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Volume 51 Number 7

HGSBulletinHouston Geological Society

Late 20th Century Subsidenceof South Louisiana: Insightsinto the Nature of PassiveMargin Normal Faults Page 23

Late 20th Century Subsidenceof South Louisiana: Insightsinto the Nature of PassiveMargin Normal Faults Page 23

March 2009March 2009

HGS Guest NightSaturday, April 4, 2008

Speaker: Dr. Mike WatersPage 47

Volume 51, Number 7 March 2009

Houston Geological Society

The

In Every Issue5 From the President

by Kara Bennett

7 From the Editor by Michael Forlenza

32 GeoEvents Calendar

59 HGS MembershipApplication

60 HPAC

61 Professional Directory

Technical Meetings

15 HGS General Dinner MeetingPaleocene-Eocene Lowstand Systems Tract Sandstone Deposits of the Eastern Gulf Coastal Plain: Potential Reservoir Facies in the Offshore Northeastern Gulf of Mexico

19 HGS International Dinner MeetingThe Risk Police — Evil Naysayers or Exploration Best Practice?

23 HGS General Luncheon MeetingLate 20th Century Subsidence of South Louisiana:Insights into the Nature of Passive Margin NormalFaults

27 HGS North American Dinner MeetingShale Plays, Risk Analysis and Other Perils ofConventional Thinking

37 SIPES Luncheon MeetingCase Study: Highest Possible Resolution (HPR)Stratigraphic Imaging of a Deep Reef Platform

Other Features13, 20 Remembrances

41 Geologic Website of the Month“I’ve Looked at Life from Both Sides Now” The Discovery Institute (www.discovery.org) andUnderstanding Evolution (evolution.berkeley.edu)Michael Forlenza, PG

47 2009 HGS Annual Guest NightIn Search of the First Americans: RecentDiscoveries and the Role of Geology in the Pursuit of the Past

51 Book Review: The Dating Game: One Man’s Search for the Age of the EarthGeorge O. Chandlee

55 Government UpdateHenry M. Wise and Arlin Howles

Houston Geological SocietyOFFICERSKara Bennett PresidentGary Coburn President-electArt Berman Vice PresidentJohn Tubb TreasurerMatt Boyd Treasurer-electMike Jones SecretaryMichael Forlenza Bulletin EditorGordon Shields Editor-elect

DIRECTORSAlison Henning

Richard Howe

Ianthe Sarrazin

Walter Light

HGS OFFICE STAFFSandra Babcock Office ManagerLilly Hargrave WebmasterKen Nemeth Office Committee

Chairman

EDITORIAL BOARDMichael Forlenza EditorGordon Shields Editor-electJames Ragsdale Advisory EditorCharles Revilla Advisory EditorLilly Hargrave Advertising EditorLisa Krueger Design Editor

The Houston Geological Society Bulletin (ISSN-018-6686) is published monthly except for July and August by the HoustonGeological Society, 14811 St. Mary’s Lane, Suite 250,Houston, Texas 77079-2916. Phone: 713-463-9476; fax: 281-679-5504Editorial correspondence and material submitted for publica-tion should be addressed to the Editor, Houston Geological SocietyBulletin, 14811 St. Mary’s Lane, Suite 250, Houston, Texas 77079-2916 or to [email protected]: Subscription to this publication is included inthe membership dues ($24.00 annually). Subscription price fornonmembers within the contiguous U.S. is $30.00 per year. Forthose outside the contiguous U.S. the subscription price is $46.00per year. Single-copy price is $3.00. Periodicals postage paid inHouston, Texas.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Houston GeologicalSociety Bulletin, 14811 St. Mary’s Lane, Suite 250, Houston,Texas 77079-2916

About the Cover: Colorful subalpine fall foliage cloaks the foothills of Mount Rainer, Washington.Mount Rainer, at 14,410 feet above sea level, is the most prominent peak in the Cascade Range.It is an active stratovolcano that last erupted approximately 150 years ago. Mount Rainier is themost heavily glaciated peak in the lower 48 states at 35 square miles of snow and ice. Photograph by Michael F. Forlenza. Copyright © 2008. All rights reserved.

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March 2009 Houston Geological Society Bulletin 1

2 Houston Geological Society Bulletin March 2009

Board of Directors 2008–09http://www.hgs.org/about_hgs/leadership.asp

President (P) Kara Bennett Consultant 832-452-3747 [email protected] (PE) Gary Coburn Murphy Oil 281-675-9210 [email protected] President (VP) Art Berman Labyrinth Consulting Services 713-557-9076 [email protected] (S) Mike Jones Scout Petroleum 713-654-0080 [email protected] (T) John Tubb INEXS 713-805-5649 [email protected] (TE) Matt Boyd Southwest Energy 281-618-7379 [email protected] (E) Michael Forlenza Malcolm Pirnie Inc. 713-960-7421 [email protected] (EE) Gordon Shields Fugro Gravity and Magnetics Services 713-369-6132 [email protected] 07-09 (D1) Alison Henning H2B, Inc. / Rice University 832-203-5016 [email protected] 07-09 (D2) Richard Howe Terrain Solutions 713-467-2900 [email protected] 08-10 (D3) Ianthe Sarrazin Petrobras America 713-808-2775 [email protected] 08-10 (D4) Walter Light Thunder Exploration 712-823-8288 [email protected] Chairperson Phone Email Board Rep. AAPG HOD Foreman Sharie Sartain 281-382-9855 [email protected] PAcademic Liaison Brad Hoge [email protected] D3Ad Hoc Constitution & Bylaws Steve Earle 713-328-1069 [email protected] PAdvertising Lilly Hargrave 713-463-9476 [email protected] EArrangements Matt Boyd 281-618-7379 [email protected] TEAwards Mike Deming 281-925-7239 [email protected] VPBallot Paul Hoffman 713-783-7880 [email protected] SCalvert Memorial Scholarship Carl Norman 713-461-7420 [email protected] PECommunity Outreach Walter Light 713-529-2233 [email protected] D1Continuing Education Ken Schwartz 281-690-0995 [email protected] D1Directory Michael S. Benrud 713-785-8700 x104 [email protected] EEEarth Science Week Martha McRae 713-869-2045 [email protected] D1

Jennifer Burton [email protected] D1Engineering Council Claudia Ludwig 713-723-2511 [email protected] D4Environmental & Eng Geologists Matthew Cowan 713-777-0534 [email protected] VPExhibits Paul Carter 713-826-0540 [email protected] D3Field Trips Gary Moore 713-466-8960 [email protected] D4Finance Joe Lynch 281-496-9898 x134 [email protected] TFoundation Fund John Adamick 713-860-2114 jada@tgsnopec .com PEGeneral Meetings Art Berman 713-557-9076 [email protected] VPGolf Tournament Mark Dennis 281-494-2522 [email protected] D1Government Affairs Arlin Howles 281-808-8629 [email protected] D4

Henry Wise 281-242-7190 [email protected] D4Guest Night Bill Osten 281-293-3160 [email protected] D2Houston Energy Council Sandi Barber 713-935-7830 [email protected] D4HGA/HPAC Norma Jean Jones 281-497-3857 [email protected] S

Daisy Wood 713-977-7319 [email protected] SInternational Explorationists Justin Vanden Brink 281-877-9400 [email protected] VPAd Hoc Int'l Year of Planet Earth Sandi Barber 713-935-7830 [email protected] D3Membership Steve Levine 713-624-9723 [email protected] SMembership Growth Linda Sternbach 281-679-7333 [email protected] D2Museum of Natural Science Inda Immega 713-661-3494 [email protected] D3NeoGeos Cecelia Baum 713-268-5238 [email protected] S

Rachael Czechowskyj 713-609-4406 [email protected] Publications Bill Rizer 281-392-0613 [email protected] D1Nominations Linda Sternbach 281-679-7333 [email protected] PNorth American Explorationists Steve Getz 713-871-2346 [email protected] VPNorthsiders Tony D'Agostino 832-237-400 [email protected] VP

David Tonner 713-516-6894 [email protected] VPOffice Ken Nemeth 713-689-7605 [email protected] PEPersonnel Placement Peter Welch 713-862-2287 [email protected] PEPublication Sales Tom Mather 281-556-9539 [email protected] EEShrimp Peel Lee Shelton 713-595-5116 [email protected] D1Skeet Shoot Tom McCarroll 713-353-4728 [email protected] D1Technofest Deborah Sacrey 713-468-3260 [email protected] D1Tennis Tournament Ross Davis 713-659-3131 [email protected] D1Vendor’s Corner Paul Babcock 713-859-0316 [email protected] TEWeb Site Manager Tarek Ghazi 713-432-4562 [email protected] PEWeb Master Lilly Hargrave 713-463-9476 [email protected] PE

HGS Office Manager Sandra Babcock 713-463-9476 [email protected]


From thePresidentKara Bennett

[email protected]

Last month I listed the first half of the HGS top ten. Now for

the rest, some items which are less well-known:

6. The HGS contributes the largest number of delegates to

the AAPG House of Delegates (HOD). The HOD vets AAPG

applications and acts like Congress for the AAPG—it generates,

approves, or disapproves AAPG by-law changes. Delegates are

elected from HGS members for 3-year terms and meet monthly

to discuss AAPG business. If you would like to be a part of it,

you can self-nominate through the HGS web site.

7. HGS social events are both fun and a big fund-raisers for the

society to help support our programs.

The Shrimp Peel (usually held in the

fall, this year scheduled for April,

courtesy of Ike), Skeet Shoot, and

Golf and Tennis Tournaments are

well-attended events that raise money

through sponsorship and participa-

tion.

8. The NeoGeos were instituted by HGS

in 2000 for entry-level geoscientists

through their first five years when

HGS realized that many new profes-

sionals felt isolated from their peers.

At that time, it was not unusual for a

young geoscientist to be the only person in his/her company

under 40. Since beg inning with about 35 members,

NeoGeos groups have become a trend throughout the industry

and the term has been borrowed by other organizations.

NeoGeos have regular social events and occasionally put on

training courses emphasizing early career skills, such as

“Making Effective Presentations.” Currently, we have about

150 NeoGeos, and a number of them have become active vol-

unteers, including as members of the HGS Board.

9. HGS is actively helping educate non-geologists about geology.

We offer training for science teachers and student programs

through the Houston Museum of Natural History at Earth

Science Week. We provide “Volunteer Geologists” at the museum

for special events, judges for the Science and Engineering Fair

of Houston through the Engineering Council of Houston (we

could use one or two more volunteers for this upcoming

event), and we help select summer interns for the museum

from the Science Fair participants. We offer an award for

excellence in science teaching (which includes a cash award).

We have been distributing geological maps of the United States

free to local schools. We have more maps, if your school needs

one. We also have rock and mineral kits available for checkout

for school visits by our members.

10. HGS is working to keep members informed of geoscience-

related legislation in Austin. Most recently, this has focused

on adopting the 4th year high school

“Earth and Space Science” curriculum

as it was developed by a team of earth

science educators. We are coming to the

wire on this one—please send a note in

support of “accepting the

ESS curriculum without additional

changes” NOW to commissioner@

tea.state.tx.us (www.hgs.org for more

information). We are also keeping an

eye on rumblings in Austin about

doing away with the Texas Board of

Professional Geologists as a cost-

cutting measure (despite the TBPG’s

status as a self-funding board), which

would cause a great deal of difficulty for our Environmental

and Engineering members. More as we receive additional

information.

That’s the top ten list, but I find that there are more important

functions remaining to be covered later. I am continually amazed

by how much the volunteers in HGS actually accomplish—on

top of their day jobs! It certainly does help to have the steady

support of our office staff, Sandra Babcock, office manager, and

Lilly Hargrave, webmaster.

We are in officer nomination season, both for HGS and AAPG.

The Nominations Committee, consisting of the past three

HGS presidents, selects HGS officer candidates. This year’s

The rest of the story…

HGS is actively helping educate

non-geologists about geology.

We offer training for science

teachers and student programs

through the Houston Museum

of Natural History at

Earth Science Week.


From the President continued on page 9

From

the President


Sequence Stratigraphy and Its Application toPetroleum Exploration in Onshore MesozoicSalt Basins in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

A Workshop Sponsored by Petroleum Technology Transfer Council and HGS Continuing Education

Monday, March 9, 2009 • 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM

Presented by:

Professor Ernest A. Mancini, University Distinguished Research Professor, Department of Geological SciencesDirector, Center for Sedimentary Basin Studies, University of Alabama

6 hours of presentation in length • Major sections of the talk are:

Concepts and Principles • Upper Jurassic Sequence Stratigraphy • Lower Cretaceous Sequence StratigraphyUpper Cretaceous Sequence Stratigraphy • Paleogene Sequence Stratigraphy • Exploration Strategies

Location: Marathon Oil Conference Center, 10th Floor of parking structure, 5555 San Felipe Road, Houston, Texas 77056

There will be a nominal parking fee for this event.

****Pre-register by Noon, Friday, March 6, 2009****

To register, log onto: http://www.hgs.org/en/cev/986A Certificate of Continuing Education will be provided for this seminar.

Lunch: will be available in the Marathon Cafeteria on the same floor.

Pricing

Before 6-Mar-09 Before 9-Mar-09 After 9-Mar-09

Member: $90.00 $100.00 $100.00

Non-Member: $100.00 $110.00 $110.00

Student Member: $10.00 $20.00 $20.00

Student Non-Member: $20.00 $30.00 $30.00

ABSTRACTThe formulation of an integrated sequence stratigraphic framework is fundamental to the correlation of strata, for the inter-

pretation of the geologic history of a region, and in the development of a petroleum exploration strategy for a sedimentary

basin. Third order (1 to 10 million years in duration), unconformity-bounded depositional sequences as recognized in seis-

mic reflection sections are generally utilized to provide the sequence stratigraphic component in establishing such a frame-

work. These depositional sequences have provided a reliable means to perform stratigraphic analysis and to correlate marine

facies deposited in shelf environments (transgressive and highstand systems tracts deposits) with those that accumulated in

slope and abyssal plain environments (lowstand systems tract deposits). In studying Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous strata

from shelfal areas of the Gulf Coastal Plain that are characterized by Mesozoic non-marine to marine siliciclastic and carbon-

ate deposition and in which stratal patterns are driven by low-frequency, tectonic-eustatic events associated with post-rift,

passive margin conditions, a stratigraphic analysis based on transgressive-regressive (T-R) sequences integrated with bios-

tratigraphy has utility as a method for establishing a chronostratigraphic framework for petroleum exploration in the interior

salt basins of the Gulf Coastal Plain.

The purpose of this workshop is to demonstrate the utility of employing a T-R sequence stratigraphic methodology in

exploring for oil and gas in the Mesozoic basins of the Gulf Coastal Plain. This is accomplished through examination of case

studies for Upper Jurassic, Lower Cretaceous and Upper Cretaceous strata.

References for preparatory reading:

Mancini, et ad., 2008, Mesozoic deep gas reservoir play, central and eastern Gulf coastal plain; AAPG Bull. March 2008, V. 92,

N.3, p.283-308

Visit: http://egrpttc.geo.ua.edu/

The fossil record is a window to view the

vast scope and range of life on earth.

The earth is more than four and a half

billion years old and the earliest

fossils, such as stromatolites, are

more than three billion years old.

But abundant fossil assemblages

are not found until we look at

rocks that are around 530 million

years old. Sediments that were

deposited at this time contain

the foss i l ev idence of the wi ld

diversification of species known as the

Cambrian explosion.

Critics of evolution cite gaps and discontinuities in

the fossil record and suggest that there is an inadequate

representation of transitional forms to support the current

macroevolutionary understanding and the resulting phylogenetic

tree. It is true that there are gaps and discontinuities, but

expectations of the rocks presenting an unbroken fossil record and

a comprehensive catalog of three billion years of life are

unrealist ic. Our efforts are puny compared to the task.

Currently, only a b o u t 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 o f t h e m o r e t h a n

1.6 million existing species have been

identified, and paleontologists estimate

that more than 99 percent of all species

that have ever existed are extinct.

But how does an animal or a plant become

a fossil and how representative is the fossil

record? Taphonomy, a sub-discipline of

paleontology, involves the study of the

processes affecting decaying organisms

and how the remains might become

fossilized. The term taphonomy, from

the Greek taphos meaning burial, was

introduced by the Russian scientist Ivan Yefremov in 1940 to

study the transition of the remains of organisms from the

biosphere to the lithosphere. One of the objectives of taphonomy is

to better understand the potential biases present in the fossil record.

Many taphonomic processes must be considered when trying to

understand fossilization. These include processes that affected

the organism during life, the transferral of

that organism, or a part of that organism

(e.g., leaves, spores, etc.), from the

living world (biosphere) to the

sedimentary record (lithosphere),

and the physical and chemical

interact ions that a f fec t the

organism from the time it is

buried to the time it is collected in

the field.

Any organism must successfully pass

through three distinct, and separate,

stages in order to be seen in a museum

display. These stages, spanning the entire

time from death of the organism to collection, are:

Necrology – death or loss of a part of the organism.

Biostratinomy – interactions involving the transferral from the

living world to the inorganic world (including burial). Burial

plays an important role in potential preservation of the

organic mat te r. Ver y spec i f i c chemica l and physical

conditions must exist in the burial environment to allow

preservation in a recognizable form.

Diagenesis – processes responsible for

lithification of the sediment and the

chemical interactions with interstitial

waters.

Only a tiny percentage of all of the earth’s

fossil is, or ever will be, accessible for

collection and study. While tectonic

processes can destroy fossils, these

mountain-building forces are necessary

to uplift fossil-bearing rock that can later

be exposed during erosion and discovered.

The quantity of fossiliferous rocks

beneath ground far exceeds those available at the surface.

Nevertheless, there are far more fossils at the earth’s surface than

can be studied by paleontologists.

The Triassic redbeds of the Wolfville Formation in Nova Scotia,

composed primarily of alluvial and fluvial silt, sand, and gravel,

From theEditor

From

the Editor

Michael F. Forlenza, [email protected]

From the Editor continued on page 9

Taphonomy, a sub-discipline

of paleontology, involves

the study of the processes

affecting decaying organisms

and how the remains might

become fossilized.


Making your Bones:The Fossil Record and Taphonomy

nominations will be posted on the web site and announced at the

March general dinner meeting, along with a call for nominations

from the floor.

HGS also proposes AAPG officer nominations. It is a rather

obscure process. Every year AAPG invites us to nominate

candidates for their Executive Board. The HGS nominations,

along with those of other affiliated societies and from individual

AAPG members, are made to the current AAPG Executive Board.

The AAPG Board keeps the names of potential candidates for

a period of three years as a pool from which they select the

candidates for any given year, so candidates we nominated last

year and the year before may be selected to run, along with any-

one we (or another society or member) nominate this year. Once

a nomination is made by HGS, it is up to the AAPG Board to

select the candidates. We have been fortunate that many of our

members have been selected to run as AAPG officer candidates in

the past, and we hope that the excellent pool of candidates that

are available through HGS continues to be called upon by AAPG.

Don’t miss the Continuing Education course this month!

Dr. Ernie Mancini will bring us an excellent program on the

application of sequence stratigraphy for petroleum exploration in

the onshore Mesozoic salt basins of the Gulf Coast. Dr. Mancini

is an excellent speaker and a gold mine of information. I will be

there and I hope you will too. �

From the President continued from page 5 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

From the Editor continued from page 7 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

From

the Editor

were deposited in an arid rift valley. A modern analogue is the

alluvial fans and braided streams of the arid valleys in the basin-

and-range region of the American West and Death Valley in

particular. Field work for my master’s thesis involved logging

sedimentary sections along the 10-meter-high sea cliff exposures

of the tilted redbeds along Cobequid Bay and the Bay of Fundy.

The 15-meter tidal range submerged

the outcrops twice each day. At low

tide, exploration of the jumble of

red rocks that had fallen from the

face of the sea cliffs would, on

rare occasions, turn up a white

fragment in the rock. These were

typically rod-shaped, approxi-

mately one-quarter inch in

diameter with the biggest pieces

being an inch or two long. The

color and shape contrasted

sharply from the red rock matrix.

These were the fossilized bone

fragments of Mesozoic reptiles.

The arid Triassic rift valley was not a

favorable environment for the preservation of fossils. No

complete fossils, or even any articulated bones, turned up. Yet, the

unlikely preservation of even these tiny fragments was enough to

testify that these reptiles walked the sandy river banks of those

streams 210 million years ago.

Not every organism that ever lived can become a fossil. Olivia

Judson, in her December 2008 column for the New York Times,

The Wild Side, notes that, “It’s hard to become a fossil, to leave a

tangible record of your presence on the Earth millions of years

after you died. Most of us swiftly get recycled into other beings.

After all, the competition for corpses is fierce. Species of bacteria,

worms, ants, flies, beetles and even some butterflies have a taste

for rotting flesh. And that’s without mentioning larger

scavengers, like vultures, hyenas and mongooses.”

Dr. Judson is an evolutionary biologist and award-winning

science journalist and writer. She received her doctorate in

biological sciences from Oxford University and is a research

fellow in biology at Imperial College London. To illustrate how

rapidly a body can disappear, she cites Pat Shipman’s 1981

book Life History of a Fossil: an Introduction to

Taphonomy and Paleoecology, indicating that

in the tropical forests of the Congo, an

adult male gorilla — all 330 pounds him

— will be reduced to a pile of bones

and hair within 10 days of his

death, and within three weeks,

there will be nothing left but a

few small bones.

Clearly a rapid burial is needed to

become a fossil. That means that death

must occur in area of deposition and at the right

place and at the right time. The right time could be during a

flood or during fallout of volcanic ash.

For fossil preservation, marine species have an advantage by

living in an environment where sediment deposition readily

occurs. Many terrestrial environments can never yield fossils.

Deposition does not occur in mountains and uplands and rarely

occurs in forests or on the plains and range land. Dr. Judson

notes that ice can also preserve remains, but only as long as theFrom the Editor continued on page 11


From

the President

From the Editor continued from page 9 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ice lasts, which may not be more than several thousand years. “Ice,”

she notes, “is for those with modest ambitions for immortality.”

Fossil preservation is not

assured for those animals

dying in the right place at

the right time. Species with

substantial hard parts,

shells and bones, have a

better chance at fossilization

t h an do s o f t b od i e d

animals such as jellyfish or

worms.

All this means that the fossil record of the earth is inherently

skewed. Species living in particular habitats and with specific

taxonomic characteristics are preferentially preserved in the fossil

record. River deltas are good places for burial and preservation

due to frequent sediment-laden flooding. Animals living and

dying here will often enter the fossil record in numbers out of

proportion to their population (compared to upland species). Dr.

Judson speculates that this unrepresentative sample of species

would be like making an inventory of current North American

wildlife based on what you find at the mouth of the Mississippi.

In view of the slim chance of fossilization and rarity that a fossil

w i l l c ome t o b e f o und a nd catalogued, the known fossil

record is amazing. Sadly, there are some organisms that we will

never know and some periods of time where the representative

fossils are sparse. Entire genera, families, and even phyla that lived

and breathed will never be known. However, just because they

left no physical trace does not mean that they were not

here breathing the atmosphere, preying or being preyed upon,

reproducing, flourishing, and vanishing.

Dr. Judson again, “it is not surprising that the fossil record is

incomplete — how could it be otherwise? What is remarkable is

that we know as much as we do about the lives of the organisms

of the past.” She continues, “recent years have yielded up an

astonishing wealth of ‘transitional forms’ — organisms with

bodies that are in between those of, say, dinosaurs and birds, fish

and amphibians, or even whales and their nearest living relations,

the hippos.”

Considering the vast stretch of time of life on earth, more than

three billion years, it is remarkable that the thread of life has

never been broken or extinguished. The ascent towards more

complex species and forms continued through three major

extinction events, environmental cataclysms, epidemic, asteroid

and comet impact, climate change, and continental rifting. So the

next time you toss an oyster shell into the trash, think about that

pelecypod’s potential place in our amazing fossil record. �

From

the Editor


Houston Geological SocietyStatement of Financial Position as of June 30, 2008

AssetsCurrent Assets $269,461

Other Assets (Charles Schwab investments) $674,012

Total Assets $943,473

Liabilities and Net AssetsLiabilities

Deferred Income (Bulletin ads and Dues) $100,154

Net Assets

Unrestrictive $843,319

Total Liabilities and Net Assets $943,473

The above information has been summarized from the audited financial statements of the Houston Geological Society

as of the fiscal year ended June 30, 2008. A complete copy of the Houston Geological Society’s June 30, 2008 financial

statements as prepared by Robert R Sims & Associates, P.C., report dated December 1, 2008, is available upon request. �


RemembranceROBERT L. MABY, JR.

ROBERT LINCOLN MABY, JR., 87, international geologist, geophysicist, petroleum engineer, and amateur archaeologist

died peacefully at his Houston home on February 3, 2009 after a brief battle with cancer. The world lost a true gentle-

man and a scholar, not just for his important knowledge and understanding of the geology and development of the

Saudi oil fields but for his in-depth understanding of the context and archeology of the region and the importance of

the sites showing the movement of people out of Africa.

After serving in the U.S. Army Air Force during WWII on B-17s during the European campaign, where he earned

several decorations including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Robert obtained his B.S. in geology at the University of

Wisconsin in 1947. He did post-graduate work from 1947-1949. While at the university he met, and later married

Carolyn (Lyn) Wollschlaeger.

Mr. Maby worked first for Mid-Continent Petroleum Corp. in Oklahoma 1951-1954, then went on to a career with the

Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO) from 1954-1982, where he participated in the discovery of many of the

giant oil fields in Saudi Arabia containing multi-billions of barrels of oil. At ARAMCO, Robert worked as a geologist,

geophysicist, petroleum engineer, and teacher, contributing many unique methods and processes for oil exploration.

After he left ARAMCO, the Society of Petroleum Engineers awarded him a Distinguished Lectureship and, for a

year, he traveled and spoke throughout the United States and Europe. Afterward, he then became an international

consultant and worked on museum projects for ARAMCO, consulted with NASA and the U.S. Army Topographic

Laboratory on desert mapping, and other projects.

Mr. Maby was a learned person and spoke eight languages and remaining fluent in Arabic which he learned while in

the Middle East. While expatriates, he and wife Lyn developed a great interest in and knowledge of archeology, and he

became something of an expert in Sumerian times and the Pre-Dynastic Egyptian connection with Mesopotamia.

They visited many Old World classical sites from Greece to Tunisia to Algeria to Afghanistan and sites all over the

Middle East. Since retirement, Mr. Maby played a key role in resurrecting the local chapter of the Archaeological

Institute of America and turning it into the successful and respected group that it has become. His many interests and

study included theology, mythology, and music, especially opera, along with Middle Eastern crafts, Bedouin jewelry,

and oriental rugs. His vast book collections attest to his voracious reading and love of learning. He was a Fellow of or a

Member of the following professional societies: Geological Society of America, Geological Society of London, the

Royal Geographical Society, and the Explorers Club, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the Royal Society

of Asia Affairs, Houston Geological Society, Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, International

Association of Sedimentologists, Society of Petroleum Engineers, New York Academy of Science, and the

Archaeological Institute of America (Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Houston Society).

Memorial services were held February 11, 2009 at the Christ Church Cathedral in Houston. Donations in honor of

Robert Maby, Jr. can be given to the Houston Society of the Archaeological Institute of America, P. O. Box 271062,

Houston, TX 77277. �

Rem

embran

ce


HGS General Dinner Meeting

Monday, March 9, 2009Westchase Hilton • 9999 WestheimerSocial Hour 5:30–6:30 p.m.Dinner 6:30–7:30 p.m.

Cost: $28 Preregistered members; $35 non-members & walk-ups

To guarantee a seat, you must pre-register on the HGS website and pre-paywith a credit card. Pre-registration without payment will not be accepted. You may still walk up and pay at the door, if extra seats are available.

Characterization of Paleocene-Eocene depositional sequences

in the eastern Gulf Coastal Plain of Mississippi and Alabama,

involving outcrop study integrated with well log analysis, resulted

in the recognition of six Upper Paleocene and Lower–Middle

Eocene third-order unconformity-

bounded depositional sequences. These

sequences include the Naheola Formation

(Midway Group) , t he Nana f a l i a ,

Tuscahoma, and Hatchetigbee formations

(Wilcox Group), and the Tallahatta

Formation (Claiborne Group).

The Paleogene depositional history of the

eastern Gulf Coastal Plain was dominated

by fluvial-deltaic, marginal marine, and

marine shelf sedimentation. The deposits

of the systems tracts inherent to these

Paleocene-Eocene sequences consist of

lowstand fluvial-deltaic, estuarine, tidal-

influenced, and coastal barrier cross-bedded sandstone facies

40 to 100 feet (12 – 30 meters) thick; transgressive nearshore

marine shelf glauconitic sandstone and marlstone facies 10 to 40

feet (3 – 12 meters) thick; and highstand fluvial-deltaic, tidal-

influenced, marginal marine, and marine shelf sandstone,

siltstone, claystone, and lignite facies 100 to 250 feet (30 – 76

meters) thick.

Stratal architecture is a result of changes in base level. With a

relative fall in sea level, the shelf was subaerially exposed and

incised, as a result of fluvial processes. A subsequent relative rise

in sea level and formation of accommodation resulted in filling of

the shelf incisements and incised valleys. During times of erosion

and deposition in the Paleocene and Eocene, sands bypassed the

shelf and accumulated in deeper-water settings as lowstand fan

and wedge facies. These potentially quartz-rich sandstone facies

have the potential to be priority petroleum reservoir targets in

the offshore northeastern Gulf of Mexico. �

Biographic SketchERNEST A. MANCINI earned a B.S. from

Albright College, Reading, PA in 1969; an

M.S. from Southern Illinois University,

Carbondale in 1972; and a Ph.D. from Texas

A&M University in 1974. From 1969 to 1971

and worked as a petroleum exploration

geologist preparing for Cities Service Oil

Company in Denver from 1974 to 1976.

He joined the faculty of the University

o f A labama in 1976 accept ing dua l

appointments as an Assistant Professor with

the Department of Geological Sciences and

as a petroleum research geologist

with the Mineral Resources

Institute. He was appointed Associate

Professor in 1980, Professor in

1984, and Distinguished Research

Professor in 2005 by the Board of

Trustees.

Dr. Mancini served as State

Geologist and Oil & Gas Supervisor

for Alabama from 1982 to 1996 and

as Interim Director of the School of

During times of erosion and

deposition in the Paleocene

and Eocene, sands bypassed

the shelf and accumulated

in deeper-water settings as

lowstand fan and wedge

facies.

Ernest A. ManciniUniversity Distinguished Research Professor,Department of Geological SciencesDirector, Center for Sedimentary Basin Studies,University of Alabama

Paleocene-Eocene Lowstand Systems Tract SandstoneDeposits of the Eastern Gulf Coastal Plain:

Potential Reservoir Facies in the Offshore NortheasternGulf of Mexico

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Mines and Energy Development from 1988-89. He was appointed

Regional Director for the Eastern Gulf Region of the Petroleum

Technology Transfer Council in 1995 and was appointed as the

Director for the Center for Sedimentary Basin Studies by the

university in 1998. He is currently serving as Chairman of the

Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Alabama.

During his 33 years of teaching, research, and service at the

university, Dr. Mancini has published approximately 420 journal

papers, book chapters, guidebooks, technical reports, and

abstracts; made approximately 300 technical presentations (105

invited); and had 38 research proposals funded. He has received

the following recognition: AGI Ian Campbell Medal (2004),

AAPG Distinguished Educator Award (2000), GCAGS

Outstanding Educator Award (1998), GSA Fellow (1995), AAPG

Haas-Pratt Distinguished Lecturer (1987-88), AAPG-GCAGS

Levorsen Petroleum Geology Award (1980), elected Honorary

Member of GCS-SEPM (1991), AASG (1996), GCAGS (2003),

and AAPG (2008), and awarded 5 Best Paper Awards from

GCAGS/GCS-SEPM (1980-82, 1985, and 2001). He has

co-organized approximately 120 technology workshops (25 of

which he conducted), was co-leader of 16 professional society

geologic field trips, and co-organized and co-chaired five research

conferences and approximately 30 technical sessions.

Dr. Mancini has served as an officer of the following professional

organizations: AGI President, AASG President, GCS-SEPM

President, AGS President, SE-PS President, SE-GSA Chair,

NACSN Chair, and MERS-NASULGC Chair. He has served on

the Boards of Natural Resources for NASULGC, the Center for

Legislative Energy and Environmental Research, and the US DOI

OCS Advisory Board Committee (chair from 1987-89, receiving a

Resolution for Outstanding Contributions in Public Policy in

1996); on the Editorial Boards for the Journal of Stratigraphy and

Environmental Geology and for the Water Sciences Journal; as

Elected Editor for AAPG; and as a Trustee for the AGI

Foundation. He was appointed by the Governor as an Alabama

Natural Resource Trustee and as the State’s representative to the

IOGCC.

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The Prospect Quality Team (PQT),

Exploration Excellence (XX),

Exploration Review Team (ERT), Risk

Consistency Team (RCT), Risk

Normalization Team (RNT), and the

Gang of 8 (G8) are all pseudonyms for

groups of people who came into existence

in the 1990s in response to declining

drilling success rates, declining field sizes,

the rising cost of failure, and low oil

prices.

Their responsibility was to review, evaluate,

and assign risk and resource values

to opportunities in their respective companies. Many of these

groups have been highly successful, increasing wildcat percentage

success rates from the mid-teens to the high sixties. However,

some considered their affect to have stifled creativity, made geol-

ogists and geophysicists risk averse, reduced wildcat drilling

activity, led to staff reductions, and all but shut down true fron-

tier exploration.

As one of those “evil naysayers” for the last 17 years, I truly

believe that the “risk police” do add significant value when they

a re r e cogn i z ed , u t i l i z ed , and

empowered to act in the appropriate

f a s h i on . T h e a b i l i t y t o c h a l -

lenge assumptions, identify gaps,

focus technology, and discuss openly

the strengths and weaknesses of each

and every opportunity helps manage-

ment to make better decisions. If

implemented properly, these groups can

overcome the barriers to success,

enhance the technical capabilities of all

staff, and have a very posit ive effect

on company performance. �

Biographical SketchDR. W.C. RUSTY RIESE is a

Geoscience Advisor with BP

Alternative Energy and is based in

Houston. He is widely experienced

having worked in both minerals

and petroleum as a geologist, geo-

chemist, and manager during

more than 37 years in industry. He

participated in the National

Petroleum Council evaluation of

natural gas supply and demand

fo r No r t h America which was

conducted at the request of the Secretary of Energy and in the

more recent analysis of global supply and demand requested by

the same agency. Dr. Riese is presently serving on a committee

with the National Research Council. He recently stepped down as

Chairman of the Committee on Resource Evaluations of the

American Association of Petroleum Geologists. He is a member

of the House of Delegates to the American A s s o c i a t i o n

o f P e t r o l e umGeologists and is Sections Vice President.

Monday, March 16, 2009Westchase Hilton • 9999 WestheimerSocial Hour 5:30-6:30 p.m. • Dinner 6:30-7:30 p.m.Cost: $28 pre-registered members; $35 for non-members & walk-ups;Emeritus/Life/Honorary: $14; Students: FREE

To guarantee a seat, you must pre-register on the HGS website and pre-pay witha credit card. Pre-registration without payment will not be accepted. You may still walk up and pay at the door, if extra seats are available.

W.C. Rusty RieseGeoscience Advisor,BP Alternative Energy,Houston

HGS International Explorationists Dinner Meeting

HGS International Dinner continued on page 21

The Risk Police — Evil Naysayers or Exploration Best Practice ?

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The ability to challenge

assumptions, identify gaps,

focus technology, and discuss

openly the strengths and

weaknesses of each and every

opportunity helps management

to make better decisions.


HGS International Dinner continued from page 19 _____

Dr, Riese has written extensively and lectured on various topics in

applied science including biogeochemistry, geomicrobiology, isotope

geochemistry, uranium ore deposits, sequence stratigraphy,

and coalbed methane petroleum systems. He holds numerous

domestic and international patents, most of which were

developed during his fifteen years of coalbed methane work and

research. He has more than 30 years of teaching experience

including 24 years at Rice University, where he developed the

curricula in petroleum geology and industry risk and economic

evaluation. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at Rice

University, the Colorado State University, and at the University of

New Mexico, in the latter of which he sits on the Caswell Silver

Endowment advisory board. He is a fellow in the Geological

Society of America and the Society of Economic Geologists and a

member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists

and of several other professional organizations.

Dr. Reise earned his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in geology from the

University of New Mexico and a B.S. in geology from the New

Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. He is a Certified

Professional Geologist, a Certified Petroleum Geologist, and a

Registered Geologist in the states of Texas and South Carolina.

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RemembranceROBERT (BOB) ALAN HARRIS

ROBERT ALAN HARRIS died peacefully October 22, 2008 after a long and courageous battle with mylodysplastic syndrome.He was born September 2, 1921 in Omaha Nebraska. In 1948, he married Hannah (Anne) Groginski. Bob received a B.S.degree in geology from SMU where he played in the orchestra and marching band, an M.S. degree in geology from theUniversity of Iowa, and also attended the University of California, Berkeley.

He served in the U.S. Army, European theater, Intelligence Section, 142nd Combat Engineers Battalion 42nd Division. Hetaught geology at Rainbow University set up by the Army at the end of the war in Zell Am Zee, Austria. He also taughtgeology and petrology at SMU and lectured at Centenary College.

He began his career in the U.S. Geological Survey, working in Arkansas, Alaska, Montana, Idaho, and Washington. Hebegan his career in the oil business with the Atlantic Refining Company in Shreveport, Louisiana, move to Midland, Texaswith Lario Oil and Gas and later to Houston with Ralph E. Davis Associates. He joined Starr Oil and Gas as ExplorationManager and in 1965 joined Mitchell Energy where he spent 16 years as Exploration Manager and Vice President. He sub-sequently was Vice President for Blocker Exploration Company.

Beyond his devotion to his family and his profession, Bob found enrichment in his lifelong love of music, reading, orchids,and travel. After retirement, he enjoyed leading tour groups through the Weiss Energy Hall in the Houston Museum ofNatural Science. He was a member of the Houston Geological Society (Editor of the HGS Bulletin from 1973 to 1975) andthe AAPG. Bob is survived by his wife Anne, three sons, and seven grandchildren.

Rem

embran

ce


The intense examination of the northern Gulf of Mexico

(GOM) Basin for oil and gas during the 20th Century has

spawned the development of several fundamental geologic con-

cepts concerning the development of passive continental mar-

gins. One of the most important ideas to emerge has been that of

the role played by normal faults in the

creation of depositional space to accom-

modate the greater than 10-kilometer

thick section of Jurassic to Holocene sed-

iments and for the development of the

architecture of hydrocarbon reservoirs.

Unfortunately, geologic data lack the spa-

tial and temporal detail to fully docu-

ment and understand many of the

underlying physical processes.

This presentation will describe the mod-

ern behavior of normal faults in the New

Orleans area as inferred from late 20th Century geodetic and

water-level measurements. The high precision of these data allow

for process identification and kinematic analysis that provide key

insights into how GOM Basin normal faults behave. For example,

analysis of normal faults which mark the historic hingeline of the

Gulf basin show that several individual faults are active and move

continuously at centimeter per year rates. Such motion, however,

does not occur at constant rates at yearly and decadal timescales

as implied by geologic relations. Data also do not support the

notion that Gulf Coast normal faults are weak and are inherently

unable to accumulate and then release significant elastic strain

energy. Instead of short-lived slip events marked by large acoustic

emissions, GOM Basin faults release their elastic strain energy

during “slow earthquakes.” An example will be provided that that

shows that, although the accumulation of regional strain was

similar in form to modern seismogenic normal faults, strain

release was marked by an approximately 40-year-long interval of

non-linear, largely aseismic slip that was manifested at the surface

by regional subsidence. The implications that these modern

observations and insights have for improved understanding of

ancient faults will also be explored. �

Biographical SketchROY DOKKA is a structural geologist and

a graduate of California State University,

Northridge (B.S.) and the University of

Southern California (M.S. and Ph.D.).

Dr. Dokka is a Fellow of the Geological

Society of America (elected 1994). Since

1989, he has been awarded ten universi-

ty, college, and departmental teaching

awards at Louisiana State University,

including the 1990 LSU Alumni

Association Distinguished Faculty

Award. He received a Presidential Citation in 2003 from the

Louisiana Society of Professional

Surveyors for “outstanding service

to the surveying profession in

Louisiana.” In 2006, he received the

“Distinguished Service Award for

the Advancement of Spatial

Activities in Louisiana” at the 22nd

annual Louisiana Remote Sensing

and GIS Workshop. He is the

author of over 65 publications in

refereed professional journals. In

2003-2004, he served as President

of the South-Central Section of the Geological Society of

America.

Late 20th Century Subsidence of South Louisiana:Insights into the Nature of Passive Margin Normal

Faults

Wednesday, March 25, 2009Petroleum Club • 800 Bell (downtown) Social 11:15 AM, Luncheon 11:30 AM

Cost: $30 pre-registered members; $35 for non-members & walk-ups;Emeritus/Life/Honorary: $15; Students: FREETo guarantee a seat, you must pre-register on the HGS website (www.hgs.org)and pre-pay with a credit card. Pre-registration without payment will not be accepted. You may still walk up and pay at the door, if extra seats are available.

HGS General Luncheon Meeting

Dr. Roy K. DokkaFruehan Professor of Engineering Department of Civil & EnvironmentalEngineering and Center of GeoInformatics Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, LA

HGS General Luncheon continued on page 25

Analysis of normal faults which

mark the historic hingeline of

the Gulf basin show that several

individual faults are active

and move continuously at

centimeter per year rates.

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In 1992-93, Dr. Dokka served as a Program Director at the

National Science Foundation (NSF). He testified before the

United States Congress on coastal vulnerabilities and flooding

and has been a member of several national policy committees for

the NSF and NASA dealing with geology, geographical informa-

tion systems, and geodesy. He initiated and continues to head the

Louisiana Spatial Reference Center, a partnership with the

National Geodetic Survey-NOAA focused on creating a state-of-

the-art positional infrastructure for the state.

Dr. Dokka has one the most successful research programs on

campus, averaging over $1 million per year in federal competitive

grants and contracts over the past five years. His current research

interests center on the application of the Global Positioning

System and geodetic leveling to study the massive subsidence that

is affecting Louisiana’s coast and the Mid-Continent of the

United States, and on understanding the role that tectonism and

climate play in creating landscapes.

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HGS Guest NightReserve the Date • Saturday, April 4, 2008

Speaker: Dr. Mike Waters, Center for the Study of the First AmericansTexas A&M University

In Search of the First Americans: Recent Discoveries andthe Role of Geology in the Pursuit of the Past

David Childers, ph: 281-872-5022, e-mail: [email protected] Northchase, Suite 1600, Houston, TX 77060


In mid-July 2008, the United States somewhat unexpectedlydiscovered that it had an oversupply of natural gas and prices

fell sharply. Jen Snyder, head of Wood Mackenzie Limited’s North

American Gas Research Group, recently said that the development

of shale gas plays has caused "a significant potential over-supply"

(Oil and Gas Journal, December 1, 2008). Shale plays had become

increasingly irresistible to the North American industry before

prices fell this summer. Many traditional E&P companies,

including some majors, decided to become shale gas players, and

many are still considering the possibility despite low gas prices.

The global financial crisis has accentuated the aversion to risk

that fueled shale plays to begin with, and it seems that no one

now wants to pursue anything but shale. I believe that we have

finally arrived at the end of domestic onshore exploration. In the

first half of July 2008, spot gas prices were more than $13.00 per

million British thermal units (MMBtu). Six weeks later, the price

had fallen below $8.00, and it has averaged around $6.75 per

MMBtu since October 2008. Some analysts predict that gas prices

will be in the $5.00-6.00 per MMBtu range at least through the

end of 2010.

A total of 1,966 horizontally-drilled wells producing from the

Barnett Shale were evaluated to determine commercial gas

Monday, March 30, 2009Westchase Hilton • 9999 WestheimerSocial Hour 5:30-6:30 p.m. • Dinner 6:30-7:30 p.m.Cost: $28 pre-registered members; $35 for non-members & walk-ups;Emeritus/Life/Honorary: $14; Students: FREE

To guarantee a seat, you must pre-register on the HGS website and pre-pay witha credit card. Pre-registration without payment will not be accepted. You may still walk up and pay at the door, if extra seats are available.

Arthur E. BermanDirector Labyrinth Consulting Services

HGS North American Explorationists Dinner Meeting

Shale Plays, Risk Analysis, and Other Perils ofConventional Thinking

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reserves using standard decline methods. Based on this analysis,

only 30% of Barnett Shale wells will realize revenues that meet or

exceed drilling, completion, and operating costs in the most-likely

case based on assumptions incorporated into a 10% net present

value (NPV10) economic model. The economic model includes

per-well drilling and completion costs of $3.25 million, a

wellhead gas price of $6.25 per MMbtu (the average spot sales

price for 2007), 75% net revenue interest, 7.5% Texas severance

tax, and $1.25 per thousand cubic feet of gas (Mcfg) lease operating

and overhead cost. These assumptions are consistent with

information published by a UBS consortium of independent gas

producers, including key Barnett Shale operators Chesapeake,

Devon, EOG, and XTO. The model requires per-well cumulative

production of about 1,325 million cubic feet of gas (MMcfg) over

10 years to reach a commercial threshold.

A scoping analysis was done to compare early information

(reported initial production rates) of the Haynesville Shale with

date from the Barnett Shale. The results suggest that Haynesville

per-well reserves may be two to three times higher than in the

Barnett Shale. Drilling, completion, and leasing prices are

correspondingly higher in the Haynesville, so it is difficult to

conclude that full-cycle Haynesville economics will be much

different than the more well-established Barnett data.

I have struggled to understand the appeal of shale plays based on

economic factors, and thought that low gas prices would greatly

reduce activity. At $10.00 per MMBtu, about half of horizontally

drilled and fracture-stimulated Barnett Shale wells were

commercial. So, while prices were rising even higher, shale plays

made some sense. At current prices, however, only about 25% of

Barnett wells pay out, and all indications are that prices will fall

lower or, at best, remain at current levels. While leasing has

largely stopped, drilling continues, and the enthusiasm of both

companies and analysts seems strong, at least for the Barnett,

Haynesville, and Fayetteville shales.

How can we understand what is happening with shale plays?The diffusion model of innovation (Ryan and Gross, 1943,

and Rogers, 1962) shows that people adopt new ideas and

technologies slowly, and that only about 5% of people make the

decision to adopt based on information. The other 95% decide

because of the views of opinion leaders in the community, and on

the eventual social momentum that develops—what Malcolm

Gladwell called the “tipping point.” The 5% who base decisions

on information in the diffusion model are critical thinkers; the

rest are conventional thinkers.

What causes people to decide to abandon an idea that almost

everyone previously accepted? It is reasonable that only critical



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thinkers make this decision based on information, and that

conventional thinkers follow in what may become a stampede.

Thomas Kuhn (1962) explained that scientists resist abandoning

a ruling theory in favor of a new paradigm with a kind of

orthodox fervor of conventional thinking, and often ostracize

those critical thinkers who point out problems with the existing

model. At some point, when opinion shifts to support a new

paradigm, the previous theory is unceremoniously dropped, and

its remaining supporters are criticized as dinosaurs.

A review of some of the history of how our industry arrived at its

present state is relevant. The collapse of oil prices in 1982-1986

and the ensuing 13 years of over-supply and low prices created an

environment in the E&P business in

which cutting cost and reducing risk

were paramount. Thousands of jobs

were lost and companies disappeared as

layoffs, reorganizations, mergers, and

consolidation became the core business

of oil and gas companies.

As oil prices slowly recovered in the late

1990s, risk analysis teams were formed

to manage technical work. Executives

abdicated their technical responsibilities to risk committees and

turned their attention to business models. With the help of

consultants, they envisioned companies in which exploration and

production would become a manufacturing operation, and risk

was eliminated. Execution was paramount, standardization

was essential, and new geological ideas were unnecessary. The

new vision for the E&P business represented the victory of

conventional over critical thinking.

Shale plays not only satisfied this model, but also solved the

perennial E&P problem of being opportunity-constrained. That

is, because shale is practically ubiquitous, there are no limits to

what can be spent pursuing new and existing opportunities. This

shift was widely supported by the capital investment community

because of the low perceived risk, and the fact that non-scientists

could understand the play.

Returning to the present, the myths about the current state of

domestic E&P must be clarified to put shale plays in context.

These plays are an important component of domestic natural gas

production, but they represent a relatively small—though growing

—portion of the total gas supply. Even among unconventional gas

resources, tight gas and coal-bed methane dominate production.

Second, these plays involve considerable risk. The fact that 75%

of wells are commercial failures at current gas prices is a tangible

risk. Great emphasis is placed on engineering ideas and technology,

but it seems that concern for geological and geophysical

understanding is uneven among shale players. Each shale play is

different and requires unique approaches based on thermal

maturity, structural factors, fracturability, and identification of

sweet spots.

Third, economic models must be aligned with full-cycle PV10

industry standards. Wood MacKenzie’s Snyder says that

established shale plays have "sufficient volumes available at a

development break-even price of $5.50 per MMbtu or below" (Oil

and Gas Journal, December 1, 2008). I do not believe that. I do not

know any credible industry analysts who believe that shale plays

are commercial below $8.00 per MMbtu. The only way to arrive at

the thresholds that Snyder mentions is

to understate or ignore current levels

of capital expenditure, as well as costs

associated with general and administrative

operations, lease operations, midstream,

and discounted capital costs, or to inflate

rates and reserves beyond what can be

supported by performance history.

Additionally, the over-supply of natural

gas that analysts describe may be

relative, and that would be positive for shale plays. Spot prices

rose to $13.00 per MMcf in mid-2008 because of an imbalance

between supply and demand. Prices fell when about two billion

cubic feet per day (Bcfd) of additional supply came online from

the Independence Hub, Thunder Horse, and Tahiti fields in the

offshore Gulf of Mexico, in addition to increased unconventional

gas production, including shale gas. Monthly natural gas produc-

tion over the past year averaged approximately 1.75 trillion cubic

feet per day (Tcfd). The additional 2 to 3 Bcfd resulted in an over-

supply is only 3.5-5.5% of total production. Many circumstances

might quickly upset the supply-demand balance and result in

higher prices. At the same time, the global financial crisis will

probably reduce demand and somewhat offset other factors that

may favor rising price. The point, however, is that the difference

between what the market perceives as over- and under-supply

can be razor-thin.

Finally, rig counts and rates have fallen sharply in recent weeks, and

some predict that hundreds of rigs will be idle in early 2009.

Unconventional wells have steep decline rates, and any decrease in

drilling activity will quickly result in dramatically lower gas pro-

duction from these plays. That, in turn, will affect supply

and prices could rise, but this may also expose the ephemeral con-

tribution of unconventional gas sources to total natural gas supply.

There is little doubt that shale plays are likely to be important for

At current prices, however, only

about 25% of Barnett wells pay

out, and all indications are that

prices will fall lower or, at best,

remain at current levels.



[email protected] 24-hour wellsite service hotline: 713-328-2121

NO ONE HAS MORE WAYS TO OPTIMIZE YOUR RESERVOIR.

Members Pre-registered Prices:General Dinner Meeting . . . . . . . . .$28Nonmembers walk-ups. . . . . . . . . . . $35Env. & Eng. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25Luncheon Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . .$30Nonmembers walk-ups. . . . . . . . . . . $35International Explorationists . . . . . .$28North American Expl. . . . . . . . . . . .$28Emerging Technology . . . . . . . . . . . .$25

International ExplorationistsDinner Meeting

“The Risk Police — Evil Naysayers orExploration Best Practice?” Page 19

South-Central GSA SectionMeetingDallas, Texas

North AmericanExplorationists Dinner

Meeting“Shale Plays, Risk Analysis and Other

Perils of Conventional Thinking,” Arthur E.Berman, Labyrinth Consulting Services

Page 27

Tech 2009 & Prospect ExpoEast Texas Geological Society

Harvey Convention Center, Tyler, Texas,Page 48

HGS General Luncheon Meeting

“Late 20th Century Subsidence of SouthLouisiana: Insights into the Nature ofPassive Margin Normal Faults” Roy K.

Dokka, Fruehan Professor of Engineering,Louisiana State University, Petroleum Club

of Houston, Page 23

HGS E&E Dinner Meeting “TBA”

Black Lab Pub

S u n d a y M o n d a y T u e s d a y

March 2009W e d n e s d a y

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HGS Continuing Education Workshop

Marathon Oil Conference Center,Houston, Texas, Page 6

HGS General Dinner Meeting “Paleocene-Eocene Lowstand Systems TractSandstone Deposits of the Eastern GulfCoastal Plain: Potential Reservoir Facies”

Page 15

22nd Annual Symposiumon the Application of

Geophysics to Engineeringand Environmental

Problems (SAGEEP 2009) Fort Worth, Texaswww.eegs.org


Collarini Energy Staffing Inc.Full–Time and Temporary Exploration and Production Personnel

Geoscience � Facilities � Drilling � Production � Reservoir Engineers � Landmen � ManagementProcurement � Information Technology � Health and Safety � Accounting � Administrative Support

11111 Richmond Avenue, Suite 126 www. collarini.com 4200 South I-10 Service Road, Suite 230Houston, Texas 77082 Metairie, Louisiana 70001Phone (832) 251-0553 Phone (504) 887-7127Fax (832) 251-0157 Connecting the Industry ’s Exper ts Fax (504) 887-7162

Upcoming GeoEventsSaturday, April 4HGS Guest NightIn Search of the First Americans:Recent Discoveries and the Role ofGeology in the Pursuit of the PastMichael R. Waters, PhD, Departmentsof Anthropology and GeographyTexas A&M UniversityDowntown Aquarium, Page 47

April 16SIPES LuncheonGuest Speaker Dan Smith, SandlewoodO&G"Send in the Clowns"

April 30HGS Continuing EdPetroleum Geology of Deep-WaterClastic (Turbidite) DepositionalSystemsRoger M. Slatt, Professor of PetroleumGeology and Geophysics University of Oklahoma

May 4 – 72009 Offshore TechnologyConferenceHouston, Texas

Reservations:The HGS prefers that you make your reservations on-line through the HGS website atwww.hgs.org. If you have no Internet access, you can e-mail [email protected], or callthe office at 713-463-9476. Reservations for HGS meetings must be made or cancelled bythe date shown on the HGS Website calendar, normally that is 24 hours before hand oron the last business day before the event. If you make your reservation on the Website orby email, an email confirmation will be sent to you. If you do not receive a confirmation,check with the [email protected]. Once the meals are ordered and name tags and lists areprepared, no more reservations can be added even if they are sent. No shows will be billed.

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GeoWives Spring TripVictoria, Texas Page 60

Science and EngineeringFair of Houston

50th AnniversaryGeorge R. Brown Convention Center

SIPES Luncheon“Case Study: Highest Possible Resolution(HPR) Stratigraphic Imaging of a DeepReef Platform” Norman S. Neidell, N. S.

Neidell and Associates Petroleum Club

Page 37

15th Annual 3-D SeismicSymposium

Marriott Hotel-DowntownDenver, Colorado

Page 42


HGS North A

merican

Exp

loratio

nists Dinne

r MeetingHGS North American Explorationists Dinner continued from page 30 ________________________________________________________________________

some time. I hope that operators will continue to learn how to

reduce costs, optimize production, and better incorporate geology

and geophysics into their play strategies. Whether the United

States has a long-term over-supply of natural gas, or that today’s

surplus is chiefly due to shale gas production is not certain.

In the E&P business, shale plays represent a disturbing tendency

away from critical thinking. The belief in reward without risk is

irrational. The failure to acknowledge the marginal economics of

the play is bewildering. Unless opinion leaders confront the under-

lying economic and geological risks of these plays, I fear that a

financial crisis may develop that will discredit the E&P industry. �

Biographical SketchARTHUR BERMAN is a geological consultant whose specialties are

subsurface petroleum geology, seismic interpretation, and

database design and management. He is currently consulting for

several independent and international oil companies on interpre-

tation and mapping projects. His current clients include Vision

Resources, Total, PetroChina, and Schlumberger.

He is a contributing editor and columnist for World Oil and

writes a monthly column called “What’s New in Exploration.”

He is also an associate editor in

the American Associat ion of

Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) and

Vice-President of the Houston

Geological Society (HGS). He is a

past-editor of the HGS Bulletin

(2004-2005).

He has published over 50 articles

on geology, technology, and the

petroleum industry during the past

ten years on topics including petroleum exploration, sequence

stratigraphy, oil and gas price trends and cycles, coastal subsidence,

earthquakes, tsunamis, and petroleum geopolitics. He has given

technical presentations to the AAPG; GCSSEPM; Houston

Geological Society; Houston Geophysical Society; GCAGS; SIPES

Austin, Houston, Dallas, and Corpus Christi chapters; South

Texas Geological Society; Association of Engineering &

Environmental Geologists; San Antonio Geophysical Society; and

American Association of Civil Engineers.

Mr. Berman has an M.S. in geology from the Colorado School of

Mines and a B.A. in history from Amherst College.


HGS Guest Night — Saturday, April 4, 2009Houston Downtown Aquarium 6:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.

In Search of the FirstAmericans: RecentDiscoveries and the Role of Geology in the Pursuit of the PastSpeaker:

Dr. Michael R. WatersProfessor of Anthropology andGeography, at Texas A&MUniversityAuthor of Principals ofGeoArchaeology

The Guest Night program includes a social hour, seated dinner and featured speaker presentation No payments accepted at the door. You must prepay online (www.hgs.org)

or send this form in with credit card information.Member name: ________________________________________________________________Member # __________________________________

Names: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Email address: ________________________________________

Number of Guest Night Tickets ____________ @ $35 each Guest Night Tickets Amount $ ______________

Adventure Exposition Passes ________________ @ $14 each Adventure Exposition Amount $ ____________

________________________________________________________________Total Amount remitted $ ________________

Dinner Selection: Chicken Wellington ________ Grilled Salmon: ______________

Send check and form to: HGS Office, Guest Night 2009, 14811 St. Mary’s Lane, Suite 250, Houston, Texas 77079or fax this form with credit card number to 281-679-5504

Credit Card number and type: _______________________________________________________Expiration Date (required): ______________

Name on Credit Card: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Daytime Phone number of Card Holder: __________________________________________________________________________________________

Billing Address for Card: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

City, State and Zip: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Many thanks to our Guest Night corporate sponsors

To illustrate the use and benefits of Highest Possible Resolution (HPR) Stratigraphic Imaging, we present a case study using a small

3D survey over an onshore reef platform which lies at a depth greater than 15,000 feet. The views offered by the imaging from time

slices and vertical sections offer remarkable direct insights into the development of the reefs on the platform, their hydrocarbon

potential, the cyclic development of the carbonate lithology, shales and anhydrites, and the correlation with the well control. Seismic

images (time slices) in this case look remarkably like modern aerial photographs over reef complexes. The study is significant in that it

readily identifies and explains a high-volume producing gas well and a well that was deemed non-commercial.

Holographic principles applied to seismic imaging produce results having significantly

broader band-widths and higher resolution than conventional signal-processing methods.

Low-energy boundaries which are sharp and have great lateral continuity allow imaging to

extraordinarily high frequencies. Boundaries from high-energy environments showing

vertical grading and Fresnel scale lateral variations would have much lower resolution by their

nature. Such imaging is termed HPR imaging and actually can estimate depositional energy.

HPR imaging typically produces results having anywhere from 8 to 32 times standard

pre-stack imaging outputs in terms of samples. Resolution increases by factors of three or

four are typical, although greater factors can be attained as one might expect in low-energy

depositional environments.

Inversion displays of velocity are produced using an Extended Visual Dynamic Range Color

format and present five times the information of typical color displays and 25 times more

than black-and-white data presentations. These displays aid significantly in recognizing

lithology, geopressure, porosity, and possible hydrocarbons, particularly in high-velocity or

consolidated lithologic conditions.

The seismic displays are readily interpreted on workstations using standard geological principles and ideas. Lithology identification,

fluids, and other features can be noted with clarity and resolution with a fair degree of confidence based on the known correlations.

These displays are contrasted with conventional views, which, as noted, offer far less insight and information.

Particularly noteworthy is, that by increasing seismic resolution by a factor of three or four, results better approximate the relevant geo-

logical scale, and from 17 to 23 cycles of reef development can be recognized. Dramatic displays are seen where the velocity range

related to the particular age carbonates are isolated. The resulting “aerial” views via the time slices show tidal channels, atolls, and other

features. Another dramatic series of displays can be developed indicating where gas is most likely

Thursday, March 19, 2009Houston Petroleum Club in the Discovery Room, 800 Bell St. (downtown Houston). Social 11:15 AM, Luncheon 11:45 AM

Reservations Required: Make reservations by telephone (713-651-1639), fax (713-951-9659), website (www.sipes-houston.org), or [email protected] to B. K. Starbuck-Buongiorno by 12:00 noon on Tuesday preceding the meeting. You can now sign up for the meeting online atwww.sipes-houston.org, but payment is still required by regular mail or at the door.

Cost: $30 for SIPES Members and Chapter Affiliates who register by 12:00 Noon Tuesday; $35 for new registrations at the door. The price for guests, non-members and walk-ins is $35. No-shows will be billed.

SIPES Luncheon MeetingCase Study:

Highest Possible Resolution (HPR) StratigraphicImaging of a Deep Reef Platform

Dr. Norman S. Neidell, N. S. Neidell and Associates (Speaker)

Mr. James M. Charuk, Starboard Energy

Mr. David C. Montoya, President, Monoco Petroleum Inc.

SIPE

S Lun

cheo

n Meeting

SIPES Luncheon continued on page 39

Great Barrier Reef Source: ABC News



AS GO O D AS OU R WO R DTAP INTO OUR RESERVOIR

EXPERIENCE For over a half-century Dawson has helped its clients succeed. In bothseismic acquisition and processing, we deliver high quality data that gets clear-cut results.From field equipment to software, we put the latest technologies into the hands of seasonedprofessionals who have geophysical knowledge specific to all major U.S. basins. Decades ofacquiring data and imaging objectives to provide total subsurface picture. That's what ourexperience gives you.practice every day.

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SIPES Luncheon Meeting continued from page 37 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

to be found. This is accom-

plished by coloring in black the

velocity most likely to indicate

porosity with gas presence.

The high-resolution displays of

the reef platform, by its nature

as a high-velocity carbonate

environment at fairly significant

depth, demonstrate that the

method is robust and can per-

form well in a circumstance that

most would agree offers some

challenges. HPR Imaging has

proved itself yet again to be a

most useful interpretive tool

under another set of geologic

conditions. �

Biographical SketchN O R M A N S . N E I D E L L

(neidel [email protected] .net)

received a B.S. from New York

University, a Post Graduate

Diploma in applied geophysics

from Imperial College, and a

Ph.D. in geodesy and geophysics

from Cambridge University. He

acquired basic experience with

Gulf Oil and Seiscom-Delta and then undertook independent ventures and consulting in 1971.

His special interests include seismic stratigraphy, reservoir definition, and imaging technology

which has resulting in international recognition for his work. He has extensive experience

consulting and lecturing in all aspects involving seismic data and imaging. He has authored

numerous technical papers and patents and made presentations before many learned groups both

in the United States and abroad.

Dr. Neidell co-founded GeoQuest International (now part of Petroleum Information), GeoQuest

Systems (now a Schlumberger company), and Zenith Exploration Co. serving as its President and

Chief Executive Officer. He co-founded Gandalf Explorers Intl. Ltd., which by merger became

MMS Petroleum, PLC, a public company in Ireland and the U.K. until its acquisition in

December 1998 by Ramco Energy. His current interests include applications for the new ultra-

high resolution method of seismic imaging which he has developed. To exploit this technology, he

founded Wavefield Image, Inc. In 1997, Wavefield Image merged into Zydeco Energy and Dr. Neidell joined Zydeco as Vice President of

Innovations. In 1999, he re-initiated his consulting practice, which is currently ongoing.

Dr. Neidell is a Past President and Honorary Member of the Geophysical Society of Houston (GSH), a Distinguished Lecturer for the

SEG and an Honorary Life Member, a Past Associate Editor of Geophysics and a member of several AAPG and SEG committees. He

lectures in continuing education programs for the AAPG, SEG and SPE as well as for several universities. He is a Registered Professional

Geophysicist (California), Professional Geoscientist (Texas), and a Certified Geologist (Arkansas and SIPES).

Time slice – possible gases

SIPE

S Lun

cheo

n Meeting

40 Houston Geological Society Bulletin March 200940 Houston Geological Society Bulletin March 2009

With apologies to Joni Mitchell, this month’s Geologic

Website of the Month features a look at both sides of the

evolution issue by reviewing the Internet sites for the Discovery

Institute and Understanding Evolution. Two centuries after

Charles Darwin's birth on February 12, 1809, people continue to

argue passionately about his theory of evolution. A Harris poll

conducted in November 2008 found that slightly more

Americans believe in Darwin's theory of evolution (47 percent)

than in creationism (40 percent).

This contentious issue has hit the front pages of Texas and

national newspapers again in recent months due to the hearings

before the Texas State Board of Education regarding the public

school science curriculum for the next ten years. In a close vote

on January 23, 2009, the Texas State Board of Education

approved a revision of the state's science standards without the

controversial "strengths and weaknesses" language. The vote was

only preliminary; a final vote on the standards is expected at the

board's March 26-27, 2009 meeting.

The range and diversity of websites on the topics of evolution,

creationism, and intelligent design are staggering. Google returns

185 million hits by entering “Evolution” into the search engine.

The websites featured in this month’s column are two of the

prominent voices representing opposing sides of the issue of

teaching evolution in schools.

The Discovery Institute The Discovery Institute website homepage has a clean and

well-organized look with refined tones of gray and blue and


Geo

logic W

ebsite of the Month“I’ve Looked at Life from Both Sides Now”

Michael F. Forlenza, P.G.

The Discovery Institute (www.discovery.org)and

Understanding Evolution (evolution.berkeley.edu)

Geologic Website of the Month continued on page 43


Killer whales produce whistles, clicks, pulsed calls, low-frequency pops and jaw claps for two

overlapping functions—to communicate and echolocate.

For years PGS has been communicating closely with operators in exploration basins worldwide

to help locate new prospects, to expand production from existing ones and to lower finding

and development costs. Recent significant successes from our depth imaging teams are

giving geoscientists clear images by using state-of-the-art migration algorithms and advanced

velocity model building workflows. To find out more about the bottom line benefits of PGS data

processing, please contact Frank Dumanoir at (713) 509-8354.

A clearer image www.pgs.com


Geo

logic W

ebsite of the Month

high-quality graphics. The homepage lists the seven project areas

of the Discovery Institute along the left side and has three columns

of events, fellows’ articles, and news in the lower half. One small

rotating advertisement for books links to Amazon.com.

The Discovery Institute, a public policy think tank founded in

1990 and based in Seattle, Washington, is funded by philanthropic

foundation grants, corporate and individual contributions,

and the dues of members. The Discovery Institute has become a

leading voice for the teaching of intelligent design in American

schools. According to the website, the “Discovery Institute's

mission is to make a positive vision of the future practical. The

Institute discovers and promotes ideas in the common sense

tradition of representative government, the free market and

individual liberty. Our mission is promoted through books,

reports, legislative testimony, articles, public conferences and

debates, plus media coverage and the Institute's own publications

and Internet website.”

The Science & Culture link on the homepage of the Discovery

Institute opens the sub-homepage for the Center for Science and

Culture. This page, with the same clean and high-quality look,

presents content pertaining to intelligent design and evolution.

Topics areas listed on the left side of the page are: Dissent from

Darwinism, Blog: Evolution.org, CSC Discovery Society, Essential

Readings, Academic Freedom, Intelligent Design, and Frequently

Asked Questions. In the lower part of the page are three columns

providing extensive links to books, articles, papers, and news

items featuring original content, summarized documents, and

related materials.

According to the website, the Center for Science and Culture is a

program which:

• supports research by scientists and other scholars challenging

various aspects of neo-Darwinian theory;

• supports research by scientists and other scholars developing

the scientific theory known as intelligent design;

• supports research by scientists and scholars in the social sciences

and humanities exploring the impact of scientific materialism

on culture.

• encourages schools to improve science education by teaching

students more fully about the theory of evolution, including the

theory's scientific weaknesses as well is its strengths.

The Center for Science and Culture has more than 40 Fellows,

including biologists, biochemists, chemists, physicists, philosophers

and historians of science, and public policy and legal experts. The

Center's Director is Dr. Stephen Meyer, who holds a Ph.D. in the

history and philosophy of science from Cambridge University.

Dr. Meyer worked as a geophysicist with the Atlantic Richfield

Company after earning his undergraduate degrees in physics and

geology. Dr. Meyer participated in the hearings before the Texas

State Board of Education in January 2009. The Center’s Associate

Director is Dr. John G. West, who holds a Ph.D. in government

from Claremont Graduate University and a B.A. in communica-

tions from the University of Washington.

Geologic Website of the Month continued from page 41 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Geologic Website of the Month continued on page 45


Geo

logic W

ebsite of the Month

The Dissent from Darwin link and the Intelligent Design link

open new websites with different formats that are not quite as

polished as the Discovery Institute’s site. The Dissent from

Darwin website presents a position statement and list of signatories.

The position statement reads: “We are skeptical of claims for the

ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the

complexity of life. Careful examination of the evidence for

Darwinian theory should be encouraged.”

Signers must hold a Ph.D. in a scientific field or hold an M.D. and

serve as a professor of medicine. The list

of signatories includes 32 professors and

23 Ph.D. holders who have associations

with Rice University, Texas A&M, or the

University of Texas. The webpage also

provides a link for persons interested in

signing the statement.

The Discovery Institute and the Center for

Science and Culture websites provide

a portal to a wide ranging network of

original content and affiliated websites.

The polished appearances of these

webpages present the impression of

a well-organized and well-funded

enterprise. The websites have a rather flat, one-tiered, structure

with the homepage providing links to numerous policy

statements and text-heavy articles with few graphics or

illustrations. This structure makes navigation simple but leads to

some back-and-forth browsing articles and the homepage. A list

of links provides clickable connection to several Fellows’ related

websites, and other websites of interest including the University

of California Museum of Paleontology and Understanding

Evolution.

Understanding EvolutionUnderstanding Evolution is a website created by the University of

California Museum of Paleontology with support provided by

the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes

Medical Institute. The website calls itself the “Your one-stop

source for information on Evolution.” The homepage for

Understanding Evolution is rather plain, consisting primarily of

text in pleasant tones of blue and green. The homepage is divided

into sections with navigational items at the top, a list of topics on

the left, links to teaching aids on the right, and highlighted origi-

nal articles and reports at the bottom. The “Evo in the news”

section features links to a page marking the 200th anniversary of

Darwin’s birth.

For visitors interested in diving directly into the topic, the home-

page recommends using the Evolution 101 link. The Evolution

101 link opens a seven-section primer on the history of life and

evolutionary processes. The original content is aimed at a general

audience and progresses through 46 separate pages of condensed

text and simple graphics. However, the concepts presented,

including cospeciation and phylogeny, are not always simple.

The Teaching Evolution link connects to tools and lesson plans

for learning evolution and for teaching evolution. Teaching

resources in this area are extensive with separate content for four

different student levels: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. The Site Index

link provides the best overview of the

numerous areas of content in the teach-

ing and learning sections.

The p r i n c i p a l i nve s t i g a to r s f o r

Understanding Evolut ion are Roy

Caldwell and David R. Lindberg. Dr.

Caldwell is a professor in the Department

of Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley and

Director of UCMP. He received his Ph.D.

from the University of Iowa in 1969.

Dr. Lindberg is a Professor in the

Department of Integrative Biology at UC

Berkeley and Faculty Curator of the UC

Museum of Paleontology. He received a

Ph.D. in biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

According to the website: “Understanding Evolution is a non-

commercial, education website, teaching the science and history of

evolutionary biology. This site is here to help you understand what

evolution is, how it works, how it factors into your life, how research

in evolutionary biology is performed, and how ideas in this area

have changed over time.”

Besides the original content, Understanding Evolution includes

links to other articles prepared by other resources such as the Yale

University’s Peabody Museum of Natural History, the New York

Times, and the magazine Nature. The Understanding Evolution

website addresses the ongoing controversy in the teaching of

evolution at several locations such as the frequently asked

questions section and the “Overcoming Roadblocks to Teaching

of Evolution” page.

Navigation around the website is somewhat clumsy with

duplicate links having different labels and other links that double

back to previous pages. But the content is extensive with numerous

graphics and illustrations and is designed for comprehension by

a general audience. The information presented on the main

webpage on recent developments and scientific thinking and

the Teaching Evolution page present a thorough discussion of the

concepts and mechanisms of evolution. �

Geologic Website of the Month continued from page 43 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In a close vote on January 23,

2009, the Texas State Board of

Education approved a revision

of the state's science standards

without the controversial

“strengths and weaknesses”

language.

The 2009 HGS Guest Night program will focus on the unique

topic of geoarcheology. Geoarcheology is a very specialized

and fascinating area of research combining the best of two sciences.

The Houston Geological Society 2009 Guest Night will feature a

presentation by Texas A&M’s resident geoarchaeologist,

Dr. Michael R. Waters, Professor of Anthropology and

Geography. Dr. Waters holds the Endowed Chair in First

American Studies and serves as the Director for the Studies of

First Americans as well as Executive Director of the North Star

Archaeological Research Program.

Dr. Waters, who received his

Ph.D. in Geology from the

University of Arizona, has

worked on a variety of

integrated projects in the

United States, Russia, Mexico,

Yemen, and Jamaica. He

i s cur rent ly conduc t ing

archaeological and geoarchae-

ological investigations at the

Buttermilk Creek site, Texas,

which is yielding Clovis and

potentially

older cultural

materials. In addition to his research on the

subject of the “First Americans,” he has worked

on late Quaternary alluvial stratigraphic

sequences in the American Southwest relating

this research to understanding the impact of

changing landscapes on prehistoric agriculturalists

and the impact of landscape change on the

preservation of the archaeological record.

Dr. Waters has published extensively on geoar-

chaeology and early human migration to the

Americas including several books, most

notably, Principles of Geoarchaeology. He is a

Fellow of the Geological Society of America

and was awarded the Kirk Bryan Award of the

Geological Society of America in 2003 and the

Rip Rapp Archaeological Geology Award of the

Geological Society of America in 2004.

Dr. Water’s Guest Night presentation entitled

“In Search of the First Americans — Recent

Discoveries and the Role of Geology in the

Pursuit of the Past” will focus on the questions

that have intrigued archaeologists for over

a century as they have searched for clues to

better understand the prehistoric colonization

of the Americas. When did the first people

enter the Americas? Where did they come

from? What routes did they take into the New


2009

HGS Ann

ual Guest Night

HGS Annual Guest Night continued on page 49

2009 HGS Annual Guest Night April 4, 2009

In Search of the First Americans:Recent Discoveries and the Role of Geology in the

Pursuit of the Past

World? How did they cope with the new environments that they

encountered from Canada to Argentina?

Geologists have

played a pivotal

role in the pursuit

o f t h e f i r s t

Ame r i c an s . An

understanding of

t h e g e o l o g i c a l

context, dat ing ,

and site formation

are critical to the

invest igat ion of

a ny e a r l y s i t e .

Geologists have

worked side by side

with archaeologists

from the start and

have provided the

critical information

ne eded f o r t h e

acceptance of early

sites.

Since the discovery

o f t h e C l o v i s

complex at Blackwater Draw, New Mexico, an elegant model

developed that shaped thinking for decades about the origins of

the First Americans. The “Clovis First Model” states that a small

band of hunters entered the Americas about 13,500 years ago and

populated the entirety of the New World within 800 years.

According to the model, these people were the first and only early

migrants to the Americas and all suceeding New World cultures

descended from the Clovis culture.

However, recent archaeological discoveries and advances in

human genetics are calling the Clovis First Model into question

and continue to shape a new understanding of the first

Americans. New evidence suggests that people were in the

Americas before Clovis and that we must rethink the Clovis

model and develop a new model that better explains the peopling

of the Americas. Texas A&M’s Center for the Study of the First

Americans, under the direction of Dr. Waters (www.center

firstamericans.com) is on the forefront of this revolutionary

thinking about the origins of the First Americans.

The 2009 Guest Night will be held this year on Saturday evening,

April 4th at a new location, the Downtown Aquarium, Houston

at 410 Bagby at Memorial Drive. The event is priced at $35.00 per

person which includes great meal with a choice of Chicken

Wellington or Grilled Salmon with red wine reduction (please

specify chicken or fish when making reservations). There will be a

cash bar. Parking is $6 per car for self-parking and $8 per car for

valet service.

An option exists for those guests who desire to arrive at 4 p.m.

and purchase an Adventure Exposition pass to experience the fun

rides and exhibits of the Downtown Aquarium for an additional

fee (at a reduced rate) of $14.00. The Aquarium Exposition gives

access to the exhibits and rides. The exhibits include Louisiana

Swamp, Shipwreck, Rainforest, Sunken Temple, Gulf of Mexico,

Discovery Rig, and the White Tigers of the Maharajah’s Temple.

The rides include the spectacular Ferris Wheel with a view of

downtown, Shark Voyage Train ride through a tank containing a

variety of sharks, the Aquatic Carousel, and carnival-style games.

For additional details on the Aquarium Adventure Exposition

please go to www.aquariumrestaurants.com.

The official 2009 Houston Geological Society Guest Night

activities will begin at 6:00 pm and end at 10:00 pm. The

evening’s schedule is as follows:

6:00 to 6:45 pm: Guest arrival and registration at the 3rd floor

ballroom

6:45 to 8:00 pm: Dinner served

8:00 to 8:30 pm: Awards will be presented to high school student

science fair winners

8:30 to 9:30 pm: Feature presentation by Dr. Waters In Search of

the First Americans: Recent Discoveries and the

Role of Geology in the Pursuit of the Past

The Downtown Aquarium will be open until 11:00 p.m. for those

guests who have purchased passes to the Adventure Exposition

and wish to continue the evening enjoying exhibits and rides.

The 2009 HGS Guest Night program is limited to 400 people due

to seating capacity limitations of the Aquarium ballroom.

Prepayment is required ($35 per person), and tickets will NOT be

available for walk-ins. Please specify either dinner choice and if

you are interested, please indicate number of Adventure

Exposition tickets ($14) you want.

As the HGS Guest Night events historically sell out early, please

reg is ter ear ly and pay onl ine us ing the HGS Websi te

(www.hgs.org) or pay by check and fill out and mail the

registration form published in this issue of the Bulletin. Members

can also pay by faxing credit card payment information along

with their registration to the HGS office. The form and further

instructions are on page 36 of the HGS Bulletin or online at the

event page. �


2009

HGS Ann

ual Guest Night2009 HGS Annual Guest Night continued from page 47 _______________________________________________________________________________________

The official 2009 HoustonGeological Society Guest Nightactivities will begin at 6:00 pmand end at 10:00 pm. Theevening’s schedule is as follows: 6:00 to 6:45 pm: Guest arrival and

registration at the

3rd floor ballroom

6:45 to 8:00 pm: Dinner served

8:00 to 8:30 pm: Awards will be

presented to high

school student

science fair winners

8:30 to 9:30 pm: Feature presentation

by Dr. Waters In

Search of the First

Americans: Recent

Discoveries and the

Role of Geology in

the Pursuit of the

Past


At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the accepted age of

the Earth was 6,000 years. This age had been established by

James Ussher (1581-1656), the Archbishop of Armagh in Ireland

and a well known biblical scholar. Ussher based this age determi-

nation on a detailed analysis of the chronology in the Old and

New Testaments. Subsequently, using inferred cooling rates of

molten rock, William Thompson (also known as Lord Kelvin), a

British physicist and engineer, established the age of the Earth as

20 million years. Thus, in the late nineteenth century, as revealed

by the disparity in estimates ranging from 6000 to 20 million

years, geologists had yet to grasp the vastness of geological time,

the duration of geological events, and an understanding of the

physical processes that formed the Earth.

The Dating Game: One Man’s Search for the Age of the Earth by

Cherry Lewis is a biography of Arthur Holmes (1890-1965) the

British geoscientist most appropriately

given credit for establishing an absolute

geological time scale. This book

captures the reader’s attention as it

describes the unfolding of events

between 1900 and 1950: the gradual

development of an absolute geological

time scale and a framework to under-

stand Earth development, evolution,

and processes. The Dating Game

tells the story of Holmes’ vision of

developing a geological time scale that

would finally lead to an accurate

determination of the age of the Earth. Despite scientific

opposition, financial hardship, and personal tragedy, Holmes

fought for fifty years to convince the scientific establishment of

an Earth of great antiquity. Lewis provides an engaging story of

the life of Holmes and details his adventures, losses, and financial

difficulties during the latter nineteenth and early twentieth

centuries, a time of significant advances in understanding the

early history and the science of dating the age of the Earth.

At the end of the nineteenth century, geologists, biologists,

physicists, and astronomers had all weighed in on the question of

the absolute age of the Earth. Charles Darwin had, in fact,

estimated the age of the earth by calculating the length of time

for the erosion of the Weald, a large valley that today stretches

between the North and South Downs in southern England but

which at one time was overlain by a great dome of rock. Darwin

used crude quantitative estimates for the mass of rock that was

originally present,

assumed an ero-

sion rate, and

calculated that

the period of

time required

to form the

Weald into

its present

configuration

was 306,662,400 years.

The refusal to accept the vastness of geological time was

ubiquitous and deeply engrained in scientific and societal think-

ing. James Hutton, recognized as the “father of modern geology,

in 1785 argued for the immensity of geological time. When

accused by his contemporaries of having

“deposed the Almighty Creator of the

Universe from his Office,” Hutton retorted

that regarding nature “we find no

deficiency in respect of time.” The situation

remained unchanged in 1860 when John

Phillips, a nephew of William Smith (the

English geologist credited with creating

the first modern geological map) and a

professor of geology at Oxford University,

stated that some geologists invoked a

“heedless freedom of the ages that have

gone” and wondered if there was any

“information of value” to be gained by accurately accounting for

geological time.

William Thompson (Lord William Kelvin), Professor of Natural

Philosophy at Glasgow University and a world expert on thermo-

dynamics, recognized that mines and boreholes showed

increasing temperature with depth. Based on this observation,

Kelvin calculated that the formation of the Earth “cannot have

taken place less than twenty million years ago…, nor more than

four hundred million years ago”. Kelvin bolstered his estimate

with all the authority that contemporaneous numbers and calcu-

lations provided.

An absolute geological time scale became possible because of the

discovery of radioactive decay, which provided a “clock” that could

be used to determine geological t ime. In about 1890,

Book Review continued on page 53

Book Review by George O. Chandlee

Lewis, C., 2000, The Dating Game: One Man’s Search for the Age of the Earth.

Cambridge University Press, 253 pp.

Despite scientific opposition,

financial hardship, and

personal tragedy, Holmes fought

for fifty years to convince the

scientific establishment of an

Earth of great antiquity.


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H. Becquerel and the Curies discovered radium. The subsequent

discovery of radioactive decay by Ernest Rutherford, Professor

of Physics at McGill University in Canada, directly led to the

development of a radiometric-based time scale. By charting the

radioactive decay chain and measuring the time interval between

each successive decay product, it was possible to relate the

radio-isotopic composition of rocks to their age. The uranium

decay chain starts from unstable uranium, proceeds to radium,

then to radon, and through a series of continued decays until lead,

a stable element, is formed. And so, uranium decay was the clock

that eventually became the tool to determine geological time.

By 1911, Holmes had compiled a geological time scale (see inset).

The scientific community viewed the time scale, based on radiometric

methods, with strong skepticism. Leading geoscientists found

that reconciling the sedimentary record and radiometric ages was

difficult. Holmes’ methods, compared with those of the present

day, were rudimentary but his first geological time scale

compares favorably with our present-day version.

Holmes gained extensive international field experience working

in the private sector. He performed a geological reconnaissance of

Portuguese colony of Mozambique in 1911 as part of a

survey/prospecting team. The company he worked for was

Memba Minerals Limited, which had purchased a license to

explore for minerals in East Africa. This work was motivated by

personal chronic financial need. The book has excerpts from

Holmes personal diary and letters written while he was exploring

in Mozambique for Memba Minerals. By the end of World War I,

Burma, then a British colony, had become a recognized place for

oil exploration and production. Holmes resigned a professorship

and in 1920 became Chief Geologist to the Yomah Oil Company

Limited in Burma. Petroleum exploration was so intense and

successful in Burma that, at one point, the density of wooden oil

derricks in the Yenangyaung Oil Field resembled a forest.

Holmes, deeply in debt due to misappropriation of Yomah funds,

left Burma after the death of his young son, Norman, due to

dysentery.

The book is enlivened with photographs from Holmes’ days in

Mozambique in the early twentieth century as well as maps,

figures, and charts. These maps put into context the scope and

range of Holmes’ travels. The

black and white photographs

help visualize life in these

remote places at the turn of the

twentieth century.

After his work in Mozambique

and Burma, Holmes returned

to Durham University where

he was appointed head of the

geology department. Holmes

was considered by his students to

be a good, helpful, and fair

teacher. He systematically built

the geology department basically

from nothing. Holmes had a

s i gn i f i c an t impac t on h i s

students and revived a waning

interest in the geosciences.

For example, when in 1912,

A l f r ed Wegene r p ropo s ed

that South America and West Africa had once been a single land

mass, based on the “fit” of the continents, shared stratigraphic

relationships, and fossil evidence, Holmes was an early adherent

of the theory of “continental drift,” notwithstanding the

shortcomings of the theory.

As a historical biography, this book presents no new ideas, no

new theories, and no new interpretations. That clearly is not

Lewis’ intent. Instead, the reader is given a detailed biography of

Holmes’s life and his profound influence on the development of

an absolute geological time scale. A basic understanding of

chemistry, geology, and physics is all that is required to appreciate

the technical aspects of the book. Without dwelling on precise

technical details, Lewis provides enough information to make the

book readable and understandable. As it stands, this book offers

an engrossing account of the life of Arthur Holmes, his

background and experiences, and his role in the development of

our modern geological time scale. �

Book Review continued from page 51 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Boo

k Review

Geological Holmes’ ages Geological Age range

period 1911 (millions of period today today (millions

years) of years)

Carboniferous 340 Lower Carboniferous 362-330

Devonian 370 Upper Devonian 380-362

Silurian or Ordovician 430 Silurian 443-418

Precambrian in: Precambrian

Late Proterozoic 900-544

Sweden1025

Middle Proterozoic 1600-900

1270

United States1310

Middle Proterozoic 1600-900

1435

Ceylon 1610 Early Proterozoic 2500-1600

Geological time scale excerpted from Lewis, C., 2000, The Dating Game


HGS Welcomes New Members

ACTIVE MEMBERS

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Effective February 3, 2008

Welcome New Members


TCEQ Enforcement Actions Reach All-Time HighThe Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)

announced that enforcement actions issued in fiscal year 2008

have resulted in 1,624 administrative orders—the highest

number since the agency was granted administrative penalty

authority in 1985.

"This report should send a clear message to every entity that we

regulate—violating the state's environmental rules has financial

consequences," said Chairman Buddy Garcia. “Our regulations

are in place to be protective of the public health and the environ-

ment, and they are vigorously enforced."

Penalties totaling $10,180,834 were issued. In addition,

$4,659,118 was required to be paid by violators for a total of 297

Supplemental Environmental Projects. The combined totals are

the highest in the past six years.

As a result of these enforcement actions, more than 8.3 million

pounds of pollutants have been eliminated or reduced. The

agency's assistance resulted in the reduction of more than

610,000 tons of hazardous and non-hazardous waste and 6.28

million pounds of volatile organic compound air emissions, as

well as 2.66 billion gallons of water conserved and more than 500

million kilowatt-hours of energy saved. Violators spent an

estimated $521 million to correct violations to protect the

environment.

The agency conducted more than 100,000 routine investigations

and investigated more than 5,000 complaints in FY 08. The

TCEQ takes a lead role in the Texas Environmental Enforcement

Task Force to pursue criminal prosecution—finalizing 14 cases

with 17 convictions against 17 individuals and six corporations.

Geologic Mapping and Fossil Preservation Put on HoldUntil 2009An omnibus package with more than 150 bills related to public

lands, water, and resources was not considered during the lame

duck session in November. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

(D-NV) vowed to bring the measure up as the first or second

action of the new 111th Congress.

The omnibus includes the National Cooperative Geologic

Mapping Reauthorization, which would fund geologic mapping

at the U.S. Geological Survey and the state geological surveys and

the Fossil Preservation Act, which would protect fossils on public

lands from poachers.

Senator Bingaman Outlines Energy Priorities for 111th Congress

In a speech given at the Center for Strategic and International

Studies on November 17, 2008, Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)

outlined his priorities for the 111th Congress as Chairman of the

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Bingaman hopes

that a combination of President Obama’s leadership and bipartisan

congressional engagement will make possible “real progress” on

comprehensive energy policy.

Bingaman emphasized the need to focus on preliminary

legislation that will “reduce both the complexity and the cost of

any eventual cap-and-trade bill.” For example, Bingaman advo-

cated for Congress to move immediately to fund energy

technology advances, not to wait for revenues from possible

cap-and-trade legislation. Other next steps include creating a

national renewable electricity standard, investing in the creation

of a “smart and robust national transmission grid,” and pursuing

carbon capture and sequestration technologies.

Bingaman called federal investment in innovation and STEM

education “totally inadequate.” He referred to the American

COMPETES Act as evidence of bipartisan support in this area

and requested a renewed effort by the new Congress.

The Planetary Society’s Roadmap to SpaceOn November 13, 2008, the Planetary Society released a report

entitled “Beyond the Moon: A New Roadmap for Human

Space Exploration in the 21st Century.” The document outlines

recommendations regarding the U.S. space exploration program

for consideration by the new administration and Congress. The

ideas presented in the roadmap were developed through a series

of expert workshops and town hall meetings, and from input

from concerned scientists and policymakers.

The Planetary Society proposes that the ultimate goal be rede-

fined as human exploration of Mars. Setting flexible intermediate

milestones such as conducting the first human voyages outside

the Earth-Moon system, to beyond the gravitational influence of

Earth, and to near-Earth asteroids, can be used to engage the

public by celebrating these scientific achievements. The goal of

new human lunar landings by 2020, as established by President

Bush’s 2004 Vision for Space Exploration, should be deferred

Gov

ernm

ent Update

Government Update continued on page 56

Government UpdateHenry M. Wise, P.G. and Arlin Howles, P.G.

The Government Update provides information on rules, regulations, policy, and meetings of interest to professional geoscientists.

If you would like the most up-to-date information, refer to the HGS website to review the Wise Report. The Wise Report is posted

as needed, but not more often than once a week.


until such missions are an appropriate next step towards

achieving a human landing on Mars.

Stressed in the report is the importance of developing interna-

tional collaborations to maximize global progress in human

space exploration. For example, the U.S. should work with its

international partners to ensure that the Space Shuttle can be

retired in 2010 while still maintaining access to the International

Space Station. This will allow the U.S. to focus its resources on

developing the Ares and Orion vehicles, both of which make an

important contribution to long-term human exploration goals.

NASA should be fully funded at the level of the NASA

Authorization Act of 2008 (about $19 billion in FY 2009) and

adjusted for inflation in coming years.

Also highlighted in the report is the importance of the space pro-

gram to understanding the Earth: “Space science research and the

observation of Earth from space are perhaps the most significant

and productive elements of the nation’s scientific portfolio.”

Applications include monitoring global climate, which is key to

understanding global climate change. Space exploration also

plays a key role in inspiring young people to study science.

President Obama’s Science and Environment TeamPresident Barak Obama has moved relatively swiftly to appoint

his science and environment team, with a clear focus on energy

and climate change. The rapid nominations, the elevation of the

top science advisor to an Assistant to the President and the

creation of an Assistant and Deputy Assistant to the President for

Energy and Climate Change also show the new administration’s

commitment to science and the environment.

In announcing the science and environment team, President

Obama said his administration will value science, will pursue

new alternative and renewable energies and will seek bold action

when the science and pursuits demand it. He also noted that the

Department of Energy and the Department of the Interior

will play a vital role in meeting our energy and environmental

challenges.

President Obama nominated John Holdren to be Assistant to the

President for Science and Technology, Director of the Office of

Science and Technology Policy, and one of three co-chairs of the

President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology

(PCAST).

Holdren is a physicist with degrees from the Massachusetts

Institute of Technology and Stanford University. He served as a

Professor of Energy and Resources at the University of California,

Berkeley for over two decades (now emeritus). Since 1996, he has

been at Harvard as the Director of the Science, Technology, and

Public Policy program at the John F. Kennedy School of

Government and as a faculty member in the Department of

Earth and Planetary Sciences and Environmental Science and

Policy. He also directs the Woods Hole Research Center.

Holdren spoke at the American Geological Institute’s 2007

Leadership Forum on “Communicating Geosciences to

Policymakers” and his presentation entitled “Energy Policy in

Theory and Practice” outlines the energy and environmental

issues of our times and comments on the energy legislation

considered in the 109th and 110th Congresses. The presentation

is available at http://www.agiweb.org/events/LF2007/index.html.

The other nominated co-chairs of PCAST include life scientists,

Harold Varmus and Eric Lander, showing a rather strong

emphasis on life sciences and particularly genomics. Perhaps this

suggests the committee may focus on energy from biology

(synthetic or natural), an emphasis that dovetails well with

Energy Secretary Dr. Chu’s recent efforts to expand synthetic

biofuels research at Lawrence Berkeley.

Regardless of the exact focus of PCAST, President Obama

promises to "remake PCAST into a vigorous external advisory

council that will shape my thinking." This presents an opportunity

for the science and technology community to help play a role in

shaping the science and technology policy direction of the

administration.

The geoscience community, through the American Geological

Institute, has prepared a transition document that describes the

role of the geosciences and geoscientists in helping to guide

science and technology federal policy to meet the challenges of

the 21st Century. The document entitled “Critical Needs of the

Twenty First Century: The Role of the Geosciences” is available at

http://www.agiweb.org/gap/trans08.html.

The geoscience community should actively engage with PCAST

on these critical needs and offer to serve as a resource for the

committee.

On the environmental side of the President’s team, Mr. Obama

nominated Nancy Sutley to be Chair of the White House Council

on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Carol Browner to be Assistant

to the President for Energy and Climate Change and Heather

Zichal to be Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and

Climate Change.

Sutley currently serves as the Deputy Mayor for Energy and

Environment for the City of Los Angeles, and is also Mayor

Gov

ernm

ent Update Government Update continued from page 55 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Villaraigosa's appointment to the Board of Directors for

the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. She has

previously served on the California State Water Resources

Control Board, as Energy Advisor to Governor Davis and as the

Deputy Secretary for Policy and Intergovernmental Relations

within the California Environmental Protection Agency.

Browner is Principal of The Albright Group LLC, where she

provides strategic counsel in the critical areas of environmental

protection, climate change, and energy conservation and security.

Prior to her current position, she served as Administrator of the

U.S. EPA, a Cabinet-level position she held for eight years.

Last but not least, President Obama made his first “science

agency” appointment, by nominating Jane Lubchenco for

administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA). Lubchenco is a well-regarded professor

of marine biology and zoology at Oregon State University. She is

an environmental scientist and marine ecologist with degrees in

biology and marine ecology from Colorado College, University of

Washington, and Harvard University.

House Science and Technology Committee Outlines 2009 Agenda

Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) released an agenda overview for

the House Science and Technology Committee. The committee

plans to “work on issues including energy technology

development, climate and weather monitoring, math and science

education programs, nanotechnology, the space program,

aviation research, and technical standards for industries from

energy to health care to telecommunications.”

The committee plans to work with the new administration to

secure full funding for the America COMPETES Act and to

implement the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy

(ARPA-E). They will also provide oversight to ensure that authorized

energy technology programs (such as geothermal and carbon

capture and storage) are implemented and review programs at

the Energy Department’s Office of Science to ensure they are

integrated with applied research and technology transfer. The

committee will address new energy challenges, such as nuclear

reactors and pipelines for new fuels and carbon dioxide.

With regards to the environment, the committee will address

needed technologies for climate change monitoring, affect more

coordination of Federal research on water quality and quantity

and conduct a “wholesale review” of weather and ocean research

at the NOAA, including work on ocean acidification.

Turning toward space, the committee plans to work with the new

administration on a multi-year authorization for NASA and

review the “capabilities of emerging space-faring nations and

explore an expansion of international space collaboration”

A two-page summary of the House Science and Technology

Committee agenda is available at http://democrats.science.house.

gov/Media/File/ForReleases/111thSTAgenda.pdf

President Bush Designates Largest Marine ReserveOn January 6, 2009, President Bush designated three areas—the

Mariana Trench and the waters and corals surrounding three

uninhabited islands in the Northern Mariana Islands, Rose Atoll

in American Samoa, and seven islands strung along the equator

in the central Pacific Ocean—as national marine monuments.

Together the monuments total some 195,274 square miles, the

largest marine reserve.

The monuments contain stunning geological and biological wonders.

All will be protected by the 1906 Antiquities Act, which

eliminates commercial fishing, waste dumping and other

extractive commercial efforts within the monuments. One

exception will allow commercial fishing in the waters above the

Mariana Trench. Recreational fishing, tourism, research, military

operations and freedom of navigation will remain viable

activities (most require a federal permit) under the act. �

Gov

ernm

ent Update

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HGS Bulletin Instructions to AuthorsAll materials are due by the 15th of the month, 6 weeks before issue publication. Abstracts should be 500 words or less; extendedabstracts up to 1000 words; articles can be any length but brevity is preferred as we have a physical page limit within our current publishing contract. All submissions are subject to editorial review and revision.

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Photographsmay be digital or hard copy. Hard copies must be printed on glossy paper with the author’s name, photo or figure numberand caption on the back. Digital files must be submitted in .jpg or .eps format with 300-DPI or greater resolution at the printing size andbe accompanied by figure captions that are linked by the file name of the image. The images should be submitted as individual email attach-ments (if less than 1 MB) or on CD or zip disk.

AdvertisingThe Bulletin is printed digitally using QuarkXPress. We no longer use negatives or camera-ready advertising material. Call the HGS office foravailability of ad space and for digital guidelines and necessary forms or email to [email protected]. Advertising is accepted on a space-availablebasis. Deadline for submitting material is 6 weeks prior to the first of the month in which the ad appears.

Be a web page SponsorEffective May 4, 2008 you can now have your company logo picture posted on every page (including Calendar, Articles, Events, JobBank, etc.) of theWebsite and not just the Entry page like it was before the redesign. To have an ad posted, you must provide us with the graphic and give us the URL itshould link to when clicked.

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Address:__________________________________________________________________

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Spouse’s Nam

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Email:

__________________________________________________________________

Job Title:________________________________________________________________

Com

pany:________________________________________________________________

Com

pany Address:________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Work Phone:______________________Fax N

umber:

__________________________

Circle Preferred M

ailing Address:

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Professional Affiliations:______________________________________________

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Degree____________Major

________________________Year________

______________________________________________________________

Earth Science W

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__________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Applicant’s Signature____________________Date__________________

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rev.08/11/2008

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Houston G

eological Society

14811 St. M

ary’s Lan

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(Card I.D. –

3 or 4 digit number on front or back of card )



Game Day was held on Monday, February 16 and everyone had a

grand time playing Chicken Foot Dominoes, Four Kings in the

Corners, and Progressive Bridge. The Junior League of Houston served a

delicious luncheon and many people carried away a nice door prize. We

had a very good turnout and if you missed Game Day, you missed a

wonderful opportunity to see old friends and meet some new ones. The

atmosphere at this event is so relaxed that it is easy to get to know new

people. Daisy Wood served as Chairman and Coordinator. Daisy’s

committee members were dressed in their gaming attire and served

as couriers. Kudos to Daisy and to all who helped to make Game Day a

special event.

The final 2008-2009 event for HPAC will be the annual meeting and

luncheon which is scheduled for May 15 at the Houston Racquet Club.

On Thursday, March 12, the Geowives Spring Trip will be to Victoria,

Texas. Founded by the Spanish in 1824, Victoria was one of the first three

towns incorporated by the Republic of Texas. The French explorer

La Salle had attempted to establish a colony there in 1687 but was

unsuccessful. We will tour an exhibit of items which were recovered from

his ship, La Belle, in 1995. An enthusiastic fourth generation Texan will

lead us on a tour of the Olde Town, including the newly restored 1892

courthouse which was designed by J. Riley Gordon. We will also tour the

1876 McNamara House to see how the Victorians lived in Victoria!

Lunch will be at Fossatti’s, the oldest delicatessen in Texas. Fossatti’s was

established in 1882, and the current building dates from 1895. We might

even find a shop or two in the area.

The day will start at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church promptly at

8:00 A.M. and return there between 5:30 and 6:00 P.M. The cost is $18

(lunch and entrance fees) and checks made to Geowives should be sent

to Martha Lou Broussard, 3361 Bellefontaine, Houston, Texas 77025

by March 7, to reserve your place on the bus. Guests are welcome.

The trip is open to all HPAC members. Please direct questions to Martha

Lou at (713) 348-4492 or (713) 665-4428 or to Linnie Edwards at

(713) 785-7115.

I found the following quote in the San Patricio County News, a

newspaper published in my hometown of Sinton, Texas and thought it

was worthy of passing on.

“The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled,

public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom

should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to

foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt.

People must again learn to work, instead of living on public

assistance.” Cicero – 55 BC

So what have we learned in two millennia? Evidently nothing! �

See you at something geological!

Norma Jean

Hou

ston

Petroleum

Aux

iliary Cou

ncilNews Houston Petroleum Auxiliary Council News

Norma Jean Jones, HGS Liaison

You are invited to become a member of

HPAC2008–2009 dues are $20.00

Mail dues payment along with the completed yearbook information to Nan Pye, 18219 Longmoor, Houston, TX 77084

YEARBOOK INFORMATION

Last Name First Name Name Tag

Spouse Name Name Tag HGS Member’s Company

Home Phone Business Phone Business Fax

Street Address City Zip

Email Address Home Fax

Please choose a committee assignment if you are interested.

� Fall Event � Yearbook � SOS � Membership

� Christmas Event � Spring Event � Notification � Game Day

� May Luncheon � Courtesy

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