March 2018 Outcrop

OUTCROP Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Volume 67 • No. 3 • March 2018

2018 Summit Sponsors Platinum Sponsor

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Foundation Energy

NORTH RANCH RESOURCES

OUTCROP | March 2018

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Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

OUTCROP The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

910 16th Street • Suite 1214 • Denver, CO 80202 • 303-573-8621 The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists (RMAG) is a nonprofit organization whose purposes are to promote interest in geology and allied sciences and their practical application, to foster scientific research and to encourage fellowship and cooperation among its members. The Outcrop is a monthly publication of the RMAG.

2018 OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT

2st VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT

Terri Olson tmolson8550@gmail.com

Sophie Berglund sberglund@raisaenergy.com

PRESIDENT-ELECT

TREASURER

Tom Sperr tsperr@bayless-cos.com

Robin Swank robin.swank@gmail.com

1st VICE PRESIDENT

TREASURER-ELECT

David Katz davidkatz76@gmail.com

Eryn Bergin eryn.bergin@aec-denver.com

1st VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT

SECRETARY

Heather LaReau heatherthegeologist@gmail.com

Anna Phelps aphelps@sm-energy.com

2nd VICE PRESIDENT

COUNSELOR

Tracy Lombardi tracy.lombardi@inflectionenergy.com

Jim Emme jim_emme@yahoo.com

RMAG STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Barbara Kuzmic bkuzmic@rmag.org MEMBERSHIP & EVENTS MANAGER

Hannah Rogers hrogers@rmag.org ACCOUNTANT

Carol Dalton cdalton@rmag.org PROJECTS SPECIALIST

Kathy Mitchell-Garton kmitchellgarton@rmag.org LEAD EDITOR

Cheryl Fountain cwhitney@alumni.nmt.edu ASSOCIATE EDITORS

ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Rates and sizes can be found on page 34. Advertising rates apply to either black and white or color ads. Submit color ads in RGB color to be compatible with web format. Borders are recommended for advertisements that comprise less than one half page. Digital files must be PC compatible submitted in png, jpg, tif, pdf or eps formats at a minimum of 300 dpi. If you have any questions, please call the RMAG office at 303-573-8621.

Ad copy, signed contract and payment must be received before advertising insertion. Contact the RMAG office for details.

DEADLINES: Ad submissions are the 1st of every month for the following month’s publication.

Kira Timm kira.k.timm@gmail.com Ron Parker ron@bhigeo.com Holly Sell holly.sell@yahoo.com DESIGN/LAYOUT

Nate Silva nate@nate-silva.com

WEDNESDAY NOON LUNCHEON RESERVATIONS

RMAG Office: 303-573-8621 | Fax: 808-389-4090 | staff@rmag.org or www.rmag.org The Outcrop is a monthly publication of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

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Outcrop | March 2018 OUTCROP

A t

t h e

D e n v e r

P l a c e

999 Eighteenth Street, Denver, Colorado 80202

Registration is open!

Register at www.rmag.org.

Member: $300 | Non-Member: $350 | Student: $150

April 11-12, 2018 Ralph A. Cantafio - Partner and Attorney

Abstract Petroleum geologists play a vital role in oil discovery, and a diverse cross-section of upstream activities, but often possess only a dim understanding of the often parallel legal process that is advancing simultaneously with the work being done by their professional counterparts. This short-course aims to provide a sound legal foundation to these scientists focusing on the issues that arise impacting the oil and gas industry.

Oil and Gas Law for Geologists will address essential factual, legal, regulatory, political and legislative issues to provide a more broad-based appreciation and awareness of these issues to equip the learner and his or her organization for more efficient business and work product management in light of the significant legal challenges that arise in the exploration and production of oil and gas. An objective of this class is to not make petroleum geologists into lawyers, but to provide a broader understanding of how the legal process impacts the identification and development of oil and gas assets.

This course will examine the legal theories upon what the oil and gas industry has utilized and applied, methods for acquiring developmental rights, review basic contracts and agreements customarily used in the oil and gas industry, analyze the fundamentals of oil and gas permitting, and examine the subtleties of property and mineral ownership. There will be considerable attention dedicated to reviewing and understanding legal theory, contracts, deeds, and a wide array of agreements typically used in permitting, the entitlement process, and development of oil and gas assets.

Students will be exposed to the essentials necessary for organizations to draft, negotiate, implement, and secure land-use approvals, lending the petroleum geologist a better appreciation as to how their discipline works into the greater scheme of the oil and gas industry. The instructor will provide case studies, use PowerPoint presentations, and allow for open discussion as learning tools used in this course.

Biography With an extensive history in law and knowledge of the Oil and Gas industry, Ralph practices oil and gas law in Alaska, Colorado, North Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. Not only is Ralph a shareholder of a law firm, with offices located in Denver and Steamboat Springs, Colorado, that emphasizes oil and gas law, but he is also an adjunct professor teaching oil and gas related classes. Ralph currently teaches in the Global Energy Management Program at the University of Colorado Denver. Mr. Cantafio has also lectured foreign professionals, primarily from Nigeria and China, focusing on international oil and gas law, industry, as well as international natural resources law.

His education includes not only a Juris Doctorate from the University of Colorado School of Law, but a Master of Science in Mineral Economics from the prestigious Colorado School of Mines and a Master of Science in Global Energy Management from the University of Colorado-Denver, where he now teaches. With two professional oil and gas certificates in Petroleum Land Management and Energy Finance from the University of Denver, numerous professional affiliations and publications as well as numerous industry presentations, Ralph’s knowledge of the oil and gas industry is extensive.

email:OUTCROP staff@rmag.org | 2018 phone: 303.573.8621 | March 910 16th Street #1214, Denver, CO, 80202

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fax: 888.389.4090 | | www.rmag.org web: www.rmag.org Vol. 67, No. 3 follow: @rmagdenver

OUTCROP Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

CONTENTS FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

26 Lead Story: Application of UAVbased photogrammetry for outcrop characterization of fluvial deposits of the Burro Canyon Formation, Piceance Basin, Colorado

8 RMAG February 2018 Board of Directors Meeting

ASSOCIATION NEWS

20 RMAG Luncheon Programs: Rebekah Simon

2 RMAG 2018 Summit Sponsors 4 RMAG April 2018 Short Course 6 RMAG/DAPL Geoland Ski Day 9 AAPG ACE, Salt Lake City Short Course 11 Geo Train Trip to AAPG Ace, Salt Lake City

12 President’s Letter 18 RMAG Luncheon Programs: David Schmude and Brian Berwick

22 Welcome New RMAG Members!

24 In The Pipeline 34 Outcrop Advertising Rates 36 Advertiser Index 36 Calendar

13 2018 RMAG Golf Tournament 15 2018 Sporting Clay Tournament

COVER PHOTO The Gunnison River Valley dissects Cretaceous and Jurassic units along the Escalante-Dominguez Reservation area from Grand Junction and Delta, Colorado. Outcrops from the Dakota to the Entrada formations are astonishingly well exposed.

Photo by Javier Tellez.

33 Call For Papers – RMAG/ DWLS Fall Symposium

Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

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OUTCROP | March 2018

RMAG ♦♦ DAPL

GeoLand Ski Day

Friday, March 2, 2018

More Event Details:

https://dapldenver.org/event/dapl-rmag-geoland-ski-day-2018/ Ticket Type

Price

Party Bus & Party Bus & Lift ticket Lift ticket & Party WHOLE PACKAGE!

$65 $95 $100 $140 $160

*Double the Door Prizes* Now accepting sponsors - Submit Sponsorship: https://dapldenver.org/product/event-sponsorship/

Sponsorship Levels

Bus

$1,500+

Extreme Terrain

$1,000+

Double Black Diamond

$750+

Black Diamond

$500+

Nastar

$500+

Blue

$250+

Green

$100+

For 2018 sponsorship opportunities, contact one of the committee chairs:

DAPL Chairs ♦♦ Meg Gibson ♦ meg@majorsgibson.com ♦♦ Patsy Botts ♦ 303-925-0696 RMAG Chairs ♦♦ Tom Sperr ♦ tsperr@bayless-cos.com OUTCROP | March 2018

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Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

RMAG ♦♦ DAPL

GeoLand Ski Day

Thanks, Extreme Terrain 2017 sponsors!

[YOUR COMPANY HERE] For 2018 sponsorship opportunities, contact one of the committee chairs:

DAPL Chairs ♦♦ Meg Gibson ♦ meg@majorsgibson.com ♦♦ Patsy Botts ♦ 303-925-0696 RMAG Chairs ♦♦ Tom Sperr ♦ tsperr@bayless-cos.com Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

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OUTCROP | March 2018

RMAG FEBRUARY 2018 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

By Anna Phelps, Secretary aphelps@sm-energy.com

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Timm. Welcome Kira! The On the Rocks Committee already has 5 exciting trips planned for 2018 and 4 other trips in the works.

There will be a lot of opportunities to get on an outcrop this summer! The Science Educational

OUTCROP | March 2018

to plan the Career Fair. They are looking for a keynote speaker, hiring managers, recruiters, and volunteers for that event. The Publications Committee reported that there have been $644 in publication sales to date in 2018. The Outcrop has a new editor, Kira

Greetings rock-loving friends!

I hope you had a splendid February full of whatever keeps your toes warm in the winter – perhaps ski boots, tropical sand, a cozy fire, or a warm microscope.

The February meeting of the RMAG Board of Directors was held on February 21, 2018 at 4 PM. All board members except David Katz and Robin Swank were present. Barbara Kuzmic reported on behalf of Treasurer Robin Swank that there is no revenue to report for January and fewer expenses in January than in previous years. Executive Director Barbara Kuzmic reported that there are 1,459 members with a number of members still in the grace period for membership renewal. The 2018 Summit Sponsorship was a huge success! Total sponsorship was $113,000, which is $45,000 more than in 2017.

Thank you to all of the Summit Sponsors! The RMAG website will be redesigned in the next couple of months, so keep an eye out for an exciting new front page.

The Continuing Education Committee has two upcoming events planned. Ralph A. Cantafio is teaching the “Oil and Gas Law for Geologists” short course April 11-12. An evening with Scott Tinker will be held on July 26 at the Chop House. There will also be a meet and greet with Scott for the Mentorship Program mentees the morning of July 26. The Membership Committee is continuing

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Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

AAPG ACE , Salt Lake City Short Course Presented by the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Petrography of Mudrock Hydrocarbon Reservoirs

Saturday, May 19, 2018 | 8:00am - 5:00pm Instructors Lyn Canter (Whiting Petroleum), Mark Longman (QEP Resources), David Hull (Devon), Joe Macquaker (ExxonMobil), Terri Olson (Digital Rock Petrophysics)

This course is designed for geologists, petrophysicists and managers who desire a better understanding of mudrock reservoirs and the technology used to investigate their composition, evolution, and pore systems. This one-day course will focus on applications of pore-scale imaging techniques, with most of the time dedicated to case studies of unconventional oil and gas reservoirs. Quantitative as well as qualitative results will highlight the utility of various methods.

Register online at ace.aapg.org/2018/ email: sta@rmag.org

phone: 303.573.8621

Vol. No. 3 | #1214, www.rmag.org 91067, 16th Street Denver, CO, 80202

fax: 888.389.4090

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web: www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | March 2018 follow: @rmagdenver

RMAG FEBRUARY 2018 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

Susan Spancers

Susan Spancers MCEP, RFC, AACEP, NICEP, CSA RFC, AACEP, NICEP, CSAof Mind” HelpingMCEP, You Create Financial “Peace

»»CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

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OUTCROP Marty Hall

Program Development Manager Multi-Client Services

www.rmag.org

7765 Windwood Way P.O. Box 549 Parker, CO 80134 USA

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ENGINEERING,INC.

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OUTCROP | March 2018

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Outreach Committee is excited to announce a new Outreach Coordinator, Anita Thapalia. Mel Klinger is continuing to assemble PowerPoints, rock samples, and other materials to take into schools. ® There are a number of committees PetroFecta fromthat are in need of volunteers. Remember your New Year’s resolution Fluid Inclusion to get more involved in RMAG? Here is your golden opportunity! ConsiderTechnologies joining one of these committees: Continuing Education, Special Publications, Memberis a unique approach combining ® ship, Educational Outreach, Social Planning, XRF (PDQ-XRF ), Trapped Fluid Analysis or Professional Awards. There are applications for each com(FIS ®), and High Resolution Photography mittee on the RMAG website.

(RockEye ®) of the entire wellbore from Anyone else feeling nostalgic for summer sunsets cuttings or coreinsamples of any age.Range? If over crinoidalwell wackestones the Bridger you guessed Lodgepole Limestone as the answer to All analyses are conducted on the same last month’s Name that Formation, you were correct! gramhad sample to 575 samples well) was, Well done! If1you no(upidea what theper answer an analytical cycleup of four days. may I suggest awith summer outing Sacagawea Peak in the Bridger Range? Bring your rock hammer to pry Data provided on a DVD with out crinoids and rain coat for those afternoon thunpreviewer derstorms. The outcrop won’tsoftware. disappoint! And now for this month’s Name that Formation!

This Late Cretaceous Formation forms iconic buff-colored sandstone bluffs across western Wyoming and parts of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Utah.

The Formation outcrops just 30 miles from where it Information about PetroFecta ® produces in the subsurface. I’ve found sharks teeth in and other FIT services, the middle member. This photo was taken near the call 918.461.8984 type section for the member, outside Kaycee, or upper visit www.fittulsa.com Wyoming. Name that Formation! Extra credit: name the three geologists/geophysicists in the photo (hint, one is a past AAPG RMS President). I’ll post the answer in my March write-up.

307-587-5502 (o) 307-431-6382 (c) Cody, Wyoming

john@sinclairengineering.com

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Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

Geo Train Trip to AAPG Ace, Salt Lake City F r o m

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D e n v e r

May 2018

Departs at 8:05am Arrives at 11:05 pm

Travel to AAPG Ace 2018 in style! Join RMAG members on a train trip from Denver to Salt Lake City. As the train passes through the Piceane Basin, the Uintah Basin, the edge of the Paradox Basin, and the Utah Thrust Belt, short geo talks will be given throughout the day.

Ticket Price - $115 Register at www.rmag.org This is a one-way ticket. Passengers will be responsible for planning travel back to Denver after AAPG ACE.

Sponsored By:

email: sta@rmag.org | phone: 303.573.8621 #1214, Denver, CO, 80202 Vol. 67,910 No.16th 3 | Street www.rmag.org

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fax: 888.389.4090 | web: www.rmag.org follow: @rmagdenver OUTCROP | March 2018

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

By Terri Olson

OUTCROP | March 2018

We are blessed in the oil and gas industry to have high-tech tools with which to address our key issues. Good software, hardware, and associated workflows are critical to efficient job performance. Most geoscientists I know spend the bulk of their productive work time in front of a computer. This is a big change from the early years of my career, back in the olden days (in my case, the early 1980’s), when we worked on paper logs, contoured maps by hand, and had a drafting department to make displays for presentations.

While advances in technology have brought many advantages and efficiencies to how we work, there are some significant downsides. It is possible to generate a prospect without ever leaving your office, but is it advisable? Wouldn’t we have a stronger product if we looked outside our box?

Talking to our coworkers (in the same and other disciplines), discussing ideas with colleagues from other companies, accessing data sources not available online, or even actually looking at the rocks all potentially add valuable insight to the work products we generate, whether they are new play concepts, drillable prospects, picking horizontal drilling targets, finding sweet spots, or guidelines for optimizing economic field development. Service company staff and consultants are not immune to the blinders that technology may create—data and analysis provided to clients are often improved by innovative thought processes about techniques and interpretation.

Our work is built on data, of many types— formation tops, log curves, core analyses, hydrocarbon shows, seismic data, production data, etc.

Our companies spend a lot of time and money acquiring the data we need to do our jobs. Yet more data is not always better. Lack of understanding the sources and quality of our data has led many a geoscientist to inaccurate interpretations, and resulting misguided recommendations. Most geologists I know doing regional work don’t accept formation tops picked by previous workers, but

At a field trip stop last fall in the cemetery at Hot Sulphur Springs. Photo by Katie Joe McDonough pick their own. Yet they may accept other sorts of data at face value, especially if they don’t understand the pitfalls in various types of analysis or interpretation. Routine core analysis offers a good example: can you accept high plug perms and low grain densities as reported? What if the plugs are fractured, or inadequately cleaned? The point is that it’s easy to take a digital database and make crossplots or other compilations, but if the data contain errors or noise, so will the output relationships (or the correlations will be poor). Quality control of our data is something that may not be taught in school, but is critical to generating robust, believable and useful products. The senior members among us, whether managers, technical

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Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

May 30, 2018

2018

RMAG Golf Tournament

1:30pm Shotgun At Arrowhead Golf Club Registration includes entry, 18-holes of golf, cart, dinner, & entry to win great door prizes.

Registration is open!

Teams of 4 and Individuals are welcome to register.

Member Individual: $150 Non-Member Individual: $175

Member Team: $600 Non-Member Team: $700

email: sta@rmag.org

phone: 303.573.8621

Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

910 16th Street #1214, Denver, CO, 80202

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fax: 888.389.4090

web: www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | March 2018

follow: @rmagdenver

PRESIDENT’S LETTER analytics sees the following common problems with such analyses: • Extending analysis beyond areas of consistent fundamental properties (such as reservoir facies, or hydrocarbon fluid types) • Mixing disparate data types in the same analysis (e.g. production from vertical and horizontal wells) • Over-averaging data that has a high standard deviation for mapping • Excluding key parameters from the analysis due to bias

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advisors, or semi-retired mentors, can offer the benefits of their experience in recognizing bad data. It’s important to weed those (the bad data, not the mentors) out before basing conclusions on a body of data.

An emerging trend related to over-reliance on technology stems from the emphasis on “big data” analysis. Emphasis on big data in the geosciences is relatively new, and fraught with potential pitfalls. It can be very useful, in finding optimum frac size or other design components through relationships with production results in a given play, for example. Somebody I used to work with posted on LinkedIn this week: “How many oil companies…would welcome the ability to extract critical insights at push-button speed from all the data they’ve accumulated?” (Need I mention that she is a marketer?) It’s rarely that easy. It’s tough and sometimes impossible to QC large digital datasets.

A friend and colleague who is well versed in data

An art that is at risk of disappearing is background research. If you do a literature search at the start of a new project by just googling a few keywords, chances are you haven’t fully done your homework. Not all relevant literature is online and searchable. Libraries, such as the Denver Earth Resources Library (DERL), have both literature and well data that are available nowhere online

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• • • • •

OUTCROP | March 2018

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Geological Wellsite Supervision Supervised Remote Geosteering Integrated Petrophysical Analysis Oil and Gas Geological Studies Conventional and Unconventional Expertise

Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

2018 Sporting Clay Tournament

Registration is open! www.rmag.org

20

September

Kiowa Creek Sporting Club • Prizes for individual high score and team 1st, 2nd and 3rd flights.

• Includes one round of 100 sporting clays, lunch, and door prizes.

• Does not include ammunition (please bring enough ammo for 100 clays or you may purchase ammo at Kiowa Creek).

• You may also rent a gun for $20 onsite.

5 Person Team (member): $425 5 Person Team (non-member): $500 Individual (member): $85 Individual (non-member): $100

email: phone: 303.573.8621 Vol.staff@rmag.org 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org 910 16th Street #1214, Denver, CO, 80202

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fax: 888.389.4090 www.rmag.org OUTCROPweb: | March 2018 follow: @rmagdenver

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

POSITIONED FOR GROWTH With a proud legacy and an exciting future, QEP Resources is an industry leader in crude oil and natural gas exploration and production.

We’re focused on some of the most prolific natural resource plays in the continental United States. These include two world-class crude oil provinces — the Permian and Williston Basins and two premier natural gas assets — the Haynesville Shale and the Uinta Basin.

Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, QEP is an S&P MidCap 400 Index member company (NYSE: QEP).

Learn more at www.qepres.com.

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(remember Scout Tickets?). You might be surprised to find a highly relevant thesis or obscure publication waiting on the shelves if you check them out. Having data no one else has dug for can provide a significant competitive advantage.

Trading for proprietary data is another, often underutilized, source.

The skills needed to thrive in modern work environments are not only technical ones. You might be the best there is at operating a particular in-demand software package. But if you can’t communicate with coworkers, clients, or prospective buyers, your effectiveness will be limited (and your employment short-term). It’s worth the effort to develop good communication skills, both speaking and writing, as well as team skills (like listening, establishing trust, and engaging in constructive disagreement).

Ideas are the foundation of good technical work. More and better ideas form in collaboration than in isolation. Read papers, go to technical talks, meet with your colleagues. Giving talks and writing papers are also useful in formulating your ideas and getting input on them.

Finally, circle back around to test your ideas and conclusions— do they make sense? Sometimes a reality check will bring out weaknesses that aren’t obvious, and potentially avoid embarrassing questions. A professor friend of mine who has extensive industry experience sees petroleum geology and engineering students failing to do

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OUTCROP | March 2018

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Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

PRESIDENT’S LETTER teamwork; most of us can stand to improve in these areas.

Get out of your office. Go to (and give) technical talks. Get out in the field; visit core repositories.

Attend workshops. Pursue sources of inspiration and ideas.

Ideas are the lifeblood of inspired technical work. We test and strengthen these ideas with tools based on technology, applied to integrated, good quality data. A key step is to validate our results: are the relationships we see in the data real?

Do they make sense? A reality check can be instrumental in avoiding inaccurate analyses and inconsistent interpretations. Education and inspiration are not limited to formal classes--networking with our colleagues, attending technical talks and workshops, and reading scientific literature all work to stimulate and refine those ideas. Technology provides tools, not solutions.

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this on a regular basis.

So, from the perspective gained by 35 years in the industry as an exploration geologist, development geologist, petrophysicist, geoscience development coordinator, and promoter of certain types of technology, here’s what I suggest: Those of you with experience to share, please pass on lessons learned to the less experienced among us. This will become more critical as time goes on and the remaining baby boomers retire and move on. Be a good mentor, officially or unofficially.

Do your homework: talk to coworkers, look for sources offline, study analogs.

QC your data. Get help; alternative perspectives are key. This is directed at all of us, not only those with little experience—none of us are expert at everything.

Be mindful of fundamentals and possible bias in how you analyze big datasets with data analytics.

Develop skills in communication and

Input from Margaret Lessenger and Donna Anderson is gratefully acknowledged.

VOLUNTER! Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

If you would like to volunteer for any of our committees or events, please contact the RMAG office at (303) 573-8621 or staff@rmag.org

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OUTCROP | March 2018

RMAG LUNCHEON PROGRAMS Speaker: David Schmude and Brian Berwick March 7, 2018

Butcher Butte Project An Overpressured Oil Resource Play in the Green River Formation of the Uinta Basin, Utah David Schmude and Brian Berwick during the history of Lake Uinta resulted in the identification of a region of thick vertical stacking of favorable source rock within the deep thermally mature portion of the Uinta Basin. Due to the low permeability of these source facies, excessive overpressuring greater than 0.80 psi/ft. is present within the project area with extensive tectonic and generative fractures as well. Current drilling and development with two-mile horizontal laterals is taking place to delineate the resource and prove the seven target intervals within this unconventional oil resource play.

The Butcher Butte Project is an unconventional oil resource play being developed within the Eocene Green River Formation in the Northcentral part of the Uinta Basin, Utah. Within the project area up to 2,000 feet of oil prone source rock is thermally mature and overpressured. Porosity is dominated within the organic rich source rock with only minor amounts of matrix porosity resulting in a true unconventional oil resource play. Vertical stacking of offshore lacustrine source rock facies within Paleocene/Eocene Lake Uinta provide the source, reservoir and seal for this unique accumulation. Regional correlations and mapping of lake facies distribution

Mountain Region. Fifteen years of experience with Encana in Denver working on exploration projects throughout the United States. Served as Exploration Lead and Chief Geologist before leaving Encana in 2015. Past three years working for Axia Energy II as Vice President of Geology.

DAVID SCHMUDE: Graduated from Oklahoma State with a master’s degree in geology. Worked nine years with Texaco in Denver on development and exploitation projects in the Rocky

BRIAN BERWICK: Graduated from The Colorado School of Mines with a master’s degree in petroleum geology. Worked eight years with Samson Resources in Denver on development and exploitation projects in the Rocky Mountain Region. Three years of experience with Axia Energy in Denver working on exploration projects throughout the United States. Past three years working for Axia Energy II focusing on exploration projects in Utah and Texas.

OUTCROP | March 2018

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Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

Upcoming PTTC Workshop Applied Petroleum Geochemistry

Thursday, April 26, 2018, 8:30 am – 5 pm, Denver Place Conference Room, 999 18th Street, 80202 Denver, CO Fee: $250, includes food at breaks, class notes, and PDH certificate Instructors: Richard Patience & Joe Curiale

Applied Petroleum Geochemistry is a one-day course in the fundamentals and applications of petroleum geochemistry to exploration, development and production of oil and gas in both conventional and unconventional plays. It will be useful for those with no prior background in geochemistry, and for those who would like a refresher. The emphasis is on understanding the appropriate issues to consider at different points of the value chain, and how to go about addressing them. You will learn the reasons for using this discipline in the exploration phase, throughout appraisal from first discovery to completing field development, and as a troubleshooter and problem-solver once you begin production. You will not learn how to be a geochemist in this class – that takes at least two days!

The course begins with the why (the value-add) and how (the methods) of petroleum geochemistry, and proceeds to applications in all parts of E&P. We conclude with a discussion of new applications and the impact these are already having in the business. All participants are welcome to bring questions about your current projects (and even data, if you wish) for discussion at the appropriate places in the course.

Topics Covered • Introduction to Petroleum Geochemical Concepts, Definitions and Areas of Use

The course will commence with an introduction to the presenters, an overview of key concepts (e.g. biogenic vs thermogenic), and definitions of important terms (e.g. what is an asphaltene?) used by petroleum geochemists. We will then give a summary of the areas of usage of petroleum geochemistry within the oil industry, both from a historical and present-day perspective.

•

An Overview of Sampling and Analytical Methods

•

Applications in Exploration

•

Applications in Appraisal, Development and Production

•

A Brief Overview of Advanced Techniques

This section will discuss i) the goals of a petroleum geochemical program (i.e. the subsurface processes that we are trying to understand), ii) the samples we analyze, iii) how we use those samples to generate the data, which iv) we then interpret in order to understand the subsurface and achieve our goals.

Exploration has long been the principal area of application of petroleum geochemistry, and here we will cover the standard geochemical topics involved with basin and prospect evaluation, such as source rock properties, thermal maturity, biodegradation risk, fluid properties prediction, oil-oil and oil-source rock correlation, and gas data interpretation. Conventional and unconventional play examples will be shown presented.

This section will discuss key in-reservoir subsurface processes which control fluid properties, and the impact they have on measured fluid properties such as GOR, API gravity or molecular parameters. Understanding these controls during appraisal can help us to identify reservoir characteristics such compartmentalization and compositional grading, amongst others, which impact how reservoirs are most efficiently developed and produced. We will also give examples of how problems which arise during production can be solved using standard petroleum geochemical data.

Here we will discuss recently developed geochemical analytical techniques which are not yet a routine part of petroleum geochemical programs, and how they can help us to solve problems not easily addressed by previous methods.

Presenters Drs. Joe Curiale and Richard Patience each have over three decades of experience with multinational integrated oil companies. They developed and presented multiple classes in those companies, and first worked together to develop a course in applied petroleum geochemistry for Unocal, which went on to become Chevron’s in-house geochemistry course. Their experience base includes hundreds of sedimentary basins throughout the world, and encompasses both conventional and unconventional approaches. Joe is a former editor of Organic Geochemistry journal, Richard is past chairman of the European Association of Organic Geochemists, and both are widely published.

Class Descriptions and Register Online: www.pttcrockies.org For more information, contact Mary Carr, 303.273.3107, mcarr@mines.edu

Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

19

OUTCROP | March 2018

RMAG LUNCHEON PROGRAMS Speaker: Rebekah Simon | April 4, 2018

Characterizing Residual Migrated Hydrocarbons and their Role in Porosity Evolution Rebekah Simon1, Omar Khatib2, David A. Budd1, and Markus Raschke2 1 – Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 2 – Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO

OUTCROP | March 2018

Scholarship) and developments in near-field micros-

Understanding the controls on pore network evolution in unconventional reservoirs remains a research focus for nearly all oil and gas operations, even nearly a decade into the “shale boom”. It is common to investigate the effects of mineral diagenesis on pore development both at the field and the pore scale (microns or smaller), but less common to question the pore-scale effects of emplacing hydrocarbons. Because crude oil is a mixture of molecules with varying size, polarity, and thermal stabilities, it travels through porous media in a complex manner.

Of particular interest are the large, polar asphaltene molecules—emplacement into just a few of the narrow pore throats characteristic of unconventional reservoirs may dramatically alter the efficacy of the total pore network, impacting flow of even the most mobile hydrocarbons. Major advances have been made in industry-standard techniques for analyzing hydrocarbon chemistry (SARA, pyrolysis, etc.), but those technologies extract the hydrocarbons from the rock, and likewise, most standard porosity/permeability tests clean the sample of the hydrocarbons before analysis. No standard analyses allow for simultaneous investigation of the spatial distribution of porosity-compromising hydrocarbons and the pores themselves, or chemical characterization of hydrocarbons at the pore scale.

Thanks to support from a generous RMAG student award (the Norman H. Foster Memorial

copy, we have established a novel method to chemically characterize hydrocarbons at the pore scale

without extracting them, thus preserving their spatial relationships. Initial nano-spectroscopic data

from infrared scattering-scanning near-field optical microscopy demonstrates submicron spatial vari-

ability in hydrocarbon functional groups indicative

of asphaltene molecules in the Niobrara Formation, of the Denver Basin. With additional investigation,

it is anticipated that this approach will demonstrate correlativity between the distribution of pore-compromising hydrocarbons and other reservoir prop-

erties such as mineralogy, pore geometry, and porethroat size with tens-of-nanometers resolution.

REBEKAH SIMON is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Colorado Boulder, working with Dr. David Budd to develop a holistic framework for pore evolution in Colorado’s Niobrara Formation. She completed her Master’s degree at the University of Texas at Austin, and her Bachelor’s degree at the Colorado School of Mines. Her collaborator, Dr. Omar Khatib, is a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder in Dr. Markus Raschke’s research group for Nano-optics.

20

Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

LEADERS IN PETROLEUM GEOCHEMISTRY Wolfcamp Study Oklahoma

Woodford Study Spraberry Study

New Mexico

PB Pre-Study Database Release

SCOOP Study Texas STACK Study

Source Rock Oil Gas PVT

REGIONAL STUDIES - GEOCHEMICAL DATABASES – ANALYTICAL SERVICES WWW.GEOMARKRESEARCH.COM / DENVER - DR. JOHN CURTIS (303) 619-0372

Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

21

OUTCROP | March 2018

Welcome New RMAG Members!

David Advocate is a Geologist in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Lauren Bane

is a student at Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado.

Nathan Bennett

is a Planning & Execution Supervisor at Anadarko Petroleum Corp. in Parker, Colorado.

Nikolai Berge

lives in Denver, Colorado.

Ashley Danowski

works at Bonanzacrk.com in Englewood, Colorado.

Ceri Davies

works at CGG in Houston, Texas.

Scott Field

is the President at Field Geo Services, Inc. in Grand Junction, Colorado.

is an Environmental Professional III at Whiting O&G in Denver, Colorado.

works at Whiting Petroleum Corporation in Denver, Colorado.

lives in Denver, Colorado.

Lyndsey Fisher

Samuel Fluckiger

is a Chief Petrophysicist at SM Energy in Denver, Colorado.

Cody Foster

lives in Centennial, Colorado.

Jeremy Funk

is a VP Sales at PetroDE in Lafayette, Colorado.

Alberto Galleguillos

works at Earth Signal Processing Ltd. in Calgary, Alberta.

Nick Grenfell

Joe Dumesnil

is a Geophysicist at Sterling Seismic in Littleton, CO.

Brent Duncan

is a student at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro, New Mexico.

is a Managing Director of Geoscience and New Ventures at Overland Oil in Denver, Colorado. is a Manager at Colorado School of Mines in Arvada, Colorado.

Nadia Fantello is a Geophysicist in Laramie, Wyoming.

OUTCROP | March 2018

Robert Hill

Nicholas Harrison

Tom Hewett

is a Senior Geophysicist at Ballard Petroleum Holdings in Billings, Montana.

22

Kathryn Keenan Mike Kendrick

is a Sr. Mgr. Reservoir Optimization at Devon Energy in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Preston Kerr

is a Geologist at SM Energy in Denver, Colorado.

Margaret Kourakis

is a Petrophysicist at Anadarko Petroleum Corporation in Lakewood, Colorado.

Chandler LaDuke is a student in Englewood, Colorado.

Nathan LaFontaine

is a student at the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana.

Sharon LeBeau

lives in Bayfield, Colorado.

Philip LeMay

is a Sr. Geologist at Crescent Point Energy in Denver, Colorado.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 23

Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

WELCOME NEW RMAG MEMBERS!

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 Lisa Lesar

is an Associate Geologist in Denver, Colorado.

James Mackie

is a Senior Geologist at ATX Energy Partners in Austin, Texas.

Nahysa Martinez

Robert Pearigen

is a student at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado.

Mike Poirier

is a Principal at Apogee Exploration in Brighton, Colorado.

Daniel Postal

is a Geologist at Chemostrat Inc. in Pine, Colorado.

is a student in Boulder, Colorado.

is a Geoscience Consultant at IRT in Lakewood, Colorado.

is a Senior Project Manager at Enscicon in Denver, Colorado.

lives in Fort Collins, Colorado.

is a Geologist at Anadarko in Denver, Colorado.

Michael May

Andrew McCarthy Brad Michalchuk

is a Geologist at Anschutz Exploration in Denver, Colorado.

Dale Morgan

is the President - North America at OGRE Systems, Inc. in Houston, Texas.

Christopher Mullen

lives in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Scott Oelfke

is the Vice President Product Management at LMKR in Denver, Colorado.

Annika Otness

is in Marketing at Seismic Exchange Inc. in Denver, Colorado.

Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

Lesley Prewitt Erin Ramaker

Michael Rigby is a Geologist in denver, Colorado.

Joel Spansel

is a student in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Noah Stimac

works at Core Laboeratories in Denver, Colorado.

John Stroud

is an Exectutive Vice President at Stroud Exploration Co. in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Chris Tonish

is an HSE Manager at Fracture ID in Canon City, Colorado.

Thomas Van Arsdale is the Executive Director at Denver Earth Resources Library in Denver, Colorado.

Robert Webster

Bill Ross

works at Houlihan Lokey in Bellaire, Texas.

Jason Sanfilippo

works at Guidestone Energy in Englewood, Colorado.

is a Retired Geologist in Littleton, Colorado. is an Operations Manager at Terra Guidance in Denver, Colorado.

Taylor Schoenfeld

is a student at Metro State University in Denver, Colorado.

Roger Wiggin Arif Zahari

is a Geologist at Field Geo Services in Denver, Colorado.

Zachary Sforzo

is a student at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.

23

OUTCROP | March 2018

IN THE PIPELINE MARCH 2, 2018

MARCH 20, 2018

RMAG/DAPL Ski Day. Copper Mountain.

DWLS Luncheon.

Speaker: Bill Donovan. 11:30 am. Cost: $20.

Wynkoop Brewing Company, Denver. RSVP to Jennifer Bartell at 303-770-4235 or visit dwls. spwla.org to pay via PayPal link.

MARCH 7, 2018 RMAG Luncheon.

Speaker: David Schmude and Brian Berwick.

“Butcher Butte Project, an Overpressured Oil Resource Play in the Green River Formation of the Uinta Basin, Utah.” Maggiano’s Little Italy in Denver. Contact: staff@rmag.org

MARCH 27, 2018 RMS-SEPM Luncheon.

Speaker: Michael Gardner. “Tectonics and Sedimentation of Permian Deepwater Systems of the Delaware Basin.” Schedule: Reception at 11:30, Lunch at 11:45, and Lecture at 12:15. the Wynkoop Brewing Company, 1634 18th St., Denver, CO.

MARCH 9, 2018 DIPS Luncheon.

Speaker Deet Schumacher. “Geochemical Exploration in Deserts of North Africa and Middle East: Methods and Exploration Examples.”

Members $20 and Non-members $25.

For more information or to RSVP via email to kurt.reisser@gmail.com.

Cognitive E&P Environment A multidimensional environment that unites planning and operations, bringing together advances in technical disciplines such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, and automation.

Underpinned by decades of unrivaled domain knowledge—the result is an E&P experience like no other.

Find out more at: slb.com/DELFI

DELFI is a mark of Schlumberger.

Copyright © 2018 Schlumberger. All rights reserved.

OUTCROP | March 2018

24

Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

NETWORKING EVENTS IN THE UPSTREAM OIL AND GAS TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY NETWORKING EVENTS IN THE UPSTREAM OIL AND GAS TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY NETWORKING EVENTS IN THE UPSTREAM OIL AND GAS TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY Technical Education Series

& BEER&LEARN BEER&LEARN

BEER LEARNSeries Technical Education Follow us Follow us Follow us

Technical Series Strategy Peak Production throughEducation Optimal Completion Petrophysics to Define Relative Permeability and FluidOptimal Flow Rates Peak Production through Completion Strategy

By Mike Holmes Petrophysics to Define Relative Permeability Peak Productionand through Completion Strategy Fluid Optimal Flow Rates th

By Mike Holmes WeWork LoHi  2420 Street  Floor 3 - 3A Permeability Denver, CO 80202 Petrophysics to17Define Relative th Thursday,  4:00 to 6:00 pm andFebruary Fluid 15 Flow Rates

By Mike Holmes

WeWork LoHi  2420 17th Street  Floor 3 - 3A  Denver, CO 80202

Thursday, February 15  4:00 to 6:00 pm Blue WeWork River LoHi  2420 17th Street  Floor 3 - 3A  Denver, CO 80202 ANALYTICS Thursday, February 15th  4:00 to 6:00 pm th

Blue River

A N A L Y T I C S Our

Blue River

events are graciously paid for by our members thus free for attendees

ANALYTICS

Our events are Space graciously paid for by our members Limited  RSVP: www.leeds.group thus free for attendees

Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

Our events are graciously paid for by our members Limited Space  RSVP: www.leeds.group thus free for attendees

25

Limited Space  RSVP: www.leeds.group

OUTCROP | March 2018

LEAD STORY

APPLICATION OF UAV-BASED PHOTOGRAMMETRY for outcrop characterization of fluvial deposits of the Burro Canyon Formation, Piceance Basin, Colorado

By Javier Tellez1, Matthew J. Pranter1, Rex D. Cole2 1 – ConocoPhillips School of Geology and Geophysics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 2 – Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction, Colorado

to fine-sand sequences deposited by braided to high-sinuosity fluvial systems deposited during Early Cretaceous time (Aptian-Albian) (Young, 1970). The fluvial and stratigraphic architecture of this system is challenging to assess due to the discontinuity or lack of extensive key surfaces for stratigraphic interpretation and high lateral variability. Using an integrated approach, the identification of key surfaces for stratigraphic analysis, and statistical quantification of architectural elements within the unit is achieved. The results of this analysis provide information about dimensionality of geobodies, and allow for the definition of the fluvial sequence-stratigraphic framework through multiple scales of stratigraphic hierarchy for the Burro Canyon Formation.

INTRODUCTION Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based photogrammetry, for three-dimensional outcrop modeling, is now commonly used by geologists for optimizing field-work and extracting multiple scales of information from poorly accessible and extensive outcrops. This study explores a combination of traditional fieldwork, ground point markers (GPM) and (UAV) based photogrammetry models to quantify outcrop characterization. This technique provides information for evaluation of the Burro Canyon Formation outcrops exposed adjacent to the Gunnison River Valley in Delta County, Piceance Basin in western Colorado (figure 1). This formation is composed of multiple fining-upward gravel OUTCROP | March 2018

26

Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

FIGURE 1: Map showing a portion of the outcrop extent

of the Upper Cretaceous Burro Canyon Formation and a detailed map of the study area. Selected outcrops are located along the Gunnison river for about 50 km (30 mi). The exposures are oriented subparallel to the paleoshoreline exposing a good large scale-crosssection to the regional strike.

STUDY AREA In the western Piceance basin, the Burro Canyon formation outcrops in large, regionally-extensive exposures that occur as cliffs along 50 km (30 mi) of the Gunnison river (figure 1). The cliffs are oriented subparallel to paleo-shoreline and they expose a good scale-cross-section oblique to the regional depositional strike. Many of these outcrops have been described before by Young, (1975), Kirkland and Madsen, (2007) and recently Cole, (2014). The Cretaceous Burro Canyon Formation overlies the Morrison Formation and is truncated by a regional unconformity that defines the base of the Dakota Formation. Fining-upward deposits are recognized as unit bars and bar-sets interpreted as lateral and down-stream (frontal) accretion.

Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

Inclined-heterolithic strata interbedded with muddrape successions within the formation are interpreted as low net-to-gross, high-sinuosity braided-fluvial systems.

METHODOLOGY

The use of photogrammetry is not new for mapping geological units. Development of software that compiles aerial and oblique photographs into three-dimensional geological reconstructions now provides valuable information for understanding

CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

27

OUTCROP | March 2018

LEAD STORY

FIGURE 2: Traditional field descriptions, measurements and a combination of high-resolution UAV-based

three-dimensional digital models and ground control points are used to interpret the fluvial architecture, key surfaces and document type, abundance, stratigraphic position, and dimensions of the fluvial deposits. perpendicular to the defined paleo-flow for the Burro Canyon Formation. Data was collected following multiple steps; 1) Flight planning, 2) Data acquisition (Photos, GPM, measured sections and field descriptions), 3) data processing and integration, and 4) interpretation and analysis. The generated georeferenced models allow for mapping description and quantification of elements at regional to reservoir scales and characterize key bounding surfaces.

»»CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

stratigraphic relations, stacking pattern configurations, and the statistical dimensions of architectural elements within depositional environments.

The generation of high resolution UAV-based photogrammetry models was performed on seven canyons located along the Gunnison river oriented

FLIGHT PLANNING

The following factors were considered: 1) final scope of the model (resolution and scale), 2) operational conditions (wind, weather, UAV battery life, outcrop location, vegetation coverage, and daylight), and 3) access to collection of control points (measured sections and GPM marks). The number of photographs needed to guarantee sufficient overlapping

»»CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

OUTCROP | March 2018

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Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

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406.259.4124 Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

29

OUTCROP | March 2018

LEAD STORY

»»CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

area between photos (>70%) varied depending upon the altitude, and scale defined for each model.

DATA ACQUISITION

730 17th Street, Unit B-­‐1 Denver, CO 80202 303.825.5614 derlibrary@gmail.com derlibrary.com

OUTCROP | March 2018

explanation about the flight plan used for capturing the UAV imagery. were taken to cover the area and make an excellent overlapping between photos.

The photo gallery acquisition was performed using a DJI phantom 3 Professional UAV, equipped with a builtin 12-megapixel resolution camera mounted in a three-dimensional gimbal. The altitude of the equipment was constant for each model according to the defined scale. Around five thousand photos (5000) were taken for twelve outcrop reconstructions.

A total of nine stratigraphic sections (total footage = 1650ft; 500m) were described for characterization and analysis of the 200ft (60m) study interval. Descriptions included bedset grading and configuration, lithology and facies description, composition, paleocurrent (1200 points), structural, and GPS measurements.

DATA PROCESSING

The first step in processing is the selection and editing of the collected images. A quality control process was performed 30

for rejecting blurry, over-exposed, and misplaced images within the set of collected photos. In addition, sub-exposed photos with significant shadow areas were corrected, improving the matching process within the software (Pix4D). After editing, images were imported in Pix4D for visualization and processing. GPM were included by identifying the previously located natural features or by using the control data points marked on each possible photo in order to constrain the position and accuracy of the model. After calibrating the data with georeferenced points, a high-density point cloud was generated to preserve details from the photographs obtained. This process was iterative, eliminating artifacts produced by clouds and sky on the images reflecting noise (white or blue points) within the models. The generation of a textured, three-dimensional mesh was performed after filtering noise and accomplishment of a satisfactory point cloud.

The soluHon for unique and valuable geological informaHon for prospect generaHon

FIGURE 3: A schematic representation of vertical and horizontal grids for

At least five GPM points were taken for each model using visible markers or identifying relevant natural features that were placed or located before execution of the flight over the outcrop using accurate GPS measurements. Imagery was captured by making a dense horizontal and oblique grid covering the outcrop area sequentially (figure 3). Enough photos

»»CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

LEAD STORY

CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

FIGURE 4: Interpretation over one three-dimensional outcrop reconstruction for the north side of Escalante Canyon. Channels are

outlined in red, whereas the tops of the Burro Canyon Formation and the Morrison Formation are represented by purple and pink surfaces, respectively. Interpretation allows definition of channel fills and channel complexes. Definition of the unconformable contact between formations is interpreted by three dimensional surfaces. Sequences are represented by white dashed lines.

Experience Experience truly truly integrated integrated 3D interpretation 3D interpretation with truly integrated truly integrated with industry's most industry's most advanced advanced 3D with 3D interpretation interpretation with geoscience geoscience system industry's most industry's system most advanced advanced geoscience system geoscience system GVERSE Geomodeling 2017 GeoGraphix 2017 GVERSE Geomodeling 2017 GeoGraphix 2017

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Anthony Ford Account Executive, LMKR GeoGraphix

Email: aford@lmkr.com P: +1 (303) 996-2153, C: +1 (720) 210-8889

Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

31

www.lmkr.com www.lmkr.com

OUTCROP | March 2018

LEAD STORY

A schematic representation of the measurements obtained from the interpretation over the threedimensional reconstruction. Accurate estimations of thickness (T) and width (W) from each sandstone body were measured.

FIGURE 5:

bodies were measured (figure 5) over the generated model for subsequent construction of three-dimensional models of the fluvial system. However, it must be emphasized that width dimensions are affected by the orientation of the outcrop versus the paleo-flow direction of the system. Thus, corrections considering the orientation of the sandstone bodies and paleo-flow direction must be applied for consideration of these statistics.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS Interpretation of the three-dimensional models was done by drawing surfaces and polygons over the model using Pix4d software tools. Key surfaces, (erosive surfaces, contacts), lateral extension of sandstone bodies, and vertical stacking patterns within the unit were identified and interpreted. In addition, bed-set sequences, bed grading, geometries and stacking were interpreted within the section (figure 5). The presence of basal erosive surfaces allowed for interpretation of large-scale sets and sequence boundaries used for developing a stratigraphic framework. Identification of composite sequences, net-to-gross, and composition was performed considering the information collected in the field combined with the generated three-dimensional images. The interpreted surfaces and polygons can be exported to another software for further analysis.

In addition, width and thickness of sandstone

OUTCROP | March 2018

CONCLUSIONS

32

The integration of UAVs and traditional field work is a powerful tool for mapping not only extended outcrop areas, but also outcrop areas with limited access. This technique provides not only an excellent, efficient and economical methodology, but also an accurate characterization approach for mapping and quantification of large (regional) to small (field) scale geological elements.

Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

RMAG DWLS Fall Symposium What have we learned from unconventional reservoirs that could be applied in any petroleum system?

The American Mountaineering Center

Email abstracts to

Ginny Gent

ginny_gent@eogresources.com

Sam Fluckinger

10 02 18

suckiger@sm-energy.com

email: sta@rmag.org

phone: 303.573.8621

Vol. 16th 67, No. 3 |#1214, www.rmag.org 910 Street Denver, CO, 80202

fax: 888.389.4090 33

web: www.rmag.org

OUTCROP | March 2018 follow: @rmagdenver

CALL FOR PAPERS: THE RMAG MOUNTAIN GEOLOGIST

OUTCROP ADVERTISING RATES 1 Time

2 Times

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12 Times

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$330

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OUTCROP | March 2018

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Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

Are You a Photographer?

Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists would like to invite you to submit your digital images that capture the geology of the Rocky Mountain region.

Pore Throat to Outcrop, Modern Analogs, Oilfield Activity (Rigs), Dinosaur Trackways.

These images will be used on the cover of the Outcrop and a select number will be used in a forthcoming RMAG Calendar.

• All images will be accredited to the photographer • A brief description of the image (location, formation, significance) • The file size must be 300dpi or greater and be in TIFF or JPEG format.

• Limit 10 images/person Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org

Submit images to: Cheryl Fountain, cwhitney@alumni.nmt.edu 35

OUTCROP | March 2018

ADVERTISER INDEX

• Confluence Resources ����������������������������� 21

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• Neil H. Whitehead, III ����������������������������� 10

• Crown Geochemistry ������������������������������� 17

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• Daub & Associates, Inc. �������������������������� 18

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• Denver Earth Resources Library �������������� 30

• Raisa Energy �������������������������������������������� 25

• Donovan Brothers Inc. ����������������������������� 10

• Schlumberger ������������������������������������������ 24

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• Sunburst Consulting �������������������������������� 29

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CALENDAR | MARCH 2018 SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

1

SATURDAY

2

3

9

10

RMAG/DAPL Ski Day.

4

5

6

7

8

RMAG Luncheon.

Speaker: David Schmude and Brian Berwick.

DIPS Luncheon.

Speaker Deet Schumacher.

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

28

29

30

31

DWLS Luncheon.

Speaker: Bill Donovan.

25

26

27 RMS-SEPM Luncheon.

Speaker: Michael Gardner.

OUTCROP | March 2018

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Vol. 67, No. 3 | www.rmag.org