Please submit RESERVOIR articles to the CSPG office.Submission deadline is the 23rd day of the month,two months prior to issue date. (e.g.,January 23 for the March issue).
To publish an article,the CSPG requires digital copies of the document.Text should be in Microsoft Word format and illustrations should be in TIFF format at 300 dpi.For additional information on manuscript preparation,refer to the Guidelines for Authors published in the CSPG Bulletin or contact the editor.
COORDINATING EDITOR & OPERATIONS
Jaimè Croft Larsen
CSPG
Tel:403-264-5610 Fax:403-264-5898
Email:jaime.croftlarsen@cspg.org
TECHNICAL EDITOR
Ben McKenzie
Tarheel Exploration
Tel:403-277-4496
Email:bjmck@telusplanet.net
ADVERTISING
Kim MacLean
Corporate Relations,CSPG
Tel:403-264-5610,Ext 205
Email:kim.maclean@cspg.org
Advertising inquiries should be directed to Kim MacLean.The deadline to reserve advertising space is the 23rd day of the month, two months prior to issue date.All advertising artwork should be sent directly to Kim MacLean.
The RESERVOIR is published 11 times per year by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists. This includes a combined issue for the months of July/August.
Advertisements,as well as inserts,mailed with the publication are paid advertisements.No endorsement or sponsorship by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists is implied.
The CSPG Rock Shop is an attractive and affordable way to target the CSPG readership. Spaces are sold at business card sizes (3.5” wide by 2” high).To reserve space or for more information,please contact Kim MacLean at 403-264-5610,ext.205.
The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in full without the consent of the publisher.
DEPARTMENTS
FRONT COVER
Dead Vlei, Namib Naukluft Park, Namibia. A salt-encrusted dry lake named for its large, dead Camelthorn trees, some of which are up to 500-years-old. This area lies in the Sossus Vlei area, which is thought to be one of the oldest deserts known to man. This photo was taken at the base of Big Daddy, the tallest dune on the planet with a height of approximately 325m. Photo by Rhea Karvonen and Doug Neilson.
The Assistant Finance Director's main job within the CSPG is the creation of the budget for the upcoming fiscal year,which begins September 1st.It is then this individual's responsibility to monitor how the society's income and expenses are tracking the budget through the end of the fiscal year at which time he or she has taken on the duties of Finance Director.Much of the data collecting required for the budgeting process is coordinated by the CSPG's Business Manager,Tim Howard,and as with all Assistant Finance Director's who came before me,I am deeply indebted to Tim for all his work on behalf of the society. I am also thankful for the help and guidance of the CSPG's current Finance Director, Marty Hewitt.
The CSPG is a large and vibrant organization with over 3,500 members,more than 10% of whom are involved in running the society's 50-plus committees.For the 2006/07 fiscal year revenues are projected at just over $2.8 million.As with all previous years,the CSPG uses a conservative bugeting process and forecasts a small surplus while ensuring all possible expenses have been captured and projecting on the low side of reasonable revenue estimates.The CSPG is still heavily dependent on both its convention (which represents nearly one third of projected revenues) and membership dues (which generate over 10% of society revenues) for a significant portion of its yearly revenues,but great strides are being made to further diversify our revenue sources.Sponsorship revenues under the direction of Kim MacLean have shown healthy increases over the past number of years,which has allowed the society to take on a number of new initiatives.We are hoping that a renewed emphasis on corporate memberships will show similar results in the future.The CSPG's Education Committee,revitalized under the leadership of its Co-Chairs,Godfried Wasser and Dave Russum,has also added significantly to the CSPG's revenues over the past year,
not to mention the enhanced technical contribution to the membership that having a full slate of quality short courses and field trips creates.It is also hoped that a focus on increasing the technical content in the Reservoir will also lead to enhanced revenues and profits in the future.
As you are probably now aware,the society is moving offices to Suite 600,640-8th Avenue SW (the Western Union Building) as of August 20,2006.In addition to providing the CSPG with more space for meetings and other Society business,the offices will be shared with the CSEG, providing for more interaction between our two Societies.Since most geologists work closely with their geophysical counterparts, and with a regular schedule of joint conventions planned for the future,this increasing cooperation will be good for both Societies as well as their members. Also,thanks again to the hard work of Tim Howard along with the Executive,we were able to negotiate a lease on new office space in the red-hot Calgary commercial real estate market which should have similar overall costs to the Society as our current lease.Not many companies in Calgary have been able to negotiate for more space in the current market without a significant increase in costs.
The CSPG continues to be in good financial health.As new initiatives are created and new revenue streams expanded,our Society has been able to expand its presence and impact on petroleum geology in Canada.We continue to budget each year for a small surplus,and each year with increasing revenues,we are able to take on new initiatives.In addition to our conservative budgeting process creating small but steady annual surpluses,our long-term investment portfolio provides our Society with a financial “safety net” to allow us to handle unforeseen situations or to pre-fund new initiatives.I look forward to working with the current as well as next year's Executive in order to ensure that your society is run as financially responsibly as possible,giving it the financial capability of meeting all its goals and objectives.Your Executive is always striving hard to ensure that your Society is healthy financially not only for this fiscal year,but also for years to come.
Peter Harrington, Assistant Finance Director
depths visions innovations that exceed
all
CONTOURING
Faulted contours
Isopachs
Volumetrics
Grid operations
New flexing options
CROSS SECTIONS
New Unassigned Tops
Digital and/or Raster
Geocolumn shading
Stratigraphic/Structural
Shade between crossover
Dipmeter data
MAPPING OPTIONS
Expanded GIS Functions
Bubble maps
Production charts
Log curves
Posted data
Highlighted Symbols
3D VISUALIZATION
Deviated wellbores
Digital logs
Grid surfaces
Tops, Shows and Perfs
Land grid overlay
Map images
PETRA® delivers the industry’s only easy-to-use and affordable integrated solution for today’s workflows. It provides multi-user access to large projects through geological, petrophysical and engineering analysis tools. The PetraSeis™ option extends PETRA® into 2D/3D seismic interpretation with practical tools such as RasterSeis™ Download a trial version at www.geoplus.com, or call us at 888-738-7265 (Houston: 713-862-9449 / Calgary: 403-264-9523) for more product information.
DECLINE CURVES
Compute EUR, RR, etc.
Hyperbolic or exp.
Rate/Time or Cum P/Z
User defined Econ. Limit
User defined Extrap. Time
PETRA
THE CSPG GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES ITS CORPORATE MEMBERS: THE CSPG GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES ITS CORPORATE MEMBERS:
ABU DHABI OIL CO., LTD. (JAPAN)
APACHE CANADA LTD.
BAKER ATLAS
BG CANADA EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, INC.
BP CANADA ENERGY COMPANY
BURLINGTON RESOURCES CANADA LTD.
CANADIAN FOREST OIL LTD.
CONOCOPHILLIPS CANADA
CORE LABORATORIES CANADA LTD.
DEVON CANADA CORPORATION
DOMINION EXPLORATION CANADA LTD.
DUVERNAY OIL CORP.
geoLOGICsystems ltd.
GRIZZLY RESOURCES LTD.
HUNT OIL COMPANY OF CANADA, INC.
HUSKY ENERGY INC.
IHS
IMPERIAL OIL RESOURCES LIMITED
LARIO OIL & GAS COMPANY
MJ SYSTEMS
MURPHY OIL COMPANY LTD.
NCE RESOURCES GROUP INC.
NEXEN INC.
NORTHROCK RESOURCES LTD.
PENN WEST PETROLEUM LTD.
PETRO-CANADA OIL AND GAS
PETROCRAFT PRODUCTS LTD.
PRIMEWEST ENERGY TRUST
RPS ENERGY
SHELL CANADA LIMITED
SPROULE ASSOCIATES LIMITED
STARPOINT ENERGY LTD.
SUNCOR ENERGY INC.
TALISMAN ENERGY INC.
TOTAL E&P CANADA LIMITED
WEATHERFORD CANADA
Petrel
Petrel* workflow tools provide a complete seismic-to-simulation toolkit— one solution uniting the subsurface domains of geophysics, geology, and reservoir engineering.
With Petrel software, asset team members can easily integrate their work—throughout the life of the field. No more over-the-wall data transfers, with the associated inaccuracies and errors. Traditional workflow and software barriers between technical disciplines are eliminated, opening the way for optimal reservoir understanding.
“In new assets and in older fields, leveraging technology is a key element of profitability and adding value for our shareholders. New insights and efficiencies from technologies within the Petrel suite of workflow tools provide significant potential benefits to companies like ours.” Steve Farris, CEO, Apache Corporation
With Petrel software, all work processes lead to one shared earth model, resulting in faster, better decisions.
sisinfo@slb.com www.slb.com/petrel
CORPORATE MEMBERS AS OF JULY 24, 2006
TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS
TICKET REPRESENTATIVE REGISTRATION
It is once again time to plan for the CSPG bimonthly Technical Luncheons.The CSPG has nineteen luncheons planned for the 2006/2007 Season.There are two methods for having tickets sent directly to a ticket representative in your office:
1) FOR CORPORATE MEMBERS OF CSPG
Corporate Members may order a set number of tickets per luncheon,which will be couriered to you with an invoice.For orders of less than 10 tickets per luncheon, a $5.00 handling fee will be added to the invoice.You must take the same number of tickets for each luncheon and returns are not accepted.The following month’s tickets will be sent out if the previous month’s invoice has been paid.Any changes to your
standard number of tickets must be made well prior to tickets being sent out. Additional tickets may be arranged through the CSPG office.If you wish to use this option,you must register with the office by September 1,2006.
2) FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT CORPORATE MEMBERS - PREPAYMENT:
For companies who are not Corporate Members you may elect to pre-purchase a set number of tickets for the 2006-2007 Season’s 19 luncheons.For orders of less than 10 tickets per luncheon,a $5.00 handling fee needs to be added to each mailing to cover courier/mailing/handling costs.Returns are not accepted and extra tickets can be purchased direct from the
CSPG office.If you wish to use this option, you must register with the office by September 1,2006.Payment is required upon registration for this program.
If you do not wish to use either of these options tickets can be purchased directly from the CSPG office,using cheque,cash, debit,Visa,or MasterCard.Luncheon tickets are $31.00 plus GST each and go on sale two months in advance.Please watch your Reservoir or visit www.cspg.org for luncheon abstracts.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at 264-5610 or via email at jaime.croftlarsen@cspg.org.
TICKET REPRESENTATIVE REGISTRATION FORM
OPTION 1 – CSPG CORPORATE MEMBERS ONLY
For Ticket Orders of less than 10 tickets per luncheon,a $5/month Handling fee will be added to your invoice.
OPTION 2 – PREPAYMENT
NUMBER OF TICKETS FOR EACH LUNCHEON
Prepayment due:________ Tickets x $32.86 (incl.GST) X 19 (Total # of luncheons) = $_____________
If less than 10 tickets per luncheon ordered,a handling fee of $53.00 ($5.00 plus GST per month) is included in this payment.
TOTAL PREPAYMENT ENCLOSED IS: $ _____________ (TICKETS) + $ ___________ (HANDLING FEE) = $ __________________
We accept Visa,MasterCard,or cheque as payment. If paying by credit card:
Please return your completed form to: Jaimè Croft Larsen, Communications Manager
SEPTEMBER LUNCHEON
Unconventional shallow gasa geological point of view
SPEAKER
Per Kent Pedersen Apache Canada Ltd.
11:30 am
Thursday,September 7,2006
TELUS CONVENTION CENTRE CALGARY, ALBERTA
Please note:
The cut-off date for ticket sales is 1:00 pm,Monday,September 4th. Ticket price is $31.00 each plus GST.
Shallow gas exploration has been in the hot seat for the past few years in the plains,with vast tracts of lands acquired and large number of exploration wells drilled, mainly exploring for unconventional gas accumulations.Numerous models have been put forward to explain the unusual character of these large continuous gas accumulations with poorly defined pool boundaries,with some models claiming
these gas accumulations are independent of structural or stratigraphic traps.However, few geological studies have been carried out on these laterally extensive gas accumulations containing huge reserves, although gas production from these shallow reservoirs dates back to 1904.
Models for unconventional shallow gas accumulation can be subdivided into three main groups based on the main defining criteria:economics,pool size,and geology. The first two are dependent on economic thresholds,with higher natural gas prices and improvements in drilling and completion technology making the previously uneconomic or marginally economic resources viable.Thus,they might no longer be considered unconventional.This paper will focus on geological aspects of unconventional shallow gas accumulation in the plains.
Shallow gas accumulations in the Canadian plains occur at depths between 200-1000m and should be distinguished from the basincentered gas accumulations and models, although they share several similarities.The gas accumulations are commonly laterally
extensive,typically covering several townships and are sometimes referred to as laterally continuous shallow gas accumulations.Lack of distinct pool boundaries has led several models to suggest these regionally pervasive gas accumulations are independent of structural or stratigraphic traps,or that sedimentary facies,stratigraphy, and structure only play a minor role in trapping of the gas.In contrast,structure maps clearly demonstrate that unconventional shallow gas accumulations mainly occur in structural highs.Detailed core examination,integrated within a sequence stratigraphic framework of several shallow unconventional gas pools in Saskatchewan show that pool boundaries coincide with either onlap or pinchout of reservoir facies,demonstrating the importance of stratigraphic trapping on these gas accumulations.The lateral continuity of these gas accumulations reflect the fact that the reservoir rock consists of offshore to shelf deposits,which are characterized by very broad facies belts.Stratigraphic architecture of these deposits is best revealed on regional cross-sections due to the very subtle lateral changes in sedimentary facies and low depositional gradients.
Thus,structure and stratigraphy are very important part of the trapping of the gas in these laterally extensive accumulations.This is similar to conventional gas accumulations, the difference being the reservoir facies the gas is hosted within,such as low permeability sandstones,thin-bedded sandstones (both low and high porosity-permeability beds),and sandstones with high clay matrix content.
BIOGRAPHY
Per Kent Pedersen received his B.S.,Geology,in 1992 and his M.Sc.,Geology,in 1996 followed by his Ph.D.in 1999 from the University of Aarhus, Denmark.
In September 1999,Per became a Postdoctoral Fellow at Carlton University in Ottawa.In August 2001 he was assistant Professor at Brandon University while remaining an Adjunct professor at Carlton.In 2002 Per joined the Petroleum Geology Branch of Saskatchewan Industry and Resources with a focus on shallow gas Cretaceous hydrocarbon systems in Saskatchewan.He also joined the University of Regina as an adjunct Professor in 2003.
Since February 2005,Per has been an exploration geologist with Apache Canada Ltd. in Calgary.
Experience Veritas
hay Hinton Wapiti Petrophysics Complex Structure Imaging AVO Fracture An
mponent Processing Peco Marine Acquisition Brazeau Copton Data Integrity
Processing Shear-Wave Processing Survey Quality Assurance Time Processing
Lambert Shaw Basing Grizzly Pine Needle Complex Structure Imaging Grizzly
Hanson Pine Needle LMR
Lambert Shaw Basing Mackenzie Creek Cardinal
Decomposition Solomon Cabin Creek Narraway Ojay Fracture Characterizatio
dle Peco East Umbach Hockey Wolverine P-Wave Processing Spectral Decom
ocessing Fracture Analysis Woking High Density 3D Imaging Joyce Creek Wa
Creek AVO Multicomponent Processing Deer Creek AVO Shear-Wave Proces
mponent processing Peco Marine Acquisition Brazeau Copton Data Integrity
rocessing Shear-Wave Processing Survey Quality Assurance Time Processing
plex Structure Imaging AVO Fracture Analysis Peco East Umbach Hockey Wol
SEPTEMBER LUNCHEON
Internal architecture of basin-floor facies of an ancient,passive margin turbidite system, Upper Kaza Group, Windermere Supergroup, British Columbia
SPEAKER
Lori Meyer Imperial Oil Resources
11:30 am
Tuesday,September 19,2006
TELUS CONVENTION CENTRE CALGARY, ALBERTA
Please note:
The cut-off date for ticket sales is 1:00 pm,Thursday,September 14th. Ticket price is $31.00 plus GST.
Basin-floor facies outboard of continental slopes occur where flow confinement from topography on the slope diminishes or becomes nonexistent.This facies represents
a poorly known yet important frontier play as deep water exploration heads beyond the continental slope.
Following the initiation of the Pacific Ocean (~725 Ma),Windermere Supergroup sedimentation took place along the newly formed passive margin of western Canada (Laurentia).Sandstone-rich basin-floor submarine fan deposits have been identified in the Upper Kaza Group of the Windermere Supergroup at Castle Creek, British Columbia and represent the most outboard (least confined) depositional facies of this extensive turbidite system.Regional time slices through the Upper Kaza Group are interpreted as a distal basin-floor setting for the Castle Creek study area with correlative strata becoming more proximal to the continental slope in a southeast direction.A 300-km regional transect through the Upper Kaza Group and equivalent strata from Lake Louise,Alberta to the Castle Creek locality,British Columbia,represents a downdip profile from slope setting to basin-floor fan setting, respectively.Recent glacial retreat at Castle
Creek has exposed an area of 800 m x 2000 m where essentially the entire facies outcrops and thus is an excellent laboratory for examining lateral facies and sub-seismic detail of a sand-rich basin-floor system.Due to the outcrop quality,lateral bed correlations to the sub-meter scale can be determined without having to reconstruct or extrapolate over significant distances. Lateral bed correlations can be done by physically walking out surfaces between measured vertical sections in the study area.
Detailed sedimentology and stratigraphy have identified three stratigraphic intervals in the Castle Creek study area that are interpreted as part of a prograding basinfloor fan depositional setting with evidence of lateral shifts from axis (channelized lobe) to off-axis sedimentation.Bypass associated with local shifts in base level resulted in sculpting and erosion of the top surfaces of channelized lobes.
This presentation will take the audience on a field trip to the Castle Creek locality in northeast British Columbia to view the vertical stratigraphy,lateral facies correlations,and sub-seismic features providing flow pathways and flow baffles. Integration of this outcrop information with analogue reservoir parameters can then allow the explorationist to simulate, compare,and model potential modern deepwater petroleum reservoirs in the unconfined basin-floor setting.
BIOGRAPHY
Lori Meyer is a geologist with Imperial Oil Resources in Calgary where she has worked on development projects in both the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin and the Arctic/Beaufort Basin.Lori received her B.Sc.at the University of Alberta (1999) and M.Sc.at the University of Calgary (2004).This presentation is based on her M.Sc.research,cosupervised by Dr.G.M.Ross and Dr.C.Riediger, which won the CSPG 2005 M.Sc.Thesis Award.
OCTOBER LUNCHEON
Episodic global tectonics: sequence stratigraphy meets plate tectonics
SPEAKER
Ashton Embry Geological Survey of Canada
11:30 am
Thursday,October 12,2006
TELUS CONVENTION CENTRE CALGARY, ALBERTA
Please note:
The cut-off date for ticket sales is 1:00 pm,Monday,October 9th. Ticket price is $31.00 plus GST.
In the latter half of the 20th century we experienced exhilarating insights from plate tectonics,process sedimentology,and sequence stratigraphy and these concepts had a major impact on petroleum exploration.Things have settled down over the past decade and we have reached a plateau regarding big,new concepts in sedimentary geology.We may be on the verge of another major shift in thinking.The interpretations from sequence stratigraphy, sedimentology,and plate tectonics have led to a concept that I call “Episodic Global Tectonics”.Its main thesis is that the Earth is affected by relatively short-lived episodes of increased tectonic activity separated by longer intervals of relative quiescence.The widespread episodes of increased tectonism and epeirogeny seem to occur with a frequency of 1-2 million years and vary substantially in magnitude.
I was led to this concept by sequence stratigraphic analysis of the Mesozoic succession of the Sverdrup Basin of Arctic Canada.On the basin flanks,subaerial unconformities are used as sequence boundaries.Such surfaces are generated by base level fall related to either tectonic uplift or eustatic sea level fall.Low magnitude,high frequency (<0.5 MA) base level falls generate relatively minor sequence boundaries and are best related to eustatic sea level fall.
On the other hand,impressive,readily recognized unconformities reflect episodic, high magnitude,low frequency (2-50 MA) base level falls.The unconformities correlate basinward with prominent maximum regressive surfaces (MRS) which mark the change from regression to transgression in
marine strata.These basin-wide sequence boundaries have a number of characteristics which have tectonics written all over them.
1) The strata below the unconformities are often tilted and faulted.
2) There are major changes in depositional regime across the boundaries.
3) There are major changes in sediment composition and direction of source areas across the boundaries.
4) There are significant changes in tectonic regime and subsidence rates across the boundaries.
The age of the MRS,established by biostratigraphy,provides a reliable date for a given boundary and it coincides with the start of tectonic collapse that initiated the next sequence.It appears that many of the tectonically generated,Mesozoic sequence boundaries of the Sverdrup Basin are the same age as major sequence boundaries recognized in basins on other continents. This indicates that the episodic tectonism that generated the boundaries was very
widespread and perhaps even of global extent.Such episodic global tectonics can be explained by perturbations in mantle convection and consequent changes in plate tectonic activity.The concept of episodic global tectonic events fell out of fashion over 50 years ago but may be worth another look.It potentially has considerable importance for petroleum exploration.
BIOGRAPHY
Ashton obtained his B.Sc.from the University of Manitoba in 1968 and his M.Sc.(1970) and his Ph.D.(1976) from the University of Calgary.He has spent his entire research career with the Geological Survey of Canada on the stratigraphy,sedimentology,and petroleum potential of the Mesozoic succession of the Canadian Arctic.The excellent outcrop exposures of the Arctic combined with plentiful well and seismic data have provided an excellent laboratory for testing various stratigraphic concepts.
OCTOBER LUNCHEON
3D seismic visualization from a geological perspective; examples from shallow-water and deep-water environments
SPEAKER
Henry W.Posamentier Anadarko Canada Corporation
11:30 am Thursday,October 26,2006
TELUS CONVENTION CENTRE CALGARY, ALBERTA
Please note:
The cut-off date for ticket sales is 1:00 pm,Monday,October 23rd. Ticket price is $31.00 plus GST
In recent years,3D seismic has become an essential tool for the interpretation of subsurface stratigraphy and depositional systems.Seismic stratigraphy in conjunction with seismic geomorphology,calibrated by
borehole data,has elevated the degree to which seismic data can facilitate geologic interpretation.3D seismic data has enabled interpreters to visualize details of complex depositional systems that can be incorporated into borehole planning for exploration as well as development needs so as to improve risk management significantly. Common techniques for geologic visualization include 1) imaging stratigraphic horizons,2) time slicing and flattened time slicing,3) interval attribute analysis,4) voxbody interpretation and mapping,5) 3D perspective rendering,and 6) opacity rendering.
Stratigraphic horizons can be interpreted and horizon attributes such as reflection amplitude,dip magnitude,dip azimuth,and curvature,can then be imaged directly in 2D or 3D space.Techniques such as variable illumination can enhance geomorphologic interpretations,and,when integrated with stratigraphic analyses,can yield insights regarding distribution of source,seal,and
reservoir facies.Stratigraphic intervals bracketing sections of geologic interest can be evaluated for amplitude and frequency content and can contribute to geologic interpretations.Time slices and flattened time slices can bring to light geologic features that other techniques might overlook.Voxel picking can further bring out features of geologic interest.This method involves autopicking of connected voxels of similar seismic character,a technique that can illuminate discrete depositional elements in three dimensions.Similarly,opacity rendering, which makes opaque only those voxels that lie within a certain range of seismic values, can further bring out features of stratigraphic interest.Examples of fluvial,shallow marine, and deep marine are shown.A variety of visualization techniques are applied to these examples in an effort to illustrate the variety of interpretation techniques available to the geoscientist.These examples will highlight the integration of seismic stratigraphic and seismic geomorphologic analyses essential for maximum benefit to be derived from geologic analyses of 3D seismic data.
BIOGRAPHY
Henry W.Posamentier is the General Manager of Geoscience and Technology for Anadarko Canada.Prior to joining Anadarko in 2001,he was with Veritas Exploration Services (20002001),the Atlantic Richfield Co.(1991-2000), Exxon Production Research Co.and Esso Resources Canada,Ltd.(1979-1991),and at Rider University,Assistant Professor of Geology (1974-1979).
Dr.Posamentier's research interests have been in the fields of sequence stratigraphy and depositional systems analysis,where he has published widely.Most recently,he has employed an interdisciplinary approach using 3D seismic visualization integrated with borehole data to interpret depositional systems and develop basin fill histories,in particular with reference to deepwater depositional settings.In conjunction with this he has been active in advancing the discipline of seismic geomorphology.In 1971-1972,Dr. Posamentier was a Fulbright Fellow to Austria.He has served as an AAPG Distinguished Lecturer to the United States (1991-1992),an AAPG Distinguished Lecturer to the former Soviet Union (1996-1997),and an AAPG Distinguished Lecturer to the Middle East (1998-1999).
DIVISION TALKS
CORE AND SAMPLE DIVISION
Coal and fractured shale sampling requirements in Alberta
12:00 Noon
Tuesday,October 3,2006
EUB Core Research Centre, 3545 Research Way N.W. Calgary, Alberta
A discussion of current needs,EUB regulations,and expected future demand for core and drill cuttings in non-conventional reservoirs.
With the rapidly developing attention on
GEOFLUIDS DIVISION
High-resolution 3D seismic survey over the Tambaredjo oil field,Surinam (South America)
The Tambaredjo oil field in Surinam has a STOIIP of about 900 MMBLS of which about 160 MMBLS have been booked as reserves.The current production is about 12,000 bopd of heavy (16°API) oil.The reservoir consists of thin unconsolidated Paleocene sands,with an average net thickness of about 10 m,distributed over two intervals.In 2000,Staatsolie decided to acquire 83 km 2 of high-resolution 3D seismic data,with a bin-size of 6.25 m.The objective was to get an image of the subsurface that would allow improvement of the oil recovery from these thin sands. Next to the standard processing and interpretation,an impedance volume was created,and the data were loaded onto the Visualisation system of TU Delft to extract
CBM and fractured shale gas exploration and production in Canada,our understanding of these reservoirs from a petrological perspective is advancing,but is dependent on our access to core and drill cutting samples. Obtaining adequate amounts of material, collected in suitable condition,is key to building a good data set of material for our study of these reservoirs.
In our initial meeting,some of the “leading edge” researchers that are working on these reservoirs will share their views on the current situation of core and sample availability,and we will be inviting EUB staff that are involved in formulating regulations for sample requirements to update us on
current and future regulations.After hearing from our “experts” we will have an open discussion on current and future issues regarding core and sample submission and availability.If you are unable to attend,but wish to have your opinions brought to the meeting,please email your ideas to:
Doug Hayden,Chair,CSPG Core and Sample Division via haydengeo@telus.net
Check the CSPG website for updates on the group’s activities and projects.If you would like more information on upcoming activities of this group,please contact Doug Hayden via haydengeo@telus.net
detailed sedimentological information.This presentation will illustrate the results
obtained to-date from this unique highquality data set.
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INTERNATIONAL DIVISION
Pakistan:business opportunities in an emerging energy hub in Southwest Asia
SPEAKER
Javed Iqbal Consultant
12:00 Noon
Tuesday,September 26,2006
Encana Amphitheatre
2nd Floor, East End, Calgary Tower Complex 1st Street & 9th Avenue S.E.
Calgary Alberta
Surrounded by major oil-producing countries, Pakistan's modest production is an anomaly. Only about 650 exploratory wells have been drilled to date in an area of over 800,000 km2 (about 25% larger than Alberta).Offshore,the vast Tertiary Indus delta and fan are virtually unexplored.By analogy to similar Tertiary deltaic petroleum habitats like the Niger, Mississippi,Orinoco,Mackenzie,and Nile, these may yield equally substantial resources.
The geology is favourable,the success ratio is above average (51 oil and 131 gas discoveries), the infrastructure is well developed,and there is a very large,skilled,English-speaking manpower base.Regulatory and fiscal regimes
are among the top 10 in the world in favour of the industry.Privatization of public assets is in progress.There is a ready domestic market as the country is desperately short of energy resources,producing only 18% (65,000 bopd) of its oil requirements (the import of oil and oil products will cost about 7 billion US dollars this year).Remaining gas reserves of about 30 TCF (out of a total discovered 55 TCF) are fast depleting.Current daily production is about 3.5 BCF,supported by a well-developed transmission and distribution network that needs urgent expansion to meet the rapidly growing demand.
In the regional context,Pakistan's strategic location is its best marketing asset and is being increasingly recognised as the emerging energy hub in southwest Asia by the international business community.Its seaboard is the natural and closest outlet for the land-locked Central Asian republics.The 160 million population provides a local market and its proximity to the much larger Indian market,make it attractive for the Middle East exporters.Active planning is now underway for the construction of regional oil and gas pipelines,power grids, highways,and railways over the next 10 years.
These projects will result in attractive and diverse business opportunities such as:E & P, oilfield equipment and services,LNG imports
and re-gasification,CNG conversion kits and filling stations,transmission and distribution pipelines,refineries and petrochemical plants, power generation and transmission,mining, surveying,and geotechnical services.
Canadian companies are well placed to actively pursue these opportunities.They should take advantage of the goodwill created by over one billion dollars development assistance provided to Pakistan by the Canadian government over the last 50 years.The rewards will be substantial.
BIOGRAPHY
Javed Iqbal P.Geol.is a graduate of Dalhousie University,Halifax.During his 35 years professional career,he has worked with multinational,large independent and state-owned companies in various basins of Asia,Africa,South America,and the Canadian frontiers.
He has been a consultant for the last 15 years, specialising in international and frontier exploration and development projects.He has evaluated detailed resource potential,conducted specific field studies and technical due diligence in over 20 countries worldwide.
In addition to his extensive knowledge of Pakistan, Javed's present core areas of expertise are Trinidadeastern Venezuela and Libya.
STRUCTURAL DIVISION
Workshop on lateral structural changes in thrust belts
The Structural Geology Division of the CSPG will host a two-day workshop on “Lateral Structural Changes in Thrust Belts,' September 26 & 27,2006.The first day will be dedicated to presentations and discussions held at Kananaskis Village.The topics to be addressed are:
• lateral growth & linkage of small displacement thrusts
• displacement transfer/linkage structures
• transverse faults within thrust sheets
• plunging anticlines and lateral ramps
• the influence of deep-seated structures on lateral thrust structures.
On the second day the group will visit several outcrop examples of displacement transfer, tear faulting,and abrupt fold plunge that are well displayed within the Front Ranges along Hwy.40.
This event is intended to be a workshop rather than a conference or training program. On both days,topic/outcrop leaders will present introductory materials and then lead a discussion with all participants.We encourage all attendees to make a presentation (15 to 20 min.) or bring materials that can be points of discussion for one or more of the general topics indicated. The cost of the workshop is $250.This includes transportation from Calgary to
STRUCTURAL DIVISION
Phanerozoic geological evolution of the Canadian Beaufort Sea - Mackenzie Delta Region
SPEAKER
Larry Lane Geological Survey of Canada (Calgary)
12:00 Noon
Thursday,September 14,2006
Petro-Canada
West Tower, room 17B/C (17th floor) 150 6th Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta
The early Paleozoic north-facing Franklinian continental margin in northern Yukon was deformed during separate orogenic events of
Early Devonian and Early Carboniferous ages. The first event,identified across northwestern Yukon and in adjacent northern Alaska,resulted in tight folds,north-directed thrust faults,and intrusion by Late Devonian plutons.A southward decrease in the intensity of deformation,combined with facies variations,suggests that tectonic transport was generally southward.An Early Carboniferous event deformed the northern Richardson Mountains and is locally expressed in the subsurface of the Mackenzie Delta region.This event is a distal foreland element of the Ellesmerian Orogeny of the Canadian Arctic,and is distinct from the earlier event in age,character,and extent.
Normal faults,active from at least Late Jurassic to mid-Cretaceous time, accommodated northwestward extension
Kananaskis Village and return,shared accommodation at Kananaskis Village,lunch and dinner on the first day and breakfast and lunch on the second day.(The cost for single accommodation is $350,subject to availability).
Attendance is limited to 45 participants. Preference is given to those providing materials for presentation or discussion. Registration deadline for guarantee of accommodation is August 25,2006,however, later registrants will be accommodated subject to availability.Registration forms are available through www.cspg.org.or the CSPG office.
leading to continent margin formation in post-Albian time (ca.95 Ma).The extensional character of the margin is reflected in the potential field signatures and the lack of large-scale throughgoing strike-slip structures onshore in the region.From latest Cretaceous to Late Miocene time,orogenic deformation reactivated earlier extensional structures in the western part of the region, partially obscuring the extensional relationships there.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr.Lane completed his Ph.D.at Carleton University (Ottawa) in 1984 and taught Structural Geology there for two years.Since 1986,as a Research Scientist at the Geological Survey of Canada,he has studied crustal structure and tectonic evolution of the northern Yukon,Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin and Arctic region.He has also mapped in the northern Cordilleran Foothills with the Central Foreland NATMAP Project.He has been a member of CSPG since 1986 and chaired the Structural Geology Division from 1990 to 1992.
INFORMATION
Talks are free and do not require pre-registration. Please bring your lunch.Goodies and drinks are provided by HEF Petrophysical Consulting,and the room is provided by Petro-Canada.If you would like to be on the Structural Division e-mail list,or if you'd like to give a talk,please contact Jamie Jamison at (403) 269-3158 or jamie@hef.com.
PALAEONTOLOGY DIVISION
Paleobiological controls on dolomitization and reservoir development in the Mississippian Midale Beds,Weyburn Oilfield, Southeastern Saskatchewan
SPEAKER
A.D.Keswani and S.G.Pemberton (co-author)
Ichnology Research Group Department of Earth Sciences University of Alberta
12:00 Noon
Friday,September 15,2006
Room 1116-1118
Tower #1, Calgary Place 330-5th Avenue S.W. Calgary, Alberta
(If you are having difficulty accessing the room please contact security at ground level).
Applications of ichnology represent a powerful tool useful for understanding origins of carbonate reservoirs in Mississippian Midale Beds,Weyburn Oilfield.Due to virtual absence of body fossils,discrete trace fossils provide
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
DATE: September 6,2006
EVENT: CSPG Field Trip – Belly River Formation
LOCATION: Medicine Hat,Alberta INFO: www.cspg.org
DATE: October 10-11,2006
EVENT: CSPG Course – The architecture of fluvial systems
LOCATION: Calgary,Alberta INFO: www.cspg.org
DATE: October 17-18,2006
EVENT: CSPG Course – The origins of stratigraphic sequences
LOCATION: Calgary,Alberta INFO: www.cspg.org
DATE: October 17-18,2006
EVENT: Saskatchewan and Northern Plains Oil & Gas Symposium
data that is instrumental in paleoenvironmental reconstructions of reservoir strata;and petrographic analyses of indiscrete bioturbate textures yield insights regarding paleobiological controls on dolomitization and origins of porosity.An integrated approach,utilizing both these aspects of the ichnologic record is beneficial for genetic modeling of dolomite reservoirs formed within upper Midale Beds. These substrates consist of dolomudstones characterized by a diverse trace fossil suite, including an abundance of Zoophycos, Planolites,Chondrites,some Helminthopsis, Asterosoma,Teichichnus,and Palaeophycus,and rare Siphonichnus (?).This assemblage is typical of a distal-Cruziana ichnofacies,representing fully-marine offshore paleoenvironments.Such bioturbated muddy substrates developed in response to a major transgression that drowned previous restricted-lagoon deposits, and reworked skeletal deposits in basal lags, and produced bored hardgrounds at the unconformity surface.This flooding event is likely driven by differential subsidence related to ramp evolution.
Prolific hydrocarbon reservoirs are developed within bioturbated dolomudstones,which suggest organism-sediment interactions played
Dolomudstone:Distal-Cruziana Ichnofacies,Weyburn Oilfield,Well 2-12-6-14W2.Prolific hydrocarbon reservoirs are developed in bioturbated dolomudstones of the Upper Midale Beds,Williston Basin,SE Saskatchewan.Abundance of bioturbate textures suggest inherent relationships between paleobiological factors and carbonate diagenesis and reservoir development.
a significant role in carbonate diagenesis and origins of porosity.Since bioturbation is inherently linked to widespread dolomitization
(Continued on page 20...)
of muddy substrates,genetic classification of textural heterogeneties provide a tool useful for understanding development of porosity in reservoir strata.Petrographic studies on such muddy substrates show nearly complete pelletization of micrite.Arrangements of fecal pellets define burrow fabrics,consisting of concentric and tangential alignments,and abundance patterns range from clusteredinterpenetrating to homogenized textures. Such widespread reorganization of the micrite into fecal pellets,and re-arrangements in allochems highlight an important concept regarding paleobiological controls on carbonate diagenesis:biogenically-derived textural modifications,and respective changes in distribution patterns of intergranular voids, facilitated percolation of Mg-bearing fluids associated with dolomite formation,within otherwise impermeable muddy substrates.
Fluid flow within pelleted muds resulted in dolomitization and development of intercrystalline porosity at reservoir scale. Furthermore,reservoir quality has been significantly enhanced by development of moldic porosity within such paleobiologicallyinfluenced dolomites.Distribution patterns in moldic voids suggest percolation of leaching fluids in burrow fabrics,and dissolution of former skeletal arrangements derived in bioturbation.Such patterns reflect the
PALAEONTOLOGY DIVISION
Archaeopteryx and the evolution of avian flight
SPEAKER
Nicholas Longrich University of Calgary
7:30 pm Friday,September 15,2006
Mount Royal College Room B108
4825 Mount Royal Gate S.W. Calgary, Alberta
This study examined the morphology and function of hind-limb plumage in Archaeopteryx lithographica.Feathers cover the legs of the Berlin specimen,extending from the cranial surface of the tibia and the caudal margins of both tibia and femur.These feathers
Saskatchewan and Northern Plains
Regina, Saskatchewan - October 17 and 18, 2006
morphological characteristics of original skeletal alignments,which indicates structural elements such as spreiten has enhanced connectivity of voids within burrow fabrics. Although such paleobiological controls influence porosity evolution and enhance permeability in muddy substrates,reservoir potential varies accordingly with destructive effects of compaction and late-stage diagenesis.
BIOGRAPHY
Arjun received a B.Sc.(hon) from the University of Ottawa,and an M.Sc.in geology from U of A.He is currently pursing his Ph.D.under supervision of Dr.George Pemberton at U of A.His research interests lie in the application of paleontology and paleoecology to petroleum geology.His Ph.D.thesis focuses on ichnology and sedimentology of ancient carbonates,and the roles of bioturbation on diagenesis,including paleobiological controls on dolomitization and reservoir development.
INFORMATION
This event is jointly presented by the Alberta Palaeontological Society,Mount Royal College and the CSPG Palaeontology Division.For information or to present a talk in the future please contact CSPG Paleo Division Chair Philip Benham at 403-691-3343 or rograms@alberta paleo.org.Visit the APS website for confirmation of event times and upcoming speakers: http://www.albertapaleo.org/
exhibit features of flight feathers rather than contour feathers,including vane asymmetry, curved shafts,and a self-stabilizing overlap pattern.Many of these features facilitate lift generation in the wings and tail of birds, suggesting that the hind limbs acted as airfoils. A new reconstruction of Archaeopteryx is presented,in which the hind limbs form approximately 12% of total airfoil area. Depending upon their orientation,the hindlimbs could have reduced stall speed by up to 6% and turning radius by up to 12%.
Presence of the “four winged” planform in both Archaeopteryx and basal Dromaeosauridae indicates that their common ancestor used fore- and hindlimbs to generate lift.This finding suggests that arboreal parachuting and gliding preceded the evolution of avian flight.
INFORMATION
Early-Bird Registration Deadline: September 15, 2006
http://www.sgshome.ca/index_files/Symposium.htm
This event is jointly presented by the Alberta Palaeontological Society,Mount Royal College and the CSPG Paleontology Division.For details or to present a talk in the future please contact CSPG Paleo Division Chair Philip Benham at 403-6913343 or programs@ albertapaleo.org.Visit the APS website for confirmation of event times and upcoming speakers:http://www.albertapaleo.org/
PROUD SPONSORS
BASIN ANALYSIS DIVISION
Geological controls on bitumen quality in the Athabasca Oil Sands deposit
SPEAKER
Milovan Fustic
Department of Geology and Geophysics
University of Calgary
12:00 Noon
Thursday,October 5,2006
EnCana Amphitheatre
2nd Floor, East end
Calgary Tower Complex
1st Street and 9th Avenue S.E. Calgary, Alberta
The Athabasca Oil Sand deposit contains an estimated 1.7 trillion barrels of heavily biodegraded oil that occurs as a solid phase (bitumen) ranging from 6°to 11°API. Current technologies for bitumen exploitation and upgrading require large amounts of energy.
While reservoir quality is commonly assessed using classical approaches,very little attention is given to describing the variation in bitumen composition and physical properties.Darcy's Law and hypothetical simulation models demonstrate that changes in chemical and physical properties of bitumen play an important role toward understanding the processes required to mobilize and upgrade the bitumen.
Recent advances in the study of petroleum biodegradation suggest that these processes are geologically controlled.The variations in measured bitumen viscosities, estimated biodegradation level (using molecular markers),and bulk molecular composition in the Athabasca tar sand reservoir were correlated with the various reservoir conditions and facies.
The results obtained indicate that bitumen is heterogeneous on a vertical scale in the reservoir and that the best reservoirs in terms of bitumen quantity may not necessarily be the best reservoirs in terms of bitumen quality.A close relationship was found between the bitumen composition and its viscosity,implying that bitumen properties are predictable and could potentially be mapped at high resolution. This provides a new level of information suitable for optimising either in-situ or surface mining operational recovery of bitumen.
BIOGRAPHY
Milovan Fustic,P.Geol.,obtained his undergraduate degree (B.Sc.Hons.) in 1993 from the University of Belgrade,Yugoslavia and is currently a Ph.D.student at the University of Calgary.Milovan's project aims to develop advanced reservoir and fluid characterization approaches to better describing and understanding the processes leading to reservoir heterogeneities in the Athabasca tar sands.His research forms one of the
components within the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for In Situ Energy (AICISE),a major energy research centre that aiming to develop strategies for more efficient,cost-effective,and environmentally sustainable processes and technologies towards improving recovery and upgrading of Alberta's vast and virtually untapped bitumen reserves.
Prior to joining academia,Milovan worked in the petroleum and mining industry for 12 years.In 2000 he joined the oil sands industry as a geologist with Albian Sands Energy Inc.,a SHELL Canada Ltd.leading joint venture with Chevron Canada Ltd.and Western Oil Sands formed to develop SHELL's Oil Sands properties in the Athabasca region.This unique opportunity allowed him to study many aspects of reservoir heterogeneity directly from the inside of the reservoir.
He is a registered professional geologist with APEGGA,and a member of AAPG,CSPG, CWLS,and CHOA.
INFORMATION
BASS Division talks are free.Please bring your lunch.For further information about the division,joining our mailing list,a list of upcoming talks,or if you wish to present a talk or lead a field trip,please contact either Steve Donaldson at 403-645-5534, email:Steve.Donaldson@encana.com or Mark Caplan at 403-691-3843,email: Mark.Caplan@shell.com or visit our web page at www.cspg.org/basin_analysis.html.
EMERGING PETROLEUM DIVISION
Permeability analysis in Horseshoe Canyon coals using open-hole and cased-hole logs
SPEAKER
Gareth Lewis EOG Resources Canada Inc.
12:00 Noon Tuesday,September 12,2006
ConocoPhillips Auditorium
(3rd Floor - west side of building) 401-9th Avenue S.W. (Gulf Canada Square) Calgary, Alberta
EOG Resources Canada is pursuing the Horseshoe Canyon coals in the Twining area to the northeast of Calgary.In addition to stratigraphy,thickness,and gas content, EOG's technical analysis of these coals focused on identifying permeability in individual seams using open-hole logs.It was important to determine which seams would actually contribute gas during production, and thus to optimize a completion strategy prior to extensive development drilling.This was done by utilizing an invasion profile
from the induction log (Resistivity Ratio Method),overlain as a curve on the Gamma Ray curve.
Subsequently,during development drilling,a second method of identifying permeability in the Horseshoe Canyon coals using cased-hole GR-Sonic-Neutron logs was developed.It was observed that coals determined to be more permeable from spinner surveys and openhole logs also had higher delta-T readings. With this method,the sonic curve is overlain on the Gamma Ray curve,once again providing a means of selecting only coal seams with effective permeability.EOG estimates that completion cost savings of $15,000$20,000/well (~7%) have been realized by using the Delta-T Method on the cased-hole logs,followed by selective completion of the coals,based on this permeability criterion.
Examples will be shown of both overlay techniques which identify permeable coals, and a case study from a Demonstration Block will also be shown,comparing production rates from a control group completed in all coal seams with those from a second group of wells,completed in 50%
of the seams,as dictated by permeability analysis.The study illustrates that production rates are not compromised by performing only selective completions in these coal seams,whether based on openhole or cased-hole log analysis.
BIOGRAPHY
Gareth graduated from U.of A.in 1986,with a B.Sc.(Hon.) in Geology.In retrospect,1986 was a lousy year to graduate in this industry,but Gareth did manage to pick up some contract work,which led to full-time employment in early 1988.He worked primarily clastics until 1997,before making a transition into carbonates which lasted until 2004.Since then,Gareth has been happily drilling Horseshoe Canyon CBM wells in the Twining area with his current employer,EOG Resources.
INFORMATION
EPRD noon-hour talks are free and do not require registration.Non-CSPG members are also welcome to attend.Please bring your lunch.If you would like to join our email distribution list, suggest a topic,or volunteer to present a talk, please send a message to Michelle.Hawke @bp.com.Division talks are sponsored by IHS ( http://www.ihs.com )
AAPG
Abu Dhabi Oil Co., Ltd. (Japan)
Advanced Geotechnology Inc.
Aegis Group Inc.
AEUB
AGAT Laboratories
Air North
AJM Petroleum Consultants
Alberta Energy and Utilities Board
Alberta Geological Survey
Alberta Research Council
Anadarko Canada Corporation
Antrim Energy Inc.
Apache Canada Ltd.
APEGGA
Apoterra Seismic Processing Ltd.
Aramco Services Company
ARC Financial Corporation
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Arcis
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Ayrton Exploration Consulting Ltd.
Baker Atlas
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Beicip Inc.
Belfield Resources Inc.
Bell Geospace Inc.
Belloy Petroleum Consulting Ltd.
Birch Mountain Resources Ltd.
Black Knight
Blue Castle Corporation
Bodycote Norwest
Bootleg Gap Golf
Boyd PetroSearch
BP Canada Energy Company
Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation
Burlington Resources Canada Energy Ltd.
Calgary Marriott Hotel
Calgary Rock and Materials Services Inc.
Calgary Science Centre
Calgary Scientific Inc.
Canada Fossils
Canadian Centre for Energy Information
Canadian Discovery Ltd.
Canadian Forest Oil Ltd.
Canadian Hydrodynamics Ltd.
Canadian Natural Resources Limited
Canadian Stratigraphic Services (2000) Ltd.
CAPL
Carbon Copy
CBM Solutions
CGG Canada Services Ltd.
Chinook Consulting Services
CHOA
Cire Resources Ltd.
Complete Land Services Ltd.
Compton Petroleum Corporation
Conference Board of Canada
ConocoPhillips Canada Resources Limited
Conroy Ross Partners Limited
Continental Imaging Products
Continental Laboratories (1985) Ltd.
Continental Rocktell Services
Cora Lynn Drilling
Core Laboratories Canada Ltd.
Corion Diamond Products Ltd.
CPGO
Crackers Promotional Products
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CSUG
CWLS
Dalhousie University
Datalog Technology Inc.
Datamaxx Oilfield Corporation
Deadeye Engineering Inc.
DeGolyer and MacNaughton Canada Limited
Devon Canada Corporation
Digital Formation, Inc.
Divestco Inc.
Dominion Exploration Canada Ltd.
Doug Cant Geological Consulting
Dravis Geological Services
Duvernay Oil Corporation
Dynamic Oil & Gas
Geo-Logic Systems, LLC
Geological Survey of Canada
Geology Ring
Geo-Microbial Technologies/PK Services
Geomodeling Technology Corp.
Geophysical Service Incorporated
geoPLUS Corporation
GeoStrata Resources Inc.
GeoTomo
GeoVision Consulting Ltd.
Geo-X System Ltd.
Gibson Energy Ltd.
GLJ Petroleum Consultants Ltd.
Global Energy Services
Glyde Resources Ltd.
Gord’s Running Store
Government of Nunavut
GR Petrology Consultants Inc.
Graham Davies Geological Consultants Ltd.
Green’s Rock and Lapidary Ltd.
Greystone Resources Ltd.
Than
The Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologis with the CSPG in recognizing and thanking support of advancing the science of petroleu
Earth Decision Sciences Canada Ltd.
Earth Signal Processing Ltd.
Edge Technologies Inc.
EnCana Corporation
Engineering Seismology Group Inc.
EOG Resources Canada Inc.
Esprit Exploration Ltd.
Fekete Associates Inc.
Fernie Golf & Country Club
FirstEnergy Capital Corp.
Flagship Energy Inc.
fma insurance
Fugro Airborne Surveys
Galleon Energy Inc.
GEDCO
Genesis Corporate Search Ltd.
Genetek Earth Research Corporation
GeoAnalytic Inc.
GeoGraphix
Geo-Help Inc.
Geologic Rentals and Services
geoLOGIC systems ltd.
Halliburton
Hayden Geological Consultants
Hayden Resources Ltd.
Hef Petrophysical Consulting
Highwire Press & GeoScienceWorld.org
HiSPEC Research Corp.
Hugh W. Reid & Associates Ltd.
Hunt Oil Company of Canada Inc.
Husky Energy Inc.
Hycal Energy Research Laboratories Ltd.
Hydrocarbon Data Systems, Inc.
Hydro-Fax Resources Ltd.
IHS
Image Interpretation Technologies Inc.
Impact Energy Inc.
Imperial Oil Resources Limited
Indel-Davis Inc.
Input/Output Inc.
Intercontinental Seismic
International Techtonics Consultants
Ireland’s Field Scouting Services (1981) Ltd.
JEBCO Seismic (Canada) Company
Jennifer Wells & Associates Ltd.
Justcroft International Ltd.
Keitech Seismic Processing
Kelman Seismic Processing
Kelman Technologies Inc.
Kenn Borek Air Ltd.
Kestrel Data Ltd.
Key Safety Services Inc.
Key Seismic Solutions Ltd.
Kiva Promotions
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Komarevich Originals Ltd.
Lane’s Studio
Lario Oil & Gas Company
LiDAR Services International Inc.
Little Rock Document Services Ltd.
macdonaldcole inc.
Mancal Energy Inc.
Matrix Geoservices Ltd.
McLeay Geological Consultants
MD TOTCO NOV
Olympic Seismic Ltd.
Open Spirit Corporation
Opus Petroleum Engineering Ltd.
OYO Geo Space Canada, Inc.
Pajak Engineering Ltd.
PANASAS
Paradigm Geophysical Canada Ltd.
Paramount Resources Ltd.
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Petrel Robertson Consulting Ltd.
Petro Logic Services
Petro-Canada Oil & Gas
Petrocraft Products Ltd.
Petrosys Canada Inc.
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JACK PORTERVIGNETTES OF CANADIAN PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
J.B. TYRRELL’S INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERIOR OF CANADA’S PRECAMBRIAN SHIELD
During J.B.Tyrrell’s field season of 1887, while mapping Cretaceous strata along the Manitoba Escarpment,his interest in glacial geology was aroused after observing former strand lines of Glacial Lake Agassiz along the eastern slopes of the Escarpment.He concluded,on the basis of this evidence,that the expression of this regional Cretaceous feature served as a physiographic barrier to the melt water which defined the western limits of Glacial Lake Agassiz.The lake’s extension to the south consisted of a deep embayment into the valley of the Red River. To the northwest,a less prominent embayment of Lake Agassiz was contained by the valley occupied by the upper reaches of the Saskatchewan River.The ice wall fronting the Laurentide Ice Sheet to the north,northeast,and east side of Lake Agassiz served as a natural dam in preventing the escape of its melt water.
The following field season,he was involved in investigating the Lower Paleozoics of Manitoba’s Interlake Lowlands.Tyrrell further recognized that the present bodies of water, principally Lakes Winnipeg,Winnipegosis,and Manitoba,were vestiges of the former Lake Agassiz.The drainage of its melt water occurred concomitantly during the terminal stages of the Keewatin sector of the Laurentide Ice Sheet,the latter being the final phase of continental glaciation.Drainage was ultimately achieved following the Ice Sheet’s northeasterly regression,allowing drainage into the Great Lakes and later Hudson Bay,the latter by way of the Nelson River.
The initiation of Glacial Lake Agassiz commenced approximately 13,000 years ago with this vast continental lake reaching its maximum area extent 1,500 years later. Some 8,000 years ago the present outlines of Lakes Winnipeg,Winnipegosis,and Manitoba were much as they remain today. By 6,500 years past,the present Hudson Bay Sea had expanded to form a much larger inland sea,since the earth’s crust in the region had yet to rebound to its present stage,following deglaciation in the region (1968,Prest,V.K.,Chapter 12:Quaternary Geology of Canada:Economic Geology Report.No.1 - Geology and Economic Minerals of Canada,Sci ed.,R.J.W.Douglas, pp.719,724,725,732 and 738).
Owing to Joseph Tyrrell’s substantive contribution to the knowledge of the Pliestocene epoch in North America,this expanded Hudson Bay Sea was named Tyrrell Sea in his honour.
Tyrrell introduced the prefix “Hyper” to describe the maximum extent of melt water lakes dammed by the retreating glacier’s ice wall and a bounding physiographic barrier.He investigated two ancient strand lines above and surrounding the south shore of Cree Lake,as well as two corresponding shore indicators present on the northeast side of an elongate ispatinow formed hill,which was located adjacent to the lake.Their positions, in respect to the latter,occurring 40 and 70 feet above the present level of Cree Lake,are reported by Tyrrell to be indicators of two distinct stages of beach levels of the former Hyper-Cree Lake.He further reported the presence of sand hills,comprised of reworked Athabasca sandstone,reaching heights of 80 feet on both sides of Cree River in the latitude of 58°05’.He postulated that
their presence,located 60 miles south by southeast of Black Lake,represented lake dunes rimming the former southern shore of Hyper-Black Lake.
Joseph Tyrrell and his four-man party,occupying two Peterborough canoes,descended the 108mile course of the Cree River in four days, arriving at Wapata Lake on July 21st.According to Tyrrell,his river traverse was across an immature terrain and,like most other northern rivers,was devoid of a valley system.It had resulted from the planing effect during the advancement of the Pleistocene ice sheet.The landscape of the surrounding countryside contained sparse vegetation due to the extensive nature of the bedrock cover,its derivation attributable to the erosion and reworking of the Athabasca sandstone.
The country bedrock encountered along his route consists of isolated exposures of the Athabasca formation,expressed as escarpments reaching heights from 10 to 40
(Continued on page 28...)
feet.Its lithology consists of somewhat indurated,white to weathered pink,red,and light brown stratified sandstone.Tyrrell’s diligent searching failed to find any fossils in this formation.
Superimposed on the flat lying sandstone beds of the Athabasca formation are scattered hills of morainic deposits,consisting of till,gravel, and boulders.Where these deposits have been intersected by the Cree River,the finer material has been winnowed,leaving the river’s channel restricted and its bottom strewn with red gneissic and granitic boulders,including broken fragments of Athabasca sandstone.In the shallow,less turbulent,expanded stretches of the river,its bed consists of water-worn pebbles and boulders.
The hazards of the previously unmapped Cree River were unforeseen by Joseph Tyrrell’s party at the commencement of their exploration venture.Its descent entailed his party handling the sites of 20 rapids along its course,eight of which were designated on the map that accompanied his report as “heavy” or “bad”.One must assume that Tyrrell and his party accomplished this task without the necessity of having to portage, since neither his report make mention of portages along the course of the Cree River nor does his map indicate such.The shallowness of the river through much of its course,including sections where rapids occur,may have permitted the canoes and their crews to remain,for the most part,on the river.Owing to the nature of the Cree River,its use as a conduit for the transport of furs and trade goods during the very late 18th to early 19th centuries was avoided.
In his report,Tyrrell describes the physical obstacles encountered during his party’s passage through Hawk Rapid,a two-mile,40
ROCK
foot descent on Cree River,located six miles below Cree Lake;to quote:“The rapid is a long and bad one,without any channel.It cannot be tracked with a line and wading in the water is very difficult on account of the swiftness of the current,the sharpness of the stones,and the irregularity of the stony bars.Paddling is generally impossible,and it is difficult to obtain a proper set for the poles,as they slip down and catch between the larger stones.On this account the Indians rarely ascend this river,our Chippewyans (sic) telling us that but one man had ascended it in the past seven years. One of the canoes had been badly broken in the rapid,and the men’s feet and legs were cut with wading over the sharp stones in the water” (Ibid:1896,Tyrrell,J.Burr;Athabasca Lake and Churchill River - p.45D).
An alternate river route to Cree Lake, affording easier accessibility,was formerly utilized by the Chipewyan natives of the region in their southward travels to the Churchill River.From Wapata Lake they would travel 20 miles up the Cree Rver to its confluence with the Pipestone River.Four miles further upstream,a 16-mile stretch of the Cree River contains the sites of seven rapids which can be avoided by diverting to the Pipestone,a less turbulent river.It bifurcates some 30 miles upstream from its confluence with the Cree to form the Pipestone’s southeast branch (Tyrrell’s Trout River) which parallels the Cree River.By following this branch for approximately 60 miles to its headwater at Weitzel Lake,a fourmile,southeast portage gives access to the midwest shore of Cree Lake.
An interesting chance meeting by Tyrrell’s party with a group of American hunters during the initial stages of his expedition into the Athabasca country is revealed in a biography of J.B.Tyrrell by author Alex Inglis.The latter
narrates that Tyrrell was mentally jolted at their paths being crossed.Apparently the Americans had wintered in the vicinity of Cree Lake. Following an exchange of information,both parties proceeded on their predetermined destinations;the Americans to their homes and Tyrrell and his party into the remote and potentially inaccessible regions of what is now Northern Saskatchewan.Joseph Tyrrell cordially acknowledged the occasion of their meeting by giving the Americans a gift of sugar, whose supply had become exhausted six months earlier.(1978,Inglis,Alex:Northern Vagabond - The Life and Career of J.B.Tyrrellthe Man Who Conquered the Canadian North; pub.McCelland and Stewart.,Toronto,p.101). However,no such meeting is mentioned in Tyrrell’s report.The occurrence of such may have surfaced during one of his later interviews or lectures.Whether it is fictional or not,is left to the imagination of the reader.Suffice to say, the revelation,if true,must have bruised Tyrrell’s self-esteem;to have an American sporting party preempt his quest to ascend the Mudjatick River to access Cree Lake.
Wapata Lake has a southwest by northeast alignment and adjoins the north-oriented Giles Lake;both lakes being an expansion of the Cree River.Tyrrell observed low cliffs of pink Athabasca sandstone on both banks of the river linking the two lakes.He noted,as well,a large morainic hill,located at the north end of Wapata Lake,exhibiting former strand lines of Hyper-Black Lake.They consisted of rounded beach gravels,occurring at levels of 70,80,and 95 feet above the elevation of Black Lake.
Black Lake,whose name Tyrrell suggested may have been given by David Thompson during his passage across this lake on June 25th,1796, after observing the presence of black hills of the plutonic rock,norite present along the northwest shore of Black Lake.Thompson was in the service of the Hudson’s Bay Company at
SHOP
that stage of his career.Tyrrell notes that the Chipewyan (Dene) natives given name of Black Lake as Dess-da-tara-tua (Mouths of Three River Lake),since it receives the inflow of the Cree River at its southwest extremity,the Fond du Lac (Stone or Black) River on its eastern side and the Chipman River at its most northern expression.
Tyrrell observed a 230-foot escarpment of Athabasca Formation flanking the northwest shore of Black Lake’s narrow,southwest extension for several miles,terminating to the north near the outpouring of Black Lake into the Fond du Lac River,He describes its varied lithology as consisting of coarsegrained,quartoze sandstone containing ripple marks with lateral changes to a fine conglomerate facies,indicative of a fluvial environment.
The northern erosional limits of the Athabasca Formation against Archean rocks is masked by the waters of Black Lake and Lake Athabasca for a combined distance of approximately 200 miles.The interconnecting Fond du Lac River coincides with the traces of this geological boundary.Tyrrell suggests this drainage course occupies a deep pre-glacial valley.Fir Island, located in the expanded portion of Black Lake, two miles northeast of the lake’s outflow,is underlain by the Athabasca Formation.Small cliffs of sandstone,attaining heights up to 15 feet above the lake’s water edge,occur on its southwest side,their expression being the most northeasterly of this formation’s presence.
Joseph Tyrrell,after arriving at the outlet of Black Lake into the Fond du Lac River, realized it was necessary for him to proceed to Fond du Lac to obtain additional supplies to sustain his party through the latter half of the field season.Accordingly,after leaving two of his party behind,in custody of one of his canoes and the remaining supplies,he, along with the other three members of his party proceeded down river in the other canoe.Initially,the first six miles involved portaging around the Elizabeth Falls;the first of which was three and one-half miles in length and the second portage being a distance of two and one-half miles.The remaining 14 miles of river travel to its debouchment into Lake Athabasca entailed circumventing Stony Rapids.An additional 24 miles through the eastern narrows of Lake Athabasca brought them,on July 27th,1892, to Fond du Lac (Far end of lake).
Here a Hudson’s Bay post was situated on the north shore of Lake Athabasca at its narrowest constriction,being less than two miles in width.Tyrrell’s party was greeted by the post’s manager,José Mercredi,a 75-yearold metis.He had constructed the present
Hudson’s Bay post in 1845,and had been in charge of the establishment since its inception.The trading post consisted of several stout log houses,which were enclosed by a pallisade of heavy posts.A Roman Catholic mission church was located nearby,where the parish priest restricted his residency to the winter months.
José Mercredi had related to Joseph Tyrrell that in the early part of the 19th century the Hudson’s Bay Company’s first post was located on the opposite side of the lake and that three of their resident fur traders were murdered by Chipewyan natives.Subsequently,
the North West Company’s post,which had been located on the north side of the lake was move to the south side.However,Mercredi appears to have had his historic revelation of the tragic events of Fond du Lac’s fur trade history,prior to 1845,somewhat misconstrued.In actuality,it was at the North West Company that the Chipewyans vented their wrath.Through acts of bullying, intimidation,and mistreatment,dispensed to the timid Chipewyan natives by the Norwesters,they were able to prevent the Chipewyans from trading their furs at the less established Hudson’s Bay posts.Finally,in the summer of 1804,their suppressed anger and (Continued on page 32...)
CSPG BOOKSTORE
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Terry S.Maley,Soft Cover,2005,704 pages, Code Con 26
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Victoria,Seattle,and Portland.It provides information on the many effects of earthquakes,including ground shaking, landslides,and liquefaction,and societal and individual measures that can be taken to reduce the damage and loss of life from earthquakes and tsunamis.
John Clague,Chris Yorath,Richard Franklin,and Bob Turner,Soft Cover,2006,200 pages,ISBN 0969760175,Code Con 27
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Climate Change and Landscape in the Canadian Rocky Mountains
Climate change is a prominent issue today.Its physical effects together with political initiatives to ameliorate human-induced climate change will affect the social and economic lives of us all.This book explains the science on which climate interpretations are based.It describes the global and local sources of paleoclimate information,how climate changes are dated, and how this information is used to reconstruct the Ice Age climate history of the Canadian Rockies over the last 30,000 years.
Nat Rutter,Murray Coppold and Dean Rokosh, 2006,The Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation, Soft Cover,137 pages,colour illustrations, ISBN 0-9780132-1-2,Code Con 25
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Earthscapes:Landforms Sculpted by Water, Wind and Ice
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A series of photographs accompanied by poems let the reader explore varied land forms in the United States,Alaska,Arizona, Colorado,Florida,New York,Texas,Wisconsin,
and Wyoming.The reader explores land forms from Algeria,Mali,Mauritania and Spain.The texts give the reader a description of the land forms and explains how they are made by natural processes,compared to human imprints on the Earth's surface.
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The World According to Rock Great for Kids!
A series of water-colour illustrations with free verse text tells the reader about many common rock types.The text describes Earth processes that form and reform different rocks.The reader will explore how useful rocks have been in our everyday life –providing building and art materials,giving us seasoning for the table,fuelling energy plants, offering beautiful scenery,locating survey points,and proving playgrounds.In this book you will write on,dive off,throw,skip,kick,and collect rocks.A photographic index provides rock definitions.
Jerry Wermund,illustrated by Tony Sansevero, 2004,Hard Cover,48 pages,colour illustrations, ISBN 0972625518,Code Con 23
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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF EARTH: CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
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The world's experts on the environment of Earth,and the interaction between society and the natural spheres of the Earth,are forming to produce a single comprehensive and definitive electronic encyclopedia about the Earth.The Encyclopedia of Earth (EoE) will be free to the public and free of advertising.
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SCOPE: The scope of the Encyclopedia is the environment of the Earth broadly defined,with particular emphasis on the interaction between society and the natural spheres of the Earth.See the taxonomy and topic areas at http://earthportal.net/about/eoe/eoetopics/.
JOIN THE EFFORT:If you are interested and want more information,please send an email to eoe@earthportal.net,or visit (http://earthportal.net/about/steward/).I
(...Continued from Page 29)
humiliation erupted,expressing their wrath by attacking the North West Company’s post at Fond du Lac.All the occupants were murdered,the victims being the two traders, their wives,and children.A similar act of mayhem,causing the deaths of four other Norwesters by Chipewyans,occurred near Fort Chipewyan,located at the western extremity of Lake Athabasca (Ibid.:1939, Morton,Arthur S.;A History Of The Canadian West To 1870-71.- pp.517,518).The original Hudson’s Bay post at Fond du Lac was known as Harrison’s House and was managed by a trader named Peter Andries.It is believed to have been established following the forementioned massacre,in 1804,of the occupants of the North West Company’s Fond du Lac post.Harrison’s House was short lived and finally abandoned,along with the North West Company’s post,as a result of the union of the Hudson’s Bay Company and North West Company in 1821.It would appear logical to assume that it was the North West Company that reestablished their post on the opposite side of the lake,following the 1804 massacre.
To be continued...
STANLEY SLIPPER MEDAL – CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
BY JOHN HOGG, COMMITTEE CHAIR
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
The Stanley Slipper Medal is the CSPG's highest Honour. “This pioneer and explorer in geology,engineering,and natural gas technology bequeathed a fundamental knowledge,years ahead of his time and was considered by many a virtual Leonardo da Vinci of the Petroleum Industry. Slipper,our first President,deserved the honour (unbeknownst to him) of our highest award in the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists” (Aubrey Kerr).
The medal is presented annually by the CSPG for outstanding contributions to oil and gas exploration in Canada.Last year the medal was awarded to Gerry Macey.
The contributions of the winner of this award should encompass a number of activities related to aspects of petroleum exploration.Such activities include:initiating and or leading exploration programs,significant discoveries on new or existing exploration tends,teaching and or training of explorationists,and involvement in and leadership within geological societies and professional organizations.
The Committee is currently calling on the CSPG membership to provide additional nominations for this prestigious award.The Award winner must be a CSPG member and should be able to attend the awards presentation to be held in 2007.
Please include an updated bibliography and letters in support of your nominee.
Nominations should mail,faxed or emailed before Friday October 6th,2006 to:
ConocoPhillips Canada is proud to continue the ConocoPhillips Glen Ruby Memorial Scholarships in Geosciences.These scholarships are presented each year to second, third and fourth years students to promote excellence in petroleum GEOLOGY and GEOPHYSICS $2,000 2nd
of Western Canada and the Canadian frontiers.This knowledge exchange has played a fundamental role in the successful development of the Canadian oil industry.Glen Ruby's legacy thrives three quarters of a century later.
ConocoPhillips has been active in Canada since 1880 through the activities of heritage companies including Continental Oil Company,Marland Oil/ Hudson's Bay Oil and Gas,British American,Royalite,Asamera,Pennzoil,Stampeder,Mannville, Crestar,Gulf Canada Resources,Poco,Canadian Hunter, Burlington Resources,Conoco Canada,and Phillips Petroleum.We proudly honour Glen Ruby as a pioneer and industry leader and we are pleased that the memorial scholarships will assist in the development of future geoscientists.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
October 15,2006
ConocoPhillips Canada is pleased to recognize and honour a pioneer who has had a lasting influence on the Canadian Oil and Gas industry.From 1926 to 1929,Glen Ruby was Vice President and General Manager of Marland Oil's Canadian partnership, Hudson's Bay Oil and Gas.While in Alberta he was a driving force behind the inaugural meeting and formation of the Alberta Society of Petroleum Geologists (renamed Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists in 1972).Glen Ruby dedicated his life to exploration and has been recognized as one of the great pioneers in the global search for oil and gas.In addition to Canada,he successfully explored for oil in Chile,Alaska,and the US Rocky Mountain basins.At one time he was credited with having made the most northerly and southerly oil discoveries in the world.
Since inception,the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists has been a forum for sharing ideas and knowledge about the geology
Scholarships will be administered through the Educational Trust Fund of the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists.The CSPG Educational Trust Fund is active in promoting Geoscience in our schools,our community and our industry.
If you would like to apply for the Glen Ruby Memorial Scholarships in GeoSciences,please visit www.cspg.org and download an application form.
Supporting the
development of natural energy resources
local international
RPSEnergy is an international consultancy providing support and advice on the development of natural resources,the management of the environment and the health & safety of people.
Director - CSPGDavid MiddletonPetro-Canada296-4604middletn@petro-canada.ca
DirectorBob DickRPS Energy444-4810
take place on November 23,2006.
2) Informal Nominations
for
following vacancies exist for 2007:
• Vice President• Assistant Finance Director • Assistant Program Director• Assistant Services Director
KINDERGARTEN DINOSAURS AND ROCKS
BY R.P.W. STANCLIFFE, D.A. MANN, AND G.D. MANN
A field-tested lesson plan for geoscientists
INTRODUCTION
When geoscientists go to university,we get the chance to see many lecturers and be presenters trying to stimulate imaginations with diverse topics such as crystallography, AVO analysis,and ostracod systematics. However we know that most of our audience will 'core dump' the data immediately after finals with the assistance of a malted barley product.Have you ever wished that you had an audience who were keen and excited to learn? Does your child have geoscience topics in their school curriculum? Volunteering or an invitation into a kindergarten school could let you show that geoscience is cool and perhaps inspire the next generation.It is an environment where there are no processes mandated in stone,and management finessing of Powerpoint slides is unheard of.The result is fun,challenging,rewarding and should be part of every geoscientist's obligation to give back for the fantastic profession that we all pursue.
CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE VISITING GEOSCIENTIST
Before entering into the classroom,it is important for the presenter to be aware of what is expected in a modern Alberta kindergarten school.This is discussed below and is followed by a sample lesson plan.In Alberta schools,there is normally at least 75 minutes before the lunch break,which is ideal for a presentation by a visiting geoscientist.
Size of class,boy / girl breakdown, special needs
Calgary Board of Education (CBE) kindergarten classes range in size from about 17 to 26 students,with a teacher and one or more aides.Most classes have a fairly equal mix of boys and girls with both sexes being very inquisitive about science at this age.When you ask for volunteers to come up to the front of the class there are always a lot of hands,but it is best to try to get a mix of the quieter and keener students; both girls and boys.
Kindergarten programs in Alberta are based on the concept that all children can learn. Consequently,there is often a huge range of diversity (social-emotional,physical, communication,and learning level) in any kindergarten classroom.This need not pose a difficulty for any presenter because it is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that every child is included in an appropriate manner.
School location,facilities,and equipment
In a school where the presentation is to be made,there should be a larger area where the pupils can sit on the floor.As there are often many diversions in the home classroom,the chance to present in a large,separate space might be worth investigating.The extra space is useful when the students explore how dinosaurs walked,perform the colouring exercises,and discuss specimens.Specimens and activity material are best kept out of the way of the children and brought out later in the presentation as needed.If available,place any microscopes and black lights on desks that an adult can operate from,but also at a height that the audience can use.
Teachers,aides,volunteers,presenters
Teachers are normally very receptive to geoscientists coming into their classrooms.In kindergarten,the students are only at school for a half-day,so there may be the chance to do two presentations in a day to different classes in the same space.Each class may have a different teacher's aide and often volunteers will be present to help with the set-up of teaching resources,microscopes,and projectors.
Most kindergarten students have heard of geologists and have seen them on the television,but their image may be a little coloured by movies such as Jurassic Park.It is best to wear standard work clothes (be that office or field) but do make a point of bringing along a hammer and hand lens.
Presentation Resources
To obtain books aimed at the kindergarten to grade 4 (K-4) level student,a quick visit to the local toy store can often provide useful material.Other local resources include the Royal Tyrrell Museum Bookstore,the Glenbow Museum Bookstore,the Public Library,and local rock and mineral stores.
The hunt to find good photographs of dinosaurs can be difficult because of copyright issues.However,in Alberta,there are a number of museums and public areas,which have replicas that can be visited.At Calgary International airport there are a number of displays of dinosaurs (and pterosaurs),which can be photographed.This paleontology theme is also used at Chicago O'Hare airport, so travel with a camera can provide usable images.At the Royal Tyrrell Museum it is possible to take photographs of the collection for educational purposes without the problem of copyright issues and this could be the case at other museums if they are asked.Around
(Continued on Page 43...)
4th Annual AAPG WINTER EDUCATION CONFERENCE
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February 12-16, 2007
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(...Continued from Page
the town of Drumheller are many dinosaurs in fantasy colours,which are well worth photographing.Here in Calgary,the zoo has many animals as well as dinosaur statues in many colours,though some of the latter are older models which do not represent the current understanding of dinosaur posture.
Web pages are probably the best sources of data on dinosaurs for the geoscientist going into the classroom.There are many available but some of the best and most useful include:
• Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) at www.gsc.nrcan.gc.ca.This large website has links to many geological resources.In Calgary,the GSC also has offices and a bookstore.At the former is a collection of teaching rock specimens and fossils,which may be borrowed to aid "show and tell".
• EarthNet at www.earthnet-geonet.ca.This is a major resource of classroom activities, guides,and data for teachers as well as geoscientists.
• Canadian Geoscience Education Network at www.cgen.bioins.ca.
• Dinosaur illustrations can be found at www.search4dinosaurs.com.Some of the pictures do not have copyright restrictions for teachers.
• Calgary Science Network at www.calgary sciencenetwork.ca.This organization seeks to pair local volunteer scientists with teachers.The web page is an excellent starting point to find resources in the Calgary area.
• Alberta Paleontological Society at www.albertapaleo.org.The society also has volunteers who can present talks in the classroom,along with fossils and books that can be borrowed.
This is not intended as an exhaustive listing but more of a gateway to the many resources available to both the presenter and the teacher.Local resources are always preferable as many students can relate better to places and things that they have seen and touched.
LESSON
PLAN FOR THE GEOSCIENTIST
For the geoscientist visiting a school the task of presenting can be considered daunting. However,outlined below are some pointers, all 'field tested',which have assisted the authors during many presentations.
10 minutes:What is a geologist?
A slide-show introduction of geologists at work is a great opener.About 10 to 15 slides are probably enough for this section.Show how geologists live and work in the field. Pictures of rigs,mines,and big trucks can be mixed in with fieldtrip shots and how geologists travel to isolated places.
5 minutes:What is a dinosaur?
At the kindergarten level the students know that dinosaurs are big animals that lived a long time ago.However the misconception that all big creatures alive 100 million years ago were dinosaurs is common.Slides of tortoise, crocodiles,dinosaurs,and birds can be used to illustrate the differences,and the concept of evolution can be briefly introduced.
5 minutes:What did dinosaurs eat? (Carnivores and Herbivores)
Illustrations of dinosaurs often show them with their food.Close-ups of teeth can be talked about as well as what human teeth are used for (molars vs.canines).
10 minutes:How did dinosaurs walk?
Most dinosaurs at museums are now mounted with the tail outstretched off the ground counterbalanced by the head and neck.This can be illustrated to the class by a model and by bending at the waist and trying to hold your head up (as humans lack the tail for balance, this is tiring).The class can then be asked to try this and see if walking on two legs in a bent position is as easy as using four legs.Try to look to the left and right for food and to see if a predator (classmate) is creeping up for the kill.Also ask if the neck or back hurts after awhile.As can be seen in Figure 1,the class enjoys the activity and this is also a good "let off steam" activity.
10 minutes:How did dinosaurs see?
The concept of,“how dinosaurs saw,” can be illustrated using the concept of eye location on the skull.To show this,two volunteers can be brought to the front of the class.A girl,as in Figure 2,is asked to put on a paper shopping bag in which two holes are cut in the sides to mimic how a herbivore dinosaur would have seen the world.A boy volunteer is asked to put on a similar bag but with two holes cut into the front to illustrate how Tyrannosaurus viewed the world.Each student is asked to look at the other,and the class shown that predator and prey had different skull shapes to
(Continued on Page 44...)
Figure 1:Students walking like dinosaurs.Note that the two-legged dinosaurs have three long "fingers".
Figure 2:Students in dinosaur hats illustrating how carnivore and herbivore eyes are positioned differently on the skulls.
40)
(...Continued from Page 43)
help see,or watch out for each other.The point is then reinforced by showing pictures of dinosaurs' skulls and asking if they were herbivores or carnivores.
5 minutes:What colour was a dinosaur? The final full class discussion activity is to show pictures of dinosaurs with different
25 minutes: Activities including colouring, looking at fossils,discussing children's specimens and handling fossils.
The objective of this section of the presentation is to let the children be creative with the colours of a dinosaur and let a slow trickle of students have one-on-one time with the presenter.Dinosaur outlines,copied from textbooks,are circulated and the pupils allowed to choose their favourite dinosaur to colour using crayons.Most pupils will take between 10-15 minutes to complete the project and many unique camouflage patterns will be presented.
coloured skin in different patterns.Often the best examples can be found at fun fairs and town monuments where blue,pink and purple striped dinosaurs make appearances (Figure 3).The objective is to show that paleontologists do not know if dinosaurs were camouflaged,had display colours or were just a boring green-brown as shown in most reconstructions.
While most of the class is colouring a few students are asked to come forward and chat with the presenter.Prior to coming to class the students are asked to select a special rock or fossil to show or have identified,and often some quite spectacular examples are presented.The use of a standard wellsite binocular microscope can show special parts of the rock as can an oil fluoroscope (both obtainable from most company stores).This is also a good time to show some of your special rocks from your collection (and borrowed from places such as the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC)).A ready supply of adults is useful at this stage in protecting the equipment and fossils,though damage is very rare as most students are careful in handling specimens. About a minute per student is needed for everyone to come up and ask questions.
5 minutes:Wrap up
To complete the learning process it is a good idea to repeat some of the key points about dinosaurs and rocks.This can be done with a few more slides or just a discussion.Thank the class for their attention and the teachers for letting you visit their classroom.
CONCLUSIONS
Presentations to young children's classes are a fun and challenging experience with many rewards:give it a go and perhaps the next Charles Lyell will be in the audience.The time will have flown,you will have a smile on your face,and the sun will be shining.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This article is a revised abstract,with permission, from “Kindergarten dinosaurs and rocks:an Alberta example of teacher curriculum integration and a field-tested lesson plan for geoscientists” published in Geoscience Canada,March 2006, Volume 33,Number 1,p.25-29 (www.gac.ca/ JOURNALS/ TOCs.html).We would like to thank Geoscience Canada for sharing this lesson plan along with the hope that more geoscientists will now accept the challenge of visiting classrooms.
Figure 3:A 'triceratops' in Drumheller showing one interpretation of camouflage!
CALL FOR Ph.D. or M.Sc . THESES
Win $2500.00 and a framed certificate; and a one year membership with the CSPG for: the Doctoral thesis that makes the most significant contribution to Canadian sedimentary geology in 2006.
Deadline for submissions is September 15, 2006.
Submitted theses will be returned in late January 2007 after the completion of judging.
Win $2000.00 and a framed certificate; and a one year membership with the CSPG for: the Master’s thesis that makes the most significant contribution to Canadian sedimentary geology in 2006.
Winning thesis topics in recent years have included studies of: Ichnology and neoichnology, detailed studies of Cretaceous (Falher, Basal Colorado) and Carboniferous (Kiskatinaw) reservoirs, modern channel bar sand geometry, epeiric carbonate platform deposition and an integrated sedimentological, ichnological, paleoenvironmental and paleoecological study of submarine fans.
Eligible theses are either produced in a Canadian university, regardless of project location, or deal with a Canadian sedimentary/petroleum geology topic, regardless of the university of origin. Theses entered for the 2006 awards must have been submitted to a recognized university inside or outside Canada, and must have formed part of the requirements for degrees awarded at the Fall 2005 or Spring 2006 convocations. Candidate theses must be well written, clearly and adequately illustrated and properly bound.
THESIS SUBMISSIONS FOR JUDGING TO:
Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists (CSPG) Graduate Thesis Awards Committee
