The AGS will have its Spring Field Trip on March 26th. Enchanted Rock – Here we come! We will depart the Pickle Campus at 7:30 am sharp Saturday morning and arrive back at the Pickle at 5:30. Trip leaders are Dr. Rob Reed and Jim Peterson. Cost will be $50, unless you currently have a guide book, then its only $40. Drinks and park access are included. Should be a great trip. Contact the Treasurer to reserve a spot.

In his State of the State Perry proposes suspend the Board of Geoscientists for two years.

“To eliminate duplication, let’s consolidate functions, like moving the Department of Rural Affairs into the Department of Agriculture. Lets suspend non-mission-critical entities like the Historical Commission or the Commission on the Arts until the economy improves.

Perry’s budget would consolidate eight state agencies into others and eliminate four more. The Texas Historical Commission, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Board of Professional Geoscientists, and the Board of Professional Land Surveyors would all be suspended for at least two years until the economy improves.”

Click here for a link to the local coverage of his address:

http://www.kvue.com/news/State-agency-cuts-could-deal-glancing-blow-in-Austin-115600679.html

The South Texas Geological Society will be showcasing its just released book on the geology of South Texas at the February meeting. You can view the book which includes articles from UT researchers and AGS members. If you plan on purchasing a book, please bring cash or checks: $75 book/CD, $65 for book only, $35 for CD only. Its $10 to have it shipped. 

Carl Sondergeld, Ph.D.

University of Oklahoma – Norman, OK

Abstract

The complexity of rocks in nature, and its resultant imprint on rock properties, makes empirical laboratory studies necessary and relevant. Numerous efforts are currently trying to use theoretical models to predict petrophysical and seismic rock properties from microscale images of rocks. However, modeling can only honor the physics of the chosen model; measurements are still needed to define and calibrate this physics. Historically, laboratory measurements have been used to develop an understanding of the physical response of rock and fluid systems under various conditions (frequency, temperature, stress, sample size, etc.). Early work was conducted to develop a better understanding of the correlations between compressional velocities, composition, density, porosity, and pore fluid type; this proved crucial to understanding sonic logs and seismic bright spots. The ability to measure shear and polarized shear velocities significantly expanded the applicability of rock physics to geophysical and engineering problems. Combining P and S-wave data, along with concepts of elasticity, provided the basis for lithology and fluid discrimination. Experimental confirmation of the Biot-Gassmann theory provided rock physics with one of the most important tools for the analysis of prestack seismic data. New directions in rock physics research will extend the application by incorporating petrophysical characterization into our measurement. Concepts of capillarity and wettability are rarely incorporated into seismic modeling; however, both control fluid saturation and distribution. Promising future rock physics research include examination of the effects of pore microstructure on elasticity, examination of velocity behavior at temperatures and pressures equivalent to those found in deep basins, and the effects of CO2 and time on seismic wave propagation through reservoir rocks. Simultaneous measurements of multiple properties will provide stronger modeling constraints. Application of new measurement and imaging technologies will allow us to extract more information from smaller and smaller samples, including samples from drill cuttings. Our history is rich with examples of how laboratory measurements have lead to innovations in field-scale technologies. This talk will highlight past accomplishments in rock physics, and more importantly, will focus on future directions in rock physics and the promising and critical role of laboratory measurements in the development of new and innovative technologies.

Biography
Carl H. Sondergeld is currently the Associate Dean of the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy and the Curtis Mewbourne Professor at the Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering, University of Oklahoma. He earned a PhD in geophysics from Cornell University and a BA and MA in geology from Queens College CUNY.
He spent 19 years at the Tulsa Research Center of Amoco Production Company where he conducted research in petro- and rock physics, taught courses internally and internationally in rock physics, AVO and pore pressure prediction, and helped develop rock properties and AVO forward modeling software, a comprehensive rock properties database, a mobile core characterization system (GEM), and an array sonic logging tool and processing system. He holds 14 US patents. For one year he worked with BP-Amoco mainly in technology transfer and as a technology advisor. He has been at the University of Oklahoma for 10 years, primarily teaching petrophysics, geological well logging, and seismic reservoir modeling. He is the recipient of three departmental outstanding professor awards and the Brandon Griffith Engineering Professor Award. He has been instrumental in building world class research and undergraduate instructional facilities at OU. He currently conducts research on unconventional reservoir rocks, in particular shales, and in the areas of microstructural characterization, anisotropy, NMR, petrophysics, hydraulic fracturing, and seismic reservoir modeling. He shares responsibilities for an industrial supported research consortium in “Experimental Rock Physics” and directing a multidisciplinary gas shale study. He is an active member of the SPE, SEG, serves as the Faculty Advisor to the OU SPE student chapter, and coaches the OU Petrobowl team.

The University of Texas has put the Hydrogeologic Atlas of the Hill Country in their Digital Repository–so it is all available online. Our thanks to Dennis Trombatore and Amy E. Rushing and the University of Texas.

Click here to visit the site.

Thanks to the BEG for providing a video of Robert’s talk last night. A great talk from Robert, it won’t be up for very long, so be sure to watch it soon. Details and link to the site are below.

Date: Monday, November 01, 2010

Time: 7:00 PM CDT
Duration: 1:30:08

Click here for the site.

AGS Editor Dr. Robert Mace just released the Society’s annual AGS Bulletin Volume 5  from 2008-9.  The AGS Bulletin contains all the year’s abstracts and news items.  2008-9 was an active year for the society and its members.  Stay tuned for the upcoming release of 2009-10 in the next few weeks.

You can find this and previous years on the Publications=>Bulletin page on our website.

Click here for a direct link to the new release.

Click image for close-up view.