Dallas Geological Society Calendar Events RSS Feed

9th International Conference on African E & P on 8-Sep-10 8:30 AM

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:30:00 GMT

9th International Conference on African E & P
Start Date: 8-Sep-10 8:30 AM
End Time: 9-Sep-10 5:30 PM
Location: Marriot Houston Westchase Hotel, Houston, TX
Event Details:

Marriot Houston Westchase Hotel

2900 Briarpark Drive

Houston, TX

DGS September Luncheon on 14-Sep-10 11:30 AM

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:30:00 GMT

DGS September Luncheon
Start Date: 14-Sep-10 11:30 AM
End Time: 14-Sep-10 1:00 PM
Location: Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute, Farmers Branch, TX 75244
Speaker: John A. Breyer

Event Details:

Unconventional Wisdom—It’s More than Just Technology

Shale reservoirs are continuous accumulations in which the same formation often serves as the source, reservoir and seal for commercial accumulations of natural gas. Intrabasinal differences within continuous accumulations account for the indistinctly bound areas of better gas production termed “sweet spots” by operators. Generally similar sets of facies have been recognized in the Barnett Shale in the Fort Worth basin by all recent workers. Dark mudstone to claystone with a matrix of clay minerals and cryptocrystalline quartz is the most common depositional facies in the Barnett. Two predominantly calcareous depositional facies are next in abundance—argillaceous lime mudstone and skeletal, argillaceous lime packstone. A variety of minor depositional and diagenetic facies are also present. The abundance and distribution of facies changes with geographic location within the basin and stratigraphic position within the Barnett. The most obvious example of this is the relative abundance of calcareous depositional facies in the northern portion of the basin compared to their relative scarcity in the central portion of the basin. All of the major facies recognized in the Barnett have high concentrations of organic matter. Variation in facies is greater than variation in organic matter content. The location of “sweet spots” with higher production rates within the Barnett may ultimately be explained by the distribution of facies that respond differently to various completion procedures. As the play matures it is likely that a detailed understanding of the geology, especially the distribution of facies, will become increasingly important in selecting well locations, intervals in which to land laterals, and which fracture stimulation techniques to employ.

Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute

3939 Valley View Ln

Farmers Branch, TX 75244

2010 WTGS Fall Symposium on 15-Sep-10 7:30 AM

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 12:30:00 GMT

2010 WTGS Fall Symposium
Start Date: 15-Sep-10 7:30 AM
End Time: 17-Sep-10 5:30 PM
Location: Midland Center, Midland, TX
Event Details:

2010 FALL SYMPOSIUM: September 15-17, 2010

Leveraging Conventional and Unconventional Play Concepts in the Permian Basin – The Value of Stratigraphy and Technology

Please plan to attend the 22nd West Texas Geological Society Fall Symposium. The two and one-half days of technical sessions will feature oral and poster sessions presented by outstanding authors showcasing current research, field studies and other aspects of the Permian Basin and analogous areas. The symposium provides attendees with a chance to network with their peers in a technical setting that also provides opportunities for social interaction.

Core Workshop: Wolfberry Reservoirs of the Permian Basin

Discovery Forum: Top explorers tell the stories behind their Permian Basin field discoveries

Call for Paper Topics:

-Permian Basin Shelf to Basin Transitions

-Wolfcamp and Leonard Reservoirs

-Chemical & Mechanical Stratigraphy of Fine-Grained Sequences

-Permian Basin Petroleum Systems
-Modern Techniques & Old School Methods

-Paleontology - The Key to Finding New Oil in Mature Areas

-Geologic and Geophysical Studies for Enhanced Recovery or Sequestration

-Onshore US play concepts and field analogies

The Fall Symposium will be held at the Midland Center in downtown Midland, Texas, with technical sessions and poster sessions taking place on September 15 & 16, 2010 and the core workshop taking place on September 17, 2010. The symposium will begin at 8:30 am on Wednesday, September 15 with registration beginning at 7:30 a.m. For more information, contact Executive Director Paula Mitchell at the WTGS office at (432) 683-1573, [wtgs@wtgs.org] or General Chairman Ricky Cox [rcox@conchoresources.com] (432) 685-4387.

For information on technical sessions, contact Dave Nelson at [dave.nelson@pxd.com] (972) 969-3810 or Beverly DeJarnett at [bev.dejarnett@beg.utexas.edu] (281) 381-6522. An Ethics Luncheon Presentation will take place apart from the symposium and will be held on Thursday at the Midland Petroleum Club. This presentation meets the Texas Registration requirement for Professional Development Hours for Geologists and Engineers.

To register, please send the completed form with payment to: WTGS P.O. Box 1595, Midland, Texas 79702. Credit card payment may be faxed to (432) 686-7827. Pre-registration and cancellation deadline is August 31, 2010. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Midland Hilton. The hotel phone number is (432) 683-6131. Remember to ask for the special WTGS Symposium rate.

Symposium Pre-Registration $150.00

Symposium on Site Registration $175.00

Ethics Luncheon Presentation $ 25.00

Midland Center

105 N. Main Street

Midland, TX

Dallas Geological Society International Group Dinner Meeting on 15-Sep-10 5:30 PM

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 22:30:00 GMT

Dallas Geological Society International Group Dinner Meeting
Start Date: 15-Sep-10 5:30 PM
End Time: 15-Sep-10 9:00 PM
Location: Brookhaven Country Club, Dallas, TX 75234
Speaker: Gloria Eisenstadt

Brookhaven Country Club

3333 Golfing Green Drive

Dallas, TX USA 75234

DGeophS Luncheon - Two Sweeps or Not Two Sweeps on 16-Sep-10 11:30 AM

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 16:30:00 GMT

DGeophS Luncheon - Two Sweeps or Not Two Sweeps
Start Date: 16-Sep-10 11:30 AM
End Time: 16-Sep-10 1:00 PM
Location: Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute Brookhaven College, Farmers Branch, Texas 75244
Speaker: Kevin Werth

Event Details:

2 Sweeps or Not 2 Sweeps

The source effort in Vibroseis exploration and the amount of time invested in this component of the seismic project can be reduced by taking a look at how many sweeps are performed on each point. Field testing of the Vibroseis source into a 2D Line with acceptable fold and capturing each sweep individually at the test is needed. The individual sweeps can then be processed using differing number of total sweeps to determine the acceptable number of sweeps prior to the start up of the 3D Survey. Field Testing has indicated that there are Vibroseis sourced surveys that can be acquired with as few as 1 sweep and with higher fold. A discussion of time and costs within a Vibroseis 3D Survey and data samples from field testing will illustrate the value of fewer sweeps per Vibroseis source location within a 3D Survey.

Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute Brookhaven College

3939 Valley View Lane

Farmers Branch, Texas 75244

GCAGS-GCSSEPM Annual Convention on 10-Oct-10 8:30 AM

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 13:30:00 GMT

GCAGS-GCSSEPM Annual Convention
Start Date: 10-Oct-10 8:30 AM
End Time: 12-Oct-10 5:30 PM
Location: Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, TX 78205
Event Details:

The Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies invites members of the DGS to attend the GCAGS-GCSSEPM Annual Convention in San Antonio on October 10-12. The meeting will highlight a special symposium on “Forming and Filling of the Gulf of Mexico Basin”, technical sessions on the Eagle Ford and other organic shales of the Gulf Coast, Cretaceous carbonates, integrated answers for shelf-to-ultradeep exploration, and other timely topics, plus field trips, short courses, and some enjoyable social and networking activities.

Please access the convention website at www.gcags2010.com for event details and registration information. Note that the discounted pre-registration fee of $150 will remain in effect through August 23^rd.

Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center

200 E. Market Street

San Antonio, TX USA 78205

DGS October Luncheon on 12-Oct-10 11:30 AM

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 16:30:00 GMT

DGS October Luncheon
Start Date: 12-Oct-10 11:30 AM
End Time: 12-Oct-10 1:00 PM
Location: Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute, Farmers Branch, TX 75244
Speaker: James Cearley

Event Details:

Lower Tertiary Trend in Deepwater Gulf of Mexico - Challenges and Potential Rewards

The emerging Lower Tertiary Wilcox Trend of the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico is the latest exploratory trend since the deepwater sub-salt Miocene trend was ignited 10 years ago with large discoveries like Thunder Horse and Tahiti. The deepwater Miocene has delivered over 8 billion BOE to date, and the Lower Tertiary Trend has delivered over 3 billion BOE so far, with much of the trend yet to be explored. The Lower Tertiary Wilcox is a 300-mile-long, primarily sub-salt, trend in the ultra-deep water targeting some of the oldest and deepest clastic reservoirs yet developed in the Gulf of Mexico. In the Wilcox trend, the oil fields discovered to date have been very large with significant pay thickness. However, these discoveries have flow rate challenges created by lower permeability rocks and low mobility hydrocarbons. Chevron’s record-setting deep well test at the “Jack Field” was an important milestone in confirming the producibility and commerciality of the significant oil in place in these ultra-deep Wilcox reservoirs. Chevron believes that the key to unlocking the value of the Lower Tertiary Wilcox trend will be the practical application of existing technologies, the rapid maturation of new technologies and efficient sharing of infrastructure development. Economic development of this new trend will require companies to work closely with others in the industry as new fields are discovered and new challenges are overcome.

Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute

3939 Valley View Ln

Farmers Branch, TX 75244

DGeophS Luncheon - Low Saturation Gas Reservoir Discrimination on 28-Oct-10 11:30 AM

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:30:00 GMT

DGeophS Luncheon - Low Saturation Gas Reservoir Discrimination
Start Date: 28-Oct-10 11:30 AM
End Time: 28-Oct-10 1:00 PM
Location: Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute Brookhaven College, Farmers Branch, Texas 75244
Speaker: Alfred Liaw

Event Details:

Low Saturation Gas Reservoirs Discrimination – An Integrated Approach

Low saturation gas reservoirs are commonly found in the deep to ultra-deep water
environment of the Gulf of Mexico. Most low saturation gas reservoirs result from a breached seal or insufficient charge in a petroleum system. The breached seals could take place either from past or on-going leakages. A breach in a top seal and/or a fault seal can easily result in a low saturation gas reservoir. It has been a major technical challenge to identify low saturation gas reservoirs before penetrating them. Since deepwater exploration drilling has been extremely expensive, assessing risk for those amplitude targets can have significant economic impact.

AVO analysis, amplitude vs. background (A/B), amplitude conformable with depth structure, and low frequency shadow are the technologies commonly applied to validate gas reservoirs in Tertiary Basins. We analyzed seismic amplitudes, AVO responses, instantaneous frequencies, and effective stress over 10 discoveries and 12 dry holes in an area near the intersection of Mississippi Canyon, Atwater Valley, Desoto Canyon, and Lloyd Ridge of Eastern Gulf of Mexico. The study area falls in the vicinity of the Independent Hub producing fields. The water depths range from 7,000 to 9,000 ft. Based on the analysis results, the team formulates an integrated workflow, by applying differential weights to the index of A/B, AVO, low frequency shadows, and effective stress, to mitigate the uncertainty of risk for all Miocene amplitude plays. The workflow was applied to rank 13 prospects. The integrated methodology has been proven as an effective way to reduce the uncertainty on predicting the occurrence of low saturation gas reservoirs.

Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute Brookhaven College

3939 Valley View Lane

Farmers Branch, Texas 75244

2010 Dallas E&P Forum: The New and the Unusual on 3-Nov-10 8:00 AM

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 13:00:00 GMT

2010 Dallas E&P Forum: The New and the Unusual
Start Date: 3-Nov-10 8:00 AM
End Time: 3-Nov-10 5:30 PM
Location: Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute, Farmers Branch, TX 75244
Event Details:

Plan to attend what will be a fascinating full-day symposium featuring presentations on a variety of new or unusual exploration plays. Stimulate your brain with exposure to new ideas, fresh concepts, and some outside-the-box exploration thinking.

More details to follow in September!

Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute

3939 Valley View Ln

Farmers Branch, TX 75244

Joint DGGS Luncheon - on 18-Nov-10 11:30 AM

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 17:30:00 GMT

Joint DGGS Luncheon -
Start Date: 18-Nov-10 11:30 AM
End Time: 18-Nov-10 1:00 PM
Location: Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute, Farmers Branch, TX 75244
Speaker: Kurt J. Marfurt

Event Details:

THE SHAPE OF 3D SEISMIC INTERPRETATION

Seismic interpreters routinely use the shape of an interpreted surface in developing prospects, with the classic hydrocarbon trap being a ridge-shaped anticline. Carbonate buildups may appear as dome-shaped and karst collapse features as bowl-shaped. Differential compaction often results in valley-shapes over shale-filled channels.

The interpretational value of a given shape is dependent on its depositional, diagenetic, and tectonic deformation context. If the channel fill is sand and the surrounding matrix shale, differential compaction can result in an incised valley appearing as a ridge, thereby providing a lithologic indicator. In flat-lying carbonates, joints will often be diagenetically altered and appear as valleys, while fracture intersections will appear as bowls. As always, the interpreter needs to be aware of the seismic data quality. In areas of limited lateral and vertical resolution, diffuse, or poorly-imaged faults may give rise to a recognizable shape anomaly. Negatively, velocity pull-up may induce deeper ridges and push-down deeper valleys on what might actually be flat structure.

Coupled with coherence, which delineates reflector edges, volumetric shape helps us rapidly recognize structural and stratigraphic style on horizontal and vertical slices. Pop-up blocks may appear as a ridge bounded on both sides by low-coherence faults. Listric faults may be associated with a ridge-shaped roll-over anticline. Gas- and water-charged debris flow that can be drilling hazards may appear as high-coherence, dome shaped blocks.

Quantitative measures of reflector shape computed from uninterpreted seismic volumes are a by-product of volumetric curvature. Volumetric curvature is now well-established in the interpretation community, with workflows developed to correlate healed fracture zones to ridges in shale plays to help guide hydraulic fracture stimulation programs. While the shape of an anomaly is most-easily understood in terms of reflector geometry, we can also compute the ‘shape’ of reflector amplitude and acoustic impedance. For instance, we find that ‘valleys’ of low acoustic impedance are correlated to structural ridges in the Woodford Shale of the Arkoma Basin, suggesting the presence of either fractures or diagenetic alteration.

More recently, we have made progress in the volumetric quantification of pinch-outs and unconformities, providing images of both the magnitude and azimuth of reflector convergence. We have also made progress in volumetric mapping of flexures, delineating areas where the curvature changes most rapidly, often associated with drag or antithetic faulting about major faults.

I will illustrate these concepts through application to data acquired in the Midcontinent and Texas.

Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute

3939 Valley View Ln

Farmers Branch, TX 75244