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15 Apples and Aardvarks – A Tutorial on Petrophysical Analysis in Oil 21 Dr. Francois Therrein: CSPG Outreach – Interview a 24 Go Take a Hike 32 Mineralogy on the Move – Applications in the Duvernay

$10.00 SEPTEMBER 2014 VOLUME 41, ISSUE 08 Canadian Publication Mail Contract – 40070050

SEPTEMBER 2014 – VOLUME 41, ISSUE 08 ARTICLES Apples and Aardvarks – A Tutorial on Petrophysical Analysis in ...... 15

Dr. François Therrein: CSPG Outreach – Interview a Geologist ...... 21 CSPG OFFICE #110, 333 – 5th Avenue SW Honorary Member – Dr. Peter Putnan ...... 23 Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 3B6 Tel: 403-264-5610 Web: www.cspg.org Go Take a Hike ...... 24 Office hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:00pm Winter University Lecture Tour Wrap-Up ...... 29 Executive Director: Lis Bjeld Tel: 403-513-1235, Email: [email protected] Editorial Comment ...... 30 Event Coordinator: Kelsey Thompson Tel: 403-513-1226, Email: [email protected] Member Services: Science for Society (ESFS) Tel: 403-264-5610, Email: [email protected] Publications and Website: Emma MacPherson Inspiring the Next Generations of Earth Scientists ...... 30 Email: [email protected], Tel: 403-513-1230 Educational Trust Fund/Outreach Coordinator: Kasandra Amaro Mineralogy on the Move – Applications in the Duvernay ...... 32 Tel: 403-513-1226, Email: [email protected] Technical Programs: Biljana Popovic Tel: 403-513-1225, Email: [email protected] DEPARTMENTS Corporate Sponsorship: Lis Bjeld Tel: 403-513-1235, Email: [email protected] Executive Comment ...... 5 Controller: Eric Tang Tel: 403-513-1232, Email: [email protected] Technical Luncheons ...... 8 EDITORS/AUTHORS Please submit RESERVOIR articles to the CSPG office. Division Talks ...... 13 Submission deadline is the 23rd day of the month, two months prior to issue date. (e.g., January 23 for the March issue). Rock Shop ...... 7, 14, 16, 29

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

Technical Editors Hugh S. Mosher Colin Yeo (Assistant Tech. Editor) Nunaga Resources Ltd. Encana Corporation M.: 403-809-9997 Tel: 403-645-7724 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Coordinating Editor Emma MacPherson, Publications Coordinator, CSPG Tel: 403-513-1230, [email protected],

ADVERTISING Advertising inquiries should be directed to Emma MacPherson, Tel: 403-513-1230 email: [email protected]. The deadline to reserve advertising space is the 23rd day of the month, two months prior to issue date.

The RESERVOIR is published 11 times per year by the Canadian Society of . This includes a combined issue for the months of July and August. The purpose of the RESERVOIR is to publicize the Society’s many activities and to promote the geosciences. We look for both technical and non-technical material to publish. Additional information on the RESERVOIR’s submission guidelines can be found at http://www.cspg. org/publications/pubs-reservoir-submissions.cfm. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in full without the consent of the publisher. Additional copies of the RESERVOIR are available at the CSPG office. No official endorsement or sponsorship by the CSPG is implied for any advertisement, insert, or article that appears in the Reservoir unless otherwise noted. All submitted materials are reviewed by the editor. We reserve the right to edit all submissions, including letters to the Editor. Submissions must include your name, address, and membership number (if applicable). The material contained in this publication is intended for informational use only. While reasonable care has been taken, authors and the CSPG make no guarantees that any of the equations, schematics, or devices discussed will perform as expected or that they will give the desired results. Some information contained herein may be inaccurate or may vary from standard measurements. FRONT COVER The CSPG expressly disclaims any and all liability for the acts, omissions, or conduct of any third-party user Apparent non-Andersonian deformation in the Trail Pluton outcropping along the of information contained in this publication. Under no circumstances shall the CSPG and its officers, directors, Columbia River near Trail, B.C. Field of view is 1.2 m. Photo by Danielle Kondla. employees, and agents be liable for any injury, loss, damage, or expense arising in any manner whatsoever from the acts, omissions, or conduct of any third-party user. Designed and Printed by The Data Group of Companies, Calgary, Alberta.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 3 Warning: Our data has gone mobile (You may never return to the office)

Now, get geoLOGIC’s value-added data almost any place, any time, any way you want it. Available through gDCweb on your tablet, smartphone or computer.

With 30 years of data experience behind it, gDC is the source for high quality, value-added and land data from across Western Canada and the Northern United States. Another plus – our data is accessible through an expanding range of industry software utilizing our own easy-to-use gDC GIS and our geoSCOUT software. Leading the way with customer-driven data, integrated software and services for your upstream decision-making needs. View, search, import and export well, land and production data, documents, logs and more from almost anywhere. For more information geoSCOUT | gDC | petroCUBE at www.geoLOGIC.com visit our website at www.geoLOGIC.com Message from the Board A message from Alexis Anastas and Weishan Ren, Directors Warning: Our data has gone mobile (You may never return to the office)

CSPG EXECUTIVE

PAST PRESIDENT Alexis Anastas Weishan Ren Paul MacKay • Petroleum Ltd. [email protected] Tel: 403.457.3930 Education is critical to our PRESIDENT Science and Profession! Dale Leckie It would be foolish to believe that what on a remarkable annual basis that is nimble we learned through our academic training, to the scientific directions of industry and PRESIDENT ELECT in and of itself, would be enough to last academia. Tony Cadrin • Journey Energy Inc. us a whole career in a technologically- [email protected] Tel: 403.303.3493 driven, fast-paced industry such as ours. Technical Conferences and Workshops This is why the Association of Professional focus on special topics that bring technical FINANCE DIRECTOR Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta experts in these areas to better understand Gord Stabb • Durando Resources Corp. (APEGA) clearly stipulates that all practicing common practice and challenges, and to [email protected] Tel: 403.819.8778 persons within the Association must follow advance technologies. Exposure to a topic a program of continuous Professional in greater depth allows one to rapidly FINANCE DIRECTOR ELECT Development (P.D.H. credits). While on move up the learning curve and apply the Astrid Arts • [email protected] Tel: 403.766.5862 the job training (Professional Practice) concepts to work and research. These constitutes a large part of how we train technical topics, coupled with the structure DIRECTOR and keep up-to-date, we must augment this and layout of the meeting, has made Alexis Anastas • Nexen Energy ULC with formal and informal learning. CSPG’s special Technical Conferences [email protected] Tel: 403.699.4965 the envy of other geological associations. Technical and professional training This, in addition to collaboration with DIRECTOR constitute a fundamental tenant to the other geological organizations (e.g. Andrew Fox • MEG Energy Corp. Mission of the Canadian Society of AAPG, CSEG) allows CSPG to deliver [email protected] Tel: 403.770.5345 Petroleum Geologists (CSPG). the best to the membership. Four technical conferences are delivered by DIRECTOR “The Mission of the Society is to advance the CSPG this year: PLAYMAKER FORUM in Milovan Fustic • Statoil Canada Ltd. professions of the Energy Geosciences as it March, GEO ENERGY FORUM in June, [email protected] Tel: 403.724.3307 applies to ; foster the scientific, technical GUSSOW GEOSCIENCE CONFERENCE learning and professional development of its on Advances in Applied Geomodeling for DIRECTOR members; and promote the awareness of the Hydrocarbon Reservoirs in September, and Michael Laberge • Channel Energy Inc. profession to industry and the public.” OIL SANDS SYMPOSIUM in October. [email protected] Tel: 403.301.3739 What CSPG hopes to do is to take some of Learning and development is carried out by the Gussow Conferences and CSPG joint DIRECTOR the CSPG in a number of ways that include: conferences to other Canadian locations Robert Mummery • Almandine Resources Inc. GeoConvention, Technical Conferences and perhaps globally. [email protected] Tel: 403.651.4917 Now, get geoLOGIC’s value-added data almost any place, any time, and workshops, Technical Luncheons, any way you want it. Available through gDCweb on your tablet, In 2014, the CSPG undertook a DIRECTOR Continuing Education Courses, Division smartphone or computer. Weishan Ren • Statoil Canada Ltd. Talks, Geocafe and Informal get-togethers. re-evaluation of its continuing education [email protected] Tel: 403.724.0325 offering and strove to make some seemingly With 30 years of data experience behind it, gDC is the source for high The GeoConvention represents an annual small but very important changes. These quality, value-added well and land data from across Western Canada and DIRECTOR highlight of this learning process. It brings included surveying industry trends and the Northern United States. Another plus – our data is accessible through Darren Roblin • Endurance Energy together three societies (CSPG, CSEG and needs and offering the courses with very an expanding range of industry software utilizing our own easy-to-use CWLS) in an integrated scope that is not little cancellations. Last year we cancelled Leading the way with customer-driven data, integrated software [email protected] Tel: 587.233.0784 gDC GIS and our geoSCOUT software. seen anywhere in the Global Geoscience too many courses and this impacts our and services for your upstream decision-making needs. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Community. The caliber and importance credibility as a learning provider to the View, search, import and export well, land and production data, Lis Bjeld • CSPG of the science and concepts presented members and non-members. This year we documents, logs and more from almost anywhere. For more information geoSCOUT | gDC | petroCUBE at www.geoLOGIC.com [email protected] Tel: 403.513.1235 in GeoConvention greatly exceed many are happy to say we have run the courses visit our website at www.geoLOGIC.com geoscience organizations. All this happens (Continued on page 7...)

RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 5 CSPG & AAPG Present: Oil Sands and Heavy Oil Symposium: A local to global multidisciplinary collaboration October 14-16, 2014 • Calgary, Canada

To highlight the global nature of oil sands resources, understand advances in recovery processes, and the contribution that resource geoscientists can make to the challenges of environmental protection and social license as well as driving prosperity and better standards of living for all through sustainable .

This is not your 'standard' talk type technical conference. It is more focused, offering an opportunity to advance your knowledge and understanding for many of these complex issues.

• Single track Symposium with multiple formats, including oral, poster and core presentations along with three panel discussions.

• Keynote Luncheon Speakers include recognized world class authorities on Industry, Government and First Nations perspectives.

• The symposium is meant to target all disciplines and skill levels - from the geologist, to the engineer, to the environmental scientist, policy makers and government regulators.

• An all-encompassing, multidisciplinary and multifaceted symposium to see the oil sands and heavy oil development from all angles, many aspects developed in Canada, but can be exported to the World bitumen and heavy oil resources.

www.aapg.org www.cspg.org (...Continued from page 5) are free, open talks with a question and that we offered and promised. How do answer session that allows one to probe we do this you may ask? At the onset, all the ideas even further. courses we put forward must be relevant to a significant portion of the industry Informal sessions, such as Geocafe in the (e.g. Heavy Oil Technologies, Cretaceous CSPG office, are excellent in bringing people , and Shale) and we carefully together to learn about a technological, monitor our membership’s response to our scientific or business concept that requires courses and instructors so we can offer the further examination or discussion. These best possible learning choices. While we are very open-ended sessions where the still offer courses on the fundamentals, the presenter and the audience equally share CORPORATE SPONSORS CSPG will strive to offer industry-leading the floor. (“High End”) training that is critical to SAMARIUM ones knowledge of geology and the oil All of these programs and initiatives that geoLOGIC systems ltd. and gas business. In addition, the CSPG the CSPG provide are the result of many, TITANIUM has been promoting new instructors and many tireless volunteer and staff hours. ConocoPhillips courses in order to bring new material and While the CSPG year definitely has its APEGA interpretations to the forefront. Contact busier times (e.g. GeoConvention), the Nexen ULC IHS the office if you would like to work with us. Society is constantly active and working on Shell Canada Limited the next new session, course or learning Along with courses, the Technical experience. PLATINUM Luncheon and the Divisions work tirelessly Canada Limited Cenovus Energy Inc. to bring interesting and relevant topics to The best way to learn at CSPG is to Resources the membership. The Technical Lunch is become involved, stay informed and sign AGAT Laboratories a wonderful bimonthly event that brings up. You the members make the Society global and more local scientific issues strong and bring us through the twists GOLD Devon Canada Corporation to the centre stage. By doing this, the and turns of the future. Speak to your MEG Energy Corp. Technical Luncheon raises the awareness colleagues who are not yet members and Tourmaline of the membership in many areas. The tell them what we offer so that they can luncheon is videotaped and archived to be join and become involved as well. eagerly watched by geoscientists all over SILVER CGG Services (Canada) Inc. the world. We ask that you support your technical society, CSPG, by looking for your PDH MJ Systems The Technical Divisions represent a “gold credits here and when you do not see what Encana Corporation mine” of information on topics of special you are looking for, speak up and let the Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. interest including Basin Analysis and Education Director know. CSPG is your Athabasca Oil Corporation Enerplus Sequence Stratigraphy, Core and Sample, professional home! EOG Resources Canada Inc. Environment, Geomodeling, Heavy Oil / Husky Oil Sands, International, Paleontology, and Happy Learning and thanks to all of you ION Geophysical . These groups function who make the CSPG strong, Petrosys very well and often manage to provide a BRONZE monthly lunchtime talk by a geoscientist Alexis Anastas and Weishan Ren Olympic Seismic Ltd. passionate about a particular topic. These Arcis Seismic Solutions Seisware Loring Tarcore PGS Roke Technologies Ltd. ROCK SHOP Belloy Petroleum Consulting Earth Signal Processing Ltd Sensor Geophysical Ltd. Tucker Energy Services Canada Pro Geo Consultants Reach more than 3000 petroleum professionals who Talisman Energy are empowered to purchase your product or service. Geovariances Hunt Oil Tesla ADVERTISE IN THE TGS Continental Laboratories (1985) Ltd. Total Gas Detection Ltd. RPS Energy Canada Ltd. RESERVOIR Explor Please call: GLJ Petroleum Consultants Ltd. Emma MacPherson Paradigm Geophysical (Canada) Corp. PLS Inc Tel: 403.513.1230 Email: [email protected] As of August 2014 A Special Thanks to Geologic Systems Ltd., CSPG’s Top Sponsor of the Month. RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 7 TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS SEPTEMBER LUNCHEON Webcasts sponsored by

11:30 am, Tuesday, September 9th, 2014 ABSTRACT Eolian Calgary, TELUS Convention Centre Eolian systems ( dunes) are globally Exhibition Hall D, North Building important reservoir units for both hydrocarbons Explorations: Calgary, Alberta and water. These systems contain complex geologic stories and paleoenvironmental Dunes, Please note: The -off date for ticket sales is 1:00 records with applications to understanding Deformation, pm, three business days before event. [Thursday, reservoir properties and fluid migration Sept. 4, 2014]. CSPG Member Ticket Price: $45.00 pathways. This talk uses well-exposed Permian and + GST. Non-Member Ticket Price: $47.50 + GST. to Jurassic examples to addresses three groups of questions: SPEAKER Each CSPG Technical Luncheon is 1 APEGA PDH Dr. Marjorie A. Chan credit. Tickets may be purchased online at https:// 1. DIAGENESIS: Why are sandstones different University of Utah www.cspg.org/eSeries/source/Events/index.cfm. colors (reflected in bleaching and iron oxide cements), and what does this tell us about reservoir properties and diagenetic history? When did it happen and is it useful as an exploration tool?

2. SOFT- DEFORMATION: What kind of deformation happens in eolian systems and why are they susceptible? What structures give us clues to deciphering the records of strong ground motion? How does such deformation affect fluid pathways?

3. : Why do particular weathering patterns develop on exposed sandstone surfaces and what do they tell us about microclimate?

Finally, this summary introduces new directions of eolian research, and the implications of biological and environmental interactions.

BIOGRAPHY Dr. Marjorie A. Chan is Professor of Geology at the University of Utah in Salt City, Utah. She received a Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 1982. Her research topics have spanned the geologic time scale from the Precambrian to the . Her recent projects connect geology and planetary science to better understand and interpret the red planet Mars. She has authored or co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed professional articles on a wide range of sedimentary topics involving clastic depositional environments, , fluid flow/diagenesis (e.g., iron oxide sandstone coloration and concretions), Earth analogs to Martian environments, and geo-conservation.

Dr. Chan is a very active member of GSA. She has provided leadership counsel for academic department chairs and administrators at both GSA and AGU (American Geophysical Union) meetings. She has received numerous accolades for her presentations and was named the 2013/2014 GSA International Distinguished Lecturer, which will send her on tours throughout Asia, Australia and New Zealand this spring and Korea this October. She has also served as a science advisor for PBS- Nova Science Now. Dr. Chan has been a strong advocate and role model for women in science for the last three decades. She is active in encouraging women and minorities in science disciplines.

8 RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS SEPTEMBER LUNCHEON Webcasts sponsored by Fifty Shades Freed: From Pore to Seismic an Integrated Workflow Identifying Sweet Figure 1. Integrated Duvernay Depositional and Sequence Stratigraphic Model for the Kaybob Area. Axial Spots in the transport of clastic detritus and estimated water depths as per Stoakes (1980).

Liquids Rich Sedimentological and sequence stratigraphic of the reservoir and how it relates to work flows provide the starting point for production. This integrated workflow is Duvernay developing a predictive geological and being used to high grade acreage, and to subsequently geophysical models that extract maximum net present value from Formation delineate rock quality and reservoir quality the Duvernay. relationships. Relative amounts of total organic Kaybob, Alberta, carbon, biogenic silica, carbonate, and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: have a first order control on reservoir quality The authors would like to thank Athabasca Oil Canada in the Duvernay and vary systematically (Dunn Corp for permission to present this ongoing et al., 2013). The Duvernay can be classified work. We would also like to acknowledge Seitel SPEAKER into three end-member rock types that Canada Ltd, Core Labs and XRF Solutions for Lindsay Dunn display decreasing reservoir quality from highly permission to show the data. CO-AUTHORS: Justin Humenjuk, siliceous organic rich mudstones, argillaceous Neil Taylor and David Mcharg organic rich mudstones down to non-reservoir REFERENCES Athabasca Oil Corp. carbonates. The geographic and stratigraphic Dunn L. A., Gordon K. and Houle M. 2013. distributions of these lithofacies are controlled Fifty Shades of Grey: Utilizing “Conventional” 11: 30 am, by the basin bathymetry and morphology (Fig. Sedimentology and Sequence Stratigraphy Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014 1). (Dunn and Humenjuk 2014a). to unlock rock quality to reservoir quality Calgary, TELUS Convention, Exhibition relationships in the liquids rich Duvernay Shale Hall D, North Building, Calgary, Alberta Key petrophysical attributes differentiate play, Kaybob Alberta, Canada. Canadian Society the three main rock types within the of Petroleum Geologists Annual Convention Please note: The cut-off date for ticket sales Kaybob study area. Cross plotting Calgary, Alberta, 6-10 May program with is 1:00 pm, three business days before event. of Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio abstracts. [Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014]. CSPG Member logs indicated that the siliceous organic Ticket Price: $45.00 + GST. Non-Member Ticket rich mudstone, argillaceous organic rich Dunn L. A and Humenjuk J. A. 2014a. Fifty Price: $47.50 + GST. mudstone and carbonate are Shades Darker: Integrating Sedimentology, distinctly clustered. Utilizing a 3D seismic Sequence Stratigraphy, Chemostratigraphy and Each CSPG Technical Luncheon is 1 APEGA PDH volume within the study area, these same Geophysics to Identify Sweet Spots the Liquids- credit. Tickets may be purchased online at https:// petrophysical attributes can be generated Rich Duvernay Shale Play, Kaybob Alberta. www.cspg.org/eSeries/source/Events/index.cfm. through AVO inversion producing a Poisson’s Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists ratio and a Young’s modulus volume (Dunn Annual Convention Calgary, Alberta 12-16 May ABSTRACT and Humenjuk 2014b). In the absence of program with abstracts. The Devonian Duvernay Formation is fast horizontal logs X-Ray Florence (XRF) on becoming one of the most active liquids- cuttings calibrated to core has proven to Dunn L. A. and Humenjuk J. A. 2014b. The rich shale plays in North America. The play be a fast, cost effective, and accurate tool Duvernay Formation: Integrating Sedimentology, fairway extends over some 400 km from to quantify rock properties along the well Sequence Stratigraphy and Geophysics to the Kaybob sub basin in the north to the bore. Rock mechanical properties extracted Identify Sweet Spots in a Liquids-Rich Shale Willesden Green Basin in the south. In the along the well bore from the 3D volume Play, Kaybob Alberta. Unconventional Resources Kaybob region, the play is rapidly moving show an excellent correlation to those Technology Conference Denver, Colorado, 25- from an early exploration phase that calculated from XRF. 27 August program with abstracts. began in late 2010, towards commercial multi-well pad development. With this These integrated data sets have been used Stoakes, F.A. 1980. Nature and Control of Shale play evolution, companies are actively to place frac stages and show a good Basin Fill and its Effect on Reef Growth and evaluating and high their acreage correlation between , fracture Termination: Upper Devonian Duvernay and integrating all aspects of geosciences: from treatment parameters and micro-seismic Ireton Formations of Alberta, Canada. Bulletin pore, to core, to log, to microseismic and events. The result of this workflow enhances of Canadian vol 28. No 3 ultimately to seismic scale. our understanding of the heterogeneity p 345-410.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 9 TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS OCTOBER LUNCHEON Webcasts sponsored by

11: 30 am as an important control on transmissivity Reservoir Tuesday, October 7th, 2014 and storage capacity of hydrocarbons. With Calgary, TELUS Convention Centre the advancement of completion technologies Characterization Exhibition Hall D, North Building for low-permeability reservoirs, quantifying Calgary, Alberta the matrix-related micro-, in Carbonate understanding pore size and pore throat Please note: The cut-off date for ticket sales distributions as well as tortuosity has Mudrocks is 1:00 pm, three business days before event. become increasingly important. Traditional [Thursday, Oct 2, 2014]. CSPG Member Ticket methodologies for porosity characterization – The Price: $45.00 + GST. Non-Member Ticket Price: developed for conventional reservoirs are $47.50 + GST. often inadequate for low permeability, Unconventional micro-porous reservoirs. Within carbonate Each CSPG Technical Luncheon is 1 APEGA reservoirs, the matrix porosity contribution Conventional – PDH credit. Tickets may be purchased online is often overshadowed by the relative at https://www.cspg.org/eSeries/source/Events/ contribution from vugs and fractures, yet it The Next index.cfm. is the matrix pore network that effectively “feeds” the vugs and fractures through Generation ABSTRACT diffusive transport. The majority of carbonate reservoir rocks Carbonate have been developed using conventional The main focus of this research has been development schemes, due to the presence on carbonate reservoir -rocks that Reservoirs of macro-pores that are the product of lack macro-pores, but contain pores that skeletal and non-skeletal depositional are less than a micrometer in size. These SPEAKER textures modified by diagenesis. Carbonate rocks have high hydrocarbon saturation Rick Sarg reservoir heterogeneity is complex, due to within the matrix micro-porosity. Examples Colorado School of Mines ternary porosity distributions composed of come from both conventional carbonate matrix, vugs, and fractures. Recently, matrix wackestone and mudstone from the Gulf related micro-porosity has been recognized States region of the Arabian Peninsula, and

INTRODUCTION TO GEOMECHANICS THEORY AND PRACTICE

A Two-day Workshop - November 24-25, 2014, Calgary, AB Young Geoscientists

» Learn about geomechanical applications that are vital to today’s oil and gas industry Pricing Networking Reception » Understand sources of geomechanical data and how to exploit them Registration before October 15, 2014: $1800 » Practice analyzing data through hands-on examples from western Canada plays Registration after October 15, 2014: $2000 A networking event for young geoscientists » Apply geomechanical insight into drilling and completions planning (Space is limited) » Receive a free, 30-day trial license for the Vinland Software Suite® by Eriksfiord and experienced industry mentors For more information and/or to register contact: Sandi Bredy - Client Liaison Appropriate for individuals from multiple disciplines including geologists, WHEN: Thursday, October 30 geophysicists, petrophysicists, petroleum engineers, drilling and completions P. 403.269.3644 E. [email protected] engineers and asset managers. 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm Instructor Amy Fox earned her PhD in Geomechanics from Stanford University WHERE: Garage Sports Bar and has 16 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. She is currently the Geomechanics Director at Canadian Discovery. Eau Claire Market 195 –200 Barclay Parade SW Calgary, Alberta

WHO: University students, young professionals, and industry mentors

Canadian FREE Event! | Drink tickets and appetizers provided | Register now at www.cspg.org

Discovery Ltd. Sponsorship opportunities available. Sponsored by

10 RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 unconventional carbonate mud-rocks from lithofacies and in pore architecture appear the position of Stratigraphy Coordinator at the Bakken and Three Forks reservoirs of to control fluid flow in these rocks. These ExxonMobil Exploration Company. the . These mud-rocks have fine-grained rocks are thus postulated to that range from less than 5% to be facies determinate flow units. In August of 2006, Rick joined the Colorado more than 20%, and permeabilities that School of Mines as a Research Professor in are in general less than 3mD, and most BIOGRAPHY the Department of Geology and Geological commonly much less than 1mD. J. Frederick ‘Rick’ Sarg received his Ph.D. Engineering. Rick’s current projects at CSM (1976) in Carbonate Sedimentology and include the Bakken Resource Play in the Porosity is estimated for these reservoirs Stratigraphy from the University of Wisconsin- Williston basin; fractured carbonates in Abu by petrographic image analysis as well from Madison. Rick also holds an M.S. (1971) and Dhabi; and the lacustrine carbonates and QEMSCAN® (quantitative evaluation of a B.S. (1969) in Geology from the University stratigraphy of the Green River Formation minerals and porosity by scanning electron of Pittsburgh. He has extensive petroleum in Colorado. Rick served as President of microscopy) analysis. Estimated porosities exploration and production experience the Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM) are compared to measured porosity from in research, supervisory, and operational (2004-05), and is currently the President of a CMS-300® (core measurement system) assignments with Mobil (1976), Exxon (1976- the SEPM . Rick has been awarded automated permeameter. Porosity and 90), as an Independent Consultant (1990-92), the 2013 Robert R. Berg Outstanding Research pore throat distributions are determined with Mobil Technology Company (1992-99) Award by the AAPG. by mercury porosimetry and gas adsorption where he attained the position of Research experiments in order to capture both Scientist, and with ExxonMobil Exploration micro- and nanopore distributions. Results (2000-05). show distinct differences in porosity, permeability, surface area and tortuosity Rick was a member of the exploration among different facies, despite their research group at Exxon that developed seemingly similar mudstone to wackestone sequence stratigraphy, where his emphasis textures. Pore size distributions indicate was on carbonate sequence concepts. He bimodal pore distributions that are in the has worldwide exploration and production micro to nanoporosity range. Pore size experience in integrated seismic-well-outcrop distributions as well as tortuosity vary interpretation carbonate and mixed system across the different lithofacies, which can stratigraphic sequences, and has authored be related to subtle differences in physical or co-authored 34 papers on carbonate rock properties. These subtle differences in sedimentology and stratigraphy. Rick achieved

Young Geoscientists Networking Reception A networking event for young geoscientists and experienced industry mentors

WHEN: Thursday, October 30

4:30 pm - 7:30 pm

WHERE: Garage Sports Bar Eau Claire Market 195 –200 Barclay Parade SW Calgary, Alberta

WHO: University students, young professionals, and industry mentors

FREE Event! | Drink tickets and appetizers provided | Register now at www.cspg.org

Sponsorship opportunities available. Sponsored by

RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 11 Closing the Gap II: Advances in Applied Geomodeling for Hydrocarbon Reservoirs

Conference Sessions & Chairs

Outcrops, Stratigraphy, and Geomodeling: Post-processing Geomodels: Lisa Stright, University of Utah,USA Clayton Deutsch, University of Alberta, Canada Michael Pyrcz, Chevron,USA Weishan Ren, Statoil, Canada

Multi-scale Data and Multi-variate Modeling: Modeling Uncertainty: Sanjay Srinivasan, University of Texas at Austin, USA Emmanuel Gringarten, Paradigm, USA Claude Scheepens, ConocoPhillips, USA W. Scott Meddaugh, Midwestern State University, USA

Properties in Models: Advancing Continuous Geomodeling Unconventionals: Variables Jeffrey Yarus, , USA Mohan Srivastava, FSS Consultants, Canada Ian Gates, University of Calgary, Canada Colin Daly, Schlumberger, UK

Host: Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists (CSPG) Location: RimRock Hotel, Banff, Alberta, Canada Dates: September 22-24, 2014 (Monday AM to Wednesday PM)

Register now at

www.cspg.org/conferences DIVISION TALKS INTERNATIONAL DIVISION Sponsored by Elephant hunting in Southern Africa: the hydrocarbon potential of South Africa and Namibia

SPEAKER John Noad

12:00 Noon Wednesday, September 17th, 2014 Place: Check CSPG website Calgary, Alberta A few small fields have been discovered off SOUTHERN AFRICAN GEOLOGY INTRODUCTION the southern South African coast, notably The geology of South Africa is a long and Southern Africa has seen some of the largest Oryx and Oribi, currently producing around complex one, dating back some 3.7 billion hydrocarbon discoveries of the last two 4000 bopd. Other fields are currently years. The keystone is the Kappvaal Craton, decades, with the ponded turbidites and being evaluated. Offshore Namibia the which underlies the northeastern part other plays of Angola yielding a current Kudu and Ibhubesi gas fields may each hold of the country, and comprises Archaean production of almost 2 MM bopd, the recoverable reserves of between 1 and gneisses and granitoids, and greenstone belts. second largest producer in Africa, much 2 Tcf. Yet despite this there is a buoyant Large sedimentary basins on the craton found since 2000. Meanwhile possibly the exploration mood in the region, with many include the 2.9 Ba Witwatersrand Basin biggest discoveries of 2013 were made in of the super-majors getting involved. What south of Johannesburg, the world’s largest Mozambique, where ’s Agulha and Coral is getting these companies so excited? gold deposit. This are overlain by younger gas fields are estimated at 700 MM boe each. Further interest has been shown in the carbonates and extensive banded iron However what of the exploration prospects Karoo Basin, which may contain 390 Tcf deposits, while straddling Northern Province of the two countries sandwiched between of unconventional reserves, the is the Bushveld Complex, the world’s largest these world beaters, namely South Africa world’s fifth largest. and Namibia? layered intrusion, containing 70% of the world’s viable chrome deposits, as well as PGMs and vanadium. Other intrusives contain 3.4 million tonnes of copper and other minerals, including kimberlite pipes.

The Karoo Basin covers around two thirds of South Africa, and hosts the fluvio deltaic and coals of the Ecca Group. The coalfields comprise mainly bituminous, thermal grade coal with low sulphur. These rocks are considered to have enormous shale gas potential. Extensive lavas cap the Karoo Supergroup, their extrusion preceding the fragmentation of Gondwanaland around 200 million years ago. Since the break up, Cretaceous and Cenozoic basins and structural traps have developed around the coast. A thick blanket of Cenozoic terrestrial sediments were deposited to the northwest. (Continued on page 14...)

RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 13 of oil and gas. However over the last few years the super-majors have woken up to South Africa’s potential, with an estimated US$1 Billion being spent by the industry on exploration. Offshore rights holders now include ExxonMobil, Total, Shell, CNRL, Anadarko, Cairn and other independents. South Africa is currently the continent’s largest oil importer, so any discoveries would be most welcome.

The US Energy Information Administration estimates that South African shale gas reserves stood at 390 Tcf in 2011, the world’s fifth largest. This took the country by surprise, with legislature lagging behind regarding fraccing, leading to a weak position when confronted by a torrent of opposition. The infamous MPRDA (Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act) Bill will do little to address this issue. The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) lifted the 18 month moratorium on exploration in the Karoo in December 2012. (...Continued from page 13) have indicated oil prone source rocks. Namibia has a similar onshore history, with Younger Tertiary rocks of the Namib and NAMIBIAN HYDROCARBON ancient metamorphic deposits in the central Kalahari Sequences are widespread, and POTENTIAL and northern regions (2.2 to 1.0 billion years both countries have extensive coastal dunes To date 18 wells have been drilled offshore old), and the volcano-sedimentary Sinclair with associated titanium minerals, as well as Namibia, including 8 in the Kudu gas field, Sequence, often with associated minerals. alluvial diamond deposits. with proven reserves of 1.45 Tcf. The The Damara Orogen (800 to 500 Ma) is field was discovered in 1974, with Tullow composed of carbonates and metasediments SOUTH AFRICA’S OIL AND GAS currently holding the license for this field. that outcrop across the country. The Nama Hydrocarbons were probably involved in the Many licenses have recently been awarded shallow marine clastics are derived from mineralization of the Witwatersrand, but it both onshore and offshore, mainly held by these rocks. Coal bearing Karoo age rocks was really the legacy of Apartheid, and the midsize companies looking for a southern occur in the southwest and northwest associated economic sanctions, that drove extension of the Angolan discoveries of the of Namibia, and are extensively intruded much of the offshore exploration in the early 2000s. A well drilled by HRT in 2012 by dolerite sills and dykes, relating to the 1980s and 90s. The SASOL oil from coal indicated flowing hydrocarbons, though not breakup of Gondwana and the formation of plants helped South Africa to weather that in commercial quantities. the South Atlantic. Following the discovery period, and a few discoveries were made of the Cretaceous Kudu Gas Field, further along the southern coast, producing a mix SUMMARY There is clearly a great deal of potential offshore both South Africa and Namibia. South Africa’s ROCK SHOP divergent margin basins may yet yield some bonanza fields, although exploration so far has been relatively disappointing. There is also potential for the Mozambique gas plays to extend southward into South African waters. Onshore there is considerable shale gas potential, although legislation is not yet in place to manage such plays. Fiscal terms are relatively benign, although there is the potential for political instability and even piracy offshore. In Namibia, the government is very supportive of exploration, and the Kudu Field demonstrates that there is a working petroleum system. Competition has been fierce in recent bidding on the offshore blocks there, with hopes of working petroleum systems to match those of Angola and Brazil.

14 RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 APPLES AND AARDVARKS – A Tutorial on Petrophysical Analysis in Oil Sands | By E. R. (Ross) Crain, P.Eng., Spectrum 2000 Mindware Ltd, www.spec2000.net, [email protected]

INTRODUCTION There are additional problems to resolve, as Peter Pond called them “tar sands” in 1778 will be discussed below. and in the early days of the oil business, tar sands were commonly called tar sands with WORKFLOW a little bit of pride. The largest oil deposit in Petrophysical analysis of oil sands follows the world with a 400 year life span could not the standard methods that have been in use be sneered at. In today’s politically-correct for more than 40 years: The math for these double-speak, we now call them “oil sands,” steps is at www.spec2000.net/01-quickmath. not to be confused with conventional oil htm, except where noted in the test. sands. So oil sands it will be. STEP 1: Load, edit, and depth shift the The oil sands of Alberta appear to be an full log suite, including resistivity, SP, GR, easy task for a petrophysicist. After all, density, neutron, PE, caliper, and sonic, the sands are pretty clean, quite porous, where available. If a thorium or uranium and the fluid properties are reasonably corrected GR (CGR) are available, load well known. Even a novice geologist should these too. Create a Bad Hole Flag if one is be able to do it. However, a series of needed. forensic log analyses over the last 30 years or so suggest that there are some basic STEP 2: Calculate clay volume. Because misunderstandings about how oil sand some uranium may cause spikes on the GR, cores are analyzed and how to calibrate log use the minimum of the gamma ray and analysis results to that data. density-neutron separation methods. This eliminates false “shale” beds that would In each case, the forensic analysis was otherwise appear to act as baffles to the undertaken at the request of a client who flow of steam or oil. The SP is unlikely to was unsatisfied with prior work that did not be a useful clay indicator due to the high appear to provide an adequate description resistivity of the oil zone. of the hydrocarbon potential in an oil sands Figure 1. In shaly sands, Dean-Stark core porosity reservoir. (black dots) is often less than total porosity (black STEP 3: Calculate clay corrected porosity curve) and higher than effective porosity (left edge from the complex lithology density-neutron Standard petrophysical analysis models are of red shading). In clean sands, Dean-Stark matches crossplot model. This model accounts used for the volumetric determination of effective porosity extremely well. for heavy minerals if any are present, clay, porosity, water, and oil, and from compensates for small quantities of gas if this a realistic permeability estimate. The calculated water saturation from present, and reduces statistical variations in Unfortunately, the Dean-Stark core Dean-Stark also falls somewhere between the porosity values. DO NOT USE THE analysis method, widely used to assess oil total and effective, when some clay is DENSITY POROSITY LOG ALONE. sand cores, does not measure volumes. present. Since log analysis gives effective It will read too low if heavy minerals are Instead, the technique measures oil mass, porosity and saturation, we are comparing present and too high if gas is present. The water mass, and mineral mass. These are apples to aardvarks. The message is that statistical variations at high porosity can give converted to mass fraction and then to log analysis cannot be calibrated directly a noisy result. Some oil sands have enough calculated porosity and water saturation. to the core volumetric data when clay is coal or carbonaceous material to look like Rarely, there may be some helium porosity present. Virtually all oil sands have some a coal bed. Set a coal trigger on the density and permeability data, but this is difficult in clay content somewhere in the interval of and neutron and set porosity to zero when unconsolidated oil sands. interest. the trigger is turned on. There is nothing complex about the complex lithology model, It is tempting to compare log analysis But we CAN calibrate to Dean-Stark so use it. See “Special Cases” below if there volumetrics to the Dean-Stark calculated core data in the mass fraction domain, by is gas crossover in the oil zone. volumetrics, and adjust log analysis converting the volumetric petrophysical parameters to obtain a “good match.” The analysis results to mass fraction. That STEP 4: Calculate clay corrected water biggest problem is that this form of core allows us to compare apples to apples, saturation from the Simandoux or dual- analysis gives a measure of porosity that and let the aardvarks go about their own water equations. These default to the is sometimes called “total porosity,” which business. Oil sand quality is judged by its Archie model in clean sands but give more includes clay bound water. In real life, some oil mass fraction and net pay is determined oil in shaly sands. of the clay bound water is not driven off by an oil mass fraction cutoff, not porosity by the Dean-Stark method, so the core and water saturation as in conventional oil. STEP 5: Correlate core porosity and core porosity falls somewhere between total and So oil mass fraction is a mandatory output permeability on a semi-logarithmic graph, if effective porosity. from a petrophysical analysis. (Continued on page 17...)

RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 15 ROCK SHOP

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RockWell Consulting CHAD Data SPECIALIZED IN GEOLOGICAL WELLSITE SUPERVISION AND CORE ANALYSIS John W. Peirce, P. Geo. petrographical & sedimentological descriptions for samples Chief Geophysicist (thin section - fluid inclusion studies) conventional vertical/horizontal wells operations geology www.chad-data.com 250.616.6914 our best friend and most valuable partner is our client Stephan C. Dragomir president Magnetic & Gravity data for www.geok2.com - phone: 403.831.9941 - [email protected] the Western Canadian Basin

Wellsite Geologists Inc. the Rock Solid Choice maps . technical illustrations Wellsite Supervision presentations posters graphics Project Management .. Graphic Well Profiles Verticals / Horizontals EUB Sample / Core Studies Conventional / Un-conventional elizabeth macey, B.A., cartographer 1350, 734 - 7th Ave SW Calgary, AB T2P 3P8 403.. 993 0055 B 403.234.7625, www.WellsiteGeologists.com [email protected] C 403.660.9883, [email protected] www3.telus.net/elizabethmacey (...Continued from page 15) STEP 9: Oil in place is calculated from the any data is available. The resulting equation standard volumetric equation. However, takes the form Perm = 10^(A * PHIe + B) some operators, especially surface mining where A is the slope and B is the intercept people, work in tonnes of oil in place. This at zero porosity on the graph. See Example equation is: in Figure 2. 1: OILtonnes = SUM (Woil * DENSoil * THICK) * AREA

Thickness is in meters and Area is in square meters.

If the oil equivalent in barrels or cubic meters is needed, the standard equation can be used:

2: OOIP = KV3 * SUM(PHIe * * THICK) * AREA / Bo

Where: • KV3 = 7758 bbl for English units • KV3 = 1.0 m3 for Metric units • AREA = spacing unit or pool area (acres or Figure 2. Meta/Log Analysis square meters) • Bo = oil volume factor (unitless) STEP 6: Calculate permeability as a • OOIP = oil in place as bitumen (bbl or m3) continuous curve versus depth, using the regression analysis in Step 5. Recovery factor for surface mining operations is very high, maybe 0.98 or Steps 1 through 6 cover the conventional better. For SAGD, RF = 0.35 to 0.50 are volumetric analysis of an oil sand, but we are used. Since we can’t keep the stream away not finished yet. from the shaly sands, recovery will vary with the average rock quality in a SAGD STEP 7: Convert log analysis volumetrics project. to mass fraction values. Water has a very high latent heat, so 1: WToil = (1 – Sw) * PHIe * DENSHY the volume of water to be steamed is as important to the economics as the volume 2: WTshl = Vsh * DENSSH of bitumen. High water saturation is bad news here, just as in conventional oil. Top 3: WTsnd = (1 - Vsh - PHIe) * DENSMA water, top gas, and cap rock integrity are also major SAGD issues. The petrophysical 4: WTwtr = Sw * PHIe * DENSW analysis needs to look at the rocks well beyond the bitumen interval. 5: WTrock = WToil + WTshl + WTsnd + WTwtr SPECIAL CASE – MID-ZONE AND TOP GAS Oil mass fraction: The conventional equation for porosity in a gas sand is: 6: Woil = WToil / WTrock 1: PHIe = ((PHInc^2 +PHIdc^2) / 2) ^ (1 / 2) 7: WT%oil = 100 * Woil This equation is accurate enough for most Typical densities are DENSMA = 2650, gas zones, but in very shallow gas sands, DENSW = DENSHY = 1000, DENSSH = it will underestimate porosity. The above 2300 kg/m3. equation must be replaced by:

STEP 8: A bitumen pay flag is calculated 2: PHIe = ((PHInc^X + PHIdc^X) / 2) ^ (1 / X) with a log analysis oil mass fraction cutoff, usually between 0.050 and 0.085 oil mass Where: fraction. A gas flag should also be shown • X is in the range of 2.0 to 4.0, default = 3.0. on the depth plots where density neutron • PHIdc and PHInc are shale corrected values Figure 3. Calculated tar mass from log analysis (black crossover occurs on the shale corrected of density and neutron porosity respectively. curve) matches Dean-Stark oil mass (black dots) in log data. (Continued on page 19...) the mid-zone gas as well as in the bitumen interval.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 17 Figure 4. Oil sand analysis with top water, bottom water, top gas, and mid zone gas. Core and log data match - but oil mass (third track from the right) is the critical measure of success. Core porosity is less than total porosity and greater than effective porosity in shaly zones Minor coal streaks occur in this particular area. Oil mass matches core extremely well, even in the mid-zone gas interval (pink shading in porosity track and in the density-neutron track), showing the efficacy of the hydrocarbon partitioning and gas correction models.

18 RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 (...Continued from page 17) to Step 7 described earlier, but using The exponent X is adjusted by trial and the partitioned oil and gas volumes. error until a good match to core porosity is obtained. CONCLUSIONS Appropriate shale, porosity, and water This porosity is then used to find water saturation methods are required for a top saturation as in Step 4, described earlier. quality oil sand analysis. Oversimplified methods are not sufficiently accurate. Many, but not all, gas zones related to oil sands have some residual oil. Hydrocarbon Due to the incompatibility between the saturation needs to be partitioned between Dean-Stark total porosity model and the bitumen and gas by the following method: effective porosity model used in standard log analysis, we find that there is no point 3: Vwtr = PHIe * Sw in comparing these two porosity values, ABOUT THE AUTHOR except in perfectly clean sands. Direct E. R. (Ross) Crain, P.Eng. is a Consulting 4: Vhyd = PHIe * (1 – Sw) comparison in clean sands offers no insight Petrophysicist and Professional Engineer, with over as to the correctness or otherwise of the 50 years of experience in reservoir description, 5: GasTarRatio = Max(0, Min((1 – OIL_MIN), porosity in shaly sands. Comparing tar petrophysical analysis, and management. He is (PHIDc – PHINc) / MAX_XOVER)) mass is the only way to put both models a specialist in the integration of well log analysis on an equal footing. Oil mass is not and with geophysical, geological, 6: Vgas = GasTarRatio * Vhyd difficult to calculate so there is no excuse engineering, stimulation, and simulation phases to avoid doing the extra step. of the oil and gas industry, with widespread 7: Voil = (1 – GasTarRatio) * Vhyd Canadian and Overseas experience. He has Mid-zone gas and top gas may not receive authored more than 60 articles and technical Where: the porosity they deserve using the stard papers. His online shareware textbook, Crain’s • OIL_MIN = minimum oil volume in gas zone density-neutron crossplot model. The Petrophysical Handbook, is widely used as a as seen on core analysis, could be zero. modified equation, plus the hydrocarbon reference for practical petrophysical analysis • MAX_XOVER = maximum density neutron partitioning model, allow both accurate methods. Mr. Crain is an Honourary Member crossover in a gas zone (fractional) porosity and accurate oil mass to be and Past President of the Canadian calculated. Society (CWLS), a Member of SPWLA, and a Oil weight is calculated in a fashion similar Registered Professional Engineer with APEGA

CONTINUING EDUCATION

START TITLE LENGTH INSTRUCTOR DATE Basics of Geomodeling – An Overview 3-Sep-14 2 days David Garner

Clayton V An Introduction to Advanced Geostatistics 25-Sept-14 2 days Deutsch The Bakken-Three Forks - An Unconventional 08-Oct-14 1 day Rick Sarg Petroleum & Reservoir System - A Workshop

Characterization and Management of SAGD Clayton V Reservoirs with Geostatistical and 17-Nov-14 4 days Deutsch Optimization Techniques Register Online today at www.cspg.org

RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 19

DR. FRANÇOIS THERREIN CSPG University Outreach – Interview a Geologist | By Melanie Klucker

at Université de Montréal in a geology department focusing on hard rocks, opportunities to further my education in vertebrate paleontology were limited. Consequently I had to move to the United States to pursue my graduate career. The most challenging part of my graduate career happened while conducting fieldwork in Romania, in the context of my Ph.D., where “turf wars” among Romanian colleagues made it difficult for a “foreigner” like me to complete his research. Fortunately, diplomacy, as well as support from my supervisor and a Romanian colleague, helped me complete my research.

What do you find compelling or engaging about paleontology? What do you enjoy most about your job?

What I find most compelling about paleontology is that one gets to learn about the lifestyle of extinct creatures and the conditions that prevailed on Earth We recently caught up with one of this Fall’s education programs and participating in millions of years ago. From these, you gain Honorary Address speakers, the renowned videoconferences with schools throughout a better understanding of interactions Curator of Dinosaur Palaeoecology at the province. François can also be heard between lifeforms and their environments the Royal Tyrell Museum, Dr. François on DrumFm, a local radio station where he and how animals adapted to changes in Therrein, and asked him to share some of presents a weekly paleontology segment. their habitats. This provides you with a his experiences getting into and working in He is a gracious supporter of the CSPG better perspective of the modern world the very competitive field of paleontology. and has acted as a Student-Industry Field and a better understanding of how the Originally from Ste-Julie, Québec, François Trip (SIFT) leader for field trips to Dinosaur world came to be the way it is. completed a B.Sc. in Geology at the Provincial Park since 2007. Université de Montréal then went on to What is a typical day in the life of a pursue an M.Sc. in Geosciences at the Q&A paleontologist at the Royal Tyrrell University of Rhode Island and a Ph.D. in Every kid loves dinosaurs, but not Museum? Aside from research, what Functional Anatomy and Evolution at Johns every kid becomes a paleontologist. are some of the other duties that come Hopkins University-School of Medicine in What attracted you to paleontology with the role (e.g., public outreach Maryland. He has been working at the and when did you first become initiatives, etc.)? Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller, seriously interested in the field? Alberta for the past ten years. When he’s The type of work I do during a day varies not carrying out research into dinosaur It is at the age of 4, when I received my first depending on the season. During the behaviour, environment, and climatic dinosaur book, that I became fascinated summer, one has the freedom to devote conditions, François spends a lot of time with extinct animals and decided that I as much time as one wants to conduct getting involved in the community. He has would one day become a paleontologist. fieldwork. During the rest of the year, been an organizer and host of the annual While most kids go through such a phase, I work on a lot of non-research-related Royal Tyrrell Museum Speaker Series, has I guess I was too stubborn to grow out of it. projects, such as the development of collaborated with Dr. Darla Zelenitsky, a new museum exhibits, participation in professor at the University of Calgary, has What challenges or stumbling blocks videoconferences with schools all over advised and supervised graduate students, did you encounter during your the province (and even beyond) through and has acted as a scientific consultant for studies and / or career (i.e., funding the Distance Learning Program at the the Royal Canadian Mint to help develop a constraints, competition within the Museum, and review work proposals from paleo-themed collectible coin series. Even field, etc.)? What has helped you to numerous companies (including ones in with his busy schedule, François still manages achieve success in your career? the oil and gas industry) to assess the to make time for public outreach, frequently potential impact of the proposed work giving guest lectures and contributing to Having done my undergraduate studies (Continued on page 22...)

RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 21 (...Continued from page 21) Oil Sands. These specimens are complete on Alberta’s paleontological resources. In (or nearly so) and are the best preserved terms of public outreach, I’m often asked Early Cretaceous marine reptiles in North to present public talks or answer media America, giving us a lot of information enquiries about various paleontological about the distribution and evolution of topics. Finally, I’m the organizer/host of these marine animals. But I think the most the Museum’s annual Speaker Series exciting specimen discovered in association held every winter, where researchers with the oil sands so far is, without a from all over the world are invited to doubt, the skeleton of an ankylosaur come to the Museum to present on (armored dinosaur) discovered at the a variety of paleontological, geological, Suncor Mine. This specimen is essentially and biological topics. The presentations a mummified dinosaur, as it preserves the are open to the public (free admission) skin, armor, and all body parts in three and are later posted on the Museum’s dimensions. At roughly 115 million years of YouTube channel. The Speaker Series age, it is one of the most ancient and most has always been very well received and complete armored dinosaurs in the world is anxiously anticipated by the online and is guaranteed to shed light on the community every year. early evolution of these dinosaurs. With a little bit of luck and the assistance of our How much field work do you typically What is your most significant find friends mining the oil sands, I’m sure many do? What is your favorite memory / discovery? Why was it important more significant discoveries will be made. from the field? and how did it further scientific understanding? What do you wish you would have Typically my field season starts at the known before starting your career and end of June and goes on until the end of The most significant scientific discovery what advice do you have for aspiring September, but I usually do day trips as I’ve been a part of is, without a doubt, paleontologists? early as May if the weather is nice. My the description of the first feathered favorite memory from the field is related ornithomimids, specimens found in I wish I had had a better understanding to the discovery of the first feathered Alberta. The discovery is significant for of how competitive the field of vertebrate dinosaur from North America. I was three reasons: paleontology is due to the limited number of working with a museum crew near the 1) these specimens are the first feathered positions available. Fortunately everything small town of Kirkpatrick, excavating dinosaurs ever discovered in North worked out great for me but today there the skeleton of an ornithomimid (ostrich- America, showing that feathered are a lot more people pursuing advanced mimic dinosaur) that had been discovered dinosaurs can be discovered in any type studies in vertebrate paleontology than by a Drumheller resident. While chipping of sedimentary deposits, anywhere in when I completed mine, and yet very few away at the rock, I kept breaking the world, job opportunities. My advice to aspiring off small rock chips that had strange 2) these specimens are the first paleontologists is to always follow your filamentous impressions on them. After report of the presence of feathers dream, but always have a Plan B in case asking the members of the team if in ornithomimids, filling a gap our things don’t turn out the way you had they had ever seen such impressions knowledge of the distribution of hoped. before and being told they hadn’t, I feathers among dinosaurs, and then said jokingly “If we were in China, 3) these specimens are the most primitive The CSPG University Outreach Committee we’d call those feather impressions!” and dinosaurs to have sported wings. would like to extend a big thank you to everybody laughed. Nevertheless I was Because evidence of wings is only found François for his continued support and for still perplexed by the nature of these in adult individuals (i.e., wings are participating in this installment of Interview impressions and it’s not long afterwards absent in juveniles), this discovery gives a Geologist. We hope you enjoyed reading that I dislodged a fist-sized chunk of rock us an alternative scenario for the origin about his experiences and insights into the that preserved filamentous impressions of wings, where these structures would field of paleontology as much we did. all over the fresh break. That’s when I have initially evolved for display and realized that the impressions couldn’t just courtship, only to be co-opted later for If you would like to hear more about what be artifacts and had to mean something. other purposes, such as flight. François has to say, you can catch him I showed photos and samples of the at the CSPG’s 2014 Honorary Address impressions to colleagues at the Museum, I understand that there have been on Monday, November 17. For more who confirmed they weren’t plant matter some interesting finds made in the information or to register for the Honorary and could be something significant. It is . What fossils Address, please see “Events” on the CSPG during preparation of the specimen in were found? How are these fossils site, www.cspg.org. the Museum’s lab that it was revealed different from / similar to fossils found that the filamentous impressions were elsewhere? lining the back and neck of the dinosaur and represented feathers, the first time a Many skeletons of marine reptiles, including feathered dinosaur had been discovered ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs, have been in the Western Hemisphere! discovered while excavating the Athabasca

22 RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 HONORARY MEMBER Dr. Peter Putnam

Dr. Peter Putnam’s involvement in CSPG began Committee advising the provincial and federal in 1978, and he’s been a valuable contributor governments on the future of government ever since. He has earned a Link Award geoscience in Alberta (1994-1995); and a (1984) and a Service Award (1997). He was a Distinguished Lecturer Committee Member member of the Executive Committee (1983, of the American Association of Petroleum 1992-1994), serving as President in 1993. He Geologists. has worked on a large number of committees, including the President’s Award Committee Since 1980, Dr. Putnam has authored or co- Chair (1993), the National Liaison Committee authored numerous papers on a variety of (1994), Canadian Geoscience Council Liaison topics dealing with various facets of applied Member (1994-1995) and Educational Trust geology including stratigraphy, sedimentology, Fund Committee (1995-1996). He also served formation pressures, reservoir composition, as Associate and Book Review Editor of the siliciclastics, carbonates, thermal recovery Bulletin (1984-1988). and, ground-penetrating radar applications. The geographical coverage of his publications Dr. Putnam graduated with First Class Honors includes Canada, the United States, from Brock University (1977), obtained his Since 2006, he has been president of Hay Australia and Yemen. He has presented at a Master’s Degree from the University of Valley Resources, while also serving as the diverse range of locales including scientific Calgary (1979) and earned his Ph.D. from Chairman of Central European Petroleum’s conventions, specialized research and industry the University of Calgary (1985) with a Board of Directors. Notably, Dr. Putnam’s symposia, government agencies, universities, thesis on Reservoir Origin and Controls work assisted the first junior company to meetings of educators and financial meetings. on Hydrocarbon Distributions Interpreted enter Algeria (First Calgary), the conceptual He is frequently an invited speaker and with a Computerized Data Base, Lower basis and contribution to the exploration and distinguished lecturer, and has presented at Cretaceous Mannville Group, West-Central development of the Grosmont carbonates in seven CSPG monthly luncheons. Dr. Putnam Saskatchewan. northern Alberta (Osum and Laricina) and has also presented several posters and core instigating exploration in Eastern Germany displays at CSPG and AAPG conferences His distinguished career has spanned 6 post-reunification (CEP). continents and more than 35 countries, Over his career Dr. Putnam has been a working in research, operations, corporate He has been very involved in the geoscience technical specialist, an operational professional, management, strategic positioning and equity community: serving as an APEGA Councilor an advisor, an executive, a board member and raising. He started his career with Husky (2000-2003); at the University of Calgary as an a company founder. His business acumen has Oil Operations in 1979, quickly becoming Adjunct Professor (2000-2007) and a member enhanced the Canadian and international oil the Section Leader of the Saskatchewan of the Selection Committee for the Dean of and gas industries and his volunteerism has Exploration and Development Group, Heavy Graduate Studies (2001); Committee Member been exemplary. He has had an illustrious Oil Division. He joined Petrel Robertson and co-author of COGEH chapter on oil sands geological and business career and the CSPG Consulting in 1985 and became president under the auspices of the Alberta Securities is proud to welcome Dr. Peter Putnam into 2000, and is still Chairman of the Board. Commission (2005-2006); Member of the the ranks of Honorary Members.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 23 GO TAKE A HIKE Devonian Keg River Formation at Whitemud Falls, Clearwater River, NE Alberta | By Chris L. Schneider and Matthias Grobe

Trailhead: Before your trip, gain permission from Alberta Parks and Whitemud Falls Wildland Provincial Park to land a helicopter in Whitemud Falls Recreation Area. Land to the flat, open camping area. Walk south or east to the trail, and follow the trail as it winds northeast and then south around the margin of the cliff along the river to the falls. At the lower falls, the cliff becomes a fairly easy scramble to the base of the lower falls, including a short traverse through an arch of the Keg River dolostone. Note: when visiting in late summer to early autumn, “normal” river levels on the Clearwater River are sufficiently low to observe the features described herein. Higher water levels may preclude the observation of the Keg River-La Loche contact. Distance: Approximately 1 km. Figure 1. Map of the field area. The red “x” marks Elevation Loss: Approximately 15m from the top of the cliff to the the approximate area of the river’s edge at the base of the falls. clearing for helicopter landing. Dashed red line follows the path around the edge of the cliff. The Keg River Formation outcrop at Whitemud Falls on the Clearwater River is a good example of “typical” Keg River reef and inter-reef facies, as well as vuggy porosity after allochem dissolution, paleokarst, and Devonian-age marine flooding of an exposed Precambrian topographic high. At the lower falls, the Keg River Formation sits directly on top of the granite wash of the La Loche Formation, and lacks the intervening argillaceous dolostone and siltstone of the Contact Rapids Formation. At this locality, the Contact Rapids Formation was never deposited; rather, the coarse sand of the La Loche Formation presumably sits directly on a topographic high in the Precambrian basement (unexposed). Because granite wash sediments appear in the surrounding carbonate, Keg River sedimentation commenced and the carbonate platform existed for some length of time before the topographic high was flooded. The locality also includes several episodes of paleokarst. The oldest is associated with the topographic high and the La Loche granite wash. Adjacent paleo-crevices contain well-cemented granite wash sand and granules as well as green clay. The cliff above records another episode of paleokarst in a laterally and vertically extensive, well-cemented breccia. Modern karstification is Figure 2. View of the area of accessible outcrop from the upper falls, north bank. The arrow apparent in the arch and the flowstone found on its inner surfaces. indicates the recess where the described outcrop is located.

Figure 3. Flowstone in the arch. Figure 4. View of the upper falls near the north bank and the island. Note the orange, red, and black staining of the cliff, typical of similar Keg River outcrops along the Clearwater River.

24 RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 From base to top, the stratigraphy of the outcrop is: LA LOCHE FORMATION: 1. Dark grey, coarse to very coarse grained, rounded, moderately sorted lithic sandstone with occasional granules and pebbles. The thickness of the La Loche Formation is unknown.

KEG RIVER FORMATION: 2. At the base of the outcrop, above the La Loche Formation: 75 cm, medium grey, fine to medium crystalline, cherty, dolomitized lime mudstone containing solution vugs up to 2 cm in diameter. The chert is finely crystalline and dispersed in the dolostone; its presence becomes apparent in the sparks and odour while hammering the outcrop. A similar lithology also occurs in the Keg River Formation below the exposed La Loche Formation. 3. 565 cm of the “reef facies:” massive, vuggy, tabular-bedded in part, fine to medium crystalline, stromatoporoid-rich, dolomitized rudstone. Stromatoporoids are bulbous to massive. In-situ corals and stromatoporoids occur along an exposed bedding plane about 265 cm above the base of the unit. 4. Retracing your steps upslope towards the arch is 200 cm of grey breccia and flowstone. Clasts are dolomitized lime mudstone. 5. Upslope of the arch is 600 cm of “off-reef facies:” massive, medium-crystalline, crinoid-rich, dolomitized floatstone. Crinoid columnals are bright white against the beige-weathered surface of the rock.

Figure 5. (above) Unit 3 of the Keg River Formation. This portion of unit 3 appears bedded and is poorly vuggy. Figure 6. (right) stratigraphic section of the La Loche and Keg River outcrop at the lower falls of Whitemud Falls on the Clearwater River.

Figure 7. At the outcrop, on the bank of the river, looking upstream Figure 8. View of the upper portion at units 2 and 3 of the Keg River Formation and the lower falls. The of the outcrop, mostly the inter-reef dashed line denotes the approximate boundary between the units facies of unit 5. and the switch from lime mudstone to the reef facies. To the left of the photograph (yellow arrow) and from where the photograph was taken, the La Loche Formation outcrops.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 25 From the stratigraphy and observations about paleokarst, we interpreted the 5. Following burial, diagenesis, dolomitization (Figures 9-7 and 9-8) and geological history of the locality (see Schneider et al., 2013): possibly exhumation of the Keg River Formation, dissolution results in 1. Initiation of the Keg River Formation carbonate platform; some topographic the collapse and accumulation of a breccia. This karst may or may not highs of the Precambrian Formation, covered with granite wash sediments be related to the dissolution of the Prairie Evaporite Formation in the of the La Loche Formation, remained exposed (Figures 9-1 and 9-2). subsurface. Tilting of Devonian strata and subsequent erosion results in the 2. Hiatus in carbonate sedimentation, subaerial exposure, and karstification Keg River Formation being uplifted close to the surface. when base level was nearly even with the topographic high and La Loche 6 After Pleistocene glaciation, the Clearwater River downcut through the sediments. Granite wash, carbonate clasts, and crinoid columnals are Keg River Formation. Resistance in the rock at this locality, perhaps from washed into karsted crevices, and green clay formed during subaerial the existence of reefs, resulted in Whitemud Falls. exposure is washed in or formed in-situ (Figure 9-3). The take-away: The outcrop described herein at lower Whitemud Falls is a 3. Sea level rises; initial intertidal stromatolites form on top of the granite good example both of the reef and off-reef facies of the Keg River Formation wash (Figures 9-4). Continued relative sea-level rise results in the and the influence of the Precambrian basement on deposition during this flooding of the topographic high and the formation and aggradation of a time. Furthermore, paleo- and modern karst at the outcrop indicate the stromatoporoid-coral reef (Figure 9-5). important influence of karst processes during the history of the Keg River 4. With further sea-level rise, the reef drowns and crinoid-rich, presumably Formation. deeper water, off-reef carbonate is deposited (Figure 9-6).

Figure 9. Cartoon of the depositional and diagenetic history of the outcrop. Modified from Schneider et al., 2013.

Figure 10. La Loche Formation sandstone within the Keg River Formation carbonate. Figure 11. La Loche Formation sandstone and overlying domal stromatolites. Dashed lines The La Loche sand may have filled a karsted crevice, now lost to erosion, or was outline several stromatolites. The La Loche Formation is red-brown in colour, whereas the washed into the surrounding carbonate sediment. Keg River Formation is grey (stromatolites) to beige (most of the outcrop).

REFERENCE: Schneider, C.L. M. Grobe, and F. J. Hein, 2013, Outcrops of the La Loche, Contact Rapids, and Keg River Formations (Devonian) on the Clearwater River: Alberta (NTS 74D/9) and Saskatchewan (NTS 74C/12). ERCB/AGS Open File Report 2012-20, 43 p.

26 RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 “This pioneer and explorer in geology, engineering and natural gas technology bequeathed a fundamental knowledge, years ahead of his time and was considered by many a virtual Leonardo da Vinci of the . Slipper, our First President, deserved the honour (unbeknownst to him) of our highest award in the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists” (Aubrey Kerr).

The Stanley Slipper Medal is the CSPG’s highest honour.

The gold medal is presented annually for outstanding contributions to oil and gas exploration in Canada. The contributions of the winner of this award should encompass a number of activities related to aspects of petroleum exploration. Such activities include: initiating and/or leading exploration programs, significant discoveries on new or existing exploration trends, teaching and/or training of explorationists, and involvement in and leadership within geological societies and professional organizations.

The committee is currently calling on the CSPG membership to provide additional nominations for this prestigious award. The award winner must be a CSPG member and should be able to attend the awards presentation to be held in the spring of 2015. 2013 Stanley Slipper Recipient Marc Bustin Please include an updated bibliography and letters in support of your nominee.

Nominations should be mailed, faxed or emailed before October 15 to:

CSPG Stanley Slipper Committee – Clint Tippett 110, 333 – 5 Ave SW Calgary, AB T2P 3B6 Email: [email protected] Phone: 403-264-5610 Fax: 403-264-5898

Stanley Slipper Medal PracticalPractical OilOil SandsSands CorCoree LoggingLogging WWorkshoporkshop

Dates: October 16 - 17, 2014 Time: 8:00AM – 4:30PM Instructor: Dr. Greg Hu, Loring Tarcore Labs Ltd. Fees: $675 for one day; $975 for two days. The fees include snacks, soft drinks, lunches, materials, use of computer and core logging software and viewing rooms. Location: Loring Tarcore Labs Ltd., 6835 - 8 Street NE, Calgary

This workshop is a “hand-on” workshop for oil sands core logging. Any one will find it informative, inspiring, and practical. Day 1 covers all aspects of oil sands core logging, followed by core logging with one well. In Day 2, participants will work on more wells to gain more experience in core logging.

Topics include: ?Typical depth markers: marker types and their core and log expressions ?Principles of core depth correction ?Common oil sands facies and their core and log signatures ?Identification of common ichnofacies on core and their significance in facies interpreation ?Wabiskaw-McMurray Stratigraphy and their depositional model evolution ?Common types for lab testings and general sample selection guidelines ?Core depth correction: core-based vs image-based with software assistance

For more information and registration, please call 403-874-4588 or visit: http://www.tarcore.com/training/

28 RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 WINTER UNIVERSITY Lecture Tour Wrap-Up | By Dr. Brad Hayes and and Gas Garrett Quinn

Each year, the CSPG University Outreach who may be thinking about what skills they resource development in Calgary. In the Yukon, Committee recruits industry professionals to might need, their next steps and what the where unconventional development is still speak to students enrolled in geosciences themes of their careers might be. in the future, the government is currently programs across Canada. These lecture working on regulations to govern it. In his tours help to get the word out to students The principal audience for the tour was the CBC interview, Brad stressed the importance about opportunities in the energy sector, students, who got an inside look at the type of having geoscientists gathering facts about communicate information about industry, of work that’s being done by geoscientists the plays that might be developed and the and put a face on the CSPG. This winter in Calgary – outside what they might think water resources before the initiation of the University Outreach committee was able of as traditional roles of geologists and major development. When asked about the to send Dr. Brad Hayes to six schools in geophysicists. The students were also told environmental concerns surrounding water Western Canada. The schools hosting the talk about opportunities that the CSPG offers and unconventional development for the Yukon were the University of Victoria, Vancouver to students , including: activity grants, News article, “Meet the Frackers”, Brad said Island University, Yukon College, University of scholarships, the annual Student Industry Field that “there are good regulations in place in British Columbia, Simon Fraser University and Trip (SIFT), and free student membership. other jurisdictions to manage how water is University of Alberta. Brad is the president of For students at most of the schools on Brad’s used in the industry” and that “the key is Petrel Robertson Consulting in Calgary and a tour, which don’t have traditionally strong making sure the regulations are followed.” CSPG Past-President, serving his term in 2001. “soft-rock” programs, this was likely a unique opportunity to get a glimpse into the oil and The University Outreach Committee The title of the talk was “Unconventional Oil gas industry and to get specifics on the wide is grateful to Brad for giving his time to and Gas Development: What Does it Mean range of opportunities. There was a lot of spread the word to students about how the for Future Geoscientists.” The talk began with interest from faculty as well, and Brad was industry they may inherit in their career will a broad discussion about what makes plays surprised to learn at UBC in particular how be different than what was known by the last “unconventional”, why they are important, much faculty effort is going into mathematical generation. The committee is also glad that where they are, and how they are explored for modeling and engineering work on hydraulic Brad got to add his voice to the public debate; and developed. A discussion of the changing fracturing. a debate that is not short on voices though roles for geoscientists followed. With the the voices of professional geoscientists who importance of water intensive completion It is understated to say unconventional gather facts on the reservoirs and aquifers are techniques like in today’s resource development and hydraulic fracturing often hard to find. oilpatch, much of this part of the talk centered is a hot topic in Canada. So, in addition on exploration for suitable water sources and to speaking for students, Brad was able to More information about Lecture Tours can be water disposal zones, something Brad has speak to wider community groups in both found on the CSPG website (www.cspg.org) experience with in the Horn River Basin and Nanaimo and Whitehorse while on tour and under the University Outreach section of the other areas. At Petrel Robertson Consulting, also made time for the Yukon News and Student pages. If you or anybody you know Brad noted that, “in Canada we’re probably CBC North in Whitehorse. For curious and is interested in taking part in a University spending about half of our time mapping water concerned members of the broader public Lecture Tour, please contact Chad Glemser in the subsurface for the petroleum industry.” this was a chance to hear from a professional ([email protected]) or Garrett Quinn This is an important thing to relay to students who is actively working in unconventional ([email protected]).

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RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 29 EDITORIAL COMMENT | A message from Bulletin co-editors David Morrow and Burns Cheadle

the predecessor of the present Bulletin. to ensure that each Bulletin manuscript The Bulletin’s very long and continuous submission will be dealt with in a timely publication history is a strongly positive manner. The editorial process has returned aspect for authors to consider when deciding to complete functionality with strong where to publish, as their publication will support from more than twenty associate be part of an unbroken legacy of petroleum editors, CSPG office staff, and from editorial geology-related work. and publication contractors. In other words, we are ready to serve our part in returning Recently the Bulletin (Figure 1) has made the Bulletin to its status as the premier the difficult transition from a print journal peer-reviewed scientific journal dealing with to a fully digital “e-journal” that is now the petroleum geology-related studies. standard publication format. However, the rise of the “e-journal” has been accompanied Director Milovan Fustic has made the case by a rapid proliferation of new petroleum- for scientific publication by CSPG members related journals that compete with the and his article should be read by all. Our Bulletin for author submissions. During purpose here is to assure members that this transition period, the Bulletin has had we will do everything we can to see that difficulty maintaining its standing with regard manuscripts submitted to the Bulletin are to independently compiled scientific journal reviewed in a timely manner and published impact ratings. This happened because the on time. It is the least we can do for Figure 1. The new look of the “on-line” Bulletin Bulletin had, most unfortunately, fallen behind authors who have dedicated part of their Director Milovan Fustic, in the April 2014 on its publication schedule. There is, of life to producing a well-researched study Reservoir, reviewed the reasons for publishing course, a feedback cycle to this; as a journal that advances understanding of Canadian in the Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum fails to publish on schedule and loses its petroleum geology. Geology. He made the point that preserving impact factor, authors become reluctant to the impact of presentations made at CSPG submit manuscripts. Papers that might have CSPG members interested in submitting Annual Geoconventions and enhancing their found their way to the Bulletin, consequently, articles to the Bulletin should first carefully credibility is best done through publication have instead appeared in other journals review the “BCPG Guidelines for Authors” in credible, peer-reviewed scientific journals. produced by international publishers. The for guidance in preparing a manuscript. These The Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology free access that CSPG members might guidelines may be found under “Publications” traditionally has been the foremost journal have enjoyed if these papers were Bulletin and “Bulletin Submissions” on the CSPG for publishing petroleum-related Canadian- publications, are now pay for view only. website. Authors should also be aware that based geological studies. We surely do in addition to full-length articles, the Bulletin not have to remind members of the long We want to reassure CSPG members that the also publishes short topical articles (BCPG publication history of the Bulletin, starting in Bulletin has returned to its normal quarterly Explorations). Our editorial team is ready 1963 as the “Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum publication schedule, a process begun by to help you achieve your goal of publishing Geology,” but also long before that date as the previous editors, Robert MacNaughton and in the foremost Canadian journal concerning “Journal of Canadian Petroleum Geology,” Denis Lavoie. Our obligation as editors is petroleum geology. EARTH SCIENCE FOR SOCIETY (ESFS) Inspiring the next generations of Earth Scientists | By Navjot Aneja, ESfS Committee

On March 16-18, 2014 the fourth Earth of all our generous sponsors, enthusiastic • 33 sponsors contributed over $100,000 Science for Society (ESfS) exhibition attracted exhibitors and dedicated volunteers and in funding or in-kind donations thousands of junior high school students, committee members. • 9 exhibitors / exhibits engaged and teachers, parents and general public. inspired visitors EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS: • The new Geo-Theatre which hosted The ESfS program is driven by one core • About 600 members of the public geoscience presentations on Sunday was objective: Educating the students and the attended the exhibition on Sunday very well received general public about how Earth Science • 13 schools brought over 1300 junior impacts our daily lives. This was wonderfully high school students on Monday and We are looking forward to seeing you at the demonstrated by various hands-on activities Tuesday fifth Earth Science for Society exhibition, such as gold panning, fossil hunting etc. • 120 volunteers contributed about 765 booked for March 15-17, 2015! For an ESfS hours of work during the days of the 2014 event summary with photos, click on The exhibition would not have been possible event the Thank you booklet link on our Home without the highly appreciated contribution page here: esfscanada.com

30 RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 2014 Ph.D. and M.Sc. CALL FOR THESES

Ph.D. AWARD Complex, which has led to new insights into the Win $5,000.00 and a framed certificate; and a nature of Devonian reefs; new thoughts about one-year membership with the CSPG for: the the classic Carboniferous section at Joggins, Doctoral thesis that makes the most significant Nova Scotia; structural re-interpretation of contribution to Canadian sedimentary geology the Livingston Range anticlinorium; detailed in 2014. sedimentologic study of the Cenozoic geology M.Sc. AWARD in Trinidad; biogenic shale gas potential of Win $4,000.00 and a framed certificate; the Upper Colorado Group; and evaporite and a one-year membership with the CSPG diapirism in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. for: the Master’s thesis that makes the Deadline for submissions is most significant contribution to Canadian September 19, 2014. sedimentary geology in 2014. For submission, an electronic copy (PDF Winning thesis topics in recent years have format if possible) of the thesis is preferred but included: detailed integrated studies of the a hard copy if properly bound will be accepted. Falher, Paddy, Hondo, and Gog; a stratigraphic Submitted hard-copy theses will be returned in re-interpretation of the Alexandra Reef late January 2015 after judging.

Eligible theses are either produced in a Canadian university, regardless of project location, or deal with a Canadian sedimentary/petroleum geology topic, regardless of the university of origin. Theses entered for the 2014 awards must have been submitted to a recognized university inside or outside Canada, and must have formed part of the requirements for degrees awarded at the Fall 2013 or Spring 2014 convocations. Candidate theses must be well written, and clearly and adequately illustrated.

PLEASE SEND THESIS SUBMISSIONS FOR JUDGING TO: Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists (CSPG) Graduate Thesis Awards Committee c/o Andre Chow Pengrowth Energy Corporation 2100, 222 – 3rd Avenue SW Calgary, AB T2P 0S4 Phone: (403) 213-3713 • Fax: (403) 234-6886 Email: [email protected]

RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 31 MINERALOGY ON THE MOVE – Applications in the Duvernay | By Gemma Hildred, Dr. Anne Forbes, Dr. Tim Pearce, Dr. Andy Wilson, Dr. Ken Ratcliffe

footprint of an A4 sheet of paper and weights c.7kg. The ALPHA is insensitive to vibration, so it can be placed almost anywhere, can be moved, and be immediately operational without any need for alignment. ALPHA delivers excellent sensitivity as well as x-axis reproducibility and stability. The ergonomic one-finger clamp mechanism simplifies the sample positioning. It is easy to clean, as the pressure applicator can be rotated 360° to provide the user with unobstructed access to the sampling area. This allows quick and easy analysis of small powder (Figure 3) with an average analysis time of less than two minutes. Rock sample preparation could not be simpler, a small quantity of material (<1g) Figure 1. FTIR absorbance spectrum showing the main peak associations with their mineralogical component. is ground and then analysed (Figure 3). A range of clay minerals can be detected by the FTIR, this example shows predominantly kaolinite. A larger peak signifies a greater concentration of a component; however each peak has a different sensitivity to the component it shows. As stated above XRD will undoubtedly remain the mineralogist beast of burden The Upper Devonian (Frasnian) Duvernay convert the raw data into the spectrum when time or sample location is no issue. Formation contains widespread proven used (Figure 1). Due to this data collection However, as Figure 4 shows, once calibrated, source rocks and is a major shale resource technique measurements on the FTIR are the FTIR can supply data comparable to an play. Although productive, the formation rapid, in the order of one second. However, XRD for many minerals. Its advantage is comprises shale – carbonate successions multiple measurements are usually added that it can readily be transported to a core characterised by significant lateral facies together to improve signal to noise ratio. warehouse and hundreds of samples can variations, which cause problems when The basic principles of FTIR have remained be analysed is a short timeframe without targeting sweet spots and identifying changes the same for decades; however, recent having to ship or transport samples to the in mineralogy in order to optimise fracking. advances in technology have allowed the lab. Because <1g of material is required, For many decades now X-ray diffraction development of portable devices. it is practically non-destructive (although (XRD) has been the tool of choice for obviously c. 1g of material is powdered). the mineralogists, producing good quality, The extremely compact FTIR spectrometer By enabling this amount of mineralogical reliable bulk and clay fraction data. While ALPHA interferometer (Figure 2) has a (Continued on page 34...) this is unlikely to change for laboratory- based analysis, the oil and gas industry is forever on the lookout for smaller, faster and portable solutions. Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR) analyses may just be that solution.

Chemostrat has developed a portfolio of services ‘Shale Solutions’ to improve our understanding of shale plays. This involves the use of chemostratigraphy, C-isotope chronostratigraphy, magnetic susceptibility, TOC, Rockeval and mineralogy (based on XRD, and elemental data) and the new application of FTIR.

FTIR is a spectroscopy technique that collects data from a broad spectral range in the infrared. It can be used to obtain absorption or emission spectra of solids, liquids and gases. As the FTIR collects data simultaneously from a wide range of frequencies the data must undergo a Fourier Figure 2. The FTIR instrument is compact, lightweight and easy to use, pictured above is a powdered sample transform (a mathematical operation) to which is prepared in the pictured mortar and pestle.

32 RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 Mineralogy on the move

Chemostrat’s Portable Solutions can deliver mineralogical, elemental and magnetics data quickly and cost effectively when and wherever you need it most.

Our analytical flexibility allows non-destructive data acquisition in local storage facilities, ideal for delivery of Chemostrat’s Non Proprietary services. Current and proposed Non Proprietary studies in Canada include:

Chemostratigraphic correlation of the Cretaceous sequences, offshore Scotian basin

Chemostratigraphic correlation of the late Cretaceous to Eocene sequences of the Hopedale and Saglek basins

Chemostratigraphic correlation of the Mesozoic sequences from the Carson basin and greater area

A comprehensive Inorganic geochemical study of the Duvernay formation

For more information on any of these studies, call Gemma on 403-463-8188 or email [email protected]

CHEMOSTRAT

Chemostrat Canada Ltd. 144-4 Avenue SW, Suite 1600, Sun Life Plaza, West Tower, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 3N4 t 403-463-8188 e [email protected] www.chemostrat.com RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 33 CORPORATE SUPPORTERS RIGSAT Communications Apache Canada Ltd. Advanced Flow Technologies Crescent Point Energy Enviro-Tech Surveys Ltd EV Cam Canada Inc. Gran Tierra Energy Inc. Serpa Petroleum Consulting Ltd. Exova Canada Inc Sigma Explorations Pason System Pulse Seismic Inc Shea Nerland Calnan LLP SAExploration Core Laboratories Cabra Consulting Ltd. Compass Directional Services Cougar Consultants, Inc. Figure 3. Cross plots of selected variables obtained by XRD analysis (quartz, kaolinite, chlorite) and LECO Canacol Energy Ltd. analysis (TOC) compared against same variables obtained by FTiR analysis. Fekete Paramount Resources Sproule International Limited Statoil Canada Ltd. EDGE Technologies Spectrum BDO Canada LLP Birchcliff Energy Ltd. Cabra Enterprises Ltd. Datalog Technology Inc. GeoSpace Technologies Knowledge Reservoir Sproule Associates Limited Geotir Glacier Exploration Surveys Matrix Solutions Inc. McDaniel & Associates Consultants Ltd. National Oilwell Varco GeoChemTech Inc. Cossack Land Services Ltd. EPI Group FMQ Southern Exploration Matrix Geoservices Ltd. Maxam Seismic Explosives Petrel Robertson Consulting Ltd. Statcom Ltd. Trident Exploration Corp. Sourcex Caracal Energy Inc. Regent Resources Bankers Petroleum Ltd. BJV Exploration Partnership Nickpoint Environmental Services SOCO International Figure 4. Close up of instrument stage, with analysis underway. Note simple sample presentation protocol 3e Royalties and small amount of sample required. Bengal Energy Bounty Developments Ltd. Brasoil Corp. (...Continued from page 32) Chemostrat have recognised, however, that Bukit Energy data to be acquired quickly, there are FTIR is sensitive to both coal maturity and Central European Petroleum Ltd DualEx Energy International obvious applications to reservoir quality and maceral content / type. We are currently Franconia Geoscience petrophysics. working with coal samples of known maceral Korean Long Reach Resources Ltd. content and maturity to build a model that Lorne LeClerc & Associates As shown in Figure 4, the FTIR can also will provide quick and cost effective ways to Madison Petrogas Ltd. Martin Wittstrom provide an indication of TOC, again analyse coal sequences. Petroamerica unlikely to replace LECO-type instruments Serinus Energy Sherritt International Corporation for laboratory analysis, but data on shale Finally, because of its robust, small footprint, Skyhawk Exploration resource cores can be gained rapidly at the lack of moving parts and simple user interface Tretio Exploration Ltd. same time as mineralogical data, perhaps our FTIR mineralogy on the move services AS OF AUGUST 10, 2014 CSPG welcomes our 2013 Corporate Supporters! The benefits of being a corporate providing a screening mechanism for are ideally suited for well-site applications and member include: • Recognition in the monthly Reservoir and quarterly Bulletin • One associate membership more elaborate laboratory based organic is now available in Calgary via Chemostrat • Reserved tables at the technical luncheons with your company logo • One free pass to the CSPG Core Conference…and more! analyses. FTIR has also been used in the coal Canada and Belloy Petroleum. Contact Kasandra Klein at [email protected] to be a corporate member today! industry to provide indications of coal rank.

34 RESERVOIR ISSUE 08 • SEPTEMBER 2014 Professionals in Geoscience www.apega.ca

Are you looking for the next step in your profession?

As a Professional Geoscientist, APEGA Branches offer exciting ways to advance your career. Enjoy golf tournaments, seminars, mixers and luncheons while reaping the benefits of networking with other APEGA Members. Attend and learn about diverse topics that affect your sector and your profession. Get exposed to exciting career possibilities. Check out the Branch calendar found in the Fast Find section of our homepage for the next opportunity to get involved. To learn more, visit apega.ca or call us toll free at 1-800-661-7020. IHS Energy

From reservoirIHS ENERGY characterization to production optimization, IHS continues to be your trusted partner in making the right decision for yourGeoscience investments. IHS is theSurface only company to subsurface, that IHS effectively is the world’s combines leading provider high quality of information, critical insight and analytics supporting technical and strategic decisions throughout informationthe with energy powerful asset value analytical chain. tools to enable you to make From big picture to critical detail, proven capabilities to superior results, accurate technicalIHS geoscience and software business does decisions it all—backed throughout by the world’s the energymost respected value asset chain.forecasting, Whether analysis you are and investing play-specific in conventionalgeological and orgeophysical unconventional data. sources, leverage your partnership with IHS to maximize your investment, accelerate your time to market, and reduce risks.

Get to the right decision faster with IHS. TO LEARN MORE, PLEASE VISIT WWW.IHS.COM/GEOSCIENCE

To learn more, please visit IHS.com/energy

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