Dallas Geophysical Society Calendar Events RSS Feed

Dallas Geological Society International Dinner

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:30:00 GMT

Dallas Geological Society International Dinner
Start Date: 17-Mar-10 5:30 PM
End Time: 17-Mar-10 8:30 PM
Location: Brookhafven Country Club, Dallas, Texas 75234
Speaker: Dr. Andy Pepper

Event Details:

Burial History and Its Impact from the Petroleum

Systems of Rio Muni Basin, Equatorial Guinea:

Delivery, Capture and Degradation

The Rio Muni Basin, offshore Equatorial Guinea, is a volumetrically significant petroleum system sourced primarily from Lower Cretaceous source rocks and reservoired primarily in Senonian deep marine clastics. The thermal evolution of the source intervals, including the impact of Miocene uplift, erosion and re-burial, effected the timing of expulsion of oil and gas volumes into the system. Differences in source, reservoir and trap histories relating to uplift in-board, vs. little to no uplift out-board, lead to differing fluid properties. These are exemplified in the Elon and Ceiba pool, respectively.

The primary controls on the timing and volume of hydrocarbons expelled are present day crust type and thickness, and overburden thickness at time of maximum burial. Much of the outboard area lies on oceanic crust, while the inboard area contains a structurally complex and variable continental crust. Crustal thickness derived from 3-D gravity inversion, temperature data, and a series of 1-D basin models to map and predict lateral variation in heat flow were all used to determine the thermal evolution of the basin. The eroded section was restored beneath the Miocene unconformity using e-logs and biomarker thermal stress indicators. Uplift and erosion was quantified using both maximum thermal stress indicators with 1D models, and geophysical log responses. From the resulting points, a map of net erosion was created and used in two and a half dimension map-based thermal history modeling.

The resultant quantitative forward model of expelled fluid volumes from the source rocks, linked with the burial and thermal history of the reservoirs, explains differences in fluid properties. This model explains the presence of biodegraded residues in oils reservoired presently at high temperatures in the Ceiba f ield, and the non-biodegraded oil in the presently cool reservoir of the Elon pool.

Brookhafven Country Club

3333 Golfing Green Drive

Dallas, Texas USA 75234

DGeophS Luncheon - Lessons Learned from Simultaneous Source Investigations

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:30:00 GMT

DGeophS Luncheon - Lessons Learned from Simultaneous Source Investigations
Start Date: 25-Mar-10 11:30 AM
End Time: 25-Mar-10 1:00 PM
Location: Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute Brookhaven College, Farmers Branch, Texas 75244
Speaker: Craig J. Beasley

Event Details:

Dealing with external interferences imposed on a desired seismic signal is fundamental to achieving the goals of a seismic survey. Whether it be related to Earth transmission effects or external noise, this is the stuff of acquisition, processing and, ultimately, interpretation of seismic data. From time-to-time, geophysicists have taken a different point of view and have attempted to use interfering “noise” as usable signal with mixed results. Recently, there has been renewed interest in this topic—in particular for the case of deploying and activating multiple seismic sources that intentionally interfere with one another. While long a topic of research and field practice for land vibrator acquisition, so-called simultaneous source (SimSrc) acquisition is relatively new to the world of impulsive sources as are commonly used for marine acquisition. Proposed and demonstrated 10 years ago, the subject of marine SimSrc has lain fallow until the recent uptake of wide-azimuth marine surveys. Typically, in a wide-azimuth marine survey, multiple marine vessels are deployed to achieve efficient acquisition and sufficient azimuth and fold. The desire to make better use of these vessels and, at the same time, to achieve better coverage has driven geophysicists to pursue SimSrc for marine acquisition. The benefits promised by SimSrc are substantial. Some topics under consideration are reduced shot spacing, unlimited record length, increased sampling in the azimuth domain allowing azimuthal analysis, faster acquisition (particularly for VSP), improved land acquisition with new technology derived for marine, reduced undershooting time, and other safety benefits. In this talk I will discuss the achievements of SimSrc and the challenges that remain for both land and marine if it is to become a mainstream acquisition methodology.

Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute Brookhaven College

3939 Valley View Lane

Farmers Branch, Texas 75244

DGeolS Luncheon

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:30:00 GMT

DGeolS Luncheon
Start Date: 13-Apr-10 11:30 AM
End Time: 13-Apr-10 1:00 PM
Location: Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute Brookhaven College, Farmers Branch, Texas 75244
Speaker: Steve Schutter

Event Details:

HYDROCARBONS ASSOCIATED WITH IGNEOUS ROCKS

Explorationists generally disregard igneous rocks and their immediate environs, condemning the surrounding sediments as overmature and the igneous rocks themselves as nonporous crystalline masses. However, these are misconceptions, and there is opportunity in moving beyond them. The direct maturation effect of igneous activity is often overrated. Most shallow igneous intrusions are too small to affect a large volume of rock; even thick piles of flood basalts cool too quickly to have a marked effect. Most thermal effects are due to regional heating or hydrothermal circulation.

Porosity in igneous rocks may be due to fracturing, particularly fracturing developed during cooling. Some extrusive rocks are also vesicular or may have a clastic texture, especially airfall or hyaloclastic rocks. Retrograde metamorphism may provide significant porosity by creating what is essentially vuggy texture.

Igneous rocks can also provide their own traps. Variations in porosity can produce a pseudo-stratigraphic trap. However, thick intrusive bodies (such as laccoliths and plugs) and volcanic cones can also provide trapping structures. Dikes can block migration pathways. Syndepositional sedimentary and igneous facies may also provide traps, as well as post-emplacement draping over noncompacting igneous bodies.

Exploration methods need to be as variable as the igneous reservoirs. Seismic expression is frequently ambiguous. Some igneous rocks contain abundant iron, and have strong magnetic signatures; others do not. Notably, one of the earliest plays in Texas, the "serpentine" trend, was instrumental in developing many of the early geophysical techniques. Likewise, log results may be so variable as to be nondiagnostic. Some features may be recognizable, but the nature of the igneous rocks and their relationships must be considered.

Due to the lack of "rules" and systematic study, the best available approach to exploration in and around igneous rocks is to look for analogs. The search for analogs cannot be limited to one area or continent; a global view is needed. Analogs from around the world have applicability to North America. Thus, an extensive selection of possible analogs should be considered, which can be incorporated into forward models of possible traps and reservoirs.

Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute Brookhaven College

3939 Valley View Lane

Farmers Branch, Texas 75244

DGeophS Luncheon - Wave Equation Depth Migration for Improved Land Seismic Exploration

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:30:00 GMT

DGeophS Luncheon - Wave Equation Depth Migration for Improved Land Seismic Exploration
Start Date: 15-Apr-10 11:30 AM
End Time: 15-Apr-10 1:00 PM
Location: Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute Brookhaven College, Farmers Branch, Texas 75244
Speaker: Morgan Brown

Event Details:

Wave Equation Prestack Depth Migration for Improved Land Seismic Exploration

Prestack depth migration (PSDM) is widely viewed as a technology which only applies under Gulf of Mexico salt or in extremely complicated geology. To the contrary, nearly every basin exhibits lateral velocity variations, causing time sags and other focusing effects which challenge the assumptions behind time migration (PSTM).

In theory, PSDM should always "beat" PSTM, but traditionally, PSDM has over-promised and under-delivered. We argue that the gap between theory and practice is proportional to the effort put into depth velocity estimation. In this talk, we demonstrate that by running multiple iterations of dense wave equation migration (WEM) focusing analysis and full volume WEM angle gather update, we can measure complex velocity variations that are the key to successful depth imaging.

The presented technology is applied to onshore examples from the Gulf Coast and Mid-Continent.

Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute Brookhaven College

3939 Valley View Lane

Farmers Branch, Texas 75244

11th Annual Crawfish Boil

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 22:30:00 GMT

11th Annual Crawfish Boil
Start Date: 15-Apr-10 5:30 PM
End Time: 15-Apr-10 11:00 PM
Location: Winfrey Point, Dallas, Texas 75218
Event Details:

11th Annual Crawfish Boil

Crawfish, Catfish, Beverages, Conversation, Music and more Crawfish

Come out and visit with the Dallas Oil Community at Winfrey Point on White Rock Lake.

Sponsored by The Dallas Chapters of SIPES, the Dallas Geological and Geophysical Societies, the Dallas Association of Professional Landmen, and the Texas Energy Council

Last year's Boil donated $7,500 to Scottish Rite.

Winfrey Point

Winfrey Point Dr.

Dallas, Texas 75218

Distinguished Instructor Short Course - Geophysics Under Stress: Geomechanical Applications of Seismic and Borehole Acoustic Waves

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Distinguished Instructor Short Course - Geophysics Under Stress: Geomechanical Applications of Seismic and Borehole Acoustic Waves
Start Date: 26-Apr-10 8:00 AM
End Time: 26-Apr-10 5:00 PM
Location: Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute Bookhaven College, Farmers Branch, Texas 75244
Speaker: Colin Sayers

Event Details:

Overview

The state of stress within the earth has a profound effect on the propagation of seismic and borehole acoustic waves, this leads to many important applications of elastic waves for solving problems in petroleum geomechanics. The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of the sensitivity of elastic waves in the earth to the in-situ stress, pore pressure, and anisotropy of the rock fabric resulting from the depositional and stress history of the rock, and to introduce some of the applications of this sensitivity. The course will provide the basis for applying geophysics and rock physics solutions to geomechanical challenges in exploration, drilling, and production. A variety of applications and real data examples will be presented, particular emphasis will be placed on the rock physics basis underlying the use of geophysical data for solving geomechanical problems.

Summary

The following topics will be addressed in the course:

Introduction to the effects of stress in the earth. Why pore pressure, in-situ stress and geomechanical properties are important.
Sediment compaction and the state of stress in the earth. Vertical stress, pore pressure and sediment compaction. Horizontal stress in a relaxed basin. Estimation of the minimum and the maximum horizontal stress. Tectonic strains.
Pore pressure. Velocity vs. effective stress relations. Pore pressure estimation from velocity. Clay diagenesis. Unloading. The need for fit-for-purpose seismic velocities. Uncertainty analysis. Combining seismic velocities with well velocities for improved pore pressure estimation. Dipping layers and lateral pore pressure transfer.
Stress sensitivity of sandstones. Third-order elasticity theory. Dependence of elastic wave velocities on porosity in sandstones. The importance of compliant grain boundaries, microcracks and fractures on velocities in sandstones. The use of elastic waves to monitor stress-induced damage.
Wellbore stability and wave velocities near a borehole. Stress changes in the vicinity of a borehole. Mechanical behavior of rock in the vicinity of a borehole. Stress dependence of elastic wave velocities. Linearized expressions for the change in velocity for small changes in stress.
Reservoir geomechanics and 4D seismic monitoring. Reservoir stress path. The effect of stress path on rock deformation and failure. Rock failure. Monitoring reservoir stress changes using time-lapse seismic. The difference in reservoir stress path between injection and depletion.
Fractured reservoirs. Effects of fractures on seismic waves. Multiple fracture sets. Amplitude Versus Offset and Azimuth (AVOA). Simplifications for weak anisotropy. Effects of inequality between the normal and shear compliance of fractures. Microstructural models of fracture compliance.
The seismic anisotropy of shales. The relation of shale anisotropy to microstructure. The effect of interparticle regions on seismic anisotropy. Clay mineral anisotropy. Effect of disorder in the orientation of clay particles. The static elastic moduli for a TI medium and the implications for hydraulic fracture containment.

Who should attend
The integrated nature of this course means that it is suitable for individuals from all subsurface disciplines including geophysics, geomechanics, rock physics, petrophysics, geology, geomodeling, and drilling, reservoir, and petroleum engineering. The short-course presentation, limited to one-day, will provide an overview of the basic concepts and applications, and minimizes the use of mathematical developments. As a result, the course presentation does not require a theoretical background and can be attended by a broad section of working geoscientists and engineers interested in applying geophysical data to the solution of geomechanical problems. The course book will provide support for the course, and further extend some of the more technical considerations.

Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute Bookhaven College

3939 Valley View Lane

Farmers Branch, Texas 75244

DGGS 35th Annual Golf Tournament

Mon, 03 May 2010 16:00:00 GMT

DGGS 35th Annual Golf Tournament
Start Date: 3-May-10 11:00 AM
End Time: 3-May-10 5:30 PM
Location: The Hackberry Creek Country Club, Irving, Texas 75063
Event Details:

DALLAS GEOLOGICAL/GEOPHYSICAL

SOCIETYS’ 35th ANNUAL

GOLF TOURNAMENT

New venue this year – so register early!

The 35th Annual DGGS Golf Tournament will be held on Monday, May 3, 2010 at the Hackberry Creek Country Club, in Irving, Texas. Proceeds from this popular event again help support local scholarship funds of the DGGS. We will play only an afternoon flight this year, so register early to secure one of the 144 spots in the tournament. The tournament will use a four-man scramble format with each player required to submit a handicap. Prizes will be awarded for first and last place, as well as closest to the pin and longest drive.

The Hackberry Creek Country Club was co-designed by the Legendary Byron Nelson and has hosted many popular Tournaments as well as being the site for many North Texas PGA events. It is located at 1901 West Royal Lane in Irving, just five minutes west of the George Bush turnpike and minutes east of DFW Airport. See attached map and directions to the club, below. Players may arrive as early as 11:00 a.m. to register and use the practice facility. Lunch will be provided starting at 11:30. A shotgun start of the tournament will begin promptly at 1:30 p.m. Players will meet in the dining area following their round for dinner and an awards presentation.

The cost of the tournament is $125.00 per player, which includes:

Green fees, range balls, & golf cart rental

Buffet Lunch before the tournament and Dinner Buffet after the tournament

Entry for door prizes

For additional information, please contact Tom Pierce at 972-881-1099, Jim Gaines at 972-789-7704, or Deb Scott at 972-881-1099.

HELP SUPPORT OUR SCHOLARSHIP FUND

AND HAVE A GREAT DAY OF GOLF!

35th ANNUAL DGGS GOLF TOURNAMENT

REGISTRATION FORM

Monday, May 3, 2010

Hackberry Creek Country Club

1901 West Royal Lane, Irving, TX 75063, 972-869-2631

SHOTGUN START AT 1:30 PM.

FOUR PERSON SCRAMBLE: $125.00 Per Player

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: DGS

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

Registration begins 11:00 a.m.

Lunch provided 11:30 a.m.

Play begins w/ shotgun start 1:30 p.m.

Dinner & award presentation 6:00 p.m.

If you are an individual player or have an incomplete team, we will assist in placing you with a foursome. Please remember that the Hackberry Creek Country Club is a soft spikes only golf course and collared shirts must be worn. Call Tom Pierce (972-881-1099), Jim Gaines (972-789-7704), or Deb Scott (972-881-1099) for further information.

NAME	PHONE NUMBER	HANDICAP

Forward completed registration form and handicap information, with payment for a foursome or individual by April 26th to:

DGGS Golf Tournament Registration

c/o Tidelands Geophysical.

101 East Park Blvd., Suite 955

Plano, TX 75074

Email the information to tpierce@tgcseismic.com

The Hackberry Creek Country Club

1901 West Royal Lane

Irving, Texas 75063

2010 Southwest Section AAPG Annual Convention

Sun, 16 May 2010 13:30:00 GMT

2010 Southwest Section AAPG Annual Convention
Start Date: 16-May-10 8:30 AM
End Time: 18-May-10 5:30 PM

DGeophS Awards Luncheon

Thu, 20 May 2010 16:30:00 GMT

DGeophS Awards Luncheon
Start Date: 20-May-10 11:30 AM
End Time: 20-May-10 1:30 PM
Location: Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute Brookhaven College, Farmers Branch, Texas 75244
Speaker: Stephen Hill

Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute Brookhaven College

3939 Valley View Lane

Farmers Branch, Texas 75244

No DGeophS Luncheon

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:30:00 GMT

No DGeophS Luncheon
Start Date: 17-Jun-10 11:30 AM
End Time: 17-Jun-10 1:00 PM

No DGeophS Luncheon

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:30:00 GMT

No DGeophS Luncheon
Start Date: 15-Jul-10 11:30 AM
End Time: 15-Jul-10 1:00 PM

No DGeophS Luncheon

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:30:00 GMT

No DGeophS Luncheon
Start Date: 19-Aug-10 11:30 AM
End Time: 19-Aug-10 1:00 PM

9th International Conference on African E&P Africa: A Multi-faceted Promise

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:30:00 GMT

9th International Conference on African E&P Africa: A Multi-faceted Promise
Start Date: 8-Sep-10 8:30 AM
End Time: 9-Sep-10 5:30 PM
Location: Marriott Houston Westchase Hotel, Houston, Texas
Event Details:

Marriott Houston Westchase Hotel

2900 Briarpark Drive

Houston, Texas