■ Climate Change and the Effects of Increased Greenhouse Gases on Coral Reefs
■ Climate Change and the Effects of Increased Greenhouse Gases on Coral Reefs
■ A True History of Oil & Gas Development
■ A True History of Oil & Gas Development
■ 17th Annual CSPG-CSEG 10K
■ 17th Annual CSPG-CSEG 10K
Roadrace and Fun Run
Roadrace and Fun Run
CSPG OFFICE
#160,540 - 5th Avenue SW
Calgary,Alberta,Canada T2P 0M2
Tel:403-264-5610 Fax:403-264-5898
Web:www.cspg.org
Office hours:Monday to Friday,8:30am to 4:00pm
Business Manager:Tim Howard
Email:tim.howard@cspg.org
Office Manager:Deanna Watkins
Email:deanna.watkins@cspg.org
Communications Manager:Jaimè Croft Larsen
Email:jaime.croftlarsen@cspg.org
Conventions Manager:Lori Humphrey-Clements
Email:lori@cspg.org
Corporate Relations Manager:Kim MacLean
Email:kim.maclean@cspg.org
EDITORS/AUTHORS
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
GEOCAN Energy Inc.
Tel:403-261-3851
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.
FRONT COVER
Crowsnest Mountain,Alberta. View of the north ridge of Crowsnest Mountain and the Devonian and Mississippian carbonates that lie above the Lewis Thrust.Dolostones and cherty limestones of the Mississippian Banff Formation form the prominent cliffs known as the Seven Sisters.Underlying the Banff are limestones of the Upper Devonian Palliser Formation that are in fault contact with the sandstones,shales,and coals of the Upper Cretaceous Belly River Formation.Photo by Gordon C.Hurlburt.
A large western “Howdy & Yahoo” to all visitors to Calgary for the AAPG convention, hosted by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists.It is inspiring to see the large number of attendees from around the world who attend the AAPG Annual Technical meeting,participate in the sessions,and renew friendships from previous meetings.I am confident that under the chairmanship of John Hogg and his hardworking team of volunteers,Calgary will provide a stellar location for all the AAPG participants,and build a great foundation for future meetings.
In speaking of foundations and the future, building a strong future for the CSPG is the one of the mandates of the Outreach Director.The position of Outreach Director was recently added to the CSPG Board,with the aims of increasing the focus on the CSPG by providing both public and university programs to promote the society,petroleum geology,and the anticipated strong demand for geologists in the coming decade. Outreach is responsible for the following areas:communication and program delivery through the University outreach activities, public outreach through the Honorary Address,University scholarships and awards, and the Student Industry Field Trip.It also provides a board level liaison to the fundraising efforts of the Educational Trust Fund (ETF).
The requirement for increased funding for all of these areas also leads to the increased activity of the Educational Trust Fund.Under the guidance of chair Bruce McIntyre,the ETF Board is working to fulfill the annual mandate to raise $500,000 towards the ETF sustainment fund.The eventual goal of the sustaining fund will be to provide a capital pool,from which the income will provide funding for all the awards,educational,and philanthropic requirements of the CSPG,and provide a charitable-registered society to make the funding efforts achievable and sustainable.If you are interested in assisting the ETF and the future geologists of Canada,
A MESSAGE FROM THE OUTREACH DIRECTOR
please contact myself or Bruce McIntyre (www.cspg.org).Funding from the ETF,CSPG, and the sponsorships promoted by Kim MacLean’s constant work,all assist in providing the programs under the CSPG Outreach mandate.
University Outreach,under the chair of Nadya Slemko,provides a conduit for the CSPG to reach the faculty and students of the geological programs across Canada.Funding is provided for best paper awards and prizes to inter-university conferences (WIUGC, AUGC,CGC),as well as for lecturers from the CSPG on the Visiting Lecturer program, which provides speakers across the country, typically reaching every university at least once a year.The Student Chapters program has replaced our former student category of membership with a program of interested student geological groups signing up their students as CSPG Chapter members and getting a copy of the Reservoir,the Bulletin of Geology,and access to funds for chapter events.In addition,the University Outreach committee provides a clearinghouse for geological materials (well cores and samples) to be donated to interested university departments from various E&P companies.
Awards & Scholarships consists of three committees addressing the Undergraduate Awards (Diane Emond),Regional Scholarships (Shawna Christensen),and Graduate Thesis Awards (Andre Chow).The chairs of the committees,along with the members,have a large job in advertising the awards criteria to the universities across Canada,evaluating the submissions,and then communicating the results to the recipients. An important and critical job,especially given the number of applicants in these years of ever-increasing tuitions.
The CSPG Honourary Address committee is responsible for the Annual Honourary Address,which involves a lecturer of international renown addressing a topical scientific issue that involves some aspect of geology.Lectures are run twice,once before a large and enthusiastic group of local Junior High school students from the Public and Separate systems,and later at an evening lecture open to the public and Society members.The evening lecture attracts a diverse audience of families,scout and guide groups,and people of all ages and backgrounds.The recent renovations to the Jubilee Auditorium have given the committee,
depths
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
THE CSPG GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES ITS CORPORATE MEMBERS:
THE CSPG GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES ITS CORPORATE MEMBERS:
ABU DHABI OIL CO., LTD. (JAPAN)
ARCHEAN ENERGY LTD.
BAKER ATLAS
BG CANADA EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION, INC.
BP CANADA ENERGY COMPANY
BURLINGTON RESOURCES CANADA LTD.
CALPINE CANADA
CANADIAN FOREST OIL LTD.
CONOCOPHILLIPS CANADA
CORE LABORATORIES CANADA LTD.
DEVON CANADA CORPORATION
DOMINION EXPLORATION CANADA LTD.
DUVERNAY OIL CORP.
ECL CANADA
geoLOGICsystems ltd.
HUNT OIL COMPANY OF CANADA, INC.
HUSKY ENERGY INC.
IHS ENERGY
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.
PRECISION WIRELINE
PRIMEWEST ENERGY INC.
SAMSON CANADA
SHELL CANADA LIMITED
SPROULE ASSOCIATES LIMITED
STARPOINT ENERGY LTD.
SUNCOR ENERGY INC.
TALISMAN ENERGY INC.
TOTAL E&P CANADA LIMITED
CORPORATE MEMBERS AS OF APRIL 24, 2005
Technology
Structural Imaging • Fracture Detection and Analysis
Veritas remains at the forefront of innovative technological advancement in the Calgary geophysical services market. Our comprehensive suite of geophysical technologies improve the accuracy of seismic imaging in your plains and foothills data, enhancing drilling/production success and reducing exploration risk.
For further information please contact the Calgary office: 403-205-6000 www.veritasdgc.com
TECHNICAL LUNCHEONS
JUNE LUNCHEON
The NEPTUNE project: a cabled ocean observatory in the northeast Pacific –transforming our understanding of Earth/ocean processes
SPEAKER
Chris Barnes
NEPTUNE Canada,University of Victoria
11:30am
Tuesday,June 7,2005
TELUS CONVENTION CENTRE CALGARY, ALBERTA
Please note:
The cut-off date for ticket sales is 1:00 pm,Thursday,June 2nd. Ticket price is $28.00 + GST.
NEPTUNE will be an innovative network of over 30 sub-sea observatories linked by 3,300 km of powered,electro-optic cables. These will cover the Juan de Fuca Plate (200,000 sq km) in the northeast Pacific,with shore stations at Port Alberni,BC and Nedonna Beach,OR (www.neptunecanada.ca, www.neptune.washington.edu).Each observatory will host and power many scientific instruments on the surrounding seafloor,in boreholes in the seafloor,and buoyed through the water column.Remotely operated and autonomous vehicles will reside at depth,recharged at observatories and directed from distant labs.Continuous nearreal-time multidisciplinary measurement series will extend over 30 years.Major research themes include:structure and seismic behavior of the ocean crust;dynamics of hot and cold fluids and gas hydrates in the upper ocean crust and overlying sediments; ocean/climate change and effects on ocean biota/fisheries at all depths;deep-sea sedimentation,ecosystem dynamics,and biodiversity;and engineering and computational systems research.These involve interacting processes,long-term changes,and chaotic,episodic events difficult to study and quantify by traditional means. VENUS,MARS,and NEPTUNE will use most of the same cable and engineering systems with the former two acting as shallow and deep-water test-beds,respectively,for the latter.NEPTUNE is an US/Canada (70/30) partnership with the total facility cost of
about $250M.Over $40M has already been funded for design,development,and test beds. Funding ($62.4M) for NEPTUNE Canada’s installation was announced in October 2003. VENUS and Stage 1 of NEPTUNE will form a linked coastal/ regional ocean observatory system,and be among the first of many such cabled ocean observatories.Latest installation activities,future planning,opportunities,and implications for the petroleum industry will be discussed.The latter implications include quantitative understanding of depositional processes on the slope and abyssal plain;gas hydrates;and real-time warning of earthquakes,tsunamis,and major storms that are environmental hazards facing potential hydrocarbon exploration and development in offshore BC.
BIOGRAPHY
Chris Barnes is Project Director for NEPTUNE Canada (2002 to present).For the previous decade,he was Director of both Centre for Earth and Ocean Research and School of Earth and Ocean Sciences at University of Victoria,BC.
Earlier appointments were at University of Waterloo (Chair of Earth Sciences),Memorial University (Head of Earth Sciences and established Centre of Earth Resources Research) and Director General,Sedimentary and Marine Branch,Geological Survey of Canada.Chris has served on many boards/councils,including President of Geological Association of Canada, Canadian Geoscience Council,and Academy of Science of Royal Society of Canada;and Member of Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, International Ocean Drilling Program,and International Commission on Stratigraphy.His research involves stratigraphy,micropaleontology, paleoceanography,and paleoclimatology,with over 150 publications.Chris received the J.Willis Ambrose and Past Presidents medals of GAC of Canada,Bancroft Award of RSC,and Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal.He is a Fellow of RSC and a Member of the Order of Canada
JUNE LUNCHEON
Oil and politics:the world oil market in the near term
SPEAKER
Vincent Lauerman
Editor-in-Chief of Geopolitics of Energy and Global Energy Analyst at the Canadian Energy Research Institute
11:30 am Tuesday,June 28,2005
TELUS CONVENTION CENTRE CALGARY, ALBERTA
Please note:
The cut-off date for ticket sales is 1:00 pm,Thursday,June 23rd. Ticket price is $28.00 + GST.
The New World Order is smashed and lying in a heap on the temple floor.This era of globalization,when the New Economy reigned supreme and geopolitics was supposedly dead, came to an end with the events surrounding 9/11.The death of the New World Order has contributed to the birth of the New World Oil Order,characterized by higher prices and greater volatility.
The world oil market,and the people who
analyze it,have not yet adjusted to the new geopolitically-charged world in which we find ourselves.The potential for major supply disruptions are much greater than under a globalized,commercially-driven world,and the potential for cooperation among the major oil consuming countries (as a whole) much less. As a result,the world requires greater supply flexibility (spare production capacity,refiner conversion capacity,commercial oil stocks), not less (the present situation),as well as greater strategic stock coverage.
The War on Terror is going to be a long one, and will continue to threaten production (and investment) in the Middle East for the foreseeable future.Despite positive news out of the region in recent weeks,two major causes of Islamic militancy,Israel-Palestine and Iraq,are unlikely to come to swift,happy conclusions.At the same time,Iran must prove that its nuclear ambitions are peaceful or else become America’s next target in the War on Terror.
We expect WTI to average $45 per barrel in 2005 and $40 per barrel in 2006.The greater risk to our forecast over this period appears to be on the upside,due to the potential for major supply disruptions and a lack of supply flexibility. In addition,the price of WTI should remain
above $28 to $30 per barrel,the new mid-cycle (sustainable) price based on our analysis of production from Alberta’s oil sands (the marginal,incremental barrel of non-OPEC production) in the medium term.Barring a major global recession,it will take time to rebuild supply flexibility into the world oil system.
BIOGRAPHY
Vincent holds a B.A.in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Calgary,and a B.A. and M.A.(Economics) from the University of Alberta.He has specialized in world energy issues since 1985,having worked in government, consulting,and as a private speculator.His government service included a stint as special assistant to the Vice-Minister of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) in Japan.
Vincent joined the Canadian Energy Research Institute (CERI) in February 1999.His responsibilities include crude oil price forecasting, geopolitical analysis,and developing global energy scenarios.He is the primary writer of CERI Commodity Report – Crude Oil and Editorin-Chief of the widely respected journal, Geopolitics of Energy.Vincent was the sole author of CERI’s critically acclaimed study,“Energy Scenarios for the 21st Century.”The media (print, radio,and television) regularly seeks his views on energy and geopolitical issues.
NEW COURSES FOR FALL 2005
Instructor: Godfried Wasser, M.Sc.
Date: September 21-23, 2005
Cost: Members $990.00 + GST, Non-Members $1,320 + GST
Maximum # of Participants 16
(Price includes hotel, transportation, breakfast & lunch!)
*Core workshop & theoretical reveiw of the Belly River focussing on regional setting & reservoir characterization
*2 Belly River interval
*2 day fieldtrip from Brooks to the Milk River visiting 7 outcrops that together cover the entire
*Insights into the dimensions of various Belly River deposits & issues related to B.R. stratigraphy
"The Belly River Fm. in Southern & Central AlbertaWorkshop&Fieldtrip" Workshop & Fieldtrip Upper Devonian ReefStrata and Hydrothermal "UpperDevonianReef-StrataandHydrothermal DolomitizationintheSouthernNorthwestTerritories"
Instructors: Alex J. MacNeil, M.Sc. & Dr. Brian Jones, U of A
Date: September 12-16, 2005
Cost: Members $2,150.00 + GST, Non-Members $2,870.00 + GST
Maximum # of Participants 16
*Sequence stratigraphy & facies of the Alexandra Reef System
*Reefal strata in Escarpment, Twin Falls, & Kakisa Formations
*Pine Point Barrier Complex & hydrothermal dolomitization
"Upper Cretaceous Shelf and Shoreface Sandstones: MontanaOutcropsandAlbertaBasinCores"
Instructors: Peter Putnam, Petrel Robertson Consult. & Derald Smith, University of Calgary
Date: September 20-22, 2005
Cost: Members $1,275.00 + GST, Non-Members $1,700.00
Maximum # of Participants 17
*Mid-Cretaceous Blackleaf (upper Bow Island - & Vikingequivalent) shoreface deposits at Ulm Pushkin
*Upper Cretaceous shelf sandstones (Cardium-equivalent?) exposed along the Missouri River at Carter Ferry
*Outcrops of Upper Cretaceous Eagle Fm. sandstones (Milk River- & basal Belly River-equivalent) exposed near the Bearspaw Mountains & at Meissner's Ranch at Square Butte
*Select cores from a variety of Cretaceous wave-formed reservoirs
See www.cspg.org/education.html
DIVISION TALKS
INTERNATIONAL DIVISION
A historical and world record breaking well drilled in 1979 in the Orphan Basin, Newfoundland:Texaco Shell et al Blue H-28
SPEAKER
Tako Koning
Tullow Oil & Yme NGO Luanda,Angola
12:00 Noon
Wednesday,June 29,2005
Encana Amphitheatre
2nd floor, east end of the Calgary Tower Complex
1st Street and 9th Avenue S.E. Calgary, Alberta
A rank wildcat well,Texaco Shell et al Blue H28,was drilled offshore Newfoundland in 1979 in a water depth of 1,486 meters (4,876 feet) and significantly extended the world water depth record for oil and gas drilling. The Blue H-28 well established the following records:
1.) Deepest water ever drilled worldwide until three years later in 1982 when Total Petroleum drilled offshore France in a water depth of 1,714 meters (5,624 feet).
2.) Deepest water drilled in Canada until 1986 when Shell drilled the Tantalon well offshore Nova Scotia in a water depth of 1,516 meters (4,974 feet).
3.) Deepest drill depth record in Canada as it was drilled to a total depth of 6,103 meters (20,023 feet).This record was broken in 1983 when Mobil drilled the South Venture well,offshore Nova Scotia to a drill depth of 6,175 meters (20,262 feet).
The Blue H-28 well was drilled on a huge structure reminiscent of the Ghawar field in Saudi Arabia,the world’s largest oil field. Accordingly,the well was called “Blue”,after the world’s largest animal,the Blue whale. Minor gas shows were encountered during the drilling of the well and it was subsequently plugged and abandoned.
Today the significance of Blue H-28 seems to pale in comparison to current drilling which now exceeds water depths of 3,050 meters (10,000 feet).However,the challenge of drilling this well must be viewed relative to the status of deep water drilling in the mid-1970s.The decision to drill this well occurred in 1976 at
which time the deepest oil well drilling had been in a water depth of only 640 meters (2,100 feet) water.Thus the plan to drill in almost 1,500 meters (5,000 feet) of water to a drill depth of 6,000 meters (20,000 feet) was a tremendous challenge.Indeed,the challenge for those involved in this well was especially daunting since the well was to be drilled in one of the world’s most hostile areas characterized by frequent very high seas and in the middle of “iceberg alley”.The partnership for this project consisted of Texaco Canada (operator),Shell Canada,Dome Petroleum,Petro-Canada,and Home Oil.
The closest control well for Blue H-28 was the BP Bonavista C-99 well located 150 km southeastwards.Consequently,Blue H-28 represented a true pioneering effort to drill in an almost unexplored basin and,in addition,to significantly extend drilling technology beyond its proven capability.The well provided abundant geological and geophysical data which advanced the oil industry’s assessment of the hydrocarbon potential of the Orphan Basin.
Now available for impor t into ACCUMAP and other mapping programs:
1) New 2004 Version: Glauconitic Channel Trends - Southern and central Alberta, West-central Saskatchewan
2) New: Lloydminster Reservoir Trends - Eastern Alberta
3) Mississippian Subcrops and Devonian Reef Edges - Alberta, NE BC, NWT and Saskatchewan
4) Colony/Sparky Reservoir Trends - East - central Alberta
5) Bluesky-Dunlevy Reservoir Trends - NE BC
6) Halfway-Doig Shoreline Trends - Peace River Arch, NE BC
7) Charlie Lake Siphon, Cecil and North Pine Reservoir Trends - NE BC
All edges are formatted as map features for use in Accumap and ESRI Shape files for other programs. For more information contact: Mike Sherwin 403-263-0594
Although the record-setting Blue H-28 well was drilled 26 years ago and proved to be a dry hole,Blue H-28 is again the focus of industry’s attention since it is the key control well for eight blocks for which oil companies in 2003 paid a record breaking $672 million.
BIOGRAPHY
Tako was born in Holland but raised in Canada and holds degrees in geology from the University of Alberta and economics from the University of Calgary.He worked for Texaco for 29 years in Canada,Sumatra,Nigeria,and Angola.He retired from Texaco in 2002 and continues to live in Angola where he consults for Irish explorer,Tullow Oil (www.tullowoil.com).In addition,he is Angola representative for Yme,a Norwegian aid organization (www.yme.no) involved with water well drilling projects in northern Angola.Tako was the Operations Geologist on the Blue H-28 drilling project.His talk was previously presented at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston in 1988 and was published in the conference’s proceedings.
INFORMATION
There is no charge.Please bring your lunch. Refreshments will be provided by EnCana and Glendower International Limited.For more information or to give a talk in the future,please contact Kenneth Jones at (403) 532-0404 or at glendowerint@shaw.ca.
20 Year Reunion
Date: Tuesday,June 21,2005 4:00 p.m.
Location: Bottlescrew Bill’s 140 – 10 Avenue.S.W.
Contact: Ian Young,645-3888 or Alma Eamer 206-3260
PETROLEUM INDUSTRY COURSES
GEOLOGY OF THE WESTERN CANADIAN SEDIMENTARY BASIN
Date: May 31, June 1 & 2, 2005
Cost: $1284 incl. GST
Instructor: Bill Ayrton
Ideal for those who wish to improve their geological understanding of where and how we look for oil and gas fields in Western Canada.
• Visualize Western Canada throughout history, i.e., the position of the sea versus land, what sediments were deposited, and what type of life existed and evolved.
• Review the importance of each major stratigraphic unit, i.e. Devonian, Mississippian, Cretaceous, etc.
• Discuss the geological and seismic expression of typical oil and gas fields in each unit.
SUCCESSFUL MAPPING & PROSPECTING IN THE W.C.S.B.
Date: June 8 & 9, 2005
Cost: $856 incl. GST
Instructor: Bill Ayrton
• Review the steps necessary in generating and recommending successful prospects.
• Review the concepts incorporated into maps and crosssections used to identify oil and gas traps.
• Develop a prospect "outline/template" that will assure a thorough and effective presentation of your prospects.
CALGARY TO BANFF FIELD TRIP
Date: June 10, 2005 Cost: $267.50 incl. GST
Instructor: Bill Ayrton
Useful for anyone interested in the geological features so beautifully displayed in our mountains. Understand the geology underlying the Plains, the Foothills, and the Rockies and their fundamental relationship to our search for oil and gas. We will:
• Review the oil and gas potential of each of these areas.
• Make a number of stops at classic locations including a short hike to the Grassi Lakes reef section.
• Illustrate how the magnificent exposures seen in the Rockies can help with the subsurface interpretation of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.
• Appreciate the tectonic forces of mountain building and glaciation.
TO REGISTER
To register or to obtain additional information regarding in-house and upcoming courses, please contact:
Ayrton Exploration Consulting Ltd.
Tel: (403) 262-5440
Email: ayrtonex@telusplanet.net
Or visit our website: www.ayrtonexploration.com
under the co-chairs of Jennifer Dunn and Alex Wills,a chance to exercise their creativity in finding a venue of sufficient size and location to meet the needs,along with the always challenging search for a speaker with the topic,time,and interest to maintain the Honorary Addresses excellent track record in delivering an exciting talk.Eventually,we would like to be able to address a national audience to promote both geology and the CSPG,reach new markets,and emphasize the Canadian in the CSPG name.
The Student Industry Field Trip has been a continual fixture for the CSPG & ETF for many years.Shaun Alspach is leading a committee of 24 dedicated volunteers, numerous volunteer lecturers,field trip leaders,and much donated time and effort. The mandate of SIFT is to bring together representative students in 3rd or 4th year geology from the 31 universities from across Canada,and expose them to petroleum geology through lectures,field trips,core displays,a fly-over of the Rocky Mountains, and participation in the Exploration Game. The Exploration Game replicates most aspects of the business of geology,where small groups of students form a company, work up prospects,bid on land,drill wells, and present their interpretations to a panel. A very grueling two weeks at the beginning of May,with the benefits of new skills acquired,new friendships built,and a new group of students introduced to the exciting world of petroleum geology in all of its wonderful variety.Many of the students remain in Calgary as summer students to get further exposure to the industry and a chance to apply the skills recently learned.
Several new ideas are actively being studied, including a “100 Jobs Proposal”,put forth by Bill Ayerton;reviewing the increasing material and financial needs of universities and geology students;examining publications to address the education of public on the geology of oil & gas;and working effectively with the Public Relations committee.
The strength of any society is measured quantitatively by the balance sheet of the finances,and qualitatively by the strength of the programs and volunteers that make up the society.I have met an amazing variety of people who volunteer their time and energy willingly to promote the Outreach programs of the CSPG,and carry on in delivering a high quality programs to the future and current members of our society.I thank all of the volunteers who make our programs excel, and keep the CSPG vital and strong.
The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that increased emissions of anthropogenic CO2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere are responsible for recent climate change.Based on these conclusions the Kyoto Protocol was signed by developed nations, committing them to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels.
A growing body of scientific evidence contradicts the assumption that increased CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere are
responsible for recent warming trends.CO2 is a minor greenhouse gas and its effect on global climate is much less than that of water vapour and solar variations.The conclusion that recent warming is the most abrupt in the last 1,000 years is wrong.A study of history, archeology,and geology illustrate that climate is always changing and the current warming is anything but anomalous.
A video with interviews with scientists who refute the claim that CO2 emissions are the main cause of Global Warming will be screened followed by a discussion with members of the audience.
BIOGRAPHY
Friends of Science is a Calgary-based non-profit organization with about 100 members.Its members include retired geologists, environmental and atmospheric scientists, entrepreneurs,and engineers.The Society’s mission is to “provide balanced,objective, scientific knowledge to society in such a way that members of the public can make informed decisions on matters that concern them.” Its current effort is directed to the science of
SEDIMENTOLOGY DIVISION
Seeking expressions of interest for a clastic sedimentology informal evening seminar group
For quite a while now the Carbonate Liars Club has been holding very informal evening “slide show” talks on topics in carbonate sedimentology at a local pub in downtown Calgary.The meetings are held once a month during the spring,fall,and winter from 5:30 pm to approximately 8:30 pm.Speakers are usually local,and drawn from academia and industry with topics representing finishing graduate student research,industry projects, and published and/or on-going projects from those teaching at university.Everyone pays for their own food and drink and contributes a few dollars toward covering the speakers’ meal.
The Sedimentology Division of the CSPG would like to initiate a similar informal evening seminar group for clastic sedimentologists starting in the fall of this year and is seeking some feedback from the membership as to the amount of interest
there might be for such gatherings.Please contact either Randy Rice at randy.rice @gov.ab.ca or Scott Rose at scott_rose @nexeninc.com and let us know your thoughts.If sufficient interest exists,look for notices of upcoming talks on the Sedimentology Division website (http://www.cspgsedimentology.org) in September.If you would like to receive advance notice,please forward your e-mail address to either of the above.We would like to establish a mailing list of interested parties.Also,if you can suggest individuals who might be interested in giving a presentation on their work please forward their names and e-mail address.This is a particularly good,and very relaxed,forum for finishing graduate students to let those already active in industry be aware of their work.We expect most potential speakers would be from Alberta,and in particular Calgary or Edmonton,but by all means if you know of someone visiting Calgary who might be willing to tell us about their work please let us know so that we can approach them in advance.
Global Climate Change and to promote debate on the causes of Climate Change.
INFORMATION
All lunch talks are free.Please bring your lunch. For information or to present a future talk for the Environment Division contact Andrew Fox at andrew.fox@megenergy.com.
JACK PORTERVIGNETTES OF CANADIAN PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
Continued from the May Reservoir
Aftermath of Martin Frobisher’s Three Voyages
to Meta Incognita
Captain Richard Newton of the Emanuel (Buss) of Bridgewater, on returning to England with his “ore” laden vessel,reported sighting,on September 12,1578,an island in which he estimated to be located 300 miles southeast of Greenland (Friesland) in latitude 57°30’.He named his discovery the “Island of Buss” after his ship’s classification,(a 30- to 50-ton,twoor three-masted Dutch fishing vessel).Newton described the new found island as elongate in shape,being oriented northwest by southeast, with its length approximately 75 miles.No landing was attempted since its coastal area contained a broad expanse of ice.
Buss Island was next sighted on May 24,1605 by chief pilot James Hall who had accompanied a Danish expedition to Greenland (Friesland). Hall claimed that it had been placed in a wrong latitude on the existing marine chart.The following year,during a second expedition to Greenland (Friesland),he reported sighting it again,confirming his belief that it was positioned more to the westward of its placement on the marine chart.During Henry Hudson’s 1610 crossing of the North Atlantic in his vessel, Discovery, he had sought and failed to discern Buss Island.
For the next 63 years interest in this seemingly hidden island waned.However,in 1673,the Governor and Committee of the Hudson’s Bay Company in London had been informed of its existence by Thomas Shepard, a former employee of the Company.He had
served as a mate of the ketch (two-masted, 100 – 250 ton vessel) Nonsuch on her first voyage to Hudson Bay in 1668.After wintering in Rupert’s harbour,James Bay,the ship and crew returned to England the following October,at which juncture he left the Company’s service.It is alleged that he rediscovered Buss Island on August 22,1671 as master of the Golden Lyon of Dunkirk. Interestingly,Samuel Pepys’ manuscripts incorporated in the Rawlinson Collection and housed in the Bodleian Library,Oxford contains,as part of Pepys’ papers,a map and accompanying report by Shepard pertaining to Buss Island.He cites that “The Island affords store of whale,Easye to bee struck. Seal & sea horse walruses & Codd in abowndance,I suppose Two Voyadges may bee made p.annum It Lying but 371 Leas.W No.W 4 d.:Noly.from the Lizard.Good harbours in itt:& Low Louell Land to the Southwds.Clear of Ice unless 7ber.” It was with this information that Thomas Shepard was able to arouse the Company’s interest in applying for a charter for exclusive right to exploit the island and surrounding coastal waters for their natural resources. Consequently,in 1674,the Hudson’s Bay Company made a request to King Charles II to obtain a charter which would grant Buss Island to the Company.Their application was approved by his Privy Council in the following year for a payment of £65.Accordingly,it was the intention of the Company to have Shepard lead an expedition,as captain of the Prince Rupert, to Buss Island.However,no record of such a voyage exists.Apparently the Company’s plan was cancelled in 1676.
Renewed interest,concerning the island’s authenticity,surfaced in 1791 when Captain Charles Duncan of the British Navy reported to the Company’s Governor and Committee that:“I strove as much as the Winds would permit me to keep in the supposed Lattd.of the supposed Buss Island, but it is my firm Opinion that no such Island is now above Water if ever it was.” Duncan had been on loan to the Hudson’s Bay Company during the period 1791 – 1793 to search for the elusive Northwest Passage by way of Hudson Bay.He served as captain of the Company’s brigantine Beaver of 84 tons.
Soundings,for the “Sunken Land of Buss” were attempted unsuccessfully in 1818 and 1819 by notable arctic explorers Sir John Ross and Sir William E.Parry,respectively, for evidence that Buss Island had disappeared below the waves.Ross had repeated a sounding survey in 1829,which also proved a failure.
Apart from Thomas Shepard’s discredited account of having been on Buss Island, where he purported to have described its physical features and resources,there is no tangible evidence that it ever existed.Its reported sightings in varying longitudes and latitudes may have been attributed to marine mirages,not uncommon in arctic waters.
Buss Island turned out to be a myth,like so many other dubious geographical entities that were depicted on early globes,maps and charts.Buss Island was first recorded on
EGGs NEEDED
Molyneaux’s Globe of 1592 and its identity persisted as late as 1856,where it was illustrated on Johnston’s Physical Atlas.The fact of its protracted identification over 264 years serves to suggest that myths are difficult to eliminate.Notwithstanding,they fuel the imaginations and pursuits of the spirited adventurer (ref.:Johnson,Alice M.:The Mythical Land of Buss;The Beaver,Outfit 273,Dec. 1942,pp.43–47).
Frobisher’s dozen vessels,which had returned safely to England,had docked at Portsmouth as well as several other ports in southern England. The original aggregate,consisted of 1,350 tons of “ore” contained by the fleet on leaving Meta Incognita,had been reduced by 110 tons carried by the Emanuel (Buss) of Bridgewater when she was blown aground on September 26,1578 in the harbour of Smerwick,Ireland. Her cargo of “ore” was confiscated by the Earl of Desmond,who,despite urgings from England’s Privy Council to return the “ore” to Captain Richard Newton of the late Emanuel (Buss) of Bridgewater,refused to comply.The worthless “ore” was eventually used to repair the walls of Smerwick Fort,which had been damaged in 1580 following a siege by the English navy.Through subsequent deterioration of the fort’s walls,pieces of Meta Incognita “ore” can be found strewn along the beach, fronting the fort’s walls (Ibid.:2001, McDermott,James – p.244).
The bulk of the “ore” was transported,from the various ports in southern England,up the Thames River and into the Darent River.Here, the Fleet’s cargos were unloaded and placed in the storehouses at Dartford,to be later smelted in one of the five large furnaces,which had been made ready just prior to the fleet’s homecoming.The first of three large smelting runs of Meta Incognita “ore” commenced in early November,1578 and the last run by the year’s end.The bulk runs included,not only representative lots of “ore” mined earlier in the year,but included,as well,portions of the 200 tons mined the previous year.The assayed results of the first three runs revealed that,in the words of the assayers,to be “verye evill”; an acerbic metaphor to conclude that the “ore” mined at Meta Incognita was worthless (Ibid.:2001,McDermott – p.247).Jonas Schultz (Schutz),the assayer at the Dartford works, continued to conduct assays until February, 1579.Frobisher’s imperious presence as overseer at Dartford had so intimidated Schultz that the latter,in order to appease him, had introduced additives to his “ore” sample, which on being assayed yielded a spurious result.It had indicated that the “ore” would produce a profit of £10 per refined ton (Ibid.: 2001,McDermott,James – p.254).By May 1581,the last of the assays were performed at (...Continued on Page 39...)
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AAPG CONVENTION JUNE 19-22, 2005
BY JOHN R.HOGG,GENERAL CHAIRMAN
Message from the Chairman
On behalf of the 2005 AAPG Annual Convention Committee,and the Division of Environmental Geosciences,Division of Professional Affairs,Energy Minerals Division, SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology),and your host,the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists,we welcome you to Calgary, Alberta,Canada if you are a visitor and to the CSPG members,we hope you will enjoy attending the largest Petroleum Geology Conference in the world this year.
This year’s theme,“Global Roundup:Exploring Energy Systems,” represents changes our industry has experienced and the global nature of the energy community.
Calgary has become one of the oil capitals of the world,and our geoscience expertise has been used throughout Canada,the United States,and the world to explore for and develop energy resources.The Technical Committee has organized the following themes for your educational benefit: Exploration of Mature Basins;Exploration in Continental Margin Settings and Frontier Basins;Holistic Analysis of Petroleum Systems;
Tectonic Systems and Basin Evolution; Depositional Systems in Time and Space; Mudrocks and Hydrocarbons;Unconventional Resources and Innovative Techniques; Optimizing Reservoirs;Business and Economic Issues;Hydrocarbons,Environment,and Society;and Astrogeology.
Continuing education is an element that will receive much attention this year,with numerous field trips to the Rocky Mountains and a slate of short courses that are sure to entice you to come early or stay after for the pre- and post-convention educational opportunities.The majority of field trips are sold out and most of the short courses have only a few remaining slots to fill.It’s wonderful to see this level of interest.
On Thursday and Friday following the convention,we will be offering a first for the AAPG Annual Meeting:the CSPG will be offering a two-day core workshop,including deep-water core from around the world, North American unconventional gas core, coalbed methane core from Canada and the United States,core from McMurray Oil Sands, SAGD (steam-assisted gravity drainage) core,
and a carbonate and clastic reservoir workshop,all held at the world-class Alberta Energy Board Core Research Facility,easily accessible by public transit from downtown.
Some of the social highlights include an evening at Heritage Park in southwest Calgary to celebrate the convention and the Centennial of Alberta as a province in Canada,and a Blues Night on Monday for those die-hard blues fans to meet and greet,listen to blues,and talk geology.For spouses and guests,trips have been planned to the mountains and to the badlands of Drumheller (for those dinosaur fans).
On Sunday morning,the Canada Region of AAPG will host a golf tournament at the Kananaskis Golf Course,one of the top 10 courses in Canada.The buses will leave the convention hotel to take you out for a spectacular day of mountain golf.
So be prepared for an action-packed convention,and come early or stay late for education,social activities,or just pure enjoyment of the greatest summer city in Canada.
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FOCUS enabled ECLIPSlowering the total cost for every open hole job
FOCUS enabled ECLIPS reduces the total cost (rig time plus logging) of a complete FE program.
The short FOCUS logging suite (array resistivity, density, neutron porosity, acoustic) logs at 18M/min and can be combined with full service options such as Earth Imager, HDIP & XMAC.
Fast logging speeds, reduced over-hole requirements, full service capability - the result driving down your open logging costs without compromising your formation evaluation program.
For additional information contact your Baker Atlas representative at 403-537-3400.
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FOCUS enabled ECLIPS “breaks-out” fast in Western Canada
FOCUS on ECLIPS – Time Saving and
“Full Service”
logging capability
Introduction of a new “quad combo” logging suite into Western Canada may have been an unusual decision in 2003, but the rapid acceptance of this new high efficiency service has demonstrated the demand for a fast, short, quality premium logging suite. A major benefit of the FOCUS instrumentation is the short string length, with a GR measure point on the triple combo (resistivity-density-neutron) at less than 10 meters, the current drive to reduce over-hole requirements, either through legislated demands or drilling efficiency programs is very appealing. Now when deployed with the FOCUS enabled ECLIPS systems, the complete range of open hole instrumentation is made available.
Reducing the total cost (rig time plus logging) of all open hole formation evaluation is a major business driver for Baker Atlas. The impact of logging the short FOCUS instrument suite (array resistivity,
density and neutron porosity, acoustic, plus auxillary sensors ) at 18 meters/min, combined with other full service options, many of which can be run in combination (such as XMAC or HEXDIP), or as second run (such as Earth Imager), drives total logging times down
What is FOCUS?
FOCUS instruments, now offered on Baker Atlas’ full service ECLIPS platform, are high efficiency logging tools, comprising the four primary open hole measurements (often termed triple or quad combo - resistivity, density, neutron, acoustic sensors), plus auxiliary
services. Some of the real-time deliverables include innovative logs and plots to help the user improve his formation evaluation efficiency.
The value of the array resistivity High Definition Induction Log (HDIL) is enhanced with its ability to produce 1ft vertical resolution data – ideally suited to evaluating saturations in thinly bedded formations .
Design changes to the nuclear porosity logs, including improved detector response, provide for efficiency at high logging speeds compared to conventional instruments, Auxiliary measurements include the correlation gamma ray, borehole temperature, downhole tension, mud resistivity , accelerometer and a two-arm Y-axis caliper.
Dual density log capability (Dual ZDL) is also available to accommodate logging in boreholes where hole geometry, specifically
ovality, and stress induced breakout exist. Two density measurements, measured 90 degrees to each other are taken in these situations.
FOCUS enabled ECLIPS drives value
There are two key attributes that make FOCUS instruments an attractive proposition. First the short instrument string length –with the Gamma Ray Instrument’s (the highest sensor) measure point at 10 Meters – means overhole requirements to accommodate the tool string are minimized. Regulations often limit the amount of overhole to 15M below the depth specified on the well license, so this can be significant. Thus drilling time for overhole is reduced, and the logging can be completed in a single run rather than splitting up sensors to get them all below the zone of interest. The second attribute is also time saving related – the high logging speed of 18 M/minute, achieved without compromising measurement accuracy – means reduced logging times compared to other logging systems that need to log at 9 M/minute.
Response from two ZDL tools with sensor sections oriented at 90 deg.
Baker Atlas
Dave Thomas VP of Exploration, Concho Equity Holdings Corp.
AAPG CONVENTION JUNE 19-22, 2005
SPONSORSHIP REPORT
This year’s AAPG Annual Convention, hosted by the CSPG,has been extremely well supported by the oil industry.We are experiencing an exceptionally buoyant period in the history of our industry but I am amazed by the many positive responses the sponsorship committee has received.In Calgary we have had great support for all of the CSPG hosted events such as the Core Conference and the main convention social event at Heritage Park.
On behalf of the CSPG and AAPG we would like to offer our thanks to the service company & oil company sponsors for their support.
BY BOB DICK SPONSORSHIP CHAIRMAN
CORE MELTDOWN PARTY
Date:Friday,June 24
Time:3:30pm – 7:00 pm
Location:AEUB Core Research Centre
Fee:Admission will be through the purchase of the Core Conference Ticket
Round up your friends and colleagues to celebrate a great week of convention events with the CSPG tradition of the CORE MELTDOWN PARTY.You will receive one complimentary drink ticket along with all the food you can eat.This is an outdoor “rain or shine” event,so come on out and wrap up a fun week with one last hooray!! We are please to announce that BAKER ATLAS is the exclusive sponsor of this event.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
The 2005 AAPG Convention Registration and Welcome Desk will be located in
Friday,June 17
10:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m.
Saturday,June 18
8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Exhibition Hall D of the Roundup Centre. You may pick up your delegate package during the following hours:
Sunday,June 19
8:00 a.m.- 7:30 p.m.
Monday,June 20
7:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday,June 21
7:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday,June 22
7:30 a.m.- 12:00 noon
2005 AAPG Annual Convention
Celebration of Alberta Centennial at Heritage Park Historical Village (CSPG)
DON’T MISS OUT!
This party is going down in the history books!
✬ All YOU CAN EAT Western Style Buffet
✬ ALL YOU COULD WANT of Alberta Moonshine
✬ ALL YOU CAN RIDE of the Train and Boat
✬ Live Gunfighters,Barbershop Quartet,and Fiddlers
✬ Mechanical Bull and Wagon Rides
✬ Experience the Antique Midway
✬ See all Park Exhibits (ex.Gasoline Alley and Baron’s Pool Hall)
✬ Party Tent with Huge Dance Floor
✬ Two Step Dance Lessons
DATE & TIME: Tuesday,June 21 6:00 p.m.to 11:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Heritage Park Historical Village FEE:
US $50+GST (includes transportation,admission,buffet dinner, and unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages)
Register online: www.aapg.org/calgary/
AAPG CONVENTION JUNE 19-22, 2005
BY ASHTON EMBRY,TECHNICAL PROGRAM COORDINATOR
2005 AAPG Convention: Technical Program
I hope everyone has had a chance to peruse the Final Announcement booklet that laid out the biggest geological program Calgary has ever seen.The 1,000 presentations will be evenly split between talks and posters and will cover most topics of interest to petroleum geoscientists.
Exploration concepts,successes,and opportunities in mature onshore basins,on continental margins,and in frontier basins will be covered in a variety of sessions spread out over the three days.Mesozoic and Paleozoic prospects in basins throughout Canada will be of particular interest to many CSPG members.A special session will look at new blockbuster discoveries and will include a sweeping global review of the big discoveries of the past few years.
For those with a sedimentological inclination the program might be a little frustrating because they will have to make some tough choices.For example,on Monday they may find themselves bouncing back and forth between the talks on the wonders of seismic geomorphology and talks on deltaic and shelf deposits.Of course they may want to take some time to find out about “Sedimentation on Mars” and then wrap up the day at the Michael Halbouty Lecture on the Buzzard Field.Tuesday and Wednesday are just as packed with a bounty of talks and posters on many aspects of sediments.The highlight for carbonate enthusiasts will be the 40 presentations that comprise the Symposium on Carbonate Platforms and Reefs honouring Wolfgang Schlager.
Structural geologists will equally be very busy shuffling between numerous oral and poster sessions on such topics as “Fold and Thrust Belts”,“Interplay of Tectonics and Sedimentation”,“Evolution of Foreland Basins”,“Sealing Capacity of Faults” and “Salt Tectonics”.Our members are increasingly becoming involved in developing nonconventional petroleum from oil sands,shale gas,coal bed methane,and even gas hydrates. In response to this,numerous sessions will review the activity and latest concepts and technologies for these resources.
The Petroleum Systems of Canada oral and poster sessions will be great interest to CSPG members because most petroleum basins in Canada will be showcased in dazzling overviews.The poster presentations will also allow in-depth discussions of the prospectivityof many areas in Canada.Those with a geochemistry bent will enjoy the sessions on hydrocarbon migration,gas typing,and the biodegradation of hydrocarbons.Environmental issues such as CO2 sequestration,water resources,and alternative energy sources are also featured. The business side of the industry is highlighted in a special forum on “Case Studies of Successful Independents”(featuring the richest man in Calgary) as well as sessions on “Reserve Reporting” and “Exploration Risk”.
The very diverse,high quality program has helped to attract a huge advance registration and the convention is shaping up to be the best ever held in Calgary.
JOIN US !!
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CSPG CORE CONFERENCE, JUNE 23-24, 2005
BY GERRY REINSON,2005 CORE CONFERENCE CHAIR
Date/Time:
Thursday,June 23 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Friday,June 24 8:00 am – 3:30 pm
Location:AEUB Core Research Centre
Fee:$40 CAD (through CSPG office)
$30 US (through AAPG office)
As predicted,the 2005 CSPG Core Conference will break all previous registration records – with almost 2,000 people registered to date! The AEUB Core Research Centre is the largest and most functional facility of its kind in the world,but can only accommodate a limited number of delegates over the two days.For those local delegates who have registered,we strongly
suggest that you plan to attend the Core Conference on Friday,June 24th,especially if you are also planning to attend the Core Meltdown that afternoon.These allow our international delegates to attend on Thursday,June 23rd,immediately following the AAPG Annual Convention.Of course, registrants can attend any day they wish but we are trying to accommodate everyone and avoid overcrowding that may occur if everyone shows up on the same day!
Each registrant for the Core Conference will receive a CD containing papers and poster presentations of the 22 core displays.The three subthemes (Conventional,Frontier/
International and Unconventional) include a high caliber of authors and content - just one of the reasons this year’s conference promises to be the best in 35 years!
Please visit www.cspg.org for a full list of presenters and registration information.
We are extremely grateful to all the staff at the AEUB Core Research Centre for their cooperation and effort in having made this conference such a success over the years. Further,Thank you all of the committee members for contributing to this event and of course to our sponsors,many of whom have contributed for several years.
CORE CONFERENCE SPONSORS: TITANIUM
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AAPG CONVENTION JUNE 19-22, 2005
BY REGAN PALSGROVE,CHAIR,LONG-TIME MEMBERS RECEPTION
5th Annual Long-Time Member’s Reception
Mark Tuesday,June 21st in your calendar… the very popular “Long-Time Member’s Reception” is back again for the fifth year! This reunion of old friends and re-kindling of old memories is for all members in good standing who joined in 1975 or earlier (30+ years membership).This event is by invitation only.Invitations will be mailed out in mid-May.If you have not received one by June 3 and you feel that you – or someone you know – should have received an invitation,call the CSPG office and speak with Deanna Watkins (Programs and Services Manager) at (403) 264-5610
(ext.201).It is likely that your start date or mailing information needs to be revised,or your annual dues need to be paid!
The Long-Time Members Reception will be held on Tuesday,June 21st,from 4:00 to 6:00 P.M.,at the Rotary House in Stampede Park (same place as last year).For more information on the Long-Time Members Reception,please call or e-mail the organizer of the event,Regan Palsgrove,at 237-1423 (Tuesday to Thursday) or rpalsgrove@ talisman-energy.com.
Alberta Energy & Utilities Board Core Research Centre – CSPG Core Conference; CSPG Core Meltdown; Related Core Short Courses
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation – AAPG General Fund; International Speaker Fund; Oral Sessions on Tuesday Morning; Poster Sessions on Tuesday Morning
BP – AAPG General Fund; SEPM General Fund
Burlington Resources – Student Participation in Field Trips and Short Courses; SEPM General Fund; Oral Sessions on Tuesday Morning
Chesapeake Energy Corp. – AAPG General Fund
ChevronTexaco – Student Volunteer Incentives
Devon Energy Corporation – AAPG General Fund
Dominion Exploration & Production, Inc. – AllConvention Luncheon; Transportation on Monday
Husky Energy Inc. – CSPGCore Conference
Microsoft Canada – End-of-Day Refreshments on Monday
Midnight Oil Exploration–Daylight Energy Trust –SEPM Ichnology Short Course
Oilexco North Sea Limited – CSPG Core Conference
petroWeb – Virtual Café
Pioneer Natural Resources – AAPG General Fund; AAPG Student Chapter/SEPM Field Trip; Poster Sessions on Monday Morning and Tuesday Afternoon
Schlumberger/WesternGeco – Coffee Bar
Shell Canada Limited – Short Course Room and Audio-Visual; “Night at Heritage Park” Social Activity; Oral Sessions on Monday Morning and Monday Afternoon
Suncor Energy Inc. – SEPM Student Short Courses and Field Trips
Talisman Energy Inc. – CD-ROM of Abstracts
Unocal – Oral Sessions on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
Mornings
Gold ($6,000–9,999)
EOG Resources, Inc. – AAPG General Fund
geoLOGIC Systems Ltd. – Transportation on Tuesday; Golf Tournament
Marathon Oil Company – Oral Sessions on Monday Morning and Afternoon
Petro-Canada Oil and Gas – AAPG General Fund; CSPG Core Conference; Short Course Rooms and Audio-Visual
Silver ($3,500–5,999)
The Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA) – Joint DEG/EMD Luncheon; DPA Luncheon
Silver (cont.)
Bass Enterprises Production Co. – AAPG General Fund
Cabot Petroleum Canada Corporation – CSPG Core Conference; Student Participation in Field Trips and Short Courses; Poster Sessions on Monday Afternoon
Genesis Executive Corporation – CSPG Core Conference; SEPM General Fund
Government of Alberta – “Night at Heritage Park” Social Activity
Lario Oil & Gas Company – AAPG General Fund
McMoran Oil & Gas – Speakers’/Poster Presenters’ Breakfasts
Paramount Resources Ltd. – AAPG General Fund
Penn West Petroleum Ltd. – CSPG Core Conference
Priority Oil & Gas LLC – International Speaker Fund; SEPM President’s Reception and Scientific Awards Ceremony
Pro Geo Consultants – “Night at Heritage Park” Social Activity
Real Resources Inc. – SEPM General Fund
Seneca Resources Corp. – AAPG General Fund
United Oil & Gas Consulting Ltd. – AAPG General Fund
Patron ($150–999)
A&R Resources, LLC – Student Participation in Field Trips and Short Courses; SEPM Research Groups
Braumiller & Braumiller, Inc. – AAPG General Fund
Humble Geochemical – International Speaker Fund
Huron Energy Corporation – SEPM General Fund and SEPM Student Support
KS Management Services Inc – AAPG General Fund
Petroleum Place Energy Advisors – SEPM General Fund
Petroleum Systems International, Inc. – AAPG General Fund
Rakhit Petroleum Consulting Ltd. – AAPG Student
Chapter/ SEPM Field Trip; SEPM General Fund
Toreador Resources Corp. – AAPG General Fund
White Eagle Exploration – AAPG General Fund
Woodson Exploration LLC – AAPG General Fund
Zargon Oil & Gas Ltd – SEPMGeneral Fund
See you in Calgary June 19–22! We appreciate your continued support!
Dartford by William Williams,the chief assayer at the Tower of London.He was one of the first of the English assayers,who after assaying a sample of the “peace of blacke stone” declared it to be devoid of gold or silver.Now, four years and four months later,Williams,on assaying runs of the Meta Incognita “ore” declared them as well to have no value.By doing so he had given the coup de grace to the fleeting expectations of investors comprising the Company of Cathay.The perceived gold to be mined from Meta Incognita was anticipated to bring prestige and riches to England,like the status enjoyed by Spain,their contemporaneous enemy.The massive piles of “ore,” now considered unworthy of storage and of no significant commercial interest,was relegated to the upgrading of local roads and its incorporation with field stone in the construction of a wall surrounding Dartford Manor House.Pieces of black “ore” interspersed with local rocks can be observed today in the remnant wall (2004,Gray, Charlotte:The Museum Called Canada – 25 Rooms of Wonder,pub.Random House of Canada,p.136,includes photo).
The Company of Cathay’s adventures had assumed that the costs involved in Martin Frobisher’s second and third voyage to Meta Incognita,including the construction of storehouses and furnaces at Dartford,would be covered from the gold and silver obtained through the smelting of their “ore.” The disillusioning news of the worthlessness of the “ore” resulted in the Company being harassed by its creditors seeking restitution for unpaid goods and services.Those shareholders who had yet to meet their outstanding pledges refused to honour their commitments on learning of the Company’s financial dilemma. The Company was then forced to sell off its assets to pay a portion of its arrears.As late as May,1583,some £2,650 of investor’s subscriptions were still outstanding.The costs incurred by the shareholders of the Company based on Frobisher’s three voyages to Meta Incognita,including the construction of the smelting facilities at Dartford,amounted to approximately £25,000.Of this,Queen Elizabeth had contributed £2,600,which represented the largest of the Company’s shareholders.Although Lok,as the Company’s treasurer,was the driving force behind the recruiting of subscribers and a consummate promoter of the enterprise;he,nevertheless, shares some culpability in the fiasco relating to the Company’s financial collapse.His irrational decision to summarily dismiss the initial negative results of assays conducted on samples of the “blacke stone” by the English assayers and later,to unquestionably accept the spurious reports of gold obtained from associated samples by two Saxon “goldfiners,”
(Continued on Page 44...)
Simplifying Seismic
Chapter 6
Seismic Data Processing
Dr.Easton Wren
This is the sixth chapter in a series,which will explain the seismic business in simple terms.Designed specifically for geological personnel in the oil industry it should provide a forum for information and questions.This installment will focus on seismic data processing – the “how” and the “why.”
1.DEMULTIPLEX
2.ASSIGN GEOMETRY
3.TRACE EDITS
4.AMPLITUDE RECOVERY EXPONENTIAL GAIN CORRECTION
5.DECONVOLUTION
TYPE = 5-COMPONENT SURFACE-CONSISTENT SPIKING
OPERATOR LENGTH = 80 MS
PREWHITENING = .01%
DESIGN WINDOW
NEAR OFFSET = 200 – 1800 MS AT 0 M FAR OFFSET = 1000 – 1900 MS AT 1800 M
6.SPECTRAL BALANCING
TYPE = ZERO PHASE FREQ DOMAIN
DESIGN WINDOW
NEAR OFFSET = 200 – 1800 MS AT 0 M FAR OFFSET = 1000 – 1900 MS AT 1800 M BANDPASS = 6/10 – 120/140 HZ
7.TRACE EQUALIZATION
WINDOWS = 200 – 1800 MS AT 0 M = 1000 – 1900 MS AT 1800 M
8.ELEVATION.WEATHERING AND DRIFT CORRECTIONS
TYPE = DELAY TIME
DATUM (0.00 MS) = 900 M
WEATHERING VEL.= 610 M/S
REPLACEMENT VEL.= 2600 M/S BULK SHIFT = +100 MS
9.CDP SORT
10.NMO CORRECTION (PRELIMINARY)
11.SURFACE-CONSISTENT RESIDUAL STATICS
TYPE = AUTOMATIC RESIDUAL STATICS COMPUTATION
WINDOW = 100 – 1800 MS MAX.+/- 24 MS
Q.C.= COMMON SHOT AND RECEIVER STACKS
INTRODUCTION
Seismic data processing is perhaps the most confusing element of the seismic business to the uninitiated.Field data must go through a stage of “processing” before they can be interpreted on paper sections or in a workstation.In general terms,processing involves filtering of noise,repair of signal,and repositioning of all data samples into their “true” spatial locations.In addition,attempts will be made to generate proper amplitude values.The practices of processing 2D data are
12.FINAL NMO CORRECTION
ANALYSIS INCREMENT = 375 M
(VELOCITIES COMPUTED FROM FLOATING DATUM, SHOWN AS BLIP AT TOP OF SECTION)
13.MUTE (FRONT-END)
DISTANCE (M) = 103707201800 TIME (MS)= 1703906001190
common to 3D while 3D data has its own particular problems and processing solutions.
In general,all field data is processed with a flow or sequence of individual algorithm steps, each designed to pre-condition the data for the next step.This” menu” is a fairly routine system (Figure 6-1) but is subjective in the sense that different companies have different software with different approaches and the choice of parameters in each step is also subjective.Thus,geophysicists have preferred
processors,usually an individual as opposed to a company,in much the same way people have preferences for family doctor,dentist,car mechanic,etc.
Since the selection of company,individual,and software parameters is most commonly a matter of preference,this aspect of the seismic business is the one most frequently criticized. Comments such as “you can create anomalies in your data” are unwarranted and unjust. While there are huge elements of uncertainty and subjectivity,the business is practiced with ethics and integrity.To this writer’s knowledge, there has never been a deliberate attempt to falsify data in the public record.
In chapter four (communication theory) it was explained that since geophysicists are in the signal business (as are individuals working with well logs) they are utilizing the mathematical aspects of communication theory.All signals carry information but the information can only be derived if the signal quality is good.
Seismic data is traditionally a disappointing
Figure 6-2.Noise associated with a seismic signal (courtesy:Apoterra Seismic Processing).
Figure 6-3.A Rubik cube as an analogy to disordered seismic signal in 3D.
mixture of signal and noise (Figure 6-2) and the ratio of these two (the S/N ratio) is the critical factor in determining the ultimate usefulness of the data.In addition,the seismic signal has undergone a lengthy and destructive journey from surface to target and back again and is in a severe state of disrepair.Finally seismic signals,even those recorded in 3D acquisition set-ups,are not in their true spatial positions and have to be systematically repositioned (migrated) to their true vector locations.A reasonable analog for this process is a Rubik cube in a state of disorder,and its solution where all colours are moved to their individual planes (Figure 6-3).
There are,therefore,three major reasons to process seismic data in powerful computer systems:
• Improve the S/N ratio by filtering and stacking,
• Repair the signal using deconvolution,and
• Move all data samples to their proper spatial location with migration.
These are the major workhorses in the processing business and there are many others such as statics,velocity analysis,depth conversion,inversion,gain recovery,normal moveout correction,etc.However,time and space prevent more detailed discussion on these important topics.
IMPROVING THE S/N RATIO
The fundamental objective here is to eliminate as much of the noise as possible and preserve the signal in order to define the geology. However,this is a non-trivial matter since the two usually overlap in the field data.
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Figure 6-4.Noise-free seismic signal.
(...Continued from Page 41)
Historically,the industry was aware of the noise (shot,wind,multiple) affecting the data and tried numerous approaches to improve the S/N ratio.These included the use of shot and geophone arrays for noise cancellation in the field and subsequently analog (pre-digital) filters for noise reduction.These processes were never perfect since the filters used affected both signal and noise simultaneously. Absolute signal was never achieved and often the signal damage was too severe,rendering the data useless or completely misleading for interpretation.
In the digital era,beginning in 1965,more sophisticated filtering algorithms appeared but their performance never reached perfection since the signal and noise overlap in the digital domain.Even today the industry’s ability to generate noise-free data is imperfect.(As a note it should be stated that there have been developments that have produced noise-free data such as in Figure 6-4,but these have traditionally been rejected since they give the data a synthetic,artificial look which is not considered to be real).Geophysicists may be the only profession that prefers slightly tainted data to perfection.
The primary tool to improve the S/N ratio has been stacking,a statistical averaging technique that averages multi-sampled data and discriminates against the noise (Figure 6-5). This does not improve the signal but does improve the S/N ratio.In practice,it averages the signal and this has led to criticism of the process by interpreters more interested in the stratigraphic nature of the data.
First introduced in 1956 by an eminent geophysicist Harry Mayne,stacking has become the primary noise filter for both 2D and 3D data sets.It is synonymous with fold, whereby the number of samples is averaged, e.g.,6 corresponds to 600% or six-fold data. Thus,30-fold data or 3000% corresponds to 30 samples of redundant information being averaged into one sample.There is no question that this is a powerful tool and has led to the discovery of numerous fields on structural data.In 3D data the process is done routinely by averaging numerous samples with different azimuthal distribution.
It is now generally accepted that the product of stacking,the stacked section (2D or 3D) is best suited for structural interpretation while the pre-stack data (the gathers) finds its primary application in interpreting the nature
of the stratigraphy (rock type,porosity,fluid). This is the relatively new paradigm of the preand post-stack domains.
DECONVOLUTION
This is an extremely powerful and popular process designed amongst other objectives to repair the signal after its damaging journey,and eliminate noise such as multiples (Figure 6-6). The original theory was developed in connection with radar research during World War II by Professor Norbert Wiener and some graduate students at MIT.In the immediate post-war years,they formed the GAG (Geophysical Associates Group) which developed the signal theory that ultimately became the basic framework for seismic data processing in the digital era.Initially,it was known as signal decomposition but is now generally known as signal deconvolution.In
practice,the process undoes the filtering effect of the earth by making some assumptions about the geology and is significantly improved if there are sonic and density logs from wells embraced by the seismic data.Well control affords isolated points of geological certainty, which provide anchor points for the deterministic process.In the absence of well control the process becomes more probabilistic and therefore less reliable.
In essence,deconvolution improves vertical (temporal) resolution.
MIGRATION
This is a complimentary process to deconvolution in that it improves spatial resolution.It has therefore been referred to as spatial deconvolution but this is semantics.
Fundamentally,migration of seismic data involves the positioning of dipping reflectors in their true vector space positions.This was historically applied to 2D lines with mixed success since it was analogous to trying to solve one face of the Rubik cube without the benefit of the adjacent faces.With 3D data sets,the problem of azimuth/vector space is substantially removed (e.g.,the whole Rubik cube is used) and the volume of data is more readily migrated.
Initially,migration was performed in the time domain but later developments produced depth migration,which is now more commonly done in the pre-stack domain.The problem in the time-to-depth conversion is the availability of sufficient reliable velocity information to facilitate the process.Once again,well control is vital in optimizing migration performance.
In practice,seismic data processing is a necessary step in the seismic sequence between acquisition and interpretation.The quality of the field data will dictate the success of the processing and naturally determine the validity of the subsequent interpretation.Even today the S/N ratio can be less than satisfactory and the industry continues to develop better acquisition and processing techniques to overcome these inadequacies.However, ultimate perfection may never be achieved.
Note:Questions on this and subsequent articles are invited.Please send any question by e-mail to the author at eastonw@telus.net.A selection of questions with answers will be published regularly
Figure 6-5.Stacking averages multi-sampled data to improve the signal to noise ratio (courtesy:Mike Graul).
Figure 6-6.Multiples interfering with primaries.
Paris In The Fall!
There
DEEP-WATER SANDS, INTEGRATED STRATIGRAPHIC ANALYSISA WORKSHOP USING MULTIPLE DATA SETS
Date: September 10-11, 2005
Tuition: $900 (increases to $1000 after 7/29/05), includes course notes and refreshments
Instructor: John M. Armentrout, Cascade Stratigraphics, Clackamas, Oregon
Who Should Attend
The workshop is organized for geologists and geophysicists with an introductory knowledge of stratigraphy and sedimentation, and for geoscientists and reservoir engineers involved in deep-water exploration and development.
QUANTIFICATION
OF RISK
Dates: September 10-11, 2005
Tuition: $950 (increases to $1050 after 7/29/05), includes course notes and refreshments
Instructors: Gary Citron and Jim MacKay, Rose and Associates, Houston, Texas
Who Should Attend
The organization of the course follows the characteristic chain of considerations that attends most prospects, especially those attributes of prospect ranking and portfolio impact. It is designed for geoscientists and engineers involved with exploration, exploitation, and development projects.
PORE PRESSURE PREDICTION IN PRACTICE
Date: September 15-16, 2005
Tuition: $925 (increases to $1025 after 7/29/05), includes course notes and refreshments
Instructors: Richard Swarbrick and Martin Traugott, Univ. of Durham, UK
Who Should Attend
Geologists, geophysicists, engineers, petrophysicists, and drillers, who are involved in overpressure, including deep water plays. Tools will be discussed that can help with the exploration of deep water plays, one of the principal areas of undrilled prospects.
EFFECTIVELY DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTING INTERNATIONAL ENERGY PROJECTS IN TODAY’S ENVIRONMENT
(Jointly offered by AAPG and DEG)
Date: September 15, 2005
Tuition: $750 (increases to $850 after 7/29/05), includes course notes and refreshments
Instructor: Thomas O’Connor, Consultant, Camano Island, Washington
Who Should Attend
Senior technical and general managers of oil and gas companies who are interested in expanding their operations outside of their familiar domestic areas of operations, into the rest of the world. Particular reference to those countries in the developing world will be discussed. In similar fashion, senior managers of National Oil Companies (NOC) who are interested in attracting Foreign Direct Investment into their countries as a means of more rapidly and efficiently developing their national petroleum resource base should also attend.
was undoubtedly influenced by his self-interest and greed.
The blame for the financial disintegration of the Company of Cathay had centered on the two dominant players,namely:Martin Frobisher and Michael Lok.The former’s original intent of his first voyage was to discover a Northwest Passage in order to gain access to the “Southern Sea” and the riches of Cathay.Interest in pursuing a second expedition to continue his quest,was subordinated following the belief that assays conducted on fragments of the “blacke stone” found on Hall’s Islet during Frobisher’s first voyage,revealed it to be gold-bearing. Notwithstanding,he was prepared to follow the dictates of his financial backers and return to Meta Incognita to mine the “blacke stone” since he,too,was captivated by the perceived financial rewards.
Michael Lok,being the Company’s treasurer, with his financial records subject to scrutiny, was forced to play a defensive role.Firstly,he accused Frobisher of not fulfilling his mandate to find gold-bearing ore in Meta Incognita during his second and third voyages, rationalizing that the “blacke stone” picked up during his first voyage was gold-bearing.He also accused Frobisher of preventing the wintering of Edward Fenton’s 100 colonists on Anne Warwick (Kodlunarn) Island.He stated that Frobisher prevented,as well,the dispatching of two of his fleet’s barques to seek the Northwest Passage.Lok’s final accusation dealt with food provisions aboard the Ayde on her homeward journey.The monotonous diet of fish,some of which was rancid,caused the death of one seaman.The sailor’s plight was compounded since they had nothing to drink but water during the Ayde’s return to England. Frobisher’s riposte to Lok’s accusations was succinct,yet equally accusatory,referring to him as a “bankrupt Knave” who had “cozened” £3,000 from the Company of Cathay and failed to invest one “groat” (four English pennies) (1971,Morison,Samuel Eliot – pp.544,545).
In the end,Michael Lok became the scapegoat. Being the principal shareholder of the Company,he was left penniless following its financial demise,with his creditors claiming £2,710.Lok’s insolvency resulted in him being imprisoned in late 1578 as a debtor.During the course of the next three years,he spent intermittent terms in eight of London’s gaols, with the exception of Newgate.Lok’s family consisted of 15 children and one wonders how they and his wife fared during his periods of incarceration.
To be continued – final episode in July/August issue of the Reservoir.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE EFFECTS OF INCREASED GREENHOUSE GASES ON CORAL REEFS
With the advent of the industrial society, generation of greenhouse gases began increasing.Research into this increase led some scientists to believe it was responsible for increases in global temperature and atmospheric CO2.Lately,there has been a lot of research focusing on reefs and the effects of climate change.While most researchers feel that rising atmospheric CO2 and temperature have negative effects on modern reefs,there a few researchers out there who believe these environmental factors actually help reef growth.Here is a look at the main issues of this debate.
CORAL REEFS
Coral reefs are unique ecosystems that are widely distributed in shallow tropical and subtropical waters around the world.Corals are animals that house single-celled microalgae,called zooanthellae,within their body tissues.The microalgae and the coral have a symbiotic relationship and have complementary effects on CO2 exchange. The coral obtains food from the plant photosynthesis,while the microalgae benefit from nutrients released as waste from the coral.The corals secrete calcium carbonate as skeletal material.
Coral reefs are very beneficial to human society.They support fisheries and provide natural breakwaters that protect shorelines and ecosystems from waves and storms. They also recycle nutrients and provide food to many other species.
The major biological provinces of reef corals are the Indo-Pacific and the Atlantic.These two ocean basins have very few reef species in common,with the Indo-Pacific accounting for about 85% of the world reefs and reef biodiversity.Reef communities have existed for hundreds of millions of years;however, corals have not always been the main reef builders – modern coral reef communities have evolved over the past 40 to 55 million years.Present-day reefs have accumulated during the last 10,000 years of the Holocene epoch.
INCREASE IN ATMOSPHERIC CO2
Researchers feel that greenhouse gases contribute to rising earth temperatures and an increase in atmospheric CO2.They have predicted a decline of between 20 and 60% in coral reef growth by 2100,relative to preindustrial levels due to increasing atmospheric CO2 levels.The higher the
concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, the greater the amount of CO2 that gets dissolved in the oceans’ waters.When that happens,the CO2 forms carbonic acid (H2CO3) [H2O+CO2↔ H2CO3].Carbonic acid is a weak acid that can lose a hydrogen ion to form bicarbonate (HCO3) [H2CO3↔ H++ HCO3-];or further shed the remaining hydrogen ion to form carbonate (CO32-).
When great amounts of CO2 are dissolved into the ocean,the proportions of these three forms of carbon changes and an increase in H2CO3 and a decrease in CO32are observed.Organisms use the carbonate ions and calcium ions to secrete CaCO3 skeletons.Therefore,reducing the carbonate ion proportions in the ocean decreases the rates of skeletal deposition and increases the acidity of the ocean water.A carbonate reduction will reduce the strength of the reefs cementation processes,resulting in a weaker structure more susceptible to erosion.It will also limit recovery from stressful events such as coral bleaching. Currently the oceans are supersaturated with calcium carbonate.
The Third Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) found that the average atmospheric CO2 concentration has increased from 280 ppmv in 1880 to 367 in 2000.Using a range of estimates based on technological advances and economic and population growth,they project that by 2050 the atmospheric CO2 level could be 463-623 ppmv.By 2100,the level is estimated to be 478-1099 ppmv.In lab experiments that simulate doubled atmospheric CO 2 conditions,coral calcification rates decreased by 11-37%, whereas calcareous algae reduced by 1644%.It is predicted that reef communities dominated by calcareous algae will have a larger reduction in calcification rates than coral dominated reefs in the future.
TEMPERATURE CHANGES
Corals are known to survive temperature fluctuations from 17 to 32°C (Madl and Yip 1999) but grow best from 23 to 26°C.When temperature changes occur,local populations of corals are stressed and can decrease through bleaching which slows growth and lowers reproductive rates. Bleaching is a stress response that is induced by high- and low-temperature changes, intense light,salinity changes,and chemical
BY ASHLEY SINKE
stresses.Two different types of bleaching are particularly relevant to temperature changes:algae stress bleaching and physiological bleaching.Algae stress bleaching is an impairment in photosynthesis by algae in response to high temperature and high light changes.Physiological bleaching occurs when there is less capacity to house algae because of the added energy demands of sustained above-normal temperatures.The microorganisms that inhabit the coral get ejected.Corals with branching growth forms,rapid growth rates and thin tissue layers are most sensitive to bleaching.Slow-growing,thick-tissued,more massive corals are less sensitive and usually bounce back from most bleaching events. Bleaching thus eliminates the more sensitive species,reducing local and regional biodiversity.A report by WWF Australia predicted that the Great Barrier Reef would lose 95% of its living coral through coral bleaching by 2050.
According to the International Society of Reef Studies,the temperature fluctuation caused by the El Niño event of 1997-1998 was “the most destructive widespread bleaching ever recorded” (Holden 1998). Through monitoring,they claim that 11% of the world’s known reefs had been destroyed prior to 1998.Another 16% were severely damaged by the El Niño event,with some coral reefs not likely to bounce back (Normile 2000).There were extensive regions where corals and other species suffered>90% mortality rates. Links between the apparent changing nature and frequency of the El Niño phenomena and global climate change have also been made but are the subject of controversial debate among climatologists, with many suggesting that present patterns reflect the natural variability of the system rather than the effects of greenhouse gasinduced warming
Currently,coral reefs develop in areas with minimum annual temperatures of approximately 18°C.Researchers argue that a warming of the oceans by 2°C will actually expand the areas that new reefs can develop.This expansion will likely be limited due to other physiological factors and stresses.Researchers in Australia believe that coral reef calcification could actually increase with ocean warming and outweigh decreases associated with increased
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atmospheric CO2.This team of researchers, led by Ben McNeil of Sydney’s University of New South Wales,believes that coral reefs around the world could grow by up to a third because of rising ocean temperatures.They have observed a higher rate of calcification in reefs growing in warm water between 2329°C.The higher rate of calcification is most likely due to an enhancement in coral metabolism and/or increases in photosynthetic rates of red algae.The calcification-temperature relationship was observed at significant reef-building colonies around the world in the Indo-Pacific and in Australia,Hawaii,Thailand,the Persian Gulf, and New Ireland.They feel that different corals respond differently to temperature increases.The large heads of the massive coral Porites have actually increased in the latter half of the 20th century.These corals have responded more to increases in water temperature than to decreases in carbonate ion concentration.“We show that the temperature effect is as large,if not larger than,the elevated CO2 effect on the ability of coral to calcify.” While the more sensitive organisms having a narrow upper margin of environmental tolerance will suffer,overall reef growth of the slower,more massive corals will increase.
Some scientists believe that the rate of warming is the real issue.If the rate is slow then most corals will likely adapt.Corals can display impressive acclimation processes to changes in some environmental parameters, however it is not known whether they will be able to adapt or acclimatize at rates which match the projected rates of background seawater temperature increase.Should seawater temperatures rise,we might expect the incidence and severity of coral bleaching to increase yet further in the future with the possibility of substantial changes to the coral reef community structure.
The IPCC has found that the average temperature of the earth has risen 0.4-0.8°C since the late 19th century.They have attributed a substantial part of that change to the concurrent increase in greenhouse gas concentrations.They feel that greenhouse gases will continue to increase over the next few decades to centuries.They have projected climate change estimates and estimate that by the year 2050 the global mean temperature will have risen by 0.8-2.6°C,and by 2100,the increase would be 1.4-5.8°C.
CONCLUSIONS
:
Global climate change poses a range of risks to
coral reef ecosystems.Although we have focused on climate change in this paper,other factors,such as overfishing,tourism,pollution, disease,dredging,and an increase in El Niño oscillations also interact to affect the health and sustainability of coral reef ecosystems. Global climate change due to an increase in greenhouse gases will increase global temperatures and atmospheric CO2 levels. Increased atmospheric CO2 increases the acidity of the seawater and leads to a reduction in skeleton secretion by organisms and a slowing of reefal growth.Global temperature increases will likely have a varied affect on reefs as different types of corals and organisms respond better to temperature increases than others.Fluctuations in temperature cause coral bleaching,from which some species do not recover.This could cause changes in the reefs ecosystem and a loss of diversity.
The information in this paper was compiled from a wide variety of sources.For a wealth of information about climate change and reefal growth,please see the websites for the Pew Center on Global Climate Change (www.pew climate.org) and the International Society of Reef Studies (www.fit.edu/isrs).
CANADIAN SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGY CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
2006 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
In accordance with Article VI,subparagraph (a) of the By-Laws,the Nominating Committee hereby calls for Nominations to Stand for Election to the 2006 Executive Committee of the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists.
Nominations can be made in two ways:
1) Formal Nominations are to be made in writing,signed by at least twenty-five members in good standing and endorsed by the nominee who is consenting to stand for office.Candidates nominated in this fashion will automatically be added to the Nomination Slate.Nominations should be forwarded to the CSPG office by September 15,2005.The slate of candidates will be published in the November Reservoir and the election will take place on November 27,2005.
2) Informal Nominations can be made via email or letter;please confirm that the nominee is willing to stand for the office of choice and send to CSPG Office to the attention of the Past President.Candidates nominated in this fashion will be considered for addition to the Nomination Slate by the Nominations Committee.
The following vacancies exist for 2006:
• Vice President• Assistant Finance Director
• Assistant Program Director• Assistant Services Director
Successful candidates for the Directorships will serve two-year terms and the elected Vice President,a third one-year term as Past President.Interested parties should contact the office for details and general requirements of service on the Executive.
A TRUE HISTORY OF OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT
BY E.R.CRAIN,P.ENG.,SPECTRUM 2000 MINDWARE
This article is reprinted with permission from the September 2004 issue of "Insite”the newsletter of the Canadian well Logging Society
INTRODUCTION
The traditional view of the oil industry is that it started in the USA in 1859.Not true,I’m afraid.
The oil seeps at Baku (in present-day Azerbaijan) flowed freely for many centuries before year 1.They played a major role around 600 BC in the Zoroastrian religion of Persia and India.Uses of petroleum are mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible.Chinese and Japanese writings that predate the first millennium by as much as 900 years describe the use of natural gas and oil from natural flows,seeps,and hand dug wells.Credit for the first drilled oil well goes to the Chinese in the year 347 AD.
Oil lamps in public buildings were in use as early as 1500 BC.A town near Grenoble France had natural gas street lamps in the year 100!! Oil streetlights appeared in Cordoba around 900,London in 1414,and Paris in 1524.
Sir Thomas Shirley presented a paper to the Royal Society in 1658 on natural gas flows in Britain.In 1739,V.I.Veitbrecht published an article “About Oil” in the Russian scientific magazine “Primechaniya na Vedomosti” where he described the Baku area oil wells and provided a plan of the oil and gas fields.This may be the first technical paper with a reservoir description.
Coal-gas (manufactured gas) dates back to 1726 in England.Oil was extracted from oil
sands in Pechelbron France in 1735.Creation of coal-oil by distillation of coal and oil shales occurred between 1781 and 1820 in England, France,and Germany.
A Canadian,Dr.Abraham Gesner,developed the distillation of kerosene from crude oil and bitumen in 1846.Kerosene helped reduce the use of whale oil for illumination.Some claim the whale oil problem had already been overcome by manufactured gas and oil from coal,but the two events certainly helped the “Save the Whales” campaign.The Americans give Benjamin Sillian credit for the invention of kerosene in 1855,but he was at least third in line after Gesner and a Polish druggist named Ignacy Lukasiewicz (1853).Coal-oil and kerosene are the same product – just different sources.
EARLY EXPLORATION
Joseph de la Roche d’Allion reported seeing oil seeps in what is now New York state in 1632.Gas seeps were reported as early as 1622,also in New York.Peter Pond was the first non-native to report the discovery of oil in Canada in 1778 at what is now the Athabasca oil sands in northeast Alberta.
Azerbaijan claims the first drilled well in the modern era at Bibi-Heybat,a suburb of Baku on the Caspian Sea,in 1846.The first drilled oil wells in Europe were located near Bucharest in Romania in 1857 but Poland makes the same claim for 1854 at Bobrka.
The completion of the first commercial oil well in North America occurred in 1858 at Oil Springs,Lambton County,Ontario and was quickly followed by more oil at Petrolia,
Ontario.The man’s name was James Miller Williams,who had taken over a bankrupt operation.This was a hand dug well and the first drilled wells came in 1860.Some of these flowed up to 7000 barrels per day,often before anyone thought to build a storage pit or tank.Some of the early oil flowed down creeks to be wasted in the Great Lakes,but it had been doing that for eons before,from natural seepage.
There was an Oil Springs and a Petrolia in Pennsylvania too,but these wells came a year later (Edwin Drake,Titusville,1859).There’s a Petrolia in Texas,and another in California,not to mention the park in Baku set up by the Nobel brothers.It gets confusing.
It would appear that Drake’s well placed the USA sixth in line in the sweepstakes for who drilled the first oil well,after China,Azerbaijan, Poland,Romania,and Canada.Until 1901, Baku’s annual oil output exceeded that of the USA by as much as 25%.
OIL AND GAS IN EASTERN CANADA
As noted earlier,Peter Pond was the first nonnative to report the discovery of oil in Canada in 1778 at what is now the Athabasca oil sands. Canada’s first commercial oil wells were found in Oil Springs and Petrolia,near Sarnia,Ontario, in 1858,a year before Edwin Drake’s discovery at Oil Springs (Titusville),Pennsylvania.Both the Oil Springs discoveries were known before these dates from flowing seeps.
The subsequent development of Canada’s first petroleum complex at Petrolia is a little known part of the industrial saga of the oil industry. Canada’s chemical valley in Sarnia traces its
A view of the Halifax Harbour from just below the Global Santa-Fe’s Galaxy II helipad. Note the orange lifeboat just below the helipad.Photo Courtesy of the Bercha Group.
ancestry directly to this area.During the period 1861 to 1897,nearly the entire requirement of Canada for crude,lubricants,waxes,kerosene, gasoline,and a widening range of chemicals for food,medicine,and industry was produced here.From 1863 to 1870,Canada was a major exporter of crude and refined products to the United States and Europe.
The contribution that Canadians made to the world’s petroleum industry during the same period is even less appreciated.Men trained in the production,transportation,refining,and administration of this new resource,took their knowledge and skills to every corner of the world,opening many of the great oil fields that are still major suppliers of crude.They laboured on every continent in a hundred different countries.And the tradition continues to this day.
For more on this topic,look at “Hard Oiler! –The Story of Early Canadian’s Quest for Oil at Home and Abroad”,by Gary May,1998, Hounslow Press,ISBN:1550023160. “Petroleum in Canada” by Victor Ross,1917, Southam Press gives a similar and more contemporaneous view.
New Brunswick achieved commercial production at Stoney Creek in 1884,although it
was pretty minor by early Ontario standards,and these wells continued in production until modern times.Quebec, Prince Edward Island, onshore Nova Scotia,and onshore Newfoundland never found commercial quantities of oil or gas.
OIL AND GAS IN WESTERN CANADA
The first gas well in Alberta was drilled at Alderson (also known as Langevin Siding), near Medicine Hat,by the Canadian Pacific Railway. They were,of course, looking for water.This well was immediately abandoned. A second well,the following year,again struck gas (it was only 8 feet away from the first one) and produced offand-on for about 40 years. These,and similar wells, came to the notice of the Canadian government.
Dr.George Dawson of the Geological Survey of Canada, collected information on the wells at Langevin Siding and others,and presented a paper to the Royal Society of Canada in May, 1886. The paper was called “On Certain Borings in Manitoba and the Northwest Territory”.The paper contained detailed sample descriptions of the wells – possibly the first “well logs” in Western Canada.An example is shown below
(Figure 1) courtesy Petroleum History Society and author Micky Gulless.
By the early 1890s several more wells had been drilled in the Medicine Hat area, producing gas for homes and factories.This is the discovery that caused Rudyard Kipling to admit he liked Medicine Hat but “It has all Hell for a basement!”
By 1908,development of the Medicine Hat and Bow Island gas fields led to the first pipelines to deliver natural gas to Alberta communities. Construction of a 16-inch pipeline from southwest of Medicine Hat to Calgary began in April 1912 and was completed in only 86 days.A second leg reached Lethbridge in July the same year.
The Alberta oil boom didn’t begin until 1914 with the drilling of Dingman #1 near Turner Valley.This wet gas success started a stock market flurry that died less than a year later with the loss of most of the investors’ money.
The well was the precursor for the deeper zone discovery drilled ten years later. Royalite #4 put Turner Valley on the oil and gas map for real.
In 1919,Imperial Oil geologist Ted Link,a crew of six drillers and an ox named “Nig” made a six-week,1200 mile journey northward by railway,river boat,and on foot to the site now known as Norman Wells NWT,along the Mackenzie River.The ox helped to build a log house and put the drilling rig in place before being butchered to provide food for the the winter.Drilling resumed in the spring with the world’s
Figure 1:The first well log in Western Canada???
Figure 2:Dingman #1,Turner Valley,1914 – a replica lives at Heritage Park in Calgary (Glenbow Museum photo)
most northerly oil discovery coming in August 1920.
Between 1920 and 1947,there were a dozen or so significant oil discoveries in the Cretaceous of Alberta,but no “elephants”,and nothing very deep.Imperial Oil’s Leduc #1 Devonian oil discovery in 1947 ended a long dry spell in the Alberta search.Although minor shows were found much earlier,1951 saw the first commercial oil discoveries in Manitoba and NE British Columbia,followed by Saskatchewan 1953.Over the next 20 years, Canada became self sufficient in oil and gas.
OIL AND GAS IN CANADA’S FRONTIERS
Great Canadian Oil Sands Ltd (later Suncor) began production of the Athabasca tar sands north of Fort McMurray in 1967.Shell drilled offshore British Columbia that year,but found nothing.A few years later,the BC Government placed a moratorium on further drilling that has not been lifted.
On the other frontiers,hydrocarbons were found offshore Nova Scotia (gas at Sable Island,1967,oil at Cohasset,1973),offshore Newfoundland (oil at Terra Nova,1984), offshore in the Beaufort Sea and MacKenzie Delta (gas at Taglu,1971,oil at Amauligak, 1978),onshore and offshore in the High Arctic Islands (gas at Drake Point,1969 – oil at Bent
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Horn,1974).It took between 20 and 30 years for some of these to come on-stream,and Arctic gas is still shut-in.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
These websites cover most of the information described in this article.I certify that the material has not been “ralphed”.
1.Chronology of Oil – Azerbaijan http://www. azer.com/aiweb/categories/magazine/ai102_fol der/102_articles/102_oil_chronology.html
2.Chronology of Natural and Manufactured Gas http://www.hatheway.net/01_history.htm
3.Chronology of Oil – World http://www. sjgs.com/history.html
4.Chronology of Oil – Canada http://www. geohelp.ab.ca/history.html
5.Chronology of Oil – World http://www. geohelp.ab.ca/world.html
6.Petroleum History Society – Canada http:// www.petroleumhistory.ca/
7.History of American Oil Industry http://www. oilhistory.com/
8.Index to Oil History Sites http://www.littlemountain.com/oilwell/
E.R.(Ross) Crain,P.Eng.is a Consulting Petrophysicist and a Professional Engineer with over 35 years of experience in reservoir description, petrophysical analysis,and management.He has been a specialist in the integration of well log analysis and petrophysics with geophysical, geological,engineering,and simulation phases of oil and gas exploration and exploitation,with widespread Canadian and Overseas experience.
His textbook,“Crain’s Petrophysical Handbook on CD-ROM”is widely used as a reference to practical log analysis.Mr.Crain is an Honourary Member and Past President of the Canadian Well Logging Society (CWLS),a Member of Society of Petro-physicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA),and a Registered Professional Engineer with Alberta Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists (APEGGA).
Inconsiderationofyouracceptingthisentry:Ihereby,formyselfandmyheirs,executorsandadministrators, waiveandreleaseanyandallrightsorclaimtodamagesImayhaveagainsttheorganizersholdingthisrace, theiragents,contractors,representatives,successorsandassigns,theracesponsorsforanyandallinjuriesI maysustainduringthecourseoftheevent.Waiveralsoextendstoanyincidentalphotographiccaptureforevent records.
17TH ANNUAL CSPG-CSEG 10K ROADRACE AND FUN RUN
BY FIONA KATAY,CSPG 10K ROADRACE COMMITTEE
With summer well on its way,it’s time to dig out those dusty (and possibly neglected) running shoes and get ready to join us for the 17th annual CSPG-CSEG 10km Roadrace and FUN RUN! Last year we set a record with over 170 entrants,and this year we are hoping to increase participation even more. The event features a 10km run followed by a post-race social,with pizza and refreshments as the main attraction.This year’s race shirts are going to be technical running shirts,and they will be given out to all runners.Entrants registering before July 31st,2005 will also receive other early bird goodies,so register early and start getting in those training miles.
The run will take place on Wednesday, September 14,2005 beginning at 6:00pm at the Eau Claire YMCA.The route will take you on a pleasant,scenic tour along the beautiful Bow River pathways,finishing back at the Eau Claire YMCA.Following the race, all racers,volunteers,and guests are invited to gather at Quincy’s for awards,draw prizes,refreshments,and the telling of stories and/or lies.
The race is open to all members of the CSPG,CSEG,CAPL,and the general public.It is a good way to get out and meet with old friends,as well as make new ones within the industry.Whether you’re a seasoned runner, or someone just looking to come out and participate,this event has something for everyone.
Registration forms can be downloaded from the CSPG website at www.cspg.org/ social_00.html.
Gord Hobbins of Gord’s Running Store has developed a 10km race training guide to help runners get ready for a 10km race.Try it out and benefit from some expert advice.You may be surprised how easy it can be to gently get yourself in condition for your first race.
GUIDANCE/TIPS FOR NOVICE RUNNERS:
• Run for short durations between 3 and 5 times per week according to schedule,with your long run days being the key to your training program.
• If your running shoes are giving you some problems,get some which fit and match your gait.
• Guide allows for a gradual increase to a comfortable load;your legs may need some conditioning at first.
• Yes,times are in minutes.The secret is to be regular and not beat yourself up.
• Wear a hat and cool shades.Keep well hydrated.It really helps.
• Gently stretch those calves and quads afterwards.
• Take along a friend and convince them to sign up for the CSPG or CSEG and the Roadrace as well.
• There are many running/training groups in town if interested in more.
For further information,check out the CSPG website at www.cspg.org or contact this year’s race director,Fiona Katay,at fiona.katay@huskyenergy.ca.
Many thanks go out to our generous sponsors and volunteers who make this event possible each year!
We hope to see you there!
Gord’s 12-Week Training Guide for Runners
Aug 29-Sept 10-15-25 min0-10 min15-25 min0-10 min-45 min
Sept 5-11-20-30 min0-10 min15-25
Sept 12-14-Rest10 KM RUN
LINK AWARD
Link Award Presentation to Henry Posamentier
The Link Award was established in 1958 to encourage a high standard of presentation for oral papers given at the Society’s Luncheon meetings.The 2004 winner of the award is Henry Posamentier for his talk “3D Seismic Visualization From A Geological Perspective:Examples From Shallow Water And Deep Water Environments,” presented January 8th,2004.The presentation illustrated the use of seismic attributes such as amplitude and dip variables in combination with seismic stratigraphy to reveal the complex internal structures of both shallow and deep marine deposition.
Henry Posamentier is the Chief Geologist for Anadarko Petroleum Corporation where his responsibilities include co-ordinating the team of Anadarko’s Technical Chiefs.Prior to joining Anadarko he was Assistant Professor of Geology at Rider University,before serving with several major companies, including Veritas Exploration Services, Atlantic Richfield,Exxon Production Research Co.,and Esso Resources Canada.
His research has focused on sequence stratigraphy and depositional systems analysis,and more recently on combining seismic with borehole data using 3-D visualization,with an emphasis on deep water settings
Henry was a Fulbright Fellow to Austria,and has served as an AAPG Distinguished Lecturer to the United States,the former Soviet Union,and to the Middle East.
2005 SQUASH TOURNAMENT WINNERS
Mens A:Dave Safton
Mens A Runner-up:John Cox
Mens A Cons:Dell Pohlman
Mens B:Ken Chong
Mens B Runner-upDave Mulligan
Mens B Cons:Dave Clements
Mens C:Morgan Bint
Mens C Runner-up:Bob Bonnar
Mens C Cons:Dave Christensen
Mens D:Shaw Dashtgard
Mens D Runner-up:Jason French
Mens D Cons:Brett Sutherland
Mens E:Bob Keeler
Mens E Runner-up:Pawel Flek
Mens E Cons:Murray Dublonko
Womens A:Diane Robinson
Womens A Runner-up:Solana Jear
Womens B:Kelly Clements
Womens B Runner-up:Louise Campbell
Womens C:Tina Chow
Womens C Runner-up:Andrea Henry
Womens D:Megan Huckvale
Womens D Runner-upAlma Ladoceur
Womens E:Shona Dobke
Womens E Runner-up:Brenda Pearson
Womens E Cons:Robyn Murray
TeamsDell Pohlman
David Carins
Doug McGlashing
Angela Vanouck
Rachel Newrick
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