less than one. To address this problem, will describe some new developments in we have developed a coupled poroelastic assessing natural understanding natural fracture pattern fracture growth model to investigate the development and allude to how the difference influence of host rock permeability during fracture in natural fracture attributes in sandstones natural fracture growth. The hypothesis is and shales might impact hydraulic fracture that for a fracture to develop a substantial initiation, spatial operations. stress shadow around it, which would promote wider fracture spacing, it needs arrangement, Accurate predictions of natural fracture to grow faster than its neighbors in order flow attributes in sandstones and shales to suppress their growth. Fast fracture aperture require an understanding of the underlying growth, however, can be retarded by the mechanisms responsible for fracture growth lack of fluid replenishment to the fracture preservation and and aperture preservation. Geomechanical in extremely low permeability mudrocks. calculations show that opening-mode crack This allows slower fractures to catch up, flow properties in growth (tensile failure) can precede shear and the result should be very close spacing. failure in the subsurface under a wide range Preliminary modeling confirms the growth sandstones versus of pore pressure and stress conditions. retardation for low permeability rocks, Crack-seal textures and fracture aperture to which can change fracture growth time shales length ratios suggest that fractures typically from thousands of years to millions of years. propagate and fill with cement simultaneously. SPEAKER The degree of openness of a fracture to BIOGRAPHY Dr. Jon E. Olson flow depends on the competing rates of Dr. Olson has been an Associate Professor The University of Texas at Austin mechanical aperture growth and precipitated in Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering at cement crystal growth. Fractured reservoir The University of Texas at Austin since 1995, 11: 30 am permeability is also strongly dependent on before which he spent six years working for Tuesday, May 22, 2012 fracture pattern geometries. Modeling shows Mobil Research and Development Corporation. Calgary, TELUS Convention Centre that effective permeabilities calculated for He specializes in geomechanics applications Calgary, Alberta tight gas sandstones depend more strongly to fractured reservoir characterization and on fracture pattern connectivity than on hydraulic fracturing. Having degrees in both Please note: The cut-off date for ticket sales the magnitude of open fracture aperture, engineering and geology (B.S. from the is 1:00 pm, Tuesday, May 15, 2012 in apparent contradiction to the widely University of Notre Dame and Ph.D. from CSPG Member Ticket Price: $42.00 + GST. applied cubic law for fracture permeability Stanford University) gives him a unique Non-Member Ticket Price: $45.00 + GST. estimation. perspective on problems that lie within the intersection of structural geology and reservoir Each CSPG Technical Luncheon is 1 APEGGA Natural fractures in shales seem to geomechanics. PDH credit. have some fundamental differences with

ROCK SHOP

RockWell Consulting

SPECIALIZED IN GEOLOGICAL WELLSITE SUPERVISION AND CORE ANALYSIS petrographical & sedimentological descriptions for samples (thin section - fluid inclusion studies) conventional vertical/horizontal wells operations geology

our best friend and most valuable partner is our client Stephan C. Dragomir president www.geok2.com - phone: 403.831.9941 - [email protected]

10 RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 DIVISION TALKS BASS Division Sponsored by

A comprehensive multidisciplinary the hydro-fracing in the subsurface to Joslyn Creek investigation into the event identified the initiate production, these findings may have following geologic factors that may have relevance to other shallow in-situ thermal SAGD: Geologic contributed to the release: and non-thermal operations, including in- situ bitumen/extra-heavy oil deposits and considerations • Thin overburden (29-47 m), which is unconventional commodities such as oil sandy and silty, and locally fractured. shale, shale gas, and tight oil development. related to a surface In cases of excessive down-hole pressures, this overburden above the BIOGRAPHY steam release confining steam-chamber seal cannot Fran Hein got her B.Sc. in Geology, University be relied upon to act as a caprock if of Illinois at Chicago and her M.Sc. and Ph.D. incident, Athabasca the confining steam-chamber seal is at McMaster University. Prior to joining the breached. Alberta Geological Survey in 1997, she taught Oil Sands Area, • Occurrence of upper thief zones geology and geography courses at University above the Athabasca oil sands deposit of Alberta, Dalhousie University, and University Northeastern substantiated by the presence of gas of Calgary, where she supervised over 35 and bitumen within the overlying grad students. While at the Alberta Geological Alberta, Canada Quaternary (glacial) succession. Survey, Fran was in charge of the Oil Sands • Presence of glacial channel fills that had section and was involved in the G/B Hearings. In SPEAKER locally removed any or all overburden 2005 she moved to the Geology and Resources Fran Hein including any potential caprock seal. Branch of the ERCB, and in 2010 was appointed Energy Resource and Conservation Board • Structural influences related to karsting Chief Geologist of the ERCB. At present she is and/or regional tectonics which may advising and working on all unconventional 12:00 noon reduce the confining ability of the seal energy resources of the province and is largely Monday, April 2, 2012 above the exploited interval. involved with the new unconventional regulatory ConocoPhillips Auditorium framework, being developed by the ERCB. Gulf Canada Square The experience of the Joslyn Creek SAGD 401 – 9th Ave. SW, Calgary, Alberta surface steam release incident shows that all INFORMATION engineering and geologic factors have to be BASS Division talks are free and open to On May 18, 2006, a surface steam release integrated when assessing sites for potential anyone to attend (CSPG members and non- incident occurred at the Joslyn Creek in- in-situ thermal recovery of bitumen. members alike). Please bring your lunch. For situ steam-assisted gravity-drainage (SAGD) Results of the present investigation point further information about the division, joining operation in the Athabasca oil sands of to the need to have detailed site-specific our mailing list, a list of upcoming talks, or if northeastern Alberta. The surface steam characterization and modeling of both you wish to present a talk or lead a field trip, release lasted several minutes and caused the overlying and underlying formations please contact either Steve Donaldson at 403- significant surficial disturbance on the ground to properly understand the present stress 766-5534, email: Steve.Donaldson@cenovus. (which has since been remediated), with regime of the area being steamed, so com or Mark Caplan at 403-817-2603, email: the volume of displaced material ejected on appropriate operating pressures can be [email protected] or visit our web page at surface estimated to be between 1,400 and determined prior to steaming. Given ongoing www.cspg.org. 1,700 cubic meters. caprock integrity concerns associated with

ROCK SHOP

RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 11 29th Annual Squash Tournament 29th Annual Squash Tournament

Thank you to our generous sponsors! Tournament Sponsor

Registration Night Sponsor

Gold Sponsors 29th Annual Squash Tournament

Thank you to our generous sponsors!

Silver Sponsors

Bronze and Prize Sponsors

Arcis Continental Laboratories (1985) Ltd. Dril-X Fluids Edge Technologies EV Cam Pro Geo

DIVISION TALKS CORE AND SAMPLE Division Sponsored by

12:00 noon -1:30 PM. procedures and guidelines of the ERCB ERCB guidelines Wednesday, April 4, 2012 for sampling of core and drill cuttings, ERCB Core Research Centre current and future demands for information and regulations 3545 Research Way NW, Calgary, AB obtained through destructive and non- destructive testing (thin sections, XRD, for sampling CSPG members are invited to participate SEM, etc.), and ERCB policies on retention, in the ERCB Core Research Centre (CRC) loan, and return of materials and data. core and drill Stakeholder Group, which is an open forum for discussion between ERCB management Lunch will be provided. If you wish to attend cuttings for (and staff) and users of the Core Research please contact Doug Hayden, Chair, CSPG Centre, concerning the storage and use of Core and Sample Division via haydengeo@ destructive and material, and raw data provided from the telus.net. If you are unable to attend but analysis of material, stored at the CRC as would like to be informed of future meetings non-destructive well as other associated data. and receive minutes from them, please contact Doug at the same email address. analysis Our next meeting will discuss the current

DIVISION TALKS STRUCTURAL Division Sponsored by

Division Information: The effects of Cache in west- Structural Division talks are monthly and cover a diversity of structural themes. lateral lithology central Alberta Our Structural Division sponsors are Hef Petrophysical and Husky Energy. All are changes on the SPEAKER welcome and no registration is required. Melissa Newton For additional information, to be placed development of Conoco-Phillips on the Division e-mail list or to present a talk, please contact Darcie Greggs, Darcie. fold geometry 12 noon to 1pm [email protected]. Thursday, April 5, 2012 and fracture Conference Centre Room A, +30 level Please visit www.cspg.org for the talk abstract Western Canadian Place patterns for an (Husky Energy), 707 – 8th Avenue SW area near Grande Calgary, Alberta

ROCK SHOP

FARHAT HYDERI, P.Geol. President / CEO

3300, 205 - 5th Ave SW Calgary, AB T2P 2V7 Tel 403 726 0666 SABLE PETROLEUM Fax 403 264 1262 CONSULTANTS INC. Cell 403 819 2516 (The name that says it all!!!) WELLSITE GEOLOGICAL [email protected] SUPERVISION Bus 403.234.7625 SABLECONSULTANTS.COM

Conventional Wells Heavy Oil/Oil Sands SAGD Horizontal 800, 555 - 4 th Avenue SW, Calgary, AB, T2P 3E7 Coring Programs Coal Bed Methane Project Supervision [email protected] www.WellsiteGeologists.com

14 RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 DIVISION TALKS INTERNATIONAL Division Sponsored by Albania – A Complex Mediterranean Opportunity?

SPEAKER Peter J. Meehan, M.Sc., P. Geo. Geoscience Advisor, Stauralite Consulting Inc.

12:00 Noon Wednesday, April 11, 2012 Nexen Plus 15 Conference Centre Nexen Annex Building Drilling with a view; looking towards Italy on the Adriatic coast near Vlora, Albania 7th Ave. & 7th Street SW Calgary, Alberta Exploration has recently focused on The facilities for the talk are provided carbonate sub-thrusts, particularly as the complimentary of Nexen, coffee by IHS The recent production revival of Albania’s Italian success in the Apennines mirrors and refreshments by Geochemtech Inc. The giant Patos Marinza field, chiefly as a an analogous structural/petroleum system speakers are provided with gifts by Drilling result of Banker’s Petroleum application with many similar features. Although Information and Quad Operations. For further of modern technology to a languishing data acquisition within the Eastern information or if you would like to give a asset, has focused several other Canadian European countries was often not up to talk, please contact Bob Potter at (403) companies on unlocking southeast Europe’s western standards, the current Albanian 863-9738 or [email protected] or poorest country’s additional potential. This biostratigraphic, well, seismic, and surface Trent Rehill at (403) 606-6717 or trehill@ talk will review the general geology of the data is reliable, with some caveats, and kulczykoil.ca. Or visit our new Face Book page country, its strategic location, recent and needs integration into the regional (“CSPG International Division”). ongoing operations, examples of available structural/stratigraphic framework to data, and quickly look at the potential that build concepts and leads into drillable may have been overlooked in one area. prospects.

Albania is part of the Alpine-Mediterranean Similar data types to the examples Are You orogenic belt and its Mesozoic and Tertiary illustrated are also present in other evolution was controlled by relative former Eastern Block countries, all of Interested in movements of the Adriatic sub-plate, which were influenced by Russian methods culminating in major Miocene-Pliocene and technologies. The author’s overall the Oil Sands? tectonics. This resulted in a series of conclusion is that the data is generally structural zones striking northwest- useful, despite some reporting and quality Would you like to network southeast, primarily thrusted to the issues. southwest. These zones are characterized with fellow co-workers? by a thick series of passive margin Mesozoic BIOGRAPHY Do you want to hear to Tertiary carbonates, unconformably Peter Meehan has ~30 years oil industry overlain by post-Eocene clastic sediments. experience: as a technical G&G specialist in leading edge technical International (Indonesia, Libya, N.Sea) and There are two prospective sub-basins Canadian Frontier (Jeanne d’Arc, Beaufort know-how? in Albania, the Periadriatic Depression Sea, notably White Rose and Amauligak of northwestern Albania and the more Fields); he worked in Albania as OMV’s Will you help CSPG structurally complex Ionian overthrust Exploration Manager and in Romania as E&R belt of southern Albania. There is more Manager for OMV/Petrom from 2001-2007, activate the Oil Sands extensive structural shortening in the before returning to Canada as a geoscience Ionian sub-basin, with large-scale NW-SE- consultant. He graduated from Carleton with Technical Division? striking ramp anticlines. This complexly a 1st Class Honours B.Sc. a short lifetime overthrusted area gives rise to the dramatic ago, after which he worked as a field mapper Call CSPG at 403-513-1227 or carbonate mountains and flysch valleys that for several years before moving to Calgary. characterize southern Albania, allowing the He also has an M.Sc. with Distinction from email [email protected] country to remain relatively isolated and Imperial College. difficult to control, as successive invaders have found. There is no charge. Please bring your lunch.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 15 DIVISION TALKS PALEONTOLOGY Division Sponsored by

Formation and is dated as late Aptian (113Ma). the specimen, and careful and responsible Adrift at sea in The specimen was excavated over a three- preparation will take several years. week period in April with the assistance the Early of heavy equipment and staff from the BIOGRAPHY Suncor Millenium Mine. The find is significant Donald Henderson is the Curator of Dinosaurs Cretaceous – the for many reasons. It is the oldest known, at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in complete dinosaur from Alberta. It is the Drumheller, AB. He dabbles in a range of fossil Fort McMurray first ankylosaur from the Early Cretaceous of organisms including dinosaurs, marine reptiles, and Alberta in contrast to the more typical latest pterosaurs, as well as studies of living forms such armoured Cretaceous forms from the province. It is the as crocodilians, elephants, and giraffes. His main first dinosaur from the marine Clearwater research interests are biomechanics and palaeo- dinosaur Formation (better known for its ichthyosaurs ecology, but has recently begun to do descriptive and plesiosaurs), and represents a terrestrial palaeontology as well. He has a B.Sc. in Geology SPEAKER animal that became entombed in a seafloor and Physics from the University of Toronto, and a Dr. Don Henderson approximately 200km from the nearest Ph.D. in Vertebrate Palaeontology and Biomechanics The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology known palaeo-shoreline. It experienced no from the University of Bristol in England. post-mortem disruption, with all the bones, 7:30 PM including phalanges, in three-dimensional INFORMATION Friday, April 20, 2012 articulation. All the dermal armour appears to This event is jointly presented by the Alberta Mount Royal University, Room B108 be undisturbed and present. There are large Palaeontological Society, Mount Royal University, Calgary, Alberta areas with impressions of scales of alternating and the CSPG Palaeontology Division. For details diamond and hexagon shapes in close or to present a talk in the future please contact In March of 2011 a giant excavating machine in association with the osteoderms on the dorsal CSPG Paleo Division Chair, Philip Benham at 403- the Athabasca oil sands of northern Alberta surface. There is a large cluster of unusual, 691-3343 or APS Coordinator Harold Whittaker exposed the rear half of what turned out to pisolith-like bodies (up to 2cm in diameter) at 403-286-0349 or contact programs@ be a nearly complete ankylosaur with only in the gut region, and these may represent albertapaleo.org. Visit the APS website for the tail missing. The specimen is hosted in stomach contents. Unfortunately, the bone is confirmation of event times and upcoming the Wabiskaw member of the Clearwater much softer than the concretion containing speakers: http://www.albertapaleo.org/.

16 RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 UPCOMING EDUCATION SCHEDULE Last Chance Shale Gas Reservoir Assessment short course April 21-22, 2012 Long Beach, CA (with AAPG Annual Convention)

Deep-water Siliciclastic Reservoirs field seminar April 27-May 2, 2012 California Field Seminars

Folding, Thrusting and Syntectonic Sedimentation September 10-14, 2012 Spain

Modern Terrigenous Clastic Depositional Systems September 10-17, 2012 South Carolina

Sedimentology and Sequence Stratigraphic Response of Paralic Deposits to Changes in Accommodation September 20-27, 2012 Colorado

Fundamentals of Wrench Tectonics Applied to the Anatolian Plate September 21-27, 2012 Turkey Short Courses

Application of Structural Geology in Prospecting in Thrusted and Extensional Terrain, course plus field trip August 27-31, 2012 Perugia, Italy

Fractured Reservoirs: From Geologic Concepts to Reservoir Models, course plus field trip October 1-5, 2012 Casper, WY Online Courses

Introduction to Geologic Reservoir Characterization September 10-December 13, 2012 www.aapg.org/education/online/

Registration and Information:

Toll-free (U.S. and Canada) (888) 338.3387, or (918) 560.2650 • Fax: (918) 560.2678 • email: [email protected] Download a registration form at http://www.aapg.org/education/index.cfm Microseismic Hydraulic Fracture imaging Part 3: Height Growth | By Shawn C. Maxwell, Schlumberger

This article is the third in a series on stress direction. At the depths of most as tall as they are long. More advanced microseismic monitoring of hydraulic petroleum reservoirs, the minimum stress approximations were able to account for fractures and focuses on height growth. is approximately horizontal, which results depth-varying material properties and, Hydraulic fracture stimulations or ‘fracs’ in the creation of a vertical fracture. The ultimately, the associated variable stresses. are vital for economic production in vertical fracture height growth is of interest As monitoring technologies began to provide low-permeability tight-gas and shale-gas for various engineering reasons, particularly insight into the actual growth, evidence reservoirs, and the frac height is a key factor related to coverage of the reservoir depth quickly mounted that the fractures were not for engineers to optimize in the hydraulic range and out-of-zone fracture growth. as simple as initially thought. 2D hydraulic fracture treatment. As unconventional Hydraulic fracture engineers have developed fracture models have been available for quite reservoir development has spread through modeling tools to enable prediction and some time, and have evolved in order to North America and specifically to regions simulation of frac geometry, including the better match observed fracture geometries. unaccustomed to petroleum production, fracture height. The creation of these As an example, consider the application to public awareness of hydraulic fracturing engineering tools has also spawned a a project that included microseismic data has increased. Environmental concerns need for fracture imaging technologies (Figure 1). Typically these fracture models have also grown, e.g., protection of shallow to monitor and validate fracture growth. match injected pressures and net volumes freshwater aquifers. Fortunately within the Several techniques exist, including tracers (including fluid leakoff from the fracture) engineering and geophysical literature there and distributed temperature and vibration to hydraulically model the resulting fracture are a number of published microseismic sensors that monitor near-wellbore fracture profile. The mechanical material properties results in numerous settings and various geometry. However, in order to monitor and stresses are also used to geomechanically depths. These examples shed light on the the hydraulic fracture growth away from constrain the hydraulic fracture mechanics. factors that control height growth, and the wellbore, microseismic monitoring has In this example, the initial modeling (top show the actual hydraulic fracture heights proven to be the most valuable technology. panel of Figure 1) incorporated stress that are created in a variety of reservoirs. and material property variations around In the early days of hydraulic fracture a thin reservoir, and predicted some Hydraulic fracturing involves fluid injection simulation, the fractures were modeled as fracture containment within the reservoir. at sufficient pressure to create a tensile simplistic penny-shaped cracks in infinite This ‘uncalibrated’ model predicted both fracture in the formation, which will tend elastic media. These models tend to upward and downward growth that limited to grow perpendicular to the minimum estimate approximately circular fractures, the length of the fracture. However, the microseismic monitoring results (overlain on both models) showed that the fractures were contained entirely in the reservoir and that the actual fracture length was much longer than originally anticipated. The microseismic data was used to ‘calibrate’ the model (bottom panel of Figure 1) by adjusting the input parameters such that the predicted and observed geometries match. The fracture model also predicts the proppant concentration in the fracture (contours) that will define the relative permeability enhancement associated with the fracture. In this example, the calibrated model predicts a geometry that is more favorable from a reservoir contact point of view, since the depth containment results in a longer fracture mostly in the reservoir with little out-of-zone fracturing. In order to match the microseismic geometry an additional material property of composite layering was included, as shown by the blue track on the left side of Figure 1. This composite layering (or its equivalent) Figure 1. Cross-sectional view of a frac model and microseismic events. Yellow is the reservoir depth interval. The has found its way into many fracture top panel shows the original model and the model after calibration to the microseismic results is shown in the bottom panel. On the left are the input model parameters and on the right is the relative fracture-width profile simulation workflows and has proven to be (after SPE96080). an important factor to match the fracture

18 RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 Figure 2. Interpreted fractures within an outcrop. Notice that many fractures Figure 3. Natural fractures within an outcrop. Note the fracture termination from the terminate at bed boundaries and that none persist all the way from top to bottom thick to thinly laminated layers (from agu.org). of the section (from lyellcollection.org). containment that is typically observed. deflection where the frac partially grows are used to limit fracturing entirely through along the interface layer. If the bedding plane windshields (as known by many of us Alberta In order to understand this composite is mechanically weak and allows the two drivers watching fractures grow from stone layering effect, it is informative to examine layers to move independently, the fracture chips!). Composite layering in rocks tends geologic examples of fracture growth. Figure opening in one layer may not translate to to limit the overall hydraulic fracture height 2 is a downloaded geologic section with fracture opening in the second layer. If growth, and fracture simulations have found annotated fractures. Notice that all of the the bedding plane is either not welded or these to be an equally important factor fractures eventually stop at a bed boundary. contains thin laminations (such as Figure 3) together with geomechanical variations. The Some fractures persist longer than others the associated VTI strength anisotropy may combined impact of these factors limits and cross some bedding planes but all hinder the fracture crossing the interface. fracture height growth, both for natural and eventually terminate. Figure 3 highlights one Instead, the fracture may either terminate hydraulically created fractures. potential cause of the bed termination. This or grow along the interface depending example illustrates that the containment on the geomechanical and hydrodynamic Limited fracture-height growth can impact is related to changes in the fabric of the conditions. Bedding laminations are the ability of a single horizontal well to rock and can be caused by thin laminations analogous to automobile safety glass contact a thick reservoir section, resulting in between thicker layers. Consider possible structure, where laminated layers of glass (Continued on page 20...) causes as shown in Figure 4 depicting two alternate views or end members of the possible effect of fractures growing between layers with different properties. The layering could correspond to fractures growing from a soft shale unit into more brittle layers (a common lithologic sequence in many shale gas reservoirs surrounded by limestone layers). Horizontal stresses will tend to be amplified in the stiffer layers associated with the increased load-bearing capabilities. Increased stress will tend to limit fracture growth for similar fracture pressures, due to a lower net pressure acting on the fracture face. In addition, fractures in the stiffer rocks will open less for a given pressure increase, limiting their ability to accommodate fluid. Together, the stress and compressibility define geomechanical conditions that tend to restrict hydraulic fracture height growth. The alternate scenario depicted in Figure 4 involves the fracture completely terminating at the interface. Note that variations between these two scenarios are Figure 4. Schematic diagram of end-member scenarios when fractures grow between layers of different also possible, including fracture ‘offsets’ or properties.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 19 beds such as shown in Figure 3 may occur below seismic resolution. Ultimately, robust geomechanical characterization will likely require an integrated approach of geology and geophysics, including high- resolution wireline measurements of sonic and formation imaging. We face technical challenges as we travel this path: such as up-scaling between log and seismic and extrapolating from high-resolution well- based imaging. To help bridge this gap, microseismic is the key technology to validate and confirm the geomechanical earth model. Imaging height growth and validating Figure 5. Map (left) and cross section (right) of a multistage hydraulic fracture stimulation in the Montney shale. the fracture containment characteristics Cross-section shows average perforation depth with shallowest and deepest microseismic events, along with is an important engineering application of associated symbols used in figures 6 and 7. (Courtesy Mark Norton, Progress Energy). microseismic and one of the reasons that microseismic is an important component in (...Continued from page 19) important aspect for well placement, in both the appraisal and development phases engineering challenges to drain the reservoir terms of height containment thinly laminated of unconventional resources. Microseismic with few horizontal wells. Consider an example from the Montney. Depending on the location, there could be a thick potential target zone spanning from the Lower to Upper Montney and in places up into the overlying Doig. Figure 5 shows microseismic data recorded while fracing a horizontal well targeting the Upper Montney. In this case, the microseismicity shows that the frac was successfully contained within the Upper Montney (a few events locate in the Doig but are attributed to location resolution) and that relatively long horizontal fracture wings were created providing good reservoir contact area. In this case the Upper Montney is the target and so the fracture containment is favourable, but for discussion purposes consider a hypothetical example where the intention is to create a hydraulic fracture that grows upwards and downwards. In these conditions, it would be an engineering challenge to contact a large depth interval that could be overcome by modifying the fracture injection parameters (often injection rate is the control) or changing the horizontal well landing point and drilling the well at a different depth. In the Horn River for example, microseismic monitoring is being used by various operators to look at containment in the Muskwa and Evie shales in order to understand the depth containment and interactions between wells drilled into the different layers. Figure 6. Depth to shallowest microseismic (green circle), deepest microseismic (orange circle), and perforation depth (red circle) for published examples in various reservoirs. (Various sources). How can geophysics help? Clearly the engineers want to be able to characterize Upward Growth Downward Growth the geology sufficiently to robustly predict containment. There is a lot of Mean +/- stand dev 80 m +/- 87 m 73 m +/- 48 m effort being made to extract stresses and rock properties from seismic reservoir Maximum 295 m 190 m characterization to help quantify hydraulic Minimum 12 m 10 m fracture response and define sweet spots. While sweet-spot identification is an Table 1. Statistics of the data depicted in Figures 6 and 7.

20 RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 in particular cases where there may be a shallow frac or regions with particularly deep aquifers, targeted monitoring may be advisable to ensure aquifer integrity.

In conclusion, examples of hydraulic fractures in many different reservoirs demonstrate contained height growth that is directly analogous with natural fractures. As fractures grow vertically and pass through different lithologies, the geomechanical conditions change and limit height growth. Composite horizontal layering also imposes additional height containment. From an engineering perspective, contained hydraulic fracture height growth can be either good or bad news. In thin reservoir targets, containment favours longer fractures and increased Figure 7. Hydraulic fracture-height growth depicted in Figure 6. Average upward and downward growth are reservoir contact area, whereas in thick included (dashed lines) along with a histogram of the overall height. or layered reservoir targets, containment can introduce challenges associated with provides insight into a number of aspects variation in the height growth from project contacting the entire reservoir depth of the hydraulic fractures, but in particular to project the top of the hydraulic fracture interval. Ultimately this may lead to having has opened the engineer’s eyes to issues tends to get deeper as the well or frac to use multiple horizontal wells at different of height containment as discussed earlier. initiation gets deeper. Figure 7 shows the depths to drain the entire target interval. Extensive industry knowledge has been relative upward and downward growth to However, containment is good news from built from tens of thousands of fracs that better illustrate the variation. Notice that an environmental perspective, because it have been imaged using microseismicity. there tends to be more upward growth than results in limited hydraulic fracture height While the results of all this monitoring downward growth, which does not appear growth and an associated buffer between are obviously proprietary to the individual to be a detection bias. The most probable deep fractures and shallow aquifers. operators, it has provided insight into explanation is that stress tends to decrease fracture growth as well as competitive upward, favouring upward growth into advantages around the best fracing practices lower-stress rocks, which is accentuated by for a given reservoir. frac fluid buoyancy effects. Also note that significant upward growth is limited to a few As the search continues to predict fracture cases and most examples tend to be less containment, a large number of papers have than about 100 m. Figure 7 also shows the been written showing the microseismically average upward and downward height along imaged hydraulic fracture growth in with a histogram, which is summarized in many unconventional reservoirs. These Table 1. publications provide released examples of the microseismic hydraulic fracture height The variation in height growth between (the number of publications is too large locations is expected with the variation in ABOUT THE AUTHOR to provide a complete listing of the papers injection rates, geomechanical variations, Shawn Maxwell ([email protected]) is Chief here). For each published example the depth and reservoir settings depicted in this Geophysicist and Advisor for Schlumberger’s of the upper- and lowermost microseismic broad sampling. Within a given setting, microseismic services, and is based in Calgary. event and associated average perforation the overall height growth tends to be Prior employment included leading microseismic depth was determined as illustrated in fairly consistent with the examples included services with Pinnacle Technologies (Halliburton) Figure 5. In some cases, multiple stages here. For example, in the Haynesville and and ESG, and he was also a Lecturer at Keele of a given project were included in the Wolfcamp/Spraberry formations upward University in England. Shawn was awarded a publication but here only a representative fracture growth tends to be commonplace, Ph.D. in earthquake seismology from Queen’s example is included, intentionally using the while in formations such as the Cardium University, and is currently passive seismic example with the largest height growth. sands hydraulic fractures are often vertically associate editor for Geophysics. He regularly Figure 6 shows a plot of the depth to the contained. The height growth summarized teaches microseismic courses through the shallowest microseism, perforation (frac here also provides context regarding CSEG, including the fall Doodletrain and a initiation depth), and deepest microseism. concerns around the possibility of fracing Microseismic Bootcamp during the spring Several well known reservoirs have been into aquifers. While the depth to the bottom GeoConvention. The CSEG plans to launch a highlighted: including examples from of an aquifer depends on the geographical Microseismic User’s Group in early 2012; details the Montney, Horn River, and Cardium. location, most tend to be relatively shallow. will be available at www.cseg.ca. Perforation depths vary between about The average top of the fracs shown here is 1,200 to 3,500 m, although for each of more than 2 km below the surface – much the reservoirs there will be a variety of deeper than freshwater aquifers. The data perforation depths beyond that flagged in shows a significant thick buffer of rock above this plot. Note that while there is a large the top of the hydraulic fracture. Obviously

RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 21 2011 Link Award | By Lloyd Freeman, Chairman, Link Award committee

The CSPG Link Award committee has been Resources Canada. He has been at the evaluating papers/talks presented at the Geological Survey of Canada since receiving Technical Luncheons of the Society since a Ph.D. in Aqueous Geochemistry from 1958. The mandate of the committee is the University of Calgary in 1997 and is to select the best oral presentation to the an Adjunct Professor at the University membership. The emphasis has always been of Calgary, Department of Geoscience. on the quality of the presentation as it relates He has worked on regional groundwater to speaking excellence and judicious use studies in the Canadian Prairies and in of visual aids/graphics. Scientific interest is British Columbia, including climate change an important but secondary consideration impacts of regional water supply. He has as this is more the domain of scientific also conducted extensive study on thermal journals and peer reviews. The list of winners and mineral springs in western and northern and their subjects serves as a history of Canada. Additionally, Dr. Grasby has worked Canadian petroleum geology since the days for over 10 years in Canada’s High Arctic of Leduc, including many famous names, both on chemostratigraphy, regional correlations, of people and discoveries. Additionally, the and petroleum potential within the Sverdrup speaking tour of Canadian universities made Dr. Stephen Grasby Basin. He is co-author of the recently by the winner is an important element of the released report by the Geological Survey Outreach Program. The Link Award committee has selected of Canada on “Canada’s Geothermal Energy Dr. Stephen Grasby as the winner of the Resource Potential”. In the program year from September 2010 2011 Link Award for his September 23, 2010 to June 2011, six of the seventeen talks were presentation, A Late Permian Hot Anoxic Awards will be officially presented at the eligible for the Link Award. Eligible speakers Acid Bath. CSPG Awards Ceremony on Tuesday must be members of the Society and must May 15th starting at 5:30 pm at the Telus not be a previous recipient of the Link Dr. Steve Grasby is a Research Scientist at Convention Centre (Macleod Hall D). Award. the Geological Survey of Canada/ Natural Everyone is welcome to attend.

Explore Active Resource Plays With New Tectonic Studies Of High Resolution Aeromagnetic And 3D Gravity Gradient Data

3D Gravity To schedule a Gradient presentation call: Demonstration Projects Jeff Rowe Western Canada +1 613 520 7713 (office) +1 613 218 0213 (cell) [email protected] www.fugro-gravmag.com

Zeev Berger +1 403 216 1845 (office) [email protected] www.iitech.ca

Non-exclusive data available at: www.fugro-gravmag.com California

Texas Oklahoma Kansas

22 RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 2011 MEDAL OF MERIT Award | By Ian Kirkland, Chairman, Medal of Merit Award committee

The Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists Medal of Merit is awarded annually for the “best paper related to Canadian petroleum geology” (as specified in CSPG bylaws) published during the previous publication year, in this case for peer-reviewed papers published in 2010. The paper chosen this year was written by Tim McCullagh and Bruce Hart and is entitled “Stratigraphic controls on production from a basin-centered gas system: Lower Cretaceous Cadotte Member, Deep Basin, Alberta, Canada.” The paper was published in the March 2010 AAPG Bulletin, v. 94, p. 293-315.

This paper describes the reservoir Tim McCullagh Bruce Hart characteristics of the Lower Cretaceous Cadotte Member in the Wapiti area of the integrates data from multiple sources. AAPG in 2011. Bruce plans to return to his Alberta deep basin. The authors utilized Home and Native Land at some point. core description, well log interpretation, Tim McCullagh received a B.Sc. in petrophysics, 3D seismic, thin sections, Geology and Mathematics from Brandon Awards will be officially presented at the production, and pressure data to determine University and his M.Sc. in Geology (Seismic CSPG Awards Ceremony on Tuesday May the differences between productive and Interpretation) from McGill. His winning 15th starting at 5:30 pm at the Telus non-productive areas in the Cadotte. They paper for the Medal of Merit award was Convention Centre (Macleod Hall D). All determined that economic production is from the work that he did on his M.Sc. are welcome to attend. only obtained from wells that penetrate thesis, sponsored by Talisman Energy Inc. chert-rich shoreface and beachface deposits and presented at the 2004 geoConvention. and that these deposits can be identified Tim has been a volunteer on the CSPG HUGH REID’S using sonic porosity/density porosity log Geomodeling committee and received a crossplots and can be visualized on 3D volunteer award in 2010. He is currently 2012 seismic amplitude maps. The chert-rich living and working in Jakarta, Indonesia as deposits preserved porosity in contrast to part of the team at Niko Resources that SPRING the quartzose sandstones that experienced will be drilling approximately 20 exploration significant porosity destruction through wells over the next four years. His prospect COURSES precipitation of quartz overgrowths. A is the second well in the drilling campaign in linear east-west-striking fabric within the a basin (in eastern Indonesia) that has never NEW SHORTER seismic amplitude data was interpreted to been drilled (quite an amazing switch from DST COURSE be beach ridges in a strand plain prograding working in the WCSB, he says)! (3 1/2 days) to the north-northwest, similar to the modern analogue of the Nayarit coast of Bruce Hart finished his Ph.D. on April 10-13, 2012 Mexico. the Cardium Formation in 1990 at the University of Western Ontario. He then 16 WAyS tO IDENtIfy ByPASSED The authors also updated the existing held research and teaching positions with PAy fROm DSt DAtA gas/updip water contact map and showed the Geological Survey of Canada, Penn (more advanced, for those how the updip water is separated from State, the New Mexico Bureau of Mines, “comfortable” with DST charts) the downdip gas by shale-filled erosional and McGill University. During that time, April 19-20, 2012 channels and by areas of quartz-rich non- his research focus broadened from a focus reservoir-quality sand. on clastic sedimentology to include 3-D seismic analyses. He joined ConocoPhillips HyDRODyNAmICS This work is an important contribution as it in Houston in 2008, and is currently working (Oil and Gas Finding Aspects) will be valuable in ongoing gas development shale plays in the Global New Ventures April 30-may 3, 2012 in the Cadotte and other reservoirs within Unconventional group. He was a Guest the Deep Basin in Alberta and British Lecturer for CSPG in 2006, the 2009-2010 In-house courses available Columbia and in other Deep Basin settings. AAPG/SEG Distinguished Lecturer and a For course outline visit: It also has important implications for previous co-recipient of the CSPG Medal www.hughwreid.com understanding and assessing basin centred of Merit in 2008 for a paper on the Second gas models. In addition, the paper is very White Specks. His CD-format textbook 262-1261 well written and illustrated, and effectively on seismic interpretation was released by

RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 23 24 RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 25 GO TAKE A HIKE Buller Pass, Kananaskis Country, Alberta | By Margot McMechan and Christine Nygren

Trailhead: Proceed 50 km south of Trans-Canada Highway on Highway 40, turn right on Kananaskis Lakes Trail, then right on Smith Dorrien-Spray Trail. Drive 30 km to Buller Mountain day use area. Park in lot to west of road (P) and hike east across road to trailhead.

Distance: Approximately 14.6 km return with 670 m of elevation gain. Strong hikers can continue another 2.6 km from top of pass down to Ribbon Lake.

The Buller Pass trail provides access to mountain vistas, a fall show of colour and the crest of the Kananaskis Range. The route crosses mainly west-dipping Upper Devonian through Triassic strata brought to surface by the Sulphur Mountain thrust fault. The Sulphur Mountain Thrust is one of a series of larger displacement thrust faults in the southern Canadian Rocky Mountains that have each carried resistant Paleozoic and softer Mesozoic strata to surface. In Kananaskis Country this has produced mountain ranges held up by resistant Paleozoic carbonate and quartzite separated by valleys cut into Mesozoic sandstone and shale. The Kananaskis Range, Smith-Dorrien valley, and Spray Mountains are excellent examples of this.

The first part of the hike crosses forest or a recent (Fall 2011) controlled burn. Near the junction of the north and south forks of Buller Creek a waterfall occurs beside the trail. The trail follows the south fork and after one last burn patch enters a more open forest with abundant larch trees that turn golden yellow in the Fall. From this point on the trail becomes a true pleasure for the eyes. To the northwest, resistant limestones (Palliser Formation) form Mount Buller. A prominent dip slope on the west side marks the change into overlying dark recessive strata. On the shaded cliff to the southwest a small thrust fault is readily recognized by the truncation of dark dolostones along it. Above: View to Buller Creek and Mount Assiniboine. Below: Subalpine meadows along upper Buller Creek. Buller Pass is at notch on skyline. As the talus slope climb to Buller Pass is approached a second small waterfall occurs along the trail. Abundant fossils occur in the dark dolostone (Cairn Formation) exposed below the waterfall. The trail to the pass is shorter than it looks and provides abundant opportunity to admire talus of Palliser limestone. The sudden change in talus into dark-weathering cherty strata (upper Banff Formation) near the pass marks another small thrust fault. The Sulphur Mountain Thrust fault runs immediately east of the pass and is well exposed at the base of the cliff to the southeast. From the pass great views to the east are of Ribbon Lake, Mount Kidd, and mountainous ridges held up by Paleozoic carbonate and quartzite; great views to the west are of Mount Engadine, Buller Creek valley, and Mount Assiniboine.

References: McMechan, M.E. 1995. GSC Map 1865A.

Panorama looking from northwest to southeast from Buller Pass. The Rundle Thrust runs at base of grey-weathering rock near both sides of photo. Background Photo by Astrid Arts.

26 RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 Thrust fault on ridge south of Buller Pass. Note truncation of dark dolostone in hanging wall of the fault as the ridge crest is approached.

Floodplain adjacent to talus fans with a few large blocks that have fallen from the cliffs above.

Waterfall in Southesk Formation dolostone.

Above left: Abundant branching stromatoporiod fossils in dark Upper Devonian dolostone of Cairn Formation. Above right: Irregularly laminated chert from the upper Banff Formation. Below right: View to Mount Buller. Resistant limestone of Palliser Formation (PA) forms mountain peak. Overlies sandstone and limestone of Sassenach Formation (SS), dolostone of Southesk Formation (SX) and overlain by dark- and ribbed-weathering shale and chert of lower and middle Banff (BF-lm) and ribbed-weathering limestone and chert of upper Banff (BF-u).

RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 27 52nd ANNUAL CSPG CLASSIC Elbow Springs Golf Club • June 21-22, 2012

2 2 1 n d 0 C 2 LASSIC The Tournament would like to thank the following 2011 sponsors: Registration Form Diamond Sponsors NAME: geoLOGIC Systems Little Rock Document Services Schlumberger of Canada Macquarie Capital Markets Canada Ltd. SIGNIFICANT OTHER: Emerald Sponsors COMPANY: Baker Atlas Wireline M J Systems Energy Navigator Inc. ProGeo Consultants ADDRESS (Bus.): Fugro Data Solutions Canada Inc. RBC Dominion Securities GeoStrata Resources Inc. RECON Petrotechnologies Ltd. POSTAL CODE: Halliburton Weatherford Canada Partnership IHS TELEPHONE: CELL PHONE*:

Platinum Sponsors E-Mail*: AGAT Laboratories Divestco Inc. *The CSPG Classic respects FOIP. (Privacy Act of Alberta) ATB Corporate Financial Services GLJ Petroleum Consultants No contact information is given to third parties. Athabasca Oil Sands Corp. LXL Consulting Ltd. Belloy Petroleum Consulting Painted Pony Petroleum Corp. SHIRT SIZE:   M  L  XL  XXL CB Securities Ryan Energy Technologies All contestants are required to have a photo in the Golfer’s Photo Roster. Former contestants who have submitted a photo in the past need not do so again. Demchuk & Day West Canadian Handicap: ______Golf Index: ______or Gold Sponsors Average of best three 18-hole scores in past 2 years:______Arcis Corporation Pajak Engineering Ltd. Registration Fee: Includes two rounds of golf with power cart; Paid Canadian Discovery Ltd. Pason Systems Corp. driving range; Door prize draws; Skill prizes; BBQ (at Elbow Springs) and Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists Petrocraft Products Ltd. Awards Banquet (Calgary Petroleum Club) for you and your guest. ConocoPhillips Canada Rigsat Communications Member Non-member Continental Laboratories Ltd. RPS Energy Cost: Tournament Fee $285.25 $304.35 Geo-Steering Solutions Inc. Sample Pro Ltd. GST $14.45 $15.15 Greystone Resources Ltd. Sproule Associates Ltd. Total if paying by cheque $299.50 $319.50 Knowledge Energy Inc. Total Gas Dectection Ltd. Credit Card Fee $9.00 $9.60 MD Totco Nov. Wellsite Gas Watch Typhoon Energy Ltd. Total if using credit card $308.50 $329.10 Silver Sponsors To assist the Entertainment Committee with budgeting, please indicate if you plan to attend the two major social events of the tournament: Fekete Associates Martin Quinn Gabel Energy Inc. Seismic Brokerage Services Ltd. Thursday Barbecue: Yes  No  Friday Awards Banquet: Self: Yes  No  Bronze Sponsors Guest: Yes  No  Candian Stratigraphic Services Hydro-Fax Resources Ltd. Global Energy Services San Dago Resources Ltd. Social Events Cancellation or Additions require 72 hours notice before the event. Please contact Bob Earle by phone: (403) 803-3744 or email: Sponsorship Contact: Richard Chisholm 403-538-8290 [email protected] Visit us on Facebook or Linkedin: CSPG Classic Golf Make Cheques Payable To: CSPG (Classic Golf) The CSPG Classic Golf Tournament has incorporated Send Entries To: CSPG Classic Golf Tournament fundraising for charity as part of the event. 110, 333 5th Avenue S.W. In 2012 the charities selected are the Calgary, AB, T2P 3B6 * Please photocopy your entry form and cheque before mailing. Salvation Army Agape Hospice and CSPG Educational Trust Fund Last day for refund requests: June 5, 2012.

On-Line Registration Information: Mail/Courier Registration: Print this registration Form Use CSPG Membership Log-In, (http://www.cspg.org/events/events-social-classicgolf.cfm) Go to Event Registration-Social Events, CSPG Classic THE CSPG ANNUAL CLASSIC Golf Tournament is evolving!

On June 21 & 22, 2012, the Elbow and entertainment on Friday evening at the Springs Golf Club in Calgary will be Calgary Petroleum Club, which has become hosting the 52nd Annual CSPG Classic one of the premier social events of the year Golf Tournament. for those who participate. The format of the tournament will remain the same with one important change. To The tournament features $10,000 in prizes reflect the time commitments and changing including two vacation trips, a BBQ, daily demographics of our participants the hole, and skill prizes. A charity raffle offers tournament will be held over two days rather many more opportunities to win prizes. than the traditional three days. The result is The 52nd CSPG Classic welcomes “Agapé that only two half-days are required to play. Hospice” as our charity partner who will The food, on-course refreshments, fun, prizes, benefit from your support with the raffle and the networking all remain the same. ticket sales held during the tournament.

We expect to sell out so please register early at http://www.cspg.org/events/events-social- classicgolf.cfm.

Join us on Linkedin http://www.linkedin. com/groups/CSPG-Classic-Golf- The winning Chuck Wagon team consisted 3792589?trk=myg_ugrp_ovr and on of Rob Langill, Brad Torry, Colby Ruff, and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/ Max Howard. groups/80161073364/. On behalf of all its participants, the CSPG Congratulations to the 2011 CSPG Classic 2011 Classic Tournament committee wishes Golf Tournament champion Darrel Joy with to thank the 54 sponsors who contributed to runner-up Daniel Gee of the Paskapoo a successful event last year, particularly our Flight. Winners of the remaining 14 Flights Diamond sponsors: geoLOGIC Systems Ltd, were Brian Halberstadt, Mirek Zaoral, John Little Rock Document Services, Macquarie What will the Classic Williams, Mike Swain, Deno Adams, Jeff Capital Markets Canada Limited, and 2-day match play Boissonneault, Tom Phillips, Colin McNeil, Schlumberger of Canada. tournament look like? Carl Glaser, Devon Henderson, Terry Dey, Players will be organized into flights based Richard Klippenstein, Richard Nash, and Mike LaBerge, Chairman on their similar ability and past performance. Rachel Phillips of the Pre cambrian flight. CSPG Classic Golf Committee Each Flight is comprised of two foursomes; each foursome has two matched pairs of golfers.

On day 1, the matched pairs within each foursome play the first 9 holes. The winners play the second 9 holes while the losers play a consolation round. By day’s end, there are two match winners remaining within the Flight.

On Day 2, the winners from the previous day playoff over 18 holes to claim the coveted Flight trophy, prize money, and bragging rights for a year! The remaining golfers are grouped into Chuck Wagon teams playing in a Texas Scramble over an 18-hole championship where every player contributes to the team.

The 52nd CSPG Annual Classic Golf Tournament includes two rounds of golf with power carts, and on-course sponsor tents with refreshments and food, Thursday dinner at the club, Friday breakfast, and capped off with the semi-formal awards banquet

RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 29

CANadian federation of earth sciences

The Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences CanGeoRef was launched in September especially targeted at smaller companies and invites you to a seminar about its recently 2011. It is a joint venture of the American individual consultants focused on Canadian launched Canadian geoscience reference Geosciences Institute and the Canadian geoscience. database CanGeoRef (www.cangeoref.org). Federation of Earth Sciences. CanGeoRef is a subset of GeoRef, currently containing For further information, contact Elisabeth The seminar will take place Tuesday April 17, more than 200,000 references to (chapters) Kosters, executive manager, Canadian 1-2 pm in the ConocoPhillips Auditorium on in books, maps, Federal and provincial Federation of Earth Sciences: ekosters_ Gulf Canada square (3rd floor). The seminar geological survey literature, peer-reviewed [email protected] is free of charge and will give participants literature, and theses pertaining to Canadian the opportunity to explore the power of geoscience, dating back to the early 1800s. this reference database interactively. It is available at a very competitive price,

12th Annual Long-Time Members Reception

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 senior members, in appreciation of their long available for purchase online at www.cspg.org. 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm commitment to the Society. Attendance is by New Location! invitation only. As is tradition, we will be presenting the TELUS Convention Centre Honorary Membership Awards at the Long- Macleod Hall D New this year we are sending invitations by Time Members Reception. Please join CSPG e-mail and for those that do not have an e-mail in recognizing this year’s recipients: Gerry Have you been a member of the CSPG for address we will be sending out paper copies Reinson and Roger G. Walker. 30+ consecutive years (since at least 1982)? in the mail. If you are a consecutive long-time member If so, keep an eye open for your invitation This year’s reception will be held in conjunction and have not received an invitation by April for the 12th Annual Long-Time Members with geoConvention: Vision 2012, but you 20, please contact Bea McDowell, Member Reception. The popular event is a cocktail need not be registered for the convention Liaison at 403-513-1226 or bea.mcdowell@ party organized exclusively for our more in order to attend. Tickets are $20 and are cspg.org.

ROCK SHOP

Global Leaders in Wellsite Geology Serving the petroleum industry for over 25 years

II Conventional Vertical / Horizontal Wells • Domestic and International wellsite supervision II Unconventional Heavy Oil / CBM Wells • Conventional and Unconventional wells II International WSG / Operations Geology • Extensive Hz experience

1 7 0 8 4 • Customized corporate solutions available (403) 263-0449 www.rpsgroup.com/energy (403) 250-3982 [email protected] www.clconsultants.ca

30 RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 SIMPLY ACCURATE

InterpretatIon on Windows®

Put the power of Paradigm under your wings.

The world’s most advanced seismic interpretation software, now on the world’s most popular platform. As easy to learn as it is to use, Paradigm delivers impressive automation capabilities and, ultimately, the most accurate results. Prepare to be amazed! Learn more at pdgm.com/windows

Visit Us at GeoConvention 2012 32 RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 oil rocks: The First City on the Caspian Sea | By Mir-Yusif Mir-Babayev

The discovery in 1949 of a unique sea deposit – Oil Rocks (Neft Dashlari in Azeri) – was an outstanding event in the development of the Azerbaijan oil industry. For a short time on the open sea, at a distance up to 100km from the coast, large platforms equipped with first-class (for that time) living and production facilities were created. During this period, Oil Rocks was the largest offshore oil field in the world, both in reserves and in produced oil.

It is significant that today, with many thousands of oil and gas wells drilled offshore and countries worldwide slaking their thirst for energy by oil and gas extracted in the North Sea, in the Gulf of Mexico, etc., foreign experts are coming to Azerbaijan interested in Oil Rocks – a unique city on piles constructed in the Caspian Sea about 60 years ago (Figure 1).

There is increasing interest in this first-in- the-world city constructed on the sea. For all countries engaged in development of oil and gas on a continental shelf, Oil Rocks was something akin to an outer space station, leading to development beyond traditional boundaries.

The name Oil Rocks has a historical meaning – even long before the discovery of this deposit scientists noticed black rocks covered by an oil film in the Caspian Sea. This area was named Oil Rocks and study of it began in 1859. One of the first to study the area was the outstanding Caucasus researcher G.W. Abikh, and after him came work by renown scientists, geologists, and oilmen such as S.A. Kovalevsky, F.A. Rustambekov, E.N. Figure 1. Location of Oil Rocks in the Caspian Sea (image from Google Earth). Alikhanov, B.K. Babazadeh, A.G. Aliyev, F.I. Samedov, S.A. Orujov, Yu.A. Safarov, A.A. peninsula, which for a long time was the by the discovery of the major offshore Yakubov, A.B. Suleymanov, Kh.B. Yusifzadeh, basis for geologic work on oil and gas on the oilfield, Oil Rocks. and many others. peninsula. In 1877, Abikh moved to Vienna to work on a major report – Geologische One of the first initiators of offshore German Wilhelm Abikh (1806-1886) was Forschungen in den Kaukasischen Landern – oil production was mining engineer V.K. an outstanding geologist and traveler. and published four volumes before his death. Zglenitsky, who in 1896 made a formal Abikh devoted himself to extensive and His widow later published Abikh’s letters and request to the Baku Mining Department to continuous research on the Caucasus and notes, which contained a colorful description drill wells on an artificial island in Bibi-Heybat Transcaucasia. During 1859-1861, he twice of Caucasus (Aus Kaukasischen Landern bay. This request included a proposal to build visited the Caspian Sea in the areas of Reisebriefe, v. I-II, Vienna, 1895). the installation with a special waterproof the Baku and Absheron archipelagoes. He rostrum 12 feet above sea level and with described the Oil Rocks and made the first The articles of mining engineer Fatullabey plans to drain produced oil into barges. map of underwater rocks in this region; he Rustambekov are also of note. Published In case of a gusher, it was stipulated for a identified their connection to an underwater in 1934 in the magazine, Azerbaijan Oil barge with a carrying capacity up to 200 range, connecting the Absheron peninsula Industry, these articles described the thousand tons (a ton is approximately equal to the island Cheleken, where he noted development of the offshore oilfields and to seven barrels) of oil to be on standby. The the escape of hydrocarbons. In 1863, Abikh listed six prospective sites on the Caspian Caspian Mining Management turned down made the first geological map of Absheron Sea shelf. His ideas were confirmed in 1949 (Continued on page 34...)

RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 33 (...Continued from page 33) fields in the Caspian Sea. Later, in 1932-1933, built in the Gyurgani-more, Darwin’s Bank, his proposal, but agreed that the Caspian another two platforms were constructed. Zhiloy (Chilov) Island, and especially at Oil Sea close to Absheron was oil-bearing and it The first platform was constructed 270 Rocks. The settlement of Oil Rocks on the should check into the oil-bearing potential of meters from the bay in a water depth up to Caspian Sea belonged to Artyom’s district the shelf, as well as the technical feasibility of 6 meters with a platform area of 948 m² and council and had 1,600 residents by 1956. In oil production and the economic conditions length of 55 meters. For comparison, the first Houston, in 2004 Safarov was posthumously necessary for such an operation. The first American timber-pile platforms constructed awarded the American Ocean Star Order for practical study of geological structures in the in the Gulf of Mexico in 1937 were in a water prospecting and developing offshore oilfields Oil Rocks area was carried out in 1946 by an depth up to 4 meters. on the Caspian Sea in 1945-1952. Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences expedition. This study resulted in the discovery of huge On November 14th, 1948 the sea towboat Sabit Orujov (1912-1981) also was a major reserves of oil. “Pobeda” (Russian for “Victory”) moored in founder of the Soviet oil and gas industry. the rocky group of islets. In addition to the He was appointed as a minister of the Soviet Located 42 km from the Absheron peninsula, towboat’s captain, Azhdar Sadikhov, there gas industry in 1972; he was a winner of this area of the Caspian Sea had long been were geologist-scientist Aga Gurban Aliyev, the Lenin and State Prizes of the USSR, considered unlucky by sailors, similar to the expert on drilling works Yusif Safarov, and Doctor of technical sciences, and associate the reputation of the Bermuda Triangle on Chief of the Association “Aznefterazvedka”, member of the Azerbaijan Academy of the other side of the world. On old pilot which was set up in 1947, Sabit Orujov. Sciences. Orujov was actively involved charts, this zone of the Caspian Sea with its This team successfully landed on an islet in developing a number of major oil and characteristically treacherous banks and reefs and managed to construct the first drilling gas fields in Azerbaijan, Western Siberia, – as if a signal of danger – was designated installation and small house for a drilling crew Russia’s Orenburg region, Turkmenistan, and by an inscription “Black Rocks.” The most (with an area of 14 square meters!). Uzbekistan. In 1978, Orujov through the experienced captains avoided this place in Mingazprom (Ministry of Gas Industry – the bad weather, having named it a “cemetery of Yusif Safarov (1907-1963) was a talented oil Central administrative board for exploring the ships.” scientist and major founder of the Soviet and exploitation of sea oil and gas fields), oil industry, winning the Stalin Prize twice. developed oil production from water areas One of the tragic events at Black Rocks In 1949, he (jointly with L. Mezhlumov and of the Caspian, Barents, Black, and other became the beginning of this unique sea S. Orujov) designed the new construction seas. On July 18th of 1979 he signed the deposit’s modern story. In 1946, geologist of the MOS large block foundation and its order creating Arcticmorneftgasrazvedka, Aga Gurban Aliyev, was looking through the modifications MOS-1, MOS-2, and MOS-3, which established records of deep-water ship’s log of an old Caspian schooner that had which were used at sea depths of up to 25 production and opened major fields on the sunk many years before during a storm at meters. Later constructions of this type were northern shelf of Russia. As a legacy, the Black Rocks. Aliyev noted a reference made by the captain: “…If the wind blows from the north, the seamen, even at a great distance, can smell an odor that defines the dangerous ridge of underwater and surface stones.” Reports similar to this were also recorded in logs from a 1913 naval hydrographic expedition on the Caspian Sea. However, with the beginning of the First World War in 1914, these expeditions were stopped.

Talking with many captains and navigators with knowledge of the Caspian Sea, Aliyev learned that they always encountered a smell of oil around the Black Rocks during a storm. From his investigations, Aliyev believed an oil- prospecting expedition to the Black Rocks was needed. However, to begin industrial development of a new oilfield in the sea was not that simple. Opponents to the idea argued that to create an oilfield facility would require thousands of tons of many materials, and to build the underwater platforms for drilling wells and connect them with pilings without a harbor nearby to facilitate the task would be impossible. The proponents, however, had the experience of developing Ilyich Bay to build on.

Successful production of oil from Ilyich Bay (now known as Bail Limani) from oil well #71, constructed in 1924 on timber piles, was a powerful spur to exploring for oil and gas Figure 2. Offshore developments of islands and causeways at Oil Rocks (image from Google Earth).

34 RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 Figure 3. Oil Rocks today. best students of the Russian Gubkin State Bugalayev, Fyodor Blokhin, Peter Zemskov, Kaverochkin. After the tragic death of University of Oil and Gas receive Orujov Shamil Jabarov, Anna Meleshina, Fyodor Kaverochkin (on November 21st, 1957; a scholarships. As well, the USSR’s largest gas- Kulikov, Peter Knutov, M.Yu. Salamov, H.A. dreadful storm broke on the Caspian Sea, producing association “Urengoygasdobicha” Hadikov and the author of these lines landed destroying the drilling platform and drowning was named after Orujov. on the mossy, oily stones, which were the crew), the 25-year-old Kurban Abasov sticking out of water in the open sea. And took over for him on the drilling platform. The Work on drilling the first exploratory well in less than a year, thanks to the dedicated prestigious Soviet State Prize was awarded to at Oil Rocks began in June of 1949; for this work of many, the first exploratory oil him for developing the first offshore oilfields purpose, the ship Chvanov was scuttled to well produced a powerful fountain of oil. on the Caspian Sea – Gyurgani-more and Oil create a drilling base. On August 24th, 1949 Development of the new sea oilfield, Oil Rocks (Neft Dashlari). the team of the future Hero of Socialist Rocks, was entrusted to the team of skilled Labor - Michael Kaverochkin (with his first master Michael Kaverochkin, to whom the In February 1951, the first tanker with oil assistant, driller Ali Jabarov) began drilling high rank of the Hero of Socialist Work from Oil Rocks unloaded at the Dubendi the first well. Completed successfully on (posthumously) has been awarded.” terminal. The underwater oil pipeline from November 7th, the well reached a depth Oil Rocks, through which oil is now delivered of about 1,000 meters and had a daily To construct the drilling base for the second to onshore, was constructed only in 1981. production rate of 100 tons of flowing oil. well, another seven old ships (Chvanov, This event was the beginning of the town Zoroaster, Tsesarevich Nicolai, etc.) were Today, Oil Rocks has more than 200 on piles, and was depicted in a documentary scuttled. So was born the artificial “Island platforms, and up to 350 km of streets and about Caspian oilmen made by the Soviet film of seven ships”, where after a half-year, was lanes in this city on the sea (Figures 2, 3). This director Roman Carmen: a black fountain producing oil. The second well, drilled by a deposit has extracted more than 160 millions rocketing into the sky, cheerful oilmen, and team led by another Hero of Socialist Labor, tons of oil and 13 million cubic meters of the master himself who was shown washing Kurban Abasov, came in with approximately associated petroleum gas. More than 380 his face with the first offshore oil. This was the same daily flow as the first well and was production wells are active here, each of how Azerbaijani oilmen remembered the handed over in the first six months of 1950. which gives on the average up to 5 tons of oil legendary M.P. Kaverochkin. per day. Certainly, in comparison with wells Kurban Abasov (1926-1994) provided from a modern, permanent offshore platform In the book, My motherland is Azerbaijan, considerable contribution to the such as Chirag, each of which initially gives the renown statesman (Stalin’s people’s development of an oil industry in Azerbaijan. up to 2,000 tons of oil per day, it is a small commissar), legendary oil industry worker, Starting as a driller, he worked his way up amount. But we always should remember and economic planner Nikolay Baybakov to the General Director of the Association that Oil Rocks for more than half a century remarked: “With pride I will tell that I Kaspmorneftegazprom. He was a Hero was a pioneer in the development of oil supervise over the first landing on Oil of Socialist Labor (1959) and an Honored production from the sea. Rocks. In November 1948, academician A.A. engineer of the Azerbaijan republic. Kurban Yakubov; geologist A.K. Aliyev; engineers, Abasov was the best student and closest At Oil Rocks, the complete cycle of offshore builders, and rig fixers V.M. Roschin, Ivan associate of the drilling master Mikhail (Continued on page 36...)

RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 35 (...Continued from page 35) experts working at Oil Rocks later were trestle platforms was started there. The oil field production for the first time was sent to work on the oilfields of Kazakhneft, experience gained at Oil Rocks accelerated put into practice: from exploration of oil Turkmenneft, Dagneft, Tatneft, Bashneft, exploration and exploitation work in other and gas to delivery of production, from and many others. Soviet (Azerbaijani) parts of the Caspian Sea and within a short experiments in the field of sea engineering to specialists from Oil Rocks also worked in the period of time new oil and gas deposits were mass production. It is possible to claim that Vietsovpetro joint venture, which was set up put into operation. The Soviet government Oil Rocks has played the role of an academy in Vung Tau (Petroleum Center of Vietnam) recognized the tremendous effort put forth for oil industry workers of Azerbaijan and in 1981, to develop the first oilfield, White by the workers at Oil Rocks by awarding the former Soviet Union, since during the Tiger, on its continental shelf. the State premium of the USSR of the prospecting and operational works the whole first degree to the Azerbaijan oil industry program of training for the scientific staff Another first for the USSR that occurred workers in 1951. was formed. In practice the newest ideas at Oil Rocks was the drilling of several and development of the scientists were deviated wells from one drilling pad. This In 1960, the First Secretary of the Central carried out, and oil industry workers got method of cluster drilling was then widely Committee of the Communist Party professional experience and skills in more used in other oilfields of the USSR. As of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev, complicated sea conditions. The petroleum well, a new method of development using visited the site. Thanks to Khrushchev, two changes were made that significantly improved operations in the oil field. First, he ordered that helicopters be used to transfer personnel and material to and from shore, where before it had only been done by sea. Secondly, he instructed that multi-story apartments on artificial islands be built to replace the one- or two-story houses on ON pilings in which the workers had been living. The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan estimates the geological resources of Oil Rocks field to be 365 million tons, 182 million tons of which can be produced. By the beginning of November 2009, 167 million tons of oil had been produced. It should be 3 0 NOT 4 0 0 0 pointed out that the reserves of oil that can FOCUS5 DATA 0 0 6 0 7 0 be extracted may be considerably increased 0 0 8 0 0 in the future. Programs to enhance the field’s recovery are being developed, with more DECISIONSwells being drilled and existing infrastructure being repaired and expanded. Also in this 0

0 0 process, older piers and platforms are being 1

0 9 8 0 decommissioned as they come to the end of 0 7 0 6 0 0 0 their productive life. X/Y: 5 0 4 0 0 Feet 0

3 0 0 In November 2007, a new platform (#2387) 0

0 was put into operation. Intended for drilling 2 12 wells to a mean depth of 1,800m, the Isopach - Eagleford to Buda 2 Why spend valuable time searching for data 0 0 platform is 45 meters high, weighs 542 tons, when you have important decisions to make? and is in a water depth of 24.5 meters. The

0 operational life of the platform is expected 1 Let TGS focus on the data. With worldwide well to be 50 years. As well, in December 2007, data experience and a dedicated customer a 67km, 20-inch pipeline was commissioned. 1 0 0 support team, TGS provides high quality data With a carrying capacity of 5.5 million cubic in the formats you need. meters per day, this gas pipeline is intended to transport natural gas extracted from the Email [email protected] to learn more oilfield Guneshli to onshore. 0 0 2 about TGS’ well data library that includes production data, directional surveys and the In conclusion, let us stress that it was not so

largest online collection of well logs.

0 0 long ago that humanity started to replenish 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 oil reserves from the rich fields in the world’s oceans. This process will only increase in 00 1 importance as more and more offshore 0 0 1 drilling units, platforms, and infrastructure 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 1 0 Learn more at www.tgsnopec.com/welldata are developed and put into production 1 10 worldwide. 2 0 0 0

20 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0

0 5 4

0 3

1 2 36 RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 0

0 0

1 2012 – 23RD ANNUAL CSPG Mixed Golf Tournament

Mark your calendars, and get ready for We thank our previous sponsors from the 2012 CSPG Mixed Golf tournament 2011 and look forward to the return of on 24th August at Lynx Ridge Golf course. members, guests, and sponsors to enjoy the The four-golfer best-ball tourney includes event. A big thank-you to our continuing a round of golf, meals, plenty of hospitality committee members: Darin Brazel, Penny  and good times, and a chance to network Christensen, Norm Hopkins, and the co-  with your colleagues and industry sponsors. chair Brenda Pearson. David Caldwell has  The tournament has always benefited from decided to step down from the organizing the pleasant August weather, and typically committee after many years, and we thank the golf course is at its finest, with the him for his leadership and dedication to the inviting fairways, smooth greens, spectacular tournament. ♦  mountains, and the ever-beckoning water ♦  hazards and sand traps to capture errant You can address registration inquiries golf shots. to David Middleton at 403-296-8844 ♦  ([email protected]), or to Bea ♦  This is a fun tournament, with balanced McDowell, CSPG Member Liaison at 403- teams that allow all golfers to contribute to 513-1226 ([email protected]) the team score, while having a great time enjoying the day and the fellowship of the If you are interested in sponsoring the   team. tournament this year, please contact me or  Darin Brazel at [email protected]  Please watch for further announcements,  registration forms, and information in the David Middleton and Brenda Pearson CSPG Reservoir, or on-line at the CSPG Co-Chairs  website www.cspg.org, and make sure to register early, to avoid disappointment.

for information contact: GeoEdges Inc. Joel Harding at 403 870 8122 Detailed and accurate geology at your fingertips in Petra, email [email protected] GeoGraphix, ArcGIS, AccuMap, GeoScout and other applications www.geoedges.com

Western Canada: Slave Point, Swan Hills, Leduc, Grosmont, Jean Marie, Horn River Shales, Elkton, Shunda, Pekisko, Banff, Mississippian subcrops and anhydrite barriers in SE Sask., Bakken, Three Forks, Montney, Halfway, Charlie Lake, Rock Creek, Shaunavon, BQ/Gething, Bluesky, Glauconitic, Lloyd, Sparky, Colony, Viking, Cardium, Horseshoe Canyon and Western Canada Mannville CBM, Oilsands Areas, Outcrops Geological Edge Set US Rockies & Williston: Red River, Mississippian subcrops & anhydrite barriers (Bluell, Sherwood, Rival, etc), Bakken, Three Forks, Cutbank, Sunburst, Tyler, Heath, Muddy, Dakota, Sussex, Shannon, Parkman, Almond, Lewis, Frontier, Niobrara, Mesaverde shorelines, Minnelusa, Gothic, Hovenweep, Ismay, Desert Creek, Field Outlines, Outcrops

Appalachian Basin North American Shales: Shale plays characterized by O&G fields, Geological Edge Set formation limit, outcrop, subcrop, structure, isopach, maturity, stratigraphic cross-sections. Includes: Marcellus, Rhinestreet, Huron, New Albany, Antrim, Utica-Collingwood, Barnett, Northern US Rockies Eagleford, Niobrara, Gothic, Hovenweep, Mowry, Bakken, & Williston Basin Three Forks, Monterey, Montney, Horn River, Colorado Geological Edge Set Appalachian Basin: PreCambrian, Trenton, Utica-Collingwood, Medina-Clinton, Tuscarora, Marcellus, Onondaga Structure, Geneseo, Huron, Antrim, New Albny, Rhinestreet, Sonyea, Cleveland, Venango, Bradford, Elk, Berea, Weir, Big Injun, Formation limits, Outcrops, Allegheny Thrust, Cincinatti Arch, Field outlines

Deliverables include: -Shapefiles and AccuMap map features -hard copy maps, manual, pdf cross-sections -Petra Thematic Map projects, GeoGraphix projects, ArcView North American Shales map and layers files Geological Edge Set -bi-annual updates and additions to mapping -technical support

RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 37 CSPG PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

SHORT COURSES & FIELD SEMINARS

Application of Neural Network for Fluvial Stratigraphy Advanced Reservoir Characterization Instructor: John Holbrook SHORT COURSES Instructors: Azer Mustaqeem, Valentina Dates: May 10th - 11th, 2012 Baranova Price: $860.00 CDN Date: May 8th, 2012 Geostatistics for Modeling Geological Rock Creek Stratigraphy, Sedimentology, Price: $625.00 CDN and Petroleum Geology Heterogeneity and Uncertainty Surface Geochemical Exploration for Oil Instructor: Clayton Deutsch Instructor: Doug Cant and Gas: Theory, Methods, and Exploration Date: May 7th, 2012 Case Histories Dates: May 10th - 11th, 2012 Price: $1,020.00 CDN Price: $815.00 CDN Instructor: Dietmar Schumacher Geoscience Writing for Sharing Knowledge Dates: May 8th - 9th, 2012 Deepwater Petroleum Systems - Reservoir Characterization and Linked Depositional Instructor: Matt Hall Price: $620.00 CDN Systems Date: May 7th, 2012 Directional Drilling and Geological Instructor: Grant Wach Price: $520.00 CDN Placement Dates: May 10th - 11th, 2012 Instructor: Glen Eckert Shale Gas Critical Fundamentals, Price: $1,085.00 CDN Techniques, and Tools for Exploration Date: May 9th, 2012 Rock Mechanics Essentials for Drilling Instructor: Basim Faraj Price: $885.00 CDN Instructor: Safdar Khan Date: May 7th, 2012 Subsurface Methods in Clastic Sediments Date: May 11th, 2012 Price: $750.00 CDN Instructor: Doug Cant Price: $700.00 CDN Geomechanics Applications in Shale Gas Dates: May 9th - 10th, 2012 Methodology for Logging Clastic and and Oil Reservoirs Price: $930.00 CDN Carbonate Cores Instructor: Safdar Khan Reservoir Geomechanics in Heavy Oil Instructors: Eva Drivet, Lisa Griffith Dates: May 7th - 8th, 2012 Recovery Operations Date: May 11th, 2012 Price: $1,400.00 CDN Instructor: Safdar Khan Price: $775.00 CDN Exploration for Petroleum in Fold and Dates: May 9th - 10th, 2012 Analyzing Unconventional Reservoirs Thrust Belts - and Beyond Price: $1,400.00 CDN Instructor: Ross Crain Instructor: Peter Jones Clastic Facies and Depositional Date: May 22nd, 2012 Dates: May 7th - 9th, 2012 Environments in Core Price: $695.00 CDN Price: $1,085.00 CDN Instructor: Bill Arnott SAGD Fundamentals - Application of Core, Dates: May 9th - 11th, 2012 Conflict Resolution within the Realm of Oil and Gas Negotiations Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry to Price: $1,400.00 CDN Oil Sands Recovery Instructor: David Hill Practical Sequence Stratigraphy: Concepts Instructors: Rudy Strobl, Milovan Fustic, Dates: May 22nd - 23rd, 2012 Daryl Wightman and Applications Price: $850.00 CDN Date: May 8th, 2012 Instructor: Ashton Embry Sequence Stratigraphy: Principles and Price: $850.00 CDN Dates: May 10th - 11th, 2012 Applications Price: $700.00 CDN Instructor: Octavian Catuneanu

Dates: May 22nd - 24th, 2012

Price: $1,150.00 CDN REGISTER ONLINE AT www.cspg.org/CSPG/Education CSPG PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

SHORT COURSES & FIELD SEMINARS

Mannville Stratigraphy, Sedimentology, SAGD Fundamentals - Application of Petroleum Geology for Non-Geologists and Petroleum Geology Outcrop Analogues, Geology, Geophysics Instructor: Jon Noad and Geochemistry to Oil Sands Recovery Instructor: Doug Cant Date: June 25th, 2012 Dates: May 22nd - 24th, 2012 Instructors: Rudy Strobl, Milovan Fustic, Daryl Wightman Price: $325.00 CDN Price: $1,680.00 CDN Dates: May 10th - 11th, 2012 Stratigraphy and Hydrocarbon Systems of Seismic Exploration for Non-Geophysicists Price: $2,400.00 CDN the Sappington (Bakken/Exshaw) and Instructor: Bill Nickerson Three Forks Formations in Western Anastomosing Fluvial Architecture of the Montana Dates: May 22nd - 24th, 2012 Lower Tertiary Porcupine Hills Formation Instructors: Ted Doughty, George Grader Price: $1,625.00 CDN (Paskapoo Equivalent), Southwest Alberta Dates: July 19th - 21st, 2012 Log Analysis for Stimulation Design Instructors: Peter Putnam, Derald Smith Price: $1,375.00 CDN Instructor: Ross Crain Dates: May 11th, 2012 Structure and Hydrocarbons: A Field Trip Date: May 23rd, 2012 September 7th, 2012 from Calgary through Kananaskis Country Price: $800.00 CDN Price: $695.00 CDN and Crowsnest Pass to the Rocky Moun- Petroleum Geomechanics for Developing Meander Belt Fluvial Architecture and tain Trench Unconventional Resources Reservoir Considerations (Upper Instructors: Peter Jones, Peter Hews Cretaceous Dinosaur Park Formation), Instructors: Pat McLellan, Chris Hawkes Dates: September 6th - 7th, 2012 Southern Alberta Dates: May 23rd - 24th, 2012 Price: $1,225.00 CDN Instructors: Peter Putnam, Derald Smith Price: $1,440.00 CDN Dates: May 18th - 19th, 2012 Geology of the Athabasca Oil Sands Drilling and Production Fundamentals September 10th - 11th, 2012 Instructors: Murray Gingras, Mike Ranger Instructor: David Hill Price: $985.00 CDN Dates: September 6th - 8th, 2012 Dates: May 24th - 25th, 2012 Price: $3,900.00 CDN Geological Walking Tour Price: $850.00 CDN Instructor: Bill Aryton Geology of Horizontal Wells in Liquid-Rich Reservoirs Date: June 1st, 2012 Instructors: Deborah Sanderson, Andrew Price: $200.00 CDN Newson FIELD SEMINARS Tide-Dominated Depositional Date: September 7th, 2012 Environments in the Bay of Fundy, Canada Price: $675.00 CDN Instructors: Murray Gingras, Shahin Dashtgard Wabamum, Bakken-Equivalent Exshaw, Anastomosing Channel Belt Architecture and Banff Formations in Core, Cuttings, and Dates: June 9th - 12th, 2012 and Reservoir Considerations of the Outcrop from Southern Alberta Price: $2,750.00 CDN Modern Columbia River, BC as it applies to Instructors: Tim Hartel, Willem Langenberg, the Mannville in West-Central Alberta Contrasting the Reservoirs of Braided vs. Barry Richards Instructors: Peter Putnam, Derald Smith Meandering Depositional Systems Dates: September 14th - 15th, 2012 Dates: May 9th - 10th, 2012 Instructor: Jon Noad Price: $750.00 CDN September 5th - 6th, 2012 Dates: June 14th - 15th, 2012 Price: $1,300.00 CDN Price: $580.00 CDN

Excellence in Geological Services for Over 20 Years Integrated Reservoir Studies for All Resource Types Conventional Wells 4D Geomodelling & Geosteering • Horizontal Wells Horizontal Well Path Planning - Spearﬁsh Inﬁll Well Placement Studies - Viking ® - Bakken SMART4D Modelling Software - Cardium Email: [email protected] 910, 396 11th Ave SW Calgary, AB Canada - Horn River Shale Gas www.serpaconsulting.com www.uogc.com 403.265.0111

CRAIN’S LOG ANALYSIS COURSES For Engineers, Geologists, Geophysicists, and Technicians

Narrated Multi-Media Audio-Visual Slide Shows for Self Study Strip Log Log Manager AV-01 Practical Quantitative Log Analysis AV-02 Advanced Quantitative Log Analysis Horizontal Log Log Viewer AV-03 Analysis of Unconventional Reservoirs Details at: www.spec2000.net/00-courseware.htm Mud Log Log Analysis Individual, Corporate, and Academic Licenses Available === E. R. (Ross) Crain. P.Eng. Suite 102, 7370 Sierra Morena Blvd SW, Calgary, AB T3H 4H9 1-403-845-2527 [email protected] [email protected] 1-800-447-1534 (403) 237-9189 === – 50 Years Worldwide Experience – Analysis, Training, Mentoring, Forensic Reviews – ===

section township n 1413 15 16 ip 333231 34 35 36 yev r 1112 10 9 282930 27 26 25 us Jocelyn Lampron, P. Geol. 765 8 212019 22 23 24 President & CEO CD 234 BA 18 17 16 15 14 13 Wellsite Geological Supervision ph: 403.266.3132 lsd *Conventional Wells-Heavy Oil/SAGD cell: 403.818.8549 CD 1 0987 11 12 N *Coal Bed Methane Wells www.hopewellpetroleum.com BA CD *Domestic & International Supervision [email protected] 23456 BA *On & Offshore Geological Supervision 906, 505 6 St. SW Calgary, AB T2P-1X5

Reach more than 3000 petroleum professionals who are empowered to purchase your product or service.

ADVERTISE IN THE RESERVOIR Domestic and International Shale Gas/Oil Shales Conventional Vertical and Horizontal Wells Coal Bed Methane Please call: Oil Sands - SAGD/Coring Programs Project Supervision Caitlin Young Tel: 403.513.1230 Email: [email protected] Tel: (403) 262-9229 Fax: (403) 265-0377 Email: [email protected] Website: www.progeoconsultants.com

40 RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 FIVE ALIVE! GeoSkills Training Day Enters its Fifth Year | By Colleen Flynn, Kyle Plante, and Victoria Walker

What were you up to February 1st 2012? Current student organizers share that Students and organizers have commented If you were one of the geoscientists at attending GeoSkills is an excellent way that industry attendance at the evening mixer the 5th annual GeoSkills you would have to become exposed to the science in a was up this year, students were especially been in for a treat. GeoSkills is a one-day meaningful way. The one-day event is not excited that there were more professionals student-industry training day held in Calgary, too disruptive to the typical busy semester. to speak to one on one. The mixer is facilitated by volunteers and students, and Students from Edmonton commit to a full formatted as a cross between a career fair hosted by APEGGA. The event took place day, but students from Calgary can pick and and cocktail hour. Industry professionals that Wednesday February 1st at the Metropolitan choose which lectures to attend and work were in attendance spread the message to Centre in Downtown Calgary. Students from the day around their class schedule, or even students to network at every opportunity the University of Calgary, The University of just attend the evening mixer. For some – both to increase your contacts within the Alberta, and Mount Royal University were students, GeoSkills is the first conference industry, and to increase knowledge in the in attendance. The event provides students they attend, as well as the first opportunity science. in geoscience with exposure to different to network with industry professionals. disciplines within the industry through technical lectures, an opportunity to connect with other students throughout the day, and experience with networking with industry professionals at the evening mixer. MUNDIREGINA This year’s GeoSkills incorporated subtle changes that have evolved the event to RESOURCES appeal to the student audience. One change made was to the length of lectures – by shortening the length of the lectures the CANADA INC. organizers were able to add more talks to SEEKING JOINT VENTURE –Light Oil the schedule than in previous years. Some of the topics featured were: Making Rocks talk – Integrating Core Data for better New Light Oil play on over 100,000 Geological Understanding, Geoscience Data Management from a Mapping Perspective, acres in Eastern Canada conventional and Oil Sands Development Strategies and the Utilization of Geostastics in SAGD Well and unconventional (Quebec) Planning. The lectures were also changed to be delivered to an audience of 1st and 2nd year students. The effects of these • Numerous OIL seeps over 5 miles with TOC values very high changes were that students could attend more talks throughout the day and retain • Major faulted zones, was tectonically very active more knowledge on a wider variety of topics. • Major Anticline (over eight miles long) as well as 2-3

Another change to the event this year was smaller anticlines the addition of the panel discussion. The • Similar to western sedimentary basin Devonian and panel this year was created with the theme Silurian Geology of “University Graduate to New Hire.” The panel gave students the opportunity to ask • HTD dolomite occurrences geoscientists with a variety of experience • Strong Hydrocarbon smells questions in a formal setting. A larger • Large Reefal facies audience of students benefited from the discussion and sparked further questions for • Potential 3-4 way closure trap the evening mixer. From the conversations it is evident students are most interested in getting advice on obtaining that first job, advice on how to maximize your summer job experience, how to identify which area 56 Roehampton, Unit 62,St. Catharines, ON, L2M 7S8 within geology to focus on, and asking advice on what to do to make the most of your Tel: (905) 688-8083 • Cell: (905) 978-1364 undergraduate degree. [email protected]

RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 41 earth science for society: Planting the seeds of future geoscientists | By Kyla Poelzer

CORPORATE MEMBERS Allen Geophysical Consulting Ltd. Apache Canada Ltd. APEGGA Baker Atlas BDO Canada LLP BLACK SWAN ENERGY BLUEBACK RESERVOIR Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. Casey & Associates cenovus CSEG FOUNDATION ConocoPhillips Canada Limited Devon Canada Corporation encana Enerplus Corporation exxon mobil upstream research company geoLOGIC systems ltd. GEOSTRATA RESOURCES INC. I have volunteered on the Earth Science ESfS is held during the annual GEOVARIANCES for Society (ESfS) organizing committee GeoConvention at the Calgary TELUS HALLIBURTON since its formation three years ago. Every Convention Centre. Don’t miss the family Hunt Oil Company Of Canada year I am exhausted yet encouraged by the event on May 13th, 2012! We will be giving HUSKY ENERGY INC. enormous volunteer effort that goes into away prizes to the first 100 mothers and IHS Imperial Oil Resources planning and executing such a successful we have many other giveaways and draws JEWELSUITE event. I volunteer because I love being a for the whole family. Admission is FREE! LITTLE ROCK DOCUMENT SYSTEMS geoscientist and I want everyone to have Hours are as follows: LORING TARCORE LABS the opportunity to be inspired and engaged MJ Systems by the Earth Sciences. Sunday, May 13: 12noon – 5:00PM MURPHY OIL COMPANY Monday, May 14: 9:00AM – 4:00PM Nexen Inc. Working downtown in Calgary, and being Tuesday, May 15: 9:00AM – 4:00PM PARADIGM surrounded by oil and gas companies, we Penn West Petroleum Ltd. Petrocraft products ltd. often forget that many people have no idea For more information visit our website PLUSPETROL S.A. what it means to be a geoscientist. There www.geoconvention.com/esfs. If you have ROKE TECHNOLOGIES are no other geoscientists in my family, a few hours to spare on May 13th, 14th, or ROXAR and while growing up the only opportunity 15th why not volunteer to guide a school RPS Energy Canada Ltd. I had to meet a geologist was in grade group or help Yukon Dan? Email us at SCHLUMBERGER eight science class. ESfS goes beyond just [email protected]. Shell Canada Limited meeting a geoscientist; it provides the Sproule Associates Limited opportunity for thousands of students, Suncor Energy Inc. teachers, and the general public to be talisman energy inc. TOTAL E&P CANADA LTD. involved through hands-on activities and Tourmaline Oil Corp. dynamic demonstrations. UNITED OIL AND GAS CONSULTING WEATHERFORD LABORATORIES Last year, a parent told me that her AS OF MARCH 10, 2012 teenaged child did not want to attend ESfS as it was supposed to be ‘lame’, but he CSPG welcomes our 2012 Corporate Members! The benefits of being a corporate member include: ended up having a great time and is now • Recognition in the monthly Reservoir and quarterly Bulletin considering the geosciences as a career • One associate membership path. ESfS is planting the seeds of future • Reserved tables at the technical luncheons with your geoscientists. company logo • One free pass to the CSPG Core Conference …and more! Contact Kasandra Klein at kasandra.klein @ cspg.org to be a corporate member today!

42 RESERVOIR ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2012 Proudly brought to you by Professionals in Geoscience and Engineering

we make a difference www.apegga.org Halliburton | Landmark | All Aboard — CSPG Reservoir April 2012 — H094.2-10 Trim 8.375x10.875, Live 7.375x9.875, Bleed 8.875x11.375mm, 4c Bleeds Created 2.21.2012

Want to bring geology back into geophysical interpretation? All Aboard

Landmark’s new DecisionSpace® Desktop software accelerates seismic interpretation with geomodel-enabled workflows. The geophysics and geology modules in Landmark’s new unified DecisionSpace® Desktop software share the same topology engine. This gives geophysicists easy access to framework construction tools that combine well picks and horizons to produce a high resolution, accurate geomodel. The geomodel uses conformance technology to produce well-based surfaces at the same resolution as seismic data, enabling a model that truly represents your reservoir. Get better answers faster. Visit halliburton.com/decisionspacedesktop.

High Science Simplified®