28 Resource Assessment and GIS 31 Ryerson, Saskatchewan T8-9, R30-31W1 34 2007 CSPG CSEG Convention: Registration opens March 19th! 36 2007 CSPG CSEG Convention: Short Courses and Fieldtrips

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MARCH 2007 – VOLUME 34, ISSUE 3 IHS AccuMap® ARTICLES “AccuMap encompasses Resource Assessment and GIS ...... 28 speed, stability, efficiency by Ben McKenzie Ryerson Saskatchewan, T8-9, R30-31W1 ...... 31 and accuracy. As an intuitive CSPG OFFICE #600, 640 - 8th Avenue SW by Canadian Discovery Ltd. and easy-to-use product, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 1G7 Tel: 403-264-5610 Fax: 403-264-5898 AccuMap serves a broad Web: www.cspg.org 2007 CSPG CSEG Convention: Registration Opens March 19th! ...... 34 audience, from field users Office hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:00pm Business Manager: Tim Howard 2007 CSPG CSEG Convention: Short Courses and Fieldtrips...... 36 to the CEO.” Email: [email protected] Membership Services: Sarah Barton Email: [email protected] Communications & Public Affairs: Jaimè Croft Larsen DEPARTMENTS Email: [email protected] Corporate Relations: Kim MacLean Email: [email protected] Executive Comment...... 5 Corporate Relations Assistant: Heather Tyminski Email: [email protected] Conventions & Conferences: Shauna Carson Technical Luncheons...... 8 Email: [email protected] Conventions & Conferences Assistant: Tanya Santry Email: [email protected] Rock Shop...... 12 Darrel Saik Reception: Dayna Rhoads Email: [email protected] Division Talks...... 15 Senior Geological Technologist EDITORS/AUTHORS Paramount Energy Trust Please submit RESERVOIR articles to the CSPG office. Submission deadline is the 23rd day of the month, two months prior to issue Report to the Membership...... 27 date. (e.g., January 23 for the March issue). To publish an article, the CSPG requires digital copies of the document. Text should be in Microsoft Word format and illustrations should be in TIFF format at 300 dpi., at final size For additional AccuMap is the most widely information on manuscript preparation, refer to the Guidelines for Authors published in the CSPG Bulletin or contact the editor. used and highly trusted oil and Coordinating Editor & Operations gas mapping software touching Jaimè Croft Larsen, CSPG Tel: 403-513-1227 Fax: 403-264-5898 every segment of E&P, for every Email: [email protected] professional. Technical Editor Ben McKenzie Tarheel Exploration Tel: 403-277-4496, Email: [email protected] ADVERTISING Kim MacLean Corporate Relations, CSPG Tel: 403-513-1229, Email: [email protected] Advertising inquiries should be directed to Kim MacLean. The deadline to reserve advertising space is the 23rd day of the month, two months prior to issue date. All advertising artwork should be sent directly to Kim MacLean. The RESERVOIR is published 11 times per year by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists. This includes a combined issue for the months of July/August.

Advertisements, as well as inserts, mailed with the publication FRONT COVER are paid advertisements. No endorsement or sponsorship by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists is implied. Antelope Canyon, Northern Arizona. Flash flooding and wind erosion have combined to sculpt spectacular slot canyons in the sandstones of the Late Triassic/ The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part Jurassic Navajo Formation. Metre-scale cross-bedding in the canyon walls betray or in full without the consent of the publisher. the Navajo Sandstone’s origin as an eolian-deposited dune field, the extent of which www.ihs.com/energy Design & Layout by Sundog Printing. Printed in Canada by Sundog Printing. possibly rivaled that of the Sahara Desert. Photo by Marc Shandro. Call toll free 1 877 495 4473 Additional copies of the RESERVOIR are available at the CSPG office for $3.00. RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007  Talk to us about how you can reduce your capital gains tax to $0 and support your membership’s Trust Fund.

Giving a Gift of Securities to the CSPG Trust has never been more advantageous. With the federal government’s recent changes in the capital gains tax rate, it is a tax-effective way to give to the CSPG Trust. You receive a tax receipt for the value** of shares donated. * CSPG Trust For more information please talk to your financial Geoscientists for our future advisor and contact the CSPG Trust:

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* The CSPG Trust is a trade-mark of the CSPG Educational Trust Fund, all rights reserved. ** Share value is based on the market closing price on the day the donated securities are received by the CSPG Trust.

 RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 I_dY['/(-$$$ EXECUTIVE COMMENT A message from the Communications Director, Ashton Embry

The way Talk to us about how you can we were reduce your capital gains tax to $0 and the way

CSPG forward and EXECUTIVE One of the reasons I like the Long as Communications Director the main Time Members reception at the Annual preoccupations of the Communications President Colin Yeo • EnCana Corporation Convention is that I get the chance to talk Committee have been going digital with the support your membership’s Trust Fund. [email protected] Tel: (403) 645-7724 with people who have been CSPG members Bulletin, expanding the Reservoir and making for more than 50 years. I enjoy hearing it profitable, and building a member-friendly Vice President about what our Society was like back in the and comprehensive website. These goals Lisa Griffith • Griffith Consulting 1950s and 60s. As a 39-year member myself, have been realized although the committee [email protected] Tel: (403) 669-7494 I have seen my share of change and this, chairs that look after each of these activities plus the tales passed down from my elders, are still making notable improvements to Past President have given me a reasonable perspective for their bailiwicks. Jim Reimer • Result Energy Inc. what has been accomplished and the paths [email protected] Tel: (403) 539-5207 we have gone down over the past 50 years. For example, Ben McKenzie has recently When I joined the CSPG in 1968, our staff put a new face on the Reservoir and he Finance Director was a secretary we shared with APEGGA continues to look at ways to increase the Peter Harrington • Northrock Resources Ltd. on the 6th floor of the Lougheed Building. technical content. This is not an easy task [email protected] Tel: (403) 213-7665 We now have seven full-time staff and some but, knowing Ben, I expect we will be Assistant Finance Director people, especially those who remember the seeing an even bigger and better Reservoir James Donnelly • ConocoPhillips Canada 1950s and 60s, ask why we need so many within a year. Glen Stockmal, who edits the [email protected] Tel: (403) 260-8000 people. The main reasons for the increased Bulletin, is investigating systems that will staff are the increased complexity of Society allow complete digital submission, critical Program Director activities and the reduced amount of time reading, and tracking of all manuscripts. This Nadya Sandy • Esso Imperial Oil Resources Limited members have for volunteer effort. will make everyone’s life a little easier when Giving a Gift of Securities to the CSPG Trust [email protected] Tel: (403) 237-3925 it comes to publishing the Bulletin. And the The larger staff complement make it ever-energetic Astrid Arts is always coming has never been more advantageous. With the ASSISTANT Program Director possible to accomplish things formerly not up with ways to improve the interactive federal government’s recent changes in the Randy Rice • Suncor Energy Inc. possible such as publishing a 40-to-48 page functionality of our great website and make [email protected] Tel: (403) 205-6723 Reservoir every month and keeping accurate it even more user-friendly. There is no capital gains tax rate, it is a tax-effective way and up-to-date financial records for all doubt that our website and other electronic SERVICE DIRECTOR CSPG activities. Most importantly, the staff communication vehicles, such as our recently to give to the CSPG Trust. You receive a tax Dave Newman • McDaniel & Associates Consultants Ltd. [email protected] Tel: (403) 218-1392 has taken on many tasks for which it is no instituted E-Newsletter (produced by Jaimè), receipt for the value** of shares donated. longer possible to find volunteers, especially will continue to play more important roles * Assistant Service Director over the long term. Our Reservoir would when it comes to providing our members CSPG Trust Jen Vezina • Devon Canada Corporation not arrive on time every month if not with new and improved services. For more information please talk to your financial [email protected] Tel: (403) 232-5079 for the hard work of Jaimè Croft Larsen, Geoscientists for our future advisor and contact the CSPG Trust: the staff member who looks after our I am also responsible for New Publications Outreach Director Communication and Public Affairs portfolio. and that is one area in my portfolio that David Middleton • Petro-Canada Oil & Gas A three-week-late Reservoir would not be I have let slide as we strived to bring Kim MacLean [email protected] Tel: (403) 296-4604 of much value. There is no doubt that CSPG our established publications into the 21st 403.513.1229 members get many more services than they century. I am sure all those who care about ASSISTANT Outreach Director did 50 years ago and that is mainly because such things have noticed that very few new Greg Lynch • Shell Canada Limited of the growth of our staff component. publications have appeared over the last [email protected] Tel: (403) 691-2052 CSPG Trust decade or so. This stands in contrast to 600, 640 8 Ave. SW, Calgary, AB, T2P 1G7 I look after the Communications portfolio our record from the late 60s to the mid- Communications Director Ashton Embry • GSC - Calgary which centres on the publication of the 90s when we regularly cranked out major [email protected] Tel: (403) 292-7125 Bulletin, the Reservoir, and our Calendar; publications including 18 memoirs and the the maintenance and expansion of our magnificent Western Canada Sedimentary * The CSPG Trust is a trade-mark of the CSPG Educational Trust Fund, all rights reserved. website; and the Public Affairs activities Basin Atlas. So what happened? Why did the ** Share value is based on the market closing price on the day the donated securities are received by the CSPG Trust. Corporate Relations DIRECTOR Monty Ravlich • GRGO Holdings Ltd. of the Society. For most of my tenure (Continued on page 7...) [email protected] Tel: (403) 560-1701

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I have come to the point In the past, each publication was a grass where I would far rather have a digital roots effort. One of our members would publication than a hard-copy one simply approach the Executive with a plan to put because of a space crunch in my office. We together a publication on a given subject. As will be debating the various options for new long as the subject matter was appropriate publications over the next year. CPSG Reservoir and the person had a reasonable financial CORPORATE Color plan for the book, the Executive would bless One new “old” publication we have recently shared MEMBERS Deadline: Jan 26, 2007its creation and not think anymore about it revived is the creation of a digital “Geological depths visions innovations results until boxes of books started appearing in Atlas of the WCSB.” Dawn Hodgins of the office. Having been a co-editor of three Exxon/Mobil has volunteered to chair this Abu Dhabi Oil Co., Ltd. (Japan) memoirs, I know how much time it takes project which was put on hold when Grant APACHE CANADA LTD. to produce such volumes and, given the Mossop passed away over a year ago. I that BAKER ATLAS major shifts in work expectations, it does expect it will take awhile to get all the issues BG Canada Exploration & Production, Inc. not surprise me that people are not coming connected with creating a Digital Atlas exceed BP Canada Energy company to the Executive with plans for major, new resolved but we are committed to seeing publications. such a product available to our members. If Canadian Forest Oil Ltd. you would like to get involved in this major all canetic resources trust In recognition of this, we made the decision project, please give Dawn a call at Exxon/ ConocoPhillips Canada to include more symposium volumes as Mobil. Of course if you have an idea for a Core Laboratories Canada Ltd. regular issues of the Bulletin. This has the new publication I would love to hear it. We advantage of providing all of our members will always be a grassroots organization. others. Devon Canada Corporation with these more-specialized publications now. Dominion Exploration Canada Ltd. Duvernay Oil Corp. enerplus resources fund geologic systems ltd. GRIZZLY RESOURCES Ltd. Hunt Oil Company Of Canada, Inc. HUSKY ENERGY INC. Learn about Logging - IHS Imperial Oil Resources Limited Lario Oil & Gas Company in Three Days MJ Systems Your company expects you to interpret and understand open-hole logs in the field. Incorrect and inaccurate data Murphy Oil Company Ltd. CONTOURING CROSS SECTIONS MAPPING OPTIONS 3D VISUALIZATION DECLINE CURVES may lead to decisions that will cost your company tens of Nexen Inc. Faulted contours New Unassigned Tops Expanded GIS Functions Deviated wellbores Compute EUR, RR, etc. thousands of dollars. Isopachs Digital and/or Raster Bubble maps Digital logs Hyperbolic or exp. Northrock Resources LTD. 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RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007  TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS MARCH Luncheon sponsored by

*Please note: Due to the recent popularity of platforms on extensional fault-block highs. Seismic stratigraphy of talks, we strongly suggest purchasing tickets Deep intraplatform seaways separated these early, as we cannot guarantee seats will be platforms. Progradation of shallow-water carbonates filled the seaways during a phase the Miocene-Pliocene available on the cut-off date. of coalescence and the three platforms were amalgamated to form a composite platform Segitiga Platform, Seismic stratigraphy and seismic facies analysis during the middle-upper Miocene. A rapid provide a useful methodology for the genetic relative rise in sea level at the end of Miocene East Natuna Sea, understanding of carbonate platform systems time caused a major backstepping of the during exploration, initial assessment, and early carbonate margins (and a concomitant drowning Indonesia: The origin, field development (e.g., sparse well data). A high- of the adjacent Natuna Field carbonates to resolution 2D seismic survey covering 7,500 the east) resulting in a platform of reduced growth, and demise of square kilometers allows documentation of size (600 km2) during the lower Pliocene. the evolution of a Miocene-Pliocene carbonate Rapid subsidence, combined with a eustatic an isolated carbonate platform in the East Natuna Sea, Indonesia. The rise at the end of the early Pliocene caused Segitiga Platform (1,400 km2) contains Terumbu terminal drowning of the Segitiga Platform. The platform Formation carbonates up to 1,800 meters thick platform was buried by younger siliciclastics of that were deposited in platform interior, reef and the Muda Formation. SPEAKER shoal margin, and slope to basin environments Steven L. Bachtel of an isolated carbonate platform. ConocoPhillips Co., Houston, Texas Eustatic sea-level change controlled the timing 2006-07 AAPG Distinguished Lecture The Segitiga Platform was subdivided into of sequence boundary formation, but structural twelve seismic sequences that demonstrate a movements modified internal sequence 11:30 am history of: character and facies distribution. Faulting Tuesday, March 6, 2007 1) initial isolation, created topography that acted as templates for Telus Convention Centre 2) progradation and coalescence, the initiation of carbonate platform deposition, Calgary, Alberta 3) backstepping and shrinkage, and as well as providing pedestals for the localization 4) terminal drowning. of backstepped platforms. Cessation of faulting Please note: The cut-off date for ticket may have allowed progradation to occur sales is 1:00 pm, Thursday, March 1st.* Seismic facies maps indicate that the due to a reduction in the rate of increasing Ticket price is $31.00 plus GST. Segitiga Platform originated as three smaller accommodation. Regional subsidence may have

 RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 07_is_057_resize.qxd 2/2/07 5:08 PM Page 1 controlled the location and extent of platform backstepping. Geographic variability in sequence stacking of coeval platform margins is observed over relatively short distances. Progradation is Greater confidence. most strongly developed on the leeward side of the platform, but increased accommodation Better results. Faster. due to rapid local subsidence or changing oceanographic currents also influenced the direction and magnitude of progradation.

Biography Education: 1995: Ph.D., Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 1984: M.Sc., University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 1982: B.Sc., University of Idaho, Moscow, ID

Experience: 2005-Present: ConocoPhillips Company, Houston, TX, Carbonate Reservoir Specialist 1995-2005: ExxonMobil Exploration Company, Houston, TX, Upstream Research, Carbonate Research Specialist 1986-91: Phillips Petroleum Company, Denver, CO, Oklahoma City, OK, Houston, TX. Development and Exploration Geologist 1984-85: AGAT-Geochem Consultants, Denver, Colorado, Petrography, SEM/XRD interpretation, core description, and regional studies in carbonate and siliciclastic settings

Publications and Awards: • Authored and Co-authored numerous publications internal to ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips and external in AAPG, SEPM, and JSR • Excellence in Instruction Award, ExxonMobil Petrel Upstream Research Co. (2001, 2002, 2003) PETREL* SEISMIC-TO-SIMULATION SOLUTION unites the subsurface Professional Memberships: • American Association Petroleum Geologists domains of geophysics, geology, and reservoir engineering. • Society Economic Paleontologists & Mineralogists With Petrel software, asset team members can easily integrate their work— • Houston Flying Disc Society throughout the life of the field. No more over-the-wall data transfers, with Professional Interests the associated inaccuracies and errors. Traditional workflow and software Involved in all aspects of carbonate reservoir barriers between technical disciplines are eliminated, opening the way prediction and characterization, from global- scale exploration to inter-well-scale production for optimal reservoir understanding. issues. Interests include integration of seismic interpretation, seismic and image attributes, well “In new assets and in older fields, leveraging technology is a key element of prof- logs, petrography, and core in order to establish itability and adding value for our shareholders. New insights and efficiencies from more disciplined stratigraphic frameworks and a technologies within the Petrel suite of workflow tools pro- better spatial understanding of reservoir properties that fill these frameworks. Outcrop analogs also vide significant potential benefits to companies like ours.”— allow direct observation of seismic-scale geometries Steve Farris, CEO, Apache Corporation and the reservoir properties that fill these larger scale frameworks. Remote sensing data (e.g., With Petrel software, all work processes lead to one LANDSAT) allow a better understanding of lateral shared earth model, resulting in faster, better decisions. facies distributions between wells (development- scale) and the creation of potential multiple www.slb.com/petrel scenarios in sparse data regions (exploration- scale). Recent projects have included stratigraphic investigations in Russia, Turkey, West Africa, Abu Dhabi, Indonesia, and the North Caspian (Tengiz). I teach carbonate schools and lead field trips to modern CO3 environments (Florida/Turks & Caicos) and to ancient outcrops (West Texas/ *Mark of Schlumberger © 2007 Schlumberger. 07-IS-057 New Mexico). RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007  TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS MARCH Luncheon sponsored by

early, as we cannot guarantee seats will be fumaroles and diffuse degassing. In fact,

Intrusion, available on the cut-off date. CO2 is about 300 times more abundant than Cl– on a molar basis as an effluent deformation, The Yellowstone caldera is well known for from the Yellowstone hydrothermal system. its cycles of uplift and subsidence over both Similarly sulfur flux exceeds Cl– by about and degassing at historic and geologic timescales. Most models 25 times what one would expect from the for deformation assume sources due to concentrations in degassed volcanic rocks the Yellowstone transport of magma or hydrothermal brine that could be leached. Phase equilibrium streaming through ruptured permeability constraints imply that the shallow Caldera barriers. Recent investigations of chemical subsurface at Yellowstone (the upper two

mass balance at Yellowstone provide km) should be saturated with a CO2-rich SPEAKER critical insights into potential sources of vapor phase under most conceivable P-T Jacob B. Lowenstern both deformation and heat. Volatile fluxes conditions. This volumetrically significant USGS from the Yellowstone caldera have been (even dominant) phase should have an 2006-07 AAPG Distinguished Lecture calculated by summing the flux of Cl–, F, important role in pressurization of the – – SO2 , and HCO3 through the major rivers hydrothermal system and may contribute 11:30 am leaving the Yellowstone Plateau. Long-term to ongoing cycles of deformation within Tuesday, March 20, 2007 studies show that Cl–, the primary non- the caldera. The volatile “signature” from

Telus Convention Centre H2O component of geothermal brines has Yellowstone strongly suggests that gas Calgary, Alberta not changed appreciably in output during discharge is controlled not by the crustal recent periods of subsidence and uplift. granitic magma chamber but by subjacent Please note: The cut-off date for ticket Instead, Cl– flux is dominated by recharge basaltic intrusions that provide both heat sales is 1:00 pm, Thursday, March 15th.* constraints, increasing during periods of and mass to the overlying system. Ticket price is $31.00 plus GST. greater precipitation. Carbon is much more abundant than sulfur in Yellowstone’s Biography *Please note: Due to the recent popularity of waters, but is even more dominant when Education: talks, we strongly suggest purchasing tickets combined with data on gas flux from 1992: Ph.D., Stanford University, Stanford, California USA 1990: M.S., Stanford University, Stanford, California USA 1985: B.A., Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Annual Luncheon Event Hampshire, USA

Experience: “The Sun as the Primary Driver of Climate Change?” 2002-present: Scientist-in-Charge, Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 1994: Research Geologist, U.S. Geological R. Tim Patterson, PhD Survey Professor and Director, Ottawa-Carleton Geoscience Centre 1993-94: Postdoctoral Fellow, U.S. Geological Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario Survey 1992-93: Research Associate, Geological Survey of Japan Wednesday, May 16, 2007 at 11:30 Metropolitan Conference Centre Publications and Awards: 333, 4th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta Authored or co-authored over 50 scientific papers and over 50 abstracts 2000: Lindgren Award (Young Scientist) Society Sponsored by the of Economic Geologists Friends of Science 1986-87: Fulbright Fellowship, Catania, Italy Advocates of Climate Change Debate Research Interests: Interaction between magmas and their overlying $50 per ticket hydrothermal systems. Behavior of magmatic www.friendsofscience.org volatiles during magmagenesis, ascent, and Ticket can be obtained by phone or email (Visa/MC accepted): eruption. Geothermal systems and their role (403) 236-4203 in redistribution of heat and mass in the [email protected] upper crust. Gas geochemistry of magma- Payment can also be made by cheque to: hydrothermal systems – geochemical signals of Friends of Science volcanic unrest. PO Box 23167 Connaught P.O., Calgary, AB T2S 3B1

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12 RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS april Luncheon sponsored by

advance may reduce time and effort for BIOGRAPHY You can’t geoscientists and companies seeking Matt Dymond graduated from the University timely continuation of their P&NG rights. of Windsor with an Honours B.Sc. (Geology) always get what Some elements of the Guideline are in 1980. His professional career began with subtle in their application; although their Shell Canada Resources in Calgary and you want consequences can be considerable to the continued through a succession of exploration oil and gas industry. This subtlety and and development companies through SPEAKER the ‘conventionality’ of the Guideline in 1998. His experience ranged widely from Matt Dymond using concepts, such as ‘pools’, presents southeast Saskatchewan through northeast Alberta Department of Energy potential difficulties when dealing with British Columbia, but primarily in central and unconventional resources. Economic plays northern Alberta. In 1999 Matt joined the 11:30 am such as shallow dry coals and deep wet Alberta Department of Energy in Edmonton Tuesday, April 10, 2007 coals (CBM), ‘tight’ gas, ‘basin-centred’ where he is currently employed. His current Telus Convention Centre gas, extensive commingling of multiple duties include the geotechnical review of Calgary, Alberta zones, and the creation of Development applications for Tenure (Continuations, Entities by the AEUB complicate the Land Sales), Crown Equity (Offsets, Units, Please note: application of the Guideline. Trespass), and Oil Sands (Minimum Level of The cut-off date for ticket sales is Evaluation). 1:00 pm, Thursday, April 5th.* How the Guideline is used by the Ticket price is $31.00 plus GST. Department in these unconventional plays will be illustrated. Hopefully this *Please note: Due to the recent popularity of presentation will provide some sense of talks, we strongly suggest purchasing tickets reasonable expectation at the points of early, as we cannot guarantee seats will be application to – and response from – the available on the cut-off date. Department concerning continuation of P&NG rights. The continuation of Crown P&NG rights following a successful exploration play is one of the necessary steps that have to be done when doing business within Alberta. When a geoscientist might rather be dealing with the upcoming drilling plan, the near-term budget, or a variety of other tasks, he or she is often required to prove what he or she already believes to be true to the Crown. Transferring that knowledge, information, and confidence to the Department of Energy is, however, crucial to protecting your company’s investment in your play.

The Technical Guideline provided by the Department of Energy (as distinct from the AEUB) provides the framework for the technical requirements that accompany an application to continue leased rights beyond their primary term. The Guideline facilitates the understanding and clarity between geoscientists supplying data for an application and the geoscientists reviewing the file for the Department.

Some elements of the Guideline hopefully are common sense to experienced geoscientists; however crucial gaps in information occur frequently in the technical submissions. This may result in unsatisfactory responses from the Crown for technical applications that otherwise appear to have technical merit. For industry, eliminating these gaps in

RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 13 TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS APRIL Luncheon sponsored by

Please note: The cut-off date for ticket wells, include channel-belt thalweg, Turbidite sales is 1:00 pm, Thursday, April 19th.* mass-transport complexes, overbank Ticket price is $31.00 + GST. wedge, overbank lobe, and tributary sedimentology channel. As the Molasse Basin is mature, *Please note: Due to the recent popularity this newly developed depositional and stratigraphic of talks, we strongly suggest purchasing model has provided a fresh outlook for tickets early, as we cannot guarantee seats explorationists looking for more subtle architecture will be available on the cut-off date. traps. in a gas-prone Deep-water gravity-flow deposits Sedimentation in the 3-6 km-wide dominate the stratigraphic successions channel belt was commonly focused foreland basin of numerous foreland basins around the within smaller channel elements, 1-2 world. In the eastern Molasse foreland km in width. These elements consist SPEAKER basin of southwestern Germany and of upward fining and thinning gravity- Stephen M. Hubbard Upper Austria, natural gas has been flow deposit successions, which record Consortia for Applied Basin Studies, produced from Oligocene-Miocene the waning of flows in the channel University of Calgary turbidites for over half a century. An setting. Chaotically bedded fine-grained extensive collection of core, wireline units, including debris flow deposits, CO-AUTHORS log, reservoir, and seismic (2D and slumped material, and rafted sediment Menno J. de Ruig 3D) data represents the foundation blocks are common in the channel belt Shell International E & P, The Netherlands of the work presented. An immense locally. Overbank sedimentation, from Ralph Hinsch basin axial channel belt (> 100 km flows that spilled over the margin of the Rohölaufsuchungs A.G., Austria long) was largely responsible for the smaller channel elements, was common distribution of coarse-grained gravity- within the confines of the axial channel 11:30 am flow deposits in the productive units of belt. A significant amount of fine-grained Tuesday, April 24, 2007 interest. Elements of this depositional material overtopped the margin of the Telus Convention Centre system, recognized in regional 3D seismic axial channel belt, lapping onto the Calgary, Alberta attribute maps calibrated by nearly 350 (Continued on page 38...)

14 RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 DIVISION TALKS SEDIMENTOLOGY DIVISION sponsored by

sedimentation is successively controlled by areas where compartmentalization can Recognizing riedel shears and then by the main strike- pose problems in accessing the known slip fault; the Seria field in Brunei will be reserves. the structural used as a real case example. BIOGRAPHY control of Alternate fault activity is an often Jean-Yves Chatellier received his B.Sc. from Lille misrecognized but very common process University (France) in 1977, M.Sc. from Lille, sedimentation in that can be vital in understanding fault Paris and Calgary and his Ph.D. from University geometries, timing of activity, and of Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris in 1984. clastic sequences; the relative importance of the faults Throughout his academic and professional controlling the sedimentation. Evidence career he has been interested in combining importance of such alternate fault activity will be sedimentology and structural geology. He shown at field and basin scale; analogy has worked on basins and oil fields from for reservoir and mechanism will be evidenced from every continent, most of it while working for outcrop exposures and from seismicity Elf, Petroconsultants, Shell International, and modeling, reserve pattern through time. Petroleos de Venezuela. In the last fifteen years he has focused on multidisciplinary integration, estimates, and Additionally, the use of detailed biostrati­ combining sedimentology, structural geology, graphy can be invaluable to establish the geochemistry, reservoir engineering, and 4D choosing drilling proper correlations, to identify a structural visualization. control of sedimentation, and sometimes locations to discover the next hydrocarbon pool (e.g., turbidites of the Gannet F field UK). SPEAKER Recognizing structural activity can also Jean-Yves Chatellier come from core observations; examples Tecto Sedi Integrated Inc. from the Nelson field (UK) outline the timing of these events and pinpoint 12:00 Noon Monday March 5, 2007 Nexen Annex Theatre +15 Level, North of C-Train Platform 801-7th Avenue SE Calgary, Alberta

Understanding that the sedimentation has been structurally controlled can be vital in establishing a reliable geological model, estimating the reserves properly or choosing the best drilling locations. This presentation will detail a series of methods to outline sedimentary patterns linked to tectonic control of sedimentation in clastic sequences. A series of tools and rules will be described that deal with differentiating syn-sedimentary control of sedimentation from post-sedimentation tectonic overprint.

Field examples from Europe, South America, and Asia will show that unconformities and other structural elements can be overlooked if a reference well is used to establish the stratigraphy, an otherwise excellent and recommended practice.

The faults controlling sedimentation may not be the same through time; that makes recognition and understanding difficult. The best modeled sequence of successive control is in strike-slip settings when

RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 15 Quantification of Risk - Petroleum Exploration and Production Short Date: May 7-10, 2007 Location: Dallas, Texas Tuition: $1095, AAPG members; $1,195, non- Courses members (increases to $1195/1295 after 4/9/07), includes course notes and refreshments Limit: 40 persons Seismic Interpretation in Fold- and Thrust- Belts Using Fault-Related Content: 3.0 CEU Folding Techniques Instructors: Gary Citron, Mark McLane, Rose and Associates, Houston and Midland, TX, respectively Date: May 21-24, 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Who Should Attend Tuition: $995, AAPG members; $1,095, non-members (increases to $1095/1195 after Course is designed for geologists, 4/23/07), includes course notes and refreshments geophysicists, engineers, and their managers. The Content: 2.8 CEU course is also helpful for financial advisors, Instructor: Professor John H. Shaw, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA corporate planners, accountants, and state and federal government individuals. Who Should Attend This course is intended to assist E&P professionals involved in the interpretation of seismic reflection data for trap delineation and reservoir characterization in both orogenic and passive margin fold-and-thrust belts. The course should also be a useful for supervisors who evaluate structural interpretations to assign and reduce drilling risks. May Education Opportunities with AAPG!!

Field Modern Terrigenous Clastic Seminars Depositional Systems Leader: Walter J. Sexton, Athena Technologies, Inc., Columbia, South Complex Carbonates Reservoirs: The Role Controls On Porosity Types and Carolina of Fracturing, Facies and Tectonics Distribution in Carbonate Reservoirs Dates: April 13-20; May 12-19; September 22-29, 2007 Leaders: Raffaele Di Cuia, G.E.Plan Consulting Leaders: Evan K. Franseen, Kansas Location: Begins in Columbia and (Italy); Claudio Turrini, Total S.A. (France), Davide Geological Survey, Lawrence, KS; Robert H. ends in Charleston, South Carolina Casabianca BP plc (UK) Goldstein, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS; Tuition: $2,500 (increases to $2600 Dates: May 19 -25, 2007 Mateu Esteban, REPSOL-YPF, Mallorca, one month prior to each start date), Location: Begins in Naples and ends in Rome Spain includes ground transportation to (Italy) Dates: May 20-25, 2007 Charleston, water transportation, Tuition: $2,800.00 (increases to $2900.00 after Location: Almeria Region, SE Spain, begins guidebook, beach cookout, modern 4/06/07); includes guidebooks, transportation and ends in Las Negras, Spain. Fly from core workshop, lunch on the fluvial expenses during the field seminar, all meals during London/Barcelona/Madrid day, and CD-ROM the course. Tuition: $2,500 USD, dependent on exchange Limit: 27 Limit: 15 rate (increases to $2,600 after 4/06/07), Content: 5.6 CEU Content: 4.2 CEU includes field transportation, all meals and lodging during trip, guidebook Who Should Attend Who should attend Limit: 15 Geoscientists and engineers who Petroleum/exploration geologists and geophysicists Content: 4.8 CEU need to understand the who are involved in the interpretation of carbonate sedimentology, facies architecture, sequences/ reservoirs in sub-thrust and thrust Who Should Attend and sequence stratigraphy of modern belts; reservoir geologists and engineers that deal Petroleum geologists, engineers, terrigenous clastic depositional with the 3D characterization and distribution, at and geophysicists who are involved in systems in tidal estuarine, incised reservoir scale, of carbonate facies and interpreting carbonate sequences. valley, shelf, shoreface barrier island, fracture/faults. fluvial and alluvial environments.

For further information, please contact the AAPG Education Department Phone: 918-560-2650; Fax: 918-560-2678; e-mail: [email protected] Or log on to www.aapg.org/education/index.cfm

16 RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 DIVISION TALKS BASIN ANALYSIS division sponsored by

accumulations of hydrocarbons along the from her many years of research on source Origin of the eastern edge of the WCSB. This new rock and oil geochemistry and petroleum work suggests a much larger extent of the systems of the Western Canada Sedimentary bitumen in presumed Exshaw Formation “oil kitchen” Basin during her tenure at the University of at the time of oil generation and migration Calgary. She is grateful for many years of Alberta Oil than has previously been considered. fruitful collaboration with researchers from The new data, therefore, have important the Geological Survey of Canada, and more Sands deposits: implications for basin analysis studies, recently, just prior to joining Shell Canada, which must consider the geological with collaborators from Statoil, Dartmouth Previous work + evolution of sedimentary accumulations College, and the Macaulay Institute. and their controls on petroleum systems. new data = some INFORMATION BIOGRAPHY BASS Division talks are free. Please bring new ideas Cindy Riediger received her B.Sc. from the your lunch. For further information about University of Waterloo (1981), M.Sc. from the division, joining our mailing list, a list of SPEAKER the University of British Columbia (1985) upcoming talks, or if you wish to present a talk Cindy Riediger and Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo or lead a field trip, please contact either Steve University of Calgary, Calgary (1991). Following post-doctoral fellowships at Donaldson at 403-645-5534, email: Steve. the University of Calgary and the Geological [email protected] or Mark Caplan 12:00 Noon Survey of Canada, she joined the University of at 403-691-3843, email: Mark.Caplan@ Thursday, March 15, 2007 Calgary in 1994, where she was most recently shell.com or visit our web page at www.cspg. EnCana Amphitheatre, 2nd Floor appointed as Professor in the Department org/events/divisions/basin-analysis-sequence- East end of the Calgary Tower Complex of Geology and Geophysics. In 2005, she strat.cfm. 1st Street and 9th Avenue SE took a leave of absence to join the Frontier Calgary, Alberta Exploration team at Shell Canada, where she is currently working. Her interest in the Lower Cretaceous sandstones in the origin of the Alberta oil sands deposits stems Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) contain enormous reserves of conventional crude oil, heavy oil, and bitumen, with estimates as high as 1.3 trillion barrels of oil in place, much of this being contained in the Athabasca and Wabasca oil sands deposits. Numerous geochemical studies have characterized these oils and bitumens, and the view here is that these oils were generated from a single source rock interval, the Devonian- Mississippian Exshaw Formation. Previous 1D modelling studies, geological evidence, and Re-Os dating of the oil sands bitumens, support the suggestion that oil arrived in the traps in eastern Alberta during and/ or shortly after deposition of the host sandstones, about 115 to 110 Ma.

This presentation will examine these previous studies in light of new results from measurements of the age of illitization in K-bentonites from the Devonian-Mississippian Exshaw Formation and the Jurassic Fernie Group, from several outcrop localities in the Rocky Mountain Fold and Thrust Belt in southern Alberta. Our results suggest that Exshaw source beds currently exposed at the surface in the Fold and Thrust Belt were unfaulted and laterally continuous within an undeformed portion of the WCSB at the time of hydrocarbon generation, and could thus have contributed to the giant

RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 17 AVOID THE YELLOW FLAG and register online for the convention

Point your browser to www.aapg.org/longbeach Click to register. Go to the convention. Fewer hassles. Fewer lines. More time enjoying the convention.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists +1 888 945 2274 ext. 617 or +1 918 560 2617 • [email protected]

18 RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 DIVISION TALKS BASIN ANALYSIS DIVISION sponsored by

of the McMurray Formation and it is produced more than 2,500 barrels/day. Geology and usually present in paleotopographic Cumulative bitumen production to the end lows on the eroded Devonian surface. of 2006 is 23,000,000 barrels. production It is a heterogeneous unit and consists of narrow sandy fluvial channels, shaly Biography performance from overbank deposits, and thin argillaceous Eugene Dembicki is the Manager of Firebag coal seams. Above the continental unit Geology and Geophysics for Suncor Energy Suncor’s Oil Sands is the estuarine channel complex and in Inc. and he is responsible for the discovery places it can be up to 70 m thick. This and delineation of Suncor’s in-situ heavy oil In-Situ project is the primary reservoir target and it is properties. Prior to joining Suncor in 1998, comprised of bitumen-saturated, stacked he worked as a consultant, well site geologist, in Northeastern channel bar sands, abandoned channel-fill and mining exploration geologist. He obtained shales, and interbedded sand and shale his B.Sc. (1988) and M.Sc. (1994) degrees in Alberta, Canada sequences. Capping the estuarine channel Geology from the University of Alberta. complex is the shale-dominated estuarine SPEAKER tidal flat complex and it is expected to Information Eugene A. Dembicki form an internal seal within the McMurray BASS Division talks are free. Please bring Suncor Energy Inc. Formation for the recovery of bitumen from your lunch. For further information about the underlying estuarine channel complex. the division, joining our mailing list, a list of 12:00 Noon The uppermost unit within the McMurray upcoming talks, or if you wish to present a talk Thursday, April 5, 2007 Formation is the shoreface and it consists or lead a field trip, please contact either Steve EnCana Amphitheatre, 2nd Floor of lower to upper shoreface sands. Donaldson at 403-645-5534, email: Steve. East end of the Calgary Tower Complex [email protected] or Mark Caplan at 1st Street and 9th Avenue SE Steam was first injected in October 403-691-3843, email: Mark.Caplan@shell. Calgary, Alberta 2003 and the first barrel of bitumen was com or visit our web page at www.cspg.org/ processed in January 2004. Production is events/divisions/basin-analysis-sequence-strat. Suncor has produced bitumen from the continuing to ramp-up and some wells have cfm. Lower Cretaceous McMurray Formation since 1967 by mining the shallow oil sands deposit adjacent to the Athabasca River and upgrading the bitumen into refinery feedstock and diesel fuel in northeastern Spectral Alberta, Canada. In January 2006, Suncor DECO M PO SITION produced 1 billion barrels of oil sands crude and Suncor’s reserve base consists of 5 billion barrels of mineable synthetic crude oil and 9 billion barrels of in-situ synthetic crude oil. Today, Suncor’s production capacity stands at 260,000 barrels per day, with plans in place to expand to 500,000 low frequency barrels per day by 2012.

In 2003, Suncor began to exploit its in-situ reserves at a lease called Firebag using the Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) process. SAGD utilizes a pair of stacked iintermediatentermediate ffrequencyrequency horizontal wells that are positioned near the base of the reservoir. Steam is injected into the upper horizontal well and hot bitumen and water flow into the lower horizontal well. A typical well pair is spaced vertically 5-6 m apart with a horizontal length of 1000 m. The true vertical depth higher frequency (TVD) is 320 m. Using SpecMANTM for detection/location of reservoirs; thicker portions of reservoirs tune in at lower frequencies At Firebag, the McMurray Formation and thinner portions at higher frequencies is subdivided into four informal units: reservoir services continental, estuarine channel complex (which is the bitumen reservoir unit), estuarine tidal flat, and shoreface. The continental unit occurs at the base

RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 19 AAPG Cora Lynn Drilling Geo-Logic Systems, LLC Jennifer Wells & Associates Ltd. Open Spirit Corporation Scott Land & Lease Ltd. Abu Dhabi Oil Co., Ltd. (Japan) Core Laboratories Canada Ltd. Geological Survey of Canada Justcroft International Ltd. Opus Petroleum Engineering Ltd. Seismic Micro-Technology Advanced Geotechnology Inc. Corion Diamond Products Ltd. Geology Ring Keitech Seismic Processing OYO Geo Space Canada, Inc. Seismic Processing Ltd. Aegis Group Inc. CPGO Geo-Microbial Technologies/PK Services Kelman Seismic Processing Pajak Engineering Ltd. Sensor Geophysical Ltd. AEUB Crackers Promotional Products Geomodeling Technology Corp. Kelman Technologies Inc. PANASAS Sercel, Inc. AGAT Laboratories Crescent Spur Heli-Skiing Geophysical Service Incorporated Kenn Borek Air Ltd. Paradigm Geophysical Canada Ltd. Serpa Petroleum Consulting Ltd. Air North CSEG geoPLUS Corporation Kestrel Data Ltd. Paramount Resources Ltd. Shell Canada Ltd. AJM Petroleum Consultants CSUG GeoStrata Resources Inc. Key Safety Services Inc. Park Place Lodge, Fernie, BC Sherwin Geological Consulting Ltd. Alberta Energy and Utilities Board CWLS GeoTomo Key Seismic Solutions Ltd. Pason Energy Systems SIGMA Explorations Inc. Alberta Geological Survey Dalhousie University GeoVision Consulting Ltd. Kiva Promotions Penn West Energy Trust Signal Geophysical Consulting Alberta Research Council Datalog Technology Inc. Geo-X System Ltd. Kodiak Nav Solutions Petrel Robertson Consulting Ltd. Simmon Exploration Consultants Anadarko Canada Corporation Datamaxx Oilfield Corporation Gibson Energy Ltd. Komarevich Originals Ltd. Petro Logic Services Sound Relaxation Antrim Energy Inc. Deadeye Engineering Inc. GLJ Petroleum Consultants Ltd. Lane’s Studio Petro-Canada Oil & Gas Spirit Energy Inc. Apache Canada Ltd. DeGolyer and MacNaughton Canada Limited Global Energy Services Lario Oil & Gas Company Petrocraft Products Ltd. Spitfire Energy APEGGA Devon Canada Corporation Glyde Resources Ltd. LiDAR Services International Inc. Petrosys Canada Inc. Sproule Associates Limited Apoterra Seismic Processing Ltd. Digital Formation, Inc. Gord’s Running Store Little Rock Document Services Ltd. PGS Geophysical Stoakes Consulting Group Ltd. Aramco Services Company Divestco Inc. Government of Nunavut macdonaldcole inc. PhotoSat Information Ltd. Straterra Inc. ARC Financial Corporation Dominion Exploration Canada Ltd. GR Petrology Consultants Inc. Mancal Energy Inc. Polaris Explorer Ltd. Subsurface Consulting Canada Archean Energy Ltd. Doug Cant Geological Consulting Graham Davies Geological Consultants Ltd. Matrix Geoservices Ltd. PrimeWest Energy Inc. Sun Microsystems, Inc. Arcis Dravis Geological Services Green’s Rock and Lapidary Ltd. McLeay Geological Consultants Pro Geo Consultants Suncor Energy Inc. Atwell International Consultants Duvernay Oil Corporation Greystone Resources Ltd. MD TOTCO NOV Pulse Data Inc. Sundog Printing Aurora Geosciences Ltd. Dynamic Oil & Gas Sunterra Market Avenida Art Gallery System Development, Inc. Ayrton Exploration Consulting Ltd. Talisman Energy Inc. Baker Atlas Technology Tax Credits Baker Hughes Canada Company TELUS Convention Centre Beicip Inc. Terra Management Belfield Resources Inc. TERRAPLUS Inc. Bell Geospace Inc. The Phoenix Group Belloy Petroleum Consulting Ltd. Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort Birch Mountain Resources Ltd. & Conference Centre Black Knight TOR GEOscience Corp Blue Castle Corporation Total E&P Canada Limited Bodycote Norwest Thank you. TOTAL Gas Detection Ltd. Bootleg Gap Golf Trango Technologies Inc. Boyd PetroSearch The Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists highly values their corporate partners. Please join Trident Exploration Corp. BP Canada Energy Company with the CSPG in recognizing and thanking the following corporations and organizations for their TRIVISION Geosystems Ltd. Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation Tucker Wireline Services Calgary Marriott Hotel support of advancing the science of petroleum geology through CSPG programs and services. United Oil & Gas Consulting Ltd. Calgary Rock and Materials Services Inc. University of Calgary Calgary Science Centre University of Tulsa Calgary Scientific Inc. Varco Canada Canada Fossils Earth Decision Sciences Canada Ltd. Halliburton Mitcham Canada Ltd. Q’max Solutions Inc. Varidata Surveys Ltd. Canadian Centre for Energy Information Earth Signal Processing Ltd. Hayden Geological Consultants MJ Systems Quality Microscopes Vault Energy Trust Canadian Discovery Ltd. Edge Technologies Inc. Hayden Resources Ltd. Mount Royal College R.J. Derkitt & Associates Inc. Veritas Canadian Forest Oil Ltd. EnCana Corporation Hef Petrophysical Consulting Murphy Oil Company Ltd. Rakhit Petroleum Consulting Ltd. VIBTECH Canadian Hydrodynamics Ltd. Engineering Seismology Group Inc. Highwire Press & GeoScienceWorld.org Mustagh Resources Ltd. RECON Petrotechnologies Ltd. W.L. Gore & Associates Inc. Canadian Natural Resources Limited EOG Resources Canada Inc. HiSPEC Research Corp. MYSTIQUE ENERGY, INC. Red Brick Consulting Ltd. Weatherford Canada Canadian Stratigraphic Services (2000) Ltd. Esprit Exploration Ltd. Hugh W. Reid & Associates Ltd. Natural Rocknobs Regent Resources Ltd. WellDog, Inc. CAPL Fekete Associates Inc. Hunt Oil Company of Canada Inc. Nautilus Limited Reinson Consultants Ltd. WellSight Systems Inc. Carbon Copy Fernie Golf & Country Club Husky Energy Inc. Neo Exploration Ltd. Response Seismic Surveys Ltd. Wellsite Gas Detection Inc. CBM Solutions FirstEnergy Capital Corp. Hycal Energy Research Laboratories Ltd. Neuralog, Inc. RGS Consultants Ltd. Western Diazo CGG Canada Services Ltd. Flagship Energy Inc. Hydrocarbon Data Systems, Inc. Nexen Inc. RigSkills Canada Western Explosives Chinook Consulting Services fma insurance Hydro-Fax Resources Ltd. Nikon Canada Inc. Rimrock Resort Hotel Westmark Whitehorse Hotel CHOA Fugro Airborne Surveys IHS North Dakota Geological Survey River Spirit Golf Club & Conference Centre Cire Resources Ltd. Galleon Energy Inc. Image Interpretation Technologies Inc. North Rim Exploration Ltd. Roxar Wild Horse Entertainment Inc. Complete Land Services Ltd. GEDCO Impact Energy Inc. Northrock Resources Ltd. RPS Energy Wildcat Scouting Services Compton Petroleum Corporation Genesis Corporate Search Ltd. Imperial Oil Resources Limited Northstar Drillstem Testers Inc. Running Horse Resources Inc. Xperience Media Conference Board of Canada Genetek Earth Research Corporation Indel-Davis Inc. NWT Geoscience Office S.A.I.T. YMCA ConocoPhillips Canada Resources Limited GeoAnalytic Inc. Input/Output Inc. Oce Canada Inc. Samson Canada Ltd. Yukon Tourism Conroy Ross Partners Limited GeoGraphix Intercontinental Seismic Ogilvie Printing Ltd. Saskatchewan Industry and Resources ZEH Software, Inc. Continental Imaging Products Geo-Help Inc. International Techtonics Consultants Oh Canada Restaurant & Bar Schlumberger Zokero Inc. Continental Laboratories (1985) Ltd. Geologic Rentals and Services Ireland’s Field Scouting Services (1981) Ltd. Olympic Exploration & Production Co. Scioptic Canada Continental Rocktell Services geoLOGIC systems ltd. JEBCO Seismic (Canada) Company Olympic Seismic Ltd. Scope Wellsite Security Ltd.

20 RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 AAPG Cora Lynn Drilling Geo-Logic Systems, LLC Jennifer Wells & Associates Ltd. Open Spirit Corporation Scott Land & Lease Ltd. Abu Dhabi Oil Co., Ltd. (Japan) Core Laboratories Canada Ltd. Geological Survey of Canada Justcroft International Ltd. Opus Petroleum Engineering Ltd. Seismic Micro-Technology Advanced Geotechnology Inc. Corion Diamond Products Ltd. Geology Ring Keitech Seismic Processing OYO Geo Space Canada, Inc. Seismic Processing Ltd. Aegis Group Inc. CPGO Geo-Microbial Technologies/PK Services Kelman Seismic Processing Pajak Engineering Ltd. Sensor Geophysical Ltd. AEUB Crackers Promotional Products Geomodeling Technology Corp. Kelman Technologies Inc. PANASAS Sercel, Inc. AGAT Laboratories Crescent Spur Heli-Skiing Geophysical Service Incorporated Kenn Borek Air Ltd. Paradigm Geophysical Canada Ltd. Serpa Petroleum Consulting Ltd. Air North CSEG geoPLUS Corporation Kestrel Data Ltd. Paramount Resources Ltd. Shell Canada Ltd. AJM Petroleum Consultants CSUG GeoStrata Resources Inc. Key Safety Services Inc. Park Place Lodge, Fernie, BC Sherwin Geological Consulting Ltd. Alberta Energy and Utilities Board CWLS GeoTomo Key Seismic Solutions Ltd. Pason Energy Systems SIGMA Explorations Inc. Alberta Geological Survey Dalhousie University GeoVision Consulting Ltd. Kiva Promotions Penn West Energy Trust Signal Geophysical Consulting Alberta Research Council Datalog Technology Inc. Geo-X System Ltd. Kodiak Nav Solutions Petrel Robertson Consulting Ltd. Simmon Exploration Consultants Anadarko Canada Corporation Datamaxx Oilfield Corporation Gibson Energy Ltd. Komarevich Originals Ltd. Petro Logic Services Sound Relaxation Antrim Energy Inc. Deadeye Engineering Inc. GLJ Petroleum Consultants Ltd. Lane’s Studio Petro-Canada Oil & Gas Spirit Energy Inc. Apache Canada Ltd. DeGolyer and MacNaughton Canada Limited Global Energy Services Lario Oil & Gas Company Petrocraft Products Ltd. Spitfire Energy APEGGA Devon Canada Corporation Glyde Resources Ltd. LiDAR Services International Inc. Petrosys Canada Inc. Sproule Associates Limited Apoterra Seismic Processing Ltd. Digital Formation, Inc. Gord’s Running Store Little Rock Document Services Ltd. PGS Geophysical Stoakes Consulting Group Ltd. Aramco Services Company Divestco Inc. Government of Nunavut macdonaldcole inc. PhotoSat Information Ltd. Straterra Inc. ARC Financial Corporation Dominion Exploration Canada Ltd. GR Petrology Consultants Inc. Mancal Energy Inc. Polaris Explorer Ltd. Subsurface Consulting Canada Archean Energy Ltd. Doug Cant Geological Consulting Graham Davies Geological Consultants Ltd. Matrix Geoservices Ltd. PrimeWest Energy Inc. Sun Microsystems, Inc. Arcis Dravis Geological Services Green’s Rock and Lapidary Ltd. McLeay Geological Consultants Pro Geo Consultants Suncor Energy Inc. Atwell International Consultants Duvernay Oil Corporation Greystone Resources Ltd. MD TOTCO NOV Pulse Data Inc. Sundog Printing Aurora Geosciences Ltd. Dynamic Oil & Gas Sunterra Market Avenida Art Gallery System Development, Inc. Ayrton Exploration Consulting Ltd. Talisman Energy Inc. Baker Atlas Technology Tax Credits Baker Hughes Canada Company TELUS Convention Centre Beicip Inc. Terra Management Belfield Resources Inc. TERRAPLUS Inc. Bell Geospace Inc. The Phoenix Group Belloy Petroleum Consulting Ltd. Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort Birch Mountain Resources Ltd. & Conference Centre Black Knight TOR GEOscience Corp Blue Castle Corporation Total E&P Canada Limited Bodycote Norwest Thank you. TOTAL Gas Detection Ltd. Bootleg Gap Golf Trango Technologies Inc. Boyd PetroSearch The Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists highly values their corporate partners. Please join Trident Exploration Corp. BP Canada Energy Company with the CSPG in recognizing and thanking the following corporations and organizations for their TRIVISION Geosystems Ltd. Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation Tucker Wireline Services Calgary Marriott Hotel support of advancing the science of petroleum geology through CSPG programs and services. United Oil & Gas Consulting Ltd. Calgary Rock and Materials Services Inc. University of Calgary Calgary Science Centre University of Tulsa Calgary Scientific Inc. Varco Canada Canada Fossils Earth Decision Sciences Canada Ltd. Halliburton Mitcham Canada Ltd. Q’max Solutions Inc. Varidata Surveys Ltd. Canadian Centre for Energy Information Earth Signal Processing Ltd. Hayden Geological Consultants MJ Systems Quality Microscopes Vault Energy Trust Canadian Discovery Ltd. Edge Technologies Inc. Hayden Resources Ltd. Mount Royal College R.J. Derkitt & Associates Inc. Veritas Canadian Forest Oil Ltd. EnCana Corporation Hef Petrophysical Consulting Murphy Oil Company Ltd. Rakhit Petroleum Consulting Ltd. VIBTECH Canadian Hydrodynamics Ltd. Engineering Seismology Group Inc. Highwire Press & GeoScienceWorld.org Mustagh Resources Ltd. RECON Petrotechnologies Ltd. W.L. Gore & Associates Inc. Canadian Natural Resources Limited EOG Resources Canada Inc. HiSPEC Research Corp. MYSTIQUE ENERGY, INC. Red Brick Consulting Ltd. Weatherford Canada Canadian Stratigraphic Services (2000) Ltd. Esprit Exploration Ltd. Hugh W. Reid & Associates Ltd. Natural Rocknobs Regent Resources Ltd. WellDog, Inc. CAPL Fekete Associates Inc. Hunt Oil Company of Canada Inc. Nautilus Limited Reinson Consultants Ltd. WellSight Systems Inc. Carbon Copy Fernie Golf & Country Club Husky Energy Inc. Neo Exploration Ltd. Response Seismic Surveys Ltd. Wellsite Gas Detection Inc. CBM Solutions FirstEnergy Capital Corp. Hycal Energy Research Laboratories Ltd. Neuralog, Inc. RGS Consultants Ltd. Western Diazo CGG Canada Services Ltd. Flagship Energy Inc. Hydrocarbon Data Systems, Inc. Nexen Inc. RigSkills Canada Western Explosives Chinook Consulting Services fma insurance Hydro-Fax Resources Ltd. Nikon Canada Inc. Rimrock Resort Hotel Westmark Whitehorse Hotel CHOA Fugro Airborne Surveys IHS North Dakota Geological Survey River Spirit Golf Club & Conference Centre Cire Resources Ltd. Galleon Energy Inc. Image Interpretation Technologies Inc. North Rim Exploration Ltd. Roxar Wild Horse Entertainment Inc. Complete Land Services Ltd. GEDCO Impact Energy Inc. Northrock Resources Ltd. RPS Energy Wildcat Scouting Services Compton Petroleum Corporation Genesis Corporate Search Ltd. Imperial Oil Resources Limited Northstar Drillstem Testers Inc. Running Horse Resources Inc. Xperience Media Conference Board of Canada Genetek Earth Research Corporation Indel-Davis Inc. NWT Geoscience Office S.A.I.T. YMCA ConocoPhillips Canada Resources Limited GeoAnalytic Inc. Input/Output Inc. Oce Canada Inc. Samson Canada Ltd. Yukon Tourism Conroy Ross Partners Limited GeoGraphix Intercontinental Seismic Ogilvie Printing Ltd. Saskatchewan Industry and Resources ZEH Software, Inc. Continental Imaging Products Geo-Help Inc. International Techtonics Consultants Oh Canada Restaurant & Bar Schlumberger Zokero Inc. Continental Laboratories (1985) Ltd. Geologic Rentals and Services Ireland’s Field Scouting Services (1981) Ltd. Olympic Exploration & Production Co. Scioptic Canada Continental Rocktell Services geoLOGIC systems ltd. JEBCO Seismic (Canada) Company Olympic Seismic Ltd. Scope Wellsite Security Ltd.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 21 DIVISION TALKS geofluids DIVISION sponsored by

SPEAKER variations in fluid properties can often The origin, Dr. Haiping Huang, Jennifer Adams, dominate production behavior but are Barry Bennett, Steve Larter usually ignored. prediction, Petroleum Reservoir Group, Alberta Ingenuity Center for In-Situ Energy, Heavy oil and tar sands are formed by and impact University of Calgary. microbial degradation of conventional crude oils over geological timescales. of oil viscosity 12:00 Noon Constraints such as charge mixing, Thursday, March 15, 2007 biodegradation rate and water and heterogeneity on ConocoPhillips Auditorium nutrient supply to the organisms 3rd Floor (above +15 Level) ultimately dictate the final distribution of the production 401 – 9th Avenue SW API gravity and viscosity found in heavy Calgary, Alberta oil fields. Large-scale lateral and small- characteristics scale vertical variations in fluid properties The defining characteristic of heavy due to interaction of biodegradation and of tar sand and and super heavy oilfields is the large charge mixing are common, with up to spatial variation in fluid properties, orders of magnitude variation in viscosity heavy oil such as oil viscosity, commonly seen over the thickness of a reservoir. These within the reservoirs. Traditional variations are often predictable and reservoirs heavy oil and tar sand exploration and can be input into reservoir simulation production strategies rely significantly models in a manner similar to specifying on characterization of key reservoir geological heterogeneity. In this work, heterogeneities and assessments of fluid we describe and illustrate quantitative saturations. While it is important to geological controls on fluid property understand these reservoir variations, variations in heavy oil reservoirs.

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22 RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 DIVISION TALKS PALAEONTOLOGY DIVISION sponsored by

12:15 pm Sunday, March 18th, 2007 Discovering fossils: Lunch Break and Poster Displays Workshop #3 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Eleventh Annual 2:00 pm Trilobites: Subfossil Wolves of Little Fish Lake, AB Instructor Dr. Brian Chatteron, U of A, Palaeontological Patty Ralrick, U. of Calgary Cost $15

2:30 pm Workshop #4 Symposium Life at a 4 Million-Year-Old Beaver 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Pond in High Arctic Canada, Jenkins Theatre Brachiopods: C.R. Harington, Mount Royal College Instructor: Wayne Haglund Canadian Museum of Man and Nature 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW Mount Royal College Calgary, Alberta 3:30 pm Coffee Break Cost $15

The event includes lectures and poster 3:45 pm The Sunday workshops will exhibit specimens displays (Saturday, March 17th, 9:15 am Canada’s Fossil Heritage and presenters will discuss how to identify to 5:00 pm only ) and both children’s Godfrey Nowlan, Geological Survey of Canada various species and skeletal parts. Attendees (Saturday) and adult’s Workshops (Sunday). are welcome to bring in specimens for All lectures will be held in Jenkins Theatre 5 pm Finish identification. No previous experience required. (Mount Royal College). Posters will be on There are limited seats for each workshop. The the lower level, in the Main Hall outside of registration deadline is March 7, 2007. To sign Jenkins Theatre. A fossil identification booth, Saturday, March 17th, 2007 up contact Vaclav Marsovsky at (403) 547-0182 video and fossil displays will also be present All four workshops will be held in room or [email protected]. A nominal fee will be on Saturday. Attendance to this portion of B108 at Mount Royal College. charged for each workshop to cover materials the symposium is free, open to the general and preparation costs. Cheques should be made public and does not require registration. Children’s Workshop #1 payable to Alberta Palaeontological Society. Workshops, however are limited space and 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Payment may be handed to Vaclav or mailed to do require registration, see below. How to be a Fossil Detective: the APS mailing address, PO Box 35111, Sarcee Presented by: Dan Quinsey, President, Postal Outlet, Calgary, AB, Canada T3E 7C7 Alberta Palaeontological Society, Alberta Palaeontological Society Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists Cost $10 Information (Paleontology Division), and Mount Royal For information or to present a talk College Department of Earth Sciences Children’s Workshop #2 in the future please contact CSPG jointly sponsor the symposium. 12:00 noon – 4:00 p.m. Paleo Divison Head Philip Benham at Make-a-saurus Modelling Workshop, 403-691-3343 or programs@albertapaleo. Lecture Schedule for Build your own dinosaur sculpture: org. Visit the APS website for confirmation Saturday March 17, 2007 Instructor: Brian Cooley of event times and upcoming speakers: 9:15 am Cost $20 http://www.albertapaleo.org/ Introduction – APS president Dan Quinsey

9:30 am Pectinates: Multibranched Rangeomorphs from the Ediacaran of Newfoundland Western Canada Geological Edge Set Emily Bamforth and Guy Narbonne, 2006 Version Queen’s University Now available for import into ACCUMAP, GEOSCOUT and other applications: 10:00 am 1) Mississippian Subcrops and Devonian 5) Colony/Sparky/Lloydminster Burgess bugs, brines, and mines Reef Edges - AB, NE BC, NT and SK Reservoir Trends - East-central AB a new paradigm for some old rocks Dr. Paul Johnson and 2) Triassic Halfway, Doig, Charlie Lake 6) Bluesky-Dunlevy Reservoir Trends Kimberley Johnson (MRC) - Peace River Arch, Alberta, NE BC - NE BC 3) Rock Creek Subcrop Edge - Alberta 7) Viking Fm. - Alberta 11:00 am Coffee Break 4) Glauconitic Channel Trends 8) CBM - Horseshoe Canyon, Mannville - AB and SK 11:15 am All edges are formatted as map features for use in Accumap Scow Expedition Re-enactment, and ESRI Shape files for other programs. Darren Tanke, Royal Tyrrell Museum For more information contact: 11:45 am Mike Sherwin 403-263-0594 Spiny Trilobites Through Time Dr. Brian Chatterton, U. of Alberta email: [email protected] www.sherwingeological.com

RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 23 DIVISION TALKS GEOMODELING DIVISION sponsored by Quantifying oilsands resources for the Surmont Lease with 2D mapping and multivariate statistics

SPEAKER Weishan Ren ConocoPhillips Canada

12:00 Noon Wednesday, March 21, 2007 ConocoPhillips Auditorium 3rd Floor- above Plus 15+ level 401 9th Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta

The McMurray Formation consists of heterogeneous Cretaceous bitumen- saturated sands. The reservoirs are thick and laterally extensive in the main fairways. Many commercial projects are in the early stages of development. Resources too deep to mine are considering Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD). Detailed high resolution 3D geostatistical modeling is useful for individual well pair or pad flow simulation, but is neither practical nor necessary for resource assessment over large areas.

This talk presents a practical and tested on the bitumen reservoir properties. The Canada. Previously, he worked on several methodology and case history for resource local distributions of uncertainty have been Surmont projects as a researcher in the Centre assessment of the Surmont Lease. The checked with cross validation and with more for Computational Geostatistics (CCG) of uncertainty in over 30 correlated variables than 100 new wells drilled during the last two University of Alberta for three years, and worked is calculated on a dense 2D grid using drilling seasons. as a reservoir engineer for Shengli Oilfield Inc. of all available information including wells, SINOPEC, China for five years. He holds a B.Sc. seismic and geologic trends. Seismic-derived Resource uncertainty over the entire degree in petroleum geological exploration from structural surfaces are used as secondary lease area and a number of arbitrary Southwest Petroleum Institute of China, a M.Sc. information. Many different maps were development areas is derived from the 2D degree in petroleum engineering from University created to reveal different aspects of the maps of uncertainty. A combined P-field / LU of Alberta, and expects to complete a Ph.D. reservoir properties and their uncertainty. simulation approach is used to account for degree in petroleum engineering concentrating Trend maps and prior maps can be used to both multivariate and spatial correlations; on geostatistical reservoir modeling this year. understand the variability of the reservoir different net continuous bitumen cutoffs parameter independent of any secondary and thief zone are also taking into account. Information information. The likelihood maps can be The global uncertainty is consistent with the There is no charge. Non-members of the used to show the information from the local uncertainty. This is a presentation of CSPG are also welcome. Please bring your secondary data. The updated maps contain SPE paper #102094 from the SPE ATCE in lunch. For details or to present a talk in the information from the well data as well September, 2006. the future, please contact David Garner at as from the secondary data. The local 403-234-5875, e-mail: DavidGarner@Chevron. uncertainty is accessed by the 2D models, Biography com or Rob Chelak at 403-290-0551, email: and the P10, P50, and P90 maps provide Weishan Ren is a geostatistician who currently [email protected]. heterogeneity and uncertainty information works on Surmont Oil Sands for ConocoPhillips

24 RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 25 2 0 0 7 G u s s o w Geoscience Conference • O c t o b e r 2 0 0 7

Call For Abstracts

You are invited to submit an abstract for Poster Presentations at the 2007 CSPG Gussow Geoscience Conference on Arctic Energy Exploration, to be held October 15-17, 2007 at The Banff Centre. Poster presentations will be an important part of the two-day Technical Program. Posters will be the medium of choice to present new geological models, play concepts, specific case histories or regional correlations and will complement a limited number of invited lectures. These lectures will cover a wide spectrum of topics, including the vast hydrocarbon resources of the Mackenzie Delta and the Sverdrup Basin as well as promising prospects such as those of the Arctic continental shelves or Hudson Bay and Foxe basins. Methane hydrates and other unconventional resources will also be examined, as well as the wealth of possibilities in Alaska and Greenland. In addition, a number of presentations about some of the rapidly evolving issues that will affect Northern oil and gas development will complement the geoscientific part of the program. Attendees will hear the latest views regarding Canadian and Alaskan pipeline development, the current regulatory maze, Aboriginal issues, environmental/climatic change and ramifications with respect to Arctic sovereignty.

To submit an abstract by the deadline of June 30, 2007 please visit the Conference website at www.cspg.org

Benoit Beauchamp & Gerry Reinson, Chairs

October 15 – 17, 2007 – The Banff Centre

For more information: www.cspg.org 26 RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 REPORT TO THE MEMBERSHIP A message from the Membership Chair, Ayaz Gulamhussein

Following through

All too often, we forget to look back at the Recovery Check 3 visions and goals we originally set out to “There are numerous issues that may cause a The traits that are characteristic of a strong achieve. In an effort to gauge the progress of person to give up their societal membership. organization are all displayed by the CSPG the Membership Committee – I dug through Rather than speculate on what these issues Leadership. Current membership has shown the stack of ‘Reservoirs’ on my coffee table, might be, it is important that we contact great support for the vision we are trying to and revisited the original blueprint. past members and ask them directly. After achieve. The Membership team is hoping to understanding the issues that have contributed actively facilitate communication between In my July 2006 article, “Strategies for to their displeasure, it is up to the Society to the general Membership and various other Increasing CSPG Membership,” I outlined address their concerns in hopes of attracting committees. New efforts such as online a membership development plan focusing them back.” surveys and table drops at luncheons, will on the “4 R’s.” The 4 R’s which were give us the feedback required to achieve defined as retention, renewal, recovery, and Check 3 societal needs. recruitment. The Membership Committee With the assistance of Sarah Barton and has worked on each of these “R’s,” and the Leah Barnett, the Membership Committee Recruitment results have been very encouraging. has been contacting lapsed members by “If there is a secret to membership recruitment, email and telephone. Many of the previously it is to be methodical. Clearly defining what Excerpts from the original article are in expired members have decided to rejoin the membership means, and what the community italics. Society. Those who have decided against represents are critical to attracting new rejoining have provided us with invaluable members. A potential member is not just Renewal feedback, with which we intend to improve ‘anyone,’ but rather a person that fits into a set “…renewal refers to keeping members after the Society. of clearly defined interests.” their subscription has expired. Continually adding new programs and new member advantages will Retention Part-marks? allow us to encourage renewal since the last “…the CSPG will have no problems retaining Of the 4 R’s, this is the one that has time the individual subscribed.” members if it remains well organized, financially received the least attention. In an effort to stable, and most importantly, displays a sense keep our membership base strong, we have Check 3 of direction and purpose. It is also critical not been able to dedicate our full efforts Renewal reminders for 2007 were sent out that the CSPG membership consider the input to recruitment. With the renewal period on October 20th, 2006. As of submission of members in Society decisions and provide coming to a close, we will be spending more date for this article (January 23rd, 2007), recognition for members’ efforts.” time actively implementing our plan to 90% of 2006 members had renewed their attract new individuals. memberships. This renewal rate outpaces previous renewal rates (at this time) by approximately 20%. Renewal forms are still 2007 Renewal Percentage Membership Type Member Count coming in every week, and the Membership (as of Jan 23rd, 2007) Committee expects a spike in renewals prior to Convention registration. Regular 2498 90% Associate 233 84% CSPG membership already offers a wide array of advantages, and we are working Emeritus 123 92% towards adding even more. Honorary 39 100% Membership benefits are frequently updated Student Chapter 9 100% online, so we encourage you to check back often! http://www.cspg.org/members/ members-benefits.cfm

RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 27 RESOURCE ASSESSMENT and GIS | by Ben McKenzie

This is the first of a series of articles discussing connected to that infrastructure. In addition, there is no alternative energy source that can oil and gas resource assessment and the use of the cost of implementing alternative energy provide the overall reliability, portability, or GIS. sources is typically more expensive than efficiency of that provided by oil and gas. that of conventional, non-renewable (i.e., BACKGROUND oil and gas) sources. This is of particular In addition to these obvious technological All modern economies are dependent on concern in developing countries that lack and economic problems, there are more oil and gas to varying degrees. Alternative conventional energy resources but whose subtle issues to consider. Oil and gas energy sources – such as wind, solar, economies are not robust enough to take exploration and production companies are geothermal, nuclear, tidal, etc. – are advantage of higher-priced, alternative frequently depicted as being the main force available and used in numerous places for energy technologies. behind restricted supply and high energy a variety of applications. However, they all prices. This is inaccurate for a number of have limitations that restrict their use in There is no doubt that the technical limitations reasons. First of all, over 70% (Caffentzis some way, e.g., toxic wastes from nuclear restricting use of alternative energy sources 2004) of the world’s oil and gas is controlled plants, corrosive waters from geothermal will be overcome. However, even if there was by government-run organizations. This wells, or dependence on weather for wind a major technological revolution and cheap, means that supply and price issues are being and solar power. Additionally, the main clean, renewable energy became available affected by national policies. As well, both use of these alternative sources is in the tomorrow, it would be decades before the the government and private oil and gas generation of electricity, which requires majority of the world could take advantage of companies are affected by energy supply and a massive infrastructure to be in place it. This is a reflection not only of the massive price in their daily activities. They have to for the energy to be of use (Seel 2004). task of implementing a new technology, buy fuel to run their equipment and pay for Major industries such as transportation, but also of the immense cost associated electricity just like the general public. Then agriculture, forestry, construction, etc. with switching over existing systems (e.g., there is the limiting economic point at which are unable to take full advantage of this consider the number and variety of internal alternative energy sources can substitute for energy source because they typically are not combustion engines in use). At this time, oil and gas. This prevents the petroleum-

28 RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 producing companies from having an energy the demand increases. Once the demand lead to increased exploration efforts, which monopoly. For example, if the price of slackens, the prices will fall, reflecting the result in new discoveries of oil and gas. natural gas goes too high, utility companies increased supply capacity. These ‘boom and Once these new discoveries are developed, (which are a major consumer) will switch bust’ cycles in the oil and gas industry also prices decline due to the increased supply to coal or low-quality (i.e., cheaper) oil affect other sectors. Kevin Seel discussed availability. Decreased prices make it to power their generators. Likewise, high similar effects of tight supply conditions and uneconomical to explore for new reserves prices encourage use of alternative energy high energy prices on the Alberta electrical and the petroleum industry contracts until sources such as hydroelectric and wind industry in his 2004 Ph.D. thesis (Seel such time that demand once again outpaces turbines. 2004). In it, he describes how electricity supply. supply may be limited by infrastructure Also, the petroleum producers are only the (i.e., power plants), which would lead to Accurately determining where these natural first link in the energy supply chain; after rising energy prices. The resulting ‘boom’ resources exist and in what quantities is a them come the transporters, the refiners, in the construction of power plants would major concern to the industrialized countries the distributors, and the retailers – each with lead to a subsequent ‘bust’ in energy prices of the world as well as the developing nations a reasonable expectation of earning a profit once the new capacity came online. The that seek to improve their standard of living. for their work, which cumulatively sets the cost associated with building the new plants Governments use this information in strategic end price. But most importantly, the oil and influences not only where and when they are planning and formulating domestic land use, gas companies constitute only a small portion built but also what type is built (e.g., coal- energy, and economic policies. Financial of the people that have a vested interest in fired, hydro, gas). Seel projected that gas- institutions and large corporations use it for a healthy petroleum industry. According to fired generation in Alberta would increase long-term planning and in making decisions Export Development Canada spokesman, from 23% of total capacity in 1997 to over concerning investment options (Lore, Stephen Poloz, “…a lot of the increased 42% by 2006. Likewise, it was projected Marin et al. 2001). This information impacts revenues being garnered by oil companies that Canadian natural gas consumption for the day-to-day operation of businesses are being ploughed back into investment electrical generation would increase from in such ways as cost of materials (e.g., programs to boost capacity. This is creating 200 trillion Btu in year 2000 to 1,300 trillion plastics), cost of production (e.g., electricity employment booms in energy-rich provinces, Btu by 2020. Natural gas availability and generation from natural gas), and cost of especially Alberta, and these income streams the electricity markets will thus become delivery of services (e.g., fuel cost). Regional inevitably flow into most other sectors of the increasingly interdependent upon one development depends on whether there will economy, too.” (Beauchesne 2006) another. Exactly the same situation occurs be sufficient energy resources to fuel growth. in petroleum exploration – increasing prices (Continued on page 30...) To find and produce hydrocarbons requires the efforts of literally hundreds of thousands of people. These include such diverse groups as seismic companies, surveyors, and drilling companies, as well as the less obvious PetroArchives contributions from steel manufacturers, chemical producers, caterers that supply food to remote drill sites, etc. Even less obvious, Rock Databases for the but just as important, are the pension funds Northern Rockies & and members of the public that provide the capital through their stock investments in Western Canada these companies, with the expectation of earning a positive return on their investments. And, at each step of the way, there are the various levels of government that also benefit from the demand for oil and gas. Taxes and royalties derived from these commodities further expand the petroleum industry’s sphere of influence as the money is used to pay for improved infrastructure and social programs to the benefit of the general public. Consider the (currently) robust economy of Alberta and the transfer payments from it to the rest of Canada, all due largely to the Core Descriptions & Photographs petroleum industry. Thin Section Descriptions & Photomicrographs Reservoir Evaluations & Field Case Studies It is important to remember that energy resources are, at the base level, a commodity. Field Trip Guides As such, they are heavily influenced by supply and demand cycles – when an economy is expanding, the demand grows, resulting www.petroarchives.com in tight supply and increasing prices. This 303.652.2039 info@petroarchives. situation gives rise to ‘boom and bust’ cycles where prices will increase as long as

RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 29 (...Continued from page 29) On a national scale, the quest for energy (i.e., oil and gas) supply security drives many international alliances and events.

In countries such as Canada, policy-makers look to the technical sector of the petroleum industry for answers to the questions of: “What is the size of our potential resource base?”, “Where will it most likely occur?”, and “What obstacles stand in the way of its development?”. In the early days of the industry, these questions were answered by laboriously mapping the geology on hand- drawn maps and by tracking production data with simple spreadsheets. The accuracy of such methods was good enough when hydrocarbon demand was far outweighed by the known supply. With continual growth in demand and with the easily obtained supplies having been used up, more accurate methods of resource assessment must be developed.

In the latter half of the twentieth century, statistical analysis used in resource assessment received a major boost with the growth of computer technology. While the numerical data could be manipulated much more easily than before, spatial (geographical) analysis still lagged behind. To further increase the accuracy of resource assessments, it will be necessary to expand the use of spatial data analysis in the process.

To be continued...

References: Beauchesne, E. (2006). Oil Benefits all of Canada: study. Calgary Herald, August 4, 2006. Calgary, Alberta: p. E5.

Caffentzis, G. (2004). Who Owns the World’s Oil, http://www.energybulletin.net.3756.html. accessed August 27, 2006.

Lore, G. L., D. A. Marin, et al. (2001). 2000 Assessment of Conventionally Recoverable Hydrocarbon Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf as of January 1, 1999. New Orleans, Minerals Management Service: p.15-25.

McKenzie, B. J. (2006). Enhancing Oil and Gas Resource Assessment Through the Use of Geographic Information Systems. Department of Geography. Calgary, University of Calgary: 208 p.

Seel, K. C. (2004). “Boom and bust” cycles in power plant construction: a simulation study of the temporal and geographical aspects of the Alberta competitive electrical industry. Department of Geography. Calgary, University of Calgary: 345 p.

30 RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 RYERSON, SASKATCHEWAN T8-9, R30-31W1 | by Canadian Discovery Ltd.

Operator of a cluster of seven wells drilled at 50% Ryerson/Antler area, all of which were Magnus Energy Note: working interest by Magnus Energy in successfully completed in the Torquay. a joint venture with WaveForm Energy. The two best wells were producing at 43 Play: Upper Devonian Light Oil Magnus is the operator on the project bopd and 20 bopd according to the most and announced the wells as a discovery on recent information. Magnus estimates that This article is reprinted with permission from April 19, 2006. The wells produce 38.4°API production from this area will be at 900 Canadian Discovery’s current exploration oil from the Upper Devonian Torquay boe/d gross (450 boe/d net) by the end of overview (CEO) map series (Q3 2006). Formation. This dolomite reservoir lies 2006. The company states that it has an between 1,050 and 1,150m in depth with inventory of over 300 drilling locations in Current Activity pay ranging from two to five metres in the Torquay play. Brokers purchased four parcels of land thickness. Magnus interprets this discovery in the Ryerson area of southeastern as extending the large regional stratigraphic There are a number of other companies Saskatchewan at the April 11, 2006 land trap from the nearby Sinclair Field in pursuing Torquay or Mississippian Bakken sale (Figure 1). Prices ranged from $1,299 Manitoba. Magnus has acquired over 18,600 plays in southeastern Saskatchewan/ to $3,223 per hectare. Additional parcels ha in the area, possibly including land from southwestern Manitoba including Tundra fetched prices of $935 and $2,517 at the this most recent land sale. As of June 27, Oil and Gas, Mission Oil & Gas, and Rideau August 15 landsale. These parcels surround 2006, Magnus had drilled 17 wells in the (Continued on page 33...)

Figure 1. Ryerson Land and Well Activity.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 31 HUGH REID’S SPRING COURSES PRACTICAL DST CHART INTERPRETATION (Thorough Basic Course) Apr. 16-20, 2007

16 WAYS TO IDENTIFY BYPASSED PAY FROM DST DATA (More advanced, for those “comfortable” with DST charts) Apr. 26-27, 2007

HYDRODYNAMICS SEMINAR (Oil & Gas Finding Aspects) May 7-11, 2007

In-house courses available. For course outline visit: www.hughwreid.com 262-1261 Figure 2. Bakken Reference Log.

32 RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 (...Continued from page 31) pay. High resistivity anomalies in some **For a more detailed review of Bakken Petroleums. The closest Torquay production Bakken shales could indicate oil saturation, exploration activity, see “Rising Activity (Figure 2, opposite) is from the Sinclair opening up the possibility of an oil shale by Juniors in Southern Saskatchewan and Field just over the border in Manitoba (T8, resource play in the future. Manitoba” (Canadian Discovery Digest, R29W1). Tundra is the primary operator Volume 3 2005) and “The Bakken at Antler in the field, with the discovery well drilled It is significant to note that Torquay and Sinclair” (Canadian Discovery Digest, in 2003. Cumulative production to date is production occurs when the Lower Bakken Volume 5 2006). Visit www.canadiandiscovery. over 1,000,000 barrels, mostly from the shale is absent, the Middle Member is com or call 269-3644 for more information. Torquay commingled with some Bakken thinner due to onlap and the brecciated production. The South Ebor area of the Torquay is in direct communication with Daly Field (T9, R29W1), also in Manitoba, the oil-saturated sandstones of the Middle has some Torquay production as well. Bakken. Although horizontal drilling is Although Tundra is the dominant player, common when targeting the Bakken, so Rideau Petroleums, Kiwi Resources, and far all wells drilled into the Torquay are Grand Banks Energy are also working in vertical wells. the area.

Geologic Background The Torquay Formation of the Upper Devonian Three Forks group is a shallow GDGC MULTI-CLIENT REPORTS water dolostone that has been brecciated. Providing a subregional framework for exploration in the WCSB Throughout most of southeastern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba NORTHWEST 19

it is conformably overlain by the Bakken TERRITORIES .

128°W R20W4 M

h t

126°W R10W5 . 120°WR10W6 R20W5 4 Formation. The Bakken has three members; 124°W M

122°W 60°N

.

h

t M

5 T120

h t the Upper and Lower Bakken are shales, 6 while the middle member is sandstone. BRITISH 94-P However, where the Torquay is productive, COLUMBIA 59°N HTD R EPORT the Lower Bakken shale has been eroded with seminar/workshop

94-J and there is an unconformity between the 94-I ? Torquay dolostone and the Middle Bakken 100 58°N T sandstone, which can also be dolomitic. BALDONNEL- T100 94-G CHARLIE ELAK 94-H ALBERTA There is an onlapping relationship MONTNEY 6 between the Bakken and the Torquay ( that is interpreted to indicate uplift of the 57°N

Torquay prior to deposition of the Bakken. ( MONTNEY- The resulting erosional thinning appears to 5 MONTNEY 2 WORSLEY T80 have enhanced the reservoir characteristics of the Torquay. Up to nine metres of pay, MONTNEY 1 extending from the unconformity down COMPLETED 1994 - 2004

- to an oxidized siltsone-mudstone, can be COLD LAKE OIL SANDS ( LD LAKE MONTNEY 3 CO present in Torquay wells. IL SANDS O T BALDONNEL - CHARLIE LAKE MAP SHEE T6 0 WEST The Upper Devonian to Lower Mississippian MONTNEY (6 PHASES) M ONTN EY 4 Bakken Formation is speculated to have TURNER VALLEY Edmonton generated up to 400-500 billion barrels of BANFF-PEKISKO BA N FF- light (40° API), sweet oil in the Williston PEKISKO ALSO Basin. The Upper and Lower Bakken T40 WORSLEY COMPILATION shales are the organic-rich source rocks responsible for the oil and the Middle MONTNEY SPECIAL CORE ANALYSIS Bakken sandstone is the host rock for MONTNEY CORE WORKSHOP much of the production in the area. Tight HTD SEMINAR, CORE WORKSHOP TURNER formations above and below the Bakken DOLOMITE FIELD TRIPS VALLEY- Calgary . HEAD T20 make it likely that most of the oil generated HTD MAP WCSB MT remains in a system extending from the NOTE: DEBOLT, top of the Three Forks to the base of the BALDONNEL-PARDONET ? Lodgepole. The Middle Member Bakken PROJECTS IN NE BC DELETED sandstone is also relatively tight. Recently, operators working in Richland County, R20W4 Montana have had great success using For project content, pricing, and other information, see: horizontal drilling and fracing to access oil ‘PROJECTS’, www. gdgc.com or email: [email protected] Tel. 403.289.9156 reserves in the Middle Bakken. Companies Page/poster-sized copies of this map may be printed from website. in Saskatchewan and Manitoba are starting to use the same technology to increase GDGC GRAHAM DAVIES GEOLOGICAL CONSULTANTS LTD. production and access previously bypassed

RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 33 2007 CONVENTION May 14 – 17, 2007 Calgary, Alberta, Canada

The 2007 Annual CSPG CSEG Convention as the Core Meltdown. Watch out for the oral presentations, poster sessions, core is truly underway, with exciting new Final Circular being mailed to you shortly presentations, field trips, and short courses, developments in Special Events and the – this will contain everything you need as well as the Convention schedule and Technical Sessions joining old favourites such to know about our first-class offering of information on registration!

REGISTRATION OPENS MARCH 19, 2007 Registration fees for this year’s Convention are as follows (Please note prices do not include GST):

Early Bird Registration Regular Registration On-Site Registration Deadline: April 13, 2007 Deadline: April 27, 2007 May 14 – 17, 2007 (cutoff time is 6:00pm MST) (cutoff time is 6:00pm MST)

Member (CSPG/CSEG/CWLS) $285 $385 $485

Non-Member $385 $485 $585

Retired Members (CSPG/CSEG/CWLS) $150 $150 $150

Student* $75 $75 $75

Day Pass – Exhibition Hall Only $50/day

Luncheon Tickets $50 each

Flowdown Reception Tickets (additional tickets may be purchased for $35 each guests of convention delegates)

Core Meltdown Tickets $15 each

Avoid the Monday morning on-site registration rush….REGISTER EARLY!

On-line registration will be available through www.GEOconvention.org using VISA or Mastercard.

Please make cheques or money orders payable to 2007 CSPG CSEG Convention. Registrations forms with payments may be mailed or dropped off to:

Let it Flow: The Flow of Ideas, Hydrocarbons and Business c/o CSPG office #600, 640 8th Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta T2P 1G7 Fax: (403)264-5898

Registrations received after 6:00pm (MST) Friday April 27, 2007 will be held and processed on-site. On-site registration fees will be applied.

34 RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 Luncheon Speaker Biography

Sponsored by:

Rex Murphy was born and raised in St. John’s, Newfoundland, where he graduated from Memorial University. A Rhodes Scholar, he attended Oxford University (along with U.S. President Bill Clinton). When he returned to Newfoundland he was soon established as a quick-witted and accomplished writer, broadcaster, and teacher.

Murphy contributes extensively to CBC on many current affairs issues. For The National Magazine he created a number of documentaries from Newfoundland, including the highly acclaimed “Unpeopled Shores,” about the tragedy of the disappearing cod, and human interest pieces on writer Annie Proulx, World War II, and An award-winning broadcaster, Murphy is His endearing style showcases a sarcastic scientist Hubert Reeves. the regular host of CBC Radio’s Cross intellect and deep insight into issues Country Checkup and commentator on the affecting all Canadian individuals and He contributes a regular essay to The CBC Radio show Definitely Not the Opera. businesses. Graced with his own brand National Magazine, dealing with topics He has also contributed to Morningside, of persuasion, no one walks away not as diverse as the Royal Family, smoking, Land and Sea, The Journal, Midday, and knowing exactly what Rex Murphy thinks. and Quebec politics and writes a weekly Sunday Report. column for the Globe and Mail. Murphy is also the author of the book, Points of View, a collection of his best writing spanning 30 years. The selection includes an assortment of topics, from his hard-hitting political commentaries, book reviews, and hilarious satires, to warm memories of Newfoundland.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 35 SHORT COURSES and Fieldtrips

Registration for the following Short Courses and POST CONVENTION FIELDTRIPS FTPST04 Field Trips opens March 19, 2007 and is on a FTPST01 Major Dolostone Reservoir Types, first come, first served basis – register early to Outcrops and Subsurface Analogues Triassic Sedimentary Framework and ensure you don’t miss out! Further information Western Canada: Distinct Types or Sequence Stratigraphy on dates and fees may be found in the Final Continuum? Williston Lake, British Columbia Circular and online at www.GEOconvention.org. Leaders: Graham Davies & Jack Wendte Leader: John-Paul Zonneveld Maximum Attendance: 20 participants Maximum Attendance: 14 participants PRE CONVENTION FIELDTRIPS This field seminar will compare the origin of dolomite and FTPRE01 *Note: this course is also offered Pre Convention* evolution of pore systems of two lithologically distinct Upper Cretaceous Shelf and types of dolostones in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The Williston Lake, British Columbia, field course centers Shoreface Sandstones: Montana The first day of the seminar is in Calgary and consists around the sedimentologic and stratigraphic development Outcrops and Alberta Basin Cores of a half-day of lectures on these dolostones and their of the Triassic succession in Western Canada. Excellent Leaders: Peter Putnam & Derald Smith subsurface analogues, and a half-day core seminar focused outcrop equivalents of all major producing subsurface units Maximum Attendance: 17 participants on Devonian ‘Cairn’-style dolostones and origin of porosity (Montney, Doig, Halfway, Charlie Lake, Baldonnel, and in dolostones. The second day will be a field trip to view Pardonet) are observed and discussed. The first day of the Upper Cretaceous wave-impacted sandstones form important hydrothermal dolostones hosted in Cambrian exposures in field course is spent at the provincial core storage facility (historical and current) petroleum reservoirs in western southwestern Alberta and southeastern British Columbia. Canada and Montana. Although sheet-like in gross geometry, in Charlie Lake, British Columbia, to discuss basic controls on subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir nature and distribution, sufficient heterogeneity exists in these deposits to influence FTPST05 as well as similarities and differences between the outcrop exploration strategy, well operations, completions, and Geology of the Athabasca Oil Sands and subsurface sections. The following three days are spent production practices. Excellent exposures of these units in Leaders: Mike Ranger & Murray Gingras visiting Lower, Middle, and Upper Triassic outcrop localities north-central Montana provide useful analogues for those Maximum Attendance: 20 participants geoscientists exploring or exploiting these types of reservoirs along the shores of Williston Lake. anywhere in western Canada. FTPST02 This three-day field excursion to the Fort McMurray area provides an excellent opportunity to observe the geology Marginal Marine Depositional FTPRE02 of the Athabasca Oil Sands, as well as the engineering Environments of the Bearpaw- Triassic Sedimentary Framework and and mining technology related to recovery of the bitumen. Horseshoe Canyon Transition, Sequence Stratigraphy Numerous outcrops along the Athabasca, Christina, and Drumheller, Alberta Williston Lake, British Columbia Steepbank Rivers will be visited by high-speed jet boat A Field Trip for Students Sponsored by Leader: John-Paul Zonneveld and helicopter. Maximum Attendance: 14 participants Talisman Energy Leader: Jason Lavigne *Note: this course is also offered Maximum Attendance: 40 participants PRE CONVENTION short courses Post Convention* SCPRE01 The Williston Lake, British Columbia, field course centers This one-day field trip will examine outcrops of the Upper Mathematical Approaches to around the sedimentologic and stratigraphic development Cretaceous Bearpaw and Horseshoe Canyon formations Structural Analysis of the Triassic succession in Western Canada. Excellent east of Drumheller. The goals of the trip are to look at Instructor: William Jamison outcrop equivalents of all major producing subsurface units the sedimentology and trace fossil assemblages of marine, Maximum Attendance: 20 participants (Montney, Doig, Halfway, Charlie Lake, Baldonnel, and shoreline, and fluvial deposits, as well as the lateral and Pardonet) are observed and discussed. The first day of the vertical succession of facies to better understand how to This two-day lecture course will provide an introduction to field course is spent at the provincial core storage facility evaluate the significance of several stratigraphic surfaces. the use of geometric, kinematic and mechanical analyses in Charlie Lake, British Columbia, to discuss basic controls We will examine these aspects of the deposits in the context in structural geology interpretations. Topics included are on subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir nature and distribution, of the historical work that has been done in the area. dip-domain fold-and-fault interpretations from dip data, as well as similarities and differences between the outcrop cross section balance evaluations, fault-displacement and subsurface sections. The following three days are spent FTPST03 balancing, kinematic models of fold-thrust structures and visiting Lower, Middle, and Upper Triassic outcrop localities Savanna Creek, Alberta – A listric normal faults, and the application of mechanical along the shores of Williston Lake. Fractured Carbonate Reservoir in a principals to the investigation of structures in strike-slip Complex Structural Setting and transpressional systems and to fracture prediction. FTPRE03 Leader: Thomas Kubli Geological Walking Tour Maximum Attendance: 20 participants SCPRE02 The Building Rocks of Calgary Clastic Facies and Depositional Leader: Bill Ayrton This one-day field trip will take us to the Plateau Mountain Environments Maximum Attendance: 30 participants area in the southern Alberta Foothills to give the participants Instructor: Bill Arnott an overview of the structure of the Savanna Creek gas field as Maximum Attendance: 20 participants This interesting half-day tour examines the rocks, well as the stratigraphy and sedimentology of the Mississippian sedimentary features, and fossils beautifully displayed on reservoir rocks, and place them in a regional context. We will This three-day core workshop discusses the most the buildings of Calgary. We will also see the building rocks also have the opportunity to examine in detail the nature important variables that control the make-up of used by our landscapers and sculptors. The rocks range in and distribution of fractures exposed at the surface, relate the sedimentary record – the primary depositional age from PreCambrian to Tertiary, and come from as far them to their position within the structure and compare with mechanisms that deposit sediment, the sedimentary away as Scandinavia and India; some were even quarried fracture distributions obtained from FMI data in both vertical structures formed by those mechanisms (and the ability to locally. and horizontal wells within the structure. recognize and interpret them in core), and then integrate

36 RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 all those observations and interpretations into meaningful This two-day lecture course provides background knowledge Shales and mudstones act as source rocks, seals, migration stratigraphic models. of sequence-generating mechanisms and examines the range pathways, and - with increased interest in shale gas - of processes that control vertical movement of the crust and reservoirs. This two-day lecture course explores the world Emphasis is on the understanding of physical and biogenic eustatic changes in sea level. With examples from around of shale, emphasizing those petrophysical and mechanical structures in the interpretation of sedimentary depositional the world, this course broadens the range of interpretive properties that control fluid trapping and fluid flow. environments. Environments are then related in both time skills that can be brought to bear on practical mapping We see how lithological and petrophysical properties of and space using sequence stratigraphic principles. Specific problems anywhere in the world. shales might be assessed through wireline analysis. We environments to be discussed include fluvial, shallow, and consider strategies to quantify overpressure, seal capacity marginal marine. SCPRE06 and seal failure, and show how geochemical data can be The Nature of Coal: Application used to indicate leakage. Finally, we examine how shale SCPRE03 and Interpretation of Coal Quality heterogeneity controls fluid flow on both geological and Stratigraphic Setting of Lower and Parameters in CBM Prospecting production timescales. Middle Triassic Strata, Western Instructors: David Marchioni and Judith Potter Canada Sedimentary Basin Maximum Attendance: 20 participants SCPST02 Instructor: James Dixon The Architecture of Fluvial Maximum Attendance: 20 participants The goal of this one-day core course is to illustrate what Reservoirs can be inferred about CBM prospectivity/producibility from Instructor: Andrew D. Miall *Note: this course is also offered the visual analysis of core. This course is intended to Maximum Attendance: 30 participants Post Convention* provide geologists working in the field of CBM exploration The intent of this half-day core course is to show that an with an appreciation of the heterogeneous nature of coals Significant volumes of oil and gas are stored in fluvial understanding of the regional and local stratigraphy of and basin wide variations in source/reservoir potential reservoirs and exploitation of many of these fields has the Lower to Middle Triassic Montney, Doig, and Halfway displayed by high and low rank coals. Emphasis will be provided a wide array of data and techniques for use formations has considerable influence on exploration and on the interpretation of these macroscopic characteristics in exploration and development. Considerable potential production models. and on geological controls on coal quality relating to the remains for additional discoveries in such areas as Andean peat-forming depositional environment, geologic setting and South America, Australia (onshore and offshore), and Lithostratigraphic and sequence stratigraphic analysis of history, and the interpretation of analytical parameters in Southeast Asia. the Lower to Middle Triassic Montney, Doig and Halfway the context of prospecting for coal gas using examples from formations will be presented and discussed. Detailed Canadian, U.S. and Australian basins. The focus of this two-day lecture course will be on the correlations and their usefulness in understanding the reservoir architecture and sequence stratigraphy of fluvial stratigraphic and sedimentological setting of the various SCPRE07 systems and will contain descriptions of fundamental basinal potential reservoirs are emphasized. Also, an appreciation Exploration 101: Basic Geological and controls on fluvial systems. Information and ideas presented of the stratigraphy helps to understand the relative Seismic Principles in the Upstream in the course will contribute to the development of fluvial timing of various tectonic movements that affected Petroleum Industry sandstone production and exploration models. Participants Triassic strata. Instructor: A. Easton Wren are presented with numerous case studies and key concepts Maximum Attendance: 50 participants are illustrated with practical exercises. SCPRE04 Practical Sequence Stratigraphy: *Note: This course will be free of charge, SCPST03 Concepts and Applications with preference given to exhibitors and Stratigraphic Setting of Lower and Instructor: Ashton Embry student volunteers* Middle Triassic Strata, Western Maximum Attendance: 22 participants This half-day course is designed for those persons in Canada Sedimentary Basin the service industry, as well as government, legal, and Instructor: James Dixon This two-day lecture course presents the concepts and accounting professions, who interact with the oil industry Maximum Attendance: 20 participants practical applications of sequence stratigraphy for petroleum but who do not have a technical background in geology exploration. The course will involve both lecture and or geophysics. *Note: this course is also offered workshop formats. Pre Convention* This is a brief, yet illuminating, introduction to The intent of this half-day core course is to show that an Following the course, participants will have a clear exploration and will take the participant through the understanding of the regional and local stratigraphy of understanding of the principles of sequence stratigraphy. normal progression from the origins of oil and gas to the Lower to Middle Triassic Montney, Doig, and Halfway They will readily be able to recognize and use sequence geological concept to prospect definition to drilling the formations has considerable influence on exploration and stratigraphic surfaces as the main correlation lines on their exploratory well using a combination of geological and production models. cross sections and to use sequence stratigraphy for predicting seismic tools. facies types and geometries away from control points. Lithostratigraphic and sequence stratigraphic analysis of The course is non-mathematical in its treatment of the the Lower to Middle Triassic Montney, Doig, and Halfway SCPRE05 subject material and will explain much of the jargon that formations will be presented and discussed. Detailed Understanding Basinal Controls of permeates the upstream business. The presentation format correlations and their usefulness in understanding the Sequence Generation will include PowerPoint images and a handout reference stratigraphic and sedimentologal setting of the various Instructor: Andrew D. Miall booklet. potential reservoirs are emphasized. Also, an appreciation Maximum Attendance: 30 participants of the stratigraphy helps to understand the relative POST CONVENTION short courses timing of various tectonic movements that affected Sequence-generating mechanisms range from local to Triassic strata. global in scope, and operate over time spans of thousands SCPST01 of years to hundreds of millions of years. The sequence Shales: Seals, Leaks, and Reservoirs A variety of CSEG short courses will also be offered, architecture in a given basin may reflect the action of in Petroleum Systems please check www.geoconvention.org, www.cspg.org, or several simultaneous processes interacting locally to globally Instructors: Andrew Aplin and Steven Larter www.cseg.ca for more information over a wide range of time scales. Maximum Attendance: 30 participants

RESERVOIR ISSUE 3 • MARCH 2007 37 (...Continued from page 14) Confinement of the depositional system Consequently, stratigraphically trapped within the narrow Molasse Basin foredeep gas accumulations are difficult to predict confining foredeep slopes and ultimately had a profound effect on the distribution due to amalgamation of reservoir bodies accumulating in sediment wedges up of sediment in the deep-water setting. and variably eroded seal facies. to 200-300 m thick. These overbank Lateral migration of the axial channel wedges are commonly incised by tributary belt was limited, and as a result, coarse- Most producing reservoirs in the basin channels oriented perpendicular to the grained channel-belt material aggraded are associated with a combination of axial channel belt. Local breaching of nearly vertically for approximately 8 m.y. both stratigraphic and structural channel levees resulted in the deposition (deposition of up to 1500 m of sediment). trapping; historically, exploration of sandy material in an overbank setting Widespread mudstone beds are often success had been closely linked to the (akin to crevasse splay deposits). not preserved in the sequence as a result recognition of subtle structural highs of erosion processes in the channel belt. in 2-D seismic data. With most of the structural highs already drilled, future discoveries are likely to be associated with stratigraphic traps. Depositional elements characterized by significant reservoirs include massive sandstone and conglomerate of channel thalweg affinity, with more modest reservoirs present in thin–bedded turbiditic overbank units dominated by Bouma sequences (crevasse splay lobes and tributary channels). Channel abandonment and migration are two processes known to result in a stratigraphic architecture conducive to reservoir development in the basin.

BIOGRAPHY Stephen Hubbard received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in geology from the University of Alberta. His M.Sc. thesis focused on the sedimentology, ichnology, and petroleum geology of the Peace River Oil Sands deposit, and following completion of his thesis he joined Shell Canada where he worked as a development geologist on the deposit for two additional years. He completed his Ph.D. at Stanford University on the stratigraphic architecture of deep-water depositional systems in the subsurface (Austrian Molasse Basin) and in outcrop (Chilean Magallanes Basin). He recently joined the faculty in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Calgary in an assistant professor role. He teaches classes to undergraduate students enrolled in the new petroleum concentration program, and is working on research projects in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin and abroad. He is a co-director of the Consortia for Applied Basin Studies (CABS), a new research group at the University of Calgary designed to work on international and national (WCSB and Arctic Canada) project-based studies in close collaboration with sponsoring oil and gas companies.

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