17 Unicorns in the Garden of Good and Evil: Part 3 – Coal Bed Methane (CBM) 25 Shale Gas: Part 5 – Shale Gas vs. Tight Gas vs. Conventional Gas 31 The Geology of Santorini Island, Greece

JANUARY 2011 VOLUME 38, ISSUE 1 Canadian Publication Mail Contract – 40070050

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 1 Since 1927...

The difference between raw data and refined information?

Focus, quality and value. We don’t build our reputation on volumes—instead, we earn it on the quality of the information we extract from that data. For more than 75 years, IHS has processed and analyzed vast amounts of raw data, concentrating it into the in-depth, actionable information that is used today to advance energy-critical business decisions. Energy information, refined.

ihs.com/refined-information/cspg Since 1927...

JANUARY 2011 – VOLUME 38, ISSUE 1

ARTICLES Unicorns in the Garden of Good and Evil: Part 3 – Coal Bed Methane (CBM) ...... 17 Go Take a Hike: Sulphur Gates P.R.A., Grande Cache, Alberta ...... 22

CSPG OFFICE Shale Gas: Part 5 – Shale Gas vs. Tight Gas vs. Conventional Gas ...... 25 #600, 640 - 8th Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 1G7 The Geology of Santorini Island, Greece ...... 31 Tel: 403-264-5610 Fax: 403-264-5898 Web: www.cspg.org The 2011 CSPG Executive Committee ...... 36 Office hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:00pm The 2010 CSPG Honorary Address: Executive Director: Lis Bjeld Email: [email protected] Polar Exploration – The Next Generation of "Cool" Science ...... 40 Sponsorship & Outreach Coordinator: Alyssa Middleton Email: [email protected] How Chance Encounters Led to a Summer Job ...... 42 Publications Coordinator: Caitlin Young Email: [email protected] 28 Years and Counting ...... 43 Member Services Coordinator: Kasandra Klein Email: [email protected] The AAPG 2010 International Conference and Exhibition ...... 44 Registration Coordinator: Dayna Rhoads The difference between raw data Email: [email protected] Ayaz Gulamhussein: Top 40 Under 40 ...... 45 Convention Contacts: Convention Manager: Aileen Lozie Email: [email protected] Road to Recovery – recovery 2011 Convention Update ...... 46

EDITORS/AUTHORS and refined information? Please submit RESERVOIR articles to the CSPG office. DEPARTMENTS Submission deadline is the 23rd day of the month, two months prior to issue date. (e.g., January 23 for the March issue). Executive Comment ...... 5 Focus, quality and value. We don’t build our reputation on volumes—instead, we earn To publish an article, the CSPG requires digital copies of the document. Technical Luncheons ...... 8 Text should be in Microsoft Word format and illustrations should be in TIFF format at 300 dpi., at final size. For additional information on manuscript Division Talks ...... 12 it on the quality of the information we extract from that data. For more than 75 years, preparation, refer to the Guidelines for Authors published in the CSPG IHS has processed and analyzed vast amounts of raw data, concentrating it into the Bulletin or contact the editor. Executive Committee Summary ...... 14 Technical Editors Rock Shop ...... 8, 35 Ben McKenzie Colin Yeo (Assistant Tech. Editor) in-depth, actionable information that is used today to advance energy-critical business Tarheel Exploration EnCana Corporation Tel: 403-277-4496 Tel: 403-645-7724 decisions. Energy information, refined. Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Coordinating Editor Caitlin Young, Publications Coordinator, CSPG Tel: 403-513-1227, Email: [email protected]

ADVERTISING Advertising inquiries should be directed to Caitlin Young, Tel: 403-513-1227, email: [email protected]. The deadline to reserve ihs.com/refined-information/cspg advertising space is the 23rd day of the month, two months prior to issue date.

The RESERVOIR is published 11 times per year by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists. This includes a combined issue for the months of July and August. The purpose of the RESERVOIR is to publicize the Society’s many activities and to promote the geosciences. We look for both technical and non-technical material to publish. Additional information on the RESERVOIR’s submission guidelines can be found at http://www.cspg. org/publications/pubs-reservoir-submissions.cfm. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in full without the consent of the publisher. Additional copies of the RESERVOIR are available at the CSPG office for $6.50 each. No official endorsement or sponsorship by the CSPG is implied for any advertisement, insert, or article that appears in the Reservoir unless otherwise noted. All submitted materials are reviewed by the editor. We reserve the right to edit all submissions, including letters to the Editor. Submissions must include your name, address, and membership number (if applicable). The material contained in this publication is intended for informational use only. While reasonable care has been taken, authors and the CSPG make no guarantees that any of the equations, schematics, or devices discussed will perform as expected or that they will give the desired results. Some information contained herein may be inaccurate or may vary from standard measurements. The CSPG expressly disclaims any and all liability for the acts, omissions, or conduct of any third-party user of information contained in this publication. Under no circumstances shall the CSPG and its officers, directors, employees, and agents be liable for any injury, loss, damage, or expense arising in any manner whatsoever FRONT COVER from the acts, omissions, or conduct of any third-party user. Nourished by the Andean snowmelt in Southern Patagonia, Perito Moreno Design and Layout by Sundog Printing. Printed in Canada by Sundog Printing. is still advancing and colliding against Península de Magallanes. Photo taken from Cerro Buenos Aires. Photo by François Tremblay.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 3 Since 1927...

GeoCarta The All New Exploration Workbench. Grab your passport and discover breakthrough exploration software tools that offer GIS integration, a simple user interface and multiple deployment options that take you where you need to go. Explore now. Learn more at geocarta.divestco.com

403-237-9170 [email protected] geocarta.divestco.com Since 1927... EXECUTIVE COMMENT A message from Finance Director, Greg Lynch

Finance Highs, Lows, and Predicting CSPG the Future EXECUTIVE Going forward the CSPG is in good shape CSPG has also contributed to the CSPG PRESIDENT financially, registering a net surplus in 2010. Educational Trust Fund in the past and assists Kirk Osadetz • Geological Survey of Canada, Calgary [email protected] Tel: (403) 289-9022 This marks a much-needed recovery after in current fundraising. Due for an overhaul two successive years of losses in fiscal 2008 and at the top of this list is the website, to and 2009. With the books now closed for which funds have been earmarked and work VICE PRESIDENT Robin Mann • AJM Petroleum Consultants 2010, the review engagement with Kenway begun within the CSPG’s 2010 Technical [email protected] Tel: (403) 648-3210 Mack Slusarchuk Stewart LLP registered Revitalization initiative. At this point I would a tidy profit of $212,270 for the CSPG. certainly like to thank the CSPG staff, as PAST PRESIDENT This may sound like a lot for a non-profit it is important for the members to know John Varsek • Cenovus Energy society, but it does not entirely recover that our financial turnaround is directly [email protected] Tel: (403) 645-5417 our recent losses. The break-even target due to their contributions through running is really just a smoothing of the highs and a better business, with cost cutting and FINANCE DIRECTOR lows through a successive number of years, augmenting operating revenues. This has Darren Aldridge • Baker Hughes Incorporated and needs to be framed within a mid-term come about as a team effort and by the clear [email protected] Tel: (403) 537-3400 perspective. You might wonder then, how direction, leadership, and financial acumen of have we managed our past losses and who Executive Director Lis Bjeld. Furthermore ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR pays the bills during deficit years? Unlike I would like to thank all the committees, Andrea Hood • geoLOGIC Systems Ltd.. most oil and gas companies we have no real divisions, programs, and convention for also [email protected] Tel: (403) 262-1992 material assets, properties, or production contributing to a good financial performance to draw on. Instead we have what’s referred by executing the plan and delivering on PROGRAM DIRECTOR to within the Executive Committee as the budget. Brett Norris • TransGlobe Energy Corp. [email protected] Tel: (403) 264-9896 ‘Rainy Day Fund’ (RDF), which is accessible for covering deficits, and was established Speaking of the rapidly changing energy ASSISTANT PROGRAM DIRECTOR through the prudence and wisdom of past world, part of knowing where you are going is Jon Noad • Murphy Oil Corporation Executive Committees. And am I glad they gained from looking back to where you have [email protected] Tel: (403) 294-8829 did – because after four years of serving been. As such, for planning purposes, the on the Executive I know that the RDF has Finance Committee recently compiled data SERVICES DIRECTOR covered shortfalls on a number of occasions, from 2000-10 in order to project forward Chris Seibel • Nexen Inc. a necessary tool to be sure. Presently the for the next decade, to 2020. Predicting the [email protected] Tel: (403) 699-4558 RDF is invested in stocks and bonds (40:60 future is never easy (we would all be rich!), split) and has a value of approximately but strategy and planning are essentially a ASSISTANT SERVICES DIRECTOR $700K. This too might sound like a lot means of preparing for the future, if not Michelle Hawke • Apache Canada Ltd. of money for an organization that has an shaping it outright. We all need direction. [email protected] Tel: (403) 261-1200 annual revenue near two and a half million Typically the Executive Committee has dollars. However, the RDF is at a level that two full-day strategy meetings each year, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR would cover the CSPG’s uninsured financial in the spring and fall, where we hole-up at GeoCarta Jim Barclay • ConocoPhillips Canada exposure in terms of certain contracts, the President’s house or other venue on a [email protected] Tel: (403) 532-3889 agreements, and commitments to staff or Saturday, with a too-big agenda. Compiled other. Disaster planning is in fact part of trends in finance have been quite revealing, The All New Exploration Workbench. ASSISTANT COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR our responsibility, and after drawing up the and are summarized at a high level in the Stephen Hubbard • University of Calgary ‘what if’ or risk register, the need for the attached graph (Figure 1, page 7). Over the [email protected] Tel: (403) 220-6236 Grab your passport and discover breakthrough exploration software tools that offer GIS RDF at these levels becomes evident. Should last decade total revenue and expenses have integration, a simple user interface and multiple deployment options that take you where the RDF grow beyond its intended use then grown significantly, each starting at about OUTREACH DIRECTOR some of it could be redirected into new $1.5 million in 2000, rising to over $2 million you need to go. Steve Dryer • Whiskey Jack Resources Inc. [email protected] Tel: (403) 969-2292 worthwhile initiatives such as in Outreach, in 2010, a 30% increase. The rate of increase Explore now. Learn more at geocarta.divestco.com office or capital needs, IT and the website, has been approximately 3.2% per year, which ASSISTANT OUTREACH DIRECTOR or if other special requirements arise in translates to accelerating increments of an Simon Haynes • Statoil Canada Ltd. what is a rapidly changing energy world. additional $50-60K with each new budget. 403-237-9170 [email protected] geocarta.divestco.com [email protected] Tel: (403) 724-0364 (Continued on page 7...) RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 5 Since 1927...

114mm Parted casing Real-time Fishing for a logging tool

Inspecting HZ perforations A Frac Ball creating a blockage in post-frac a HZ wellbore

Expro’s downhole video camera systems offer operators a cost effectiveway to ’see’ downhole problems across a range of oil and gas well conditions. We have a great track record for providing the solutions to get the most from your wells. Expro also has outstanding expertise in calipers and production logging.

But there’s more to Expro than you think. We provide tailor-made solutions across the lifecycle of a well. From exploration and appraisal through to abandonment, we offer the complete package.

Contact Calgary Sales: Laurie Germsheid or Curtis Jerrom on + 403-532-0873

Find out more at www.exprogroup.com Since 1927... (...Continued from page 5) 2.1 mmboe/d to 2.8 mmboe (neb). much of surprisingly, as demonstrated in the graph this relates of course to bitumen production this growth has occurred while our two here, but gas and liquids have held their principal income streams have remained flat; own with the emergence of unconventionals membership levels and fees have stayed during this period. We can see then that to the same, and there has been no growth in a large degree financial growth at the csPG the Annual convention. The convention, of after inflation, is in step with increasing course, remains a cornerstone and we strive activity in the oil patch, and reflects our to deliver the best cost-effective product each growing mandate and the changing needs of year, but attendance has stabilized in tandem our members. not bad considering there has with membership numbers. expansion on been no fee increases during this stretch. the other hand has occurred in technical so where is this all going and can we expect programs, short courses, and fieldtrips. For more of the same? Future projections of oil context, it is important to consider some and gas production are indeed closely studied of the external forces affecting these trends. by a number of organizations as it is central CORPORATE First, the annual rate of inflation for the to economic planning. correspondingly, the SPONSORS last decade has been maintained to near doe has pushed its forecast all the way out AAPG 2%, as managed by the bank of canada to 2035 and, with no clear energy alternatives AGAT LAborATories hitting its stated targets. so, a good portion in sight, envisages World liquids output at 111 APAche cAnAdA LTd. of our revenue-expense growth has been mmboe/d at that time, continuing the ~1.1% APeGGA simply that things cost more, we are keeping annual jumps in output. moderate growth Arc FinAnciAL corPorATion up with rising costs. note however, that is apparently in the cards. however, 2035 is AryTon consuLTinG exPLorATion LTd. growth of any sort in the last decade is a long way out and unforeseen innovations bAker ATLAs somewhat surprising in light of how the are likely as the chronicles of science would bLuebAck reservoir 114mm Parted casing Real-time Fishing for a logging tool markets performed, with the dow-Jones have it. Also, an important factor that will boyd PeTroseArch cAnAdA brokerLink showing essentially no profit over this period, affect this projected trend in canada is the cAnAdiAn nATurAL resources LTd. not that i need to remind anyone holding well-known demographic of the workforce: cAsey & AssociATes rrsPs. nonetheless, activities relating we are or will soon be losing professionals cenovus enerGy inc. more specifically to the oil and gas industry quicker than we gain them. certainly a lag cGG veriTAs have grown over the last decade above and in replacing these bodies will ensue, but coLorAdo schooL oF mines beyond inflation, and these are maybe a there is nothing like a robust job market to conocoPhiLLiPs cAnAdA LimiTed more appropriate barometer for tracking boost university enrollment, which should devon cAnAdA corPorATion csPG finance trends. For instance, the eventually fix the situation, maybe. in the divesTco inc. encAnA doe reports that World liquids production meantime, you might consider staying right Inspecting HZ perforations A Frac Ball creating a blockage in enerPLus resources Fund increased from 78 mmboe/d to 86 mmboe/d where you are, as one of the most exciting post-frac a HZ wellbore FuGro Airborne surveys corP. over the last decade, corresponding to a 1.1% decades in the history of our business has just FuGro – JAson increase in yearly production. canada, on kicked-off, with the csPG and its members GeoedGes inc. the other hand, outstripped this rate, with well positioned to go along for the ride in the geoLoGic systems ltd. yearly output rising on average by 3.2%, from driver’s seat. GeomodeLinG TechnoLoGy corP. GeosTrATA resources inc. hALLiburTon enerGy services Expro’s downhole video camera systems offer operators a hunT oiL comPAny oF cAnAdA cost effectiveway to ’see’ downhole problems across a husky enerGy inc. range of oil and gas well conditions. We have a great track ihs record for providing the solutions to get the most from your imPeriAL oiL resources wells. Expro also has outstanding expertise in calipers and LArio oiL & GAs comPAny production logging. LiTTLe rock documenT services LorinG TArcore LAbs LTd. But there’s more to Expro than you think. We provide mJ sysTems tailor-made solutions across the lifecycle of a well. From murPhy oiL comPAny neurALoG exploration and appraisal through to abandonment, we offer nexen inc. the complete package. Penn WesT enerGy TrusT PeTrocrAFT ProducTs LTd. Contact Calgary Sales: Laurie Germsheid or Curtis Jerrom PLusPeTroL on + 403-532-0873 ProvidenT enerGy LTd. rPs enerGy schLumberGer cAnAdA LTd. sensor GeoPhysicAL LTd. sheLL cAnAdA LimiTed sProuLe AssociATes LimiTed Find out more at www.exprogroup.com suncor enerGy inc. TALismAn enerGy ToTAL e&P cAnAdA LimiTed TourmALine oiL corP. Tucker WireLine LTd. WeATherFord/omni Figure 1. CSPG Finance Projections.

AS OF DECEMBER 12, 2010 RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 7 TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS JANUARY LUNCHEON Webcasts sponsored by

of size, geometry, and orientation, ranging paleo-surface being transgressed. Further, Transgressive from linear “ravinement” lag deposits and linear (directional) “trendology” should not gradationally to sharp-based shorefaces, to be a preemptive assumption in the prospecting sandstone channel-like point bars, tidal-deltas, and poorly for such reservoirs, nor should it be included defined ‘lobate’ sand deposits that fill re- necessarily in reservoir development strategies reservoirs – entrants and relative lows. on the more local scale. The Viking, Bluesky, Ostracod, Dina, and Shaunavon examples are controls on Occurrence (preservation) and variability of illustrated here to clearly demonstrate the transgressive reservoirs are governed principally variable regional trendology aspect, and the variability and by the interaction of two controlling factors: 1) range of properties that transgressive reservoirs rate of relative sea-level rise (more specifically, exhibit with respect to scale, geometry, and occurrence in whether sea-level rise is continuous or sporadic) orientation. Mesozoic strata and 2) paleotopography (more specifically, variable relief of the surface being inundated). BIOGRAPHY of the WCSB High-relief, high-gradient, antecedent surfaces Gerry Reinson, Ph.D., P.Geol., has over 30 years will tend to favor deeply dissected valleys (thick experience in the fields of petroleum geology, SPEAKER in-fills) and sharp-based, perched shorelines. environmental geology, and marine geology, Gerry Reinson In the foreland basin of Western Canada such having worked in both the public and private Consulting Geologist transgressive reservoirs tend to be present on sectors as a research scientist, manager, and paleo-surfaces that represent major breaks in petroleum explorationist. His work experience 11:30 am, Thursday, January 13, 2011 the stratigraphic record, such as at the Jurassic/ includes employment with both major and junior oil Calgary TELUS Convention Centre Cretaceous boundary in the Pembina Highlands companies and the Geological Survey of Canada. Dr. Calgary, Alberta region of Alberta, or above the regional Reinson has been consulting for over 20 years, either Paleozoic unconformity surface straddling the independently or associated with a larger integrated Please note: The cut-off date for ticket sales Alberta-Saskatchewan border. Low-relief, low- firm. His expertise lies in the fields of clastic and is 1:00 pm, Monday, January 10, 2011. CSPG gradient paleo-surfaces tend to produce thin carbonate sedimentology as applied to petroleum Member Ticket Price: $42.00 + GST. Non- but extensive, linear reservoir deposits (either exploration and exploitation, petroleum resource Member Ticket Price: $45.00 + GST. gradationally or sharp-based), but dissecting assessment, and environmental geology. He has valley-fills are common also, usually of smaller published extensively, and regularly conducts field Each CSPG Technical Luncheon is 1 APEGGA PDH scale than in the high-relief situations. These and laboratory courses, and technical seminars, credit. Tickets may be purchased online at https:// low-relief, transgressive deposits tend to be primarily in the areas of clastic sedimentology, www.cspg.org/eSeries/source/Events/index.cfm. present at inter-formational (i.e., Ostracod/ modern sedimentary environments, and facies Ellerslie) or intra-formational (i.e., Viking) characterization of petroleum reservoirs. Coastal and nearshore transgressive sandstone boundaries. deposits form significant hydrocarbon-bearing Gerry Reinson is a registered Professional Geologist reservoirs in Alberta and Saskatchewan, both Exploration strategies for delineating these with the Association of Professional Engineers, in terms of number of pools, and with respect coastal/nearshore transgressive reservoirs Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA). to the sheer volume of contained oil and must strongly consider the nature of the He is an active member of the Canadian Society of gas. The Viking, Bluesky, Dina (Wabiskaw), paleotopographic surface upon which Petroleum Geologists (CSPG), American Association Ostracod (Ellerslie), and Upper Shaunavon the transgression is occurring. Reservoir of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), and the Society for are hydrocarbon-rich stratigraphic units that continuity can be highly segmented or relatively Sedimentary Geology (SEPM). contain predominantly transgressive reservoirs. continuous along strandline, on both regional These reservoirs are highly variable in terms and local scales, depending on the type of

ROCK SHOP

RockWell Consulting

SPECIALIZED IN GEOLOGICAL WELLSITE SUPERVISION Global Leaders in Wellsite Geology AND CORE ANALYSIS petrographical & sedimentological descriptions for samples Serving the petroleum industry for over 25 years (thin section - fluid inclusion studies) conventional vertical/horizontal wells II Conventional Vertical / Horizontal Wells operations geology II Unconventional Heavy Oil / CBM Wells our best friend and most valuable partner is our client II International WSG / Operations Geology Stephan C. Dragomir 17084 president (403) 263-0449 www.rpsgroup.com/energy www.geok2.com - phone: 403.831.9941 - [email protected]

8 RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS JANUARY LUNCHEON Webcasts sponsored by

formation consist of light-colored, tuffaceous Three newly discovered “death-pit” China’s Jurassic sediments deposited in alluvial, paludal, bonebeds in the middle to upper portion and lacustrine-margin settings. Caliches of the formation preserve articulated-to- Park: The and calcretes are common, suggesting a associated skeletons in 1-2 meter thick seasonally wet-dry climate. The uppermost deposits of locally deformed and mixed, Shishugou 10-20 meters of the formation record a alluvial and volcanic mudstone. Each formation of coarsening-upward transition back into distal bonebed contains four or more non-avian alluvial fan deposits. Caliches are rare in theropod dinosaurs that are stacked one Xinjiang these uppermost beds, possibly indicating on top of another. Evidence indicates that less aridity, an increase in sediment supply, the “pits” were highly localized areas of SPEAKER or both. soft-sediment deformation and liquefaction David A. Eberth caused by sauropod trampling. We surmise Royal Tyrrell Museum Although bentonites occur through most that over a period of days and possibly of the section, clinoptilolite-rich (zeolitic) weeks, small theropod dinosaurs, such as 11:30 am tuffs are mostly limited to the upper one- Guanlong and Limusaurs, became mired Thursday, January 27, 2011 half of the formation, supporting our sequentially in the liquefied sediments filling Calgary, TELUS Convention Centre interpretation that wetlands and standing the “tracks.” A bias for small theropods in Calgary, Alberta bodies of saline water were present. these bonebeds, compared to their relatively 40Ar/39Ar dating of sanidine crystals from low abundance in the Shishugou Formation Please note: The cut-off date for ticket sales the tuffs indicates an age range of 161-159 overall, underscores that small theropods is 1:00 pm, Monday, January 24, 2011. Ma for the upper one-half of the formation, are under-represented in Mesozoic fossil CSPG Member Ticket Price: $42.00 + GST. and supports the interpretation that the assemblages collected from this and other Non-Member Ticket Price: $45.00 + GST. Shishugou spans the Middle-Upper Jurassic ancient alluvial and paludal settings. boundary. The stratigraphic distribution Each CSPG Technical Luncheon is 1 APEGGA of vertebrate fossils indicates a significant BIOGRAPHY PDH credit. Tickets may be purchased online faunal transition through the middle of the at https://www.cspg.org/eSeries/source/Events/ formation, corresponding roughly to the index.cfm. inferred Middle-Upper Jurassic transition.

The Shishugou (Stone Tree Wash) Formation New dinosaurs from the Shishugou include (Middle to Upper Jurassic) is famous for its Guanlong wucaii, the world’s oldest known fossilized vertebrates and silicified trees, tyrannosauroid; Limusaurus inextricabilis, and consists of alluvial and paludal deposits a peculiar toothless ceratosaur (theropod) exposed along the flanks of the modern with gastroliths; and Haplocheirus sollers, Kelameili Shan, northeastern Junggar Basin, the oldest known alvarezsaurid dinosaur, a Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China. The group that evolved small arms, hands, and formation and its spectacular fossils first reduced numbers of fingers in parallel with gained attention in the West as a result of the birds. Canada-China Dinosaur Project in the late 1980s. Subsequent international expeditions Vertebrate fossils occur in a variety of have helped decipher the geologic history preservational modes, underscoring David A. Eberth of the unit, and have revealed new, high- paleoecological differences within the (Ph.D., University of Toronto; M.A., profile taxa of dinosaurs. Most interestingly, formation. In general, the quality of University of California, Berkeley) some of the patterns of fossil preservation preservation is poorer in the lower Shishugou Royal Tyrrell Museum provide unique insights into the Shishugou’s than in the middle and upper beds, with Senior Research Scientist depositional history and paleoecology. deposits that are rich in fragmentary aquatic Sedimentary Geology and Paleoecology Most of the work on the formation has and terrestrial vertebrates, including sauropod taken place at Wucaiwan, made famous and theropod dinosaurs. This pattern likely Dr. David A. Eberth is a paleontologist and as the backdrop location in the opening reflects long exposure times and a greater geologist at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in scenes of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. degree of reworking typical of alluvial settings. Alberta, Canada, where he studies ancient There, the formation is ~400 meters thick, Fossils from the middle and upper portions of environments of fossil-bearing rocks. He has rests unconformably on the Xishanyao the formation generally are better preserved participated in projects throughout the USA, Formation, and is unconformably overlain with skeletons that are more complete. Mexico, Argentina, Germany, China, Mongolia, by Cretaceous eolian sandstones and Skeletal remains often are found in association and Canada, including the arctic. His specialties conglomerates of an unnamed formation. with sheets and lenticular deposits of massive- include stratigraphy and sedimentology, to-faintly-bedded mudstone and sandstone, taphonomy, chronostratigraphy, bonebeds, and A lower redbeds interval in the Shishugou as well as with caliches and calcretes. These the evolution-creation controversy. The author Formation consists of upward-fining and associations suggest preferred preservation in of more than 65 peer-reviewed papers, David -coarsening clastic successions deposited in sheetflood deposits and a variety of overbank Eberth is also co-editor and a contributor for alluvial plain and alluvial fan settings. The settings including ephemeral water bodies and two recently published books: Bonebeds, and middle and most of the upper portions of the paleosols. New Perspectives on Horned Dinosaurs.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 9 TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS FEBRUARY LUNCHEON Webcasts sponsored by

the Neogene depocenter near the outlet of Consequences of the modern Colville River. multiple phases BIOGRAPHY Scott A. Barboza of tertiary uplift Education: Ph.D. Geology, University of Washington and erosion on M.S. Geology, University of Washington B.S. Geology, University of California at Davis the thermal 11:30 am Thursday, February 10, 2011 Experience: evolution of Calgary, TELUS Convention Centre • 11 years with ExxonMobil as a research Calgary, Alberta scientist and team leader mesozoic source • Expertise in hydrocarbon systems analysis, Please note: The cut-off date for ticket sales basin modeling, basin analysis, computational rocks, North is 1:00 pm, Monday, February 7, 2011. CSPG fluid dynamics Member Ticket Price: $42.00 + GST. Non- • Regional evaluations of basins in North and Slope – Chukchi Member Ticket Price: $45.00 + GST. South America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Russia Sea, Alaska Each CSPG Technical Luncheon is 1 APEGGA • Nine scientific publications and numerous PDH credit. Tickets may be purchased presentations SPEAKER online at https://www.cspg.org/eSeries/source/ Scott A. Barboza Events/index.cfm. Selected Publications ExxonMobil Upstream Research Barboza, S.A., Alway, R., Akpulat, T., Esch, Company The Brookian sequence of the North W.L., Hicks Jr., P.J., and Gerdes, M.L. 2010. Funded by the AAPG Foundation Slope - Beaufort Sea - Chukchi Sea area Stochastic evaluation of fluvial to marginal of Alaska comprises more than 7.5 km of marine sealing facies. Marine and Petroleum Lower Cretaceous to Holocene clastics Geology v. 4, p. 445-456. representing Brookian foredeep deposition. Northward advancement of Tertiary Stage II Isaksen, G.H., Aliyev, A., Barboza, S.A., Puls, Brookian contraction resulted in basement- D., Guliyev, I. 2007. Regional evaluation of HUGH REID’S involved thrusting across the North Slope source rock quality in Azerbaijan from the of Alaska causing uplift and exposure of the geochemistry of organic-rich rocks in mud- 2011 WINTER Brookian sequence. A regional 3-D basin volcano ejecta. In: Oil and Gas of the Greater & SPRING simulation illustrates the effect of uplift Caspian Area. P.O. Yilmaz and G.H. Isaksen on the timing of hydrocarbon generation. (eds.). AAPG Studies in Geology 55, p. 51-64. COURSES The amount and timing of erosion were incorporated by constructing removed- Barboza, S.A. and Boettcher, S.S. 2000. Major NEW SHORTER section maps constrained by integrating and trace element constraints on fluid origin, DST COURSE thermal maturity and apatite fission track eastern offshore Trinidad. Proceedings GSTT (3 1/2 days) data from wells with shale velocity data 2000 Society of Petroleum Engineers TG103, January 25-28, 2011 from seismic. These data suggest that at p. 1-11. & April 5-8, 2011 least two erosional episodes removed up to 3km of sediment. Paleogene erosion was Research Interests focused along the Brookian foothills and the Dr. Barboza’s research spans the fields of 16 WAyS TO IDENTIfy ByPASSED Meade Arch. The northeastward migration geomechanics, transport theory, hydrocarbon PAy fROm DST DATA of the Paleocene shoreline records the phase equilibria, geostatistics, geochemistry, (more advanced, for those loss of accommodation space due to the and petrology. He has applied these interests “comfortable” with DST charts) effects of uplift and sedimentation. Neogene to understanding the physics of hydrocarbon April 14-15, 2011 erosion was restricted to the Chukchi Sea. migration and the pressure/temperature The basin simulations suggest that initial evolution of sedimentary basins. Dr Barboza’s hydrocarbon generation from Mesozoic work uses a range of analytical and modeling HyDRODyNAmICS source rocks took place during the Upper techniques, and is built upon the multi-disciplinary (Oil and Gas Finding Aspects) Jurassic. Peak generation was coincident integration of observations. A key philosophical April 26-29, 2011 with Brookian foredeep deposition during underpinning of his work is the recognition and the Middle Cretaceous and the generation propagation of uncertainty in data, analyses, and In-house courses available window migrated northward during simulation results. Scott is an avid cyclist and For course outline visit: foredeep subsidence. Most generation orchid aficionado. He lives in Houston, Texas, www.hughwreid.com ceased during the Upper Cretaceous, with his wife, Margaret, and children, Danielle, although Tertiary generation follows the Alexandra, Olivia, and William. 262-1261 northeastward migration of the Paleocene shoreline. Recent generation is restricted to

10 RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS FEBRUARY LUNCHEON Webcasts sponsored by

hydraulic fracture stimulation. Estimates Examination of of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas range from 0.8 to 3.7 trillion potential factors cubic feet by the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 2002 to more than 100 times affecting these amounts by industry consultants successful in 2008. (2) The availability of sufficient fresh water exploration and for drilling, stimulation, and completion of the wells. Current shale gas well designs the Appalachian, Gulf of Mexico, and Arkoma- production of call for use of three to nine million gallons Ouachita Basins. Before joining the USGS in of fresh water per well to attempt a 2003, Jim worked for 25 years with Amoco and Devonian successful completion. Given the number BP on a variety of international and domestic of forecasted wells necessary to extract oil and gas exploration and production and Marcellus Shale the resource, there is concern that there produced water management projects. will not be enough fresh water available Gas, eastern for the work. Jim has published articles on unconventional gas reservoirs, oil and gas resource assessments, United States (3) The capacity for effective disposal or basin and petroleum system evolution, deep reclamation of post-completion drilling water sandstone deposition and reservoir and completion fluids and solids. All of development, thrust- and fold-belt structural the material pumped into the reservoir geology and petroleum accumulations, and that is recovered back to the surface carbonate sedimentology. His work comparing must be disposed or recycled. Currently, the American Petroleum Industry with the there is inadequate capacity to handle this American Whale Oil Industry was recognized flow-back material properly at the scale with the best presentation award for his talk at planned for full development. the Energy Minerals Division session at the 1994 Denver AAPG annual meeting. He received an SPEAKER (4) The potential for significant wildlife habitat M.S. in geology from Mississippi State University James L. Coleman Jr. fragmentation caused by drill-pad density in 1978. He lives in Sterling, Virginia, with his U. S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA and gathering, compression, and pipeline wife Jane. Funded by the AAPG Foundation facilities. In areas of large, contiguous habitat, the activities associated with Recent publications relevant to lectures: 11:30 am well-site construction, maintenance, Coleman Jr., J. L. 2008. Tight-gas sandstone Tuesday, February 22, 2011 and production activities may produce reservoirs: 25 years of searching for ‘‘the answer’’. Calgary TELUS Convention Centre unintended consequences with respect to In: Understanding, exploring, and developing Calgary, Alberta forest health and invasive species. tight-gas sands. S. P. Cumella, K.W. Shanley, and W. K. Camp (eds.). 2005 Vail Hedberg Please note: The cut-off date for ticket sales With collaborators, the USGS is studying Conference. American Association of Petroleum is 1:00 pm, Thursday, February 17, 2011. the relative importance of these factors and Geologists Hedberg Series, no. 3, p. 221-250. CSPG Member Ticket Price: $42.00 + GST. the role they may play in the evolution of the Non-Member Ticket Price: $45.00 + GST. Marcellus Shale gas play so that we can meet Coleman, J. 2009. Tight-gas sandstone reservoirs: our mission obligation to improve the nation’s the 200-year path from unconventional Each CSPG Technical Luncheon is 1 APEGGA PDH understanding of ecosystems and resources. to conventional gas resource and beyond: In credit. Tickets may be purchased online at https:// Proper and prudent planning with foresight Unconventional energy resources: making the www.cspg.org/eSeries/source/Events/index.cfm. to managing the entire natural resource base unconventional conventional. T. Carr, T. D’Agostino, will be necessary if the Marcellus shale gas W. Ambrose, J. Pashin, and N. C. Rosen (eds.). The Devonian Marcellus Shale is one of play will reach its stated potential. The first 29th Annual GCSSEPM Foundation Bob F. Perkins several, very-high-profile shale gas plays in steps in this planning effort involve examining Research Conference, December 6-8, 2009, the United States and is the most significant and understanding the baseline conditions of Houston, TX, Proceedings CD, p. 397-441. new play in the Appalachian Basin in several these four factors. decades. The following key factors will Coleman, J. L . and Swezey, C . S. 2009. E xamination probably determine whether or not this play BIOGRAPHY of potential factors affecting successful exploration will develop into a natural gas resource that Jim Coleman is the Director of the Eastern Energy and production of Devonian Marcellus shale gas, meets national expectations: Resources Science Center, U. S. Geological Survey eastern United States (abstract). 2009 American (USGS), which conducts research and resource Association of Petroleum Geologists Annual (1) The volume of economically extractable assessments on fossil fuel resources and examines Convention and Exhibition, Denver, Colorado, June resources. Assessments of the amount the effects of their presence and use on human 7-10, 2009. AAPG Search and Discovery Article of undiscovered, technically recoverable health and the environment. At the USGS, he has #90090. http://www.searchanddiscovery.net/ gas vary and depend on the effectiveness continued his research on unconventional gas abstracts/html/2009/ annual/abstracts/coleman. of horizontal drilling and multi-stage systems and oil and gas resource assessments in htm.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 11 DIVISION TALKS STRUCTURAL DIVISION Sponsored by Predicting ‘sweet spots’ in the emerging unconventional oil plays of the Deep Basin and southern Peace River Arch, AB (Part 2)

SPEAKERS Zeev Berger, Michelle Boast, and Martin Mushayandebvu Image Interpretation Technologies Inc.

12:00 Noon Thursday, January 13th, 2011* Room B, +30 level, Husky Energy 707 - 8th Avenue S.W. Calgary, Albaerta

(*re-scheduled from November)

The Deep Basin and the southern edge of the Peace River Arch have seen an Figure 1. Examples of structural control on active oil plays in the Deep Basin and Southern Peace River Arch unprecedented increase in drilling (Figure 1a). Basement structures that are interpreted from magnetic data and Devonian reef edges that have activities that are focused primarily been mapped from well and seismic data clearly appear to exert a significant control on the location of known conventional Nordegg gas pools, such as Whitecourt and Greencourt ( Figure 1b), as well as key oil shows on the development of the following in the emerging Nordegg shale play (Figure 1c). Basement structure and topography also appears to exert unconventional oil plays: the tight control on the development of the Cardium oil play in the Pembina area (Figure 1d). carbonate section of the Swan Hills reef complex, hydrothermal dolomite (HTD) reservoirs in the Wabamun and Debolt on the southern edge of the Peace River The presentation will be limited to 40 at the southern edge of the Peace River Arch are largely focused on exploitation minutes and will be followed by an open Arch, fractured carbonate along the Debolt of northwest-trending faults that are discussion. Participants are encouraged to and Pekisko Mississippian sub-crop edges, known to cause the development of HTD bring powerpoint examples to illustrate the fractured shale play of the Nordegg, reservoir in the Devonian and Mississippian their views on the subject matter. and tight reservoir sand of the Viking and formations. Cardium formations. INFORMATION The methods used to establish the The Structural Geology Committee thanks An integrated structural/tectonic study structural framework of the study area, Shell Canada Energy for their ongoing support of the Deep Basin and the southern and to identify the location of “sweet in providing us with a talk venue for the edge of the Peace River Arch area has spots” for each of the plays, will be past two years. We now move from gabbro demonstrated that basement features demonstrated in two luncheon talks of the facing to granite facing and Husky Energy have exerted significant control on the CSPG structural division. The October is providing the venue for our 2011 talks. development of “sweet spots” within many talk focused on the emerging Nordegg HEF Petrophysical continues to provide much- of these plays. For example, all the known oil shale play, and the Cardium tight oil enjoyed refreshments. We greatly appreciate oil shows in the Nordegg shale play are sand play of Pembina. The January talk this corporate support. located at the intersection of basement will cover exploration activities of the faults with Devonian reef edges, such as: Wabamun and Debolt plays of the Peace Simonette, Sturgeon Lake, Ante Creek, River Arch, the Mississippian subcrop and the Leduc Fringing Reef of the Peace edge plays, and the development of the River Arch. Recent exploration activities Swan Hills Reef Complex.

12 RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 DIVISION TALKS PALEONTOLOGY DIVISION Sponsored by

were considered to be of low interpretive from both sides of the river are critical in An overview of value. Moving away from the Quarry, the understanding the pre-contact use of the sites although slightly less dense, are also Athabasca Oilsands region. archaeology in dominated by Beaver River Sandstone artifacts. These lithic workshops tend to BIOGRAPHY the Athabasca yield artifacts in later stages of reduction Laura Roskowski attended Eastern Michigan or early tool production indicating that the University where she completed her B.Sc. Oilsands of pre-contact inhabitants were reducing the majoring in Geology, Anthropology, and History. Beaver River Sandstone into a portable size She moved to Canada in 2001 to attend Alberta for transport and use outside of the area the University of Calgary for her Master’s immediately adjacent to the Quarry. degree in Archaeology. Her thesis focused on SPEAKER the Geoarchaeology of the Below Forks Site, Laura Roskowski Archaeological sites encountered on the west Saskatchewan. On completion of her degree FMA Heritage Inc. side of the Athabasca River are characterized she began working for FMA Heritage Inc., by small campsites and chipping stations where she has been employed for almost 7:30 pm rather than quarries or lithic workshops. seven years. Working as an archaeological Friday, January 21st, 2011 These sites yield a higher percentage of tools consultant she has travelled across Alberta, Mount Royal University, Room B108 and a low percentage of waste materials. doing work on the prairies, in the parkland Calgary, Alberta Tools are considered to be of high interpretive and boreal forest environments. Her expertise value, allowing archaeologists to discern what is in the archaeology of the boreal forest of The Athabasca Oilsands area, north of Fort types of activities were conducted at the Alberta where she has conducted both shovel- McMurray, Alberta, contains some of the site. The sites on the west side of the river testing programs (yielding numerous sites) densest archaeological deposits in Canada. are also generally laterally confined to a and mitigative excavations (totaling over 700 Archaeological investigation at many of the small area, making it easier to excavate a square meters). sites in this area suggests that this region larger portion of the site. Many of these has been occupied for the past 10,000 years. sites have produced hearth features critical INFORMATION This talk will focus on the archaeology that for obtaining radiocarbon dates from which This event is jointly presented by the Alberta has been conducted in the area for the past archaeologists derive the sites’ age. Hearth Palaeontological Society, Mount Royal University, 30 years, the types of sites recorded, and the features are rarely encountered on the east and the CSPG Palaeontology Division. For details artifacts recovered from those sites. side of the river leaving archaeologists to rely or to present a talk in the future, please contact on projectile point styles for dating, which is CSPG Paleo Division Chair Philip Benham at Archaeology in the Athabasca Oilsands area somewhat unreliable. 403-691-3343 or [email protected]. has generally been divided into those sites Visit the APS website for confirmation of event situated on the east of the Athabasca River This talk will focus on several archaeological times and upcoming speakers: http://www. and those located on the west. This is due sites to illustrate why artifacts recovered albertapaleo.org/. to the varying type of sites and density of artifacts found on each side of the river. The archaeological sites present on the east side of the Athabasca tend to be dominated by a type of stone referred to as Beaver River Sandstone, yield dense deposits of waste material discarded during raw material extraction and early stage reduction, and are laterally extensive. In contrast, those sites on the west side of the river generally yield a variety of lithic raw material types, are sparse in nature, and are laterally confined.

The sites on the east side of the Athabasca are related to the Quarry of the Ancestors site complex located within Lease 90. The Quarry of the Ancestors is the primary location were pre-contact inhabitants of the area would come to extract Beaver River Sandstone to make tools for daily use. The quarry itself is characterized by incredibly dense archaeological deposits generally dominated by waste material discarded during extraction. Archaeological excavation conducted on a small portion of the quarry yielded millions of artifacts, most of which Figure 1. Period projectile point recovered from the Athabasca Oilsands area.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 13 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SUMMARY | By Colin Yeo

The fall is a busy time for the Society’s President Varsek gave an upbeat and energetic unconventional resource. He also recognized Executive. The annual review engagement overview of where the Society has come that, sadly, some of our members may be is conducted, the annual report of activities from over the last three years, its current unable or unwilling to change. Ultimately, our is being compiled, committees are going in situation, and where the CSPG is headed. members are responsible for their own futures. full force, convention planning is underway, Once he had finished, the former presidents and the Executive is preparing for the AGM lost no time in offering their opinions. Of The issue of Society governance was a hot and the incoming board. The President is the many suggestions and comments, three topic. All Executives since 2006 have been especially busy as he prepares reports for the stood out for me. acclaimed and some of our past presidents Past Presidents’ Dinner, Annual Report, the found this to be at odds with our current Reservoir, and the Annual General Meeting. Former President Bill Ayrton raised an Society bylaws and perhaps unhealthy as each extremely important issue affecting many Executive picks its successors. In practice, The Past Presidents’ Dinner is an annual of our members. The evolution of resource the Executive this year developed a roster event where former Society presidents listen plays has demanded a new skill set from of potential candidates for each position to a State of the Society address from the geologists but many are not prepared. and recruited nominees until they had a full current President and then impart their Engineers, particularly reservoir and drilling executive slate to be acclaimed. In this way, wisdom to the President based on their and completion engineers, have stepped some candidates were preserved for future experiences and observations over the years. forward to direct and manage activity in years and recruiting time was substantially The one common characteristic of these these new plays. reduced. The membership at large was invited former presidents who represent executives to advance any competing candidate through from the past 50 years is a deep commitment Dr. Ayrton wanted to know what is being the nomination process. This year, two Past to the Society and its success. There are lots done now and what is planned in the future Presidents recruited a candidate for Vice of stories about achievements and challenges to help members adjust to this new reality. President and the Society will hold an election their executives faced during their tenure, President Varsek pointed out the Shale Gas for that position. Interestingly, the two Past which are now fondly remembered and series running in the Reservoir and plans Presidents did not advance candidates for any are useful in putting current issues into to develop continuing education courses that other office, including the important position perspective. will help members understand this new and of Assistant Finance Director. There was

Source-Eval Ltd.: Exploration Geochemistry for Unconventional and Conventional Plays

B.C. Ab. Sk.

Expanded V Area

%Ro Vit.or Equiv. 4.80 3.4 3.2 DRY 3.0 GAS 2.8 2.6 2.4 2.20 2.2 2.0 WET 1.8 GAS 1.6 1.4 1.30 1.2 OIL 1.0 0.8 0.55 0.6 0.4

ISO-REFLECTANCE 1000 1000 I (%Ro) VITRINITE or TOC - Rock-Eval I 120

o EQUIVALENT R

.5% 0.6 800 0 800

II II 80 600 600 . WCSB Regional Maturity Trends 0.4

400 and Source Rock Characterization, # PI HI HI400 o R 40 % 5 .3 1 multiple horizons (Elk Pt. to Paskapoo) 0.2

200 200

III . Oil Prone? Condensate? Dry Gas? III 0 IV 0 0 0 430 465 400 450 500 550 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5 Reservoir Evaluation: Petrography, 0 50 100 150 200 . 400 440 480 520 560 XRD, SEM, Paragenesis, Desorption, TOC Tmax OI Tmax Resource Determination, Geo-mechanical Analysis, Basin Modeling. For presentation or discussion please contact: [email protected] or Tel: 403 607 6565 www.source-eval.com

14 RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 encouragement from the floor that these two of publications. The CSPG must ensure it has Past Presidents should form the nucleus of a the financial and organizational capability to new nominating committee and strive to put provide programs, services, and products of forward a competitive slate of candidates each interest to members. Because so much work year for all positions. is done within autonomous committees, there is a real need to establish a governance Near the end of the evening, one Past structure and policy framework within which President raised the issue of executive these committees can work. In the past, over-extension. President Varsek had listed some committees have bound the Society 33 initiatives that were either completed, to financial and logistical obligations that in progress, or being contemplated. The have been difficult to meet or are out of Past President felt that was just too many scope for the CSPG. While this was done and progress would be impaired on any unintentionally, it becomes distracting and one initiative. President Varsek tried to time-consuming for office staff and Executives explain that the CSPG had come through to deal with the fallout. Governance and a tumultuous period of restructuring and policy statements will allow committees to that this year was one of setting a new work within pre-defined boundaries so there agenda. Part of that process was to take an are no surprises for anyone. inventory of all the opportunities available to the Society and to start the renewal The CSPG’s outreach programs and liaisons process by harvesting the lowest hanging with other societies and associations will fruit. Other Past Presidents joined in to become more effective in achieving their reflect on a simpler time and wonder if goals. Outreach programs will be designed the Society should return to that time. to target specific groups for very specific Other Past Presidents countered that our reasons and will focus a committee’s energy, science, membership, and external relations time, and money on specific tasks. It will also with sponsors and partners are more make life easier for committee members complex than they have ever been. Becoming because they will know what they have to do simpler means delivering less service to our within a period of time and within a specified members and when members feel they are budget. Relationships with other societies not receiving value for their dues, they will and associations will become clearer. In the leave the CSPG and join organizations they past, we were sometimes unsure of why we feel offer them more. participated with other organizations and sometimes found ourselves spending time and After the formal part of the evening, many effort in areas that were peripheral to our Past Presidents approached President Varsek mission. In 2011, the intent is for us to know to offer congratulations on delivering stellar why we are involved in an initiative, what we financial performance in a very challenging have to contribute, and how we will meet our environment. They were very gracious. obligations within a certain time frame.

The Past Presidents’ Dinner was timely as it The office staff will become more visible occurred just before the Fall Strategy Session and proactive in supporting members and where the incoming executive members are delivering programs and services to them. introduced to the role and responsibilities While members lead and direct the Society, of the Executive Committee and where the office is committed to helping them they participate in developing a shared plan, develop, and execute their services and strategic plan for 2011. Incoming President programs as efficiently as possible. Kirk Osadetz places great importance on jointly developing the strategic plan with the The new Executive is eagerly adopting the new directors as it creates ownership and new strategies and directions they have commitment from all. While this year was had a hand in developing. This Fall Strategy marked by change, new ideas, and a vision of Session marks the second time an Executive where the Society is headed, next year will has begun their work ahead of taking office. be focused on consolidation and execution. In the past, these sessions would take place Delivering value to our members is a key goal in February or March and by the time an of the Society. Executive figured out what they had to do, the year would be half over, the summer would The 2011 Executive will be using some be upon them, leaving only four months for simple management tools to ensure they work. Also, starting work in the fall allows are doing the right things in a timely fashion the incoming Executive an opportunity to to achieve specific goals. CSPG members work closely with outgoing directors for two should have a sense that they are receiving months. By the time January rolls around and value by being a member such as keeping they officially take office, they will be running current technically, attending networking like a well-oiled machine. Good luck to them sessions, or accessing the extensive library and we thank them for their service.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 15 SPRING EDUCATION SCHEDULE Short Courses

The Application of Geomechanics in Unconventional Reservoirs April 9-10 Houston, Texas

Natural Fractures In Hydrocarbon Reservoirs: Principles and Applications April 14-15 Houston, Texas

Decision-Making in E & P: From Evaluating Plays and Prospects To Efficient Appraisal and Development April 14-15 Houston, Texas

Basic Well Log Analysis April 25-29 Austin, Texas

Practical Salt Tectonics April 26-28 Austin, Texas Field Seminars

Field Safety Course for Field Trip Leaders March 31-April 1 Houston, Texas

Deep-Water Siliciclastic Reservoirs April 14-19 Northern California

Clastic Reservoir Facies and Sequence Stratigraphic Analysis of Alluvial-Plain, Shoreface, Deltaic, and Shelf Depositional Systems April 30-May 6 Utah Last Chance

Winter Education Conference February 28-March 4 Houston, Texas

Registration and Information: Toll-free (U.S. and Canada) (888) 338.3387, or (918) 560.2650 • Fax: (918) 560.2678 • email: [email protected] Download a registration form at http://www.aapg.org/education/fec.cfm UNICORNS IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL: Part 3 – Coal Bed Methane (CBM) | By E. R. (Ross) Crain, P.Eng.

Unicorns are beautiful, mythical beasts, because they allow for the release of sorbed before they can produce gas. Some coal much sought after by us mere mortals. The gas within coal beds and migration to the beds have been de-watered naturally or by same is true for petrophysical models for well bore (Figures 1, 2). crossflows due to previous drilling for oil unconventional reservoirs. This is the third in or gas in nearby wells. Poor quality cement a series of review articles outlining the simple One gram of coal can contain as much surface jobs are a major cause of such crossflows. beauty of some practical methods for log area as several football fields and therefore analysis of the unusual. is capable of sorbing large quantities of CBM wells, unlike conventional oil and methane. One short ton (2,000 pounds gas producers, usually show an increase in COAL BED METHANE BASICS mass) of coal can store about 1,300 m3 of the amount of production (after initial de- Coal bed methane (CBM) is an economic methane. Depending on reservoir pressure, watering). As a coal is de-watered, the cleat source of natural gas that is generated and not all the storage capacity is filled with gas. system progressively opens farther away stored in coal beds. It is a widely occurring from the well. As this process continues, gas exploitable resource that can be easily Coal-bed gas content must reach near- flow increases from the expanding volume recovered and used near the well or where saturation, either by biogenic or of de-watered coal. Water production gas pipeline infrastructure currently exists. thermogenic gas-generation processes, to decreases with time, which makes gas be economically viable. Cleats must be production from the well more economical. Coal acts as both source rock and reservoir present to allow for connectivity between rock for methane. Methane is generated sorption sites. If the coal-bed horizons SORPTION ISOTHERMS FOR COAL by microbial (biogenic) or thermal are buried deeply (>2,000 meters), cleats BED METHANE (thermogenic) processes shortly after are closed because of overburden pressure Sorption isotherms indicate the maximum burial, and throughout the diagenetic cycle acting on the structurally weak coal bed. volume of methane that a coal can store resulting from further burial. Much of this Cleats can also be filled with other minerals, under equilibrium conditions at a given gas is physically sorbed on coal surfaces. reducing their effective permeability. pressure and temperature. The direct Some higher ends may also be produced by method of determining sorption isotherms coal – such as ethane and propane – but are Methane sorbed within coal beds is involves drilling and cutting core that is usually only a few percent of the total gas. regulated by the hydrodynamic pressure immediately placed in canisters, followed by gradient. Methane is maintained within the measurements of the volume of gas evolved Adsorption is the process of gas adhering coal bed as long as the water table remains from the coal over time. to a microporous surface. Desorption is the above the gas-saturated coal. If the water process of releasing gas from such a surface. table is lowered by basin or climatic changes, The indirect method takes advantage of then the amount of methane stored within core or cuttings that have been stored and These surfaces are called cleats and range the coal is reduced by release to the does not require fresh core, thus making in size from obvious macrofractures to atmosphere. this method more economical. Sorption virtually invisible nanofractures. These cleat isotherms are experimentally measured using patterns are crucial for gas production Many coal beds need to be de-watered (Continued on page 18...)

Figure 1. Illustration of cleats, large to tiny. Figure 2. Microphoto shows cleats are tiny (black) but may be numerous.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 17 (...Continued from page 17) 600 a powdered coal sample whose saturated methane content at a single temperature is measured at about six pressure points.

Moisture content in a coal decreases the sorption capacity. Because coal loses moisture at a variable rate subsequent to removal from the bore hole, a standard moisture content is used when measuring sorption isotherms.

The Langmuir equation is used to predict the maximum gas storage capacity of a reservoir and the equilibrium pressure. Most CBM reservoirs are somewhat under- saturated, so the stored gas is less than the capacity of the reservoir (Figures 3, 4). A few are reported to be hyper-saturated. The equations are:

1: K1 = 0.21258 * Tf^0.5

2: K2 = 2.82873 – 0.00268 * Tf 3: K3 = 0.00259 * Tf + 0.50899 Figure 3.Comparison of conventional gas production and CBM production characteristic. 4: K4 = 0.00402 * Tf + 2.20342

5: Gmax = 10^(K1 * log(Wfcarb / Wwtr) + K2)

6: PL = 10^(K3 * log(Wfcarb / Wwtr) + K4)

Where: 3 Gmax = gas volume at infinite pressure (ft /ton)

PL = Langmuir pressure, at which the sample’s

gas content is ½ Gmax (atmospheres)

Tf = temperature (ºC)

Wfcarb = mass fraction of fixed carbon (fractional)

Wwtr = mass fraction of moisture (fractional)

Wfcarb and W wtr are usually measured in the lab during a Proximate Analysis. Log analysis methods for obtaining these values are described at http:// www.spec2000.net/17-speccoal.htm.

Numerical Example: Given:

Wash Wfcarb Wwtr Pf atm Tf ºC DEPTH m 0.20 0.48 0.32 100 30 1,000

Then: Figure 4. Typical sorption isotherm showing initial reservoir gas content vs. pressure, critical desorption pressure, K1 = 1.2 and abandonment conditions Gas will not flow until reservoir pressure is less than critical pressure. K2 = 2.7 K3 = 0.6 The desorption data obtained during the first CBM GAS IN PLACE K4 = 2.3 several hours can be used to calculate the Gas-in-place is calculated from the isotherm

Gmax = 898.2 scf / ton lost gas component. Cumulative desorbed curve, or from the actual gas content found

PL = 267.5 atm gas is plotted against the square root of in the lab, by using coal-bed thickness and (100 atm = 1,466 psi = 10,132 kPa) desorption time. A regression line is drawn coal density as measured by well logs: through the first 4 to 6 hours of data points

GAS CONTENT FROM CORE OR and extrapolated back to time zero. The 7: GIP = KG6 * Gc * DENS * THICK * AREA SAMPLE ANALYSIS intercept of the regression line at time zero

Finding the actual gas content, Gc, in the is the lost gas, added to the actual desorbed Where: lab can be done directly as part of the gas volume to obtain the total actual gas. This GIP = gas in place (Bcf)

Procimate Analysis, or indirectly. Two gas value is further adjusted using the ash and Gc = sorbed gas from isotherm or coal content values are recorded. One is the water content from the proximate analysis analysis report (scf/ton) actual gas content of the bulk coal; the to obtain the dry, ash-free value (Figure 5, DENS = layer density from log or lab second is related to the dry, ash-free state page 20). Gas content (Gc) results are usually measurement (g/cc) of the coal, as shown in Table 1 (see also given as scf/ton or g/cc. (Multiply Gc in g/cc THICK = coal seam thickness (feet) figure 6, page 20). by 32.18 to get Gc in scf/ton). AREA (acres) (Continued on page 20...)

18 RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 CORRECTED DATA RAW DATA (AS RECEIVED FOR CORE AIR-DRIED FOR CUTTINGS) GAS CONTENT

DEPTH (M) MEASURED RAPID GAS DRY ASH CAVINGS SEAM SAMPLE TYPE CANISTER # LOST GAS GAS DESORB GAS CONTENT FREE CORRECTED TOP BOTTOM (SCF/TON) (SCF/TON) (SCF/TON) (SCF/TON) (SCF/TON) (SCF/TON)

COARSE AND 1 390 948.20 949.00 63.1 67.9 5.5 136.5 320.0 251.4 FINE CUTTINGS COARSE AND 2 392 962.20 963.40 75.4 71.1 5.5 151.9 353.6 265.3 FINE CUTTINGS 3 FINE CUTTINGS 395 964.20 965.00 96.0 85.5 11.6 193.1 358.6 285.3 4U CORE 399 980.71 981.01 19.1 116.2 38.4 173.7 351.4 N/A 4U CORE GG 981.01 981.09 4.0 147.5 12.9 202.4 350.3 N/A 4U CORE 410 981.14 981.44 9.1 28.5 4.7 42.3 267.1 N/A 4U CORE HH 981.65 981.71 39.6 111.1 8.0 158.6 281.7 N/A 4L CORE 442 982.01 982.31 72.4 206.3 43.1 321.8 401.2 N/A 4L CORE 443 982.31 982.61 56.3 203.6 64.9 324.8 427.6 N/A 4L CORE 445 982.61 982.91 51.6 193.8 61.1 306.4 395.4 N/A 4L CORE 446 982.91 983.21 41.8 192.0 99.1 333.0 400.5 N/A 4L CORE 447 983.21 983.51 31.9 148.0 65.5 245.4 351.8 N/A 4L CORE 449 983.51 983.81 60.9 201.2 67.0 329.1 386.8 N/A 4L CORE 458 984.01 984.31 47.3 209.1 93.5 349.9 408.2 N/A 4L CORE 482 984.31 984.61 59.6 222.9 79.5 362.0 423.4 N/A 4L CORE 483 984.61 984.91 66.8 208.3 34.8 309.9 365.8 N/A 4L CORE 484 984.91 985.21 40.5 182.8 118.9 342.3 408.2 N/A 4L CORE 501 985.21 985.51 29.6 140.2 109.5 279.3 379.1 N/A 5 CORE T4 987.49 988.01 62.3 211.4 73.0 346.7 410.1 N/A 5 CORE 506 988.01 988.31 47.1 195.2 61.5 303.8 399.7 N/A 5 CORE 510/76 988.31 988.61 38.3 196.8 111.8 347.0 396.2 N/A 5 CORE 518 988.61 988.91 65.8 201.0 60.1 326.9 382.5 N/A COARSE 6 521 996.00 997.00 12.4 66.0 7.5 197.8 414.5 322.1 CUTTINGS 6 FINE CUTTINGS 523 996.00 997.00 167.5 101.2 13.5 282.3 424.3 348.4 COARSE 6 531 997.00 997.50 60.9 51.1 5.7 117.7 350.0 263.5 CUTTINGS *CLEAT SAMPLE TAKEN 983.81-984.01 Table 1. Gas content evaluation of coal beds. Notice that the dry, ash-free values are considerably higher than the actual measured values. As well, an estimate of the “lost gas” was made for each sample to account for gas evolved from the sample before the lab measurements were made.

LOG DEPTH SEAM AVERAGE GAS AVERAGE GAS AVERAGE ASH/ DENSITY SEAM # TOP BOTTOM THICKNESS (M) CONTENT (SCF/TON) CONTENT (CC/G) C1-C4 (%) SEAM (%) (G/CC)

1 947.2 947.6 0.4 251 7.8 99.72 15.86 1.82 2 961.8 962.2 0.4 265 8.0 99.72 21.85 1.69 3 963.8 964.2 0.4 285 8.9 99.72 14.21 1.62 4U 980.0 981.0 1.0 144 4.5 97.20 46.40 1.90 4L 981.0 985.0 4.0 316 9.9 97.20 6.92 1.29 5 987.0 988.6 1.6 331 10.3 97.94 6.90 1.29 6 997.5 998.5 1.0 311 9.7 99.15 16.32 1.68 TOTAL 8.8 Table 2. Summary table of gas desorption analysis.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 19 (...Continued from page 18) KG6 = 1.3597*10^-6 If AREA = 640 acres, then GIP = Bcf/Section (= Bcf/sq. mile). Multiply meters by 3.281 to obtain thickness in feet.

Multiply Gc in g/cc by 32.18 to get

Gc in scf/ton.

Typical coal densities are in the range of 1.20 to 2.00 g/cc. Older density logs have a hard time reading less than 1.5 g/cc (FDC logs) but modern LDT logs can do it well. Some paper logs may not show the backup scale for density less than 2.0 g/cc, but this information may be included in the digital file. If density cannot be obtained from logs, use lab values or estimates.

CAUTION: If Gc is an actual measurement, the above equation gives reasonable results.

If Gc is for the dry, ash-free case or a theoretical value, the GIP from equation 1 must be adjusted to represent the actual coal by multiplying GIP by (1 - Vash - Vwtr). Figure 5. Example of graph for finding “lost gas”.

Note that free gas in the cleats is assumed to be negligible in most coals. In computer software, coal is usually triggered and PHIe set to zero, and conventional log analysis models used where there is no coal. Triggers are chosen based on density, neutron, sonic, or resistivity, or some combination of these. Recoverable gas can be estimated by using the sorption curve at abandonment pressure

(Ga) and replacing Gc in Equation 7 with

(Gc - Ga).

CALCULATING GAS CONTENT FROM LOGS These approaches are used where measured

Gc values are not available and involve more detailed analysis of the coal itself. This breakdown can be derived from analysis of core data, called proximate analysis, or by analysis of log data. Some of the following methods assume a complete coal analysis is available from log or core data (See table 2 [page 19] and table 3). Note that the various authors use a variety of units of measurement, so read their original papers carefully.

Mullen equation, based on some average data in New Mexico (San Juan Basin):

8: Gc = 1053 – 542 * DENS coal

Mavor, Close, McBaner equation, based on some average data in Utah: Figure 6. Well log showing location of coal layers analyzed by proximate and gas desorption analysis. Log curves

9: Gc = 601.4 – 751.8 * W ash / (1.0 - Wwtr) are GR, CAL, PE, neutron, density, density correction.

Kim Equation: Where: Modified Kim Equation:

10: Ko = 5.6 + 0.8 * Wfcarb / Wwtr Gc = sorbed gas estimate (scf/ton) 13: Gc = 75 * (1 - W wtr - Wash) * (Ko *

11: No = 0.39 – 0.1 * Wfcarb / Wwtr Pf = formation pressure (atmospheres) (KG7 * DEPTH/100)^No - 0.14 * KG8

12: Gc = 75 * (1 - W wtr - Wash) * (Ko * Tf = formation temperature (ºC) * DEPTH/100 + KG9)

Pf^No - 0.14 * Tf)

20 RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 Where:

SPmax = absolute value of maximum SP deflection in coal (mv) THICK = coal bed thickness (ft) KG10 = 3,100

Qg = gas rate (mmcf/d)

The parameter KG10 should be adjusted for each project area.

Numerical Example: Given:

Wash Wfcarb Wwtr Pf atm Tf ºC DEPTH m 0.20 0.48 0.32 100 30 1,000

Note 100 atm = 1,466 psi = 10,132 kPa

Mullen equation (San Juan Basin)

Gc = 402.6 scf/ton

Mavor, Close, McBaner(Utah)

Gc = 380.3 scf/ton

Kim Equation (See Figure 7) Ko = 6.8 No = 0.2

Gc = 588.1 scf/ton

Modified Kim using default gradients

Gc = 586.1 scf/ton

Figure 7. Example of coal-bed methane log analysis. Kim and modified Kim gas content curves are shown in 2nd track from the right. If temperature and pressure gradients matched measured values, the results should be identical to each other. The Langmuir gas curve in the same track shows the maximum storage capacity of the coal.

LOG DEPTH SEAM RESOURCES RESOURCES SEAM # THICKNESS RESOURCES (BCF/ ADJUSTED FOR C1- TOP BOTTOM (M) (CC/CM2) SECTION) C4 (BCF/SECTION)

1 947.2 947.6 0.4 571 0.52 0.52 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 2 961.8 962.2 0.4 560 0.51 0.51 E. R. (Ross) Crain, P.Eng. is a Consulting 3 963.8 964.2 0.4 577 0.53 0.53 Petrophysicist and a Professional Engineer with over 45 years of experience in reservoir 4U 980.0 981.0 1.0 855 0.78 0.76 description, petrophysical analysis, and 4L 981.0 985.0 4.0 5,092 4.66 4.53 management. He has been a specialist in the 5 987.0 988.6 1.6 2,133 1.95 1.91 integration of well log analysis and petrophysics with geophysical, geological, engineering, and 6 997.5 998.5 1.0 1,632 1.49 1.48 simulation phases of oil and gas exploration and TOTAL 8.8 10.45 10.24 exploitation, with widespread Canadian and Overseas experience. Table 3. Gas in place calculation based on proximate analysis and gas desorption measurements.

Where: Pf and Tf to depth. Measured values are His textbook, “Crain’s Petrophysical Handbook KG7 = pressure gradient (atm per 100 meters) usually better but gradient values are useful on CD-ROM” is widely used as a reference to KG8 = temperature gradient (ºC per 100 when no measured data exists. Kim and practical log analysis. Mr. Crain is an Honourary meters) modified Kim will give identical results if Member and Past President of the Canadian KG9 = surface temperature (ºC) gradients match measured values. Well Logging Society (CWLS), a Member of DEPTH = average reservoir depth (meters) Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts Defaults: KG7 = 0.10, KG8 = 1.80, Mullen’s correlation between SP development (SPWLA), and a Registered Professional KG9 = 12 and deliverability: Engineer with Alberta Professional Engineers,

14: Qg = KG10 * SPmax * THICK Geologists and Geophysicists (APEGGA). This equation uses local gradients relating

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 21 GO TAKE A HIKE SulphurGO TAKE Gates A HIKE P.R.A., Grande Cache, Alberta ByGO Philip TAKE Benham A HIKE Trailhead: Drive 6.3 km north along Hwy 40 from Sulphur Gates P.R.A., Grande Cache, Alberta90 St in Grande Cache . Turn west on gravel road GO TAKE A HIKE to Sulphur Gates Provincial Recreation area. Sulphur Gates P.R.A., Grande Cache, AlbertaTrailhead: Drive 6.3 km north along Hwy 40 from By Philip Benham Trailhead is an additional 6.3 km from Hwy and 90 St in Grande Cache . Turn west on gravel road Sulphur Gates P.R.A., Grande Cache,Trailhead:starts adjacent Drive Alberta 6.3to a km picnic north area, along which Hwy is 40 also from a By Philip Benham to Sulphur Gates Provincial Recreation area. 90staging St in Grande area for Cache local .equestrians. Turn west on gravel road | by Philip Benham to TrailheadSulphur Gates is an additionalProvincial 6.3Recreation km from area. Hwy and starts adjacent to a picnic area, which is also a TrailheadDistance: is anThe additional trail is a 6.3short km excursion from Hwy (600mand staging area for local equestrians. Trailhead:startsreturn) adjacent with Drive steps, to 6.3a picnic handrails,km north area, andwhichalong several Hwyis also 40 a from 90staging spectacularSt in Grandearea for viewing Cache.local equestrians. platforms.Turn west Blue on gravel line marks road totrail, G.C. Distance: The trail is a short excursion (600m Sulphurarrow Gatesis on the Provincial access Recreationroad. area. Trailhead isDistance: anreturn) additional with The steps,6.3 trail km is handrails, afrom short Hwy excursion and and several starts (600m adjacent spectacular viewing platforms. Blue line marks trail, G.C. toreturn) Elevationa picnic with area, steps, gain which:<50 handrails, ism also. aand staging several area for local arrow is on the access road. G.C. equestrians.spectacularNTS Map Sheetviewing; platforms.083E14. Blue line marks trail, arrow is on the access road. Distance:Elevation The gain trail:<50 is m . a short excursion (600m Sulphur Gates Provincial Recreation Area, also return)ElevationNTS withMap gain steps,Sheet:<50 handrails,; m 083E14.. and several spectacular known locally as Hell’s Gate, provides easy viewingNTS Map platforms. Sheet; Blue083E14. line marks trail, arrow is on access to dramatic views of vertically oriented theSulphur access road. Gates Provincial Recreation Area, also lower Cretaceous strata. It is also the confluence Sulphurknown Gateslocally Provincialas Hell’s Gate, Recreation provides Area, easy also of the Smoky and Sulphur Rivers. A short guided knownaccess locally to dramatic as Hell’s views Gate, of provides vertically easy oriented Elevationtrail, which gain: can <50 be completedm. NTS Map by Sheet:anyone 083E14.with 1 km accesslower toCretaceous dramatic views strata. of verticallyIt is also theoriented confluence reasonable mobility , leads to several viewpoints of lowerof the Cretaceous Smoky and strata. Sulphur It is Rivers. also the A confluence short guided SulphurSulphur Gates Gates. Provincial Recreation Area, also 1 km knownof trail,the locally Smokywhich as canand Hell’s beSulphur completed Gate, Rivers. provides by Aanyone short easy guided accesswith to 1 km trail,reasonable which can mobility be completed, leads to by several anyone viewpoints with of dramaticThe locale views lies of vertically in the transition oriented between lower Cretaceousthe Front strata.reasonableSulphur It is also Gates. mobility the confluence, leads to of several the Smoky viewpoints and Sulphur of SulphurRanges Gates. and the Foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Rivers.Extensive A short faulting guided and trail, folding which has can exposed be completed The locale lies in the transition between the Front by anyoneCretaceous with and reasonable Jurassic mobilitystrata here. leads Perhaps to several TheRanges locale andlies inthe the Foothills transition of thebetween Rocky the Mountains. Front viewpoints500m eastof Sulphur of the Gates.main viewpoint, the Sulphur River RangesExtensive and faultingthe Foothills and foldingof the Rocky has exposed Mountains. Thrust surfaces. Strata in its hanging wall have ExtensiveCretaceous faulting and andJurassic folding strata has exposedhere. Perhaps The localebeen comlies inpressed the transition into a combetweenplex seriesthe Front of foldsRanges, Cretaceous500m east and of theJurassic main strataviewpoint, here. the Perhaps Sulphur River and the the largest Foothills of which of the is Rockythe Eaton Mountains. Anticline. Extensive Folding 500mThrust east surfaces. of the main Strata viewpoint, in its hanging the Sulphur wall have River faultinghas and resulted folding in has overste exposedepened, Cretaceous vertical, and and Jurassic even Thrustbeen surfaces. compressed Strata into in aits com hangingplex series wall have of folds , strataoverturned here. Perhaps strata 500m adjacent east to of the the fault. main Upright, viewpoint, beenthe comlargestpressed of which into isa thecom Eatonplex series Anticline. of folds Folding, the Sulphurerosion-resistant River Thrust conglomerates surfaces. Strata of the in Lower its hanging thehas largest resulted of which in overste is theepened, Eaton Anticline. vertical, Foldingand even wall haveCretaceous been compressed Cadomin Fminto create a complex the constriction,series of folds, hasoverturned resulted instrata overste adjacentepened, to vertthe ical,fault. and Upright, even known as the Sulphur Gates, at the confluence of theoverturned largesterosion-resistant of strata which adjacent is conglomerates the Eaton to the Anticline. fault. of the Upright, Lower Folding has erosion-resistantthe two rivers. Theconglomerates Sulphur River of theruns Lower along the resultedCretaceous in oversteepened, Cadomin vertical,Fm create and the even constriction, overturned Cretaceousstratigraphic Cadomin top of theFm Cadomincreate the for constriction, up to two km strataknown adjacent as the to Sulphur the fault. Gates, Upright, at the erosion-resistant confluence of knownbefore as joining the Sulphur with the Gates, Smoky at theRiver. confluence The Sulphur of conglomeratesthe two rivers. of The the Sulphur Lower River Cretaceous runs along Cadomin the theRi twover gerivers.t s it s The name Sulphur from thRivere di scoruns loura along tions the Formationstratigraphic create the top constriction,of the Cadomin known for upas theto two Sulphur km stratigraphiccaused by sulphur–rich top of the Cadomin springs for upstream. up to two km Gates,before at the joining confluence with the of Smokythe two River. rivers. The The Sulphur Sulphur before joining with the Smoky River. The Sulphur Upstream view of Kvass Flats on braided portion of Smoky River. Note stumps RiverRi runsver ge alongt s it s thename stratigraphic from the di topsco lofoura the tions Cadomin RiThever geCadomint s it s name consists from thofe dichertsco loura pebbles tions derived oriented upstream. for upcaused to two by kmsulphur–rich before joining springs with upstream. the Smoky River. caused by sulphur–rich springs upstream. Upstream view of Kvass Flats on braided portion of Smoky River. Note stumps oriented upstream. The Sulphurhundreds River of km gets westwards its name fromin BC. the At discolourations its base is a Upstream view of Kvass Flats on braided portion of Smoky River. Note stumps major unconformity that cuts down-section Upstream view of Kvass Flats on braided portion of Smoky River. Note stumps causedThe by Cadomin sulphur-rich consists springs of upstream. chert pebbles derived oriented upstream. Theeastwards. Cadomin To consists the right of of chert the Cadomin pebbles derived from the oriented upstream. hundreds of km westwards in BC. At its base is a hundredsviewing platformof km westwards and for mostin BC. of At the its trail’s base lengthis a The Cadominmajor unconformity consists of thatchert cuts pebbles down-section derived hundreds majorare exposuresunconformity of thethat terrestrial cuts down-section upper Nikanassin of kmeastwards. westwards Toin BC. the At right its baseof the is aCadomin major unconformity from the eastwards.Formation To. The the lensesright of of the sand Cadomin within fromthis formationthe that viewing cuts down-section platform and eastwards. for most of To the the trail’s right length of the viewingare channel platform bodies. and for most of the trail’s length Cadominareare exposures exposures from the of ofthe viewing the terrestrial terrestrial platform upper upper and Nikanassin Nikanassin for most of Formation. The lenses of sand within this formation theFormation trail’sReference: length. The are lenses exposures of sand of within the terrestrial this formation upper are channel bodies. NikanassinareMcMechan, channel Formation. bodies. M.E. 1996. The Geology lenses of and sand structural within this formationcross aresection, channel Grande bodies. Cache, Alberta. GSC Map Reference: Reference:1904A. Reference:McMechan,McMechan, McMechan, M.E. M.E. 1996. 1996. M.E. Geology Geology1996. Geologyand and structural structuraland structural cross section, Grande Cache, Alberta. GSC Map crosscross Mapsection, section, from Grande www.canmaps.com Grande Cache, Cache,Alberta. Alberta.GSC(source Map GSC 1904A.NRC). Map 1904A.1904A. Map from www.canmaps.com (source NRC). MapTheMap from Reservoir from www.canmaps.com www.canmaps.com Committee we(sourcelcomes(source NRC). contributions NRC). from our readership to this series. If you wish to The Reservoir Committee welcomes contributions from our offer a submission to Go Take a Hike on your readershipTheThe Reservoir Reservoir to this series. Committee Committee If you wish we wetolcomes offerlcomes a contributionssubmission contributions to Go favourite hike of geological interest, email the Takefromfrom a ourHike our readership on readership your favourite to tothis hikethis series. of series. geological If you If youinterest, wish wish to email to Reservoir at [email protected] for more Sulphur Gate. Confluence of Smoky River carrying glacial flour (bottom) and the muddy brown theoffer offerReservoir a submissiona submission at [email protected] to toGo Go Take Take afor Hike amore Hike oninformation. onyour your Sulphur Gate. Confluence of Smoky River carrying glacial flour (bottom) and information. Sulphur River. The rivers flow 100’s of metres before mixing. favourite hike of geological interest, email the the muddy brown Sulphur River. The rivers flow 100’s of metres before mixing. favourite hike of geological interest, email the Background Photo by Astrid Arts. ReservoirReservoir at [email protected] [email protected] formore more Sulphur Gate. Confluence ofof SmokySmoky Rive River rcarrying carrying glacial glacial flour flour (bottom) (bottom) and and informationinformation. . the 22muddy RESERVOIR brownbrown SulphurSulphur ISSUE River. River.1 • JANUARY The The rive rive 2011rsrs flow flow 100’s 100’s of of metres metres before before mixing. mixing. TL: Looking down on Sulphur Gates. Sheet and channel sands of the Nikanassin Fm are overlain by the conglomeratic Cadomin on left.

TR: Slightly upstream of Sulphur Gates. Vertically oriented Cadomin is more resistant and narrows at the confluence. To its right is the Nikanassin Fm. Channels are denoted by a ‘CH.’

CR: Indian Paintbrush adds a splash of summer colour.

BL: View from atop the Sulphur Gates. The Sulphur River flows along the contact between Cadomin and Gething Fm. Note also the erosional surfaces internal to the Cadomin.

BR: Close up of white, light, and dark-grey chert pebbles of the Cadomin Fm. The tendency of the pebbles to fracture provide vital permeability in this tight reservoir rock. TL:TL: Looking Looking down down on Sulphur on Sulphur Gates. Sheet Gates. and Sheet channel and sands channel of sands of the Nikanassin Fm are TL: Looking down on Sulphur Gates. Sheet and channel sandstheTL: Nikanassin of Looking the Nikanassin Fm down are overlainon Sulphur Fm by are the Gates. conglomeratic Sheet Cadominand channel sands of the Nikanassin Fm are overlain by the conglomeratic Cadomin on left. overlain by the conglomeratic Cadomin on left. onoverlain left. by the conglomeratic Cadomin on left. TR:TR:TR: Slightly Slightly Slightly upstream upstream upstream of Sulphur of of Sulphur SulphurGates. Vertically Gates. Gates. orientedVertically Vertically oriented oriented Cadomin Cadomin is is more more resistant resistant and and TR: Slightly upstream of Sulphur Gates. Vertically oriented CadominCadominnarrowsnarrows is moreisat at morethe the resistant confluence. confluence. resistant and narrows To andTo its its atright right the is confluence.is the the Nikanassin Nikanassin To its Fm. Fm. Channels Channels are are denoted denoted by by a a ‘CH.’ ‘CH.’ narrows at the confluence. To its right is the Nikanassin Fm.right Channels is the Nikanassin are denoted Fm. Channels by a ‘CH.’are denoted by a ‘CH.’ CR:CR: Indian Indian Paintbrush Paintbrush adds adds a a splash splash of of summer summer colour. colour. CR: Indian Paintbrush adds a splash of summer colour. CR: Indian Paintbrush adds a splash of summer colour. BL: View from atop the Sulphur Gates. The Sulphur River flows along the contact between BL:BL: View View from from atop atopthe Sulphur the Sulphur Gates. The Gates. Sulphur The River Sulphur flows River flows along the contact between BL: View from atop the Sulphur Gates. The Sulphur River flowsalongCadominCadomin along the contact the and and contact betweenGething Gething betweenCadomin Fm. Fm. Note Note and alsoGethingalso the the Fm. erosional erosional Note also surfaces surfaces internal internal to to the the Cadomin. Cadomin. Cadomin and Gething Fm. Note also the erosional surfaces internalthe erosional to the surfaces Cadomin. internal to the Cadomin. BR:BR: Close Close up up of of white, white, light, light, and and dark-grey dark-grey chert chert pebbles pebbles of of the the Cadomin Cadomin Fm. Fm. The The tendency tendency TL: Looking down on Sulphur Gates.BR:ofof Closethe Sheetthe pebbles pebblesup of andwhite, to to fracturechannellight,fracture and provide providedark-grey sands vital vital chert permeabilityof permeability pebbles the Nikanassinof the in in this this tight tight reservoirFm reservoir are rock. rock. BR: Close up of white, light, and dark-grey chert pebbles of theCadomin Cadomin Fm. The Fm. tendency The tendency of the pebbles to fracture provide of the pebbles to fractureoverlain provide by thevital conglomeraticpermeability in this Cadomin tightvital reservoir permeability on rock.left. in this tight reservoir rock.

TR: Slightly upstream of Sulphur Gates. Vertically oriented Cadomin is more resistant and narrows at the confluence. To its right is the Nikanassin Fm. Channels are denoted by a ‘CH.’

CR: Indian Paintbrush adds a splash of summer colour.

BL: View from atop the Sulphur Gates. The Sulphur River flows along the contact between Cadomin and Gething Fm. Note also the erosional surfaces internal to the Cadomin.

BR: Close up of white, light, and dark-grey chert pebbles of the Cadomin Fm. The tendency of the pebbles to fracture provide vital permeability in this tight reservoir rock. Background Photo by Astrid Arts.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 23 28th ANNUAL CSPG SQUASH TOURNAMENT February 3-5, 2011 World Health Club • 722 Edgemont Blvd NW This squash tournament is open to CSPG and CSEG members THERE IS A MAXIMUM OF 125 PLAYERS! GET YOUR ENTRY FORM IN EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT! Register online at www.cspg.org

EVENTS: Men’s & Women’s A, B, C, D, and Novice. ENTRY FEE: $ 75.00 Members (Members of the CSPG and CSEG, Spouse/Partner) $120.00 Non-Members • Two guaranteed matches (Saturday teams tourney), t-shirt, refreshments and food during the tournament, Saturday night dinner and draw prizes. New award this year: Spirit Award in honor of Cynthia Riediger. • Pre-tournament registration social will be at the Bow Valley Racquet Club (2nd Street and 5th Avenue S.W.) on Monday, January 31st at 5:00pm. Pick up your tournament kit and first draw time. Enjoy a free pint of ale with munchies. Generously sponsored by Sensor Geophysical Ltd. • All door prize draws Saturday evening – must be present to win. ENTRY DEADLINE: Early Bird Deadline January 3rd, 2011. Qualify for Early Bird Draw Prize. Registration Deadline January 26th, 2011. No refunds after this date.

REGISTRATION DETAILS: CSPG CSEG Member# ______Non- Member Name: ______Email: ______Company: ______Phone: Daytime: ______Evening: ______Male Female Shir t size: S M L XL XXL Level/Frequency of Play: A B C D Novice Interested in Doubles Squash: Yes No ($25.00 extra for Doubles if playing singles as well) Will you be attending dinner: Yes No Meal Preference: Meat Veggie Guest Name: ______Male Female Shir t size: S M L XL XXL Level/Frequency of Play: A B C D Novice Interested in Doubles Squash: Yes No ($25.00 extra for Doubles if playing singles as well) Will you be attending the dinner: Yes No Meal Preference: Meat Veggie

PAYMENT DETAILS (GST Included. GST# 118836295): ______$ 75.00 Member/Spouse ______$120.00 Non-Member ______$ 25.00 Doubles ______$ 35.00 Extra Meal Ticket (Non-playing guests. Maximum 15 spots; first-come, first served).

______TOTAL

VISA MC Cheque (Payable to Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists) Card Number: ______Expiry: ______Name of Card holder (Please Print): ______Signature: ______

REGISTRATIONS TO BE SENT TO: Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists tA t n : auqS s h uoT r neman t 600, 640 8 AVE SW, Calgary, AB T2P 1G7 P oh ne: ( 304 ) 462 - 0165 aF :x ( 304 ) 462 - 8985

24 RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 SHALE GAS Part 5 - Shale Gas vs. Tight Gas vs. Conventional Gas | By R. J. Spencer1,3, P. K. Pedersen1, C. R. Clarkson1, R. Aguilera2 1 Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2 Department of Chemical and Petroleum engineering, University of Calgary 3 Alberta Innovates Technology Futures

Recent studies have shown that process or stratigraphically continuous reservoir Pore-size classes are grouped by Martin et delivery speed, represented by the ratio of subdivision characterized by a similar pore al. (1997) on the basis of pore-throat (port) permeability and porosity, is a continuum type (Hartmann and Beaumont, 1999, p. 9-7). apertures as megaports (rp35 > 10 microns), between conventional, tight, and shale gas As such, the concept is powerful for helping macroports (2.5-10 microns), mesoports reservoirs. This observation, based on core define optimum layering/cell size in reservoir (0.5 to 2.5 microns), microports (0.1 to data from various North American basins, simulation work. 0.5 microns), and nanoports (0.01 to 0.1 leads to distinctive flow units for each type microns). As we move into commercial of reservoir. Each flow unit can be characterized by an production from tighter rocks the approximate range of pore-throat (port) introduction of picoports (< 0.01 microns) The approximate boundary between viscous apertures. Particularly useful, from a appears warranted. Ports can be integrated and diffusion-dominated flow is associated practical point of view, is the pore-throat empirically with production rates leading to with Knudsen number (Kn). Viscous flow is aperture at 35% mercury saturation (rp35) an important forecasting tool. present, for example, when the architecture during a mercury injection/capillary pressure of the rock is dominated by megaports, test. This corresponds to 35% cumulative SHALE, TIGHT, AND CONVENTIONAL macroports, mesoports, and sometimes pore volume. Pore-throat aperture (rp35) GAS RESERVOIRS microports (port = pore throat). Diffusion in microns can be calculated on the basis Part 4 of this series indicates that in the flow on the other hand is observed at the of permeability (k, mD) and porosity case of shale gas formations, natural gas is nanoport level. (φ, fraction) from (Aguilera, 2010a): generated in the shale and remains within the .0 4 5. shale. Consequently the shale is both source The process speed concept has been used (1)  k  rock and reservoir rock. Gas is trapped and successfully in conventional reservoirs rp35 = .2 665  stored in shale in different ways: for several years (Ebanks, 1987; Gunter ()100φ  (1) as adsorbed gas into the kerogen et al., 1997). The same concept can be material, used for tight gas and shale gas reservoirs, (Continued on page 26...) ideally with the support of core data, and permits differentiating between viscous and diffusion-dominated flow. This is valuable, for example for forecasting production in those cases where the formation is composed of alternating stacked layers of tight sands and shales, or where there are lateral variations due to facies changes (Aguilera, 2010a).

PROCESS OR DELIVERY SPEED Process or delivery speed, i.e., the ratio of permeability and porosity, provides a relative indication of storage and how quickly fluids can move through porous media. The concept has been shown to be powerful for characterizing conventional oil and gas reservoirs in various lithologies (Ebanks, 1987; Chopra et al., 1987; Gunter et al., 1997), and for predicting recoverable hydrocarbon volumes (Pickett and Artus, 1970). Recent work (Rahmanian et al., 2010; Aguilera, 2010a) suggests that the concept can also be used in the case of tight and shale gas reservoirs as illustrated in this article.

FLOW UNITS Process speed is related directly to flow (or hydraulic) units, a concept probably introduced by MacKenzie (1975) and used successfully by Ebanks (1987), as an aid to reservoir description for engineering projects. A flow unit is defined as a

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 25 rp35 1.0E+01 NIKANASSIN microns 1.0E+00 0.55 (...Continued from page 25) rp35 1.0E+011.0E-01 (2) free gas trapped in nonorganic inter- NIKANASSIN microns0.15 1.0E+001.0E-02 0.55 particle (matrix) porosity, BC CANADA MARCELLUS 1.0E-011.0E-03 UTICA 0.04 (3) free gas trapped in microfracture F 0.15 0.025 porosity, 1.0E-021.0E-04 HR, B 0.014 BC CANADA MARCELLUS SOFT SHALES (4) free gas stored in hydraulic fractures 1.0E-031.0E-05 UTICA B.FW 0.04 UTICA F 0.025 0.004 created during the stimulation of the 1.0E-041.0E-06 0.014 B.M1H HR, B HURON SOFT SHALES shale reservoir, and 1.0E-05 B.FW 1.0E-07 UTICA 0.004 0.0005 (5) free gas trapped in a pore network CRUSHED SAMPLES? 1.0E-06 1.0E-08 B.M1H developed within the organic matter HURON

PERMEABILITY (MD) PERMEABILITY B.DEL 1.0E-071.0E-09 0.0005 or kerogen as shown on Figure 1 of CRUSHED SAMPLES? 0.00005 Part 4 (Soeder et al., 1988; Guidri 1.0E-081.0E-10

PERMEABILITY (MD) PERMEABILITY B.DEL et al., 1995; Cluff et al., 2007; Bustin 1.0E-09 1.0E-11 0.00005 et al., 2008; Ruppeil and Loucks, 1.0E-101.0E-12 2008; Wang et al., 2009; Ambrose 1.0E-11 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 et al., 2010; this CSPG Series, and 1.0E-12 many more). POROSITY 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

In the case of tight formations, natural gas POROSITY is generated somewhere else (usually in a shale) and migrates to the tight reservoir Figure 1. Flow units. Permeability vs. porosity cross-plot including shale data from the Utica shales (yellow circles), where it is trapped and stored in inter- Horn River (HR) and soft shales in Canada; Fayettville (F), Barnet (B), Huron and Marcellus shales in the United States, and the Nikanassin tight gas formation in Canada. Information from Core Labs data includes the Fort particle (matrix porosity), dissolution, Worth Barnett (B.FW), Delaware Barnett (B.DEL), and Barnett M1H well. Red circles, at the bottom of the graph slot, and microfracture porosity. Grains represent crushed samples interpreted to correspond to matrix porosity (Wang et al., 2009; data from Cluff et and pores are smaller in shales as al., 2007). Same might be true for purple diamonds and blue squares. Care must be exercised because this is a compared with tight and conventional gas matrix porosity scaled to the bulk volume of only the matrix, not scaled to the bulk volume of the shale multiple- formations (Ruppeil and Loucks, 2008; porosity system (Source: Lavoie et al., 2010). Wang et al., 2009).

CHART FOR ESTIMATING PORE THROAT APERTURE Natural gas in tight formations can be (Extension to Tight Gas and Shale Gas) SPE 133611: trapped in a continuous accumulation or CHART10000 FOR ESTIMATING PORE THROAT APERTURE rp35 in a regular structural and/or stratigraphic Chart can be used (Extension to Tight Gas and Shale Gas) mega SPE for133611: calibrating 20 trap. The continuous accumulation occurs 10000 1000 rp35 Chart canmicrosimulation be used mega 10 throughout tens or even hundreds of miles. 20 macro for calibratingat the pore throat 1000 100 It is characterized by: 10 4 microsimulationlevel to estimate rp, k, (1) lack of a water leg, macro 2 Viscous at thephi, pore relative throat perms, 100 10 micro meso (2) continuous gas saturation, 4 Flow level tocapillary estimate pressures, rp, k, 1 2 Viscous (3) low permeability (typically a fraction 10 1 micro meso 0.55 phi, relativeelectrical perms, properties, Flow of millidarcy), and capillaryrock pressures, mechanics 1 (4) abnormally low or high reservoir electrical properties, 1 0.1 0.55 0.2 pressures (Law, 2002). rock mechanics Brittle? 0.1 0.01 0.2 KNUDSEN No.

Ductile? 0.04 nano Brittle? PERMEABILITY(mD) When gas is trapped in continuous Brittle? 0.01 0.001 KNUDSEN No. Diffusion- Ductile?Type of 0.025 accumulations, production of formation Ductile? 0.04 nano Based Brittle?Stimulation?PERMEABILITY(mD) F 0.014 Type of 0.001 Diffusion-Flow (Nano- water is not generally an issue since there Ductile?TypeEffect of of Sw, mud 0.0001 HR 0.025 Stimulation? B Based Scale, pore is not a water leg. However, liquid holdup Stimulation? F 0.014 TypeFiltrate, of leak-off0.0001 SOFT Flow (Nano-and pore EffectEffect of Sw, of Smudw, mud 0.00001HR in the wellbore has to be considered Stimulation?on embedment? B Scale, porethroats) Filtrate,Filtrate, leak-off leak-off CRUSHED due to water of condensation (or gas Effect of Sw, mud 0.00001 SOFT and pore on embedment?on embedment? 0.000001 throats) condensate for wet gas reservoirs). Filtrate, leak-off 0CRUSHED 5 10 15 20 25 30 When gas is trapped in regular structural on embedment? 0.000001 POROSITY (%) and stratigraphic traps with very low 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Source: GFREEPOROSITY Research (%) Team, U of Calgary, 2009 permeability (tight formations) water production can become a very important Figure 2. Integrated cross-plot Source:of permeability GFREE Research vs. porosity Team, showing U of Calgary, flow units 2009 for conventional, tight gas, and shale operational, environmental, and economic gas reservoirs based on rp35 pore throat values. F = Fayettville, HR = Horn River, B = Barnett. Viscous flow is issue. dominant in conventional and tight gas reservoirs down to microport size. Diffusion-based flow dominates at the nanoport scale, typical of shale reservoirs. Figure 1 is a semi-logarithmic cross-plot of permeability vs. porosity that includes Canada. Lines for different values of rp35 The result of an integrated graph that data from the Utica shale, Horn River (0.55 to 0.00005 microns) were developed includes conventional, tight, and shale basin, and soft shales in Canada; Barnett, with the use of equation 1. The lines provide gas reservoirs is presented in Figure

Fayettville, Marcellus, and Huron shales distinctive flow units (rp35) for shales and 2. The original concept for this graph in the United States; the results of some tight gas formations, something that had was developed by H. D. Winland of crushed shale samples in the United States; been observed previously for conventional Amoco. Viscous flow is present when the and the tight gas Nikanassin Formation in reservoirs (Kolodzie, 1980; Aguilera, 2003). architecture of the rock is dominated by

26 RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 megaports, macroports, mesoports, and These samples represent only the matrix. cumulative gas vs. cumulative wells for sometimes microports. Diffusion flow on They do not include the fractures and the parts of the Barnett shale (Devon) and the other hand is observed at the nanoport porosity of the organic matter. Care must Nikanassin tight gas formation (Area A, and maybe picoport level, which is typical be exercised in the interpretation of this Solano et al., 2010). The concept for this of shale gas reservoirs. The approximate matrix porosity because it is associated only type of graph was introduced by Nelson boundary between viscous and diffusion- with the bulk volume of the matrix system, (2001). The actual data are matched using dominated flow is estimated with the not the bulk volume of the composite a variability distribution model (VDM) with dimensionless Knudsen number (K n). This porosity system (Aguilera, 2010) as shown the following equation (Aguilera, 2010b): n number is defined as the ratio of the on Part 4 of this series.  /1 n  N   W   p    p  molecular mean gas mean free path length (2)  ()1exp1 v l n. 1−−−=    N   W  and (λ) and pore diameter (d). Discussions PRODUCTION DISTRIBUTION OF p max     t   of Knudsen number have been presented CONVENTIONAL, TIGHT, AND by Javadpour et al. (2007), Civan (2009), SHALE GAS RESERVOIRS where: and Rahmanian et al. (2010). As we learn more about production Np = Actual hydrocarbon cumulative distribution from shale gas reservoirs we production organized in The crushed samples represented by the will be able to integrate those data with the ascending order red circles in Figure 1 show permeabilities flow unit characterization described above. Npmax = Cumulative hydrocarbon much lower than all the other samples. Figure 3 shows a distribution of normalized production for the total field v = Constant related to intensity of a given naturally fractured 100 reservoir

Wp = Number of wells (arranged in BASE ascending order) BARNETT DEVON ACTUAL 80 BARNETT, DEVON CALC Wpt = Total number of wells in the NIKANASSIN, AREA A ACTUAL field NIKANASSIN, AREA A CALC n = severity exponent associated

60 with heterogeneity of the reservoir

The Barnett (Devon) theoretical curve 40 in Figure 3 was generated using values of v and n equal to 0.085 and 23.60, % CUMULATIVE GAS CUMULATIVE % respectively (Aguilera, 2010b). The 20 Nikanassin curve was developed using v = 0.215 and n = 551.5 (Solano et al., 2010). Both fits are good with coefficients of determination (R2) greater than 0.99. The 0 result suggest a larger degree of relative 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 % WELLS fracturing (v = 0.215) and heterogeneity (n = 551.5) in the Nikanassin Formation Figure 3. Cumulative gas production distribution of Barnett Shale (Devon) and Nikanassin tight gas formation (Area A) as compared with the portion (Area A). Source of data: Solano et al. (2010) and Aguilera (2010b). (Continued on page 28...)

CSPG Continuing Education 2011 Upcoming Short Courses

Conflict Resolution within the Realm of Oil and Gas Negotiations Instructor: David Hill Date: February 23-24, 2011 Price: Member $850 Non-Member $975 Drilling and Production Fundamentals

Instructor: David Hill Date: March 2-3, 2011 Price: Member $850 Non-Member $975 2011 Upcoming Field Seminars

Drilling and Production: a Trip to a Working Drilling Rig and Production Facilities

Instructor: David Hill Date: March 8, 2011 Price: Member $600 Non-Member $725

For Additional information and to keep up to date with added Courses and Field Seminars see: www.cspg.org/education/education-courses.cfm www.cspg.org/education/education-trips.cfm

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 27 (...Continued from page 27) section (Nelson, 2001). An empirical aspects of naturally fractured reservoirs. of the Barnett considered in the graph. o b s e r v a t i o n by M a r t i n e t a l . (19 97 ) i n d i c a t e s Canadian Society of Exploration Geophysicists The cross-plot shows that 50% of the that megaports can reach medium gravity Recorder, v. 28, no. 2, p. 44-49. wells in the Barnet (Devon) contribute oil production rates of 10s of thousands approximately 40% of the cumulative gas, of barrels per day if “zonal thickness and Aguilera, R. 2010a. Flow units: From while 50% of the wells contribute less than other factors are constant” and without conventional to tight gas to shale gas reservoirs. 10% of cumulative gas in the Nikanassin mechanical constraints, macroports can Society of Petroleum Engineers Paper 132845 Area A. A possible interpretation is that reach thousands of barrels per day, and presented at the Trinidad and Tobago Energy the Barnett has a more homogeneous mesoports hundreds of barrels per day. Resources Conference held in Port of Spain, natural fracture distribution; something Microports can produce few to tens Trinidad, 27-30 June 2010. that can help explain the dendritic elliptical of barrels per day on pump. However, distribution of induced hydraulic fractures Martin et al. state that “microport flow Aguilera, R. 2010b. A method for estimating generally observed in microseismic data. units are decidedly non-reservoir in this hydrocarbon cumulative production distribution On the other hand, the Nikanassin Area A comparative completion of moderate of individual wells in naturally fractured is located to the west of the eastern edge thickness and medium gravity oil without carbonates, sandstones, shale gas, coalbed of the NW-SE trending thrust belt of the mechanical constraints. These flow units methane and tight gas formations. Journal of Canadian Rocky Mountains. Under this are of far more interest as potential seals Canadian Petroleum Technology, August 2010. condition, larger natural fracture intensity for higher-quality reservoir downdip.” The and more heterogeneity can be expected. same types of estimates are not available Ambrose, R. J., Hartman, R. C., Diaz-Campos, Equation 2 can also be used for studying for shale oil at this time. However, M., Akkutlu, Y., and Sondergeld, G. H. 2010. the distribution of initial production rates. there are indications that an interactive New pore-scale considerations for shale gas combination of reservoir modeling and in place calculations. Society of Petroleum SHALE OIL VS. CONVENTIONAL OIL hydraulic fracturing simulation can help Engineers Paper 131772 presented at the The flow units discussed above have also to increase production from shale oil SPE Unconventional Gas Conference held in been used for conventional oil reservoirs reservoirs via optimization of horizontal Pittsburgh, Pa., February 23-25 2010. with a good level of success (Ebanks, wellbores and hydraulic fracture spacing 1987; Chopra et al., 1987; Gunter et al., (Lolon et al., 2009; Taylor et al., 2010). Bustin, R. M., Bustin, A. M. M., Cui, X., Ross, 1997; Hartmann and Beaumont, 1999, p. D. J. K., and Murthy Pathi, V. S. 2008. Impact 9-7). The same is true for the production REFERENCES of shale properties on pore structure and distribution discussed in the previous Aguilera, R. 2003. Geologic and engineering storage characteristics. Society of Petroleum

28 RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 Engineers Paper 119892 presented at the SPE Civan, F. 2009. Effective correlation of traps. Beaumont, E. A. and Foster, N. H. Shale Gas production Conference held in Fort apparent gas permeability in tight porous (eds.). American Association of Petroleum Worth, Texas, November 16-18, 2008. media. Springer, published on line, July 3, Geologists Treatise of Petroleum Geology. 2009. Handbook of Petroleum Geology, p. 9-1 to Byrnes, A.L, Cluff, R. M., and Webb, J. 9-154. 2006. Analysis of critical permeability, Ebanks, W, J. Jr. 1987. Flow unit concept – capillary pressure and electrical properties integrated approach to reservoir description Javadpour, F, Fisher, D., and Unsworth, M. for Mesaverde tight gas sandstones from for engineering projects. Abstract: American 2007. Nanoscale gas flow in shale gas western U.S. Basins. DOE Contract No. DE- Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, sediments. Journal of Canadian Petroleum FC26-05NT42660. Contractor: University of v. 71, no. 5, p. 551-552. Technology, v. 46, no. 10, October 2007. Kansas Center for Research, Inc. 2385 Irving Hill Road. Quarterly Technical Progress Report, Gunter, G. W., Finneran, J. M., Hartmann, D. Kolodzie, S. J. 1980. The analysis of pore June 30, 2006. J., and Miller, J. D. 1997. Early determination throat size and use of Waxman Smit to of reservoir flow units using an integrated determine OOIP in Spindle Field, Colorado. Byrnes, A.L, Cluff, R. M., and Webb, J. petrophysical method. Society of Petroleum Society of Petroleum Engineers 55th Annual 2006. Analysis of critical permeability, Engineers Paper 38679 presented at the SPE Technical Conference, SPE paper 9382, 10 p. capillary pressure and electrical properties Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, for Mesaverde tight gas sandstones from San Antonio, Texas. Kwon, B. S. and Pickett, G. R. 1975. A new western U.S. Basins. DOE Contract No. DE- pore structure model and pore structure FC26-05NT42660. Contractor: University of Gunter, G. W., Pinch, J. J., Finneran, J. M., and interrelationships. Society of Petrophysicists Kansas Center for Research, Inc. 2385 Irving Bryant, W. T. 1997. Overview of an integrated and Well Log Analysts 16th Annual Logging Hill Road. Quarterly Technical Progress Report, process model to develop petrophysical based Symposium. September 30, 2006. reservoir descriptions. Society of Petroleum Engineers Paper 38748 presented at the SPE Law, B. E. 2002. Basin-centered gas systems. Chopra, A. K., Stein, M. H., and Ader, J. C. Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, American Association of Petroleum Geologists 1987. Development of reservoir descriptions San Antonio, Texas. Bulletin, v. 86, p. 1891-1919. to aid in design of EOR projects: Society of Petroleum Engineers Paper 16370, presented Hartmann, D. J. and Beaumont, E. A. 1999. Lavoie, J. Y., Marcil, J. S., Dorrins, P. K., at the SPE California Regional Meeting, Predicting reservoir system quality and Lavoie, J., and Aguilera, R. 2010. Natural gas Ventura, California, p. 437-449. performance. In: Exploring for oil and gas (Continued on page 30...) Find the geology you need! 1700 reports 1100 datasets 400 maps

Save time. We have what you’re looking for. www.ags.gov.ab.ca/download

Alberta Geological Survey

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 29 (...Continued from page 29) Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, at the Trinidad and Tobago Energy Resources potential in the Saint Lawrence Lowlands of v. 81, no. 5, p. 734-759. Conference held in Port of Spain, Trinidad, Quebec: A case study. Canadian Society for June 27-30, 2010. Unconventional Gas / Society of Petroleum Nelson, R. 2001. Geologic analysis of Engineers Paper 137593 presented at the naturally fractured reservoirs. Second Edition, Taylor, R. S., Glaser, M., Kim, J., Wilson, Canadian Unconventional Resources and Butterworth-Heinemann, Woburn, Ma., 332p. B., Nikiforuk, G., Noble, V., Rosenthal, International Petroleum Conference held in L., Aguilera, R., Hoch, O., Soliman, M, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, October 19-21, Pickett, G. R. and Artus, D. S. 1970. Prediction Storozhenko, K., Riviere, N. Palidwar, T., 2010. from logs of recoverable hydrocarbon volume, and Romanson, R. 2010. Optimization of Ordovician carbonates, Williston basin. horizontal wellbore and fracture spacing Lolon, E. P., Cipolla, C. L., Weijers, L., Geophysics, v. 35, no. 1, p. 113-123. using an interactive combination of reservoir Heskeths, R. E., and Grigg, M. W. 2009. and fracture simulation. Society of Petroleum Evaluating horizontal well placement and Rahmanian, M., Solano, N., and Aguilera, R. Engineers Paper 137416 presented at the hydraulic fracture spacing/conductivity in the 2010. Storage and output flow from shale Canadian Unconventional Resources and Bakken Formation, North Dakota. Society of and tight gas reservoirs. Society of Petroleum International Petroleum Conference held in Petroleum Engineers Paper 124905 presented Engineers Paper 133611 presented at the SPE Calgary, Canada, October 19-21, 2010. at the Annual Technical Conference and Western Regional Meeting held in Anaheim, Exhibition held in New Orleans, Louisiana, California, USA, May 27-29, 2010. Wang, F. P. and Reed, R. M. 2009. Pore October 4-7, 2009. net wor k s and f luid f low in ga s sha le s . So ciet y of Ruppel, S. C. and Loucks, R. G. 2008. Black Petroleum Engineers Paper 124253 presented Mackenzie, W. T. 1975. Petrophysical study mudrocks: Lessons and questions from the at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and of the Cardium sand in the Pembina Field. Mississippian Barnett Shale in the southern Exhibition held in New Orleans, Louisiana, Society of Petroleum Engineers Paper 5541 midcontinent. Society for Sedimentary October 4-7, 2009. presented at the 50th Annual Technical Geology, The Sedimentary Record, June. Meeting of SPE held in Dallas, Texas, September 28 – October 1, 1975. Solano, N., Zambrano, L., and Aguilera, R. 2010. Cumulative gas production distribution Martin, A. J., Solomon, S. T., and Hartmann, on the Nikanassin tight gas formation, Alberta D. J. 1997. Characterization of petrophysical and British Columbia, Canada. Society of flow units in carbonate reservoirs. American Petroleum Engineers Paper 132923 presented

Transforming your seismic data via

• 2D, 3D and 4D processing • Multi-component processing • PP and PS modeling • PP and PS registration • Joint PP and PS inversion • Stochastic inversion • AVO / LMR analysis • Fracture detection

We provide the knowledge and technology behind the metamorphosis.

1300, 736 - 6 Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 3T7 Tel: 403.237.7711 Fax: 403.237.7881 www.sensorgeo.com

30 RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 THE GEOLOGY of Santorini Island, Greece | By Anne Hargreaves

The Greek island of Santorini, also known Subduction of ocean crust, because of of the Greek islands. Present day movement as Thera, is part of the Cyclades group of this northward compression, began in the of plates and associated strike-slips fault islands in the Aegean Sea. Strikingly beautiful, Neogene (Miocene) about 22 million years zones are shown in Figure 2 (page 32). the island’s towns of Oia and Fira seem ago, with the African plate being subducted to drip off the caldera walls 200 to 300 beneath the Aegean Plate. There was crustal The basement rock of Santorini is, in part, meters above the water. A tectonically extension associated with this subduction Triassic crystalline limestone grading to active area, Santorini has been an active resulting in horst and graben topography, marble deposited during the time of the volcano for the last 1.5 million years. After which played a part in the formation of some (Continued on page 32...) an major earthquake in 1956, this island has been rebuilt and today boasts luxury accommodations built with fabulous caldera views, on a largely unconsolidated substrate DATA of pumice, ash, and some ignimbrite.

The general geology of Greece and the SEISMIC BROKERAGE Aegean Islands is fairly complex. The underpinning of the Aegean Sea consists of isopic zones and massifs. In brief, an isopic zone is a group of widespread rocks that share a common history, including the depositional environment and faulting and folding. Hundreds of kilometers long and several kilometers thick, these zones were originally continental bits, islands, oceanic ridges, and ocean floor. Massifs are blocks of metamorphic and plutonic rocks, which FIND WHAT are from lower levels of the continental YOU’RE crust and have been exposed by faulting or erosion. LOOKING FOR

During the Alpine crustal compression, these SOFTWARE isopic zones and massifs were piled one on top of the other. The age of the oldest ones stretch back to the Precambrian, some 600 million years ago (Figure 1, page 32). In more recent times, these rocks have been intruded by igneous rocks and affected by volcanism.

Approximately 190 million years ago in the GEOMATICS mid-Jurassic period, Gondwanaland (Africa et al.) and Eurasia (Europe plus Asia) had joined with North America to form Pangaea. A wedge-shaped Tethys Ocean was located between the future Africa and Europe, PROCESSING and during this time, the limestones of the Aegean were deposited. During opening of the Atlantic Ocean, the south Atlantic opened first, resulting in the rotation of Divestco’s products, services and experienced the African continent and the closing of the Tethys Ocean. staff make exploration easier. Then, in the mid-Cretaceous, approximately 110 million years ago, an east-west rift developed on the north margin of Africa and Focused offerings for oil and gas. the Mediterranean Sea began to open up. This seafloor spreading began to push the Ph. 403 237 9170 [email protected] www.divestco.com TSXV: DVT Aegean Sea floor and islands northward into the European continent.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 31 Figure 3. A view of Red Beach and the Akrotiri lavas (Photo by David Hargreaves).

Figure 1. Isopic zones and massifs of the Aegean region (Higgins and Higgins, 1996, used with permission).

Figure 4. Minoan ash deposit, probably base-surge deposits topped with ash-flow deposits, Akrotiri.

Figure 2. Plate tectonics in the present day (Higgins and Higgins, 1996, used with permission).

(...Continued from page 31) Tethys Ocean. As well, on the inner side of the caldera near the port of Athinios, metamorphic rocks, including schists intruded with granite, are remnants of an ancient massif.

Approximately 1.5 million years ago, at the beginning of the Quaternary period, volcanism began in the area. Santorini’s complex volcanic history includes seven different active volcanic centres. The oldest volcanic rocks are in the Akrotiri region on the south part of the island, around Red Beach, which were deposited sometime between 1.5 and 0.6 million years ago (Figures 3, 4). Approximately 200,000 years ago, volcanism resumed in earnest. The most active centre was and is today south-west of Fira in the caldera below the two Kameni islands, Palaea and Nea. At least 12 major eruptions have occurred, Figure 5. The Santorini (Thera) Island group (Higgins and Higgins, 1996, used with permission).

32 RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 Figure 6. Nea and Palaea Kameni Islands, indicating the year (A.D.) when each lava flow was formed (Higgins and Higgins, 1996, used with permission).

Figure 9. View south showing Nea Kameni island, the active cone of the Santorini volcano.

notably 100, 79, 54, 37, 18, and the most recent catastrophic eruption – the Minoan – 3.5 thousand years ago.

Besides Palaea Kameni and Nea Kameni, which are active cones, there is also an active underwater volcano 10 kilometers NNE of Santorini, which fits in well with the NNE-SSW orientation, possibly indicating a strike-slip fault associated with the subduction of the African plate beneath the Aegean plate. As well, the volcanic Christiana Islands are SSW of Santorini along the same trend (Figure 5).

The Minoan eruption was named after the civilization on Crete, and also Santorini, at the time of the eruption. The most recent archaeological and geological information for the area indicate that this eruption occurred approximately 3,600 years ago (1,600 B.C.) in the late Bronze age. It was massive, ejecting some 30 cubic kilometers of magma, largely rhyodacite (felsic to intermediate composition), pumice, and ash. To put this into perspective, the famous eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia in 1883 resulted in ten cubic kilometers of ejecta, Mount Saint Helens in 1980 ejected 0.35 cubic kilometer, and Mount Pinatubo in 1991 ejected five cubic kilometers (Runnels and Murray, 2010)

Figure 7. Fumarole (hot-gas vent) on Nea Kameni Island crater showing yellow The eruption began in the caldera about one kilometer from Fira sulphur deposit. and was of a Plinian nature. The Plinian phase occurs when magma boils in the subterranean conduit at depth, resulting in pumice and ash ejecting at high speed from the volcano and rising to heights of 30-40 kilometers. The next phase occurred as the fissure widened allowing sea water into the mix, creating steam and phreatomagmatic explosions that widened the vent even further. The ash deposited during this phase created large dunes. Next, pumice and blocks of rock were ejected in pyroclastic flows, mudflows, and/or by large phreatomagmatic explosions. Then, during the final phase, thick ash flows were deposited, some being hot enough to weld together and form the hard, dense rock called ignimbrite.

After the eruption, the dome collapsed inward creating a caldera floor approximately 400 meters below the surface of the water. This event caused a tsunami and in Israel, pumice has been found at a level of seven meters above sea level. On the island of Anafi, very close Figure 8. Lava blocks on Nea Kameni Island – Oia seen in background (Photo by (Continued on page 34...) David Hargreaves).

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 33 (...Continued from page 33) Ice deposits in Greenland point to a year of The islands are a National Geological Park to Santorini, pumice has been found at an 1,645 B.C. where layers of ice have abundant and can be reached by boat where there elevation of 40 meters above sea level, and sulphuric acid, indicating that this substance is a hiking trail up to the top, which takes a wave 12 meters high would have hit the was injected into the upper atmosphere about an hour-and-a-half to tour. Steaming island of Crete. by volcanic activity. Tree rings in California vents in the crater at the top emit the indicate a very harsh winter in 1,628 to 1,626 classic sulphurous odor and show deposits of The ash deposited during this eruption B.C., which could indicate volcanic ash in the sulphur and gypsum at the surface (Figure 7, covered Santorini and has also been found on atmosphere affecting the climate. page 33). Tourists can swim in the hot springs the western Aegean Islands and in western near the dock on Palaea Kameni. The very Turkey. As well, thin layers have been found The islands of Nea Kameni and Palaea rocky nature of these islands is due to the 800 kilometers away on the Nile Delta, Kameni demonstrate the continued volcanic lava formations at time of deposit, most likely suggesting the mention of darkness covering activity below the waters of the caldera. from lava plumes (Figure 8, page 33). the sun in the book of Exodus in the Bible Rising from the caldera floor, they broke the could be referring to this time. surface of the water in 197 B.C. Numerous Was Santorini the legendary Atlantis that lava deposits are noted in Figure 6 (page 33). sank beneath the waves as told by Plato in 360 B.C.? His story tells of an advanced civilization which existed 11,000 years ago in the Atlantic Ocean, whose arrogant inhabitants were first defeated by the Athenians in battle and then swallowed up in a catastrophe that Well Data Missing Quality? happened “in a day and a night.” Historians and archaeologists are much divided on the veracity of this story, as certain aspects have been proven to be completely incorrect. Plate tectonics and seafloor spreading rule out any existence of a sunken island in the Atlantic, and we know today through radio-carbon dating and heavily documented archaeological data, that modern civilizations did not exist 11,000 years ago. As well, there is absolutely no mention in any extant record with the name ‘Atlantis’ other than Plato’s. What could have happened is that the Minoan eruption on Santorini, of which there are no eye-witness accounts on record, somehow filtered down through 1,200 years orally, was heard by Plato, and immortalized as the Legend of Atlantis.

REFERENCES: Higgins, M. and Higgins, R. 1996. A geological Let TGS complete the picture companion to Greece and the Aegean. Gerald Duckworth and Co. Canada Well Data is now available online, backed by TGS’ high Manning, S. W. and Sewell, D. A. 2002. 15 quality standards and customer support. Volcanoes and history: a significant relationship? The case of Santorini. In: Natural Disasters and • Standard curve LAS and LAS+ for bulk workstation loading Cultural Change, Torrence, R. and Grattan, J. (eds.). London: Routledge. Accessed online via • Trustworthy data, meticulously QC’d to save you time Questia November 21, 2010. • Proprietary LAS and LAS+ digitizing to complete your project Mendrinos, D., Polyzou, O., and Karytsas, C. • Complete standardized directional surveys ready for mapping 2010. Geothermal Exploration in Greece. Centre for Renewable Energy, Pikermi, Greece.

Runnels, C., and Murray, P. 2001. Greece before www.tgsnopec.com/welldata | [email protected] history: An archaeological companion and guide. Stanford, CA. Stanford University Press. Accessed online via Questia November 20, 2010.

Geophysical Geological Imaging Products Products Services

www.tgsnopec.com

34 RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 ROCK SHOP

section PRACTICAL QtownshipUANTITATIVE n 1413 15 16 ip 34333231 35 36 LOG A yev r NALYSIS COURSES 101112 9 === 2627282930 25 Integrated Petrophysicsus for Engineering, Geology, and Geophysics Jocelyn Lampron, P. Geol. 765 8 19 - 21 APRIL 2011, in Calgary 2322212019 24 President & CEO CD === BADetails: www.spec2000.net/courses.htm 234 Register: [email protected] 17or 1-403-845-2527 16 15 14 13 Wellsite Geological Supervision ph: 403.266.3132 lsd *Conventional Wells-Heavy Oil/SAGD cell: 403.818.8549 In-House andCD Multi-Media Narrated Self-Study Courses1 0987 Also11 Available12 N *Coal Bed Methane Wells www.hopewellpetroleum.com === BA E. R. (Ross) Crain. P.Eng. CD 23456 BA *Domestic & International Supervision [email protected] Box 29 Site 3 RR 2, Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, Canada, T4T 2A2 === *On & Offshore Geological Supervision 906, 505 6 St. SW Calgary, AB T2P-1X5 -– 49 Years Worldwide Experience – Training – Mentoring – Forensic Reviews – ===

FARHAT HYDERI, P.Geol President 226 Copperfield Blvd. S.E. Calgary, AB T2Z 4R6 Tel 403 726 0666 SABLEPETROLEUM Conventional Wells Fax 403 451 5380 CONSULTANTS INC. Cell 403 819 2516 • Horizontal Wells - Spearfish [email protected] WELLSITE GEOLOGICAL SUPERVISION - Viking SABLECONSULTANTS.COM - Bakken - Cardium Email: [email protected] Conventional Wells Heavy Oil/Oil Sands SAGD Horizontal - Horn River Shale Gas Coring Programs Coal Bed Methane Project Supervision www.serpaconsulting.com

Doug Dauphinee, B.Sc. (Geol)

226 Copperfield Blvd. S.E. Calgary, AB T2Z 4R6

Tel 403 726 0666 SABLEPETROLEUM Domestic and International FaxShale 403 Gas/Oil 451 5380Shales CONSULTANTS INC. Conventional Vertical and Horizontal Wells CellCoal 403 Bed 815 Methane 0159 Oil Sands - SAGD/Coring Programs [email protected] Supervision WELLSITE GEOLOGICAL SUPERVISION SABLECONSULTANTS.COM Email: [email protected] Tel: (403) 262-9229 Fax: (403) 265-0377 Website: www.progeoconsultants.com Conventional Wells Heavy Oil/Oil Sands SAGD Horizontal Coring Programs Coal Bed Methane Project Supervision RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 35 THE 2011 CSPG EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Canadian Society of Petroleum is pleased to welcome new and returning experience and demographics, they represent Geologists is proud to present the 2011 members to the Executive Committee: Kirk the industry sector today. The CSPG would Executive Committee. Former Vice President Osadetz; Robin Mann; John Varsek; Darren like to welcome you all to the 2011 Executive Kirk Osadetz is taking the reins from 2010 Aldridge; Andrea Hood; Brett Norris; Jon Committee and we are looking forward to President John Varsek to continue on the Noad; Chris Seibel; Michelle Hawke; Jim the exciting journey of 2011! renewal strategy that the 2010 Executive Barclay; Stephen Hubbard; Steve Dryer and Committee embarked on last year. The CSPG Simon Haynes. Together their vast range of

PRESIDENT – KIRK OSADETZ

EDUCATION: B.Sc. Geology, University of Toronto (1978); M.Sc. (1983). EXPERIENCE: Head, Energy Geoscience (formerly Energy and Environment) Subdivision at the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC): Calgary, a Division of Earth Sciences Sector (ESS) in Natural Resources Canada; leads the National Organic Geochemistry and Organic Petrology Laboratory in ESS’s Scientific Laboratory Network; Program Manager of ESS’s Gas Hydrates – Fuel of the Future Program; led geoscience research programs for the Office of Energy Research and Development and was a collaborating partner and co-investigator on research projects and activities funded by Energy Sector NRCan, the Yukon Geological Survey, AECL Research Ltd., the Canadian International Development Agency, the National Energy Board, the Australian Research Council, and the French Petroleum Institute; exploration departments of Gulf Canada Resources Inc. and Petro-Canada Exploration Inc. RESEARCH Petroleum geoscience, natural gas hydrates, petroleum resource assessment, Arctic geosciences, and has INTERESTS: contributed to both the Canadian Gas Potential Committee’s national assessment and the Petroleum Technology Alliance of Canada’s unconventional gas technology roadmap. SOCIETY Director (Assistant Treasurer and Treasurer); Co-Chair of the Technical Luncheon/Program Committee; member CONTRIBUTIONS: of several Convention Committees (Technical Program Co-Chair and -Technical Program Committee Member); Associate Editor of the Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology (2 terms); Lecturer in the CSPG Advantage educational program; Co-Leader (with Glen Stockmal, David Kisilevsky, and Daniel Lebel) southern Alberta Foothills Field Trips for CSPG and Joint AAPG-CSPG Conventions and the CSPG Structure Division; speaker and poster contributor at Technical Luncheons, Gussow Research Conferences, CSPG Division meetings, and Annual Conventions. AWARDS: Coleman Gold Medal in Geology (University of Toronto); Chevron Scholarship (University of Toronto); CSPG Tracks Awards (2); CSPG Service Award; CSPG Hunter Volunteer Award; CSPG Annual Convention Best Poster Runner-Up Award; NRCan Earth Sciences Sector and Divisional Merit Awards (3).

VICE PRESIDENT – ROBIN MANN

EDUCATION: B.Sc. Geology (Honours), Dalhousie University (1977); M.Sc. Geology and Geophysics, Carleton University (1979). EXPERIENCE: Amoco, Aquitaine, Fekete & Associates, and Westward Energy (1977–1997); Co-Founded Hume Mann & Associates, which eventually became AJM Petroleum Consultants (1984); CEO of AJM Petroleum Consultants (2004–Present). PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: CSPG; APEGGA, AAPG; Member of AAPG Division of Professional Affairs. CSPG ACTIVITIES: Chairman of CSPG Insurance Committee (1999–2008).

AWARDS: CSPG Service Award (2005).

36 RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 PAST PRESIDENT – DR. JOHN VARSEK

EDUCATION: B.Sc. Geophysics, University of British Columbia (1979); M.Sc. Geophysics (Seismology), University of Calgary (1984); Ph.D. Geology and Geophysics (Tectonics), University of Calgary (1992). EXPERIENCE: Geophysicist, Canada-Cities Service (1979-1982): Geophysicist, Petrel Consultants (1984-1986); Geophysicist / Geologist, Petrel Robertson (1990-1993); Geophysicist / Geologist, Amoco Canada Petroleum Company (1993- 1999); Exploration Geoscientist, BP Canada (1999-2000); Exploration Geoscientist, Alberta Energy Company (2000-2002); Group Lead, EnCana (2002-2008); Strategy Advisor, Cenovus Energy (2009-Present). PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: CSPG, AAPG, APEGGA, APEGS, CSEG, SEG. CSPG ACTIVITIES: CSPG Structure Division Chair (1993); Bulletin Special Issue Editor (1994-1996); Medal of Merit Committee (1997-1998); Technical Chair GeoCanada 2000 Convention (1998-2000); Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology Associate Editor (1999-2002); Conventions Committee (2001-2002); Co-founder Emerging Petroleum Resource Division (2000); Co-chair CSPG/CSEG 2007 Joint Convention (2006-2007); President 2010. PUBLICATIONS: Published, as lead or co-author, nearly 30 papers on a variety of geological and geophysical topics and presented numerous papers at CSPG and CSEG conventions since 1985. CSPG AWARDS: CSPG Service Award (1996); CSPG Tracks Award (2001); CSPG President’s Award (2008).

FINANCE DIRECTOR – DARREN ALDRIDGE

EDUCATION: B.Sc. Engineering, University of Calgary (1982). EXPERIENCE: Wellsite Formation Evaluation Operations and Management, Canada, North Sea, N. Africa, Malaysia, Baker Atlas (1983-1998); Geoscientist, Canada, Baker Atlas (1998); Borehole Imaging (2003); Fractured Reservoir Characterizations (2004); Sales Manager, Canada, Baker Hughes (2006); Division Management, Canada, Baker Hughes (2008-Present). PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: CSPG, CSEG, CWLS. CSPG ACTIVITIES: Joint Annual Convention, Finance Chair (2006-2009).

AWARDS: CSPG Service Awards (2007-2009).

ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR – ANDREA HOOD

EDUCATION: Graduate in Hotel Management (1992); Various Courses at University Passau, Germany (1993) and SAIT (1996-1999). EXPERIENCE: Immigrated to Canada 1996; Accountant, VIRTUAL Computing Services Ltd. (1996-1997); geoLOGIC systems ltd (1997-Present); Administrative Manager, (1997-2001); Account Manager (2001-2007); Vice President Business Development and Sales, geoLOGIC systems ltd. (2007-Present). PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: CSPG, CSEG, Associate Member SEG. CSPG ACTIVITIES: Special Events Chair (2006 and 2007), CSEG Representative on JAC.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR – BRETT NORRIS

EDUCATION: B.Sc. Geology, University of Toronto (1986); M.Sc. Geology, University of Western Ontario (1989). EXPERIENCE: Geologist, Esso Resources Ltd. (1988-1991); Geologist, Interra Petroleum Consulting (1991-1994); Geologist, Ranger Oil Ltd. (1994-1995); Lecturer (p/t), McGill University (1995-1996); Geological Consultant (1995-1997); Geologist, Anderson Exploration (1997-1998); Team Lead, Exploitation Manager, Nexen Inc. (1998-2003); VP Geosciences, Paramount Energy Trust (2003-2006); Exploitation Manager, TransGlobe Energy Corp. (2006-Present).

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 37 ASSISTANT PROGRAM DIRECTOR – JON NOAD

EDUCATION: B.Sc. Geology, Imperial College, London (1985); M.Sc. Sedimentology, Birkbeck College, London, (1993), Ph.D. Geology, University College, London, (1998). EXPERIENCE: Mining Geologist, Gencor; Rand Mines, South Africa (1986-1990); Marine Geologist, British Telecom (1990); Production Geologist, Shell, Netherlands (1998); Professor at Delft University (2004-2006); Team Leader New Ventures, Shell Canada (2006-2010); Exploration Manager, Murphy Oil Corp. (2010). PROFESSIONAL CSPG, President, British Sedimentology Research Group (BSRG), Geological Society of London, PESGB, MEMBERSHIPS: Geologists Association. CSPG ACTIVITIES: Volunteered at several CSPG conferences, ran numerous field trips. AWARDS: Best Poster, CPSG conference (2008); CSPG Link Award (2009).

SERVICES DIRECTOR – CHRIS SEIBEL

EDUCATION: B.Sc. in Geology, University of Regina (1999); M.Sc. in Geology, University of Regina (2002). EXPERIENCE: Geologist, Nexen Inc. (2001-Present). PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: CSPG, AAPG, APEGGA. CSPG ACTIVITIES: CSPG Technical Luncheon co-chair (2002-2010). PUBLICATIONS: Authored and co-authored papers, posters, and presentations on the organofacies and source potential of the Ordovician Winnipeg Formation and Cambrian Deadwood Formation of southern Saskatchewan. Also co-authored a presentation and poster on the geoscience of the McMurray Formation at Nexen’s Long Lake SAGD project in Northeastern Alberta. AWARDS: Andrew D. Baillie Award – Oral Paper (2001), Volunteer Award (2007), CSPG Link Award (2010).

ASSISTANT SERVICES DIRECTOR – MICHELLE HAWKE

EDUCATION: B.Sc. in Earth Science, University of Guelph (1994); M.Sc. in Environmental Earth Science, University of Guelph (1997); Ph.D. in Geology, University of British Columbia (2004). EXPERIENCE: Suncor Energy (contract geologist, 2001-2005); BP Canada (2005-2010). PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: CSPG, AAPG, APEGGA. CSPG ACTIVITIES: 2005 Gussow Conference Organizing committee, Emerging Petroleum Resources Chair (2005-2008). PUBLICATIONS: Published several papers as principle or coauthor relating to organic petrography of peats and coals. AWARDS: GSA Coal Division Student Award (1999); TSOP Student Presentation Award (2000); CSPG Volunteer Award (2005, 2007).

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR – JIM BARCLAY

EDUCATION: B.Sc. Honours Geology, Carleton University (1976); Ph.D. Geology, University of Calgary (2000). EXPERIENCE: Mineral Geologist, Norcen Energy Resources, Phillips Management Inc., Urangesellschaft Canada, (1975-1979); Sr. Geologist, Dome Petroleum (1979-1983); Sr. Petroleum Geologist, Geological Survey of Canada (1984-1994); Chief Geologist, Hardy Oil & Gas Canada (1994-1995); President, Springtide Energy Ltd. (1995-1996); Regional Geologist, Poco Petroleums/Burlington Resources (1996-2001); Exploration Manager, Ice Energy Limited (2001- 2002); Consulting Geologist, Java Energy Inc (2002-2003); Vice-President Exploration, Southpoint Resources Ltd. (2002-2004); Sr. Staff Geologist, Burlington Resources/ConocoPhillips (2004-present). PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: CSPG, AAPG, APEGGA, CWLS, GAC. CSPG ACTIVITIES: CSPG Assistant Communications Director (2010); CSPG Stratigraphic Nomenclature Committee (1991-present); Organizing Committee and Technical Program CSPG ‘Pangea’ Convention (1993); co-Chairperson Core Conference, CSPG-CSEG-CWLS Convention (2006); Associate Editor, CSPG Bulletin (2005-2007); Chairman Technical Program, 2002 CSPG 75th Anniversary Convention; Chairman and member, CSPG Medal of Merit (‘best paper’) Committee (1997-2006); CSPG Douglas Award Nominating Committee, for Dr. Graham Davies (2002); Organizing Committee and Chairman Core Workshop – 1999 International Congress on the Carboniferous and Permian; CSPG Executive (1996-1997); Critical reviewer of many CSPG and other publications, volunteer mentoring (1984-present). PUBLICATIONS: 34 published geological papers; Many formal talks or posters or core displays given at conferences; Numerous informal talks given at oil companies, universities and schools. AWARDS: CSPG Best Ph.D. Award (2001); CSPG Volunteer Award (2003); CSPG Service Award (2005); ConocoPhillips Special Recognition Award (2007); ConocoPhillips Special Recognition Award (2008).

38 RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 ASSISTANT COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR – STEPHEN HUBBARD

EDUCATION: B.Sc. Geology, University of Alberta (1997); M.Sc. Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta (1999); Ph.D. Geological and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University (2006). EXPERIENCE: Geologist, Shell Canada Ltd. (1999-2001); Assistant Professor, University of Calgary (2006-2010). PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: CSPG, AAPG, EAGE, GSA, IAS, SEPM. CSPG ACTIVITIES: Communications Director (2010); Fieldtrip Leader (2009-2010); Sedimentary Geology Division Co-Chair (2007-2009); Annual Meeting Session Chairman (2007-2009); Speaker Honorary Address (2008). PUBLICATIONS: Published 30 peer-reviewed scientific papers and is co-author of more than 70 presentations at national and international conferences. AWARDS: CSPG Honorable Mention, Best Canadian Petroleum Geology Paper (2003); CSPG Andrew Baillie Award (oral presentation) (2005); CSPG Andrew Baillie Award (poster presentation) (2005); CSPG Volunteer Award (2007, 2008); GSA Bulletin, Exceptional Reviewer Award (2008) Dept. of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Excellence in Research Award (2008).

OUTREACH DIRECTOR – STEVE DRYER

EDUCATION: B.Sc., General Science, University of New Brunswick (1974); M.Sc., Geology, University of New Brunswick (1977). EXPERIENCE: Exploration Geologist, PanCanadian Petroleum (1979-1994); Exploration Geologist, Ulster Petroleum (1994- 1996); Exploration Geologist, Calahoo Petroleum (1996-2000); Exploration Geologist, AEC/EnCana (2000-2004); Exploration Geologist, Trifecta Resources (2004-2006); Consulting Geologist, Various clients (2006-Present). PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: CSPG, AAPG, APEGGA. PUBLICATIONS: Dryer, Stephen and Logan, Alan. 1978. Holocene Reefs and Sediments of Castle Harbour, Bermuda. Journal of Marine Research, v. 36, no. 3, p 399-425.

ASSISTANT OUTREACH DIRECTOR – SIMON HAYNES

EDUCATION: B.Sc. in Earth Science, Brock University (1998); M.Sc. in Geology, University of British Columbia (2003). EXPERIENCE: Geologist, Terracon Geotechnique (1998-2000); Geologist, Shell Canada (2003-2010); Senior exploration geologist, Statoil (2010-present). PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: CSPG, AAPG, APEGGA, GSC. CSPG ACTIVITIES: University Outreach Committee, Ontario student chapters’ representative (2005-2009); University Outreach Committee Chair (2009-2010). AWARDS: CSPG Volunteer Award (2007, 2008, 2009). VISION: The CSPG Outreach program’s foundation is formed by a core group of committed volunteers that the CSPG must continue to encourage and support. We currently have a strong program in place that promotes the science of petroleum geology to university students and a general audience. We need to maintain our current program activities, while simultaneously planning new initiatives that increase our exposure to the general public, high school, and younger students. The final cornerstone for the CSPG is the attraction of new industry professionals, who may be unaware of the benefits and opportunities that come as a member of our organization.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 39 THE 2010 CSPG HONORARY ADDRESS: Polar Exploration – The Next Generation of “Cool” Science

while at sea on the return trip home and also from an extraordinary encounter she had with a fur seal while snorkelling during the Elysium Visual Epic Expedition to Antarctica. Ms. Eaton had the privilege of taking part in this “adventure of a lifetime” as the official trip geologist and geophysicist of the 57-member expedition that re-traced the footsteps of Sir Ernest Shackleton, 100 years later.

The 2010 CSPG Honorary Address hosted 1,200 Junior High Students for the morning performance and 250 industry professionals and members of the general public at the evening performance. Those who attended in the evening also had an opportunity to peruse interesting lobby displays from APEGGA, the Arctic Institute of Canada, Calgary Science Network, Calgary Youth Science Fair, Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre, City of Calgary – Water Wise, CSPG, CSEG, Geological Survey of Canada, Komarevich Originals, and TELUS World of Science. The 2010 Committee continued with the On October 26th, 2010 the CSPG As a professional geologist and geophysicist, traditional silent auction which raised a Honorary Address took place at the Susan R. Eaton captured the attention total of $1,500.00, put towards funding for Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium; this and imagination of both the daytime and this worthwhile, annual public Outreach year’s topic was Polar Exploration – The evening audiences with thrilling footage event. Next Generation of “Cool” Science. The from the Force 10 storm she experienced CSPG and the 2010 Honorary Address Committee would like to thank Dr. Jacob Verhoef and Susan R. Eaton for sharing the fascinating tales of their adventures in the Arctic and Antarctic, respectively.

Dr. Jacob Verhoef enlightened audiences about the ongoing research efforts to determine ownership rights to potential undersea oil and other submerged mineral resources of the Arctic. As Director of the UNCLOS Program (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) for the Geological Survey of Canada, Dr. Verhoef has been working with other Canadian researchers on gathering and substantiating evidence that the Lomonosov Ridge, as well as the Alpha Ridge, and offshore parts of the Beaufort Sea bottom are a “natural prolongation” of the North American continent, extending Canada’s ownership limits and rights well beyond the arctic coastline. If eventually agreed to by the UN, this work could result in increasing Canada’s access to the potentially abundant resources of the Arctic.

40 RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 The CSPG Honorary Address is sponsored by APEGGA, the CSPG Educational Trust Fund, and the CSEG Foundation. However it would not be possible without the additional generous support received from the following corporate sponsors: Petrobakken, AJM Petroleum Consultants, Penn West Energy Trust, RPS Boyd PetroSearch, MGM Energy Corp, Daylight Energy, Sundog, AVW TELAV, and the Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation. The support of these organizations is vital to the continuation of this program and allows for the CSPG to continue promoting geosciences to today’s youth and the general public.

A hearty thank you to the Honorary Address Organizing Committee and to all the other people working behind the scenes that made this event a success.

The 2010 Honorary Address Committee are: Mike DesRoches (Chair), Linden Achen, Ranald Gault, Shawn LaFleur, Annette Milbradt, Kyla Poelzer, Bob Riopel, Tom Sneddon, Marissa Whitaker, and Jay Williams.

Thank you to our sponsors

CSPG Trust Geoscientists for our future

Boyd PetroSearch

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 41 HOW CHANCE ENCOUNTERS led to a summer job | By Garrett Quinn, Queen’s University

There are a number of paths that bring geologists to Calgary to work as petroleum geologists. Maybe they got their start as well-site geologists, or maybe they were working in mineral exploration and decided to make a career change. Whatever the path, there were likely a couple of big breaks or chance encounters that made it possible.

Flying back from Calgary to Kingston for one more year at Queen’s University, I read Field Notes: The Story of the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists. In it, 1976 CSPG President and SIFT founder Bill Ayrton is quoted, “I was influenced, and maybe you were too, in your career, by a few individuals or a few events and again maybe you can count those on the fingers of one hand.” Reading this led me to reflect on the people and experiences that brought me to Calgary for my first summer in the oil patch.

It began as a scheduling conflict that made me take clastic sedimentology at Queen’s. Taught by Dr. Bob Dalrymple, this course Garrett Quinn on Osum field trip, in front of Horseshoe Canyon Formation, Drumheller, Alberta. presented ideas at a level that prepared students to critically read scientific I was hoping to land a job through the SIFT shot at independent research. The work is literature. On our five-day field trip to the jobs program when Jen Russel-Houston, on carbonate concretions in the Clearwater Adirondacks in New York State, where we the Geosciences Manager at Osum, came Formation, near Cold Lake, Alberta, and looked at outcrops from terrestrial to distal to my petroleum geology class on a CSPG the plan is to use techniques like laser marine facies of a Paleozoic clastic wedge, Lecture Tour. A few days after a fascinating ablation for stable isotopes and electron I realized what I would specialize in. After talk on the Grosmont Formation, a job microprobe analysis in order to understand this course, I was left looking for a way to offer was presented to our class. With their composition and origin. crack into the petroleum industry, and to Dr. Dalrymple as a reference, I came away use and expand this new-found knowledge. from the interview feeling great, and as it The mentoring I received was priceless, Born and raised near Baltimore, I had no happens, with a summer internship working and it seems to me that it’s all about connections to the oil patch whatsoever. under Senior Geologist Kelli Meyer on their the extraordinary people working for Enter the CSPG. Cold Lake project. The story got even extraordinary organizations deciding that sweeter when I heard that Osum founder, part of their job was to find and nurture In the winter term, I experienced two Vice President, and former CSPG President students who will eventually replace them of Bill Ayrton’s aforementioned “influential Peter Putnam, gave his blessing for an as the next generation of geoscientists. events.” Firstly, I was selected to represent undergraduate thesis based on the work They understand the importance of these Queen’s on the annual CSPG SIFT field trip; done during my internship, which is now jobs in a modern society, and want to see and secondly, given a summer job at Osum well underway. the supply of energy to the global market Oil Sands Corp. in Calgary. in good hands. More importantly, there is The job at Osum, like SIFT, was more a basic impulse to pass on the knowledge I could easily write an entire article on how than I could have hoped for. Working for a accumulated over a lifetime, a value that my incredible SIFT is. SIFT is much more than small company gave me the opportunity to experiences have convinced me is also at the an introduction to the technical aspects make important contributions to a variety core of the CSPG. But whatever the reason, of the industry – it puts a face to the of projects including core logging and I’m grateful for all of these opportunities industry. The leaders and lecturers are a preliminary facies modeling with consultant and cannot wait until it is my turn to pass on truly diverse group of people, and I was Shawna Christensen, choosing petrographic the torch. After this past year of career- and genuinely impressed by how much they samples, and assisting Operations Geologist life-influencing events, I’m convinced I’ll be loved their jobs and their roles as mentors. Mark Rabin in choosing core for slotted heading back out west. I met people I believe will be lifelong liner tests. I also enjoyed writing a research friends; the trip truly made me feel at home proposal and calculating a budget for my in Calgary. undergraduate thesis, as this was my first

42 RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 28 years and counting

depending on which divisions need players. This tournament is open to all players and abilities. We typically have an A division for highly skilled players all the way down to E or Beginner level.

Look for great food and social opportunities at this 3-day tournament.

The CSPG Squash tournament has been a sold-out event for the past 12 years and continues to grow in popularity. The event hosts a variety of earth scientists, including a large number of geophysicists who entered last year. Students are always welcome and have been generously sponsored by Encana in the past.

The CSPG squash committee has been offered again to all players entering the Keep an eye out for TWO sponsored hard at work since October to prepare for competition. Registration is up and running Practice Nights. One will be offered at the 28th Annual event. Some committee on the CSPG website at www.cspg.org. the Bow Valley Club on Monday January members have moved along but most are Look under the Events Tab under Social 31st at 4:30 – 7:00pm (same night as still with us and some we can’t get rid of. Events to find the squash link. Early Bird Registration Night) The other practice prizes are being offered to those people night will be hosted at Bankers Hall The tournament will once again be held who are keen enough to get their entry on Thursday January 27th at 4:45 to at the World Health Club in Edgemont in before January 3rd, 2011. Enter early 7:00 pm. Please contact David Caldwell on February 3, 4, and 5th 2011. as this event fills up quickly. The limit will 403-852-5571 or the CSPG office at Both singles and doubles play will be be about 130 players plus or minus a few 403-264-5610 for sponsorship opportunities.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS... And join thousands of industry professionals at this year’s recovery 2011 convention in Calgary May 9 - 13, 2011 at the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre. • Submit your abstract for oral presentation, poster • Bring your company to the show floor. Space is almost presentation or core presentation online now. SOLD OUT! Book now at [email protected] Abstract deadline is January 15, 2011 • Re-connect with friends, meet new contacts and • Increase your company’s brand visibility among take advantage of the opportunity to network with thousands of industry professionals - sponsor or industry professionals at various social events including advertise in our official publications Luncheons and the Core Meltdown • Earn up to 6 PDH credits each day you attend FOR MORE INFORMATION visit us online at www.geoconvention.com Produced by:

www.geoconvention.com

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 43 THE AAPG 2010 INTERNATIONAL Conference and Exhibition

The AAPG 2010 International Conference and Exhibition was held in Calgary in September 12th - 15th, 2010.

During the pre-conference and post- conference, in conjunction with other associations (AAPG, EMD, SEPM, and PTTC), CSPG ran three short courses and four field seminars. Delegates (136 including students) attending the conference, including CSPG members who normally attended our Fall Education Week, benefited from the international interaction. CSPG thanks CSPG instructors: Bill Amott, Russell Davies, Pat McLellan, Tom Moslow and JP Zonneveld, Greg Soule and Paul MacKay, Chris Collom and Randle Robertson, Dennis Meloche, and Dan Edwards. A special thanks to the CSPG Continuing Education Committee, especially Julia Baumeister from Compton Petroleum Corporation and Dennis Meloche from Devon Energy for organizing these events.

CSPG also hosted an International Core Conference on September 16th -17th and with the support of our sponsor, AGAT Laboratories, brought core from around the world to the Alberta Energy and Resource Conservation Board (ERCB) Core Research Unlock the puzzle Centre. CSPG would also like to thank of reservoir performance. Weatherford for sponsoring the luncheon.

RPS Boyd PetroSearch puts the pieces in place for Nathan Bruder, Milestone Exploration affordable 3D earth modeling solutions. and John Cody, StatOil, worked tirelessly soliciting core. The core was divided into four Until now, only the largest players could access areas and each area had volunteers assist in advanced earth modeling technology to simulate oil securing core and manning the core educating and gas reservoirs, leaving smaller companies scratching 404 interested delegates. Special thanks to their heads. all the volunteers: John Hopkins, Stephen Hubbard, Christian Viau, Ryan Carnegie, Dan As part of our consulting services, RPS Boyd PetroSearch makes sophisticated Kohlruss, Arden March, Jerome Biollo, John reservoir modeling accessible to mid-tier companies, using the Paradigm Miller, Peter Proverbs, Chuck Vorce, Fed ® ® GOCAD and SKUA platforms. Krause, Geir Helgesen, Dean Gagnon, Mark Learn how we can use GOCAD® and SKUA® to help your engineers, geologists Radomski, James Carter, Chantel Bunnell, Julia Davison, and Dennis Meloche. and geophysicists put their heads together to extract more oil & gas from your reservoir. What a team! Graeme Bloy, CSPG Past Please call: Damien Thenin 403.543.5381 or Larry Herd 403.543.5362 President, certainly knew who to call on Visit boydpetro.com or rpsgroup.com/canada and was instrumental in guiding CSPG in maximizing attendance, exposing students, and assisting the team to completion.

rpsgroup.com

44 RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 AYAZ GULAMHUSSEIN: Top 40 Under 40 | By Caitlin Young

This is partly what prompted Ayaz to organize the CSPG U35 Networking Event BLUEBACK RESERVOIR at Arts Central this past September. After noticing a significant gap in the membership PROJECT TRACKER demographics within the CSPG, Ayaz wanted to know where all the young people were, and how to get them involved with the Society. “I realized that there really Track and monitor your Petrel weren’t any events for students and young projects with the new plug-in professionals to get together and network for Petrel – the Blueback Project with one another, and that they were not Tracker. aware of the benefits of being involved with CSPG. As a Society, we needed to A Petrel data managers Avenue Calgary Magazine has named Ayaz shed light on the positive effect that being dream come true: Gulamhussein, 2010 Services Director part of the CSPG would have on their at the CSPG, one of Calgary’s “Top 40 careers.” By having an event specifically for • Acquire and maintain an Under 40.” After speaking with Ayaz, it students and young professionals, young overview of your Petrel projects is easy to see why. The passion that Ayaz geologists were able to meet and interact on your discs has for his profession and his volunteer with one another, as well as mingle with • Reveal data inconsistencies and work is evident. Dedicating over 1,000 several industry veterans who were also in duplications volunteer hours annually to the Kids Up attendance. Nearly 200 young professionals • Monitor users and projects Front Foundation, the Aga Khan Foundation and students attended the first annual event! Canada, and the CSPG, it is Ayaz’s youth, “I was not surprised with the success of the • Measure migration of projects energy, and passion that peg him as one of event,” Ayaz says, “We knew that these between Petrel version the top young geologists in the industry. young people were out there, it was just a matter of reaching them and showing them “Volunteering is extremely important to how the CSPG is relevant to them and their me; it is a huge part of my life. I started careers.” volunteering at a very young age; in my community it is just what you do. I started Many of the people that Ayaz has met volunteering with the CSPG five years ago through the CSPG have been industry because I wanted to get involved with veterans, which has proven to be incredibly a scientific society that was technically valuable. “The people that have been in challenging and promoted the professional the industry for a long time, are amazing development of geoscientists” Ayaz says. resources. In my experience they love “I have found that being involved with the being teachers and mentors to younger CSPG has been incredibly beneficial for professionals in the business. After eight me in my early career. It has allowed me to years in the industry, Ayaz says that not all meet so many people from all different areas learning can be done in the classroom. “In of the industry. In a city like Calgary, being this business you learn from the people that able to network with your peers is crucial.” you work with, and through the experiences that you receive. There is always something Ayaz recommends that young professionals new to learn, and a lot of that learning can should participate in the community through be done from industry veterans. They thrive volunteering, as they will learn leadership off of teaching and sharing their stories and organizational skills that they can use with young people. They have so much in their professional life. Not only will they information to impart and there is so much learn new skills he says, but they will also that we younger people can learn from have the opportunity to rub elbows with them.” their peers, which could potentially help them break into the business. “When I talk The CSPG is extremely proud of Ayaz, Learn more? Contact us at to students and young graduates who are and we are looking forward to seeing what www.blueback-reservoir.com having trouble getting their foot in the door, successes and accomplishments are in store I always tell them to volunteer with the for this remarkable young professional [email protected] CSPG. Getting involved and meeting senior down the road. Congratulations Ayaz on members of the industry can be difficult if being selected as one of Calgary’s “Top 40 +1 403 538 4821 you do not know where to go or how to Under 40” by Avenue Magazine. www.blueback-reservoir.com go about it.”

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 45 road to recovery – recovery 2011 Convention Update | By Aileen Lozie, Paul MacKay, Rob McGrory, and Satyaki Ray

With the Christmas season and 2010 behind registration exhibit hall us, it’s time to start looking forward to this Registration for this year’s convention is Looking to exhibit? Visit www.geoconvention. year’s convention taking place May 9-13, 2011 expected to open February 1, 2011 at noon com for more information on how to submit at the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre. (MST). Take advantage of the early bird your exhibitor application. The floor is almost discounts and register early! sold out – so act quickly! Mark your calendars – important deadlines to make note of include: special events committees Make sure you register early to ensure you receive The convention’s success relies heavily on Call for Abstracts closes tickets for this year’s special events including the support and dedication of committee Friday, January 14, 2011 Monday night’s icebreaker reception and after volunteers. If you are interested in Convention registration will open party, Tuesday night’s networking reception, core volunteering for this year’s convention, Tuesday, February 1, 2011 meltdown, and convention luncheons. please email [email protected] or visit the website for more information. call for abstracts Additional tickets for all events can be recovery 2011 is looking for technical purchased in advance when you register to For more information on this year’s upcoming presentations from Canadians and attend the convention – so feel free to invite convention, recovery 2011, please visit the International industry professionals and your spouse, partner, co-worker, or potential website at www.geoconvention.com or email academia. The Call for abstracts is open clients to one or all of the social events. [email protected]. and the deadline to submit your abstract for consideration is Friday, January 14, sponsorship 2011. For more information on how There are several sponsorship opportunities to submit an abstract, and this year’s still available for this year’s convention. presentation topics of interest, please visit Ensure your company’s brand is visible at this www.geoconvention.com and visit the call year’s convention where over 5,000 industry for abstracts page under conference. professionals are expected to attend.

Helping you achieve greater recoveries with fewer wells.

By utilizing proven tools and strategies that integrate geological, geophysical and engineering data in Windows® and Linux® platforms. We can determine the distribution of hydrocarbons in your reservoirs with greater precision to maximize profitability. There’s more to Fugro-Jason than just inversion.

Contact Cheran Mangat: 403.830.4591 or email [email protected] 610, 600 - 6th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta T2P 0S5 www.fugro-jason.com

46 RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 Teamwork Pays

At APEGGA we know and understand that we live and practice in a complex world. The heavy lifting in the resource extraction industries, and in the environmental industry, is done by teams, often led by Professional Geoscientists. These teams include professionals, technologists and support staff both at headquarters in the city and at camp in the field. There’s no question in our minds that geoscience projects require teams to manage questions surrounding the many varied issues including governance, tax impact, reporting and environmental concerns including land-use and ground disturbance. Through consultation and communication, all these issues, and a multitude of others, are resolved to ensure the projects we work on benefit society. The Geoscience Professionals’ code of ethics and paramount responsibility to protect public safety and well-being must be recognized and acted upon. P.Geol.s, P.Geoph.s and Professional Licensees (Geological and Geophysical) are team players. No doubt. Our work helps keep Alberta safe and strong and the only way we can achieve that goal is through teamwork amongst professionals. Teamwork Pays. Visit www.apegga.org for more information or call Tom Sneddon, P.Geol., Geoscience Affairs Manager at 403-262-7714 or 1-800-661-7020.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 2011 47 Need a solution that will take you to oil faster? Accelerate

Introducing the DecisionSpace® Desktop unified workspace Now your entire asset team can collaborate in real time using one unified workspace. Accelerate analysis and interpretation by sharing a common subsurface framework. Reduce cycle time and improve accuracy by examining more scenarios faster. Improve your returns in the field and in the office with industry-leading science and unmatched usability. Learn more at Halliburton.com/decisionspacedesktop.

High Science Simplifiedsm

© 2011 Halliburton. All rights reserved.

H049-10 CSPG Reservoir LMAccelerate.indd 1 11/24/10 3:39 PM