Issuu

JAN/FEB 2021 • ISSUE 1

THE MAGAZINE OF CANADA'S ENERGY GEOSCIENTISTS

Reservoir cspg.org

University Outreach tours, ﬁeld trips and conferences

Student Awards and Scholarships

The Student Induﬆry Field Trip (SIFT)

Student Field Trips

Earth Science for Society

Technical Awards, Canadian Museums, and more.

The CSPG Foundation is dedicated to supporting educational outreach programs that inspire and advance education, foster technical excellence, and increase awareness of petroleum geoscience. The CSPG Foundation is a registered charity with the CRA. Support geoscience in Canada and make a tax-receipted donation today.

www.cspg.org/foundation

In This Issue

J A N U A RY / F E B R U A RY 2 0 2 1

Letter from the Editor

Message from the Board

Regulating the Geoscience Professions — Part 1: Public Interest, Social Licence, Regulation, Ethics and Professionalism By George Eynon

12 Go Take A Hike – Ethiopia, #3 By Philip Benham, Enku Mulugeta, Tom Pfeiffer, and Jiri von Drak

22 Working with Stone By Jon Noad, SediMental Services

26 CSPG Fiscal Year Finances Review By Kelty Latos, CSPG Finance Director 2020

29 2021 CSPG Geological Calendar Wrap-up By Markus Ebner

38 2020 R.J.W. Douglas Medal Citation By Ian McIlreath

42 CSPG Award Recipients

Technical Webinar

e-Talks

Page 20

Page 21

Page 30-37

Good Models and Lost Heterogeneity

The Vital Role of Mudstone/Shale Studies in Advancing Sequence Stratigraphy in General

Technical Division e-Talks

January 20

Kevin M. Bohacs, KMBohacs Geoconsulting

January & February

Page 40-41

GeoWomen e-Talks

UPCOMING 2021 EVENTS

Mark Bentley, TRACS Training & Heriot-Watt University

February 17

LIZARD RANGE, BRITISH COLUMBIA The Lizard Range, west of Fernie, B.C., is 25 km in length and is underlain by Paleozoic units that are parts of the Hosmer Thrust Sheet. The stratigraphy is slightly overturned with the prominent peak to the right being the Devonian Palliser Fm. with the Mississippian Exshaw Fm., Banff Fm. and Rundle Gp. progressively to the left. The range lies west of the Elk River and runs along the western edge of the Fernie Basin whose Jurassic and Cretaceous strata are visible in the distance. Photo by: Dave Robinson.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021

FROM THE EDITOR TOM SNEDDON, PROFESSIONAL GEOLOGIST (ALBERTA), PROFESSIONAL GEOSCIENTIST (B.C.)

N CSPG events will re-appear in person (we hope); there will be an ever-improved version of the Reservoir to look forward to and only three more months until the golf course opens.

ow that the December celebrations are just a lingering memory, the cold hard facts of January have arrived. The credit card receipts, a long list of “I resolve in 2021 to…” life improvements and the beginning of longer sunlit days give us a lot to think about. CSPG events will re-appear in person (we hope); there will be an everimproved version of the Reservoir to look forward to and only three more months until the golf course opens.

renewed outburst of economic activity. It is no secret that student enrollment in geosciencerelated courses in Canada are exceptionally low – the lowest in decades. Most geology departments have disappeared into Earth and Environmental Science collectives that seem to have less interest in applied science. I hope that is a mistaken interpretation. Letters from geologists on the ground around the country on how the profession is faring would be gratefully accepted.

This month, George Eynon opens our series on professional regulatory matters. Both Alberta and British Columbia will be enacting new laws governing the practice of Geoscience, which are guaranteed to change the way we do things. We will participate in a lot more webinars and web conferences, including a return of the Gussow Conference and the ever-popular Core Conference. There is a plan afoot to ensure we have a Mountjoy conference this summer. Watch this space for news in the next issue of the Reservoir.

There are going to be new graduates and soonto-be graduates out there who are looking for work in the usual industries – energy and mining. We are discovering that there are more variants on that theme elsewhere in Canadian industry, particularly in engineering, environmental and forestry practice. Can we steer undergraduates into those emerging fields as well? Experiences from our Geoscientists-in-Training CSPG Members would be extremely interesting to this magazine’s editorial staff.

The 2020 COVID-19 delayed GeoConvention web format was well received and will go again in the more in the fall of 2021. The annual calendar project wrap-up appears in this edition. We also present and celebrate the 2020 Award winners. Do not miss the video interviews! January also brings renewed interest in university student outreach across Canada. Summer student employment is always important, but never so much as in this early phase of a

That is the wrap for the Winter High Ski Season edition of the Reservoir. We hope you will enjoy it and look forward to your contribution for a future publication. n

Tom Sneddon

PUBLICATIONS INFORMATION The RESERVOIR is published 6 times per year by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists. The purpose of the RESERVOIR is to publicize the Society’s many activities and to promote the geosciences. We look for both technical and non-technical material to publish. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in full without the consent of the publisher. No official endorsement or sponsorship by the CSPG is implied for any advertisement, insert, or article that

appears in the RESERVOIR unless otherwise noted. All submitted materials are reviewed by the editor. We reserve the right to edit all submissions, including letters to the Editor. Submissions must include your name, address, and membership number (if applicable). The material contained in this publication is intended for informational use only. While reasonable care has been taken, authors and the CSPG make no guarantees that any of the equations, schematics, or devices discussed will perform as expected

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021

or that they will give the desired results. Some information contained herein may be inaccurate or may vary from standard measurements. The CSPG expressly disclaims any and all liability for the acts, omissions, or conduct of any third-party user of information contained in this publication. Under no circumstances shall the CSPG and its officers, directors, employees, and agents be liable for any injury, loss, damage, or expense arising in any manner whatsoever from the acts, omissions, or conduct of any third-party user.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2021

PRESIDENT

PRESIDENT ELECT

PAST PRESIDENT

FINANCE DIRECTOR

Neil Watson

Kelty Latos

Jen Russel-Houston

Jason Frank

Enlighten Geoscience Ltd. president@cspg.org Linkedin

ConocoPhillips Canada Ltd. presidentelect@cspg.org LinkedIn

Osum Oil Sands Corp. pastpresident@cspg.org Linkedin

Athabasca Oil Corp. directorfinance@cspg.org Linkedin

FINANCE DIRECTOR ELECT

DIRECTOR

Erin Crerar

Kurt Armbruster

Mona Enachescu

Amy Fox

directorfinanceelect@cspg.org Linkedin

technicaldivisions@cspg.org Linkedin

Cavalier Energy Inc. outreach@cspg.org Linkedin

Enlighten Geoscience Ltd. education@cspg.org Linkedin

DIRECTOR

Chad Glemser

Mark Mallamo

Kiersten Mohr

Genga Nadaraju

conferences@cspg.org Linkedin

Acquisition Oil Corp. fieldtrips@cspg.org Linkedin

Terra Firma Transition publications@cspg.org LinkedIn

membershipdirector@cspg.org Linkedin

OFFICE CONTACTS MEMBERSHIP INQUIRIES Tel: 403-264-5610 Email: membership@cspg.org

CSPG OFFICE #150, 540 - 5th Ave SW Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 0M2 Tel: 403-264-5610 | www.cspg.org

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Emma MacPherson Tel: 403-513-1230 Email: emma.macpherson@cspg.org

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Yarina Moharam Tel: 403-513-1235 Email: yarina.moharam@cspg.org MANAGING DIRECTOR Yarina Moharam Tel: 403-513-1235 Email: yarina.moharam@cspg.org

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021

FROM THE PRESIDENT NEIL WATSON, PRESIDENT, ENLIGHTEN GEOSCIENCE LTD.

t happens every time I sit down to write and see the blinking cursor on the white background. How to start? Once I get started the rest then falls into place, and this Reservoir article on the 2021 outlook for the CSPG continues the trend. For her kick-off piece last year, Jen Russel-Houston turned to her love of sailing to develop an allegory on how what she learned from this passion prepared her for her term as CSPG President. Her article in the January/February 2020 Reservoir worked out well and is worth a read if you haven’t yet.

The positive engagement with industry through the GeoLeaders program will continue to show benefits such as enhanced education opportunities aligned with the needs of the modern oil and gas industry.

For my part, I love sea kayaking. Trips to the Broken Group Islands and Nootka Sound when my children were young provide great vacation memories. As I type away, other recollections push forward in my consciousness. Although we were warned to cross Peacock Channel before 2 p.m. to avoid the winds off the Pacific, we didn’t even start until 4 p.m. After we pushed off in a beautiful August afternoon, my 5-year-old seemed to be suffering from heat prostration in the front cockpit of our double kayak. This awkward start was exacerbated when the rudder of another paddler’s (code name “Sven”) kayak fell off and sunk to the bottom. And there are more tales of woe. That was when the realization struck me that a story featuring a literal rudderless boat was an inauspicious metaphor to kick off my term as President. So I was again faced with a blinking cursor, but then a better aqueous parable came to me: navigating a canoe through white water. Here goes… Think of ourselves as latter-day David Thompsons who set off, in the words of Stan Rogers, “to race the roaring Fraser to the sea.” The gradient is steep at the crest of the continental divide and there are serious rapids along the route. Since you have not been down this river before, you are uncertain as to when they are coming. This is what 2020 felt like. We did not see the class 6 rapids in the form of a pandemic and an oil price war on the horizon. Surviving those rocks took some expert navigation from the staff and incoming Managing Director, Yarina Moharam, and the CSPG board led by President Russel-Houston. We were also assisted by our many volunteers. Everyone involved deserves credit for preventing us from foundering in those turbulent and frothy waters. Costs were cut, COVID-19 relief programs were leveraged and the damage was minimized. Advancing

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021

the release unveiling of the online Reservoir resulted in considerable cost savings. We were able to reinvent GeoConvention as an online event, which was very successful under the circumstances. For a full understanding of the Society’s finances, be certain to read the yearend review by Finance Director, Kelty Latos in this Reservoir issue. Intrepid explorers such as ourselves, having survived the rapids, paddle to shore and take stock. Make sure everyone is okay. See how much of our supplies have been lost. Fix any small punctures in our canoes. And, very prudently, reconnoitre the upcoming stream. Where there are a couple of rapids, more rapids follow until the topography levels out. Where are those rapids and how can they best be navigated? Should they be portaged, or can we safely paddle through? Looking downstream for 2021, we can expect that there will be other rapids to survive. Notwithstanding any vaccines, the coronavirus will be with us for the foreseeable future. Scheduling of key conferences is uncertain. The health of our industry is still challenged and there is corresponding pressure on our membership totals. The CSPG is fortunate to have essentially the same board that has been hardened by last year’s struggles and fully understands the challenges that rapids we experience in 2021 will provide. And while sitting around the campfire cooking dinner and drying their clothes, a paddler reflects on the goals that brought them onto the river in the first place. Whether, in the case of an early explorer, it is mapping out the waterways of a continent or the CSPG’s future, it is important to remain focused on the long-term goals. The Board has not lost sight of the need to continue to grow and adapt the CSPG for the challenges ahead. The Board has been expending a lot of effort on a detailed review of the cost-effectiveness of all of our programs and developing a strategy for rebuilding the society through to 2025. The events of 2020 have postponed but not preempted the implementation of this strategy and it is still the long-term goal of the Society to review these enhancements. The Strategy sees the CSPG continuing to grow and fulfill the branding as “Canada’s Energy Geoscientists”. While still a major part of the world’s energy supply, oil and gas is being challenged by other

energy supply and the CSPG must be relevant to these streams. Realizing this vision will require re-branding and other steps to be defined going forward. But we have made progress in realizing that title through actions such launching the Geothermal Division. Whether you are in a bow or stern seat helping paddle through the chutes and boils or holding on the gunwales in terror until these rapids are run (hint: it is easier to be paddling than holding on), you will find the CSPG has continued to enhance membership value. We have transitioned to online events and publications while maintaining the traditionally high level of technical content. We will follow up on the digital delivery of the Reservoir

with a comparable rejuvenation of the Bulletin. You will find new collaborations with organizations such as the EAGE (European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers) and strengthened our affiliation with societies closer to home. The positive engagement with industry through the GeoLeaders program will continue to show benefits such as enhanced education opportunities aligned with the needs of the modern oil and gas industry. Younger members will be able to take advantage of our newly launched mentorship program. All members will see the additional benefits of new partnerships currently being negotiated. There is an additional initiative I would like to mention as an example of the vibrancy

of the CSPG as we look forward to our Centennial in 2027 but it would be a bit premature to mention it at this time. And, while it might be the worst kept secret in the geological community, an initiative such as this deserves a feature story all its own. I am optimistic we will soon be able to officially launch this project (at last). It is my hope that, as we push off from shore and head downstream, you can put your heart into paddling knowing we have taken preparations for future rapids, maintained our focus on the long term and have more exciting news to come. n

Neil Watson

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS Looking to all geoscientists to submit an abstract or idea that would complement the overall theme of: “Breaking Barriers in a Changing World” This June we will celebrate and share geologic knowledge that has the potential to contribute to break-throughs in the energy industry. We are looking to include examples from various formations, environments, basins, and play types.

Deadline for Short Abstracts:

January 15th, 2021

www.cspg.org/coreconference

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021

Regulating the Geoscience Professions:

A series on the Complementary Roles of Regulators, Individual Professionals, Employers, Academia and Government

George Eynon, PGeo FGC FEC [Hon] ICD.D Principal, geos - eynon & associates consulting inc Past-President, APEGA (Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta) Associate, University of Calgary School of Public Policy and Haskayne Business School

PART 1: Public Interest, Social Licence,

Regulation, Ethics and Professionalism This series discusses a number of topics including the public interest, social licence, professional ethics, regulation of professions, the privilege of self-regulation, regulating corporate entities, co-operating with other regulators, APEGA’s regulatory mandate, and the roles of our various technical societies and associations.

However, they provide little or no guidance or direction on relationships between those professional, financial or operational regulatory authorities, or between those agencies and academia. Regulatory agencies seldom work together, and universities pay inadequate attention to ethics and professionalism in their curricula.

I admit to being a self-confessed “regulatory geek”, the result of serving in several regulatory positions in recent years: the ERCB Board, the AER Hearing Commission, Geoscientists Canada’s Board, and APEGA Council and Executive.

As professionals we often have conflicts between an obligation to their clients and corporate shareholders on the one hand, and conducting themselves and our practices in the public interest under our code of ethics. Regulation of these “two masters” —employers and professional bodies — are characteristically in the hands of separate agencies. In Alberta the primary regulatory authorities with whom we as professionals engage are the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA), the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), and the Alberta Securities Commission (ASC). As well, academic institutions and governments often play a role in our individual, professional working lives—and therefore in our ethical and professional conflicts.

While this series in the “Reservoir” and its sister publications is directed at us as geoscientists, the content also applies to our engineering colleagues; though they, as a group, seem to have a much better understanding of why regulation of their professions is necessary.

Protecting the Public Interest Protection of the public is the legislated purpose of regulating the professions of engineering and geoscience under the Engineering and Geosciences Professions Act (EGP Act). The governments that create Regulatory agencies mandate a focus on protection of the public through ethics and professionalism.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021

Together, the significant lack of effective collaboration among the various regulatory agencies and academia, and our legal and ethical obligations, can create problems for Professional Geoscientists.

Although current public opinion may diverge as to what constitutes appropriate regulation of various activities and professions, all agree that ethics and professionalism are fundamentally important.

The Canadian Context

Regulation or Social Licence

What makes Canada’s natural resources endowment so valuable is the societal context in which it exists: an equally valuable “endowment of rules, institutions, and behaviours that… confer economic success”; which he refers to as ‘Canada’s greatest endowment’ (Crowley, 2015) and comprises all the following features—most of which include a level of regulation.

The public often refers to “Social Licence” as if it were actually some form of Regulation. We see, time and again, the public—and the media— considering ‘social licence’ to be a requirement that regulators must obey.

The rule of law, independent judges, reasonably speedy and reliable resolution of disputes.

Enforcement of contract, and respect of private property.

Robust democratic institutions, respect of human rights, a refusal to resort to violence to resolve political disagreements.

An absence of corruption among government officials and the police.

Moderate, predictable, and stable taxation and regulatory environments.

A stable currency and responsible public finances, with freedom to trade both domestically and internationally.

A well-developed work ethic.

Although current public opinion may diverge as to what constitutes appropriate regulation of various activities and professions, all agree that ethics and professionalism are fundamentally important. While they might seem critical, the observations and conclusions that follow have to do with potential improvements to our regulatory systems. The complete set of regulatory elements in Alberta, BC and Saskatchewan, while not perfect, is world class. Western Canada’s onshore oil & gas sector and its professionals have no equal when it comes to appropriate and enforceable regulation by all the agencies involved. Consequently, governments around the world look upon Canada’s regulatory regime as a model to emulate; something I experienced first-hand with requests to bring staff of newly-created regulatory agencies to Canada to observe our systems.

In reality, it is simply a form of “mob rule” that imposes itself on society, seemingly paramount to all institutionally considered laws and rules. Crowley, facetiously, poses some questions to which, of course, there are no answers: “To whom does one write to obtain it? Who are the authorities entitled to decide if your application meets the rules? To whom are they accountable? What are the rules?” These, and other such questions he poses, are necessary to understand how we operate our democratic society under the rule of law, while the nebulous concept of ‘social licence’ claims a unilateral authority to decide issues. In our civilised and democratic Canadian society we create numerous agencies, boards, commissions, and regulatory bodies with specific authorities to examine issues and make decisions on our behalf. We measure decisions of these entities by the standard of what an average reasonable person in possession of the relevant facts and arguments would conclude—not through social licence, but through a quasi-judicial proceeding. To quote Crowley again: “It is wholly undemocratic to say that you simply disregard the decisions of duly constituted, constitutional, and democratic authority as without merit or foundation, as if your views are the only ones that deserve to be heard or taken into account.”

Regulated Professions Members of many occupations claim to be professionals, but there is a critical distinction between a regulated profession and a self-declared profession. Regulation of a professional activity under statute sets duties, obligations and responsibilities on individuals that go much further than those arising from voluntary “professional” membership in a particular learned or technical

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021

Broadly, the public interest concerns affecting the rights, health, well-being, or finances of the public at large, or adversely affecting the natural environment.

society. Regulated professionals not only maintain and deliver a unique set of knowledge and skills in their particular fields, but must act at all times “in the public interest”. Professionals acknowledge that acting in the public interest is required, but there is little consensus as to an exact definition of just what that means. Broadly, the public interest concerns affecting the rights, health, well-being, or finances of the public at large, or adversely affecting the natural environment. That is why rules, institutions, and behaviours—and professionalism and ethics, and their regulation—are so vitally important. In Canada, agencies commonly regulate the professions of engineering and geoscience jointly (seven of the ten agencies across the country regulate both), under provincial and territorial legislation. (Use of the terms geoscience and geoscientists throughout applies equally to both professions, recognising that the content applies to both.) The agencies that regulate professions under legislation have two primary functions. The first is overseeing admission to the profession: issuing a license to those who meet specified educational qualifications and demonstrated competence. The second is oversight the practice and conduct the geosciences by us as individual professionals and our employers. However, too many geoscientists in Alberta struggle to such an extent with the concept of operating in the public interest that they believe engineering needs regulating, but that the geosciences do not. They challenge the legitimacy of regulation as being a restriction to operating freely in the marketplace. This is extremely disturbing! It reflects both a fundamental lack of understanding of the regulatory role of APEGA and sister agencies in other jurisdictions, and a huge failure to communicate that role appropriately.

10 R E S E R V O I R I S S U E 1 • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1

“..I’ve looked at life from all sides now...” Before I get to discussions and policy recommendations, in a later article in this series, you deserve to know my 360° perspective credentials. I spent more than 20 years in oil & gas exploration and production operations—first in the field, office and laboratory, then as a manager, executive and board member—across Canada and the USA and worldwide. Then more than 10 years in research and consulting in operations management, oil & gas supply/ demand, commodity pricing, and energy economics—with Ziff Energy, Cambridge Energy Research Associates, the government/ industry funded Canadian Energy Research Institute (the Calgarybased energy economics “think tank”), and as an independent consultant. More recently I served in two different regulatory roles; the first being a government appointed Board Member with Alberta’s Energy Resources Conservation Board and then, briefly, as a Hearing Commissioner with the AER. Second, I have many years of selfregulatory experience as an elected Councillor, as APEGA’s Director on Geoscientists Canada’s Board, and most recently as APEGA President (now Past-President). I continue consulting on regulatory issues, working with the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, teaching at the Haskayne School of Business, and providing energy literacy shortcourses to industry, governments and the general public.

Ethics and Professionalism The term ethics has different meanings for different people: they can be principles, morals, beliefs, moral principles, moral values, moral code, and so on. Ethics are the fundamental ground rules that guide how we ought to behave—and conduct ourselves

professionally and personally. As we all know (or should know) as professionals, geoscientists’ Codes of Ethics include obligations to the public, employers, clients, professional colleagues, our regulatory agency, and our professions. Commonly, the public considers the specialized knowledge and skills in a particular field as one of the major criteria or characteristics of a true “professional”. Other criteria recognised by the public include competence in that field, appropriate ethical conduct, and licensing by a regulatory authority. The term ethics has different meanings for different people: they can be principles, morals, beliefs, moral principles, moral values, moral code, and so on. In general, ethics are the fundamental ground rules that guide how we ought to behave—and conduct ourselves professionally and personally. Codes of Ethics are essentially rules of conduct. As we all know (or should know) as professionals, several obligations comprise geoscientists’ Codes of Ethics: obligations to the public, to employers, to clients, to professional colleagues, to our particular regulatory agencies, and to the professions themselves. The following (adapted and abbreviated for convenience) is the essence of APEGA’s Code of Ethics (2012).

Professional… geoscientists shall…

…undertake only work that they are competent to perform by virtue of their training andexperience

…conduct themselves with integrity, honesty, fairness and objectivity in their professional activities

…comply with applicable statutes, regulations and bylaws in their professional practices

…uphold and enhance the honour, dignity, and reputation of their professions and, thus, the ability of the professions to serve the public interest

The regulatory agencies of many professions require members to re-affirm annually their commitment to the code of ethics or rules of conduct when renewing their licences and paying their professional dues, as a means of emphasising the importance of ethics and professionalism to both their individual professionals and the corporate members. Some of Canada’s geoscience selfregulatory agencies have implemented this requirement already; the others are in the process of doing so, are or considering it.

Next in Part 2…

…recognize that professional ethics are about integrity, competence, dignity, and devotion to service.

…this concept shall guide their conduct at all times.

…in their areas of practice, hold paramount the health, safety and welfare of the public, and have regard for the environment

Which professions and occupations are regulated and by whom? What are the functions of regulatory agencies? What do we mean by self-regulation? Do we regulate corporate entities? n

III

AUGUST 17-19, 2021| VIRTUAL SAMPLER

SAVE THE DATE For the third Mountjoy Carbonate Conference

www.cspg.org/mountjoy

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021

GO TAKE A HIKE - ETHIOPIA, #3

The Lava Lake of Erta Ale Volcano

Philip Benham, Enku Mulugeta, Tom Pfeiffer, and Jiri von Drak

Trailhead: Erta Ale is about 130 km east of Mekelle but it takes a full day to drive to it. The trailhead varies depending on combination of ongoing construction and local access permissions by Afar tribesmen - typically far enough from the summit for you to require renting camels from the local guides. A road under construction across the lava-strewn plains by a Chinese company will eventually connect Erta Ale and the Dallol geothermal site, shortening a day’s drive to perhaps two hours.

Distance: About 10 km return depending on your camp location. It is advisable to plan to stay at least overnight and possibly several days depending on the volcanic activity, as the expulsion of water vapour and bluish SO2 gas can make the floor of the lava lake hard to see if the level of activity is high. Elevation gain: 500 m to get to crater-rim camp. From there scrambling down 10’s of metres on steep slopes is required to access the active areas of the volcano.

he journey from Mekelle to Erta Ale Volcano starts on the 2,300 m high plateau west of the East African Rift escarpment, proceeds across a series of west-dipping fault blocks of Mesozoic carbonate and clastic strata, and eventually descends to the shore of saline Lake Afrera at an elevation of -100 m ASL. The road then trends north along the dusty (dried lake) Plain of Dodom before gently ascending the flank of the Erta Ale volcanic complex. The low shield of Erta Ale (about 80 x 40 km in size) contains a series of vents aligned along a NW-SE-trending rift zone (Figure 1). The 613 m high Erta Ale boasts one of the few semi-permanent lava lakes in the world (Figures 2, 3). Depending on where it is in the eruption cycle, its steep-walled, 1.6 km diameter summit crater may contain 1 or 2 lava lakes or may be actively emitting lava on its flank. Erta Ale is one of many active volcanoes located along the Danakil arm of the triple-rift junction. The volcanoes along the rift belt are relatively young, mostly less than 1 Ma, meaning that they were active during the time that the Danakil region was occupied by an ocean about 10,000 km2 in area. Some evidence for subaerial activity includes hyalo-clastic (glassy, water-contact chilled) volcanic cones (Figures 1, 4) and pillow basalts (Williams, 2016). Some of the volcanoes have atollstyle fringing reefs (such as in northeast Afrera Lake) indicating they were present while there was still a marine connection (Varet,

FIGURE 1: Map of the Danakil rift arm of the Afar triple Junction, showing the elongate distribution of Erta Ale, Tat Ale, and Adfera volcanic shields along NW-SE-oriented fault zones. The road north from the saline Lake Afrera is composed of a fine carbonate dust, from a once more-widespread lake, itself an echo of the Danakil Sea that had occupied the region. The more recent flows (purple) were extruded from faults, mostly at the crest, and travelled a great distance down the flanks. Green box marks area of Figure 4. Image from Williams, 2016.

12 R E S E R V O I R I S S U E 1 • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1

Risks: Risks include extreme heat, rugged and remote terrain, kidnappings, poor road conditions and questionable drivers, lack of emergency facilities, rustic accommodations, and poor hygiene at campsites. The location can only be visited with armed guards. Gas masks with ABE filtering are strongly recommended. We also suggest visiting with a responsible tour company like Volcano Discovery.

FIGURE 2: Northward view of the active central pit of Erta Ale, in November 2015. The fresher pahoehoe flows show up as black in the caldera. The steep wells of the crater currently constrain excess lava to flow southeast during effusive events. The blue arrow marks a hornito at the north pit. Person for scale. Photo by von Drak. See Figure 9 for photo locations.

2018). Others just have a veneer of lake sediments. The region is very dynamic, with links between the tectonics, volcanism, salt deposition, and the now-lost marine connection. Crustal spreading rates of ~12 mm / year (Bastow et al., 2019) would result in an extension of the rift valley in the order of 1,200 m in just 100 Ka. The crustal thinning, active strike slip faulting and tremendous amount of salt accumulated in the Danakil Desert has resulted in some interesting salt tectonics disturbing very young lavas (Figure 4). Volcanoes erupt from active fissures and continue to be dissected by active fault movement. The triple-rift junction in the Afar Triangle and regional tectonics are displayed and discussed in Figures 5 and 6.

The basal flows of Erta Ale are composed of olivine basalt, but more recent flows within the summit area tend to be plagioclase porphyritic basalts (Barberi and Varet, 1977). The fluid basalts form a broad, low volcanic shield of ropy pahoehoe lava (Figures 7, 8), but the main prize at Erta Ale are the lava lakes in pits within the main crater (Figure 9). The morphology and size of the pits and the level and activity of the lava lakes fluctuate through time. The surface of the lake(s) consists of a thin crust (5-10 cm) depending on levels of activity: from quiescence (with a semisolid crust), incandescent cracks (during upwelling periods, temporary or sustained bubbling), and occasional 5-10 m high fountains of lava (Burgi et al., 2002).

FIGURE 3: View south of central pit in Erta Ale, November 2015. The lava level is about 10 m from the rim. A thin crust covers the lake. Both convection and degassing of the lavas break up the crust, mimicking the movement of small tectonic plates. The lava is circulating south against the far wall of the pit, where it is drawn down and pieces of the crust are re-melted. See also Figure 9. Photo by von Drak.

FIGURE 4: Landsat image displaying interaction of tectonics, salt basin dynamics, and volcanics in this stark, young, and dynamic landscape. The nearly 300 m high Gada Ale strato-volcano, containing a sulphurous lake of boiling mud in its crater, marks the northern terminus of the Erta Ale shield volcano. Beyond this point are the salt plains of the Danakil, a boundary marked by saline lakes Assale (AKA Karum) and Bakili. To the south is a small cone of tuff marking the crest of the Catherine shield volcano. Immediately west of it (blue oval) are a NNW-trending series of faults that terminate against a 4 km long salt dome that has uplifted some of the older lava flows. Note how the most recent flows (darker colour), flow around the feature.

Image source: USGS 2014 Landsat Image: https://landsat.visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=84239

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FIGURE 5: Map showing the age of the volcanics of the Afar Triangle and the fault networks associated with the triple-spreading junction. The black dotted lines mark the single-spreading axes in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and onshore where they meet with the East African Rift. The black dashed line marks the boundaries between SW-NE-dominant fault systems and NW-SE faults. The blue triangle roughly marks where the major spreading axes meet. Erta Ale sits on one of those spreading zones and overlaps with the Red Sea spreading zone for several hundred kilometres. It is likely that the competition between the spreading centres will create a strike-slip fault connecting the two. The green dotted lines (primarily oriented SW-NE) mark strike-slip faults that accommodate extension within the system. The same structural features occur globally at seafloor spreading centres. The ‘D’ denotes the Danakil Block, a micro-plate fragment of the Nubian shield that was peeled off the main craton. Note the presence of young volcanics west of the Gulf of Zula. Here the Alid Volcanic Centre (A) domed up through Pleistocene marine and marginal marine sediments to block the circulation of the Danakil Sea, resulting in its desiccation and the accumulation of a vast amount of salt in what is now the Danakil Desert. The source image is modified from Beyene and Abdelsalam, 2005.

This is the third in a series of Go Take a Hike articles, all set within, or on the margins of the Ethiopian Rift Valley. The focus of this article is on the rift patterns and late-stage volcanism restricted to the active spreading centre in the core of the rift valley. Photos by Benham except were otherwise noted.

During more active phases, the degassing lava spatters large bubbles (Figure 11) and spins golden, wind-blown strands of volcanic glass called Pelee’s hair (Figure 10). During periods of lower activity, small, steep cones (hornitos) form, occasionally splattering lava or venting huge volumes of gas (Figure 14). The persistence of the lakes (since at least 1906) suggests a steady magma supply that comes from a narrow rift-parallel magma chamber perhaps less than 1 km in depth (Moore et al., 2019). The lakes can rise and fall 10’s of metres

FIGURE 6: Regional geology near the Afar Triangle with marine bathymetry. The Aden Ridge, marking new seafloor creation, is a view into the future of the East African Rift. Note the spreading ridges in the centre of the Gulf of Aden offset by a series of transform (strike-slip) faults. The Aden Ridge is propagating WSW. By about 2 Ma (Beyene and Abdelsalam, 2005), it stepped onto land in Afar and now ends in the triple-rift junction detailed in Figure 4 above. This is one of the few places in the world where a mid-ocean ridge comes on shore. Black arrows mark sense-of-direction of spreading. Image from Mohriak and Leroy, 2012. Note the presence of young volcanics west of the Gulf of Zula. Here the Alid Volcanic Centre (A) domed up through Pleistocene marine and marginal marine sediments to block the circulation of the Danakil Sea, resulting in its desiccation and the accumulation of a vast amount of salt in what is now the Danakil Desert. The source image is modified from Beyene and Abdelsalam, 2005.

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depending on that supply. The magma source is sometimes compromised by dike diversion onto the flanks as active rifting creates new planes of weakness, resulting in multiple cones on the Erta Ale Shield. Thus, dramatic changes in the lakes occur quickly: from nearly full (2015) to overflowing main craters (2017) to flank flows (2019) or to even steep drops in the lake level (2019-2020). The pictures in this article taken at different times reflect those phases.

FIGURE 7: Recent flows are common on the flanks of Erta Ale, having been extruded from the rift fault system along the axis of the shield volcano and having travelled 20 km or more. The foreground shows ropy texture of the fluid pahoehoe lava, in the near background is a 7 m high ‘blister’ of jumbled blocks of lava from localized gassy venting from the flow, and in the distance to the west is Ale Bagu volcano.

FIGURE 8: Cross-section view of the pahoehoe flow top showing flowstretched vesicles (air bubbles) and a crumpled broccoli-shaped upper surface. The gentle slopes of Erta Ale are seen in the distance.

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Burgi et al. (2002) noted temperatures reaching 1,187 °C for the lava fountains, about 924 °C for the cracks, and an average of 470 °C for the floating crust. In the name of science, and in order to touch a fishing-rod-style thermocouple device to the lava, the researchers had to bravely descend a 60 m vertical cliff to a terrace 15 m above the surface of the lava lake where the ambient temperature of the terrace was such that the rocks on which they stood were 250 to 300 °C. They calculated total radiative heat flux of 130 MW for Erta Ale, which – for comparison – is about half the energy generated by a small nuclear power station. n

FIGURE 11: Convection cells in the lava lake stretch the thin crust, creating incandescent lava at points of upwelling. The brown, furry texture in the foreground is Pelee’s hair: strands of chilled lava sent airborne with gaseous explosions. Photo by von Drak, November 2015. FIGURE 12: Lava propelling 5-7 m into the air as a degassing bubble pops, lava is about 10 m from rim of crater. Photo by von Drak, Nov. 2015. FIGURE 13: Central pit in February 2020, when the lake was covered by a thin crust. Only the glowing vents of hornitos were present on the crater floor, about 70 m below the rim of crater. A large drop in the lava lake level resulted in instability of the crater walls. Here, large curving fissures presage a future collapse. FIGURE 14: Gas- and steam-emitting fumaroles on the crater floor are a bright mix of yellow, orange, and brown. The delicate, ephemeral, and complexly patterned crusts are composed of finely crystalline Na-K-Fe sulfates and Fe oxides. This close-up of ‘egg shells’ is from a fumarole adjacent to the north pit. FIGURE 15: Hornito in the north pit, after the lake solidified. The hornito cone-shape profile built early as it vented blobs of lava that oozed down a small slope. By November 2015 it was only a vent for volcanic gases. Image from von Drak. FIGURE 9: Aerial view of Erta Ale with location of centre and north pits. Dots represent location of other photos. Image source GVP, 2013. FIGURE 10: In a cycle mimicking subduction of oceanic crust in Erta Ale’s central pit in January 2018, rafts (R) of recently cooled black crust are carried to left by the circulation in the lake before either accreting to the crinkled dry crust (C) or being dragged under and re-melted. Copyrighted photo by Stefan Tommasini, used with permission.

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FIGURE 16: View of central pit, person on rim for scale. Erta Ale emits prolific amounts of pungent SO2 (the blue-grey gas seen in the picture). The SO2 mixes with moisture to create the unpleasant byproduct of H2SO4, that corrodes unprotected metals, can irritate or burn skin, and can cause respiratory ailments. Erta Ale is estimated to collectively (from lava lakes and fumaroles) emit 110 tons/day of SO2, 19 tons of HCl, and 1 ton of HF along with a massive amount of water vapour (Oppenheimer, 2004). In other words, masks are advisable if you are at the crater rim.

FIGURE 17: Cooled flow, between the central and north pits, with 15 cm thick crust and a hollow underneath where the lava drained out. The patches of yellow are sulphur-rich minerals at fumaroles and short-term degassing sites on the flow. FIGURE 18: Camel transport of gear is a standard requirement from base camp to crater rim camp. Here the Afar tribesmen are securing mattresses at rim camp.

REFERENCES Barberi, F. and Varet, J., 1977; Volcanism of Afar - small-scale plate tectonics implications; Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 88, no. 9, p. 1251; DOI: 10.1130/0016-7606(1977)88<1251:VOASP T>2.0.CO;2. Bastow, I., Booth, A., Corti, G., Keir, D., Magee, C., Jackson, CA-L., Warren, J., Wilkinson, J., and Lascialfari, M., 2018; The Development of late-stage continental breakup: Seismic reflection and borehole evidence from the Danakil Depression, Ethiopia; Tectonics, v. 37, no. 9, p. 2848-2862; DOI: 10.1029/2017TC004798. Beyene, A. and Abdelsalam, M., 2005; Tectonics of the Afar Depression: A review and synthesis; Journal of African Earth Sciences, v. 41, no. 1-2, p. 41-59; https://doi. org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2005.03.003. Burgi, P.-Y., Caillet, M., and Haefeli, S., 2002; Field temperature measurements at Erta'Ale Lava Lake, Ethiopia; Bulletin of Volcanology, v. 64, p. 472-485.

Manighetti, I., Tapponnier, P., Courtillot, V., Gruszow, S., and Gillot, P.-Y., 1997; Propagation of rifting along the Arabia-Somalia plate boundary: The Gulfs of Aden and Tadjoura; Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 102, p. 2681-2710. Moore, C., Wright, T., Hooper, A., and Biggs, J., 2019; The 2017 eruption of Erta 'Ale Volcano, Ethiopia: Insights into the shallow axial plumbing system of an incipient mid-ocean ridge; Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems. v. 20, no. 12, p. 5727-5743. Oppenheimer, C., McGonigle, A., Allard, P., Wooster, M. J., and Tsanev, V., 2004; Sulfur, heat, and magma budget of Erta 'Ale lava lake, Ethiopia; Geology, v. 32, no. 6, p. 509512; DOI: 10.1130/g20281.1. Pagli, C., et al., 2012; Shallow axial magma chamber at the slow-spreading Erta Ale Ridge; Nature Geoscience, v. 5, no. 4, p. 284-288.

Varet, J., 2018; Geology of Afar (East Africa); Springer International Publishing, 336 p.; DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-60865-5. Mohriak, W. and Leroy, S., 2012; Architecture of rifted continental margins and breakup evolution: insights from the South Atlantic, North Atlantic and Red Sea–Gulf of Aden conjugate margins; In: Mohriak, et al. (eds), 2012; Conjugate Divergent Margins; Geological Society, London, Special Publications, v. 369, 369 p. Williams, Francis M., 2016; Understanding Ethiopia; Geoguide Series, Springer International Publishing, 343 p. Zelenski, M., Fischer, T., Moor, J., Marty, B., Zimmermann, L., Ayalew, D., Nekrasov, A., and Karandashev, V., 2013; Trace elements in the gas emissions from the Erta Ale volcano, Afar, Ethiopia; Chemical Geology, v. 357, p. 95-116. 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2013.08.022.

Venzke, E. (ed.), 2013; Global Volcanism Program, Volcanoes of the World; Smithsonian Institution, v. 4.8.8; Downloaded 27 May 2020; https://doi.org/10.5479/si.GVP. VOTW4-2013.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

VISIT WEBSITE

Go Take A Hike is a compendium of 83 hikes in beautiful natural areas around Alberta and Eastern BC with a focus on the geological story of the outcrops and natural processes that are encountered along the way.

Copies are available for sale through the CSPG office.

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A Year Like No Other Dustin Menger, GeoConvention Partnership Director

THANK YOU

Upon the migration to a virtual 2020 has certainly been a platform, presenters were precarious ride and the planning to everyone who joined us, and despite all asked to learn and utilize tools and execution of GeoConvention obstacles, helped make GeoConvention 2020 to develop and record their was no exception. When the a success! presentations – both 20-minute planning process began in oral presentations and July of 2019, the 2020 event 5-minute poster presentations was shaping up to be one The transition to a virtual platform presentations. They did so of our largest ever with our created new challenges in bringing admirably, bringing 9,280 minutes of once-in-a-decade collaboration with GAC nearly 600 total presentations to the technical programming to the conference. (Geological Association of Canada), MAC virtual world while also focusing on For most of the 85 sessions, presenters (Mineralogical Association of Canada) return for the GeoConvention exhibitors made themselves available to answer and IAH-CNC (International Association – those companies that directly support questions via the text-chat function and of Hydrogeologists – Canadian National GeoConvention and our partner societies. subsequent one-on-one video follow up. Chapter), however, plans quickly changed After about a month of evaluation of more GeoConvention was also pleased to have in early March, 2020 when it became than a dozen platforms, the successful 17 sessions hosted live, via Zoom, with clear that an in-person meeting was not provider was chosen that offered a good presenters and chairs onscreen via video going to be possible due to the COVIDmix of an ability to handle the complexities for discussion and follow up. 19 Pandemic. With a focus on providing of the GeoConvention program – hosting member return to allow professionals Exhibitors did a fantastic job embracing up to 16 sessions simultaneously plus and students alike the opportunity to the new technology and the opportunity live, interactive content – and allowing knowledge share and showcase their work, to showcase their company virtually with for exhibitors to showcase their the GeoConvention Board, in collaboration many taking advantage of the opportunity companies while also offering networking with our partner societies, elected to pivot to join, with delegates live, via in-booth opportunities. the event to a virtual platform.

2020 Committee Members GeoConvention would like to recognize the time and expertise of all our planning committee volunteers who all helped make the 2020 program a success, rolling with the challenges and executing a successful program. ROLE

VOLUNTEER

ROLE

VOLUNTEER

CSPG General/Technical Co-Chair

Geoff McMillan

Exhibits and Sponsorship Co-Chair

Giselle Fonseca

CSEG General Co-Chair

Gary Paukert

Exhibits and Sponsorship Co-Chair

James Duggan

CSEG Technical Co-Chair

Lona Gregory

Finance Chair

Spryng Kubicek

CWLS General/Technical Co-Chair

Gary Bugden

Volunteer Chair

Mandy Thompson

GAC General/Technical Co-Chair

Rajeev Nair

Judging Chair

Scott Matieshin

MAC General/Technical Co-Chair

Sasha Wilson

Media Relations Chair

Mandy Thompson

IAH-CNC General/Technical Co-Chair

Cathy Ryan

Mobile App/Virtual Co-Chair

Zekai Jia

Posters Chair

Breanne Rathgeber

Social Media Co-Chair

Chris Harrison

Exhibits and Sponsorship Co-Chair

Nash Hayward

Student Outreach Co-Chair

Adam MacInnis

Exhibits and Sponsorship Co-Chair

Abiye Braide

Student Outreach Co-Chair

Mitchell Gillrie

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2020 Sponsors video. Exhibitors were able to provide downloadable materials, videos and technical content while also answering questions via the built-in chat function. GeoConvention would like to offer our sponsors our sincere appreciation for your support. This past year has been challenging for many in our industry. However, your commitment to advancing the earth sciences and support of GeoConvention and our partner societies helps funding ongoing education, outreach, and student programs. When all was said and done, GeoConvention 2020 hosted over 1,500 attendees, with nearly 20% of those joining us from international locations, a significant increase in the geographical reach we normally see as the virtual platform allowed for participation at reduced rates without travel costs. Thank you to everyone who joined us, and despite all obstacles, helped make GeoConvention 2020 a success!

GeoConvention 2021 As we look forward to the 2021 program, while it is impossible to predict the future and how the pandemic will progress, with the success and learnings of the 2020 show in mind, GeoConvention 2021 will again be hosted virtually in mid-September with the possibility of smaller, outdoor networking events leading up to the main show (as allowed by Provincial regulations). Our hope in preparing for a virtual conference in 2021 that we provide some certainty and clear direction in how we will bring education and knowledge sharing opportunities to our membership. The Call for Abstracts is now open. We encourage you to contribute and join us from the convenience of your home or office for another memorable, virtual experience! n

To keep up to date on GeoConvention visit www.geoconvention.com and follow @geoconvention on Twitter, geoconvention on LinkedIn and Instagram and GeoConventionCanada on Facebook.

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JANUARY TECHNICAL WEBINAR

Good Models and Lost Heterogeneity Presenter: Mark Bentley, TRACS Training & Heriot-Watt University January 20, 2021 | 11:00 am-12:00 pm Mountain Time Technical Webinar (GoToWebinar)

eservoir and simulation models are now widespread tools used for forecasting in energy projects, whether for oil and gas production or CO2 disposal or energy storage. Sometime the models are good, sometimes they are bad.

Based on shared experiences with operators over the last 20 years this short talk explores the underlying factors which differentiate ‘good’ models from ‘bad’, and how we can fix them. Key themes are conceptbased modelling, fluid-centric design and the handling of scale, in particular the issue of ‘lost heterogeneity’ which leads to a tendency for systematic over-optimistism in our forecasts. All these things are solvable, often simply by stepping out of the standard modelling workflow to model designs which embrace a multiscale approach; often these turn out to be more nimble than more traditional workflows.

One day, he would like to deliver a training event in Antarctica.

Featured Technical Webinar: Lesli Wood’s January 2020 Presentation

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BIOGRAPHY

ABSTRACT

Mark has been in the industry since 1986, initially as a production geologist with Shell but mostly training and consulting with TRACS based in the UK. He has spent most of his time working in integrated study teams and running training events; his specialist technical fields of expertise are reservoir modelling and scenario-based approaches to handling subsurface uncertainty and risk. He is co-author of the textbook ‘Reservoir Model Design’ and is Professor of Mature Field Management at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.

FEBRUARY TECHNICAL WEBINAR

The Vital Role of Mudstone/Shale Studies in Advancing Sequence Stratigraphy in General ABSTRACT

Presenter: Kevin M. Bohacs, KMBohacs Geoconsulting February 17, 2021 | 11:00 am-12:00 pm Mountain Time

tudies of mudstone/shale have benefitted from using the sequence-stratigraphic approach but have also improved sequence stratigraphy as a discipline. Observations accumulated over the last 35 years, accelerated by the ‘shale-gas revolution’, indicate that mud is a quite active component of depositional systems at many scales and not just passive fill among coarser grains. It appears that various grain-size classes each have their own inherent geometry and the stratal record is the resultant of vigorous interaction among the grain sizes. The influences of mud range from being essential to many sediment-transport mechanisms at the bed scale to forming distinctive types of parasequences and complex stratal geometries at depositional-sequence to sequence-set scales. What we learned using sequence stratigraphy includes: A wide variety of sedimentary structures occur in mudstones that indicate a comparably wide range of transport mechanisms, in many of which the presence of mud alters the fluid and transport properties of the flow. At the parasequence scale, most marine shelfal mudstone strata appear to have accumulated as one of three end-members that can be differentiated quantitatively. These end members can be related to depositional regimes dominated by storm waves, river floods, or tidal currents through characteristic modes of sediment transport and accumulation, as well as variations in benthic-energy and oxygen levels. At the depositional-sequence scale, most marine biogenic-rich mudstones tend to occur in one of three physiographic settings (constructional shelf margin, platform/ramp, continental slope—basin), each of which has a commonly recurring pattern of biogenic enrichment distinctive from the other settings. At the depositional-sequence-set scale, all major shale-gas/shale-oil plays

can be grouped into four main families, based on repeated patterns of stratal stacking of depositional-sequence-scale biogenic-rich physiographic settings. What we learned about sequence stratigraphy includes: Sequencestratigraphic criteria (e.g., stratal terminations, geometric relations, stacking patterns) apply across the full range of composition and grain size (> 8 orders of length-scale magnitude). There are a variety of types of surfaces as well as of rocks— and surfaces are indeed much more important than the preserved strata because they record more of geological time (and are commonly easier to recognize in mudstone strata). The same types of surfaces, stratal units, and stacking patterns are seen across all grain sizes and compositions, but their expressions vary as a function of depositional environment. Although these observations show that most mudstones accumulate discontinuously, they still preserve detailed records of paleoenvironmental conditions and depositional history, especially in microbially mediated authigenic products. The sequencestratigraphic approach is particularly useful for organizing all these discontinuities and varying rock properties into a hierarchy of nested scales. Such a hierarchical sequence-stratigraphic framework is essential for integrating the wide range of physical, biogenic, and chemical attributes of mudstones into a comprehensive understanding of Earth history and hydrocarbon systems.

Company where he led the application of sequence stratigraphy and sedimentology to mudstones from lacustrine to deep-marine environments. He now operates KMBohacs Geoconsulting LLC. His primary focus is to integrate field work, subsurface investigation, and laboratory analyses to inform business decisions. He works closely with exploration groups in evaluating the fine-grained portion of their hydrocarbon systems, teaches field schools in sequence stratigraphy, sedimentology, basin analysis, and field safety leadership, and conducts field work for research and exploration.

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BIOGRAPHY

Kevin M. Bohacs, from Greenwich, Connecticut, received his B.Sc. (Honors) in geology from the University of Connecticut in 1976 and his Sc.D. in experimental sedimentology from M.I.T. in 1981 (where he built and operated the world's largest flume). He joined Exxon Production Research Company in Houston, Texas in 1981, working with Peter Vail, Bob Mitchum, John Van Wagoner, and others on incorporating process-based facies modeling into the development of sequence stratigraphy at the outcrop, core, and well-log scale. Kevin recently retired as Senior Research Scientist from ExxonMobil Upstream Research

Technical Webinar (GoToWebinar)

Working with Stone Jon Noad, SediMental Services

Sometimes it is difficult to think of rocks as anything more than reservoirs and seals. However, a recent visit to Calgary’s only fully equipped stone working establishment served as a great reminder that rocks can also be things of beauty. Stone Concept was founded around twelve years ago, building on earlier masonry experience, with the aim of becoming a premier supplier of natural stone veneers. What gladdened my heart is that Alberta’s very own Paskapoo Sandstone, along with Indiana Limestone, are the two most popular rock types at their facility. In this article we look at some of the rocks that are being worked in Alberta, and what is being achieved with modern masonry tools, and compare it to a mine producing building stone in the UK. Jordans Mine is located on the Isle of Portland, part of the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site in Dorset and Devon. The mine quarries the same Portland Stone that was a favourite of Sir Christopher Wren, who used it to construct some of London’s most imperious buildings,

Keegan of Stone Concept standing in front of boulders of Paskapoo Sandstone.

Underground in Jordans Mine on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, UK.

St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Natural History Museum amongst them. The Upper Jurassic limestone commands such high prices that it is now mined underground, mainly to avoid environmental issues.

What Rocks? Range of veneers on display, mainly from rocks sourced in the US. Note the different textures and colours.

While browsing on the internet, I came across the Stone Contact website (https://www.stonecontact.com/natural-stone), which is an eye opener for any geologist. No less than 21593 different natural stones are listed, subdivided by type (marble, granite, limestone, sandstone, travertine, quartzite, onyx, slate, basalt and porphyry), by colour or by one of the 122 listed countries of origin. China, Turkey and Brazil each have more than 2500 types of indigenous stone, while Canada has 202 listed, mostly granites. The website also flags which stones are “hot”, not a magma related geological term but an indication as to which ones are currently the big sellers. Well worth a look.

Open cast mining on the Isle of Portland, using water filled metal pillows to force cracks in the limestone apart.

Basalt columns imported from northern British Columbia.

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Crinoidal limestone from the US.

Stone Concept has a range of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks on site. International offerings include layered igneous rocks and quartzite from Asia, which ship by container for around $5/foot2, making them very affordable. Spanish carbonates, bizarrely known as “Manchester Limestone”, rub shoulders with a variety of limestones brought in from the continental US (Indiana, Kentucky, Milwaukee), mostly Mississippian in age with abundant crinoid debris. There are also metamorphic rocks like marble and slate from states including Montana, Vermont, Kansas and Dakota. There are some diverse Canadian rocks on show. We will examine the Paskapoo Sandstone below, but there are also Ottawa Sandstone and several igneous rocks from Ontario; Revelstoke Mica; Rundle Stone and even pebbles from Canmore. To my mind, one of the most exciting rock samples on site was a selection of natural basalt columns, lying in a pile like Jackstraws. The columns originate from northern British Columbia and formed part of one of the accretionary terranes in the region. To create these columns, the basaltic lava needs to cool extremely slowly.

Paskapoo Sandstone exposed at Edworthy Park. Note the blocky character of the Paleocene channel sandstone.

Calgary City Hall, built from Paskapoo Sandstone, completed in 1911 (Wikipedia).

The “Alberta Sandstone” On November 7, 1886, a devastating fire destroyed many wooden buildings on the main street in Calgary, leading to a city requirement for fire resistant buildings. As a result, the Paskapoo Sandstone was used to construct some of Calgary’s most impressive edifices, leading to the nickname “Sandstone City”. Several of the old quarries that worked the Sandstone can still be seen, including some good exposures on the road leading down to Edworthy Park, on the South side of the Bow River. The Paskapoo Sandstone is an Upper Paleocene, non marine (fluvial), sandstone and overbank dominated succession outcropping around Calgary and beyond, overlain by the (rather similar) Willow Creek Formation. Out front of the Stone Concept site is a huge stack of boulders of the Paskapoo (or Willow Creek) Sandstone, known in the trade as Alberta Sandstone. Most of these boulders are turned up during excavation of new subdivisions located within city limits, and they are typically the size of a small vehicle. Transporting them around the city is an expensive business. Due to the popularity of the stone, I was able to look at many rough and cut sections, and what was striking was the homogeneity of the sediment. The excellent sorting led to sandstone with an often featureless appearance. There was some evidence of dewatering, and contorted bedding, but little trough cross-bedding, which suits the stone mason. Fortunately, the odd piece hosts fossil leaves or concretions to add a little spice. Due to the relative abundance of Alberta Sandstone, it has been classified into several “species” based primarily on the presence or absence of sedimentary structures.

Sedimentary structures in Paskapoo Sandstone.

Portland Limestone The Portland Limestone of the UK, extracted at Jordans Mine, is uppermost Jurassic in age and was deposited in warm, shallow marine conditions. It hosts a rich molluscan fauna including the huge ammonite Titanites giganteus. In some intervals the gastropods and bivalve shells have been leached out (probably during karstification of the overlying, lagoonal Purbeck Limestone), creating a striking vuggy texture known as Roach. The monoclinal structure of the Island, created during Alpine mountain building, has formed fractures big enough to walk inside.

Dewatering structures and rippling in Paskapoo Sandstone

Portland Roach with molluscan casts.

Titanites giganteus with pencil for scale.

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GUSSOW 2021

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March 10-11, Online Conference

Back to Black:Revisiting MannVille Heavy Oil and Oilsands

Technology Geoscience Proﬁtability

Registration is Now Open WIth four main themes and more than twelve technical presentations, this single-track, virtual event, which will take place 10-11 March, allows participants to revisit the geology of the Mannville Group and investigate the innovations that have changed how heavy oil and bitumen reservoirs are produced and from continental-scale depositional systems to the grains of sand impacting completion design. Sessions include: - Regional/Big Scale/ Continental - Reservoir Facies/Reservoir Characterization - Integrated Case Studies - Bryce Jablonski and Greg Cave - Future Directions and Innovation Registration Rates: - CSPG Member: $200.00 CAD - Non-Member: $320.00 CAD

Title Sponsor:

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Rock Saw So what equipment is required to produce large scale polished or worked surfaces? In a surprising nod to former times, when I arrived at the Calgary site, one of the masons was busy with a hammer and chisel to ensure that the largest Paskapoo boulders are correctly split and prepared for processing. The boulders then make their way to the diamond wire saw, which can handle blocks up to five feet in diameter and as thick as is required. This saw is the only one of its type in Calgary and typically cuts slices up to 20 cm in thickness, with a large boulder taking around four hours to slice through. The cut portions then go to the bridge saw to be cut into bricks for facing stone.

A fossil leaf from the Paskapoo Sandstone, exciting for the geologist, but potentially a problem for the mason due to the plane of weakness that it engenders.

Large rock saw at Jordans Mine workshop.

Both operations have rotary lathes to create 3-dimensional stonework. Here the Portland Stone is shaped to replace weathered balustrades.

The UK operation began in 2008, after an exhaustive survey to determine the structural and sedimentological grain of the rocks, to maximize cutting efficiency. The tunnels are cut using diamond wire technology developed for the marble quarries of Italy, and then the blocks levered out using metal pillows, into which water is pumped allowing them to inflate, and split the rock asunder. The mine is being excavated on a 6 m grid system, with pillars left in situ to hold up the hanging wall of the mine. Once in the workshop, large rock saws are used to slice the blocks of limestone, with the blocks periodically being rotated to ensure a parallel cut through the block. Many of us will be familiar with the “distressed stone” look, with a slightly pitted, rough surface. In Calgary this is achieved with North America’s only shot blaster. The equipment was built in Italy and fires galvanized steel balls to texturize the rock surface. Other gadgets include a stone snapper, which splits the laths of rock into pieces and a stone lathe. It is also worth mentioning that there is a giant generator on site, as otherwise the volume of equipment could (theoretically) lead to a city-wide power outage if

Diamond wire saw in action at Stone Concept.

Various finishes on offer from the Portland Limestone. Bridge saw cutting up bricks from Paskapoo Sandstone.

run simultaneously. Water is recycled wherever possible. The UK operation uses sand blasting, or rotary metal brushes, because the limestone is more malleable than Alberta’s sandstone.

A Hidden Resource As we have seen, a visit to a stone mason offers the chance to literally look inside the rock. The variety of rocks available for study means that different sediments can be compared, and sedimentary structures can be viewed in three dimensions, without having to get out into the field. While there is no substitute for outcrops, Stone Concept and other stone cutting establishments provide a glimpse into another geological dimension, providing an additional resource for the geoscientist to investigate. Thank you to Keegan McCauley from Stone Concepts and to Mark Godden of Albion Stone for all their assistance. n

Jon Noad runs his own consultancy, specialising in geological training while offering core logging and other geological expertise. He has over 20 years of oil and gas experience as well as mining and marine experience. He is about to launch VFT!, a series of Virtual Field Trips that can be attended by multiple participants online. They include video footage of selected outcrops interspersed with explanatory slides, logs and cores. The tagline for this exciting project is “Better than being there”.

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CSPG Fiscal Year Finances Review Fiscal Year: Sept 1, 2019 – Aug 31, 2020 Kelty Latos, CSPG Finance Director 2020

n 1934 the CSPG (then the Alberta Society of Petroleum Geologists) struggled to stay alive. The meetings became smaller, were often held at members’ homes, and the Society even cancelled subscriptions to geological magazines. Stanley Slipper, the geologist who called the first meeting to order in 1927, wondered if there was enough interest to keep the Society alive. Still, the members wanted to continue; it was their right to be a Society member. Eightysix years later, the Society is in one of those years we will talk about far into the future, impacting us all in visceral ways. This was a year that we will commiserate over, tell stories about, and wear as a badge of survival in our legacies. The members drove the CSPG in 1934, and the passion for the geosciences continues to sustain the CSPG through 2020. Before Covid and all that followed, the 2020 budget was built off the previous years' hard work and aimed to set the Society up for future change. After years of losses, the Society broke

even in 2018 and was followed by a 2019 operating surplus of $44,386. The 2020 budget projected a profit of $28,000 with the normal schedule of events, as well as new initiatives including an increased focus on field trips, a digital Reservoir, and the next steps towards rebranding the CSPG to adjust to the changing needs of our members. The fiscal year started off very promising, with a very successful Gussow conference generating $37,452 in revenue. Royalties from publications, the Core to Characterization Workshop and Fall 2019 sporting events also generated greater than projected revenue. In March, Covid and the resulting oil price crash required the board to make quick decisions to ensure that services were still provided to our members safely. All CSPG events were delayed, cancelled, or moved online, including the Society’s most significant events: GeoConvention and Core Conference. Delaying GeoConvention to September placed it in the 2021 fiscal year, removing it from the 2020 budget. The digital Core Conference performed better than expectations with 174 registrants and five sponsors (although this was much less than the usual in-person event). Through the uncertainty of 2020, these decisions allowed for technical talks, courses and conferences to be available to our members from the comfort of their own homes, with the unexpected benefit of expanding our audience outside of and beyond Canada. Still, operating revenue was severely impacted by reduced activity, decrease advertising revenue from the Reservoir, additional staffing costs to ensure a smooth transition to a new Managing Director, decreased pricing for virtual events, and a membership decrease of 14%. The flexibility, resourcefulness, and resilience of the board and staff enabled the Society to keep operating and serving our members through an unprecedented time in history. The staff worked earnestly to offset the sudden lack of revenue. Covid relief came in a few forms: federal and provincial programs were available to support staff and rent costs, and staff reviewed cost-saving opportunities for all operational expenses. Due to this effort, our (worst-case scenario) projected loss changed from $301,000 in March 2020 to an actual loss

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of $157,633 (including a $46,454 loss from GeoConvention). Through all of these efforts, the CSPG reduced its expenses from $1,374,955 in 2019 to $952,679 (including the loss from GeoConvention) in 2020. The CSPG has the reserves to weather this storm, but careful decisions will have to be made in the coming years to sustain our Society. The Society has three investment accounts: the Operations account, the Restricted account, and the Rainy Day account. The Operations account is to support our operations and buffer activity in years with losses. At the end of the 2020 fiscal year, it had $550,725. The Restricted account is comprised of donations and estate funds reserved for funding student scholarships and research opportunities. Its final amount for 2020 is $412,417. The Rainy Day account is funds set aside in the event that the Society closes and would have to wrap up operations, and its final amount is $884,538. Prudent saving in good years has ensured that the Society can weather this year, however, prudent action is also required in the years to come to ensure the Society’s survival: there will need to be a focus on cost savings and revenue generation. This year had a loss of $155,942. This loss was necessary to sustain the Society in a disastrous year, but losses of this amount are not sustainable. The audited financials show an unrealized gain of $1,691 on investments. This unrealized gain entry is required by accounting standards to show the reader the value of investments on August 31, 2020, as though they were sold on that date. The audited statements, as prepared by Kenway Mack Slusarchuk Stewart LLP, can be found at cspg.org. Every member of the CSPG has been impacted by 2020 somehow, and the future is laced with uncertainty. The word ‘unprecedented’ has been thrown about extensively. However, the passion and dedication of the board, the staff, and CSPG members can help the Society survive 2020 and succeed in 2021 and beyond. In 2021, Jason Frank will be assuming the role of Finance Director and Erin Crerar will be the Finance DirectorElect. I am excited to continue to serve the Society as President-Elect as we guide the Society through these difficult times. The Society will continue to be there for its members. We will keep a razor-sharp focus on activities and resources that benefit our members and continue the legacy of a strong Society for many years to come. Jason and I would like to thank our new managing director Yarina Moharam and the entire staff in the CSPG office – this has been an incredibly challenging year and their hard work and creativity have maintained our activities and building upon the large portfolio of CSPG activities. n

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Student Awards/Scholarships Did you know there is over $15,000 available in CSPG student awards and scholarships? Scholarship/Award

Amount Available

Application Deadline

Regional Graduate Scholarship

$2500 x 4

January 31, 2021

Undergraduate Student Award

$1000 x 4

January 31, 2021

Field Work Research Award

$5000 x 3

March 31, 2021

Visit www.cspg.org/awards for nomination information. 28 R E S E R V O I R I S S U E 1 • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1

2021 CSPG Geological Calendar Wrap-up Markus Ebner

By now you have received your 2021 CSPG Annual Geological Calendar. Hopefully it is already hanging on your wall under your 2020 edition, ready to be enjoyed. The Committee and the CSPG would like to thank all the members that took the time to contribute their photos to the 2021 contest. I have been the chair of the CSPG Calendar for 10 years now and I have never seen so few entries come in, even with the extended deadline this year. The ongoing recession combined with the effects of COVID have made things immeasurably difficult within our professional and personal lives. This year we received a total of 45 entries (less than half we typically see) – with many from the usual suspects. We do appreciate you taking the time to put the submissions together – and we are happy to have been able to make the calendar happen this year budgetarily speaking -- with a lot of thanks to the continued support of our annual sponsors. The 2021 Calendar definitely has a strong Canadian geology contingent. Seven of the twelve photos are Canadian. Among those is the best photograph winner, taken by Pablo Lacerda Silva. A beautiful thin section photograph of a Phosphatized ammonite shell from the depths of the Triassic Doig Fm. in B.C.. We also see structure and stratigraphy highlighted in the Lizard Range, near Fernie, B.C. by Dave Robinson, while Naomi Wiebe shows us a spectacular shot taken in Yoho National Park showing broad structure within

BEST PHOTO WINNER Pablo Lacerda Silva Phosphate Zone, British Columbia

glaciated terrain. Closer to home for most of us, is a unique shot of Yamnuska at night with a comet overhead, taken by John Anderson. This year the sub category was Best Pareidolia photograph (essentially seeing faces or shapes in inanimate objects [in our case, within rocks]. Wayne Laturnas captures a lava flow from Hawai’i that has crystallised in to what perceivably appears as a seal, as almost waiting for a ball at the circus.

As always, I would like to thank Clint Tippett for his time spent on the judging committee with the selection of this year’s winners. As always, Clint has put in some significant time doing background research, cross referencing BEST SUB-CATEGORY and editing the captions. In (PAREIDOLIA) WINNER addition, discussions with Wayne Laturnas Peter Fermor, Mark Cooper, Volcanic Landscape, Hawai’i Island Marian Warren and Rob Chapman were helpful to refine and verify geological details. Thanks go to Emma MacPherson, our Publications Coordinator, who is always hard at work coordinating sponsorship and actually putting in all the legwork to put this calendar physically together. 2020 brought upon immense local and international challenges for every single person on this planet. With best wishes to everyone in 2021 -- health, happiness and prosperity. And, maybe for a total polar reversal (so to speak). Enjoy your calendar! n

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GEOTHERMAL TECHNICAL DIVISION

Geothermal Energy Potential of the Mount Meager Volcano – The Hottest Place in Canada BIOGRAPHY

Presenter: Steve Grasby, Geological Survey of Canada January 14, 2021, 12:00-1:00 pm Mountain Time E-Technical Division Talk

A B S T R AC T

anada stated goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 requires a significant transition to renewable energy resources. While wind and solar power have been a primary focus, their intermittent generation creates challenges to support a grid. Geothermal energy has many benefits compared with other renewables, principally it provides a highly stable, reliable, and dispatchable power supply. The reliability of geothermal energy is countered by the high exploration risk associated with drilling deep exploration wells to discover hot, and more critically, permeable reservoirs. Reducing these exploration risks requires novel geoscience tools. Mount Meager is the only active volcano in Canada, last erupting about 2400 years ago, and today being characterised by fumaroles and numerous thermal springs. During the energy crises of the late 70’s and early 80’s the federal government initiated a Geothermal Energy Program, responsible for collecting much of the geothermal data that exists today. As part of this now defunct program an exploration well was drilled on Mount Meager, this and subsequent wells defined the highest temperature thermal resource known in Canada, with 250 °C waters discovered at about 2 km depth. This is a world class thermal resource – that has never been developed. Initial attempts at power generation were marginally successful and it was determined that despite the high temperature, flow rate was insufficient to produce sufficient power. Permeability became the limiting factor for the project success.

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Dr. Stephen Grasby is a Senior Research Scientist at the Geological Survey of Canada and leader of the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt Geothermal Project. Since completion of his PhD in 1997 he has worked at the GSC on issues ranging from regional groundwater studies, groundwater systems in permafrost regimes of the High Arctic, and paleo-environment research of the Phanerozoic, mainly focused on stratigraphic records of the Arctic Islands. He has been leading the re-invigoration of geothermal research in the federal government, including a major 2012 report on geothermal potential of Canada. He is also currently President of Geothermal Canada.

HYDROGEOLOGY TECHNICAL DIVISION

Fugitive Methane Gas Migration around Alberta’s Petroleum Wells Presenter: Jason M. Abboud, BGC Engineering New ideas and methods for the prediction of highpermeability zones at depth are required. To this end the Geological Survey of Canada assembled a team assembled comprised of 34 researchers from a total of seven universities and government agencies. The research program is supported by Geoscience BC and the Natural Resources Canada Emerging Renewable Power Program. Researchers with expertise in geological and structural mapping, volcanology, geophysics (especially gravity, magnetotelluric, and passive seismic surveying), geochemistry, regional stress field analyses, and hydrogeology were brought together into one coherent research project starting in July 2019. The goal is to use an integrated approach to see into the heart of the mountain and enable clearer identification of high-permeability zones within the known thermal anomaly. The research is ongoing and this presentation will highlight the challenges of running a geothermal field program on a crumbly volcano, current findings of the research team, and future work.

E-Technical Division Talk

A B S T R AC T

ethane emission quantification from gas migration (GM) and surface casing vent flow (SCVF) is needed to support strategic methane reduction targets and mitigate explosion and groundwater quality risks. This paper assessed which of 451 990 Alberta oil and gas wells should have been (or will be) tested for SCVF and/or GM according to regulations and compared the results with the provincial GM testing database. As of 2017, GM testing was required on 3.5%, and reported for 0.75%, of Alberta’s energy wells. Similarly, SCVF testing was required on 58.2%, and reported for 6.2%, of all wells. An estimated 14.5% of all wells were legally abandoned before GM and SCVF testing regulations existed. All of the remaining wells will require SCVF testing prior to legal abandonment, and an estimated 32.9% to 75.5% of the total will not require GM testing before abandonment based on current regulations. The cumulative number of ‘serious’ GM reports that have remained open since submission has continuously been increasing each year, which contradicts the requirement for repair within 90 days, suggesting regulations are not enforced. The GM testing procedure is inadequate for quantitative testing. We conclude that fugitive methane emissions, and in particular gas migration, are not well constrained in Alberta. This presentation will focus on a paper by the same title published by Jason, Dr. M. Cathy Ryan, and Theresa L. Watson.

Jason Abboud recently finished his Master’s in Geoscience at the University of Calgary focusing on hydrogeology and geotechnical engineering. Prior to that, he completed undergraduate degrees in Geoscience and Biology and worked on various research projects ranging from water-borne diseases to modelling groundwater flooding. Most recently, Jason works as a Geoscientist at BGC Engineering in Calgary, Alberta. His efforts are mainly spent towards looking at pipeline susceptibility to geohazards and developing a remediation technique for mine tailings waste using bacteria, in partnership with Canadian universities. He is passionate about interdisciplinary work, and is interested in the intersection of science, policy, and economics.

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BIOGRAPHY

The research occurred on the traditional lands of Squamish and Lil’wat First Nations. Planning and field support by M. Bruce and T. Jenkins of Lil’wat First Nation is greatly appreciated. This research project could not have occurred without the contributions of all the researchers and students involved, including the following: from the Geological Survey of Canada, R. Bryant, Z. Chen, J. A. Craven, J. Liu, S. M. Ansari, and V. Tschirhart; from Simon Fraser University, A. Calahorrano-Di Patre, M. Muhammad, and G. WilliamsJones; from the University of Calgary, J. Dettmer, H. Gilbert, R. O. Salvage, and G. Savard; from the University of Alberta, C. Hanneson and M. J. Unsworth; from the University of British Columbia, M. Harris and K. Russell; and from Douglas College, N. VigourouxCaillibot. The research team greatly appreciates support from pilots M. Accurso, D. Vincent, and R. Sliger of No Limits Helicopters; and ongoing field support by Wayne Russell of Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. In addition, the field program was substantially supported by Innergex Renewable Energy, which provided lodging and logistical resources at its nearby run-of-river facility. C.Stenner provided the unique skills required to enter volcanic glacial ice caves.

February 2, 2021, 12:00-1:00 pm Mountain Time

GEOTHERMAL TECHNICAL DIVISION

Carbonates as they relate to green energy – An Overview taken from literature and work experience in the Western Canadian Basin

Presenter: Eva Drivet, Drivet Geological Consulting Ltd.

BIOGRAPHY

February 11, 2021, 12:00-1:00 pm Mountain Time E-Technical Division Talk

A B S T R AC T

evonian carbonates in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) have been the “bread and butter” of the petroleum industry since the mid 1900’s, with high impact discoveries like Leduc#1 in Alberta having a major influence on Canada’s oil production. Many of these carbonate reservoirs continue to produce hydrocarbons to this day. Fast forward to 2021, Canada’s energy sector is undergoing dramatic changes, triggering several green energy initiatives that could transform the way we look at carbonates today. A literature overview highlights possible geothermal targets in Devonian carbonates that produce a source of thermal energy for electrical generation and direct use (Hickson et al., 2020; Majorowicz and Grasby, 2020). Potential Formations identified include the Devonian Swan Hills (e.g. Virginia Hills, Banks et al. 2020), Leduc and Nisku along the Rimbey Meadowbrook and Bashaw reef trends, as well as the Nisku in the Brazeau area (Banks 2017; Alberta#1 Project Hickson et al. 2020a, Weydt et al. 2018). The same stratigraphic zones along these Devonian reef trends have been targeted by E3 Metals for lithium (E3 Metals, 2020a; E3 Metals, 2020b; Huff, 2016). Carbonates from the Devonian Duperow Formation in the Williston Basin (Leduc equivalent), have recently drawn attention for lithium potential (Nicolas, 2020; Jensen 2020). In British Columbia, near Fort Nelson, the brines associated with hydrocarbon production in the Middle Devonian Keg River and Slave Point Formations in the Clarke Lake gas field have been identified as a possible thermal energy source (Walsh and Tu, 2014). A geothermal resource characterization study by Minnick and Renaud (2020) is currently evaluating the Slave Point potential. Drilling and geothermal testing is planned for Q1-2021 to assess the economic viability of this project. While there are many aspects that need to be further investigated (technical, financial and regulatory), this review brings forward interesting observations and questions about the role and prospectivity of carbonate reservoirs in the WCSB as new green resources in the geothermal and lithium spaces, as well as their usage for CO2 Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS). This presentation will provide a summary on the basics of carbonates, a literature overview on the topic of green energy as it relates to the potential in these carbonate reservoirs, and will be combined with the author’s perspective and experience with Devonian carbonates of the WCSB.

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Eva uses an integrative and team approach, combined with a focus on looking at rocks, to solving geological problems, and finding opportunities, in carbonate reservoirs. While she continues to offer her services to the petroleum industry, she is also interested in expanding her knowledge on the role carbonates will play in the green energy landscape. She completed her M.Sc. under the supervision of Dr E.W. Mountjoy, one of her highly influential mentors and an internationally renowned carbonate sedimentologist. Her thesis area was in the Devonian Leduc Formation along the Rimbey Meadowbrook reef trend in Alberta. She is thrilled to see the same Leduc trend being showcased in the literature for geothermal and lithium energy potential, and nearby at Clive for a carbon capture project. Eva has twenty five years of experience working on exploration and development projects for major to intermediate sized petroleum companies: from Paleozoic carbonate reservoirs in the Williston Basin (Saskatchewan and Manitoba), to a focus on Devonian targets in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (Alberta and British Columbia). In the past ten years, Eva has been working as an independent consultant, generating opportunities within carbonate reservoirs for various companies. Eva has published several papers on the topics of carbonate sedimentology and diagenesis, and conducts industry short courses on carbonates. Eva Drivet is a registered Professional Geologist with APEGA, and an active member of the CSPG and AAPG.

OPERATIONS TECHNICAL DIVISION

Competition between Engineering and Geology in SAGD Caprock Integrity: How to convert geology into numbers Presenter: Mazda Irani, Ashaw Energy February 24, 2021, 12:00-1:00 pm Mountain Time E-Technical Division Talk

A B S T R AC T

n most thermal recovery processes, injection of high-pressure, high-temperature steam causes significant stress changes at the edge of the heated zone or steam chamber. These stress changes include shear dilation which can both enhance the absolute permeability and result in horizontal and vertical formation displacements. The importance of considering geomechanical effects in thermal recovery processes has been extensively discussed in the literature, but the prediction and surveillance of the resulting effects, such as the impact on production enhancement and reservoir displacement, have in many cases been neglected. Furthermore, converting geology data into numbers were also the biggest challenge. The questions such as scale effect? Fracture intensity? Plasticity? This presentation will focus on identification of main findings from an extensive monitoring program conducted on the original Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) pilot project conducted at the Underground Test Facility (UTF) in the late 1980s and a

seismic program conducted over the last several years by a SAGD operator at a commercial thermal recovery project. The framework to convert the geology information into numbers and make numbers meaningful for G&G. Geology is more important as we deal with more difficult scenarios. In the current geomechanical modelling in SAGD projects the impact of fractures intensity and clay consolidation is neglected and fracture growth and shearing modeling into the caprock is totally independent of G&G inputs. Ashaw Energy is currently developing a module on Caprock Integrity and Hydraulic-Fracturing in shale oil application, that is capable to include the G&G and engineering team to import their data and convert it into a model that is meaningful for both teams. While the discussion on the geomechanical effects in thermal recovery processes will no doubt continue, this presentation will provide field-supported results to illustrate both beneficial and potentially challenging impacts which the correct modelling would have in a thermal recovery project.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Mazda Irani is CTO of Ashaw Energy. He has 16 years of experience in oil and gas industry mostly in SAGD thermal operation in both reservoir and production design and optimization. Mazda has been involved in the design and development of new in-situ oil sands recovery processes, including the Nsolv solvent-based and Enhanced Solvent Extraction Incorporating Electromagnetic Heating (ESEIEH) electrical-heating based recovery processes. Mazda holds two PhD in Petroleum and Geomechanics and three MSc degrees in different aspect of engineering, including petroleum engineering. Dr. Irani has published and presented more than 70 technical papers and is named as the inventor on over seven patents on different aspects related to SAGD operation and teaches an SPE short-course on the fundamental reservoir and production aspects related to the SAGD recovery process.

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PALAEONTOLOGY TECHNICAL DIVISION

Understanding growth in the hadrosaur, Prosaurolophus maximus, from southwestern Alberta Presenter: Eamon Drysdale, MSc., University of Calgary January 15, 2021, 7:30-8:30 pm Mountain Time E-Technical Division Talk

adrosaurs, or duck-billed dinosaurs, are large herbivoures that were present during the Late Cretaceous period. Hadrosaurs can be divided into two sub-families, the lambeosaurines, or hollow-crested hadrosaurs, and the hadrosaurines, or solid or non-crested hadrosaurs, both of which have been found on almost every continent. This abundance of hadrosaurs has led to discoveries of specimens at almost every growth stage, making hadrosaurs an excellent group for studying dinosaur growth. In this study, we examine the changes that occur during growth in Prosaurolophus maximus, a hadrosaurine known from southern Alberta and northwestern Montana. This species is known for having a small bony crest located directly above the eye, which has been thought to have been used for sexual display. We examine three juvenile specimens of P. maximus, which represent the smallest known members of the species, using both morphometric and histological techniques, to better understand growth in this dinosaur species. Fifteen skulls of P. maximus, including the three juvenile specimens were examined using morphometric analyses to determine the rates at which bones in the skull change throughout growth. The results of these analyses indicate that the snout of P. maximus grew at a faster rate than the rest of the skull, which is a strong indicator that area was used for sexual display. In contrast, the crest of P. maximus grew at the same rate as the rest of the skull, suggesting that this area was not strongly related to a display feature. Due to these results, we

hypothesize that P. maximus had a soft-tissue display structure associated with the snout, and that its bony crest was not strongly associated with sexual display in this species, unlike what was previously thought. Histological sections of the three juvenile specimens, and one large specimen were taken in order to determine the biological age of those specimens. These biological ages were then compared with skull morphology in each specimen, to determine the developmental timing of the display structure present in P. maximus, and compared to tibial circumference of each specimen, a proxy for body mass, to create a growth curve for the species. The results of this analysis showed that the examined specimens ranged between the ages of three and seven when they died. When these ages were compared, it showed that the crest is poorly developed at age three, has started developing at age four, and is fully developed at age seven. Additionally, the large P. maximus individual that was examined had yet to reach skeletal maturity, suggesting the species may reach a maximum body size larger than represented by currently known specimens, perhaps with a skull length approaching the size of its relative Saurolophus angustirostris. Finally, the reconstructed growth rate for P. maximus demonstrated that its growth rate is much lower than other hadrosaurines, and is closer to that observed in lambeosaurines, suggesting that environmental differences or the complexity of display structures may play a larger role during growth than previously thought.

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Eamon Drysdale grew up in London, Ontario. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Western Ontario, where he completed an Honour’s Thesis project examining the mineralogy of Palaeozoic stromatoporoids under Dr. Jisuo Jin and Dr. Roberta Flemming. He then completed an MSc in Geoscience at the University of Calgary under Dr. Darla Zelenitsky and Dr. François Therrien investigating the growth and development of the hadrosaur species Prosaurolophus maximus using three juvenile specimens from the Bearpaw Formation of southern Alberta. His current research interests focus on understanding the evolutionary factors influencing growth and sexual display in hadrosaurs.

BIOGRAPHY

A B S T R AC T

PALAEONTOLOGY TECHNICAL DIVISION

Adapting to life in the soup: The fauna of the Cretaceous Upper Chalk Presenter: Jon Noad, SediMental Services

A B S T R AC T

halk seas covered much of the Late Cretaceous world and outcrop from the White Cliffs of Dover in the UK, one of the Earth’s most famous geological landmarks, to as far as western Australia. Fossils are often perfectly preserved in the very fine-grained sediment, providing an excellent opportunity to study their morphology. Little consideration has been given to the morphology of the living organisms and the various styles of preservation, and this talk will address these issues. The stratigraphy of the Chalk has been refined in recent years, and this talk will focus on the Upper Chalk or White Chalk. Chalk is composed primarily of coccolithophores, tiny circular discs formed as plankton disintegrate after death. These were deposited as thick, fluidized oozes in shallow warm seas, with little sediment input. Evidence of cyclicity in the sedimentation is demonstrated by the interbedded layers of flints, often representing casts of shrimp

February 19, 2021, 7:30-8:30 pm Mountain Time E-Technical Division Talk

burrows. Common cemented hardgrounds were formed during pauses in sedimentation that may relate to relative sea level highs. So, what types of organisms colonized the soupy, thixotropic seabed? Many of the inhabitants appear to show adaptations to the soft conditions, with giant flattened bivalves acting like snowshoes. Other bivalves were covered with long spines that may have stopped them sinking into the substrate. The most abundant macrofauna were echinoids (sea urchins), including the heart shaped Micraster, which rapidly evolved as it perfected a lifestyle half buried in the sediment. Other echinoderms, such as the domed Echinocorys, also seem to have adapted to life within the soup. Their tests are commonly colonized after death, suggesting periodical scouring of the seabed. There was also a rich pelagic fauna living in the water Figure 2. The sea urchin Micraster column. Ammonites and squid(photograph from the Natural like belemnites squirted water History Museum, London). as a form of jet propulsion, while some sea lilies abandoned the seafloor to live a nomadic life in the water column. Vertebrates include fossil fish, a variety of sharks (mostly known only from their dentition due to their cartilaginous skeletons), and most notably marine reptiles that include the fearsome mosasaurs. One gigantic specimen from Maastricht was so famous that it even had a beer named after it.

FIGURE 1. The White Cliffs of Dover, UK (photograph from Wikipedia). Alberta Palaeontological Society • Twenty-fourth Annual Symposium, Abstracts • March 21 and 22, 2020

A wealth of often contrasting evidence will be presented to suggest that many of the benthic organisms evolved odd morphological features specifically to cope with the unusually fluidized seabed, and the audience will be left to make up their own minds as to whether this was the case.

BIOGRAPHY Jon Noad graduated from Imperial College, London in 1985 and moved to South Africa to work on gold and platinum mines. He re- turned to the UK in 1990 becoming a marine geologist laying submarine cables. A Masters in Sedimentology at evening classes was followed by a Ph.D. based in Borneo, leading to a job exploring for oil in the Middle East with Shell. In 2006 Jon moved to Canada and roles as Frontier Team Lead (Shell Canada), Exploration Manager (Murphy Oil) and Senior Geologist (Husky Energy) followed. In 2016 he set up Sedimental Services to teach industry classes in field geology, core and classroom courses, and taught students at the U of A and MRU. He joined Gran Tierra in 2018. In his spare time Jon likes running, wildlife photography, travel and hot curries.

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STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY TECHNICAL DIVISION

Wild Card – Natural Fractures in the Devonian Duvernay Formation, Western Canada Sedimentary Basin BIOGRAPHY

Presenter: Carolyn Currie, Core Laboratories Canada Ltd January 7, 2021, 12:00-1:00 pm Mountain Time E-Technical Division Talk

A B S T R AC T

he Duvernay Formation is western Canada’s quintessential organic-rich shale play that operators keep battling with. It is Devonian in age and diverse in both geographical area and lithological characteristics. The Duvernay is simply the distal, organic-rich end member of the Leduc reefs, however, the distribution of lithofacies (carbonate, mudstones and shales) within, complicates matters with a surprise waiting with every core taken. Shales plays are extremely complex systems in which numerous factors are at play when considering if these plays will be economic or not. Allocation of production can come from a number of different places from within the stimulated rock volume (SRV), including the matrix (nano-darcy), unpropped fractures (milli-darcy) and propped fractures (microdarcy). The wild card in this formula is the presence of a natural fracture network in the SRV and is often poorly understood. The identification of faults and fractures should be part of any good core description process and is especially important when talking about shale plays. This presentation will focus on the wild card – natural fracturing in the Duvernay. Taking a subsurface tour around the Duvernay Formation, looking at key cores, we will identify abundance, type and orientation of the natural fracture network observed. Furthermore, extrapolating and locating these natural fractures along the lateral length can be achieved using a number of technologies, including tracers and drilling log data. Taking learnings made on core and being able to apply it to the lateral can only aid in a more efficient engineered hydraulic fracturing strategy to maximize the ultimate SRV.

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Carolyn Currie has held key positions as senior geologist and project lead at Core Laboratories, working on various unconventional plays in North America and globally including Duvernay, Montney, Wilrich/Spirit River, Eagle Ford, Marcellus, Midland Basin and Deep-Water Mozambique. She currently serves as the Manager of Rock Properties, leading such projects as the Duvernay, Montney and Wilrich/ Spirit River consortia studies in the Canadian office. Throughout her time at Core Laboratories and previous projects (including her master’s project), she had logged, described, interpreted and integrated 500+ cores ranging from unconventional shales, tight sand formations, deep water sandstones, heavy oil/oil sand cores.

STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY TECHNICAL DIVISION

P1: Observed subtle structures within the Montney at Gold Creek and why they matter

February 4, 2021, 12:00-1:00 pm Mountain Time E-Technical Division Talk

A B S T R AC T he Montney at Gold Creek is so structurally “quiet” that we often find ourselves searching for lineaments and features to explain phenomena that are otherwise seemingly unexplainable. However, with a robust data collection program coupled with a variety of interpretation techniques we continue to identify faults and fractures, piecing together the structural story of the area. Furthermore, we have been able to correlate these subtle structures back to dynamic reservoir processes with the ultimate aim of understanding their impact on productivity.

Pippa Murphy is a geoscientist at Velvet Energy Ltd. She works with a multi disciplinary team whose primary focus is to drive optimization across Velvet’s Montney assets through fully integrated reservoir characterization and modelling.

BIOGRAPHY

P2: Montney Petrophysics, Overturning the Interpretation A B S T R AC T

hy does petrophysics quantify a horizontally layered reservoir in a format that parallels a vertical wellbore? Standard petrophysical displays generate a volume track which is a ratio of clay and mineral volumes punctuated by hydrocarbon or water-filled pore space. This works well for a massive conventional reservoir having clear transitions between the gas cap, the oil zone and the underlying water. This is not the Montney reservoir with its subtle transitions between sand and silt, its low porosity and ultra-low permeability, all of which conspire to yield variable, sometimes perplexing, well results. Furthermore, the industry has moved its focus to lamination analysis to better understand hydraulic fracture propagation, using the image log and resistivity-based sand-count as inputs to Mechanical Earth Models (MEM). What’s a petrophysicist to do?

A new petrophysical track is being presented which flips the standard display by 90 degrees, clearly imaging the Montney’s layered structure, ascribing porosity, saturation and bulk volume water to each variant. The track, called the Synthetic Image Log (SIL) is created from a deterministic petrophysical model using just basic well logs: gamma, neutron, density, PE and resistivity curves. The SIL will be shown to delineate the same reservoir changes as acquired micro-resistivity image logs and demonstrate that horizontal trajectories are traversing multiple subunits, each having different potential productivity. This observation could be key to explaining unexpected well results. The SIL method limits the inherent bias and potential error of single-curve interpretive techniques and greatly increases the number of wells available for input into MEMs, as it doesn’t rely on “advanced” well logs. It will be interesting to compare the SIL results to see if they match specific rock fabric intervals delineated by advanced lamination index analysis.

BIOGRAPHY

Presenter: Pippa Murphy, Velvet Energy Ltd.

Presenter: Sandra Bleue, Petrophysics Outsource Inc. Sandra began her petrophysical career in 2005 with BG International, building a petrophysical model of the Baldonnel Formation. Since 2016, Sandra has been developing the concept of the Synthetic Image Log through a 50 well study of the Montney. She formed the consulting company, Petrophysics Outsource Inc. in 2011 and earned a Post-Graduate Diploma of Petroleum Engineering from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh in 2017.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021

2020 R.J.W. Douglas Medal Citation Ian McIlreath

The R.J.W. Douglas Medal is awarded yearly by the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists to those who best emulate the scientific qualities of an extraordinary geologist, Dr. Robert J.W. Douglas (Geological Survey of Canada). The medal is therefore awarded to an individual for outstanding scientific contributions to the understanding of sedimentary geology and, just as importantly, commending major contributions to regional tectonics and structural geology that are important to petroleum geology in Canada.

RECIPIENT The 2020 recipient, Dr. Benoit Beauchamp, Professor at the University of Calgary, is a truly remarkable geologist whose rich, multi-faceted and innovative contributions encompass nearly all tectonic-stratigraphic aspects of basin analysis in the Arctic.

Based on 25 net years of field work worldwide, Dr. Beauchamp has produced benchmark contributions in the areas of methane seep carbonates, reef development, cool-water carbonates and biosiliceous sedimentation, which are now considered the cornerstones of entire new fields of investigation. He also produced comprehensive Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) Bulletins, papers and maps that shed light into the tectonic evolution and origin of subsidence during the early development of the Sverdrup Basin, and demonstrated a close link between tectonic pulses and development of stratigraphic sequences. He has pushed the concept of basin analysis globally to examine far field tectonic influences on sedimentary basins with strong insights into earth systems causes for tectonic, paleogeographic, oceanographic, climatic, biotic and compositional shifts. Along with his students and colleagues, he has shown that major shifts in the earth system can be linked to seemingly abrupt shifts in global tectonics, including plate reorganization and associated volcanic events.

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Professor Beauchamp has significantly contributed to a better understanding of the Sverdrup Basin’s petroleum system in producing contributions that addresses various aspects of petroleum geology in the Arctic, including the Norwegian Barents Sea. He is also one of the world’s most knowledgeable Carboniferous-Permian reef experts whose many contributions about various buildups and their biota and processes, often associated with coeval tectonic activity and fault development, have helped to shed light on the many structures that are imaged seismically in the Barents Sea (Norway) and the Timan-Pechora Basin (Russia) where they constitute primary targets for oil and gas. The remarkable similarity between the Late Paleozoic succession of the Sverdrup Basin and that of the Norwegian Barents Sea where carbonate reefs are seismically-imagined exploration targets have led Dr. Beauchamp to produce industry-sponsored reports and papers comparing the Sverdrup succession with that of the Barent’s Sea. Most, if not all, of the companies exploring in the Upper Palaozoic in these areas have sought his geological advice and expertise. Dr. Beauchamp is also a leader in the area of cool-water carbonate factories with several landmark papers describing the differences between these most unique deposits and their warm-water counterparts. He was the very first to describe an abrupt Early Permian shift from protozoan (warm-water) to heterozoan (coolwater) in the Sverdrup Basin (Arctic Canada), which has now been recognized by a multitude of researchers all along the northern and western margins of Pangea, from the Ural foredeep and the Barents Sea, down to western Canada and USA. In the same vein, he was the first to recognize the significance of biosiliceous chert expansion, and concomitant eradication of carbonate factories,

Dr. Benoit Beauchamp is indeed a most worthy recipient of the R.J.W. Douglas Medal, based largely on his career of field-based research his rich, multi-faceted and innovative contributions encompass nearly all tectonostratigraphic aspects of basin analysis in the Arctic.

in the shallow areas of the Sverdrup Basin in the Middle to Late Permian, for which he and his colleagues coined the term “Glass Ramp”, a term now widely used in the literature to describe this most unique facies which has analogues all along western North America. Benoit predicted porosity would occur in cool-water cherts in angular unconformity occurrence to overlying Triassic shales. This new play concept has now been validated by drilling results in the Barents Sea. The upward transition from warm to cool-water carbonates in the Early Permian in the Sverdrup Basin resulted in the change from tropical conditions with healthy reefs and the usual diagenesis leading to the ultimate development of reservoir porosity. These are succeeded by carbonates deposited in cool-water conditions with buildups dominated by non-porous (tight) mud mounds. Both present very tempting seismic targets but in the latter case with potentially devastating exploration results. Dr. Robert (Bob) Douglas was an outstanding mentor, mentoring such notable geologists as Dr. Raymond Price (Queen’s University, GSC). Although not technically in the stated criteria for the Douglas Medal, we still feel that it is important to note that Dr. Beauchamp has trained and supervised a whole new generation of wellrounded geologists, most of whom through field-based projects in the Arctic. And as a skilled organizer, he has put together some of the most successful scientific conferences in western Canada (e.g. Arctic Gussow Conference). It is also very worthwhile to point

out that throughout Benoit’s career, he has been a pioneering champion promoting inclusion and gender diversity in hiring women for field work and for graduate research. His graduate students are exceptionally well trained in basin analysis and in the fundamentals of geology based on field experience. Dr. Beauchamp has published extensively on regional (Arctic) to global multidisciplinary aspects of basin analysis, with significant contributions in the areas of sedimentary geology, regional tectonics, earth systems dynamics, and petroleum geology, with a strong emphasis on the Late Paleozoic time interval when the super-continent Pangea came together through various plate collisions following which its global ecosystems collapsed and gave way to a whole new world in the Mesozoic. He is also one of Canada’s most active communicators of geoscience, having given more than two hundred talks to national and international audiences. His Arctic research and his promotion of sound development of resources in the far north have been reported nearly two hundred times in the mainstream media. Dr. Benoit Beauchamp is indeed a most worthy recipient of the R.J.W. Douglas Medal, based largely on his career of field-based research his rich, multi-faceted and innovative contributions encompass nearly all tectono-stratigraphic aspects of basin analysis in the Arctic. His rich contributions to Canadian geosciences sit solely at the interface between sedimentary geology, tectonics and hydrocarbon resources. n

Interview with R.J.W. Douglas Medal Winner – Benoit Beauchamp

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021

GEOWOMEN TALK

Discussion of Indigenous Relationship with the Land, Understanding the Treaties and the Intent of a Proper Land Acknowledgement Speaker: Jessica Vandenberghe, P.Eng, M.Sc. January 19, 2021 | 12:00 - 1:00 pm Mountain Time E-Talk (GoToWebinar)

A B S T R AC T

he journey of Indigenous People on Turtle Island (North America) is one of great importance. We have been here thousands of years and many generations and have a culture of respect and stewardship for not only each other but also the land. Efforts are being made by many as we continue working towards Truth and Reconciliation and one effort

has been the introduction of land acknowledgements. For this to be a meaningful gesture, the understanding of the Indigenous relationship with land is needed, along with an understanding behind the treaties and agreement on what is the intent of a proper land acknowledgement. Join me for a discussion on this very topic.

Her career has taken her to communities large and small around the nation and she has sat on many boards and councils with stakeholders such as federal, provincial and municipal governments, with First Nations, Metis Settlements and Metis Nations, as well as academic institutions and

private industry. As a mother of two and an Indigenous female engineer, she is passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion along with Truth and Reconciliation. She currently is the Assistant Dean (Outreach) and Industrial Professor - Indigenous Engineering for the University of Alberta, Faculty of Engineering, where she oversees a wide portfolio that contributes to the development of well rounded and ethically minded engineering students who will ultimately help to build strong and vibrant communities within Canada.

About GeoWomen Anyone in the geoscience and energy community in Calgary is welcome.

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We will make an effort to focus on topics of interest to women.

We aim to appeal to a broad range of experience levels.

BIOGRAPHY

Jessica Vandenberghe, P.Eng., M.Sc. has worked in the oilsands, mining, regulatory, infrastructure, and consulting industries. She holds a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering Computer Process Control Co-op and an M.Sc. in Chemical and Mining Engineering, both from the University of Alberta.

GEOWOMEN TALK

Dealing with Adversity: The Journey of a Hard of Hearing Female Geologist A B S T R AC T

Speaker: Jennifer Kingsbury February 16, 2021 | 12:00 - 1:00 pm Mountain Time

ealing with adversity is a life skill, especially with the current upheavals in our society. We are experiencing change in how we work, in our health systems, energy systems and economies. How can we adapt as individuals? How can we live with and thrive through events over which we have no control?

E-Talk (GoToWebinar)

Join GeoWomen for a talk about someone who was born with severe hearing loss and how dealing with life-long adversity made a person who is resilient, adaptable and successful. She will also talk about how physically disabled people can bring unique skills to the workforce that can contribute to a company or team’s success. She will share these insights about her journey and inspire people to overcome barriers even when the odds are stacked against them.

Rocks have always been her passion and she has had an impressive rock collection since

grade two. Jennifer adores reading books of all genres and practicing her new sommelier skills with her WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) level 2 certification. She loves all kinds of sports, but in particular she enjoys rock climbing, sailing and hiking the most. She loves to travel to new destinations around the world and enjoys investigating the area’s history and vineyards. Jennifer is currently volunteering with GeoWomen as their events coordinator and has mentored recently immigrated geologists helping them navigate Calgary’s geoscience community through Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Council.

To showcase the achievements of women in the geoscience and energy community.

RESERVOIR ISSUE 1 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021

BIOGRAPHY

Jennifer is a 21-year professional petroleum geologist that has worked in all kinds of exploration and production companies in a technical capacity from exploration to reservoir geology. Jennifer has worked at Crestar Energy, Burlington Resources Canada, Devlan Exploration, Compton Petroleum Corp, Ravenwood Energy and Harvest Operations Corp. She has recently consulted with Karve Energy under her own consulting company, Kingsbury GeoScience Inc. She was born and raised in Calgary and received her B.Sc. in Geology here at U of C.

2020 CSPG Award Recipients Career Awards

Technical Awards

STANLEY SLIPPER GOLD MEDAL

MEDAL OF MERIT

For Outstanding Career Contributions to Oil & Gas Exploration in Canada

For Best Paper Related to Canadian Petroleum Geology

Lorena Moscardelli

Jesús Ochoa

Ian Lunt

Laura Zahm

Dean E.G. Potter

“Mixed siliciclastic-Carbonate systems and their impact for the development of deep-water turbidites in continental margins: A case study from the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous Shelburne subbasin in offshore Nova Scotia” American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, Vol. 103, No. 10, p. 2487-2520. (October 2019)

HONORARY MEMBERSHIP

R.J.W. DOUGLAS MEDAL

For Distinguished Service to the Society

For Outstanding Contributions to the Understanding of Sedimentary Geology in Canada

Benoit Beauchamp

Noel P. James

Volunteer Awards H.M. HUNTER AWARD Jen Russel-Houston

PRESIDENT’S AWARD

For Distinguished Service to the Society

For Outstanding Service by a CSPG Member

James (Jim) Barclay

Shelley Leggitt

W. (Steve) Donaldson

TRACKS AWARD For Members Who Have Set New Standards of Excellence

Jeanine Vany

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THANK YOU TO ALL THE CSPG SPONSORS TITANIUM

PLATINUM

S I LV E R

BRONZE

CORPORATE SUPPORTERS Cabra Consulting Ltd.

Magus Engineering Limited

Ridgeback Resources Ltd.

Tri Alta Projects

Belloy Petroleum Consulting

McDaniel & Associates Consultants Ltd.

Rockhound Advisory Corp.

Santos Inc.

National Oilwell Varco (Varco Canada ULC)

Sleeman Breweries Ltd.

Eucalyptus Consulting

XRF Solutions Ltd

GLJ Petroleum Consultants Ltd.

Mount Royal University H2Sweet MJ Systems Weatherford International

Petrocraft Products Ltd.

Husky Energy Inc. Midwest Surveys

As of December 2020

Since 1927, CSPG has been dedicated to supporting its members, by continuously offering new opportunities to enhance their skills and enrich their experience, from events to publications to grants to awards and more. Join CSPG, and:

Be part of the science. Be part of the legacy. Be part of CSPG.

• Benefit from member discounts on all conferences, luncheons and webinars • Advance your technical skills through our revised educational program • Attend more than 20 free technical talks offered every year • Have fun checking out rocks through our field trips • Engage with specialised CSPG communities • Sharpen your technical skills through peer reviewed papers in the Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology • Expand your knowledge through articles in the digital Reservoir magazine • Learn new skills by volunteering with any of CSPG’s programs • Network with like-minded geoscientists • Share your experiences through CSPG’s upcoming mentorship program • Build your professional brand through our communications opportunities • Receive grants and awards for your distinguished work

Join today! www.cspg.org