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A Clearer Image | www.pgs.com/Canada In partnership with AUGUST 2020 EXPLORER.AAPG.org By RICK FRITZ 3 Our Suspicions, President’s Column Mathematically Confirmed n our first meeting this year, your in conjunction with the Gulf Coast new Executive Committee discussed The primary reason I am discussing money in this Association of Geoscience Societies Ithree key areas of immediate focus: GeoGulf hybrid (virtual plus face-to- science, membership issues and the column is to let you know changes are coming. We face) meeting in Lafayette, La. Our goal budget. I’m going to talk about each in is to make this a real experience for my next three columns, but I am starting cannot afford to do everything we have done in the past. participants, not just another Zoom backwards with the budget, as it is the meeting, and I hope you will join us. most pressing area of concern. These two virtual conferences, URTeC My goal in this column is to write about “the annual Budget Review.” I once heard remind them about dues and ask if they and ACE2020, will give us the data points how AAPG is faring financially during the that a budget is a mathematical way to need support with graduated dues. we need to know if we can meet the industry downturn. In doing so, I want confirm your suspicions. That’s usually The reality is that the bulk of AAPG budget this year. We are still planning to make sure you understand I do not true. Last year we were looking at a income – about 65 percent – is derived for a face-to-face ACE meeting next elevate the importance of AAPG financial significant surplus, until the pandemic hit from conferences and meetings. AAPG year in Denver, if we can do it safely. It is needs over the impact the COVID-19 virus and now we expect a significant loss. We and sister society staffs are very efficient important for us to protect our members, and related economic downturn is having are “suspicious” of future revenue. In fact, at running these programs but, as you so it will most likely be a face-to-face on society – on you. AAPG members are looking forward into the next fiscal year know, all major meetings were canceled meeting with a virtual component. suffering from many economic issues, (starting July 1 this year until June 30, or postponed this year. These include key Finally, as the saying goes, “We such as loss of job, underemployment, 2021), we expect to have an approximate revenue-generating conferences like the cannot cut our way to success,” so we career anxiety and retirement worries. 40-percent decrease in annual revenue. Offshore Technology Conference, GEO in also are evaluating new revenue ideas More troubling is that many suffer from That’s a big hit that your Executive Bahrain, and, of course, AAPG’s annual for the Association, both short-term and critical issues like health, prejudice and Committee will deal with this new fiscal meeting. In addition, many of the section long-term. If you have any great ideas for loneliness. Again, our thoughts and year. AAPG does have an emergency fund: and region meetings were canceled or revenue growth, please let us know. prayers go out to those who are hurting through the good management of the postponed as well. So, this is my column on the budget. during these times, especially those who AAPG Investment Committee and staff As Shaq once said, “I’m tired of hearing have lost loved ones. we have a savings account roughly equal Adapting Through Virtual Events about money, money, money, money, A few members ask me, “Why does to our current annual expenses. Plus, money. I just want to play the game, drink the Executive Committee worry so much the AAPG Foundation supports many So now we are working to survive Pepsi, and wear Reebok.” I understand. about money all the time?” programs, such as the Distinguished financially and even grow in a virtual I promise future columns will be more Well, actually we prefer to focus Lecturer, Visiting Geologist, Grants-in-Aid, world. One benefit of this new model is interesting and more fun. on science and members’ needs, but etc. In addition, companies and vendors that we are reaching both members and Thank you in advance for supporting as Woody Allen once said about the support many programs like the Imperial non-members around the world with these new online meetings. We will try importance of money, “It is better than Barrel Award, the annual meetings like the online luncheons and webinars. As I am to get back to face-to-face as soon as poverty, if only for financial reasons.” The Annual Convention and Exhibition and the writing, the first virtual Unconventional possible but in the meantime we will primary reason I am discussing money International Conference and Exhibition, Resources Technology Conference just become the best virtual society possible. in this column is to let you know changes the EXPLORER, etc. but that support is concluded. The new virtual registration for It’s an exciting time to build a new are coming. We cannot afford to do lessened as companies deal with their own this conference was $350, with lower rates AAPG with new opportunities for everything we have done in the past. budget crises. The reality is we must make for one-day passes and students. We have members. Some programs will be reduced or cut. major changes to avoid major deficits. met the original targets for registration and Thank you for your patience. Thank We will let you know as this happens. So what do we do? sponsorship and many of the speakers you for your support. So how do we determine how much Dues account for 15 percent of agreed to give virtual talks. So, we have our money we need? Each April and May, the budget. As you can imagine, dues first financial test of the year. the current treasurer and the incoming payments are down, so we are asking We also just announced the president and treasurer meet with the the House of Delegates Membership postponed AAPG 2020 meeting staff and “worry” about money. It’s called Committee to contact members and will be held virtually Sept. 29-Oct. 1

STAFF TABLE OF CONTENTS REGULAR DEPARTMENTS Field Camp Managing Editor The Perils of Prediction: In a time like this, Geophysical Corner...... 18 Page 24 Brian Ervin making predictions about the oil and gas [email protected] 04 industry is not only impossible, but flirting Historical Highlights...... 20 with danger, analysts say. Art Direction/Production Matt Randolph Foundation Update...... 26 [email protected] Source of Confusion: Chances are, 06 you’ve been thinking about source rocks Classified Ads...... 28 Graphics Support all wrong. Trent Farar Director’s Corner...... 30 The Ortoire Syncline represents the largest gas Advertising Coordinators Companies A-K 08 discovery in Trinidad’s history. Divisions Report (EMD)...... 30 Mike Taylor 1-918-630-5672 Field Camp Without the Field: With social [email protected] 24 distancing and travel restrictions resulting Cenozoic deformation of the Cretaceous synrift deposits Companies L-Z from the COVID-19 pandemic, distance Tracy Thompson learning is becoming the “new normal.” of the Salta Rift in northwest 1-918-560-9414 Argentina, a focus area of [email protected] the Andean Basins Virtual

ON THE Research Symposium in COVER: CORRESPONDENTS Aug. 20-21. See page 16. David Brown Barry Friedman Emily Smith Llinás Ken Milam EXPLORER.AAPG.org Heather Saucier

The AAPG EXPLORER (ISSN 0195-2986) is published monthly for Members by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 1444 S. Boulder Ave., P.O. Box 979, Tulsa, Okla. 74101-3604, 1-918-584-2555. email address: [email protected]. Periodicals Postage Paid at Tulsa, OK and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send Volume 41 address changes to AAPG EXPLORER, P.O. Box 979, Tulsa, Okla. 74101. Canada Publication Agreement Number 40063731. Return undeliverable Canadian address to: Station A, P.O. Box 54 • Windsor, ON N9A 6J5 • email: [email protected]. Advertising rates: Contact Mike Taylor or Tracy Thompson, AAPG headquarters. Subscriptions: Contact Brian McBroom, AAPG headquarters. Unsolicited manuscripts, Number 8 photographs and videos must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope to ensure return. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) does not endorse or recommend any products or services that may be cited, used or discussed in AAPG publications or in presentations at events associated with AAPG. Copyright 2020 by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. All rights reserved. Note to Members: $6 of annual dues pays for one year’s subscription Aug 2020 to the EXPLORER. Airmail service for Members: $55. Subscription rates for non-members: $75 for 12 issues; add $72 for airmail service. 4 By DAVID BROWN, EXPLORER Correspondent EXPLORER AUGUST 2020

The Perils of Prediction in An Unprecedented Time

xact predictions of the future have activity, but it’s uncertain how significantly always been close to impossible. For the long-term habits will change. Eoil industry today, they might be even “One of the things companies should be thinking “Another question is, ‘How does it affect harder than that. behavior going forward?’” he asked. Some oil companies are taking a wait- today is, ‘I cannot predict it.’ But the good news Finley said he heard a comment that it and-watch approach to planning, as multiple took air travel four years to recover from unknowns face the industry in a period of for the U.S. industry is that it’s a world-class, 9/11, “and this is way bigger than 9/11,” he extreme uncertainty. Trying to predict a competitive industry.” explained. precise outlook right now isn’t just foolish, “Is it temporary or long-lasting? No one said Mark Finley. It could be dangerous. FINLEY can know right now,” he said. “In times of uncertainty, it doesn’t pay to be too predictive. You need to be flexible and political response.” want to spend it.” Investors will return to Technology Development agile,” he said. At the same time, production cuts also investing and the industry will ramp up Finley is a fellow in energy and global reached historic levels. The IEA estimated spending when it has the means to do so. In recent years, the oil industry has mostly oil at Rice University’s Baker Institute for a 9.4 mb/d decline in OPEC+ oil production, However, “what’s going to happen is, focused its attention on internal technological Public Policy in Houston. He was senior U.S. with output from countries outside OPEC’s coming out of this, every sector of the advances. But technology developments economist at BP and for 12 years led the reduction agreement falling by 4.5 mb/d economy is going to be looking for credit and outside the industry also bear watching, production of the BP Statistical Review of since the start of the year. access to capital,” he observed. Finley said. World Energy. He was responsible for the “In the very, very short term, we had the Uncertainty is affecting both long- “On the technology front, I guess I would company’s long- and short-term oil market negative price episode. The U.S. has had term planning and longer-term capital say, ‘Keep your eyes on batteries,’” he said, analysis and also led the global oil market as much as a 2 million barrel a day decline commitments. With today’s unknowns, “long because improved battery technology could and transportation-sector studies for the in production” as operators shut in wells, lead-time projects are scary. We’re not going have a major impact on future transportation long-term BP Energy Outlook. Before joining in addition to declines due to a collapse in to see 10-year projects in the face of great fuel demand. BP, Finley was an analyst and manager at the investment and drilling, Finley noted. uncertainty,” Finley noted U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, where he “You can’t think of it just in terms of That could bring a short-cycle emphasis, Climate Change was a global energy specialist. the (demand/supply) balance. There’s still but another factor to consider is that With the COVID-19 pandemic, “we have to this monstrous overhang of inventory to development timetables have shortened “On the policy side, it’s climate change and remember we’re living through an experience work through. You can’t say the market remarkably for the industry, he said. the reality of having to do something about it, like no one ever has before,” Finley said. is recovered fully until the inventory is “It may be harder to come by productivity the pace and intensity of policies to address “The response of OPEC and other normalized,” he said. gains now. I don’t see any data saying it,” Finley said. cooperating countries in cutting production productivity is growing by 50 percent a year Because of climate change reactions and has been like no one has ever seen before – Short-Cycle Investment Emphasis like it was the last time” the industry was in regulations, operators may be “under a little the biggest coordinated production cuts ever,” downturn, Finley said. more pressure to manage spending on the he noted. The industry entered the summer of upside of the cycle,” he noted. When the International Energy Agency 2020 with significant questions. First, would Some Predictions released its 2020 Oil Market Report in June, the OPEC+ reduction agreement hold and Anti-Globalization it used words like “unprecedented” and prevent another collapse of oil prices? In watching future developments that can “historical.” Second, would COVID-19 behave like the affect the oil industry, he suggested several Widespread anti-globalization sentiment “On the supply side, record output cuts seasonal flu and die out in warm weather, areas to keep an eye on: could affect international oil companies from OPEC+ and steep declines from bringing increased economic activity and a going forward, combined with fragmented other non-OPEC producers saw global oil drawdown in oil inventories? Economic Reforms geopolitics, a return to tariffs and the production fall by a massive 12 million barrels By mid-July, the answers were apparent. willingness of the United States and some a day in May,” the report noted. The OPEC+ agreement did put a floor under oil “On the supply side, one of the other countries to disrupt trade. China’s exit from lockdown and the easing prices, at a fairly low level. And the pandemic uncertainties to watch is how much “My fear is that the pandemic can be an of restrictions in many other countries gave did not fall back as higher temperatures Saudi Arabia and other heavily oil-revenue accelerant of that. And the U.S. industry is world oil demand a mid-year boost, the IEA spread across the northern hemisphere. dependent countries can reform their heavily internationalized,” Finley observed. said. In planning for the future, “one of the economies to be less dependent on oil “One thing I’m watching with concern is “Even so, demand in 2020 is expected things companies should be thinking today production,” he said. that people say the IOC model is under threat, to be 8.1 mb/d lower than in 2019, with the is, ‘I cannot predict it.’ But the good news for With reduced dependence on oil and they’re always focused on the ‘O.’ I’m biggest declines seen in the first half of the the U.S. industry is that it’s a world-class, revenues, those big producers can be more focused on the ‘I,’” he said. year. Our first forecast for 2021 as a whole competitive industry,” Finley said. more comfortable in sustaining production Until events unfold and more answers shows demand growing by 5.7 mb/d, which, When conditions improve, “these guys will cutbacks, he noted. become apparent, the industry outlook at 97.4 mb/d, will be 2.4 mb/d below the be ready to go,” he predicted. doesn’t just seem cloudy, but opaque. 2019 level,” the report projected. Finley said he isn’t too concerned about Behavior Shifts “Over the longer term we have to be Finley said, “this is a demand shock. It all future investment and industry spending, humble,” Finley said. “We have to start the depends on the spread of the disease though because “human nature being what it is, The COVID pandemic had an immediate framework from the perspective that we don’t

the world population, and the medical and when you have money in your pocket you impact on social behavior and economic know what’s going to happen.” EXPLORER ONCE YOU SEE IT, IT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF

Sure, I wanted to get together with my friends and fellow Entertainment, games, and social activities will keep things Geo Heroes in Houston, but being a hero means safety lively and fun, so that ACE 2020 Online will be an experience comes first. That’s why I’m excited about ACE Online, you’ll remember long into the future. 29 September—1 October, and connecting with my AAPG personal and business networks. When we became petroleum geoscientists we joined an exclusive club – our technical knowledge and personal Powered by the new ACE digital platform, ACE Online networks are what we leverage in our quest to supply the provides nearly instant access to hundreds of top-notch energy that fuels the world. ACE Online is how Geo Heroes ACE.AAPG.org papers, posters and services with the click of a mouse. Best stay connected, it’s how we harness our super powers. of all, I can manage my own viewing schedule – catching the most interesting talks and engaging in live Q&A sessions, and then circling back and watching additional Registration is open. presentations on-demand, or rewatching the talk I just saw! I look forward to “seeing” you at ACE. 6 By DAVID BROWN, EXPLORER Correspondent EXPLORER AUGUST 2020 Source of Confusion The right way to think and talk about source rocks

nderstanding source rock provides a key meters of water,” he said. source rocks I have more potential,” he noted. by those parameters, Pepper said. to evaluating the hydrocarbon potential Pepper thinks that kind of correlation “If your UEP is large enough and your reservoir Organic carbon and thickness “are Uof super basins and an important tool across basins wouldn’t be possible without a storage is large enough, you just need one essentially the scalars. The other thing is the for basin exploration. Geologists get the basics climate commonality, a global effect of climate source and reservoir in the system.” hydrogen index,” he explained. The hydrogen right, in general, but sometimes they might be on geological processes. Pepper outlined his approach in the index controls the expulsion efficiency of the thinking about source rock the wrong way. “You have to come back to a strong climate presentation “Estimating the Ultimate organic matter and therefore the amount of They are definitely talking about it in the correlation,” he said. Expellable Potential of Source Rocks: Defining gas from cracking of unexpelled oil. wrong way. As an example of imprecise age labeling, ‘World Class’ for Aquatic Organofacies with World-class source rocks are often “The term ‘world-class source rock’ has Pepper cited the La Luna formation source Examples from the Arabian, West Siberian, condensed sections, so “they can only last a been devalued by casual usage and by people rock in South America. Once the La Luna was Bohai, and Williston Basins,” available on certain amount of geological time,” Pepper promoting prospects and basins,” said Andrew identified, the geological literature started to be AAPG/Datapages Search and Discovery and noted. For a thick source rock formation, Pepper, founder and managing director of This filled with references to “La Luna-equivalent” to be published in an upcoming Super Basin repeated acmes have to keep feeding organic is Petroleum Systems LLC in Houston. or “La Luna-type” sourcing, a not particularly issue of the AAPG Bulletin. deposition in a basin, he said. “As a professional in this area, I’m fed up helpful designation, he said. He prepared the presentation with co- “In many of these basins you can see with people using language they can’t justify,” What’s been called La Luna actually covers author Elizabeth Roller, now senior geologist the richest source is actually the thinnest. he said. a broad expanse of time and multiple ages at Belmont Technology in Houston. It includes Geologists tend to overemphasize (source Pepper is pursuing a project to analyze, and climatic events, from the early Cretaceous several posters or illustrations describing rock) thickness,” he observed. accurately date and assess source rocks Albian all the way up to the Maastrichtian in source-rock analysis, assessment and in basins around the world. He utilizes the Trinidad, he noted. classification. Catching Up To Technology concept of “ultimate expellable potential,” or “Another example is the Kimmeridge Clay, The presentation gives examples of UEP UEP, representing the cumulative mass of oil the source rock for the North Sea. That is mapping of several source rocks that have Pepper began his career with BP in 1981 and gas that can be expelled upon complete somewhere I fooled myself – I thought I knew charged major conventional petroleum as a geologist in international exploration, source-rock maturation, and their proportions, the age of the Kimmeridge Clay. To think that systems – the Arabian Basin in Saudi Arabia, later working in BP’s Geochemistry Research system gas/oil ratio. it’s Kimmeridgian is a very logical thing to the Bazhenov formation of the West Siberian Lab and then serving as a petroleum systems “So then, the challenge is to map the think,” Pepper said. Basin, the lacustrine Shahejie formation of analyst. source rock. Historically, people have not The reality turned out to be considerably the Bohai Basin in China and the Bakken “In the 1980s when I used to do this been very good at mapping the UEP,” he said. more complex. To classify a source rock formation of the Williston Basin in the United stuff, I used to average the TOCs and put “There are all these ways people have done the formation as late Jurassic to early Cretaceous States. that in a primitive spreadsheet and do some analyses in a very clumsy manner because the in age is not especially descriptive because so calculations,” he recalled. modern workflows were not published.” much can happen in a 20- million-year interval Comparing Source Rocks Computer power and analytical abilities – including, clearly, the end of the Jurassic have come a long way since then, but the Age Matters period and the beginning of the Cretaceous. Differences among the source rocks are methodology still needs work, Pepper noted noticeable, not the least in their extent. They “Now that we have the capability to do In analyzing, mapping and dating source Rightly Defining ‘World Class’ range from about 61,000 square kilometers for these calculations, I don’t see an industry-wide rocks, accuracy is a must, Pepper noted. If a the Shahejie to 1.75 million square kilometers workflow to tackle the analyses,” he said. geologist is working a prospect “and you want Labeling every super basin source rock as for the Bazhinov. Pepper said his work has brought surprises the reservoir to be in close association with the “world class” is also a pet peeve for Pepper, “We have to remember that the West in determining and defining the stratigraphic source rock, the age of the source rock really even though, by definition, every super basin Siberian Basin is three times the size of Texas,” position and age of super-basin source rocks, matters,” he said. has cumulative production of at least 5 billion Pepper noted. “compared to the average perception.” “Knowing the true age of a source rock barrels of oil equivalent and future production Expellable potential comes into focus in “The first surprise in stratigraphy for me instead of just lumping an age is going to potential of more than 5 billion boe. this analysis – for instance, in comparing was that I didn’t know what the age was of the be really important in prospecting, even in Sourcing for the Bakken in the United the spotty patching of the Shahejie to the Kimmeridge Clay. And I’m from Britain, so I’m a super basin,” he added. “Then the ability States is adequate to fill the formation’s middle regionally-continuous, truly world-class source supposed to know that,” he said. to extrapolate in going from a known area reservoir member, but hardly world-class, he rocks in the Middle East and Russia. Pepper called it a learning experience that to a frontier basin gives you much more said. In fact, U.S. unconventionals tend not to “The lacustrine in the Bohai Basin map informed his subsequent work in analyzing confidence.” make the world-class cut for Pepper, not even looks like a small case of measles compared source rocks in basins around the world. “An interesting factoid is that you can the source rocks of the Permian Basin. to the huge expanse of the charge in the “It’s that learning that spurred me correlate acmes (what Pepper calls times “They’re respectable source rocks, probably Bazhenov,” Pepper said. onto correlating the ages of the acmes in of maximum organic deposition) in the Gulf not top tier, but there are seven source rocks Geologists are generally on the right track different basins,” Pepper explained. “The of Mexico that were probably deposited in a that do an adequate job of sourcing that when they assess the total organic carbon of ultimate motivation is to put right some of kilometer or more of water with carbonates in system,” he said. source rock and study maturation windows. the crazy things I and others have thought

Kurdistan that were deposited in less than 100 “It doesn’t mean because I have more Along with formation thickness, UEP is driven about source rock.” EXPLORER

Arabian Basin West Siberian Basin

Williston Basin Bohai Basin upcoming submission deadlines Interpretation, copublished by SEG and AAPG, aims to advance the practice of subsurface interpretation. SCHEDULED TOPICS Visit https://library.seg.org/page/inteio/Interpretation-special-sections for more details about these sections.

NOVEMBER 2021 AUGUST 2021 ◗ Seismic Interpretation of contourites ◗ Focus on Africa ◗ Hydrocarbon Migration, Near-Surface and deep-water sediment waves Submission deadline: Seepage, and Petroleum System Submission deadline: 1 August 2020 20 January 2021 Assessment Special-section editors: Dallas B. Dunlap, Special-section editors: Submission deadline: 1 November 2020 Piotr Krzywiec, Gabriel Tagliaro, Christian Sunday O. Amoyedo, Huebscher, and F. Javier Hernandez-Molina Abderrahim Lafram, ◗ Sanmi Tunde Emmanuel, The STACK Play in Oklahoma Mike Oladapo, and Submission deadline: 1 August 2020 Donatus Angnuureng ◗ Geoscience of Hydraulic Fracturing Special-section editors: Jamshid “Jim” Submission deadline: 20 January 2021 Gharib, Vsevolod Egorov, Michael Abrams, Harry Dembicki Jr., Roar Heggland, Benjamin Phrampus, and Jeffrey Beeson ◗ The uplift of Himalaya-Tibet Plateau and its impacts on basin evolution and Special-section editors: Richard Brito, John hydrocarbon accumulation in Asia Sinclair, Obie Djordjevic, Oswaldo Davogustto, Submission deadline: 1 December 2020 Andrea Miceli, and Jorge Quintero Special-section editors: Shu Jiang, Dengfa He, ◗ Xiumian Hu, and Xiangyang Xie Distributed Acoustic Special-section editors: Ishank Gupta, Sensing (DAS) Vikram Jayaram, Chandra Rai, Timothy Carr, Submission deadline: Dengliang Gao, William Harbert, Ge Jin, Adam MAY 2021 1 September 2020 Haecker, Kyle Haustveit, Manika Prasad, Mirna ◗ Benefits and challenges of depth versus Special-section editors: Slim, Vishal Das, Srinivasa Reddy Karri, and time migration for impedance inversion Ran Zhou, Konstantin Dongxiao Zhang Submission deadline: 1 August 2020 Osypov, Hyoungsu Baek, Andrej Bona, Yingping ◗ Russia: Recent Developments in Li, Roman Pevzner, Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production Michel Verliac, Shuvajit Submission deadline: 20 January 2021 Bhattacharya, Mark Willis, and Ge Zhan

SUBMISSION DEADLINES Special-section editors: Arash JafarGandomi, Alexandro Vera-Arroyo, Mita Sengupta, and PAST DUE: Alvaro F. Martini MAY 2021 Special-section editors: Vsevolod Egorov, Olga ◗ Mapping mixed clastic and carbonate ◗ Gas hydrates Almendinger, Vladimir Verzhbitskiy, Anton depositional systems in lacustrine Submission deadline: 1 July 2020 Duchkov, J.T. (Han) van Gorsel, Igor Kerusov, basins Special-section editors: Heather Bedle, Camelia Dmitry Modin, Boris Platov, Konstantin Submission deadline: 1 August 2020 Knapp, Priyank Jasiwal, and Jess Hillman Osypov, Alexander Savitsky, Olga Shiganova, Special-section editors: Hongtao Zhu, Zhiwei and Sergey Turuntaev Zeng, Xinong Xie, Xiaomin Zhu, Changgui Xu, and Hongliu Zeng

Interpretation is a peer-reviewed journal copublished by SEG and AAPG to advance the practice of subsurface interpretation. Papers will be published online as they are accepted, edited, and composed, with issues printed quarterly in February, May, August, and November. Each issue contains at least one special section covering a topic of interest to interpreters. General submissions also are welcome in addition to submissions targeted to the topics above. *E-mail [email protected] to inquire about submitting manuscripts past the submission deadline. Some sections may have in- creased flexibility regarding submission and review dates. To submit a paper, visit https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/interpretation and select the appropriate topic from the manuscript type options. For submissions not associated with a special section, select “Technical Paper.” 8 By XAVIER MOONAN EXPLORER AUGUST 2020

Record-Breaking Gas Discoveries in the Ortoire Syncline The largest gas discovery in Trinidad’s history

ouchstone Exploration is the Subsurface mapping on the Talisman offsetting Corosan-1 gas Xavier Moonan is operator of the 184-square 3-D seismic survey, Cometra 3-D seismic test, which was never senior geoscientist for Tkilometer Ortoire Block onshore survey and numerous Southern Basin placed on production. Touchstone Exploration south eastern Trinidad. The block spans Consortium 2-D seismic lines, integrated The Coho-1 and vice president of from the villages of Tableland in the with surface geology, regional well data exploration well was AAPG’s Latin America west to Pierreville Mayaro in the east and fold and thrust belt models have spud on Aug. 7, 2019 and and Caribbean Region. and to the very remote areas within revealed numerous potential Middle reached a total measured the Guayaguayare forest to the south. Miocene Herrera plays within the block. depth of 8,560 feet (8,543 Structurally, the block covers the greater To name a few, from north to south, feet true vertical depth) on Sept. 3, 2019 part of the open east facing Ortoire Touchstone Exploration has identified using Well Services rig No. 80. The Coho- Syncline which entails Late Miocene an eastern extension of the prolific Penal 1 well logs indicate four gas bearing Lower Cruse to Pleistocene Mayaro Barrackpore oilfield in the Cascadura packages in the Herrera member of the Formation deltaic fill. These passive area, a subthrust north verging anticline Mid-Miocene aged Cipero formation. fordeep infill deposits sit conformably at Coho, a south easterly verging Based upon wireline logging, two sand onto a southeastern-verging Early to subthrust anticline at Royston and an packages between 5,486 and 5,782 feet Middle Miocene fold belt. As such eastern extension of the Carapal Ridge with approximately 64 feet of net gas pay throughout the breadth of the Ortoire north verging subthrust anticline in the were encountered in the upper Herrera Block there are numerous tear fault Chinook area. Gr7b. The Gr7b sand packages correlate dissected west-southwest to east- These structures have all been tested to the offsetting Corosan-1 well drilled in northeast trending anticlines. These by the drill bit in the past, but results were 2001, where similar sands tested natural anticlines were the result of the oblique grossly misunderstood by generations of gas in excess of 8 million cubic feet per collision between the highly attenuated operators. Two of these structures, Coho day. Wireline logging also indicated two northern margin of the South America and Cascadura, have been successfully prospective gas sand packages in the continental plate with the leading edge of explored to date by Touchstone Herrera Gr7c section between 6,530 and the apparent easterly migrating oceanic Exploration. At Coho-1, initial tests and 7,240 feet. These two sand packages Caribbean Plate culminating in the Middle extended tests have been completed and contain a combined 41 feet of probable Miocene. commercial discovery notification has net gas pay, which was not tested in been submitted to the Ministry of Energy historical offsetting wells. In addition, Background and Energy Industries. At CAS-1 ST1, two logging identified the presence of oil zones were tested and the results are sands in the lower Herrera Gr7b repeat Historical exploration within the astounding. section at a depth of 7,788 feet. This area, dominantly within the 1950s, by lower quality 100-foot thick gross interval United British Oilfields of Trinidad and Discovery does not appear to be commercially Shell, had been primarily focused on prospective but proves the presence of Middle Miocene Herrera amalgamated The Coho area occurs immediately hydrocarbons in this previously untested channelized slope to base of slope south, in the subthrust of the south thrust sheet, and may de-risk future deepwater turbidites of the Cipero easterly verging Penal Barrackpore exploration opportunities. Formation and Late Miocene Lower thrusted anticline. This subthrust fold “The primary objective in Coho-1 was Cruse base of slope sheet like turbidite is north verging due to backthrusting natural gas and we are very pleased fans. Considered shallow water deposits resulting in the Mid Miocene Herrera to have found 105 feet of prospective at the time of exploration, the results of interval being found at approximately gas pay, which we will now evaluate for many of those wells were considered 5,400 feet, and then again at 7,800 feet. commercial production,” said James disappointing or uncommercial. Further The north verging backthrust therefore Shipka, chief operating officer of to this, these operators considered the provides a potential trapping mechanism Touchstone Exploration, following the area dominantly extensional and did not for imbricated pay. The Coho-1 well was discovery. “The presence of oil in the apply fold and thrust belt geometries to drilled to evaluate the untested Herrera repeat section confirms the presence of their geological model. Gr7 repeat section and follow up on the previously unproven hydrocarbons in the deeper Herrera thrust sheet and confirms the potential for further exploration targets in the lower Herrera sand sheets within the Ortoire exploration block.” Initial testing on Coho-1 was conducted on Nov. 16, 2019 with a flowback period spanning seven hours using gradually increasing choke sizes. During the final flowback period, a peak rate of 19.8 million cubic feet per day (3,300 barrels of oil equivalent) of dry, sweet natural gas was observed with a wellhead pressure of 2,632 psi on a 32/64-inch choke. The average natural gas rate associated with this final period was 17.5 MMCFD (2,917 BOEPD) with an estimated 23 percent draw down. “These positive well test results represent a new era for Touchstone as we expect to add significant natural gas volumes to our production base,” said Touchstone Exploration CEO Paul Baay. “The results outline the opportunities that still exist for onshore Trinidad exploration and position Touchstone to become a top three onshore petroleum

Continued on next page u Testing at CAS-1 ST1 AUGUST 2020 EXPLORER.AAPG.org 9

t Continued from previous page producer. It must also be noted that the Coho-1 well is in the smallest prospect of the Ortoire exploration program. The Company will proceed to tie in the well through a 3-kilometre pipeline to an existing production facility that has capacity in excess of this well’s estimated production rates. We anticipate bringing the well on production during the first half of 2020.”

The Cascadura Well

The Cascadura well, located at Poole Valley Road along the Rio Claro Guayaguayare Road, structurally tests an eastern extension of the west-southwest plunging, south easterly verging, and heavily imbricated Penal/Barrackpore/ Mandingo Anticline. CAS-1 was planned to be drilled to a total depth of 8,150 feet, targeting three distinct thrust sheets with Middle Miocene Herrera sandstones – the shale-rich Overthrust or Sheet 1, the secondary target/Sheet 2 which COHO-1 Gas Test correlates to the BW-5 well sandstones that produced 27,000 bo before shut-in at drilling operations and case the well to using their Pulsed Neutron Extreme an uneconomic rate of 13bopd in 1963, preserve the significant hydrocarbon tool on Dec. 15, 2019. The Cascadura- and the primary target – the Overturned saturated sand reservoirs which had 1ST1 cased hole well logs and drilling or Intermediate Limb/Sheet 3. been encountered to total depth of 6,350 samples indicated oil pay in the regional While drilling the well, there were feet. These sandstones both occurred Lower Cruse Formation as well as three mechanical issues with the drilling rig, within the Sheet 1 and Sheet 2 structural significant oil-bearing packages in the and as such the well was sidetracked levels. However, Sheet 1 was found Herrera member of the Mid Miocene beneath surface casing. We encountered further imbricated three times. aged Cipero formation. While drilling several distinct high-pressure As a result of the high pressures and the surface and intermediate sections hydrocarbon kicks that were controlled mud weights, we were unable to use of the well, several oil-bearing sands through the use of high-weight drilling a conventional open hole logging tool; in the Lower Cruse formation were fluid and pressure control. For safety Schlumberger was on site on Dec. 12 and reasons, the company decided to cease completed cased hole logging operations See Cascadura page 11 u

CAS-1 ST1 Wellsite, Poole Valley, Rio Claro 10 By BARRY FRIEDMAN, EXPLORER Correspondent EXPLORER AUGUST 2020 Managing Business Risk through Social License to Operate

Seven of the OGCI CEOs (left to right): Claudio Descalzi (Eni), Josu Jon Imaz (Repsol), Amin H. Nasser (Saudi Aramco), Bob Dudley (BP), Ben van Beurden (Shell), Eldar Saetre (Equinor), Patrick Pouyanné (Total)

f recent events in the oil and gas sector, and you probably need to raise capital from especially as it relates to the fallout and “There are new opportunities being created every day as we try investors who have other options. All those Icontraction from COVID-19, illustrate to mitigate risks and plan for an energy transition.” things go into what I’m calling our ‘social anything, it is the need for companies to license to operate,’” Davis explained. create resilient businesses and business ESG, if done right, can be a boon for the models. “It’s still in its infancy.” “I think there are at least three reasons industry. “That means having a business plan The transition of ESG being a working for that,” Davis said. “There are new opportunities being that anticipates and can adapt to changing model for corporate America is, he said, a “First, the magnitude of the risk if created every day as we try to mitigate conditions due to evolving environment, function of business cycles. something goes wrong on an offshore risks and plan for an energy transition,” societal, and governmental pressures.” “When I started out with ARCO in the platform or at a refinery is exponentially he said. “For example, there are new That’s Joseph R. Davis, independent early ‘80s, at that point, the goal for the greater than the risk exposure in drilling a companies springing up that fly drones direct at BKV Corp, an investment E&P firm. company was – the corporate mantra – single well in West Texas. Second, most along pipelines and gathering systems “You can’t separate ESG from increase shareholder equity. And that was of the majors have been around for years looking for methane leaks.” sustainability,” he said, “for ESG is how a fairly new idea then. But then companies and they frequently measure their planning The need for geoscientists to work on business addresses sustainability.” grew through cycles and identified new cycles in decades, while many smaller carbon capture – a profitable business in “ESG” is a set of standards that savvy goals,” he explained. companies in the U.S. were created to its own right – will certainly expand, as investors use to screen potential oil Davis, who began his career as a geologist enhance the value of a small set of assets well as the need for geologists to explore and gas companies through a prism with U.S. Geological Survey, said the (wells and leases) and then sell those for resources like lithium and rare Earth of environmental, social and corporate focus now is on all stakeholders, of which assets within a few years,” he explained. minerals. governance protocols. Specifically, shareholders are certainly a part. It is an Lastly, he said, large companies have The groundwork is already being environmentally: how a company performs evolution that’s at a critical point now in the boards that have a fiduciary responsibility established, Davis said, pointing to the Oil in harmony with natural surroundings; oil and gas industry, because, he said, “It is to the shareholders to make sure that and Gas Climate Initiative that is made socially: how it manages relationships with a matter of survival.” management is aware of these risks up of BP, Chevron, CNPC, ENI, Equinor, employees, suppliers, customers and the and has plans and systems in place ExxonMobil, Occidental, Petrobras, Repsol, communities where it operates; and in its E, S and G that can mitigate the risks, whereas Aramco, Shell and Total. governance: how it handles leadership, smaller companies tend to have simpler “They account for about 30 percent executive pay, audits, internal controls and In breaking down the components of governance structures. In such scenarios, of global oil and gas production and shareholder rights. ESG, Davis said the environmental part management tends to be more concerned collectively invest about $7 billion a year in To put it simply, Davis said, “ESG is a is the most visible, as it “has to be dealt with short-term performance and low carbon energy solutions,” he said. way of managing business risk.” with on a daily or weekly basis.” As for addressing immediate problems – “mission Further, OGCI has dedicated a fund with And the most outwardly visible part the governance aspect, it entails not only critical” things, he calls them – rather than more than $1 billion to collaborate with of ESG is measuring or auditing various how the company is structured, but how it devoting resources to long-term issues. innovators, investors and governments to activities that contribute to those risks. monitors consumers’behavior towards the “If you’re the CEO of a company and fund and implement global solutions. “If you can’t measure it, you can’t use of its products, and how it manages you’re only worried about your bonus, ESG Davis, who is on the AAPG Advisory manage it,” he said, citing examples of how business risks. is not going to be a priority,” said Davis. Council, believes AAPG can help push the companies track methane emissions, spills, But what of the “S” part of it – the The gap, though, is closing, in part message though meetings, committees, land and water use, as well as how they societal? because it is in everyone’s interest for it to conferences, and by providing educational monitor the safety of both their employees “The Social part unites us all, as every close. information about these issues for the and the community while drilling. company, large or small, has to have social “I think the thing that unites all of us is public and other members. The whole notion of a unified, symbiotic licensing. If we’re not respected by the that we all require social license for our “We can help make ideas and approach to such operations is fairly new, community, nobody is going to lease to us. businesses to operate,” he said, adding, technology developed by large companies however – and not just in the oil and gas We’re not going to get permits. This is the “even if you are a small company, you still to mitigate some of these risks more sector. critical piece,” he said. need landowners to lease their land to accessible to smaller companies,” said It’s all of corporate America,” Davis said, If the bigger operators are better you, you need their neighbors to give you Davis. adding that only in the last four or five positioned at the moment – and they are – access, you need permits from the state The goal throughout the industry is years have companies been embracing the it is the nature of the business, specifically and the township, you need to be able to clear, he added: “All need to be educated

seriousness of the ESG. their business models. hire employees who want to work for you, and learn and evolve.” EXPLORER AUGUST 2020 EXPLORER.AAPG.org 11 Cascadura from page 9 encountered. A total of 220 gross (80 net) feet of prospective pay was logged at depths between 1,030 and 2,134 feet. These sands correlate to sands observed in the offset BW-5 well but they were wet in the structurally lower offset. The Lower Cruse Formation was not considered to be a target in the Cascadura prospect and Touchstone will evaluate this potential new Lower Cruse pool. The primary target at Cascadura were the turbiditic Herrera sands and the Cascadura-1ST1 well encountered a total of 1,154 gross sand in the Herrera of which 957 net feet is interpreted to be hydrocarbon bearing. These sand packages appear to occur in unique and separate fault sheets. 320 gross feet of Herrera Gr7c sands were encountered in the upper thrust sheet with 180 net feet bearing oil at depths between 4,198 and 4,994 feet. An additional 646 gross feet of Herrera Gr7c sands were identified in the middle thrust COHO-1 Wellsite, Tableland sheet, with 600 net feet of hydrocarbon bearing sands found at depths between The initial test interval was completed “This is the best possible outcome 24-hour flow test period. This production 5,516 and 6,162 feet. The sands found in on Jan. 17, 2020 to evaluate the lowermost for the initial test results from the rate included 29.4 MMcf/d of natural gas the upper and middle thrust sheets do not 162 foot pay interval between 6,056 and Cascadura well, as natural gas and liquids and 865 bbls/d of natural gas liquids. The appear to correlate to any known historical 6,218 feet. The well was opened to test have superior economic value under flowing pressure of the well at this point well data in the area. In the lower thrust on Jan. 18, 2020 on a 4/64-inch choke the Trinidad fiscal regime,” said Bay. “Based in testing was 3,581 psi through a 40/64- sheet, logging and drill sample results for a period of 97 minutes with load fluid, on the information acquired while drilling, inch choke. During the final 24-hour flow indicated the presence of 188 gross feet hydrocarbon emulsion and gas recovered the thick sand we encountered in the test period, the well averaged a production of Herrera Gr7a sands with 177 net feet at surface prior to shut-in. Shut-in tubing well appeared to contain oil with some rate in excess of 5,472 boe/d (14 percent identified as hydrocarbon bearing. These head pressure observed at surface built to associated gas. It is now evident that it is liquids), including 28.1 MMcf/d of natural sands were found at depths between 4,200 psi, which we deemed to be higher likely a liquids rich gas structure. Given this gas and 783 bbls/d of natural gas liquids at 6,162 and 6,350 feet and correlated to a than current equipment could safely is only the lowermost 162 feet of pay in a flowing pressure of 3,578 psi through a sand package which was present in the evaluate. The well is currently shut-in while the well, these initial results are extremely 40/64-inch choke, resulting in an estimated offsetting BW-5 well originally drilled in we mobilize a three-phase separator and encouraging.” 13 percent drawdown. A total of 43 million 1958. The Cascadura well is calculated to testing package designed to safely evaluate Stage two testing achieved a peak be at least 200 feet up-structure from the the high pressures and gas volumes production rate in excess of 5,760 boe/d original BW-5 well observed upon initial completion. (15 percent liquids) during the extended See Plans page 13 u 12 By HEATHER SAUCIER, EXPLORER Correspondent EXPLORER AUGUST 2020 Seeking the ‘Goldilocks Window’ of the Austin Chalk

reservoir or fractured reservoir, rather than a resource play,” he said. “Challenges remain on where to find the ‘Goldilocks Window’ of stored oil within the low- porosity Austin Chalk that can be stimulated without creating pathways for water to encroach the newly formed hydraulic fractures. If understanding the combined elements can be determined, the Austin Chalk has significant volumes of hydrocarbons that can be produced.” The existing well log suites available for the Chalk are dated. The density of high-quality logs used to characterize key factors, such as water saturation, are not present, Zahm said. Because the Chalk has low margins owing to the drilling depths, sometimes in higher pressure and temperatures, high-quality log suites were often not acquired. While 3-D seismic coverage of south Texas is good, emerging areas such as southern Louisiana require more for producers to make intelligent decisions for drilling, Zahm said. Core data is a key data source. “There is critical information on the reservoir quality and potential for hydrocarbon development within the existing core catalog, but the data is sparse with respect to the key areas where producers are looking to push the play,” he added. “’Discovery’ is an interesting term for the Austin Chalk. It has been producing Outcrop of the Eagle Ford and Austin Chalk contact off Kiest Blvd. a fifth of a mile east of Patriot Parkway in Dallas County. Photo by Joshua Doubek. for decades. The key question is whether the technology is in place for intelligent extraction.” ourced in part by the Eagle Ford the 1920s, with historical hotspots in the and results have been mixed throughout Group, the Austin Chalk has been Pearsall and Giddings fields in Texas. the basin,” she said. “However, wells in Knowing the Rocks Sa hot spot for operators on and “The Austin Chalk is important because Karnes and Washington counties continue off for a century. The rise of horizontal some of the most productive wells in to see very competitive economics and To help bridge the gaps in the geologic drilling and hydraulic fracturing brought a the Lower 48 have been drilled in this are a component of operators’ remaining characterization of the Austin Chalk, the renewed interest in the formation, which interval,” said Michelle Thoms, senior inventory.” RCRL is currently studying cores and has produced new discoveries in Texas and geology associate at RS Energy Group, Low porosity rocks are a new area of outcrops, describing approximately 40 Louisiana. a part of Enverus. “Operators are most focus. cores that are distributed from the Texas- Yet in parts of the Austin Chalk, actively targeting the Austin Chalk in Knowledge of the Chalk was initially Mexico border through central Louisiana,” SES LEADS TO SUPERIOR GEOSTEERING extracting oil and gas can be extremely Karnes County, Texas, and are achieving sought to provide information about the Loucks said. tricky. In this highly fractured reservoir, comparable, if not more competitive Eagle Ford, rather than the opposite, The group is looking to measure hydrocarbons are commonly present returns than the Lower Eagle Ford.” explained AAPG Member Chris Zahm, a and understand rock strength and rock The trick is piecing together intervals of geologic in nanopores and micropores, requiring Historically, the Austin Chalk was a fractured reservoir specialist and research mechanics to predict fracture distribution extensive knowledge of the rocks for sweet vertical target. As horizonal drilling ramped scientist associate at the BEG. and magnitude; study the variability and spots to be identified. up, the Chalk piqued the attention of “The Austin Chalk still holds significant distribution of the clay-rich material in bed linearity. 3D analysis is superior at this. However, knowledge of such rocks is operators, Thoms explained. “Due to the resources of oil, gas and condensate. It the reservoir and how it affects natural scarce, as many operators have relied geologic complexity, success has been is different from the Eagle Ford because and induced fractures; and determine mostly on seismic data in the past to more localized compared to the Eagle Ford it is more of a low porosity conventional the percentage of total organic matter to successfully drill for the Chalk. To further identify those areas that are self-sourcing. exploit the reservoir at deeper depths, “We have developed a database of a major exercise in characterizing the parameters including porosity, core Correlate with geology is required. descriptions, and total organic matter Several years ago, the Carbonate and we have interpreted it,” Loucks said. 3D TSD Logic Reservoir Characterization Research “The Austin Chalk is composed of very Laboratory at the Bureau of Economic fine carbonate grains and clay minerals. Geology, Jackson School of Geosciences, So small, that you can only see them well Analyze in 3D University of Texas at Austin began a with a scanning electron microscope at project to analyze approximately 40 cores the nanometer to micrometer levels. The MD Domain from the Austin Chalk – the first group to Austin Chalk pores are all under a micron; do so. this is important to know to understand Its goal is to make information available the reservoir. Initial production comes Auto-Tune to extend the success of this unique play, out of the natural fractures, but you need as the Austin Chalk is not only sourced by to look at the drawdown curve. The later with Expert the Eagle Ford below, but self-sourcing as production comes from nanopores after Guidance well. the drawdown. People need to appreciate SES...Trusted by “Overall, until one knows the geologic the life of this reservoir.” Geologists Everywhere! characteristics, they cannot understand The RCRL’s data repository of cores is Underlay the data they collect from seismic, wireline- needed to keep the Austin Chalk active. logs, production volumes, etc.,” said AAPG While seismic data for new areas in Seismic Member Robert Loucks, a senior research Louisiana is becoming available, knowledge scientist at the BEG. “A solid understanding of the rocks is still needed, especially in of the rock characteristics is necessary to deeper depths when resolution becomes Project understand how to explore for and exploit more challenging. the Austin Chalk.” “Without knowing the rocks, you O sets can’t know what you’re looking for and Digitally History of the Chalk it’s difficult to get the right seismic parameters,” Zahm explained. The Austin Chalk extends from south Because the Austin Chalk sits just Texas into central Louisiana and is a naturally fractured reservoir. It has been Scanning electron microscope image of the Austin Chalk. Image shows coccolith elements with interparticle nanopores a significant oil and gas producer since between the elements. Some nanopores contain distorted clay platelets. See Clay page 25 u makinhole com AUGUST 2020 EXPLORER.AAPG.org 13 Plans from page 11 cubic feet of natural gas (7,162 barrels of oil equivalent) was produced during testing, with 1,095 barrels of natural gas liquids and 78 barrels of water which included 69 barrels of load fluid. During the final flow test, stage two testing yielded 55-degree API natural gas liquids at a ratio of approximately 28 barrels of natural gas liquids per million cubic feet of natural gas produced. Laboratory analysis of the produced gas indicated liquids rich natural gas with no hydrogen sulfide content and no measurable solids. An independent reserves report on Cascadura was undertaken by GLJ Limited in July 2020. GLJ has assigned gross discovered petroleum initially-in-place (“DPIIP”) volumes of 571.5 Bcf of natural gas in the high estimate and 241.2 Bcf in the low estimate, with a best estimate of 398.5 Bcf. This places Cascadura as the largest onshore natural gas discovery in Trinidad’s history. Drone shot of Testing at CAS-1 ST1 Future Plans Cascadura deep, with drilling at Chinook perspective. Many companies in the past structural or sedimentological analogues. “We are delighted to report that the on track to commence within the next few struggled to integrate datasets, as they Many geologists and geophysicists independent reserves report verifies the weeks. We could not have envisioned a were limited to postage stamp acreage in the past were also fixated in their own material size of the reserves yet to be better start from the first two wells of the scattered across the island. The Ortoire subsurface models and were unwilling to produced in the Cascadura structure and Ortoire exploration program, and we look Block is a fair sized block to observe the accept alternative interpretations. This is provides the groundwork for a multiyear forward to updating the market and our relationship of the different exploration something we strive to avoid. We strive to future onshore development program in Trinidad stakeholders as we progress with efforts or campaigns of the 1940s and be a dynamic team, continuously testing Trinidad,” said Baay. “Through the excellent our Ortoire exploration and development ‘50s. Touchstone Exploration also has our models with various interpretations work of the Touchstone team in the drilling activities in the coming months.” an added advantage of operating blocks and utilizing modern techniques and of our first two exploration wells, we have The success in the Ortoire Block to in Forest Reserve, Coora, Palo Seco, technologies wherever possible. successfully proven up the hydrocarbon date speaks to the merit of an integrated Barrackpore, San Francique, Fyzabad and One thing for sure is that there are a lot of bearing turbidite model in Ortoire. This approach, utilizing vintage datasets and even Bouvallius in the east, which enable hydrocarbons onshore still to be found. We model will be further evaluated by our next applying basic geological principles our team to observe the entire onshore first need to believe that. That will be the first

two exploration targets at Chinook and while looking at it with a different Southern Basin and draw on appropriate step to trying something different. EXPLORER

SES LEADS TO SUPERIOR GEOSTEERING The trick is piecing together intervals of geologic bed linearity. 3D analysis is superior at this.

Correlate with 3D TSD Logic

Analyze in 3D MD Domain

Auto-Tune with Expert Guidance SES...Trusted by Geologists Everywhere! Underlay Seismic

Project O sets Digitally

makinhole com 14 By JOSEPH MOORE, Energy and Geoscience Institute, University of Utah EXPLORER AUGUST 2020

Location of the FORGE site within Utah’s Renewable Energy Corridor. The Roosevelt Hot Springs geothermal reservoir, Blundell power plant and production wells are located east of the Opal Mound fault at the base of the Mineral Mountains. Wells east of the fault display convective thermal gradients; those west of the fault, including 82-33, 9-1 and Accord 1-26 display conductive thermal gradients. The town of Milford is located 16 km south of the FORGE site. The Utah FORGE: An International Laboratory for Advancing Enhanced Geothermal Development

onventional geothermal reservoirs added significantly to our understanding of between the overlying been drilled for reservoir characterization are characterized by a heat source, the FORGE site. gently dipping and and seismic monitoring. The deepest, well Chydrothermal convection, and The FORGE laboratory lies near the undeformed alluvial 58-32, reached a depth of 2,291 meters sufficient natural permeability to allow eastern boundary of the Basin and Range deposits and the GL (7,515 feet GL) and encountered a for fluid migration. Recognizing the Province. The geology of the site and the plutonic rocks temperature of 199 degrees Celsius. Well geologically restricted occurrence of adjacent Mineral Mountains is dominated is interpreted to 68-32 was drilled to 303 meters (994 natural sites, additional opportunities by a composite Tertiary pluton composed represent a rotated feet) and well 78-32 to 998 meters (3,274 have been sought. Enhanced geothermal of diorite, granodiorite, quartz monzonite, and eroded Basin and feet). A fourth monitoring well will be systems are reservoirs in hot rock that syenite, and granite. Development of the Range fault dipping drilled to about 2,286 meters GL (7,500 lack the natural permeability required plutonic complex began at 25 Ma, and MOORE 20-30 degrees to feet GL) in 2020. Although image logs for fluid movement. In 2014, the U.S. continued until 8 Ma. the west. The most from well 58-32 suggest the presence Department of Energy initiated a program The Tertiary plutonic rocks intrude prominent of the younger Basin and of numerous fractures in the plutonic to test and develop new technologies for Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary Range structures is the Opal Mound Fault, rocks, permeabilities are low, less than 30 characterizing, creating and sustaining EGS sequences exposed at the northern and which dips steeply to the east and offsets microdarcies. reservoirs under natural field conditions. southern ends of the Mineral Mountains surficial deposits of alluvium and silica Two hydraulic injection tests were A site approximately 350 kilometers south and a thin belt of Precambrian gneiss. sinter, with a down-dip displacement of at conducted in well 58-32. In 2017, a series of Salt Lake City Utah was selected for Quaternary (less than 1 Ma) rhyolite lava least 15 meters. Temperature and pressure of microhydraulic fracturing, and other the Frontier Observatory for Research in flows originating from domes along the data demonstrate the Opal Mound Fault diagnostic fracturing injection tests was Geothermal Energy, or “FORGE” laboratory. crest of the range partially cover the forms a hydraulic barrier separating the performed to estimate stress magnitudes The ultimate goal of the Utah FORGE plutonic rocks. Temperatures near 250 convective thermal regime of the Roosevelt in the open hole section of the well. A project is to demonstrate to the public, degrees C in the Roosevelt Hot Springs Hot Springs geothermal system from the maximum wellhead pressure of 27.6 stakeholders and the energy industry that geothermal reservoir suggest the presence conductive thermal regime beneath the megapascals (4,000 pounds per square EGS technologies have the potential to of a magmatic heat source, presumably at Utah FORGE site to the west. inch gauge) was measured at an injection contribute significantly to future power a depth more than 5 kilometers. The Utah FORGE reservoir will be rate of about 1,431 liters per minute generation. Sedimentary and volcanic rocks created in the plutonic rocks where (9 barrels per minute). Repeat logging The FORGE footprint covers an area of filling the Milford basin beneath the temperatures range from approximately indicated significant enhancement of a about 5 square kilometers within Utah’s FORGE footprint lie unconformably on 175 to 230 degrees Celsius at 2 to 4 drilling-induced vertical tensile fracture Renewable Energy Corridor. The site lies the plutonic basement. The contact kilometers depth. Three vertical wells have had occurred during the stimulation. A adjacent to a 306-megawatt wind farm, a second series of injections was performed 240-megawatt solar field and PacifiCorp in 2019. The openhole tests were repeated Energy’s 38-megawatt Blundell geothermal and a region of critically stressed fractures plant at Roosevelt Hot Springs. Cyrq were broken down and propagated in a Energy’s 10.5-megawatt geothermal perforated section of the cemented casing. field and a biogas facility are located 40 kilometers to the south. Future Research

Geological Studies In 2020, full deployment of the laboratory will be initiated. The centerpiece The area around the FORGE site has of the laboratory will consist of a been the focus of numerous geoscientific production and injection well pair. The studies over the last 40 years, starting with wells will be deviated 65 degrees from intensive geothermal exploration during vertical and drilled to the east-south-east, the late 1970s. More than 80 shallow perpendicular to the maximum horizontal (less than 500 meters) and 20 deep (more stress. The injection well will be drilled first than 500 meters) wells were drilled and to a measured depth of approximately logged, providing a very complete picture 3,333 meters (10,938 feet) and a true of the thermal structure of the region. The vertical depth of 2,603 meters (8,540 deepest well, Acord-1-26, reached a depth feet). The well will be cased, perforated of 3.8 kilometers (11,811 feet). Recent and the toe of the well will be hydraulically geological mapping, 2 and 3-D seismic stimulated using zonal isolation and reflection, gravity and geochemical surveys, stimulation techniques adapted from the and the drilling, logging and testing of well FORGE site infrastructure showing the trajectory of the deep injection well 16A(78)-32 (dashed line), locations of seismic 58-32 to 2,296 meters (7,536 feet) have monitoring wells 58-32, 56-32, 68-32 and 78-32. Rows of windmills are visible near the upper edge of the image. See Seismicity page 19 u AAPG.org/events By AAPG 15 Attend, Learn, Succeed! Build Your Skills and Knowledge with AAPG Training Events ONLINE TRAINING

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It’s the best opportunity you’ll AAPG Short Course – How to Use Geology to Save The Symposia are technical events targeted to have to exchange information, formulate strategic Money, Drill Better Wells, and Improve Well researchers and professionals working both in AAPG Short Course – Climate: Past, Present, ideas and solve problems to manage and optimize Performance industry and academia. Each and Future your unconventional resource plays. Web-Based Participation | 3–6 August 2020 2-day event includes four technical sessions, Web-Based Participation | 21–24 September 2020 In times of distressed operatorship, the geologic keynote presentations with world renowned This online short course is designed to provide a AAPG Short Course – Applied Middle East discipline often gets placed on the back burner. This speakers and daily panel discussions featuring geologic perspective of the climate debate to both Late Palaeozoic Palynology: Solving course is designed for the geologist to use data at experts in the field. geoscientists and non-geoscientists. By completing Geological Problems hand to directly impact the bottom line at your the course participants will have a better Web-Based Participation | 16–18 December 2020 company using the humblest and commonest of AAPG Short Course – Python Coding understanding of how the earth’s climate/sea levels/ In an area where palynology still has a significant data sets. and Petroleum plates have changed/moved over geologic time, the impact, this course will cover all aspects of Web-Based Participation | 25–27 August 2020 earth’s evolving climate/plate positions/sea-level Palaeozoic applied palynology for the Middle East AAPG Short Course – Deepwater Processes and This hands-on coding and app workshop will feature variations affected life on earth, and the environment including regional and industry case studies. We will Deposits programming in Python and the use of platforms has impacted look at real applications of Late Palaeozoic Web-Based Participation | 11–13 August 2020 and software packages that are available either man & man has impacted the earth’s environment. palynology specific to the industry. There are no The lecture content provides a summary of the open-source, or free (or almost free), and it could other courses that cover applied Middle East Late fundamentals of deep marine systems. The principal include some trial licenses. AAPG Short Course – Evaluation of Tight-Shale Palaeozoic Palynology, nor has the regional and goal of the course is to provide Reservoirs: Sedimentologic, Stratigraphic, and industry focused on solving these geological subsurface interpreters with a methodology and EAGE/AAPG Digital Subsurface For Asia Pacific Geochemical Tools to Identify Production problems. hands on experience in seismic, logs, and core Conference & Exhibition Sweet Spots interpretation of deep-water deposits. Web-Based Participation | 7–9 September 2020 Web-Based Participation | 28 Sept–1 Oct 2020 This event will showcase digital subsurface studies This virtual short course focuses on methods and AAPG Short Course – Synthetic Gamma Ray Log and workflows enabled by data science and workflows for identifying, characterizing, and Generation Using Machine Learning: An End-to-End delivered by a workforce equipped to handle next developing tight-shale reservoirs Participants will Upstream E&P Workflow Solution generation E&P. How digital transformation using learn how to apply mudrock depositional, Web-Based Participation | 11–13 August 2020 subsurface data creates value in the oil and gas sedimentological, sequence stratigraphic, and The course will focus on a Machine Learning industry. As we constantly break new ground, the geochemical principles to exploration areas and workflow in the upstream Oil and Gas domain to scope is broad but subsurface data should underpin production assets in shale basins. generate synthetic Gamma-Ray Logs by applying your results. Data science makes some of its biggest Artificial Intelligence (AI) Techniques and then discoveries by integrating many parts so the learning the various aspects of deploying this elements below represent the scope of the whole workflow in an end-to-end solution that a event and not individual sessions. Geoscientist can use.

IN PERSON TRAINING

NEW DATE AAPG Geosciences Technology role in the E&P workflow, where 3-D quantitative NEW DATE AAPG Geosciences Technology AAPG Geosciences Technology Workshop: 3rd Workshop – Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) geocellular models provide essential input for major Workshop – Exploration and Development in Edition: Stratigraphic Traps of the Middle East Utrecht, Netherlands | 15–16 September 2020 oil and gas field development decisions. Static and Southern Caribbean Frontier Basins Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia | 29–31 March 2021 Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an dynamic data integration, new developments in 3-D Bogota, Colombia and Online | 17–18 March 2021 The workshop is an opportunity for attendees to energy transition technology allowing the reservoir modeling techniques, and uncertainty The two-day workshop brings together receive up-to-date knowledge about stratigraphic continued use of fossil fuels but removing the quantification associated with reserves estimation, technical experts and industry leaders from trap exploration, exposure to regional and global emissions form their combustion. Used will be just a few topics, among others, to be tackled Colombia and throughout the Americas to stratigraphic case studies, and to be introduced to properly CCS will enable high-energy and discussed during the workshop. take a multidisciplinary look at future state of the art-technologies utilized to detect these industries and high emissions industries, opportunities for exploration and difficult to find yet rewarding traps. It is an time to develop low carbon alternatives to Energy in Data Conference 2021 development of Southern Caribbean Frontier opportunity to network and share experiences. The burning coal, oil or gas. However, capturing Austin, Texas | 21–24 February 2021 Basins. participants will receive a summary of the breakout carbon and geostoring it is energy intensive A joint society data conference, Energy in Data is sessions and discussions, lessons learned, and the and hence has a cost. The goal of this exclusively designed for participants in the digital AAPG Geosciences Technology Workshop: abstracts of papers presented in the workshop. workshop is to explore how best to develop transformation of the energy sector. This forward- Advanced Petroleum Systems Analysis in the Asia large scale geostorage of CO2. looking, multidisciplinary conference includes the Pacific Region: New Technology and Applications NEW DATE Energy Opportunities 2021 latest trends with topics such as machine learning, Perth, Australia | 17–18 March 2021 Mexico City, Mexico | 29–30 September 2021 AAPG Geosciences Technology Workshop – data management storage, oil & gas development This workshop will focus on advances made in Make your mark at Energy Opportunities Structural Styles and Hydrocarbon and drilling, production and more. petroleum systems analysis as a predictor of Mexico, a premier conference highlighted Prospectivity in Thrust Belt Settings Around hydrocarbon presence, new technology and trends, technology, and business Europe and North Africa AAPG Geosciences Technology Workshop – applications, and future directions of this important opportunities in the Latin America and Barcelona, Spain | 24–25 November 2020 2nd Edition: Maximizing Asset Value: Integrating geological tool. Caribbean region’s traditional and alternative The Workshop aims at bringing together Geoscience with Reservoir Management & energy sectors. This elite event features experts from academia and industry on Facilities Optimization AAPG Geosciences Technology Workshop: plenary sessions, topical workshops, an different disciplines to share experiences, Muscat, Oman | 22–24 February 2021 Source Rocks of the Middle East exhibition, and a Business-to-Business new approaches, new data and new ways of Join us for the 2nd edition of Maximizing Asset Bahrain | 22–24 March 2021 session connecting decision makers with the integrating information that can help in Value: Integrating Geoscience with Reservoir Save the date. Join us for the Source Rocks of the people, assets, and trends shaping the future reducing the uncertainties related to the Management & Facilities Optimization. More Middle East. More information coming soon. of energy. exploration activities in Europe and North information coming soon. Africa Thrust Belt Systems. AAPG Geosciences Technology Workshop: AAPG Geosciences Technology Workshop – Immersion into Shuaiba Formation to Maximize 2nd Edition: Decision Based Integrated Reservoir Production Modeling Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | 8–9 March 2021 Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia | 1–2 February 2021 The workshop will focus on the Aptian section of the Following the successful 1st edition of the Decision Arabian Plate and will cover one of the main based Integrated Reservoir Modeling GTW, the 2nd reservoirs in Thamama group (Shuaiba Formation). edition will focus on the latest technology and This part of the stratigraphic column is one of the cost-effective approaches for building accurate and most diverse regional stratigraphy which was likely AAPG.org/events predictive 3-D reservoir models for the oil and gas the result of segmented basinal physiography during industry. Integrated reservoir modeling plays a pivotal that time. 16 By EMILY SMITH LLINÁS, EXPLORER Correspondent EXPLORER AUGUST 2020 Cancel, Postpone or Transform AAPG’s Latin America and Caribbean Region provides content and connection through virtual events

APG’s Latin America and Caribbean Energy Opportunities Region started 2020 with a strong Cenozoic deformation of the Cretaceous synrift deposits Virtual Experiences lineup of technical and business events. of the Salta Rift, northwest Argentina, a focus area of the A Andean Basins Virtual Research Symposium. First semester activities included a Like the in-person regional conference, Mexico Pre-Salt Section Hedberg Research Energy Opportunities Virtual Experiences Conference in Mexico City and a Geosciences are designed for decisionmakers and Technology Workshop in Barranquilla, industry leaders seeking the information highlighting Colombia’s offshore potential. The and the connections they need to meet second semester included the Latin America their business objectives. and Caribbean Region Energy Opportunities The Energy Opportunities Virtual Conference in Mexico City and the first-ever Experiences portfolio includes executive Latin America Unconventional Resources forums featuring panel discussions with Technology Conference in Buenos Aires. industry leaders followed by roundtable Organizers hoped to build on successful discussions with participants, and country momentum from events in Colombia, showcases highlighting investment Suriname, Guyana, Bolivia and the opportunities and hydrocarbon potential International Conference and Exhibition in throughout world. Argentina in 2018 and 2019. The year 2020 While the in-person conference focuses was the year of promise. hundreds of people each week. The AAPG LACR leadership and staff began on the Latin America and Caribbean The Hedberg Conference went well in LACR Young Professionals Conference looking at every event and deciding what to Region, Energy Opportunities Virtual February, but one of the participants from highlighted the geology of nine countries do: cancel, postpone … or transform? Experiences have a global reach. Sessions China canceled travel plans because of a throughout the region. The Imperial Barrel To date, none of the 2020 events start at 8 a.m. Houston, 2 p.m. London and coronavirus outbreak in the country. Award competition ran smoothly, and more have been canceled. The Colombia 9 p.m. Singapore to enable participation One month later, the world turned upside people than ever connected with the region Geosciences Technology Workshop from throughout the world. down. Countries closed their borders, to enjoy the free events. moved to March 2021 and the in-person “Energy Opportunities started as a companies sent workers home, and sponsors With virtual strategies for educational Energy Opportunities and Latin America regional initiative, but now it’s a global canceled support. programs set in motion, AAPG LACR URTeC Conferences were rescheduled to enterprise,” Gómez said. “The internet has In-person conferences were not just risky leadership set their eyes on events. September and November 2021. no borders, and neither does AAPG. We’re but prohibited in most cases. It was time to go AAPG LACR Region President Elvira The Latin America URTeC Conference covering topics that are relevant in Bogota, back to the drawing board. Pureza Gómez said retooling events will continue to have a presence in 2020, Brussels and Beijing. I am thrilled to be a has been an important priority for the with online offerings coming in November. part of this.” New Strategies leadership team. In the meantime, leadership has offered “Our educational outreach is the heart of two completely new initiatives: Energy Region staff and leadership reacted everything we do in the region,” she said. “To Opportunities Virtual Experiences and the Continued on next page u quickly, revising contracts, holding keep our educational programs alive, we need Latin America and Caribbean Region Virtual meetings and shifting into response mode. to do what we do best, work hard and adapt Research Symposia. They launched a series of virtual lectures, to circumstances. A huge priority for us is meetings and regional conferences finding a way to organize events that generate to reach students, professionals and revenue for our region and for AAPG. Without displaced workers who craved connection revenue, the programs cease to exist, and all while working and studying from home. our hard work comes to nothing.” Their #TuesdayTalks Virtual Visiting Geoscientist lecture series connected AUGUST 2020 EXPLORER.AAPG.org 17 Freddy Corredor’s virtual field trip “Fault-related Folds of the Eastern Cordillera Fold-and-Thrust Belt, Tunja-Villa de Leyva Region, Colombia,” will be featured during the Andean Basins Symposium. t Continued from previous page

Executive Forums

Launched in June, the executive forums take place the last Thursday of each month and feature 60-minute executive level panels with moderated Q&A followed by virtual roundtable discussions for participants. Gomez said executive forums provide a great opportunity to discuss topics of interest to decisionmakers working in all aspects of the energy sector. “Forum topics are very timely during this challenging period in our energy industry,” she said. “This is a way for us to help people have conversations and to connect with others who have ideas and strategies to move forward and stay connected.” Forum registration is provided free of charge to attendees and expenses covered by sponsors. Chevron, an Energy Opportunities conference supporter, opted to sponsor the Forward in an Uncertain Energy Market, u ESG and Sustainable Development: showcases are a perfect complement to the virtual forums in 2020. took place June 25. What’s the Difference and Why Do They current International Pavilion program offered For Ken Yeats, technical relations manager The executive forum session featured Matter? – Sept. 24, 2020 at onsite AAPG events. for Chevron Global Exploration, the virtual panelists from Chevron, Shell, Enverus and u Net Zero by 2050 – Where Do We Stand “The virtual aspect of country showcases series aligns well with company objectives. Texas A&M University and included panel Now? – Oct. 29 2020 give NOCs, ministries and government the “Chevron is excited to sponsor the new discussions about the role of unconventionals ability to reach out globally in real time to virtual Energy Opportunities Executive Forum in the global market, transferring technologies Country Showcases continue promotion of their exploration series as a leading-edge digital way for and workflows from North America to other opportunities and current activity,” she industry leaders to stay engaged and keep parts of the world and applying expertise and The second phase of Energy Opportunities said, adding that virtual participation gives communicating during the global pandemic technologies to other industries. Virtual Experiences, country showcases, starts countries longer presentation times and larger and beyond. Attendees will gain valuable The July 30 session, “COVID’s Effect on the in September. audiences than what they traditionally enjoy at insights from world-class experts on a variety Energy Sector: from Crisis to Transformation,” While executive forums feature hot topics in-person conferences. of timely and relevant industry topics. Our included panelists from Ecopetrol, Norton and panel discussions, country showcases “It’s all about being able to get their hope is that this initiative will establish an Rose Fulbright, FTI Consulting and included include presentations directly from countries ‘complete story’ across. With this platform, informative virtual space that expands access roundtables covering the impact of COVID-19 promoting global opportunities. countries will have a much longer amount and facilitates interaction among leaders well on the energy transition, on innovation and on Showcases provide 60 minutes of of time to go into greater detail and be able into the future,” he said. legal and commercial strategies. presentations and Q&A from energy to interact directly with a global audience,” The inaugural Energy Opportunities Upcoming 2020 executive forums include: ministers, geoscientists, government she said. Executive Forum, New Roadmaps for licensing authorities and national oil company Godfrey added that attending the online Unconventional Resources: Moving u Carbon Capture Use and Storage - executives, who provide a detailed look at sessions will provide a great source of Making Petroleum and Industrial Processes licensing rounds, open blocks, hydrocarbon information for executives and new business More Sustainable – Aug. 27, 2020 potential and exploration activity. professionals who are unable to travel during Gina Godfrey, managing director of AAPG’s International Pavilion, said virtual country See Symposia page 28 u

The Eastern Cordillera of Colombia is an asymmetrical fold and thrust belt formed by east and west verging fault- related folds that, in many cases, involve the economic and crystalline basement. The thrust faults of this region link the basement and the sedimentary cover through multiple detachment zones within the cretaceous and tertiary sequences. These reverse and thrust faults were originated as part of the Andean orogeny during the late Eocene and early Oligocene times, and some are active today. Some folds associated with these thrust faults are exposed in an exquisite way in the region of Tunja-Villa de Leyva, Boyacá, some 150 kilometers north of Colombia´s capital Bogotá D.C., and allow the direct observation of the geometry of these structures in multiple dimensions and scales. During this filed trip we will observe and analyze the structural relationships of several fault-related folds across the Tunja-Villa de Leyva region, will interpret the geometry and stratigraphic position of the detachment levels and fault ramps that can be observed on outcrops and will discuss the regional implications of the interpreted geometries and kinematics. 18 By RITESH KUMAR SHARMA and SATINDER CHOPRA EXPLORER AUGUST 2020 Geophysical Corner Shale Capacity for Predicting Well Performance Variability

Figure 1: An arbitrary line section passing through different wells from ‘PCA1 (shale capacity)’. Overlaid GR curves show the location of Duvernay formation as it is associated with high GR response highlighted by blue arrows. Notice a spatial as well as vertical variation of estimated PCA1 attribute that needs to be calibrated with the production data available for different wells. Data courtesy of TGS, Canada

he goal of reservoir characterization different types of reservoir properties, such Seismically-Derived Attributes work carried out for a shale play is to as organic richness, fracability, fracture Tenhance hydrocarbon production by density and porosity, is essential. One way The availability of core data, well-log identifying the favorable drilling targets. The of achieving this is by using cutoff values curves such as dipole sonic with azimuthal drilling operators have the perception that for the different reservoir properties and measurements and image logs could in organic-rich shale formations, horizontal generating a shale capacity volume. Thus, probably arm the reservoir engineers or wells can be drilled anywhere, in any the foregoing discussion emphasizes the petrophysicists with direct measurements direction, and hydraulic fracturing at regular integration of different reservoir properties of different reservoir properties (organic intervals along the length of the laterals can for predicting the potential of a shale richness, fracability, fracture density and then lead to better production. Given that play. Mathematically, shale capacity (SC) SHARMA CHOPRA porosity) for estimating shale capacity. this understanding holds true, all fracturing is defined as a function of total organic However, direct measurements of such stages are expected to contribute content (TOC), natural fracture density properties are possible only at well impartially to the production. However, (FD), brittleness (BRT), and porosity (Ø) as capacity, i.e. the shale capacity exists locations. A way out here would be to studies have shown that only 50 percent of follows: only in case all four parameters are above determine the individual components of the fracturing stages contribute to overall their cut-off values. In other words, an shale capacity from seismically-derived

production. This suggests that repetitive SC=TOCnet × FDnet × BRTnet × Ønet ideal shale well must be drilled in a high properties. drilling of wells and their completions TOC zone, which is brittle enough to be But again, to couple reservoir properties

without attention to their placement must where TOCnet = 0 when TOC

be avoided, and smart drilling needs to be FDnet = 0 when FD

followed by operators. BRT

stages occurs, which leads to a better impact on P-impedance, density, VP/VS, and overall production. To be able to locate Lambda-rho, and thus these attributes can such fertile pockets, an integration of be treated as their proxies. Furthermore, fracture toughness (see the April 2020 Geophysical Corner), strain energy density, and fracture intensity computed using VVAz (see February 2019 Geophysical

Continued on next page u

Figure 2: Horizon slice extracted from the PCA1 volume averaged over a 30 millisecond window to map the variability within the Duvernay formation. As PCA is an unsupervised machine learning technique, the choice of preferable color needs to be decided by calibrating it with other available datasets. Therefore, the production data of three different wells associated with different colors was considered and it suggests that preference should be given to hot colors for delineating the sweet spots as production is increasing with the intensity of colors. Data courtesy of TGS, Canada. AUGUST 2020 EXPLORER.AAPG.org 19 Seismicity located above the reservoir and in rings the Geothermal Data Repository at and the Concept Testing and Development at the 3 and 8 kilometers from the center. Utah FORGE website at UtahForge.com/ Milford City, Utah FORGE Site.” We thank from page 14 During injection activities, the network data-dashboard. the many stakeholders who are supporting will be augmented with a nodal array of this project, including Smithfield, Utah seismometers. A broadband sensor and Conclusions School and Institutional Trust Lands oil and gas industry. A second well will be a geophone are deployed in well 68-32 at Administration, and Beaver County. A grant drilled to intersect the microseismic cloud depths between 281 - 282 meters GL (921 - The Utah FORGE site in central Utah from the Utah Governor’s Office of Energy recorded during the stimulation at the toe 924 feet GL). is an ideal field laboratory for developing Development has provided support for of the first well. Two of the monitoring wells, well 78-32 next-generation technologies capable of educational outreach activities. The Bureau Seismicity in the region surrounding the and well 56-32, will be instrumented with producing geothermal power from low of Land Management and the Utah State Utah FORGE site has been monitored since distributed acoustic sensing fiber-optic permeability crystalline rock. The site Engineer’s Office have been very helpful in 1981. There is no record of any events cables cemented behind casing. The is easily accessible all year, there are guiding the project through the permitting greater than magnitude 1.5 beneath the DAS cable in well 78-32 extends from the no limiting environmental constraints, processes. Gosia Skowron’s help preparing Utah FORGE site between 1981 and 2016. surface to 994 meters GL (3,262 feet GL). temperatures suitable for enhanced the figures and manuscript is greatly

In late 2016, the network was upgraded The cable in 56-32 will extend to a depth geothermal system development can appreciated. EXPLORER to improve detection of the microseismic of about 1,525 meters. Strings of high- be reached at shallow depths of 2 to 4 events. The current estimate of magnitude temperature geophones will be deployed in kilometers, the risks of induced seismicity Editor’s Note: Other contributors to of detection is close to zero. wells 58-32, 78-32 and 56-32 during periods are low, and injection testing indicates this article were: Stuart Simmons and An extensive network of surface, of stimulation and during flow testing the stress characteristics are suitable for Philip Wannamaker of the University of shallow borehole and deep borehole between the injection and production wells. reservoir development. Utah Energy and Geoscience Institute, instruments will be used to monitor Analysis of the seismic data and faults John McLennan of the University of Utah microseismicity during the creation surrounding the Utah FORGE site suggests Acknowledgements Department of Chemical Engineering, and growth of the Utah FORGE the risk of induced seismicity and seismic Kristine Pankow of the University of Utah reservoir. Surface and shallow borehole hazards is low. Funding for this work was provided by Seismograph Stations, Robert Podgorney of instrumentation will include seismometers All of the data collected at Utah FORGE U.S. Department of Energy under grant DE- the Idaho National Laboratory, and William and strong motion detectors centrally is available in the public domain through EE0007080 “Enhanced Geothermal System Rickard of Geothermal Research Group.

t Continued from previous page the help of a machine learning technique 1 shows an arbitrary line passing through available for those wells are brought in (see April 2018 Geophysical Corner) called different wells from the PCA-1 volume. and found to be associated with different “principal component analysis,” or PCA, for The display exhibits both the lateral and colors. Notice the productivity of a well Corner) and fracture toughness can be a 3-D seismic dataset from central Alberta, temporal variations. increases in going from the greenish color considered as a proxy for fracability and Canada, where the Montney and Duvernay To capture the lateral variations in to hot colors. It may therefore be concluded fracture/stress induced anisotropy in formations represent the zone of interest. the data, figure 2 shows a horizon slice that hotter colors are preferable for the addition to curvature attributes. With all the seismic attributes mentioned averaged over a 30 millisecond window delineation of sweet spots. above available, they were put through the covering the Duvernay formation. The We will continue the description of this Principal Component Analysis machine learning PCA computation, to hot colors on the display represent higher analysis in part 2, which will appear in next

figure out the patterns and relationships values than the greenish/bluish colors, month’s Geophysical Corner. EXPLORER Consequently, different kinds of in them. Usually the first three principal but as PCA is an unsupervised machine attributes must be considered in the components carry most of the information learning technique, it is difficult to (Editors Note: The Geophysical Corner is process of defining shale capacity, which contained in the input attributes, with conclude as to which color conveys what a regular column in the EXPLORER, edited is not an easy task to tackle manually. PCA-1 containing a large part of that. information. To gain some insight into this by Satinder Chopra, chief geophysicist for Therefore, an attempt has been made Consequently, PCA-1 can be treated as a dilemma, the nine-month cumulative BOE TGS, Calgary, Canada, and a past AAPG- here to perform such an integration with proxy for the shale capacity volume. Figure (barrel of oil equivalent) production data SEG Joint Distinguished Lecturer.)

LATIN AMERICA Announcing Latam URTeC Online Coming to a Screen Near You 16–18 November 2020 • An Online Experience

Since we can’t meet in-person this year, we’re taking URTeC to you. Plan now to join us for Latam URTeC Online, an interactive experience connecting you highlighting current trends, To learn more about the event, visit URTeC.org/latinamerica technologies and best practices for unconventionals in the Americas and beyond. 20 By PAUL J. MARKWICK EXPLORER AUGUST 2020 Historical Highlights Paleogeography in Exploration Lessons from the past for the next generation of explorers

here is something about colored pencils that we, as geologists, find Timpossible to resist. From geological maps to field sketches to interpreting seismic on those never-ending rolls of paper taped to the longest corridor wall we can find – what more could any geologist want? This is a source of much mirth among my non-geological friends, and a concern among management, especially after having just purchased the latest expensive software. Our need for powerful software, paper and colored pencils reflects a fundamental problem in geology and especially exploration: how to manage, analyze and visualize the diversity and wealth of information required to solve exploration problems? There is simply too much to take in. I am reminded of this each spring when Douglas Paton and I take the Leeds structural geology master’s course students out to the central Pyrenees. This is an area familiar to many of you and highly recommended to those of you who have yet to visit. As we look out from the Castillo de Samitier with the students, geological notebooks in hand, the challenge is always the same: how far should we, can we, means) climate? Or a really “bad day” in students, need to know enough of the 1870s it was clear that more was needed, “stray” from teaching only the structural the Eocene – the Castissent flood events, vocabulary of each part of the Earth system especially following the Ontario and geology? and what does that do to submarine- to know what questions to ask, where to Pennsylvania discoveries in 1858 and 1859, If we only focus on the structures, channel architecture downstream and the look for answers, and how the components respectively, and the birth of oil exploration. we miss drawing student attention to interconnectivity, porosity and permeability fit together to dictate source rock geometry It was one of the first petroleum the important interactions between of potential reservoirs … ? and character, trap formation and timing, geologists, Thomas Sterry Hunt, who saw deformation and the evolution of the ... and suddenly we find ourselves reservoir quality and all the other plethora the value of paleogeography in exploration, turbidite transport pathways – something discussing regional paleogeography, of geological risks they will need to assess and who, in 1873, first coined the term they will need to know if they ever look Earth system modeling, the PETM as explorationists. “paleogeography.” at deepwater West Africa or equatorial (Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum), Hunt had worked in the Ontario South America. To fully understand those the importance of extreme events, Paleogeography as a Solution discoveries and was one of several pathways requires knowledge of hinterland such as Derek Ager’s catastrophic geologists who had simultaneously evolution and the whole source-to-sink uniformitarianism and plate tectonics, and This is not a new problem. Early recognized the importance of anticlinal story – a story that is heavily dictated we have lost most of the day and possibly geologists were faced with the same traps. It is probably this structural by not only tectonic uplift, landscape our audience ... challenge 200 years ago – how to manage, experience that led Hunt to realize that in dynamics and drainage network evolution, There is simply too much to take in. analyze and visualize the rapidly expanding order to reconstruct paleogeography (past but vegetation cover, bedrock and climate So, what do we do? observations accumulating in the landscapes) you first need to understand and how these impact weathering Focus just on the structures? That is the databases of the time, the world’s libraries the underlying “architecture of the Earth” and erosion. When we talk about the master’s course title after all. and museums. – the crustal architecture on which the contemporary climate … what climate? The Or do we bring in the other parts of the One solution was to map out (in color landscapes are formed. “background,” “average” (whatever that story – the bigger picture? of course) the accumulated knowledge Despite the obvious benefits of mapping The answer is, of course, the latter, and on reconstructions of the past distribution structural evolution and depositional the reason is obvious. of land and sea such as those of Elie de systems spatially in geological time, To solve geological problems in Beaumont in France and Charles Lyell Hunt’s ideas were not immediately utilized. exploration we need to consider all the in Britain. For the first time there were It is true that over the following three components. representations of what the Earth looked Explorationists, and therefore our like in the geological past. But by the Continued on next page u

The nature of the problem: there is so much to take in. The view from the Castillo de Samitier north toward Ainsa AUGUST 2020 EXPLORER.AAPG.org 21

Lyell’s 1837 land-sea map of the Tertiary of northwest Europe

t Continued from previous page contemporary politics, there was no atlas, and development stopped and much of this decades, there were a large number of literature was largely forgotten. paleogeographic maps drawn. These Or rather, almost forgotten. ranged from Alfred John Jukes-Browne’s “Building of the British Isles,” in which The Yale View of Paleogeography he showed paleorivers, albeit only on a few maps, and somewhat schematically, When in 1904 Charles Schuchert to James Dana’s first maps of North joined the faculty at Yale as professor of American paleogeography. By 1900, paleontology, he was faced with a problem: Albert Auguste Cochon de Lapparent felt how to teach the breadth of geology. His confident enough to draw the first series solution was to use paleogeographic maps of global paleogeographies, including a to show how the Earth had changed over best guess at what was happening in the time. It was to become a lifelong passion. Atlantic and Pacific. But in all these cases Schuchert knew the German work (his the maps were still land-sea maps. parents were German émigrés), and he It was to be in Germany that geologists was well versed in the 19th and early 20th- finally started to bring together crustal century geological literature, including that architecture and paleogeography as of Hunt. He was also a colleague of Joseph Hunt had originally advocated more than Barrell, one of the founders of modern 30 years earlier, from Franz Kossmat’s stratigraphy. Consequently, Schuchert geological history of land and sea not only took Hunt’s workflow, but also distributions, albeit heavy on text and light emphasized the importance of constraining Charles Schuchert’s first paleogeographic map of the Turonian of North America on maps, to Theodor Arldt’s “Handbuch time. For Schuchert, a paleogeographic der Palaeogeographie.” But, with Alfred map representing a large geological was Schuchert who first stressed the being drawn, but these were Wegener, the potential to put together interval, such as the whole Cretaceous, importance of understanding deformation mostly local in extent, and more continental drift, palaeobiogeography, was meaningless, given the major changes by palinspastically reconstructing the past often than not more facies crustal architecture and Earth structure that occurred over even the shortest of geography – “deformable plates” to you map than paleogeography. within palaeogeography, seemed within geological intervals. and me) this integrated view could have The standout exception was reach. Indeed, all of these elements were The resulting paleogeographic atlas huge benefits for petroleum exploration. the work of Alexander Du Toit, discussed in a single book by Edgar of North America, first published in 1910, another geologist familiar Dacqué in 1915. The consequence comprised 60 maps at much higher Missed Opportunities with the German literature and should have been the first atlases of detail than before and set the tone for and Continued Frustration especially Wegener’s work. He paleogeographies on plate reconstructions. paleogeographic research for the rest of had put all the components “Should have been,” that is. Unfortunately, the 20th century. Considered together with And yet, 25 years after Schuchert’s together to generate the 1914-18 was a terrible time to be a paleo-climatology and -oceanography, first maps, we find another petroleum German scientist trying to promote ideas these paleogeographies could provide geologist, John Emery Adams, lamenting to American and European audiences. information on depositional systems. that paleogeography was still underutilized See HH on next page u And so, as a sad consequence of When this was linked with structure (it in the industry. Yes, there were more maps 22 EXPLORER AUGUST 2020 AUGUST 2020 EXPLORER.AAPG.org Fred Ziegler’s HH Cenomanian map of North America, on previous page making use of computer databases first paleogeographic reconstruction of and representation of Gondwana back in 1937, having already paleotopography and published a restored fit for South America paleobathymetry and Africa. But hey – he was in South Africa and what did he know? Quite a lot, as it turned out. But in North America and Europe little was done. Adams suggested three reasons:

u Paleogeography maps take a long time to build. u We rarely have the temporal resolution required. u Paleogeography maps are never finished.

Having spent my career building paleogeographic maps, I empathize with Adams’ frustration. And yet, here was a great exploration opportunity, as Adams realized. Because if you put paleogeography together with reconstructions of climate and oceanography, you could potentially predict source and reservoir facies, and what a great exploration advantage that would provide.

Plate Tectonics and the Penny Drops

Adams was to include some of these ideas in his eulithogeologic maps, which were very much a precursor to the play concept. fell into place, metaphorically and, as it reconstructions, together with paleo- (coastlines), and there was an increasing The importance of bringing happened, literally. coastlines and land-sea distributions. The problem of how to deal with all the new paleogeography together with depositional This was the advent of plate tectonics. result was an explosion in paleogeographic data, especially now that this had to be systems, structure, paleo-climatology and What the German workers had research with companies either generating rotated onto plate reconstructions which -oceanography was further developed by recognized and discussed at the turn of the their own maps internally or working with multiplied the volume of data created by Marshall Kay a few years later. century now had observational support and research groups to do so. orders of magnitude. But, it was to be another 30 years before a unifying mechanism. It was the late 1970s and exploration the Industry realized what they had been Suddenly, geologists were rushing to following the oil crisis of 1973 was in full missing when, suddenly, all the pieces plot their exploration data on the new plate swing. But these were still land-sea maps Continued on next page u

As Hunt, Schuchert, Adams and Ziegler had all recognized, the greatest potential of paleogeography as an exploration tool has always been the ability to represent, analyze and understand all the components in the system. AUGUST 2020 EXPLORER.AAPG.org 23 Paul J. Markwick is CEO of Knowing Earth Limited, as well as a visiting lecturer at the University of Leeds and visiting research fellow at the University of Bristol. He graduated from St. Edmund Hall, Oxford University in 1987 and received his doctorate from the University of Chicago in 1996. He worked for two years at BP’s Research Centre in Sunbury- on-Thames before moving to Chicago, where he studied with Fred Zeigler’s oil industry-sponsored Paleogeographic Atlas Project. This was followed by a post-doctorate at the University of Reading, researching the exploration significance of the paleoclimatic and drainage evolution of southern Africa using computer-based climate models with Paul Valdes. He then moved to Robertson Research International Limited, now part of CGG, as a staff petroleum geologist, where he developed global predictive models of source and reservoir facies. In 2004 Paul moved to Getech Group plc, to set-up the Petroleum Systems Evaluation Group with John Jacques. From 2006 to 2017 Paul served on the Getech board overseeing the strategic technical direction, which saw the business transition and grow from an academic research group to a multimillion-dollar company with four offices, 120 staff and an international client base. His active research interests include global tectonics, paleogeography, paleoclimatology, the history of geology and depositional modelling. Markwick is the author of over 100 published scientific papers and articles. t Continued from previous page provenance and reliability. “Big Data” can be a very powerful resource, but only if the data is Paleogeography, Computers well-constrained. Unconstrained data is simply and Big Data in the Windy City big bad data, and that is worthless. Fred found ways to qualify data quality and The Hinds Laboratory, home to the mapping confidence and provide an audit trail Department of the Geophysical Sciences for interpretations. The confidence schemes at the University of Chicago, is one of those Fred derived were simple: a categorization architectural “wonders” that wins awards for of 1-5 where “1” indicated caution and “5” architecture, and everyone wonders why. In represented the highest confidence. But the 1970s and ‘80s, the second floor was that simplicity ensured clarity and, more home to the leading figures in quantitative importantly, that the databases would be paleontology. Nothing short of the analysis of populated. As Paul Markwick and Richard the entire fossil record. Big data indeed. The Lupia later wrote, having worked with Fred, “A result was the discovery of the five great mass database must be simple enough to be used, extinctions by the late David Raup and Jack but comprehensive enough to be useful.” Sepkoski. The Atlas Projects databases were then In another corner of the second floor, Fred linked to the source data through a reference Ziegler was also manipulating large datasets code to computerized reference database using early computer systems, this time to with physical copies of all papers stored build paleogeographic maps. alphabetically on shelves around the walls of Fred’s background, like Schuchert’s, Fred’s workroom. was Paleozoic paleobiology, especially the use of fossil assemblages to reconstruct Where Next? paleobathymetry. It was to be this interest that would differentiate the Paleogeographic Atlas Today, 50 years after plate tectonics, and Project and the students it spawned, because 150 after Hunt, we are spoiled for choice by Fred’s maps included reconstructions of the plethora of maps that are readily available 2020 HGS-PESGB Est. 1964 PES pesgb.org.uk paleo-bathymetry and paleo-elevation – the online, such as those of Chris Scotese and paleo-landscape. Schuchert had talked about the beautiful photoshopped images of Ron Africa Conference this, and indeed there had been attempts Blakey, which adorn many of the posters and to show paleolandscapes such as the presentations at AAPG events each year. Appalachian Basin maps of James Pepper The ideas of Hunt, Schuchert, Adams, Kay Virtual Seminar Series in 1954, but those of the Atlas project were and especially Ziegler have been developed systematically constructed based on the and expanded, not least by Fred’s students, Thursdays in October underlying tectonics. They were also global including Chris Scotese, who has perhaps in extent, constrained in time to stage level done more than anyone else over the last (probably the highest realistic resolution at 40 years to promote paleogeography. My Abstract Deadline Extended a global scale), and took some account of own small contribution has been to build on palinspastic changes following the work of Fred’s methods to improve paleogeographic Through August 1 Kay and Schuchert. boundary conditions for climate modeling, to Fred’s work had three immediate further develop the mapping workflow, and The conference will be held during the month of October every Thursday consequences. to then apply these methods to exploration. First, the reconstruction of landscapes was This was through the development of from 8:00-10:00 am CST. It will be a virtual conference with Q&A. key to understanding depositional systems the lithofacies prediction methodologies Participants can purchase a day session or the entire series. because it was on these paleo-landscapes that ultimately became CGG Robertson Day sessions: $50USD • Entire Conference: $175USD that the rock record was built. A particle sees Predictions/Merlin and Getech’s Globe topography, rivers and oceans. It does not see products. Both of these used detailed global Registration https://www.hgs.org/civicrm/event/info?id=2146 mantle convection or hyper-extension, at least paleogeographies and Earth system models For Exhibitor/Sponsorship Information Contact: [email protected] not directly. Weathering and erosion, transport to retrodict depositional systems, as Adams and ultimately deposition are a function of had advocated back in the 1940s. what happens at the surface. And yet, like Adams back in 1943, it Second, if you could model depositional feels that despite all this progress, for most Technical Session Themes systems, then you could model source, explorationists paleogeographies are still only 1. Offshore Africa and its Conjugate Margins – reservoir and seal facies, as Adams had seen as backdrop images for presentations New Ideas in an Old Area, Old Ideas in a New Area suggested back in 1943. This led Judy Parrish, and montages rather than a key exploration • Known Plays to be Tested in New Areas another of Fred’s students, to take the new tool. That is a great shame. • Mapping Known Plays Across Multiple Basins paleogeographies, use these as the boundary It is time to get out the colored pencils … EXPLORER conditions for her parametric climate 2. Applications of New Technology modeling and then to take the results to Historical Highlights is an ongoing • Adding Reserves in Existing Basins retrodict (predict past events) the distribution EXPLORER series that celebrates the “eureka” • Integration of Multiple Technologies to Unlock Future Potential of ocean upwelling and through this areas moments of petroleum geology, the rise of of potential organic carbon accumulation – key concepts, the discoveries that made a 3. North Africa Focus – New Areas and Ideas – source facies. difference, the perseverance and ingenuity of Central Atlantic and Mediterranean Margins The third consequence was data our colleagues – and/or their luck! – through • Frontier Exploration Plays management. Underpinning the new atlases stories that emphasize the anecdotes, the • New Exploration Plays in Under-explored Areas of paleogeography were some of the good yarns and the human interest side of our • Field Appraisal and Development Case Studies first computer-based geological research E&P profession. If you have such a story – and databases. What Fred and his students who doesn’t? – and you’d like to share it with 4. Africa – A New Approach to Increase Investment realized as they built these was the need to your fellow AAPG Members, contact Matthew • Government Participation and Cooperation better “know” the data itself, specifically its Silverman at [email protected]. • Corporate Responsibility, and Ways to Engage Communities Submit abstracts – [email protected] 24 By HEATHER SAUCIER, EXPLORER Correspondent EXPLORER AUGUST 2020 AUGUST 2020 EXPLORER.AAPG.org Field Camp Without the Field

Photo courtesy of Eric Riggs.

espite advancing technologies traditional students who may have limited Verdes Peninsula and conducting geologic “They learn to recognize what’s that have almost completely flexibility in their schedules during the investigations in the field allowed his important in a messy field setting and to Ddigitized most aspects of the oil summers – a common time for field passion for geology to take shape. ‘disembed’ what’s important,” he added. and gas industry, a geoscientist’s ability camps. “I realized it was something I was willing Visualizing the subsurface is difficult, to understand hands-on concepts and After participating in a 2014-18 series to quit my job for and go back to school Riggs said, and it helps to see the Earth’s details from the field perspective is still of summits at the University of Texas’ full time to do,” he said. “An early field layers in person. He related an experience coveted by employers. A person might have Jackson School of Geosciences that experience can capture a student who has from a 2005 trip to Rainbow Basin, a easy access to a calculator to perform explored the future of undergraduate an interest in the geosciences but who common mapping location in the desert basic math functions, so to speak, but geoscience education, Summa said that didn’t fully realize that interest was there.” near Barstow, Calif.: “One of my students the need to understand the concepts employers stressed that field experience Now, Riggs works to give his students jumped out of the van and looked at a of multiplication and division remains should be on the resumes of geoscience similar experiences. “It sounds simple, but cross-section of a canyon wall and asked, paramount. graduates. most rocks are outside, and you can look ‘Is that a syncline?’” Riggs recalled. “He “You’ve got to know the rocks,” said “You need to get out on the rocks. They at all kinds of geologic phenomenon in was seeing a structure we had discussed Christopher Keane, director of Geoscience are the ground truth,” Summa said. their full and rich context,” he said. “You can in class for the first time in the third Profession and Higher Education at In addition to obstacles related to time study bits and pieces in the classroom, but dimension. That kind of insight you can the American Geosciences Institute. and cost, universities are encountering a it doesn’t come together in its full glory and carry into your career. You get it because “Field skills are critical for well-rounded new hurdle: a growing bias among students messiness until you get into the field.” you’ve seen it and stood inside it.” geoscientists. They are still considered the against field work, she added. Often seen Solving geological problems in the Riggs has also worked with Native capstone in development.” as manual labor or blue-collar work, some field allows students to see the transfer of American students and tribal authorities Yet, a 2018 AGI Status of the students intentionally avoid the field. ideas from many sub-specialties into one who have a large degree of sovereignty Geoscience Workforce study found that So how do educators steer students integrated problem. While that can be done over their land and therefore primary undergraduate field camp attendance for back into the field? Take them to in the classroom, the field is a much more responsibility for protecting it. In these geoscience students has been decreasing. formations steeped in geology and give efficient and effective environment. territories, it is imperative that students and Most recent data shows that between 2014 them an opportunity to have an “Aha!” The field helps students hone cognitive environmental management staff have a and 2017, field camp attendance went from moment, said AAPG Member Eric Riggs, skills and develop the ability to make solid grasp of the geosciences. 3,584 to 3,322 students nationwide. “If this associate professor of Geoscience decisions in a spatial context. They learn To help pique students’ interest, trend continues, then either the available Education at Texas A&M University. to plot paths for collecting data and build Riggs conducted several summer field field camps have reached their maximum models for potential outcomes. experiences to teach basic geoscience capacity or the cost of attending field camp A-Ha! “It trains your mind to think like an principles at the La Jolla Reservation north may be limiting participation,” reported AGI. investigator, like a geologist,” he said. of San Diego. Lori Summa, an AAPG Member and Riggs, who once worked in sales for a Bringing students outdoors allows He recalled a time when he and a female retired geologist with ExxonMobil said printing company in Los Angeles, started educators to take a break from teaching student held a measuring tape across some academic departments are de- attending night school at age 24 to technology and to teach thinking skills – emphasizing field camps because they study geology, intrigued by the causes of right down to mapping outcrops and taking are costly and difficult to adapt to non- earthquakes. A class field trip to the Palos measurements by hand. Continued on next page u AUGUST 2020 EXPLORER.AAPG.org 25 t Continued from previous page as New Zealand and throughout Europe to collaboratively design field activities to be taught through distance learning. They the San Luis Rey River to calculate the are designing learning experiences across amount of water flowing downstream. “Are nine topical areas identified as areas of we doing science right now?” the student immediate need for the summer 2020 field asked. “Yes, this is science. It’s pretty cool, season, including: huh?” Riggs responded. “She said, ‘Whoa!’ It never occurred to her that she could use u Learning Objectives and Assessment science to serve her community and have for Field Experiences fun at the same time. Field experiences can u Virtual Class-Related Field Trips be very powerful.” u Developing a Community-Based So, if ever asked by his administration, Virtual Field Camp “Why am I giving you a four-wheel drive u Virtual Hydrogeology/ Environmental and tents to take students camping?” his Field Experiences response is simple: “You cannot reproduce u Virtual Geophysical Field Experiences this fully in a campus environment. There u Virtual Marine Geology/ is no substitute to managing the risks and Sedimentology Field Experiences dealing with logistics than actually going u Working with Virtual World into the field.” Technologies u Digital Tools for Enhancing Virtual The ‘New Normal’ of Distance Learning Field Experiences u Non-Field Camp Capstone As educators like Riggs work to create Experiences rich and memorable field experiences, they have hit a barrier for the upcoming Educators are also being encouraged to summer. COVID-19 has essentially shut include Universal Design in this summer’s down plans for field camps worldwide. virtual experiences, including: In an unprecedented effort to plan field experiences that simulate the real thing for u Multiple representations of the thousands of students around the globe, content to reach different students with all eyes are on Christopher Atchison, an different needs associate professor of geology and science u Multiple means of engagement with education at the University of Cincinnati. the material presented Atchison is known for organizing the u Multiple means of action and International Association for Geoscience expression for students to demonstrate NEW DATES ay angon, yanmar Diversity in 2008, after he created an knowledge and understanding of the accessible field experience to support material students with physical disabilities. Using LiDAR surveys and images of Mammoth All working groups presented formal Cave National Park, students who were “field experience” scenarios by May 1. wheelchair users tested his virtual field trip Although they are still in the works, ideas by comparing it against the real cave, and it that have been tossed around include was a tremendous success. online applications for data collection, “It changed their lives and mine in the synchronous and asynchronous uly process,” he said. “At the time, I didn’t collaboration, and using Google Earth or realize that we as a discipline were aerial photography for images, Atchison marginalizing people who aren’t like us.” said. Since that time, the IAGD has become “The idea is to have the same a global network of geology instructors level of seeing and experiencing the sharing instructional materials they might field, ‘collecting’ data, and making have created under similar circumstances. interpretations,” Atchison said. “But this Over the years, desk drawers have opened, effort is merely to mitigate the current custom plans for individual students situation and not replace the field. We have been dusted off and shared. Such cannot replicate what we do in the field resources have provided opportunities for through distance learning.” all geoscience students to experience the While these efforts will most especially “outdoors” through accessible field trips. help students required to participate in a Today, because of the pandemic and field camp to graduate, Atchison believes social distancing requirements, “all of the experience will have a farther-reaching a sudden everyone has an issue with effect. accessibility,” said Atchison, who has “What’s great is that more people are become the go-to person to organize a plan aware of accessibility issues of working to virtually bring geoscience students in the in the field,” he said. “Hopefully, as a result, “field” in dozens of countries this summer. we will have some options for people who After taking on the task in mid-March, cannot get into the field, period. It can have Atchison and colleagues have recruited a much broader impact than the current

more than 250 educators from as far away crisis.” EXPLORER

expensive to dispose of that water, and Clay Louisiana doesn’t have the infrastructure from page 12 to deal with co-produced water. Really, we need that ‘Goldilocks Window’ to economically produce the oil.” above the Eagle Ford, it can be difficult to Because the Austin Chalk can also see the transitional stratigraphy between be self-sourcing as a result of its high the two. Furthermore, because producers total organic matter, Austin oil located are looking at low-porosity rocks, it is in micropores is unable to migrate imperative to understand how well they will until borehole pressure is drawn down. respond to stress when flooded with water Therefore, frac’ing techniques must be and sand. developed alongside a good understanding For the Austin Chalk, it is crucial that of the rocks, Zahm explained. clay content be less than 15 percent – a Both Zahm and Loucks have high hopes feature that cannot be seen in seismic for the long-producing reservoir now that data. its rocks are better understood. “That’s why it’s so important to “Louisiana is a hot area with mixed have core data,” Zahm said. “Low clay successes recently,” Loucks said. “I percentage rocks respond to a higher think our project adds something to the intensity of hydraulic and natural fracturing. Austin Chalk trend that engineers and But if you frac a rock too much, you management often forget but need to

can have excess water with the oil. It’s know.” EXPLORER 26 By DIANE KEIM, AAPG Administration Coordinator EXPLORER AUGUST 2020 Foundation Update AAPG Foundation Cancels 2020 Trustee Associates Meeting he summer has been busy but and a casino. As TA secretary Val Schulz challenging for the AAPG Foundation, pointed out, there’s something for everyone Tfilled with adjustments and to enjoy. redirections caused by the impacts from But most importantly, it will be a chance the ongoing pandemic. to be together once more. Certainly, there are plenty of positives to report, including the announcement of Virtual Meeting of the AAPG Foundation this year’s L. Austin Weeks grant recipients (see the ad on page 31). Even in difficult And there’s even more Foundation times, the AAPG Foundation continues to updates and activities to report – and we’re support the future of the geosciences and working on a way to make that accessible our profession, thanks to your generous and available to all. contributions. Plan now to participate in the AAPG But the realities of COVID-19 can’t be Foundation’s first virtual meeting later this ignored, and those concerns have now fall, when we can provide an update on the impacted one of our favorite annual many strides the Foundation has made events: The Foundation along with the over the past year. Trustee Associates’ officers have made You’ll have the opportunity to hear from the difficult decision to cancel this year’s both Chairman Jim Gibbs and Executive Trustee Associates annual meeting, which Director David Curtiss. You also can learn was scheduled this year at the Nemacolin There is a silver lining, however. openings are available for others who more about the 2020 grant cycle and its Woodlands Resort in Farmington, Pa. “We will still get to enjoy all that the have an interest in providing counsel to the success despite the pandemic – the grant “This is a great disappointment,” said Nemacolin Woodlands Resort has to offer,” Trustees and guidance for the Foundation’s season was robust with high numbers Jeff Lund, vice chair of the Foundation TA chair Martin Shields quickly added to scientific and educational agenda. of applicants for the Grants-in-Aid and L. TAs and a major factor in Nemacolin’s the news. “The resort has graciously moved “We hope everyone will start making Austin Weeks Undergraduate Grants. selection for this year’s meeting. “It’s one our dates without penalty to October 2021, plans now to join us in 2021 for what’s The Foundation also for the first time of the highlights of our year, as we all look which ultimately was the best possible going to be a great annual meeting,” Shields provided grants to military dependents forward to connecting with old friends and outcome – no risks to the attendees and said. “Jeff Lund already was working on through the Paul and Deana Strunk Military catching up on the Foundation’s activities. no negative financial impact for the TAs or a great field trip and will continue to put Veterans Scholarship Program – a new “But given the concerns around the Foundation.” the finishing touches on it. And you can initiative that has expanded the program’s COVID-19, we arrived at the difficult The TAs have for more than 40 years be sure we’ll also put together a few group reach and created new opportunities in the decision to cancel the 2020 annual been a crucial group for not only supporting excursions to pique everyone’s interests.” geosciences for deserving families. meeting,” he continued. “Obviously, the but also promoting Foundation programs The resort itself is beautiful and offers Details will be announced soon, but plan health, safety and well-being of our and activities. The group currently numbers a first-class spa, dining, wildlife academy, now to participate in this historic meeting.

members was our priority.” more than 280 members, and some art collection and classes, golf, fishing Even in a pandemic, our mission continues. EXPLORER

While the real-time URTeC may be over, URTeC On-Demand offers Couldn’t Join URTeC all presentations from this year’s online conference, available at your fingertips. Watch sessions anywhere, from any device, through Online In Real-Time? the end of December. Join URTeC on-demand now at URTeC.org AUGUST 2020 EXPLORER.AAPG.org 27 Foundation Contributions for June 2020

General Fund Laurence Andrew Dale Jacek Jaminski, PhD Julio Andres Montano William Dwight Simmons Gary Robinson Norman H Foster Aaron J. Adams Joseph R. Davis Igor Jaramillo Louis Kevin Morrato Charles H. Simonds, PhD Edward Anthony Steiner Memorial Grant Thomas Daniel Adams William Davis William George Jardine Susan Margaret Morrice Damir Stjepan Skerl Marvin D. Brittenham Joel A. Alberts Mary Louise Dawson Jon & Marilyn Jeppesen Neil Gerard Moss Anthony J. Skeryanc Grants in Aid Fund Brian Russel Frost Robert J. Alexander David Nicholas De Verteuil Carlos Victor Jimenez Poma Nadezhda Mozhaeva Brandon Skinner Marvin D. Brittenham Stephen K. Marks James F. Allan Bryan Clifford Delph Glenden Fordice Johnson Steven L. Mueller Keith Skipper William Edward Hardie Jeffrey Lloyd Allen Carolyn S. DeVine Thomas Ernest Johnson Ryan Thomas Murphy Christopher E. Slagle John Vincent Leone Jr. Ohio Geological Society Michael C. Allison Carlo Dietl John E. Jordan Jr. Kenneth A. Nadolny Letha Patrice Slagle Named Grant Scott W. Allison George Joseph Dillman Viktor Kristian Karabin Richard Louis Nagy James Robert Small Bernold M. “Bruno” Hanson John Frederick Miller Hisham A. Alsiyabi Michael Charles Dix Thomas Clifton Kartrude Stephen R. Narr Arthur Tremaine Smith Memorial Environmental Lawrence H. Wickstrom Khalid A.M. Ameen Nancy M. Doelger Caitriona Keegan Monte Lynn Naylor Jeffrey William Smith Grant George Andrew Anderson, III Garrett Donnelly Wayne Russell Kemp Thomas Craig Neal John Charles Smith Walter T. Levendosky Pittsburgh Association of Terje Andresen Garnett M. Dow, PhD Christopher G. St. C. Kendall William Joseph Neal Judith Terry Smith, PhD Patricia O’Brien Murphy Petroleum Geologists Marta Anson Sanchez Mary Elizabeth Dowse Jack Kenning Kurt Edward Neher Robert Ryland Smith Named Grant Richard L. Appling James Alan Drahovzal, PhD Raphael V. Ketani Landon Neumann Thomas Ray Smith Chandler & Laura Wilhelm Katharine Lee Avary Angie Daniela Arandia John Franklin Drake Toru Kikuchi Thomas Newell William M. Smith Named Grant Dan A. Billman Bruce E. Archinal David Driskill Jesse Baldwin Kimball Ronald Franklin Nichols James Smotherman Daniel Evan Schwartz Robert Lee Askew David Enrique Duarte John Stephen Klabzuba Howard Timothy Nicholson Ronald Wayne Snyder R. Dana Russell Albert John Atkins, III Coronado Tim Klibert Hugh Nicholson Justin Sommerville Classen Family Named Grant Memorial Grant Bastian Baecker Thomas Carl Dudgeon Robert Klimentidis Robert Charles Nims Donald A. Soper Jaes A. Thum Thomas Craig Neal Lyle F. Baie Joseph Patrick Dugan Jr. Harvey R. Klingensmith Sheila Noeth John K. Southwell John Howard Bair Harvey Selden Eastman David F. Kluesner Richard C. Nolen-Hoeksema Dallas B. Spear Don R. Boyd Memorial Grant Richard W. Beardsley Gordon C. Baird Shimpei Egawa Larry Michael Knox Peter H. 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Michael Kozimko Robert Charles Olson Reed Eastburn Stevens In memory of Robert Ehrlich John Francis Bell Parrish Erwin, Jr. Christopher Mark Kravits Don and Mary O’Nesky Craig Warren Stichtenoth Edward B. Picou, Jr. Jeffrey Marc Yarus, PhD Mark Eric Bengtson Robert W. Esser Joseph Walter Kulik Carlos Ortega Galvis Denise M. Stone Named Grant In memory of Robert Ehrlich Bruce A. Bennett Frank Gulde Ethridge Naresh Kumar Hannah Othen James Paul Stoyanoff Ralph (Jim) James Corken Orville Roger Berg, PhD Michael L. Everts John Kuzmich Ovintiv Canada ULC Michael William Strickler William A. Morgan Robert K. Goldhammer Roy Lee Berry Stephen R. Fanning Ernest and Dorothy LaFlure Given through the Benevity Terrell Blane Stroud Robert Gerard Murphy Memorial Grant Robert G. Bertagne Glen Lee Faulkner John Henry Lake Community Impact Fund Albert Yen Sun Daniel Evan Schwartz Mark David Sonnenfeld Austin Bertoch David Leslie Feavel Kenneth E. Lake Kerry D. Parham Joshua Sundgren Nelson Brent Yoder Kevin T. Biddle, PhD Charles T. Feazel, PhD Walter J. Lamle William A. Parisi Julianna Sutterfield Suzanne Takken Kenneth John Bird, PhD Philip Leonard Ferguson William David Lancaster Kimberly Saar Parsons Eric Mikael Swanson Fred Tietz Grant Memorial Grant Maurice Nixon Birdwell Steven Matthew Ferris Charles W. Landmesser Shira Pearl Paulson Beiruny Syam G. M. “Jerry” Gill Andrew Cullen, PhD Adam Rayl Bishop Jack Christopher Fikes James Robert Lantz Hugh William Peace Larry John Sydora John W. Bishop Richard Dale Finken Walter Adam Laufer William S. Peirce Jonathan Mark Tan Gustavus E. Archie Weimer Family Robert E. Blaik Jeff Fisher Michel Le Vot George Ernest Petersen Charles Joseph Tapper Memorial Grant Named Grant James Brian Blankenship John Berton Fisher, PhD Barbara Lecinska Dan Errol Pfeiffer Mustafa T. Tasci George Andrew Anderson, III William Wallace Bayne Bernard Blasband Debra D. FitzGerald William Edward Legler Peter Phillip Pickup Philip Joseph Tatar Walter Barton Ayers, Jr. Jeremy Boak Devin Robert Fitzgerald Klaus Robert Leischner Leonel Enrique Pirela Gordon Robertson Taylor Daniel Evan Schwartz William E. Gipson Grant Charles William Bohn, IV Michael J. Foley Linda Lerchbaumer John Richard Porter Jennifer D. Taylor Michael Howard Neufeld William Paul Bosworth Brayton Paul Foster Carter Lewis Timothy Franklin Powell Michael Wright Taylor Gustavus E. Archie Memorial Matthew Bourdon Helen Laura Foster Kurt Matthew Ley Tony M. Preslar Ronald E. Tepley International Grant Imperial Barrel Award Fund Michael Richard Box Charles Julius Franck James David Libiez Charles Ashley Price Harry Terbest, Jr. Daniel Evan Schwartz Katharine Lee Avary Richard G. Boyce Matthew Franey Henry Morris Lieberman, PhD Christopher M. Prince David and Virginia Thetford Marvin D. Brittenham Nicholas G.K. Boyd, III Larry P. Friend Walter Scott Light Jr. Ronald W. Pritchett Dennis Edwin Thomas Ike Crumbly Minorities in Janet Marie Combes William Christopher Boyers Richard Dale Fritz David H.D. Liner Thomas George Pronold Charles H. Thorman Energy Named Grant Matthew Loren Cope James Gregory Brewton Miguel A. Galarraga Thomas Jason Liner Spencer Scott Quam Janet Bauder Thornburg Katharine Lee Avary G.M. ‘Jerry’ Gill Marvin D. Brittenham John Anderson Gambill Steven Rick Lockwood Kenneth Robert Quarfoth Lucia Torrado Gretchen M. Gillis Edward Jon Graham Bradley Robert Broekstra Peter Bradford Gamwell James F. Logsdon Michael Joseph Quinn Glenn D. Tracy In honor of Black John A. Harper Samuel H. Bromberger, PhD Carlos Alberto Garcia Alec Long Philippe J.Y.M. Rabiller Robert James Traylor Constituents of AAPG James Scott Hewlett Mark A. Bronston Garry Michael Gaskins Roy Long R. Ragnar Rasmussen Wayne Turner John M. Kachelmeyer Alex S. Broun Kathryn A. Gibbons Andrea Lopez Vega Kevin Wayne Reimer William D. Underwood, PhD James E. Hooks Anthony Joseph Kolodziej Todd M. Broussard Elliott Perry Ginger Carl Jonathan Lothringer Fritz W. Reuter Michiel C. Van Den Bold Memorial Grant Clara-Luz Mora John David Bukry, PhD Cory John Godwin Shane Lough Ramon Garcia Reyes Michael David Van Horn Kent A. Bowker John Richard Porter Brian Dean Burgess Hamilton Goodner James Warren Lovekin Craig Wayne Reynolds Jose Antonio Varela Montes Kathryn Hickmon Dando Michael Joseph Quinn William Charles Burkett Stuart Gowland, PhD John E. & Mary T. Lucken Eddie W. Rhea Jeffrey K. Vaughan Mark Alan Dando Daniel Evan Schwartz Gregory K. Burns Edward Jon Graham Larry & Judy Luebke Louis Eugene Rieg Zachary Ray Vest Jeffrey Joseph Heppermann Rebecca Burston Peter Desmond Grant Cheryl Lukehart David Edward Riestenberg Charles E. Vise Lawrence Tedesco Jack C. & Catherine I. Arthur Wallace Butler, III Laurie D. Green Gerald William Lundy Jason B. Robbins Rudy F. Vogt, III Threet Fund Malcolm Butler Joseph G. Greenberg Donald Wardrope MacLean Jeffrey Alan Roberts William A. Walker, Jr. Jay M. McMurray Grant Ralph (Jim) James Corken Matthew Douglas Cabell Bastiaan Groeneweg James Harry Macquaker Ernest Robertson Edward Bassett Wasson Michael D. Campbell Daniel Evan Schwartz Oscar Cahuana David Ray Grogan Shyamal Kumar Majumdar Glenn Scott Robertson William G. & Patricia Watson Richard Joseph Callaway Richard Hughes Groshong, Michael Otis Maler James Howard Robertson Alecia Lucille Wawrzynski John D. “Jack” Edwards James A Gibbs Family Fund Ted Cammarata Jr., PhD Brian Charles Mallick Lloyd Bain Robertson John Charles Webb Memorial Grant Dennis Edwin Thomas Charles Warren Campbell David Allen Guest William Paul Mann Rchard Robinet John Weihe Barry C. McBride, PhD D. Jean Campbell Claudia Jane Hackbarth Stephen K. Marks Kurt G. Robinson Kane Christopher Weiner James A. Hartman Student Joseph Kent Campbell Alan R. Haight Robert H. Marshall Lauren Eleanor Robinson Ronald Alan Welch John H. & Colleen Silcox Leadership Summit Robert H. Campbell Dean Carr Hamilton Carrie Maher Martin Nelson Martin Robinson, Jr. Joann E. Welton Grant Katharine Lee Avary Kirt M. Campion C. Robertson Handford, PhD Mariano Marzo, PhD Stanley Edmund Roe Dorene Budnick West Alan R. Haight Silvia B. Cardona John H. Hansen Robert Clifton Mason John F. Rogers James Charles West Military Veterans’ Marvin Paul Carlson William Edward Hardie Mark Massafra Jul Dayfer Roldan Guevara Janice Weston John W. Robinson Scholarship Endowment Martin Macdermott Cassidy Stuart D. Harker Terry Wayne Massoth Emil Roman William M. Whaling Named Grant Marvin D. Brittenham Keith Wilbur Chandler William Harmony Narwhals Mating Sigmund J. Rosenfeld Joe Rolfe White, Jr. Nicholas G. K. Boyd, III Peter Joseph Chimney Raymond G. Charles Michelle Hawke Donna S. Matlock Tony Ross Maarten Wiemer Matthew Loren Cope Jean Paul Chauvel Corie Haynes Truitt Floyd Matthews Hugh Eaton Rowlett, Jr., PhD Bruce Henry Wiley L. Austin Weeks Alan and Karen Kornacki Andrew Chermak Richard John Heil Richard Earl McArthur Daniel Ruberg Louis Edward Willhoit, Jr. Undergraduate Grant In memory of John Castano Robert E. Childress Philip and Janet Heppard Jared McAvoy Sandra Weil Rushworth Mike Robert Williams Katharine Lee Avary James Diller Lowell Tristan Childress Philip and Janet Heppard James D. McBane Robert Thomas Ryder Ann O. Willis Kenneth Mark Mallon Peter Joseph Chimney Alan Thomas Herring Beth McBride Graham Sadler Paul D. Wilson Lawrence W. Funkhouser Anson Mark James Joseph Chodzko Donald Alan Herron David James McBride Alfredo Sanchez-Monclu Gerrit Wind Named Grant Narwhals Mating Ronald David Christie Alan Peter Heward, PhD Bruce McCommons John Ross SanFilipo Clayton Elliott Winkler Jean K. Funkhouser Harry William Mueller III R. Gene Colgan William Kurt Hilarides Mary Margaret McKinney Enrico Sanguineti Glenn Edward Winters In honor of Larry Funkhouser Thomas Craig Neal John McRae Colvin, Jr. Cory Hoelting Cameron Robert McLain Silvia Santos Grapain Katherine Worms Alan R. Haight John Richard Porter Janet Marie Combes Jerry Frnka Holditch Sally J. Meader-Roberts Steven Schamel Susan L. Wygant R. Ragnar Rasmussen Charles Thomas Contrino Andrew T. Hooker John Medders Wayne Alvin Schild Gordon K. Yahney M. Ray Thomasson Grant Gary Robinson Matthew Loren Cope Paul Vincent Hoovler Armando Medina Thomas J. Schull Gerald Paul Zieche Michael William Barratt Lowell Evert Waite Rucsandra Maria Corbeanu Jacqueline A. Hope Koay Mei Ching Daniel Evan Schwartz Barry Lynn Zinz Rebecca Lee Dodge, PhD Sharon L. Cornelius Nancy May Houghton Laurence Stephen Melzer Kenneth Allan Schwarz Marilyn Atwater Tom & Carolyn Hamilton Gregory Clay Cornett Thomas M. Howard Robert Ancel Mercer Stephen Peter Schwarz Distinguished Lecture Fund Memorial Grant Jeff Corrigan Thomas Barron Howes Michael Louis Merritt John David Seale Thomas Lowell Dunn, PhD Lanette Mary Marcha Operating Fund Douglas Robert Coyle Paul Howlett Philip Meyer David Seneshen Donald Arthur Medwedeff, PhD Richard William Ball Jack Lee Crabtree Warren Jerald Hudson Gerald Eric Michael Peter J. Senior Martin D. Hewitt Grant Ronald Thomas Cramer Peter Huelse Douglas & Danna Middleton William Emmett Shafer Allan P. Bennison Bruce S. Hart, PhD Pratt Bulletin Fund Charles B. Crosby Kenneth Jay Huffman Harold Miller William James Shaffer Distinguished Lecture Fund James Harry Macquaker Kevin John Crowle Deborah B. Humphreville John Frederick Miller Victor Marvin Shainock Amanda Jane Murphy Mruk Family Named Grant Norbert F. Csaszar Roger G. Humphreville Wayne Millice Daniel R. Shaughnessy Clyde Francis Wootton Katharine Lee Avary Andrew Cullen, PhD William Herbert Hunt Bonnie Milne-Andrews & Carlton and Patricia Sheffield The monthly list above of Jason Wellington Currie Kerry F. Inman James Andrews Karen Amy Sheffield EF Reid Scouting Fund Nancy Setzer Murray AAPG Foundation contributions is based on David Curtiss Katherine Irwin Robert John Minck Jerry Mack Shelby Stephen Christopher Boger Memorial Grant information provided Thomas Joseph Cwikla Kenneth Eugene Jackson Joseph Garrett Minke Kirk W. Sherwood Claude Edward Bolze Thomas Craig Neal by the AAPG Foundation office. Paul H. Daggett, PhD Linda Heatwole Jacobs Jay Preston Mitchell J. David Shetler, II Ronald L. Hart William Karley Dahleen Benjamin G. Jacobson John Charles Mitchell Neal Edward Siler Elsa K. Kapitan-White 28 EXPLORER AUGUST 2020

Tectonic panel discussion at the Southwest Caribbean Cenozoic Deposits of the Andes, San Juan, Argentina, basins virtual research symposium in July a focus area of the Andean Basins Virtual Research Top to bottom: Victor Ramirez, Jim Pindell, Symposium in August 20-21 Augustin Cardona, Paul Mann, Camilo Montes

some of the region’s most fascinating and showcase their work.” u Andean Basins: Argentina, Bolivia, Symposia prolific basins. Focusing more on science About half of symposium presentations Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru – Aug. from page 17 than on business, the events were targeted to come from academic institutions and the 20-21 researchers and professionals working both other half from universities. u Southeast Caribbean and Guiana in industry and academia. Each two-day event Another important difference between Basins: Barbados, Guyana, Suriname and the pandemic. included four session themes with technical the virtual symposia and traditional AAPG Trinidad and Tobago – Sept. 17-18 “With a showcase format of 60-plus presentations, keynotes from highly renowned technical conferences is the highly reduced u Pacific Basins: Colombia, Ecuador, minutes of multiple in-depth presentations speakers and two panel discussions with registration price: $50 for professionals and $ Peru, Chile – Oct. 22-23 related to licensing rounds, hydrocarbon experts in the field. 25 for students. u Mexico Basins: Nov. 19 – 20 potential, current activity, etc., those who Presentations were recorded and will be Gomez said conference fees were a u South Atlantic Margin: Argentina, register can expect to come away with a made available on-demand for those who concern even before COVID-19, particularly Brazil, Uruguay – Dec. 3-4 complete and informed view from each were unable to access the sessions live. in countries like Venezuela and Argentina, country,” she said. Access to recordings will be available for six the inflation rates of which reached double They are also planning short courses Upcoming 2020 showcases include: months following each symposium. digits in recent months. The pandemic only about machine learning and geoscience Gómez explained that virtual research exacerbated the situation throughout the communication – two fields that provide u Peru (Perupetro) – Sept. 10, 2020 symposia have some important differences region, and nearly all national oil companies different career options for geoscientists. u Namibia (NAMCOR) – Oct. 8, 2020 when compared with the Geosciences eliminated all funding for employee training for “Our ultimate goal is to is to reach all u Morocco (ONHYM) – Nov. 12, 2020 Technology Workshops the Region has the remainder of 2020. members and non-members throughout u Greenland (Ministry of Industry, Energy featured in recent years. “We are keeping costs very low because we the region and help to contribute to their and Research) – Dec. 10, 2020 “GTWs are very focused on petroleum recognize that many people in the region who professional development during this geoscience, hydrocarbon potential and want to attend will have to pay the registration challenging time,” she said. Virtual Research Symposia where to drill wells. That is part of the virtual fees out of their own pocket,” she said. “We Leaders and staff are planning for both symposia too, but the primary focus is to understand the situation, and we want our in-person, online and combined formats for While Energy Opportunities reaches the share knowledge with our colleges. We want members to know that AAPG cares.” 2021 and beyond. global business community, AAPG LACR to have a broader audience in these events The Southwest Caribbean Basins Virtual “The world is changing, and we have to leadership is focusing on another initiative and create a place where people who may Research attracted 198 participants from 77 change with it. It’s an exciting time to be a reaching technical professionals who have an not normally participate in an AAPG event find organizations and 18 countries. geoscientist and to be a part of AAPG,” said interest in the Latin America and Caribbean their place and feel comfortable.” she said. Gomez. Region, the Virtual Research Symposia series. To increase participation from countries Looking Ahead To find out more about virtual events Gomez described how the LACR leadership being featured, AAPG partners with affiliated see latinamerica.aapg.org. To find out team spent recent months reflecting on the societies that represent both the oil and gas The team has five additional symposia more about Energy Opportunities see

region’s identity and what they wanted to sector as well as more academic geological planned through the remainder of 2020: energyopportunities.info. EXPLORER provide to members. societies. “We decided we wanted to focus on our Partners include the Argentine Geological roots, on geoscience,” she said. Association and the Argentine Association of Classified Ads Gomez met with Flover Rodriguez, Petroleum Geologists and Geophysicists, The education director for AAPG LACR and Colombian Geological Society, the Colombian MISCELLANEOUS executive director of the Colombian Association of Petroleum Geologists and Geosteering occurs in structural MJ Logs – A new Solution Association of Petroleum Geologists and Geophysicists, the Mexican Association of isolation as virgin rock is sampled. Well for a New Reality Geophysicists. They discussed ideas for Petroleum Geologists and the Geological revenue generating opportunities in the region Society of Peru. log correlation principles are applied to and noted the success of technical initiatives measurements sensibly within context, to With our industry in a prolonged period like ACGGP’s “Geosciences in Quarantine” Benefits and Trade-Offs of the Format imply stratigraphic location at MD. 3D TSD/ of restructuring; MJ Logs is offering a conference series that took place from March RSD geosteering logic leads to superior highly flexible cost-saving service to to June 2020. Symposium organizers recognize that approximations of bedding structure on organizations evaluating acquisitions “‘Geosciences in Quarantine’ brought the virtual format of the events provides which to base critical decisions. Keeping it at very competitive prices. Our new MJ thousands of people together and featured both limitations and opportunities for the really 3D since 1999...see for yourself how Rent-A-Log program provides short term different countries, and we thought we could presentations. SES contains practical, where-it-counts access to areas of interest so companies put our own spin on it with AAPG,” Rodriguez In GTWs and other technical workshops, technologies and features that help deliver can determine the potential of the assets said. presenters often show confidential data steering results, well after HAHZ well. they are evaluating. Rent-A-Log allows They took the strategy to AAPG staff and because all recording and photography is acquisition teams to examine wells that held several brainstorming sessions. prohibited. www.makinhole.com may not be in data room packages. “We wanted to find our own strategy “We can ask people to sign a form Stoner Engineering LLC This will give the team a better, more for high quality technical content, massive promising not to take screen shots, but regional picture as a critical part of their participation and a low price point. And the we know it’s unrealistic to try to guarantee evaluation. Virtual Research Symposia were born,” he said. complete confidentiality during virtual events,” MJ Logs has 30,000+ wells in the The MJ Log library is unrivaled in its AAPG LACR organized the first symposium Rodriguez said. Permian that have more beyond the coverage and quality with over 3,000,000 along with ACGGP and the Colombian Instead of trying to enforce confidentiality normal log suites. Why spend money on wells and 7,000,000 logs. If you want to Geological Society. restrictions, the team decided to record the pseudo log curves missing from a data get started right away check out our Well The event, “Southwest Caribbean sessions and make them available to the set, when we might have the logs in our Library Search System for your AOI. Basins: Recent Studies and Advances in largest audience possible. library you are looking for. If you have any questions or want more Understanding the Geology of Colombia, “There’s a lot of fantastic research being Check out our coverage on our WLS information please contact us at: bill. Panama and Venezuela,” took place via Zoom done by companies and graduate students (Well Library Search) System for free at [email protected] or www.mjlogs.com Enterprise on July 23-24. right now,” Rodriguez said. “Symposia or 800-310-6451. The symposia highlighted the geology of provide great opportunity for presenters to www.mjlogs.com AUGUST 2020 EXPLORER.AAPG.org By KEN MILAM, EXPLORER Correspondent 29 Annual G-Camp Goes Virtual

fter 13 years of taking teachers into the field, this year’s pandemic worsened and the prospect of canceling the camp G-Camp was held virtually in response to the COVID-19 Tim Diggs, Geological arose, Giardino said he considered a virtual camp and surveyed pandemic, organizers said. Consultant, Upstream, the applicants. A Aramco Americas, serves on “I was going to cancel this year and wait until next year, but “Everybody wanted to do it,” he said. this year’s G-Camp Advisory I have been doing this for so many years that I decided I could Committee and participated Those who completed the virtual camp are invited to attend not stop,” said Rick Giardino of the Texas A&M Geology and in the virtual program, next year’s camp, which Giardino hopes will be back in the field. Geophysics Department, who leads the program. offering his insights and While the virtual camp will focus on the basics, these returning The program is aimed at 5th through 12th-grade teachers work experience in geology. participants will have a richer, more advanced experience, he and offers supplemental material for the teachers’ science Diggs was out in the field said. Giardino said that if things go as he hopes, a virtual camp curriculum. The goal is to have teachers return to the last year with participants. will be open to everyone every fall, with the top participants classroom with new knowledge and excited about what they Photo courtesy of Aramco chosen to follow through with the field trips the next year. are teaching, and ultimately for “the kids to come to college Americas. The program also has developed an online community of saying, ‘I want to enroll in geology,’” Giardino said. teachers. G-Camp has a public Facebook group of about 500 Aramco Americas has supported the program for more members – “On the Road with Geology Camp for Teachers” than a decade, and this year provided the textbooks, Geology of – where current and past participants post and share their National Parks, 7th Edition, and also loaned a veteran geologist experiences. The group is active and members also utilize to offer insights. Twitter, said organizers. Tim Diggs, geological consultant for the Upstream For the first nine years of G Camp, participation was limited Department of Aramco Americas, served on this year’s G-Camp to Texas, then it opened to wider participation a few years ago. Advisory Committee and participated in online meetings, Giardino hopes to eventually make the camp international. helping to teach the curriculum. In the past, he has been in jump all over North America focused on parks with distinct This year’s 31 participants hail from 16 states across the the field with the teachers, and said he hopes to have brought geological features, such as glaciers, dunes and seashores: U.S.: Massachusetts, Connecticut, North Carolina, Texas, “work world experience” to the camp. Glacier National Park in Montana, White Sands National Park in Maryland, Oklahoma, Georgia, California, New York, Alabama, This year’s theme was, “The Geology of North America New Mexico and many others were studied. Oregon, Vermont, Nevada, New Jersey, Florida and South Through the National Park Experience.” It featured videos, “It’s not the same as actually looking at the rocks in situ,” Dakota. daily small group sessions with teachers and instructors, and but it allowed the group to learn and view land forms from all This year’s textbook is more than 1,000 pages in a ring- homework assignments designed to support lesson plans over the nation, Diggs said. The Texas A&M organizers said the binder format, so teachers can rearrange the chapters to help for the coming school year. A dedicated web page hosted virtual experience delivered a deep dive into geomorphology organize and focus on subjects according to their classroom the curriculum materials and served as a hub for all G-Camp and a great primer for the teachers. Diggs has visited about a plans. resources. The camp ran from June 25 through July 14. dozen of the parks on this year’s program. Giardino said the online meetings were broken down into Two videos were featured: “America’s Best Idea: The groups of about five teachers each, which allowed more Almost As Good as the Real Thing National Parks,” a Ken Burns documentary; and National interaction among the students and their instructors. Meetings Geographic’s “Geology of North America Through the National will first be broken down according to time zones, then later by While “there is no substitute for being in the field,” the Parks.” grade level. virtual G-Camp will try to duplicate the experience as much as Another advantage of the virtual camp this year is that it possible, Diggs said. The Future of G-Camp allows participants to become acquainted in advance of the Teachers were taught about U.S. landforms and geology field trips. “They get to know each other, pick roommates,” through virtual visits to at least 18 national parks – an itinerary Participation was down somewhat this year, but still Giardino said. He admits they were “flying by the seat of not possible with the past field trips’ travel itinerary. offered a rich learning experience, Giardino said. Participants their pants” this year. But the mission remains the same: get

It avoids the prospect of lengthy bus trips. The virtual were chosen from applications in November, he said. As the students interested and excited about geology. EXPLORER

By DAVID CURTISS, AAPG Executive Director Celebrating 50 Years of Commitment to AAPG s we announced in last month’s 50-year members. EXPLORER, for the rest of this year we Thank you to all, for your loyalty and A are proudly doing something in public support of AAPG. that in past years was only done in private: We We hope each member will take a moment are recognizing and celebrating the dedication to peruse the names listed below and then and long-term commitment of our members. personally congratulate those you know or are Of course, we don’t have the room to residing within your local community. publicly list all anniversary dates, but over Our members are our greatest strength, the next five months we will continue to and we sincerely thank each one for their recognize in the Explorer those celebrating many contributions to the science, the five-year milestones. industry and the Association. Congratulations NEW DATES: 11-12 August 2021 • Ipoh, Malaysia This month we commemorate the on your 50th anniversary! (50-year members listed alphabetically.) golden anniversary: Listed below are our Submit your abstracts now for this exciting two-day AAPGEAGE Geosciences Technology Workshop (GTW) focused on best practices, risk-based planning, and the role geoscientists Samuel Richard Aertker Wesley E. Franklin Marc Aram Nahabedian and engineers will play in these changing times. The workshop will be held 57 November Harry John Allen William Edward Freeman Alan Randolph Niem 2020 in Ipoh, (Perak), Malaysia (Half days on 5th and 7th). Carleton Scott Babb James F. Friberg Allan Glen Ostrander Kenneth Dean Backsen George Joseph Gail Benjamin Leland Peterson Michael Thomas Balombin George Richard Galuska Robert Earl Pledger Charles Thomas Barker Edwin Herbert Grieves Terrence Carleton Plumb Douglas Geoffrey Battersby Robert Lawrence Grover Jr. Alfredo Eduardo Prelat Don Wendell Beauchamp Larry Stanley Grubbs Michael P. Prescott Claude E. Berghorn Thomas James Hansen Bennett Lafayette A. Price John Edwin Bircher James Taylor Cantlay Hay William John Purves Eugene Sherwood Blasdel James Francis Hofmann Lee Robert Reichardt Alfred Travers Bloomer David Ellsworth Hoyt Peggy Joyce Rice Claude J. Bonnecarrere Jr. Kenneth F. Johnson John William Sauri Allen Robert Bradley Nigel Edwin A. Johnson Charles Earl Shultz James Eugene Brown John Stuart King Weldon Andrew Simmons Jr. James Franklin Burkholder Woodruff George Leel Jr. Jeffrey William Smith eicip ranlab Asia Australian chool of arkit Singapore CR Perth, Australia Carlos E. Cherroni Jay Edward Leonard Barry L. Snyder Petroleum niversity of John Clure Warren Canmore Leslie Charles Boardman Speice Adelaide Australia Thomas English Cochrane Robert David LoPiccolo David Brook Stearns Jr. Bobby Lee Coleman John Wallace Marks Robert H. Sydnor Thomas Crawford Cronin Robert Michael McHam Warren Jere Thomas Jr. N. Howard Dewhirst Edward Burk McWilliams John Zoran Tomich Supported by Keith F. Drummond H. Jack Meyer J. Scott Uttley Jason Monroe Edgington Robert Lee Meyer Robert George Volkmann Donald Keith Edmonds Morris Albert Miceli Earl Warner Jr. Kenneth K. Farmer Craig Earl Moore William Glen Wendell Benjamin Tarver Faulk David Watts Morrow Gar C. Willis James Thorp Forsythe Frederick Dale Mueller Gerrit Wind 30 By DAVID CURTISS EXPLORER AUGUST 2020 Director’s Corner AAPG in a World of Shifting Values f you’ve ever picked up a book on in church or civic activities, but AAPG is business – how to start a business, The impact of COVID-19 has impacted each of us in their professional home. Ihow to run a business, how to save I’d say for those of us in Generation a business – you typically don’t have its own way, as well as our industry and AAPG and our X that sentiment still existed, but to to page too far before you run into a a lesser extent. I valued the science popular term: “value proposition.” sister societies. We’re all struggling to adjust to this new shared through AAPG and how it could “What is the value proposition of assist me in building my career. Before this firm?” is a question my business reality, to understand what this pandemic will do long- Google you needed a reference library, school classmates and I frequently or access to one, and AAPG’s products asked ourselves while reviewing Harvard term to our way of life, and to position ourselves to be and services, from conferences to Business case studies about real and publications, were a crucial way that fictional companies and then trying to healthy and productive. I engaged and became part of the apply the strategy or marketing principles profession. we’d been learning in class to the Today, our Millennial and Gen-Z examples being presented. changes for AAPG and for you, our a commodity that plays a vital role in members have many other options A value proposition as defined is “an members. the global energy mix. They’re the folks for connecting with each other and for innovation, service, or feature intended The pandemic is causing us to interested in deals, eager to hear about communicating their contributions to our to make a company or product attractive reassess AAPG’s value proposition for our technological advances they can put to science. Make no mistake, they want to to customers.” Wikipedia helpfully members and our customers. We must use in the field, and enthralled by stories be successful. But they define success expands that to “a promise of value consider that what has worked in the past of exploration successes. in a manner that integrates all aspects of to be delivered, communicated, and may not work in the future and that our Relationships are formed when their lives – how they spend their time, acknowledged. It is also a belief from members’ and the industry’s needs are discussing science and deals, energy and money – according to their the customer about how value will be experiencing fundamental change. sometimes they blossom into values. delivered, experienced, and acquired.” “We are having to rethink our business collaborative partnerships. Friendships I’m painting with a broad brush here. I like the expanded definition because from top to bottom,” is how one global are formed and community grows when But what I hope you take away is that it defines the expectations not just exploration executive put it to me people gather together. AAPG’s membership is highly varied. of the party delivering the product or recently. AAPG is doing the same thing. Some members of the community When I talk to members about AAPG’s service, but also those of the recipient. A One of the challenges we face is recognize a good thing when they see it, value proposition, I’ll often get responses successful value proposition is one that that when you consider AAPG’s value and step forward, choosing to dedicate like “AAPG is all about science!” or it “is all addresses both sides of the relationship. proposition, you find that we offer many part of their free time to help guide about professionalism!” or it “is all about This topic is much on my mind these different value propositions to our and shape the future direction of the ethics!” AAPG is all of these things and days. members, based on their interests and Association. more, but these answers are a trap when The impact of COVID-19 has impacted inclinations. Our membership is not a they stifle creative thinking about what each of us in its own way, as well as monolith; it’s made up of many smaller Different Values for AAPG could and should be in the future. our industry and AAPG and our sister groups with shared interests. Different Generations Active member participation is a societies. We’re all struggling to adjust to Many members are interested in hallmark of AAPG. And as we rethink and this new reality, to understand what this science – that’s one of the principal Different generations have different reengineer AAPG’s value proposition in pandemic will do long-term to our way reasons AAPG was formed, of course – expectations of their involvement in coming months, I’d invite you to engage of life, and to position ourselves to be either sharing their science findings or AAPG. with us in this discussion. healthy and productive. learning what is happening at the edge of Baby Boomers followed in the As Rick indicated at the beginning discovery, being a part of advancing our footsteps the Greatest Generation, of this issue, the AAPG Executive science. believing that being a professional meant Committee and our global staff are Others are interested in business and belonging to one or more professional assessing and responding to these how we use science to find and develop organizations. They may also be involved

By Ursula Hammes, EMD President Divisions Report: EMD EMD ‘Perfect Storm’ Edition reetings from my home office in prepared their first ever TED talks for Austin during the perfect storm Especially, during this trying time of the this year’s ACE and those and other Gof pandemic and negative oil pandemic that has reduced our need for reports can be found on our website prices! This year has been a roller through AAPG EMD. Please stay tuned coaster of record production falling to fossil fuels, it is ever so important for our for next year’s ACE and International lowest production and lowest oil prices membership to think beyond our traditional roles Conference and Exhibition EMD program in history, resulting in unprecedented ranging from geothermal, solar, emerging layoffs, not only in the oil industry, and embrace new technologies and scientific plays in critical minerals and others. but other industries as well. But, this advancement in alternative energies. Claudia Hackbarth and Milovan Fustic lowest of lows too will pass, since our HAMMES have graciously agreed to continue as dependency on hydrocarbons will still the ACE and ICE EMD chair positions, last until renewable resources are better respectively, for 2021. established. geoscientists who have been laid off in the past few years has greatly For my time as president in 2020-21, As 2020-21 president of the Energy might want to explore the variety of improved our organization. I laid out my business plan focusing Minerals Division, I have the honor to resources AAPG and EMD have to offer. We heard and received excellent on the changing energy environment follow in Edith Wilson’s footstep after a reports from our different technical including tight oil and gas, outreach to year-long intensive involvement within EMD Leadership Meeting committee chairs and about the various prepare and attract students to further the changing environment of energy. activities in which our United States study energy applications, and getting Edith opened my eyes to alternative Despite the postponement of an and international councilors were involved with AAPG’s sustainability energies and spreading the word about in-person AAPG Annual Convention and involved. While our coal, bitumen/heavy project. A lot of this could not be done EMD’s mission to look beyond the Exhibition in June, we held our annual oil, tight oil and gas, hydrate, uranium, without the help from our head of traditional oil field to provide efficient and EMD leadership meeting via Zoom, critical minerals and new geothermal communications, Mike Bingle-Davis, economic energy resources to the world. led by past President Edith Wilson. We committees gave very interesting reports, who also serves as vice president for Especially, during this trying time of the welcomed our newly elected President- the energy economics and technology the next year and Diane Keim, our AAPG pandemic that has reduced our need Elect Justin Birdwell, who will bring committee outlined a “beyond bad” liaison who keeps our organization for fossil fuels, it is ever so important outstanding experience through his picture for this year, due to the oil war, running. Mike will ensure to provide for our membership to think beyond involvement in the tight oil and gas pandemic and weak pre-pandemic EMD’s presence on Linked-In, Twitter, our traditional roles and embrace new committee and newly elected Secretary financial stress. Please check out their and Facebook and updates on EMD’s technologies and scientific advancement Claudia Hackbarth, whose involvement detailed report at the EMD website. website. Please stay tuned and stay in alternative energies. Especially, with EMD as Gulf Coast Section councilor Many of our committee chairs had healthy through this difficult time. EXPLORER 2019 L. AUSTIN WEEKS UNDERGRADUATE GRANT RECIPIENTS

The American Association of Petroleum Geologists Foundation geoscience associations and to undergraduate sophomore, junior AAPG in a World of Shifting Values and the Education Awards Committee are proud to announce the and senior level students who are studying full-time at a four-year L. Austin Weeks Undergraduate Grant recipients for 2020. accredited university or college, majoring in geoscience programs. The Foundation’s L. Austin Weeks Undergraduate Grant program Thanks to generous contributors, including L. Austin Weeks and is a highly competitive grant program promoting research in Marta Weeks-Wulf, the Foundation will proudly grant over $85,000 in the geosciences. Grants of US $500 are made to to student-led funds to geoscience students and student associations annually.

BANGLADESH Universitas Gadjah Mada Florida JORDAN University of Barishal Muhammad Syafrudin Anshar University of Florida The Hashemite University Afroza Mim Razif Falyan Ardharu Laura Mulrooney Vania Dhianisya MALAYSIA University of Dhaka Rafi Dwigana Nebraska Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Tangila Afroz Nur Indah University of Nebraska - Lincoln Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS Mst. Fahima Akter Cecilia Jatu Kameron Daehling University of Malaya Saiful Islam Apu Kamila Mabrur Ishrat Jahan Eva Krison Manalu Ohio NIGERIA Shariful Islam Vania Oktaviani The University of Akron Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Ogbomoso, Tahmidur Rahman Junayed Muhamad Joko Tri Prasetyo Lauren Kouri Oyo State Anika Nawar Mayeesha Pramana Putra Univeristy of Ibadan Nowshin Laila Nisha Dewi Sintia Reka Oklahoma University of Port Harcourt Md. Zayed Abdur Razzak Fadli Robbi Oklahoma State University Md. Opu Sarker Muhammad Rifky Wibisana Skylar Kaminski PERU Noshin Sharmili Exvan Wibowo Erin Roark Jorge Basadre Grohmann National University Mohammad Solaiman National University of San Marcos Universitas Padjadjaran Texas Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería Jordi Andrifa Angelo State University Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco BRAZIL Yoga Aprilian Gabriel Shotton Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Alya Maharani PHILIPPINES Paul Okoe Sam Houston State University San Agustin National University University of National Development "Veteran" Efren Mendez Yogyakarta POLAND COLOMBIA Dewy Widya Ningsih The University of Texas of the Permian Basin Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań Universidad de Caldas Michael Valencia AGH University of Science and Technology Juan Henao University of Pembangunan Nasional "Veteran" Yogyakarta Arkan Ajitama University of Houston ROMANIA Universidad Nacional de Colombia Syifa Fachrinda Olivia Wren University of Bucharest Corinne Daniela Gonzalez Duque Alfian Gilang Javier Peña León Refita Khumayroh University of Texas at Austin UGANDA Bimar Maulana Anthony Edgington Makerere University Muhammad Dzakiya Mukhlish Tyler Logie EGYPT Chandra Rivananta UNITED KINGDOM Suez University Maulita Tiara Aurora University of Texas at El Paso Imperial College London Islam Hassan Abel Tios Hao Pham The University of Manchester Ahmed Qenawy Mia Ramirez UNITED STATES OF AMERICA MALAYSIA Utah California INDIA National University of Malaysia Utah Valley University California State University - Long Beach Banaras Hindu University Muhammad Khairul Izzat Aridan Daniel Riddle San Diego State University Vishnu Pandey University of Malaya VENEZUELA Colorado Indian Institute of Technology (ISM), Dhanbad Nur Fatehah Norran Central University of Venezuela Colorado School of Mines Divya Bharti Roddys Gil Shiv Mangal Gupta Illinois Sammed Jain NIGERIA Universidad Simón Bolívar Northwestern University Manoj Paliwal Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Alejandro Madriz Anupam Patel Adeoya Dekunle Oriana Venturi Iowa Divakar Sharma University of Iowa Abhinav Pratap Singh Mountain Top University Solomon Omishakin Student-Led Organizations Louisiana Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee University of Louisiana - Lafayette Sandeep Kumar Petroleum Training Institute BANGLADESH Adithya Shettar Fejiro Odafeadjebre University of Dhaka AAPG Student Chapter Michigan University of Dhaka EAGE Student Chapter Grand Valley State University Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology Federal University of Technology, Akure University of Dhaka Geophysical Society Amir Rauf Memon John Ajayi University of Dhaka SPE Student Chapter Nevada Pranav Kumar Segun Oladele University of Nevada - Reno Sekinat Oyero BRAZIL University of Delhi Federal University of Sergipe New Mexico Anchal Arora Federal University of Technology, Owerri Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Anindita Dash Uzoma Igboerisim Universidade Federal de Pernambuco Vaibhav Maheshwari University of Campinas New York Ankeeta Mohanty University of Nigeria, Nsukka Binghamton University Rajat Sachan Okorie Chinagorom Ogbonnaya ECUADOR Sagar Sahoo Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral North Dakota Nitin Sharma North Dakota State University Ujjwal Singh ROMANIA EGYPT University of North Dakota Ruchi Yadav University of Bucharest Suez University Pavel Andreea Maria Ohio University of Lagos FRANCE University of Cincinnati Oluwatosin Odugbesan UniLaSalle UNITED KINGDOM Texas University of Lucknow Imperial College London GERMANY Sam Houston State University Saumya Dubey Toby Holloway RWTH Aachen University University of Texas at Dallas Gaurav Singh Keele University HUNGARY Wisconsin University of Petroleum and Energy Studies Joshua Catton Eötvös Loránd University University of Wisconsin-Madison Taranpreet Singh INDIA UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Banaras Hindu University URUGUAY INDONESIA Indian Institute of Technology (ISM), Dhanbad Universidad de la República Hasanuddin University CALIFORNIA Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee Anggit Kurnia California State University of Long Beach Jadavpur University VENEZUELA Art Willoughby University of Delhi Simón Bolívar University Institut Teknologi Bandung University of Lucknow Universidad Central de Venezuela Ananda Berkah Pangestu Colorado University of Petroleum and Energy Studies Yusuf R Langga Colorado School of Mines Marchel Simanjuntak Jessica Hiatt INDONESIA Hasanuddin University Padjadjaran University Connecticut Universitas Gadjah Mada Alya Maharani Wesleyan University Universitas Indonesia Cole Reistrup Universitas Padjadjaran Trisakti University University of Pembangunan Nasional "Veteran" Mohamad Salsabila Yogyakarta

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