March 2008 - Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

OUTCROP
Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists
Volume 57 • No. 3 • March 2008

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OUTCROP
Newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists
CONTENTS
FEATURES
6 Lead Story: Can County
Laws Preempt State and
Federal Laws on Oil and
Gas Regulation?
13 AAPG 2008 Annual
Convention and Exhibition
21 GeoFamlies DVD
27 Stone and Hollberg Create
Scholarship
ASSOCIATION NEWS
16 RMAG/DAPL GeoLand Ski
Day 2008 Registration
Form
18 Rocky Mountain “Dusters”
RMAG/PTTC Symposium
and Short Course
19 Rocky Mountain “Dusters”
RMAG/PTTC Call for
Abstracts Oral and Poster
Sessions
21 Volunteer Geologists
Needed
24 14th Annual 3D Seismic
Symposium Registration
Form
26 RMAG Library on Sale
Now Order Form
30 Mark Your Calendars!
2008 RMAG/DGS Golf
Tournament
31 RMAG Luncheon
Speaker Award for 2007
DEPARTMENTS
8 President’s Column
9 RMAG Membership
Form
15 Revisions, Moves &
Gyrations
20 New & Returning
Members
23 In the Pipeline
24 On the Rocks Field Trip
32 Friday Luncheon
Program
34 RMAG Board of
Directors Meeting –
Summary
36 In Memoriam
38 Advertisers Index
38 Calendar of Events
COVER PHOTO
Weber Sandstone exposure at Steamboat
Rock, Dinosaur National Monument in
northwest Colorado.
Photo by Chris Carroll, August, 2005.
Volume 57 • No. 3 • March 2008
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3
www.rmag.org

ROCKY MOUNTAIN TRANSECT
The line of TRANSECT
traverses approximately 410
miles across Wyoming and is
laid out in a general dip
direction to cross the major
basins and uplifted mountain
ranges. The TRANSECT
intersects some of the typical
oil-field structures and important
deep wildcat tests within
each basin.
The entire TRANSECT and
fifteen individual SEGMENTS
are provided on two DVD’s.
All files on DVD ONE contain
images that have been
compressed utilizing jpeg
2000 compression. DVD two
contains copies of the original
TRANSECT and SEGMENTS
in Tiff format and contains no
compression.
Park
44°N
Johnson
44°N
Teton
43°N Niobrara
Fremont
43°N
Natrona
Converse
SW-7
Lincoln
Uinta
Sublette
S W-6
SW-5
SW-4
Hot Springs
SW-3
SW-2
Sweetwater
SW-1
Big Horn
NE-1
NE-2
Washakie
Platte
Goshen
42°N 42°N
111°W
111°W
WYOMING TRANSECT
110°W
110°W
109°W
109°W
108°W
45°N 45°N
108°W
107°W
Sheridan
NE-3
107°W
NE-4
Carbon
106°W
NE-5 NE-6
41°N 41°N
106°W
Campbell
Albany
105°W
NE-7
105°W
Crook
Weston
Laramie
NE-8
104°W
104°W
prepared by:
D.S. STONE &
J.E. HOLLBERG
100% of the net Proceeds fund the Stone/Hollberg Graduate Scholarship in
Structural Geology. This Scholarship Award will provide assistance to
graduate students in Structural Geology in Colorado and Wyoming, and will
be managed by the RMAG Foundation.
Member Price: $150.00 Non-Member: $175.00 Corporate License: $1,500.00
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Place order on line at www.RMAG.org or complete this form and
Send to: Rocky Mountain Assiciation of Geologists
820 16 th Street, Suite 505, Denver, Colorado 80202
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Vol. 57, No. 3
4
March 2008

OUTCROP
The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists
820 16th Street • Suite 505 • Denver, CO 80202 • 303-573-8621
The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists (RMAG) is a nonprofi t organization whose purposes are to promote
interest in geology and allied sciences and their practical application, to foster scientifi c research and to encourage
fellowship and cooperation among its members. The Outcrop is a monthly publication of the RMAG.
Co-Editors
Terri Olson
tmolson@pcisys.net
Kristine Peterson
k.peterson@laramidegeo.com
Holly Sell
HSell@nobleenergyinc.com
Design/Production
Debbie Downs
debradowns@att.net
Friday Noon
Luncheon Reservations
303-623-5396
RMAG Office
Sandi Pellissier
303-573-8621
Fax: 303-628-0546
RMAGdenver@aol.com
www.rmag.org
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advertising agreement will be
sent to you.
2008 Officers and Board of Directors
President – Steve Goolsby
sgoolsby@goolsbybrothers.com
President-Elect – Jim Mullarkey
ljoil@cs.com
1st Vice-President – Ira Pasternack
ira.pasternack@encana.com
2nd Vice-President – Kurt Reisser
kurt.reisser@gmail.com
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Secretary – Nick Harris
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OUTCROP 5
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Lead Story
Can County Laws Preempt State and Federal
Laws on Oil and Gas Regulation?
By Susan L. Aldridge, Member; Brent D. Chicken, Associate, Beatty & Wozniak, P.C.
INTRODUCTION
Board of County Commr’s of Gunnison County v. BDS Int’l., LLC represents the most recent case concerning the
imposition of oil and gas development regulations at the county level in Colorado. BDS International, LLC (“BDS”)
and Gunnison Energy Corporation (“GEC”) owned working interests in federal oil and gas leases covering lands in the
Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests in Gunnison County, Colorado. BDS and GEC refused to
comply with Gunnison County’s permit process and regulations related to oil and gas operations, on the basis that such
regulations were preempted by state and/or federal law. In 2003, the Board of County Commissioners of Gunnison
County brought an action in federal court, seeking to enjoin BDS and GEC from maintaining or drilling wells without
compliance with the County’s oil and gas development regulations. However, the federal case was dismissed, the County
refi led substantially the same legal action against BDS and GEC in the Gunnison County District Court, and the Colorado
Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (“COGCC”) was granted permission by the court to intervene in the case.
Prior to trial in the Gunnison
County District Court, BDS and
the COGCC filed motions for
summary judgment, challenging
the Gunnison County regulations
as facially preempted by state and
federal law. The trial court partially
granted the motions of BDS and
the COGCC, that the state statute
preempted certain Gunnison County
regulations, including those dealing
with wildlife, vegetation, drainage and
erosion control, livestock, cultural
and historic resources, access to
records, and fi nancial guarantees,
citing operational conflicts with
state law. However, the trial court
also held that a number of other
Gunnison County regulations were
not preempted by state or federal
law, and therefore denied BDC and
the COGCC’s summary motions as
to those regulations, ruling instead
in favor of Gunnison County.
BDS, GEC, and the COGCC
appealed the trial court’s ruling to
the Colorado Court of Appeals, which
relied heavily on the law set forth in
Board of County Commr’s v. Bowen/
Edwards Assocs., Inc. to arrive at
its decision. [830 P.2d 1045 (Colo.
1992)]. Bowen/Edwards clearly
sets forth the three circumstances
in which state statutes may preempt
local government regulations:
express preemption in the state
statute, implied state legislative
intent to completely occupy a given
fi eld, and operational confl ict with
application of the state statutes
and administrative rules. Regarding
operational conflict preemption,
Bowen/Edwards mandates that
courts determine the extent of
the conflict “on an ad hoc basis
under a fully developed evidentiary
record,” unless it is all but clear
that a local regulation affecting oil
and gas drilling is not preempted
by state statute. Based on these
foundations, the Colorado Court of
Appeals ultimately affi rmed in part,
and reversed and remanded in part,
the trial court’s ruling as to the BDS
and COGCC summary judgments.
The appellate court first
addressed the Gunnison County
regulations dealing with financial
requirements and access to records.
As to Gunnison County’s fi nancial
requirements regulations, the court
held that its mandates regarding
impact mitigation costs and fi nancial
guarantees conflicted with the
COGCC’s financial assurance and
fi ne maximums, and were therefore
preempted. Likewise, Gunnison
County’s regulations which attempted
to require oil and gas operators to
keep records available for inspection
by Gunnison County for a period of
fi ve years were similarly preempted,
as state statutes and COGCC Rules
exclude counties by omission as
entities authorized to inspect such
records. The Gunnison County
regulations dealing with financial
requirements and access to records
were therefore preempted by the
court based on their inconsistency
with, material interference with, or
destruction of, state statutes and
administrative rules. Moreover, in
setting forth its decision here, the
Vol. 57, No. 3
6
March 2008

Can County Laws Preempt State and Federal Laws on Oil and Gas Regulation?
Colorado Court of Appeals also
expressly confi rmed that a county
may not impose technical conditions
on the drilling or pumping of wells
under circumstances where no such
conditions are imposed by state law
or regulation.
However, the appellate court
then moved on to discuss the
myriad Gunnison County oil and gas
regulations which, in its view, the
trial court had improperly held to be
preempted. Applying the operational
conflict test, the court held that
pursuant to Bowen/Edwards, an
evidentiary hearing was required to
determine the scope of operational
confl ict between state statutes and
administrative rules, and Gunnison
County’s regulations dealing with
water quality, soil erosion, wildlife,
vegetation, livestock, geologic
hazards, cultural and historic
resources, wildfi res, recreation, and
permit duration. For each Gunnison
County regulation under scrutiny,
the court discussed the specific
reasons regarding the need to
develop an evidentiary record, and
remanded such considerations
to the trial court, so that a proper
operational confl ict analysis could
be undertaken. Therefore, if a county
has a regulation that furthers the
state’s interest without imposing
confl icting requirements, they are
not, on their face, contrary to state
law, and an evidentiary hearing is
required to determine the existence
and scope of operational confl icts.
The Colorado Court of Appeals
then discussed GEC’s cross-appeal,
which argued that the Gunnison
County regulations concerning oil
and gas development were also
impliedly preempted by federal law
when the U.S. Congress enacted a
In Central America, Belize now has a
multi-million barrel oil field (Spanish Lookout)
because a Denver-based consortium had
the tenacity and seismic image quality
to make the discovery.
comprehensive oil and gas regulatory
scheme, including the Property
Clause of the U.S. Constitution; the
Mineral Leasing Act of 1920; the
Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired
Lands of 1947; the Federal Onshore
Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act of
1987; the Energy Policy Act of 2005;
the National Forest Management
Act; and the Federal Land Policy
Management Act. GEC’s specific
argument was that the U.S. Congress
intended to occupy the fi eld of oil
and gas regulation, and that since
none of the legislation in the U.S.
Congress’ comprehensive regulatory
scheme required the approval of
local governments, or the adherence
to local regulations promulgated by
those governments, the U.S. Congress
necessarily intended full preemption
of those local regulations. However,
despite GEC’s citations of many
cases in support of their argument,
the appellate court was unconvinced,
and held that nothing within the
federal regulatory scheme, nor
anything in the jurisprudence cited by
GEC, led the court to believe that the
U.S. Congress intended to occupy the
entire fi eld of oil and gas regulation.
The Colorado Court of Appeals
therefore affi rmed the trial court’s
ruling that none of the Gunnison
County oil and gas regulations were
preempted by federal law under a
fi eld-occupation analysis.
Based upon the appellate court’s
reluctance to directly address or
discuss in detail the operational
conflict issues surrounding the
majority of the county-level
regulations at issue in BDS Int’l.,
perhaps the court itself best stated
its position in the case:
In determining whether the County
Regulations are in operational conflict
with state statute or regulation, [the
court] will construe the County
Regulations, if possible, so as to
harmonize them with the applicable
state statutes or regulations. Where
no possible construction of the County
Regulations may be harmonized
with the state regulatory scheme,
we must conclude that a particular
regulation is invalid.
The main signifi cance, therefore,
of BDS Int’l. concerning state or
federal preemption of county-level oil
and gas regulations is this: oil and gas
operators must be extremely careful
in evaluating whether an operational
confl icts analysis, based upon a fullydeveloped
evidentiary record, and
recognizing a court’s duty to attempt
to harmonize local, state, and federal
regulations and law, would require
the operator’s adherence to a countylevel
regulations dealing with oil and
gas development. Because BDS
Int’l. lacks a detailed discussion of
operational confl ict facts as applied
Continued on page 10 »
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www.rmag.org

President’s Column
by Steve Goolsby (sgoolsby@goolsbybrothers.com)
Hey Young People —
Pay Attention!
This column is mainly written for
the young folks who have recently
joined the RMAG, although I think
some of our older members will fi nd
what I say interesting. I want to give
you young people some advice. And
I know from my past experience as
a father and scout leader that most
of you are already getting glazed
eyes and saying “Ya, ya, so what can
this gristly old geezer possibly have
to say that I’d be interested in
hearing?” Well, there are some
perspectives that experience in
our industry instills in a person
that they don’t teach in class,
so listen up!
To me, applying the science
of geology or geophysics to the
oil and gas industry is one of
the most exciting careers you can
have. I love the science, and I love
the industry. However, the petroleum
industry involves the extraction of a
natural resource commodity. Natural
resource industries, including coal,
uranium, and water resources, as
well as oil and gas resources, are
subject to severe price fl uctuations.
And as the price of natural resource
commodities fluctuates, industry
activity fl uctuates.
Right now, the price of oil and gas
is high, and industry activity is high.
With the booming industry, jobs are
plentiful for geologists, geophysicists,
and engineers. But keep in mind
that when the price drops, industry
activity will drop and jobs will become
scarce.
For those that who did not live
and work through it, the oil crash of
the 1980s was caused by a problem
within OPEC. At the time, oil was going
for $38 a barrel and all the analysts
were saying that it was going to stay
at that value or rise higher. The feeling
was that Saudi Arabia controlled oil
prices, and they needed oil prices
“…nothing within the federal
regulatory scheme…led the court
to believe that the U.S. Congress
intended to occupy the entire field of
oil and gas regulation.”
of over $30 a barrel to support their
economy. The problem was that the
other OPEC countries continued to
raise their production above their
OPEC quotas until the Saudis had
only a limited share of the production
market. The Saudis fi nally concluded
that they were going to be squeezed
out and would completely lose their
production share unless they opened
the spigots on their wells and fl ooded
the market. When they did this, oil
prices fell from $38 to $9 per barrel.
And prices stayed down around $15
per barrel until the late 1990s.
On the heels of this oil price drop,
the price of natural gas also dropped
radically. This drop was caused by
the fact that there was the lack of a
cold front on the east coast before
Christmas one year. The resulting
weak gas demand on top of the soft
oil price caused a drop in the price of
natural gas. The collapse of both of
these petroleum commodity prices
led to a drop in the rig count from over
4500 rigs working in the United States
to less than 900.
Currently, many analysts are saying
that the price of oil and gas can
not fall due to this or that. We are
in a situation in which demand
is outstripping production to
some extent right now, and I do
not feel the price will fall in the
near-term. However, when oil
and gas prices run up to high
levels, there is often a cascading
response in the industry: high prices
cause drilling activity to increase,
which leads to increased production,
which leads to overproduction, and
that causes the futures traders to drop
the price of the commodity. In other
words, severe price drops could easily
happen again.
After the price collapse in the
1980s, there were major lay-offs
in the industry. Folks with many
years of experience and PhDs in
geology, geophysics, and petroleum
engineering had to start new careers
in other industries. I hope this scenario
will not happen again in the future, but
I’m not betting on it.
Continued on page 13 »
Vol. 57, No. 3
8
March 2008

2008 Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists
Application for Membership
2007
ROCKY MOUNTAIN ASSOCIATION OF GEOLOGISTS
APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
Last Name First Middle
Nickname
Spouse
Company Name
Position / Title
Company Address City State Zip
Company Phone ( ) Home Phone ( ) Cell ( ) Fax ( )
Home Address City State Zip
Work Email
Home Email
Preferred Email Address: Company Home
Preferred Mailing Address: Company Home
SCHOOL YEAR DEGREE
MAJOR
Professional Affiliations: AAPG ____ AIPG GSA ____ SEPM SEG____ Other
Membership Category: Member____ Associate_____ Student_____ Re-Instatement_____
Membership Qualifications
MEMBER: Any person holding a degree in geology, geophysics, geochemistry, paleontology, petroleum engineering, or other allied earth sciences may apply for
membership. Members shall be elected by vote of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may, by majority vote, make exception to accept for full
membership a qualified geological scientist who does not meet the above requirements.
HONORARY MEMBER: Honorary Members shall be elected from time to time by unanimous vote of the Board of Directors from those persons who have
made outstanding contributions to geology or the Association.
STUDENT MEMBER: Any person actively engaged in the pursuit of a degree in geology, geophysics, geochemistry, paleontology, petroleum engineering,
or other allied earth sciences at a college of acceptable academic standards may apply for student membership. Student members are not allowed to receive a
ballot and vote for the Board of Directors.
ASSOCIATE MEMBER: Any person who is not qualified for full or student membership and who is a graduate of a college of acceptable academic standards,
with a minimum of twelve (12) months of geologically related experience may apply for election as an associate member. Applicants shall be approved for
membership by majority vote of the Board of Directors. The Board may waive degree requirement if, in its judgement, an applicant has adequate professional
experience. Associate members are not allowed to receive a ballot and vote for the Board of Directors.
MEMBER DUES AMOUNTS
ACTIVE & ASSOCIATE: $39.00 Full Year (Dec-Nov) $20.00 Half Year (June-Nov)
STUDENT: $20.00 Full Year (Dec-Nov) $10.00 Half Year (June-Nov)
RE-INSTATEMENT:
$42.00 (There is a $3.00 penalty for lapse in membership dues.)
OBTAIN SIGNATURE of two Active (No Student or Associate) Members as Sponsors. PRINT sponsors' last names after signatures. STUDENTS
may be sponsored by their Earth Science Professors. RMAG operates on a fiscal year: December 1 - November 30.
1
2
Send application and Check to: RMAG, 820 16th Street, Suite 505, Denver, CO 80202 (303) 573-8621
Membership Approved By:
Date:
Type of Membership Granted:
OUTCROP
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www.rmag.org

Can County Laws Preempt
State and Federal Laws on
Oil and Gas Regulation?
Continued from page 7
to law, this determination may be
rather diffi cult for most operators,
particularly where the evidence
necessary to show state or federal
preemption via operational confl ict is
somewhat weak or unavailable.
BDS Int’l. therefore advances the
State of Colorado’s jurisprudence in
at least two ways. First, BDS Int’l.
makes it clear that state statutes and
COGCC Rules concerning fi nancial
assurances and access to records,
under a facial analysis, will typically
preempt county-level regulations
dealing with those issues. Second,
BDS Int’l. further defi nes the countylevel
oil and gas regulation subjects,
and terms used, which may be
susceptible to state or federal
preemption under an operational
confl icts analysis.
The COGCC and BDS filed
Petitions for Writ of Certiorari with the
Colorado Supreme Court, while other
parties fi led amicus briefs. On June
11, 2007, the Colorado Supreme
Court denied the Petition for Writ of
Certiorari. A denial of a Petition for
Writ of Certiorari does not confi rm or
deny the appellate court decision – it
simply means the Colorado Supreme
Court will not hear the petition. On
July 2, 2007, BDS Int’l. was remanded
back to the Gunnison County District
Court. It therefore appears that only
time, and a regulation-by-regulation
analysis, will determine the ultimate
impact of BDS Int’l. on oil and gas
operations in Colorado.
»
Vol. 57, No. 3
10
March 2008

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Vol. 57, No. 3
12
March 2008

President’s Column
My purpose here is not to scare you or make you
decide to leave the oil industry. As I say, I love the industry
and think it is one of the most exciting places you can
work. I just want to warn you that price drops and slow
times do occur in our industry. What you do with your
fi nances in light of this fact is your own business, but
I would not be able to sleep with myself unless I made
these suggestions to you:
1. Don’t listen to those folks who say that petroleum
prices will stay high forever. History teaches us that
commodity prices will fl uctuate.
2. Stay conservative and don’t overextend your
credit. Live within your means.
3. Be prepared for a price drop. Save some of your
income so that you can cover your bills if and when prices
drop and jobs become scarce.
4. Remember that your job is not an entitlement,
but rather is a privilege that has been granted to you by
your employer. Be conscientious and work harder than
you have to. During downturns when jobs are scarce,
those who work hardest are the ones who keep their jobs
or can fi nd new ones.
Continued from page 8
5. Take every opportunity to network with your
colleagues. When downturns occur, job openings are
usually fi lled by word-of-mouth, not by advertising.
The RMAG offers several venues for networking with
your colleagues. One of the best ways to do this is to
attend our luncheon talks or one of the many symposia
or short courses we offer. Sometimes it is easier to get to
know folks at one of our numerous social functions, such
as Geoski Day, the Golf Tournament, or the Rockbuster’s
Ball. Yet a better way to get to know your colleagues is
to volunteer for one of our committees and help out. In
addition, the RMAG is currently organizing the Emerging
Leadership Committee. The goal of this committee is
to provide our younger members with the opportunities
to network amongst themselves. You can contact the
chairman of this committee or any other committee by
going to www.rmag.org for email addresses.
So come on and join us. The RMAG welcomes younger
members, and we can help your career. OK, now I’ve had
my say, and you can open your eyes again. You may not
have been fully awake during this dialog, but at least this
gristly old geezer will be able sleep at night now.
»
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State-of-the-art displays showcasing the
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225+ exhibiting companies
Register by April 1 and save up to $200
www.aapg.org/sanantonio or call +1 781 821 6732
OUTCROP
13
www.rmag.org

Vol. 57, No. 3
14
March 2008

BAKKEN PROJECT - UNCONVENTIONAL OIL?
Phase I - Southeastern Saskatchewan, Phase II - North Dakota
Revisions, Moves,
and Gyrations
PHASE I
Ta
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This integrated geotechnical study will build
on previous experience and studies to provide
a template of new discoveries and exploration
oriented maps of new play fairways including:
• Geology (Stratigraphy, Structure, Petrophysics,
Paleotopography, Pool Models, Productivity)
• Reservoir Characterization (Detailed Core
Analysis, Depositional Models, Thin-Sections,
SEM, XRD)
• Hydrogeology (Hydraulic System Mapping,
Source Rock Distribution, Maturity, Migration
Modelling, Fluid Chemistry)
For more information contact Cheryl Wright
(403) 269-3644, info@canadiandiscovery.com
GDGC
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GEOLOGICAL
CONSULTANTS LTD.
Entrada GeoSciences was
acquired by Core Laboratories
in December 2007. Entrada
will operate as a service
division of Core Laboratories
with Noel Waechter remaining
as Operations Manager of the
Denver Tech Center location.
Entrada will continue to offer
the same high quality services:
coal and shale desorption,
mudlogging and wellsite
geology, and laboratory
analysis of coal and shale.
»
www.canadiandiscovery.com
WALT KING, PETROLEUM ENGINEER
LICENSED - COLORADO, WYOMING
RESERVES PROPERTY EVALUATION
FIELD STUDIES
OFFICE - (303) 893-1770
HOME - (303) 773-1080
410 17TH STREET, SUITE 1170 CELL - (720) 219-7897
DENVER, COLORADO 80202-4474 WAKPE@INDRA.COM
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www.rmag.org

Vol. 57, No. 3
16
March 2008

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17
www.rmag.org

Rocky Mountain “Dusters”
RMAG/PTTC Symposium & Short Course
Denver Hyatt Regency September 23-24, 2008
Lessons learned & Opportunities created!
Ever drill a ‘Big’ dry hole? Ever have a great new play idea that just didn’t work or
maybe a success on the back of your own or someone else’s disappointing results?
Well, we want to hear your stories! As explorationists, we are in the risk/reward business
so learning from our ‘near misses’ is the key to our future success.
In September 2008 RMAG will sponsor the first Rocky Mountain “Dusters” Symposium
and Short Course. The one-day symposium will consist of oral presentations and
posters focused on learnings from significant dry holes & disappointing or
economically challenged plays in the greater Rocky Mountain area (other interesting
non-Gulf Coast onshore examples outside of the Rockies will also be considered).
Topics can range from conventional structural and stratigraphic plays/prospects to
unconventional tight gas, shale and CBM resource plays to “false positive” seismic
anomalies or petrophysical conundrums.
On the second day RMAG will offer an optional Risk Management Short Course
which will be co-presented by Gary P. Citron, Managing Partner of Rose &
Associates, LLP, and John Howell III, President of Portfolio Decisions, Inc. This
course will emphasize a practical approach to portfolio & risk management for both
conventional and unconventional plays, including, tracking and measuring your
predictive performance as a platform for future improvement. It will illustrate how
successful companies integrate what they learn from “dusters” into tactical and strategic
decision making.
Stay tuned for the RMAG/PTTC Call for Abstracts, due May 1, 2008. If you have
ideas or questions please contact Jim Emme at jemme@elkresources.net (303-339-1949)
or Mary Carr with PTTC at mcarr@mines.edu (303-273-3107).
Remember, to err is human, but to learn and discover is truly divine!
Vol. 57, No. 3
18
March 2008

Call for Abstracts Oral & Poster Sessions
Deadline May 1, 2008
Rocky Mountain “Dusters”
Lessons learned & Opportunities created!
RMAG/PTTC Symposium
Denver Hyatt Regency September 23, 2008
Suggested Topics of Interest:
Utah Hingeline – Post-Covenant discovery appraisal
North Dakota Bakken – only a “Parshall” success?
Shale Gas Challenges – Rockies, Midcontinent, Appalachia
Tight Gas Sands/CBM – what’s not working & why?
Basin-Center “Booms or Busts”? Uinta, Bighorn, Hanna, etc.
Seismic “False Positives” – Niobrara, Morrow, others
Petrophysical “Conundrums” – misleading or bypass pay
E. Washington Columbia Basin Sub-Basalt Play assessment
East Lost Hills, California – challenges & opportunities
Please submit a one-page abstract of 300 words or less in Word format, indicating your
preference as an oral or poster presentation to Jim Emme at jemme@elkresources.net
(303-339-1949) or Mary Carr with PTTC at mcarr@mines.edu (303-273-3107)
Feel free to contact us with your questions or ideas!!
Remember, to err is human, but to learn and discover is truly divine!
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www.rmag.org

New Members
WELCOME TO
NEW MEMBERS
Richard Moir
Richard currently works for LT
Environmental as a staff geologist.
He holds a BS in Geology from the
University of Minnesota.
Kyle Welty
Kyle is a geologist. He holds a
BS in Geology from the University of
Montana.
Timothy Farnham
Tim is a Geologist for EOG
Resources, Inc. He holds a BA in history
and geology from Williams College
and an MS in Geological Sciences fro
the University of Colorado-Boulder.
Erik Kling
Erik is a Geologist I at EOG
Resources, Inc. He holds a PHD
from the Colorado School of Mines
in Geology.
Clayton Camozzi
Clayton is a Geologist for Samuel
Gray Jr. & Associates. He Holds a BS
in Geology from Calvin College.
David Abbott
David works as a Geophysicist
for MicroSeismic Inc. He holds a BS
in Geophysical Engineering from the
Colorado School of Mines and also
a Professional Degree in Geophysics
from the Colorado School of Mines.
Briana Mordick
Briana is a geologist II with
Anadarko Petroleum. Briana holds a
BA in Geology from Boston University
and an MS in Geology from the
University of North Carolina.
Terry Massoth
Terry is a consulting geologist. He
holds a BS and an MS in geology from
the University of Utah.
Scott Mitchell
Scott is a geologist II at Anadarko
Petroleum. He holds a BS in economics
and an MS in Geology from Brigham
Young University
Ryan Sharma
Ryan is a Geotech/Junior Geologist
at the Discovery Group.
Kipp Carroll
Kipp is the Senior Geologist at St.
Mary Land & Exploration. He holds a
BS is Geology from the University of
Norte Dame and an MS in Geology
from the University of North Dakota.
Andrew Hennes
Andrew is a Geologist at St. Mary
Land & Exploration. He holds a BS
in Geology from the University of
Montana and an MS in Geoscience
from the University of Arizona.
Ryan Fisher
Ryan is a Petroleum Geologist
for Norwest Questa Engineering. He
holds a BS in Geological Engineering
and an MS in Geology from Colorado
School of Mines.
Ken Roberts
Ken is a Geologist for Rosetta
Resoruces. He holds a BS in Geology
form Oklahoma State University.
Danny Mote
Danny is a Geologist for the
Forest Oil Corporation. He holds a
BS and MS in Geosciences from the
University of Texas- Dallas.
Dennis Remmler
Dennis is the Operations
Supervisor at CGG Veritas.
Jon Schmidt
Jon is a Reservoir Engineer for
EOG Resources. Inc. Jon holds a BS
and an MS in Geological Engineering
from the University of Missouri-
Rolla.
Brady Tingey
Brady works as a Geologist for
Fronterra Geosciences. He holds a
BS and an MS in Geology from the
Brigham Young University.
John South
John is a Geologist for Fronterra
Geosciences. He holds an APE from
Snow College and a BS in Geology
from Adams State College.
Donald Bryson
Donald is a Geological Advisor for
Pioneer Natural Resources. He holds
a BS in Geological Engineering from
the Colorado School of Mines
Douglas Otsby
Doug is the Senior Staff Geologist
at Williams Production. He holds a
BS in Math and Geophysics from the
Colorado School of Mines.
Vol. 57, No. 3
20
March 2008

New & Returning Members
John Stachowiak
John is a Petrophysicist for Forest Oil. He holds
a BS in Geological Engineering from the Colorado
School of Mines and an MS in Geological Science
from University of Texas, Austin.
Charles Brooks
Charles is a Petrophysical Advisor for Forest Oil.
He holds a BS in Geophysical Engineering.
VOLUNTEER
GEOLOGISTS NEEDED
for Philmont Scout Ranch
in Cimarron New Mexico
Program sponsored by RMAG & Philmont
Steven Moore
Steven is a Geophysicist at Encana. He holds
a BS in Geophysics from UC Santa Barbara and a
Masters of Divinity from Denver Seminary.
Brian McKinstry
Brian is a Geological Specialist for EOG
Resources, Canada Inc.
Russell Peterson
Russ is a Reservoir Engineer for Black Hill
Exploration and Production. He holds a BS in
Geological Engineering from UCLA and an MS in
Petroleum Engineering from USC.
Geologists needed in back country;
spouses welcome or my participate
with your children in the
Philmont Training Center Programs.
For more information
call or e-mail Ed Warner
at 720-904-0560, ed.warner@???
Robert Lieber
Robert is currently employed at BP. He holds a
BS in Geology from the University of Pittsburgh and
an MS in Geology from the University of Kentucky.
Daniel Murphy
Daniel is a Geophysicist for Yates Petroleum. He
holds a BS and MS in Geology and Geophysics from
Boston College.
Joseph Kmeck
Joe is a Senior Staff Geophysicist for Pioneer
Natural Resources. He holds a BS in Geology from
New Mexico Tech.
Continued on page 29 »
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21
www.rmag.org

Brush up on your skills
this Spring with PTTC
Seismic Imaging of Carbonate Reservoirs & Seals –
Exploration & Production Applications.
Thursday and Friday, March 13 and 14, 2008, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Colorado School of Mines, Berthoud Hall Rm. 243
Fee: $300, includes food at breaks, workbook, and PDH certificate
Instructor: Dr. Rick Sarg, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO.
Key topics include:
Carbonate Platform Geometries,
Carbonate Seismic/Sequence Stratigraphy,
Reservoir and Seal Seismic Facies,
Seismic Expression of Karst,
Stratigraphic Trap Configuration Types and Case
Studies
Crash Course in Log Analysis.
Friday, April 4, 2008, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Colorado School of Mines, Berthoud Hall Rm. 243
Fee: $150, includes food at breaks, workbook, and PDH certificate
Instructor: Dr. John Doveton, Senior Scientist, Kansas Geologic Survey
This workshop is designed to give participants experience in spreadsheet log analysis using Microsoft Excel, as well as skills in
accessing and downloading digital logs for analysis. A spreadsheet workbook of customized log analysis routines will be
supplied to participants as freeware to use on their own logs. The workbook incorporates a variety of log analysis techniques for
reservoir evaluation of porosity and water saturation, as well as prediction of fluid recovery, and rock composition analysis.
GeoGraphix Training: An Overview and Refresher Course
Friday, April 11, 2008, 8:30 am – 5 pm,
Colorado School of Mines, Berthoud Hall Room 201
Fee: $150, includes food at breaks, workbook, and PDH certificate
Instructor: Fred Poland, Littleton, CO
This full-day hands-on computer training course is designed for the person who has had some past experience with
GeoGraphix and would like to get some basic training in the functionality of the newest version. It may also serve as a demo for
those considering the purchase of GeoGraphix. GESxplorer and PRIZM modules will be utilized. New users will acquire tips
and tricks to create projects, maps and cross sections, employ zone manager, perform multi-well log analysis, and more.
Successfully Awakening Mature Oil Fields:
The Process for Reversing Field Production Decline
Tuesday, May 20, 2008, 8:30 am – 5 pm,
Colorado School of Mines, Ben Parker Student Center, Ballroom C
Fee: $150, includes food at breaks, workbook, and PDH certificate
Instructor: John Campanella, Norwest Questa Engineering Corp., Golden, CO
This 1-day course provides a systematic approach for assessing the potential value of mature oil and gas properties
together with case studies. This course is designed for business development personnel, engineers, geologists,
supervisors, and managers who must make the tough decisions on mature fields.
Register online: www.pttcrockies.org
For more information, contact Mary Carr, 303.273.3107, mcarr@mines.edu
Vol. 57, No. 3
22
March 2008

In the Pipeline
March 5-7, 2008
APPEX Prospect and Property
Expo. London, England.
March 7, 2008
Geoland Ski Day. Beaver Creek
Resort. All day event. Meet at Heritage
Square. Buses leave at 7:15 a.m. and
return at 7:00 p.m. See page 16 for
more information.
March 7, 2008
RMAG Luncheon. “Hovenweep-
Ismay Petroleum System, Blanding
Sub-basin of the Paradox Basin,
Utah. Speakers will be Ed Coalson
and Harvey DuChene. See page 32
for more information.
March 11, 2008
Desk & Derrick Meeting. “Rocky
Mountain Pipeline Capacity Issues.”
Speaker will be John Harpole,
Mercator Energy.
March 13-14, 2008
PTTC. Seismic Imaging of
Carbonate Reservoirs & Seals,
Exploration and Production
Applications, Golden, CO
March 17, 2008
14th Annual 3-D Seismic
Symposium. “3-D Seismic for
Unconventional Plays.” Marriott
Hotel, Downtown Denver, Colorado.
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See page 24 and 25 for more
information.
March 18, 2008
DWLS Luncheon. “Prolifi c gas
production from low-permeability
sandstone reservoirs – Part II:
Reconciling basin history, fluid
saturations, gas shows, and capillary
pressure.” Speaker will be Keith
Shanley, consultant. Reservations
through Eleice.Wickham@BakerAtlas.
com or 303-573-2781.
March 25, 2008
SEPM. “Age, Sequences,
Depo-Models, and Biofacies:
U.S. Mississippian Shale-Gas
Basins.”Speaker will be Tony
D’Agostino. Sign up at Luncheons@
rmssepm.org or steve.stancel@
anadarko.com.
March 26, 2008
Oilfield Christian Fellowship.
Call 303-675-2602 or e-mail OCF-
DenverChapter@pxd.com.
March 27, 2008
SIPES Luncheon. “Using
Hingle and Pickett Plots in Well Log
interpretation.” Speaker will be Dan
Krygowski. Cost of the luncheon
is $20. Luncheon begins at 11:30
a.m. at the Wynkoop Brewery. For
reservations call the SIPES Denver
23
Chapter message line at 303-730-
2967, or leave a reservation via
email to sipesdenver@yahoo.com.
Reservations must be made by close
of business, Monday, March 24th.
April 19, 2008
RMAG, On-The-Rocks Field Trip
Centennial Uranium Project. Join
us for an inside tour of Powertech
Uranium’s uranium exploration
activities in Weld County. To sign up,
email Jeff Glossa at Jeff.Glossa@
state.co.us. See page 24 for more
information.
April 20-23, 2008
AAPG Annual Convention and
Exhibition. San Antonio, Texas. See
page 13 for more information.
June 24, 2008
RMAG/DGS Golf Tournament.
More information in future
Outcrops.
July 9-11, 2008
RMS-AAPG/COGA Rocky
Mountain Energy Epicenter.
If you have any events that you would like
to post in this column, please submit via
email to Holly Sell at holly@4DV.net or to the
RMAG office at rmagdenver@aol.com for
consideration.
www.rmag.org
»

On the Rocks Field Trip,
April 19, 2008
RMAG, On-The-Rocks Field Trip Centennial Uranium
Project. Join us for an inside tour of Powertech Uranium’s
uranium exploration activities in Weld County. The company
is defi ning what they believe is a major uranium deposit in
sandstones of the Upper Cretaceous Fox Hills formation of
northern Colorado. This will provide an overview and fi eld
site visit of the proposed in-situ mining project. To sign up,
email Jeff Glossa at Jeff.Glossa@state.co.us.
»
30 Years Oil and Gas
Industry Experience
CPG 8653
Anne D. Weber, Managing Attorney
Acquisitions • Divestitures • Industry Agreements
1580 Lincoln St., Suite 700 Denver, CO 80203
Phone: 303-893-2004 aweber@weberlawfirm.us
Vol. 57, No. 3
24
March 2008

3-D SEISMIC "3D Seismic for Unconventional Plays"
The RMAG and DGS Present:
14 th ANNUAL 3-D SEISMIC SYMPOSIUM
Monday, March 17, 2008: Marriott Hotel, Downtown Denver, Colorado
The 2008 symposium features 3-D seismic case histories showing the value of seismic information as well as
the latest acquisition, interpretation, and imaging techniques. Experience the latest in 3-D technology during
your breaks in the expanded vendor area next to the main ballroom. Attendance last year: 750
Keynote Speaker: Larry Lunardi, Vice-President Geophysics, Chesapeake Energy Corp,
“3-D Seismic for Unconventional Resource Plays”
Kickoff Speaker: Peggy Williams, Senior Exploration Editor, Oil & Gas Investor Magazine
“3D Seismic and U.S. Oil & Gas Activity”
REGISTRATION FORM
Name:
Name Tag:
Company:
Email: __________________________
Address:
City: State: Zip: Day Phone:
___Registration fee THROUGH February 22nd for RMAG/DGS Members:-------------- $150.00 $
___Registration fee THROUGH February 22nd for Non-Members:-------------------------$175.00 $
___Registration fee AFTER February 22nd for BOTH Members & Non-Members:------$195.00 $
___Full-Time Student Registration:----------------------------------------------------------- $ 40.00 $
Student ID Number (required)
(No cancellations or refunds after February 22, 2008) Total Enclosed $
Payment: [ ] Check (payable to RMAG) [ ] Visa [ ] MasterCard [ ] American Express
Name on Credit Card (Print):__________________________________________________________________
__________________
Card No.:
Expiration Date:
Billing Address: ____________________________________________________________________________
Signature(credit cards only) ___________________________________________________________________
Mail or FAX this registration form to:
RMAG * 820 16 th St., Ste. 505 * Denver, CO 80202 * 303-573-8621 * FAX: 303-628-0546
For Online Registration: http://www.rmag.org
If you register on line you must receive a confirmation notice by return email within 24 hours or your
registration was not accepted by our computer. Please call RMAG to register (303-573-8621).
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www.rmag.org

Vol. 57, No. 3
26
March 2008

Stone and Hollberg Create Scholarship
Don Stone and John Hollberg have made generous gifts
to the RMAG Foundation to establish a scholarship fund
to be known as the Stone-Hollberg Graduate Scholarship
in Structural Geology. The Foundation has contributed
$10,000 to the Fund, bringing the initial balance of the
Fund to a total of $50,000.
Stone said, “Setting up a scholarship was an idea
that I had been considering for some time. Back in 1951,
I was lucky enough to attend Cornell University graduate
school on a scholarship in structural geology that paid
my tuition and a little extra. I would not have been able to
attend Cornell without this fi nancial help and might have
ended up in a different profession and missed out on the
excitement and the challenges of structural interpretation
in the search for petroleum. It seemed time to do something
to acknowledge this debt. John did not hesitate to agree
with these sentiments and with the scholarship idea.”
The Fund will provide one or more scholarships directly
to graduate students in Structural Geology throughout
Colorado and Wyoming, including those at the University
of Colorado, the Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State
University and the University of Wyoming. Other colleges
and universities may be included in the future.
Initially, the Fund will be used to provide one $2500
scholarship annually. This amount is expected to increase
in the future, as other donations and investment results
permit.
The Fund will also benefi t from all profi ts from sales
of the Wyoming Transect, a DVD-based group of 15
continuous structural cross-sections through Wyoming. The
transect was drawn across the state of Wyoming from the
northern Black Hills to the Wyoming thrust belt, a distance
of some 400 miles, traversing the important oil- and gasproducing
basins and the intervening mountain ranges
of the central Rocky Mountain foreland. Constructed and
copyrighted by Stone in 1987, the Wyoming Transect relies
on an extensive geologic and seismic data base. It provides
a detailed foundation for analyzing structural relationships
on both a regional and local scale. This transect is currently
available through the RMAG.
Tax-deductible donations to the Stone-Hollberg
Graduate Scholarship in Structural Geology may be made
payable to RMAG Foundation and sent to the RMAG offi ce,
820 16th Street, Suite 505, Denver, CO 80202. Please
specify this scholarship on your check.
»
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www.rmag.org

To us, it’s all about
making your career
a big success.
Choose from over 50 exciting field seminars and short courses all designed with the goal of helping you
explore and better understand your industry. For complete details on any of the field seminars and
short courses offered by the AAPG, call +1 918 560-2650 or visit http://www.aapg.org/education/
SHORT COURSES
Practical Salt Tectonics
Date: May 5-6, 2008
Location: London, England
Instructor: Mark G. Rowan, Consultant, Boulder, CO
http://www.aapg.org/education/shortcourse/details.cfm?ID=67
Basic Well Log Analysis
Date: May 13-16, 2008
Locations: Austin, TX
Instructors: George B. Asquith, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX; Daniel A. Krygowski, The
Discovery Group, Denver, CO
http://www.aapg.org/education/shortcourse/details.cfm?ID=109
Essentials of Subsurface Mapping
Date: May 19-20, 2008
Location: Dallas, TX
Instructor: Richard Banks, Scientific Computing Applications, Inc., Tulsa, OK
http://www.aapg.org/education/shortcourse/details.cfm?ID=29
Deep-Water Sands - Integrated Stratigraphic Analysis:
A Workshop Using Multiple Data Sets
Date: May 26-28, 2008
Location: London, England
Instructor: John M. Armentrout, Cascade Stratigraphics, Damascus, OR
http://www.aapg.org/education/shortcourse/details.cfm?ID=52
Reservoir Engineering for Petroleum Geologists
Date: May 28-29, 2008
Location: Houston, TX
Instructor: Richard G. Green, Saxon Oil, Dallas, TX
http://www.aapg.org/education/shortcourse/details.cfm?ID=71
Exploring for Stratigraphic Traps Using Pressure/Depth Plots &
Salinities
Date: June 2-4, 2008
Location: Denver, CO
Exploration in Stratigraphic Traps
Instructor: Hugh Reid, Hugh W. Reid & Associates, Calgary, AB, Canada
http://www.aapg.org/education/shortcourse/details.cfm?ID=49
Multi-Component Seismic Stratigraphy
Date: June 11-12, 2008
Location: Houston, TX
Instructor: Bob Hardage, Bureau of Economic Geology, Austin, TX
http://www.aapg.org/education/shortcourse/details.cfm?ID=42
Seismic Interpretation in Fold- and Thrust-Belts Using
Fault-Related Folding Techniques
Date: June 17-20
Location: Denver, CO
Instructor: John Shaw, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
FIELD SEMINARS
Modern Terrigenous Clastic Depositional Systems
Dates: May 1 - 8; June 14 - 21, 2008
Location: Begins in Columbia and ends in Charleston, South Carolina
Leader: Walter J. Sexton, Athena Technologies, Inc., Columbia, SC
http://www.aapg.org/education/fieldseminars/details.cfm?ID=6
Submarine Canyons, Channels, Fans and Deep-water
Sequence Stratigraphy
Date: May 4-7, 2008 (beginning at noon on the 4th, ending late afternoon on the 7th)
Location: La Jolla, San Deigo County, California
Leader: John E. Warme, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO
http://www.aapg.org/education/fieldseminars/details.cfm?ID=63
Controls On Porosity Types and Distribution in Carbonate Reservoirs
Date: May 18-23, 2008
Location: Almeria Region, SE Spain, begins and ends in Las Negras, Spain. Fly from London/
Barcelona/Madrid
Leaders: Evan K. Franseen, Kansas Geological Survey, Lawrence, KS; Robert H. Goldstein,
University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS; Mateu Esteban, REPSOL-YPF, Mallorca, Spain
http://www.aapg.org/education/fieldseminars/details.cfm?ID=2
Complex Carbonate Reservoirs: The Role of Fracturing, Facies and
Tectonics
Date: May 24-30, 2008 (begins the afternoon of May 24 and finishes the afternoon of May 30)
Location: Begins in Naples and ends at Rome International Airport (Italy)
Leaders: Raffaele Di Cuia, G.E.Plan Consulting, Ferrara, Italy; Davide Casabianca, BP plc,
Aberdeen, UK
http://www.aapg.org/education/fieldseminars/details.cfm?ID=79
GEOTOUR! Geological Tour Through Alaska: A Trans-Alaskan
Transect - Gulf of Alaska to Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean
Date: May 31 - June 10, 2008
Location: Trip begins in Homer and ends in Fairbanks, Alaska
Leaders: Tom Plawman, BP, Anchorage, AK, and David Hite, Consultant, Anchorage, AK, for
south-central Alaskan segment; Gil Mull, Santa Fe, N.M., Tom Plawman and David Hite for
Brooks Range and northern Alaska segment
http://www.aapg.org/education/fieldseminars/details.cfm?ID=113
Predicting Clastic Reservoirs Using Applied Sequence Stratigraphy
Date: June 7-14, 2008
Location: Begins and ends in Salt Lake City, UT
Leaders: Lee F. Krystinik, Fossil Creek Resources, Fort Worth, TX and Beverly Blakeney De-
Jarnett, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas, Houston, TX
http://www.aapg.org/education/fieldseminars/details.cfm?ID=11
Folding, Thrusting & Syntectonic Sedimentation:
Perspectives from Classic Localities of the Central Pyrenees
Date: June 16-20, 2008
Location: Begins and ends in Barcelona, Spain
Leaders: Antonio Teixell, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain, and Antonio Barnolas,
Instituto Geologico y Minero de Espana, Madrid, Spain
http://www.aapg.org/education/fieldseminars/details.cfm?ID=24
Sequence Stratigraphy and Reservoir Distribution in
a Modern Carbonate Platform, Bahamas
Date: June 16-20, 2008
Location: Begins and ends in Miami, Florida. Four days are spent on a chartered boat in the
Bahamas.
Leaders: Gregor P. Eberli, Comparative Sedimentology Laboratory, University of Miami, Miami,
FL; G. Michael Grammer, Department of Geosciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo,
MI; Paul M. (Mitch) Harris, Chevron Energy Technology Company, San Ramon, CA
http://www.aapg.org/education/fieldseminars/details.cfm?ID=4
For more info or to enroll call +1 918 560-2650 or visit http://www.aapg.org/aug/
More science than you can shake a pick at.
Vol. 57, No. 3
28
March 2008

New Members
Continued from page 21
Elizabeth LaBarre
Liz is a Geologist at EnCana. She holds a BS and an
MS in Geological Engineering from the Colorado School
of Mines.
Bret C. Schafer
Bret is a Regional Manager with Dawson Geophysical
Co based in Greenwood Village, CO. Bret holds a BS
degree in Geophysics from Boise State University.
Kermit Shilds
Kermit is retired from ExxonMobil. He holds a BA
in Geology from Wittenberg University and an MS in
Geology from Ohio University.
Ramsey D. Bentley
Ramsey is a Geologist with the Wyoming State
Geological Survey in Laramie, WY and holds a BS degree
in Geology from the University of WY.
Mark Wagaman
Mark is a geophysicist with CGG Veritas in Denver,
CO. Mark holds a BS degree in Geology from Eastern
Michigan University.
David K. Buttle
Dave is the Operations Manager for CGG Veritas in
Denver, CO. Dave holds a BS degree in Geology from
Oklahoma State University.
Karen I Cristensen
Karen is a Partner and Geophysicist for Silver Tip
Energy in Santa Barbara, CA. She holds a BS degree in
Geophysics from Cornell University.
Mike D. Sherwin
Mike is President of Sherwin Geological based in
Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Mike holds a BS degree in
Geology from the University of Manitoba.
Dirk A. Schwartz
Dirk is a Landman with Stephens Energy Company
in Denver, CO. Dirk holds a BS Degree in Geology from
the University of Wyoming and an MS degree from the
University of North Dakota.
WELCOME TO
NEW ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
Trevor D. Krauss
Trevor is the Operations S.VP for Geokinetics in
Midland, TX. Trevor holds a BS degree in Animal Science
from Cal Poly, CA.
Kathy M. Winner
Kathy is a Sr. Account Executive with IHS Energy in
Englewood, CO.
WELCOME TO
NEW STUDENT MEMBERS
Agnibha Das
Agni is a graduate PhD Candidate student in
Geophysics at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden,
CO.
Riluparna Sarker
Rilu is a graduate PhD Candidate student in
Geophysics at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden,
CO.
Jeffrey W. Jackson
Jeff is a graduate MS Candidate student in Geology
at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO.
Curtis Arbuckle
Curtis is a graduate MS Candidate student in Geology
at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO.
Lisa Humbert
Lisa is a student at the University of Wyoming
seeking her BS in Geology and Physics.
»
OUTCROP
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Mark Your
Calendars!
RMAG/DGS Golf
Tournament
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Vol. 57, No. 3
30
March 2008

RMAG Luncheon
Speaker Award
for 2007
RMAG is pleased to announce
that Mark Longman is the recipient
of the 2007 Luncheon Speaker of the
Year Award. Mark’s talk, presented
on October 19th, 2007, was entitled
”Lithology and Characteristics of the
Upper Cretaceous Baxter Shale Gas
Reservoir, Vermillion Basin, Northwest
Colorado and Adjacent Wyoming.”
Selection of the best speaker is
based on standardized evaluation
forms filled out by selected attendees
at each luncheon talk and compiled
by Dean DuBois. Talks are judged on
a variety of aspects including pace
of the delivery, enunciation, slide
quality, and overall content.
Mark’s talk focused on Questar’s
developing exploration play in the
Baxter Shale in northwestern Colorado
along the Wyoming/Colorado border.
The Baxter Shale, which is about 3500
ft thick, is stratigraphically equivalent
to the Hilliard, Mancos, Cody, and
Pierre shales found in other Rocky
Mountain basins. Thermogenic gas
is produced from both silty and shaly
lithologies although the siltstones
tend to be somewhat more prolifi c.
The Baxter is self sourced and highly
overpressured within the productive
areas of the Vermillion Basin.
As always, selecting one luncheon
talk from the many excellent talks
given each year is a challenge, but
RMAG wishes to thank the many
volunteers who willingly filled in
their evaluation forms. A plaque
commemorating Mark’s excellent
talk was presented to him at the
Association’s 2007 Annual Meeting
and Luncheon on December 7,
2007.
»
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Friday Luncheon Program – March 7
Hovenweep-Ismay Petroleum System,
Blanding Sub-basin of the Paradox Basin, Utah
March 7
By Edward B. Coalson, Coyote Oil & Gas Company, LLC, Conifer, Colorado, and Harvey R.
DuChene, 2HNK Energy, LLC, Lake City, Colorado
Shelfward
(southwest) of
the Blanding subbasin,
Ismay and
Desert Creek pore
fl uids are oil with
associated gas
and signifi cant
producible water.
In the Hovenweep-Ismay petroleum system ,of the Blanding sub-basin of the
Paradox Basin, pore fl uids in the Ismay and Desert Creek zones of the Paradox
Formation follow trends consistent with the type(s) and maturity indicators of organic
material, and seem to refl ect mainly Laramide burial. Basinward (northeast) of the
Blanding sub-basin, Ismay and Desert Creek hydrocarbons are dominantly natural
gas with very little mobile water. This part of the basin is currently seeing a play
for “resource-type” natural gas accumulations in the Gothic Shale, which we will
discuss briefl y on the basis of rumor and innuendo. Shelfward (southwest) of the
Blanding sub-basin, Ismay and Desert Creek pore fl uids are oil with associated gas
and signifi cant producible water. In the Blanding Basin itself, pore fl uids are mainly
oil and associated gas, with relatively little mobile formation water. These patterns
meet our criteria for a “basin-bottom” system.
Oil and gas in the Blanding sub-basin are produced mainly from upper Ismay
(Desmoinesian) carbonate mounds. The mounds forming linear, subparallel trends
are immediately underlain by thickened sections of Hovenweep Shale; are fl anked
LUNCHEON RESERVATIONS AND INFORMATION
Luncheons will be held at the Marriott City Center at California and 17th St. Please check the
event listing in the lobby for the room. People gather at 11:30 a.m., lunch is served at 12:00
noon, and the speaker presentation begins at about 12:20 p.m. The price of the luncheon is
$30.00. Checks should be made payable to RMAG. No reservation is required for the talk only
and the cost is $5.00. Please make your reservation prior to 10:30 a.m. on the Wednesday before
the luncheon. Please Note: If you make a reservation and do not attend the luncheon, you will
be billed for the luncheon. Cancellations are not guaranteed after 10:30 a.m. the Wednesday
before the talk. You may send someone in your stead.
Call 303-623-5396
Your attendance is welcomed and encouraged.
Bring a guest or new member!
Vol. 57, No. 3
32
March 2008

Friday Luncheon Programs
We propose an
indirect linkage
between basement
tectonics, salt
movements,
sediment loading,
and deposition of
the mounds.
by thick salina anhydrites; and are immediately overlain by thin upper Ismay sabkha
deposits and marine carbonates of the basal Honaker Trail Formation. Correlative,
but thinner, marine-shelf upper Ismay carbonates are underlain by thin Hovenweep
Shale.
Based primarily upon mapping of these thickness trends and on serial
stratigraphic cross sections, we propose that the anomalously thick, productive upper
Ismay carbonate mounds result from: 1) regional base-level changes, 2) differential
subsidence during Hovenweep time due to salt movements, 3) loading of the salt by
thickened upper Ismay carbonates and evaporites, and 4) differential compaction of
the evaporites surrounding the carbonate-mound masses during latest Ismay and
earliest Honaker Trail deposition. We propose an indirect linkage between basement
tectonics, salt movements, sediment loading, and deposition of the mounds.
There are signifi cant variations in reservoir type and quality within the study
area. Bioclastic/framework carbonates provide superior reservoir rocks. Sucrosic
to microcrystalline dolomites provide inferior reservoir rocks, despite having
occasionally quite high total porosities. The proposed depositional and petrophysical
models have implications for understanding and predicting the distribution of upper
Ismay carbonate mounds in the subsurface, and of the underlying (if rare) Desert
Creek productive areas.
»
OUTCROP
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www.rmag.org

January RMAG Board of Directors Meeting – Summary
By Nick Harris, Secretary (geologistnick@yahoo.com)
The 2008 Board of Directors
met for the first time on January
17. The 2008 Board has inherited
a strong organization, thanks to the
excellent work of past boards and
our outstanding offi ce staff of Sandi
Pellissier and Josh Robbins.
A major priority for 2008 will be
to maintain control on expenses.
Income for the Association is expected
to increase, due to an expanding
membership and a Continuing
Education program that has already
had a successful start. Offsetting the
increase in income is an expected
rise in expenses, particularly for
publications including The Outcrop.
RMAG is financially healthy, and
the Board will work to maintain that
health.
Continuing Education is one of
RMAG’s great strengths, and we will
continue to emphasize it in 2008.
The year started off with a highly
successful short course on “Fractures
and Geomechanics” by John Lorenz,
attended by 300 people. Events
scheduled for later in the year include
the annual 3D Symposium, a short
course on hydrothermal dolomites,
a symposium on Rocky Mountain
“Dusters – Dry Hole Symposium and
Risk Management” and a fi eld trip
associated with the Rocky Mountain
AAPG section meeting in July.
»
2008 Open Enrollment Course Schedule
Risk Analysis, Prospect Evaluation & Exploration
Economics – Hybridized Version
*includes material on unconventional assessments
June 9 – 13, 2008
Risk Analysis for Development Applications
August 18 – 21, 2008
Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado
Green Center – Petroleum Hall
Register at www.roseassoc.com/instruction
Questions? Please contact Allison Dunn at (713) 528-8422
Vol. 57, No. 3
34
March 2008

SEG/EAGE DISTINGUISHED INSTRUCTOR SHORT COURSE
Reservoir Geophysics
By William L. Abriel
Denver, CO – Friday, May 2, 2008
Colorado School of Mines
Metals Hall
The Green Center
1500 Illinois Street
Golden, Colorado 80401
Presentation: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Doors Open: 7:30 am
Important: Please complete a separate form for each registrant
Name
Company Name
Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone
Email
Fax
Country
SEG Member/Student Member Yes No DGS Member/Student Member Yes No
If available-SEG Member ID#_________________ EAGE Member/Student Member Yes No
Cost: (Check ONE)
Member of SEG or EAGE and DGS......... $110.00 Student Member of SEG or EAGE and DGS….... $10.00
Member of SEG or EAGE only…….….…. $134.00 Student Member of SEG or EAGE only .............. $15.00
Member of DGS only…..…………..…….... $185.00 Student Member of DGS only ………...………..... $10.00
Non-Member of SEG, EAGE and DGS..... $209.00 Student Non-Member of SEG, EAGE and DGS.. $15.00
* If you paid the non-DGS member DISC rate, a DGS membership form will be available for you to complete.
If you paid the non-SEG member DISC rate, SEG will mail you a paid membership application after the DISC presentation.
SEG Student membership dues provided for by CGGVeritas and Paradigm
Lunch is included with the course
PAYMENT : $_________________
Make checks payable to Denver Geophysical Society. Please, DO NOT send cash.
Payment by credit card: CARD: ______ MasterCard ______ Visa ______ American Express ______ Discover
PRINTED NAME AS IT APPEARS ON CARD: __________________________________________________________________________________________
ACCOUNT NUMBER: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
EXPIRATION DATE: ______________________________ Signature: _______________________________________________________________________
Return this form to:
Denver Geophysical Society
Attn: Fran Leestma
7144 E. Warren Drive
Denver, Colorado 80224-2531
OR
Register on line: www.denvergeo.org
Telephone: 303-757-2942
Fax: 303-753-8791
Email: dgs@denvergeo.org
REGISTRATION INFORMATION:
To pre-register, the completed registration form must be received at the address
noted no later than April 16, 2008
To Register On-Line Go To: www.DenverGeo.org
The registration fee includes course materials, continental breakfast, lunch, and break
refreshments. Participants are responsible for their own hotel and travel arrangements.
Payment of the tuition for the program is to be made in advance. Registration is on a firstcome,
first-served basis. This course has a maximum class size limit; early registration is
urged. If the course is fully subscribed at the time your registration is received, you will be
notified and placed on a waiting list as an alternate. On-site registration is discouraged due
to class size restrictions, but will be provided on a space-available basis.
OUTCROP
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www.rmag.org

In Memoriam: John “Jack” David Edwards,
June 17, 1925 – December 24, 2007
Jack was born June 17, 1925, to Helen Davidson and David Edwards in Nyack,
New York. He is survived by loving wife Donna Hohmann Ewy Edwards, and beloved
children, David, Fess, Heather, Hope, Nell Matthews and step children, Margot Love,
Suzanne, Rodger and Leon Ewy and 19 grandchildren. His former wife Joan Fessenden
preceded him in death in 1998 after 50 years of marriage.
In December, Jack suffered a major stroke which left him paralyzed on the right
side and unable to swallow. Until his last days Jack, the tough Scotsman, could still
tell his wife “I love you. We have had a great life.” She told him she loved him and
thanked him for the best ten years of her life. He died peacefully on December 24,
2007. His fi nal words were “I have had a damn good life.” We all know he is at peace
and saving the last dance for us.
To his last day Jack loved life. Graciousness, generosity and goodwill were his
greatest contributions. He cherished his roles as a devoted father, grandfather, and
husband. He left a great imprint on his family, friends, students, colleagues, and all
who knew him. He was on the soccer team at Cornell. He loved skiing, hiking, water
skiing, and dancing. Jack and Donna took a safari to Africa for their honeymoon, they
traveled to China, Egypt, Jordan, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brazil, Macchu Picchu,
Argentina, Chile, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Scotland, France, Germany, Antarctica, and
the Arctic. Jack went down the Grand Canyon over seven times and was famous for
his knowledge of the geologic formations. He was an avid fan of the University of
Colorado Buffaloes football team and the Women’s basketball team.
Jack served in the US Navy during World War II. He received
his PhD in Geology at Columbia University in New York, Masters
of Science in Geology at Colorado School of Mines in Golden,
Colorado, and Bachelors of Science in engineering from
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. In 2007, Jack had the
honor of being awarded the prestigious Distinguished Service
Award by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists
for his groundbreaking work on 21st Century Energy and his
important contributions in global energy predictions that help
in the public’s education on energy policy. In 2002, he testified
on the fl oor of the Senate about the future of petroleum and
alternative energy directions that need to be taken.
Jack had widespread infl uence in petroleum exploration
and development at Shell Oil from 1949 to 1987, including
serving as their Chief Geologist. He discovered the largest
oil fi eld in Brazil. After retirement from Shell, Jack served as
adjunct professor at the University of Colorado in Boulder and
at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.
Contributions may be sent as memorial gifts to the
American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG): In
Memory of John D. Edwards Memorial Scholarship Fund
for geosciences graduate students, P.O. Box 979, Tulsa, OK
74101-0979, or The University of Colorado Jack Edwards
Scholarship Fund, Department of Geological Sciences,
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0399.
Vol. 57, No. 3
»
36
WIRELINE SERVICES
Burt Gowdy
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Fax 307-234-1576
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225 So. David Street, Ste. A, Casper WY 82601
March 2008

OUTCROP
37
www.rmag.org

Advertisers Index
AAPG ......................................13, 28
Automated Mudlogging Systems 23
Barlow & Haun ..............................36
Blackrock Resources LLC ............34
Canadian Discovery ......................15
Citi Smith Barney ..........................23
Denver Geophysical Society .........35
Entrada Geosciences ....................30
Gene R. George & Assoc., Inc. .....31
Geological Consultants ................31
Goolsby Brothers ..........................15
IHS Energy Group ............................2
IHS+Petra ......................................37
Infopipe ..........................................10
Integrated Geophysics Corp .........27
King, Walt ......................................15
MJ Systems ...................................17
Neuralog ........................................40
Norwest/Questa Engineering ......31
Omni Labs ......................................11
Petrolific Consulting Services .....24
Premier Data Services ..................14
PTTC ...............................................22
Rockware .......................................39
Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing ..38
Rose & Associates ........................34
Sandia Exploration Consultants ..10
Sherwin Geological Resources ....30
TGS .................................................12
Technically Write Consulting .......15
Transform Software & Services ...24
Tucker Wireline Services ..............38
Vista GeoSciences ........................15
Weber Law Firm, LLC ....................24
Whitehead, Neil, III .......................10
Whitestar .......................................33
March 2008
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
RMAG
Luncheon
Speaker: Ed
Coalson
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
3-D Seismic
Symposium
Desk &
Derrick
Meeting
DWLS
Luncheon
APPEX Prospect and Property Expo
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
PTTC Seismic Imaging
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
GeoLand
Ski Day
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31
SEPM
Luncheon
Oilfield
Christian
Fellowship
SIPES
Luncheon
Vol. 57, No. 3
38
March 2008

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