HGSBulletin Volume 56 Number 4 Houston Geological Society December 2013 AssessingAssessing thethe ExtentExtent ofof CarbonateCarbonate DepositionDeposition inin EarlyEarly RiftRift SettingsSettings -- TheThe ValueValue ofof AnalogsAnalogs PagePage29 29 Helium:Helium: TheThe OtherOther NaturalNatural GasGas PagePage 77 TheBulletin Houston Geological Society Volume 56, Number 4 December 2013 In Every Issue Technical Meetings 5 From the President by Barry Katz 27 HGS General Dinner Meeting The Influence of Salt Structures and Salt Deformation 7 From the Editor on Petroleum Exploration in the Deepwater Northern by Michael Forlenza GOM GeoEvents Calendar 38 53 HGS Membership 29 HGS International Dinner Meeting Application Assessing the Extent of Carbonate Deposition in Early 54 HPAC Rift Settings – the Value of Analogs 55 Professional Directory 37 HGS Northsiders Luncheon Meeting Characterizing the Hydrocarbon Potential of a Paleo Houston Geological Society Stepped Slope Setting, Offshore Sabah OFFICERS Barry Katz President Ken Nemeth President-elect page 7 Mike Deming Vice President Other Features Bryan Guzman Secretary Mike Erpenbeck Treasurer Joe Lynch Treasurer-elect Michael Forlenza Editor 19 Letters to the Editor Dave Miller Editor-elect DIRECTORS Jim Beck Beverly DeJarnett 41 Vintage Geology John Dombrowski Michael Forlenza Allen Mattis HGS OFFICE STAFF Sandra Babcock HGS Office Director Christina Higginbotham Office Management 45 Government Update Henry M. Wise and Arlin Howles EDITORIAL BOARD page 31 Michael Forlenza Editor Dave Miller Bulletin Editor-elect Fang Lin Advisory Editor Ed Marks Advisory Editor James Ragsdale Advisory Editor Charles Revilla Advisory Editor Jill Kimble Advertising Editor Lisa Krueger Design Editor The Houston Geological Society Bulletin (ISSN-018-6686) is published monthly except for July and August by the Houston Geological Society, 14811 St. Mary’s Lane, Suite 250, Houston, Texas 77079-2916. Phone: 713-463-9476; fax: 281-679-5504 Editorial correspondence and material submitted for publication should be addressed to the Editor, Houston Geological Society Bulletin, 14811 St. Mary’s Lane, Suite 250, Houston, Texas 77079-2916 or to [email protected] Subscriptions: Subscription to this publication is included in the membership dues ($24.00 annually). Subscription price for non- members within the contiguous U.S. is $30.00 per year. For those outside the contiguous U.S. the subscription price is $46.00 per year. Single-copy price is $3.00. Periodicals postage paid in Houston, Texas. About the Cover: Rounded stones from a variety of source rocks in the gravel along Gold Bluffs POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Houston Geological Beach, Redwood National Park, near Orick, California. Photograph by Michael F. Forlenza. page 41 Society Bulletin, 14811 St. Mary’s Lane, Suite 250, Houston, Texas 77079-2916 December 2013 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 1 2 Houston Geological Society Bulletin December 2013 Board of Directors 2013–14 President (P) Barry Katz Chevron 832-854-6989 [email protected] President-Elect (PE) Ken Nemeth Schlumberger 281-770-6410 [email protected] Vice President (VP) Mike Deming Consultant 713-503-1751 [email protected] Secretary (S) Bryan Guzman Ingrain Rocks 832-270-5842 [email protected] Treasurer (T) Mike Erpenbeck Ziff Energy 832-418-0221 [email protected] Treasurer Elect (TE) Joe Lynch SPT Group 281-496-9898 x134 [email protected] Editor (E) Michael Forlenza Brown and Caldwell 713-646-1109 [email protected] Editor-Elect (EE) Dave Miller Statoil 832-447-0597 [email protected] Director 13-15 (D1) Jim Beck Tiger Eye Resources 832-524-4112 [email protected] Director 12-14 (D2) Beverly DeJarnett Bureau of Economic Geology 281-381-6522 [email protected] Director 12-14 (D3) John Dombrowski Peace River Group, LLC 832-483-7488 [email protected] Director 13-15 (D4) Allen Mattis Knowledge Reservoir 713-204-8069 [email protected] Committee Chairperson Phone Email Board Rep. AAPG House of Delegates John Dombrowski 832-483-7488 [email protected] P Academic Liaison vacant D2 Advertising Jill Kimble 713-463-9476 [email protected] E Africa Conference Martin Cassidy 713 503- 8331 [email protected] P Applied Geoscience Conferences Frank Walles 832-472-8496 [email protected] P Arrangements (hotel contracts) Mike Deming 713-503-1751 [email protected] VP Awards Bonnie Milne 832-661-6666 [email protected] VP Ballot/Elections Paul Hoffman 713-871-2350 [email protected] S Calvert Fund Carl Norman 713-461-7420 [email protected] PE Continuing Education Rosemary Laidacker 713-805-9672 [email protected] D1 Deep Water Technology Justin Vandenbrink 832-205-4063 [email protected] D4 Earth Science Week Martha McRae/Marc Fagelman 713-869-2045/832-741-7511 [email protected]/[email protected] D2 Educational Outreach Jennifer Burton 832-607-0074 [email protected] D2 Engineering Council of Houston Sue Pritchett 281-451-6522 [email protected] D2 Environmental & Eng. Geology Matthew Cowan 713-818-3114 [email protected] VP Exhibits Bill Mason/Bryan Guzman 281-367-0357/832-270-5842 [email protected]/[email protected] D3 Field Trips vacant D1 Finance Joe Lynch 281-496-9898x134 [email protected] T Foundation Fund John Adamick 713-860-2114 [email protected] PE General Meetings Mike Deming 713-503-1751 [email protected] VP Geomechanics Heather Davey [email protected] P Golf Tournament Mark Dennis 281-494-2522 [email protected] D4 Government Affairs Henry Wise/Arlin Howles 281-242-7190/281-753-9876 [email protected]/[email protected] D4 GSH Liaison Steve Earle 281-435-5020 [email protected] P Guest Night Dave Reynolds 281-275-7581/281-636-5178 [email protected] D4 HGS New Publications Bill Rizer 503-852-3062 [email protected] D1 Houston Energy Council Sandi Barber 713-935-7830 [email protected] PE HPAC Edie Bishop 713-467-8706 [email protected] S Imperial Barrel Shawn Kushiyama 281-544-3943 [email protected] D2 International Explorationists Scott Thornton 713-210-8318 [email protected] VP Legends Night vacant P Membership Growth Jeff Allen 713-871-2350 [email protected] D3 Membership, New Sharie Sartain 281-382-9855 [email protected] S Mudrocks Frank Walles [email protected] P Museum of Natural Science Inda Immega 713-661-3494 [email protected] D2 NeoGeos Sameer Baral 440-941-7121 [email protected] om D3 Nominations Martin Cassidy 713 503- 8331 [email protected] P North American Explorationists Steve Getz 713-304-8503 [email protected] VP Northsiders David Tonner 713-516-6894 [email protected] VP Office Management Christina Higginbotham 281-620-7835 [email protected] PE Publication Sales Dennis McConnell 281-362-4743 [email protected] D1 Science and Engineering Fair vacant D Shrimp Peel Lee Shelton 832-494-3703/281-381-1093 c [email protected] D4 Skeet Shoot Tom McCarroll 713-419-9414 [email protected] D4 Social Media Dianna Phu 281-236-3131/713-589-2362 [email protected] D3 Tennis Tournament Mark Dennis 713-204-8069 [email protected] D4 Vendor’s Corner Paul Babcock 713-859-0316 [email protected] TE Video Committee Linda Sternbach 281-679-7337 [email protected] D3 Volunteer Coordinator Lucy Plant 281-520-9920 [email protected] P Web Management Sandi Barber 713-935-7830 [email protected] D3 HGS Office Director Sandra Babcock 713-463-9476 [email protected] December 2013 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 3 4 Houston Geological Society Bulletin December 2013 From the Barry Katz President [email protected] President Change is Needed, are We Ready? From the the From he world changes and organizations need to evolve or face Renewals of memberships to professional organizations, such as Textinction. Ultimately, organizations disappear due to the lack the HGS and AAPG, have suffered over the past several years. We of interest and an inability of their reduced membership to received notification recently that as a result of a lack of AAPG support their overhead and infrastructure. This could be the fate membership renewals there could be a reduction in the number of HGS, if we do not consider current and future trends and accept of seats allocated to Houston in the House of Delegates. Drops in the fact that the conditions have changed over the past few years. the HGS membership rolls have been even greater than those seen Change is not easy, especially for those who have been heavily at AAPG. It is unclear, however, how much of this decrease was a involved in running the organization. But change is necessary for result of complications associated with the transition to a new future success. website that was fraught with bugs. Even taking this website complication into consideration there Let’s consider the facts as we know The question is largely one as to appears to be a significant reduction by them. Over the past several years, choice in the membership roster. largely as a result of the growth of whether the process continues as unconventional resources, shale oil and A review of the facts has resulted in shale gas, there has been an increase in is or is it modified to reflect what some definitive actions and the the number of practicing geologists in initiation of a series of discussions and the greater Houston area. Many, if not is the new reality of reduced debates. Problems with the website have most, arrived directly from the membership and a smaller pool been resolved and credit card payment university. The interests and needs of can be made online and the “member this new generation of professionals are of individuals that are interested only” portions of the website are really different from those that have been limited to dues paying members.