31
BULLETIN HOUSTON GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Houston, Texas Volume 5, No. .c. April 1963
B U L L E T I N
HOUSTON GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Houston, Texas
Volume 5 , No. .c.
April 1963
%ousto~ geologicd Society
OFFICERS
President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Benjamin T . Simmons . . . . . FA 3-0493 1st Vice President . . . . . . . . . . . . . Judd H . Oualline . . . . . . . . . CA 8-6321 2nd Vice President . . . . . . . . . . . . Fred J . Paulus . . . . . . . . . . . . CA 2-61 3 1 Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charles F . Ross . . . . . . . . . . CA 3-449 1
. . . . . . . . . . . . Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B . Otto Pixler JA 4-638 1
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEMEN
J . Ben Carsey William F . Cooke. Jr . George C . Hardin. Jr., Ex-OfJicio
W . Kenley Clark Elliott H . Powers
COMMllTEE CHAIRMEN
STANDING COMMITTEES
Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Technical Program . . . . . . . . . . . . Awards and Loans . . . . . . . . . . . . . Research and Study . . . . . . . . . . . . H.G.S. Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . Personnel Placement . . . . . . . . . . . Remembrance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Public Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A.A.P.G Membership . . . . . . . . . . Ballot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exhibits G.C.A.G.S.. A.A.P.G. ... Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BoyScout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SPECIAL
Convention Preparations . . . . . . . . Distribution of Publications . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . Engineers Council
Academic Liaison . . . . . . . . . . . . . Preservation of Samples and Cores Advisor to Museum of Natural
History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Field Papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Convention Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quarters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Jimmie C . Herrington . . . . . . CA 5-1 421 Judd H . Oualline . . . . . . . . . CA 8-6321 Fred J . Paulus . . . . . . . . . . . . CA 2-61 3 1 M . Allen Reagan. Jr . . . . . . . MO 6-0261 De Wit! C . Van Siclen . . . . . CA 4-1 68 1 A . H . Wadsworth, Jr . . . . . . . CA 7-8 151 Hal H . Bybee . . . . . . . . . . . . CA5-1511 Orville G . Lundstrom . . . . . . CA 2-03 16 M . Stephen Kovac . . . . . . . . CA 3-4645 W . P . Biggs . . . . . . . . . . . . . WA 8-251 1 Royce E . Oualline . . . . . . . . . JA 6-191 1 John B . Williams . . . . . . . . . CA 4-7961 Robert H . Dickerson . . . . . . MO 4-3401
. . . . . . Clark R Edgecomb. Jr W A 8-2511 Carleton D . Speed. Jr . . . . . . CA 4-2523 Stewart H . Folk . . . . . . . . . . CA 3-4441 Albert R . Mincher . . . . . . . . CA 5-441 1
COMMITTEES
W . A . Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . CA 2-9721 H . Grady Traylor . . . . . . . . CA 4-9286 Harry E . Otell . . . . . . . . . . . . CA 8-8 12 1 J . C . Walter. Jr . . . . . . . . . . . CA 7-1246 Arthur S . Dickinson . . . . . . . CA 3-401 1 Charles W . Stuckey. Jr . . . . . . JA 9-482 1
Jack 0 . Colle . . . . . . . . . . . . CA 7-6266 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Olin G Bell JA 2-2625
Aubrey H . Rabensburg . . . . CA 5-0331 C . D . Cantrell. Jr . . . . . . . . . CA 3-4961
REPRESENTATIVES
. . . . . . . G.C.A.G.S. Representative A D . Warren . . . . . . . . . . . . CA 8-0541 . . . . . . . . . . . ........ Alternate Robert J Chambers JA 6-2466
T H E B U L L E T I N
THIS MONTH
VOLUME 5 NUMBER 8
Meeting Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2
President 's Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3
News of Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4
Coming Social Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5
AAPG News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6
New Societies Char te red . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7
Some Trends in Geological Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 9
On the Distaff Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12
GeoScience Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 17
THE B U L L E T I N OF THE HOUSTON GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Office -234 Esperson Bldg . . Houston 2. Texas . FA 3-9309 Subscription Price $3.00 per year .
P u b l i s h e d monthly. September t o June by
CARDINAL PRINTING AND L E T T E R SERVICE. INC .
. Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . Stuart K Clark. 1552 M . Esperson Building . . . . . . CA 8-5174
. . Asst . Editor . . . . . . . J D (Denny) Bartell. 433 Esperson Building . . . . . . CA 8-6668
Volume 5, No. 8 M E E T I N G N O T I C E
April
EIGHTH REGULAR MEETING - APRIL 8, 1963
The eighth regular monthly meeting will be held Monday evening, April 8, 1963, on the 10th floor of the Houston Club Building. The social hour will begin at 5:15, dinner at 6:00, and the program at 7:00 p . m .
D r . Edward G . Purdy of Rice University will give a talk entitled "Recent Oolite Shoals and Coral Reefs. " This paper re la tes carbonate sedimentation to characterist ic environments. A knowledge of these environments can aid mate- r ial ly in the solving of problems encountered in the exploration fo r reefs and other carbonate r e se rvo i r s . The following paragraph presents a brief resume of Dr . Purdy's talk.
The distribution of oolite shoals in the Bahamas and cora l reefs in British Honduras was determined largely by pre-Recent topography. In both a r e a s the post-Wisconsin r i s e in sea level flooded an i r regular topographic surface that superimposed local increases and decreases in current velocity on the regional tidal regimen. In the Bahamas the shoaler unsheltered rock a r e a s became the s i tes of oolite genesis; while in British Honduras s imi lar a r e a s were charac- terized by reef development. T h e form variation exhibited by the oolite shoals in the Bahamas i s related apparently both to the continuity of the pre-Recent relief and to the strength of tidal current velocities. In contrast , the geometry of cora l reefs in British Honduras i s related largely to geomorphic modifications of pre-existing tectonic s t ructures .
D r . Purdy is a native of New Rochelle, New York. He received his B.S. degree from Rutgers University in 1956 and his Ph.D. degree f rom Columbia University in 1960. He i s presently Assistant Professor of Geology a t Rice University. He has accompanied and a lso led expeditions which conducted research investigations including both ecological and sedimentological studies of carbonate environments in the Bahamas during the interval of 1956 to 1958 and in British Honduras during the period 1960 to 1962.
COMPANY -- 0
NATIONAL GEOPHYSICAL,
EMRACO PRODUCTION LABORATORIES, INC.
--o --PA--
EUROPEAN IMPORT COMPANY
EXPLORATION SERVICE, INC.
0------
FIRST CITY NATIONAL BANK
INDEPENDENT EXPLORATION
INC.
GEOPHYSICAL ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL -- 0-------
ROGERS EXPLORATIONS, INC.
P R E S I D E N T ' S P A G E
With the Convention just before us, it i s difficult to take one's mind from the strenuous efforts made to prepare for same. However, it will be history when this issue of the Bulletin is printed, so I shall indulge in some nostalgia in an effort to meri t your attention.
We a r e now witnessing efforts to get forced pooling of some kind in the State of Texas. That it should and will come in some form i s a certainty, but at the same time I a m amused to see some of the champions of forced pooling be- ing those same people who benefited in the past from a lack of same. It would seem that those who make the newspapers the most in their crusade for some type of regulation were those who were at one period the most vociferous in opposing it. It may be that this is progress and I leave the judgment up to you.
Geology departments in the colleges and universities a r e again feeling the pinch for students. When jobs a r e not available to graduates, somehow the word gets to the students and they decide not to major in that particular subject. If and when the petroleum business takes another of its periodic upswings, for which we all pray, we shall again see the phenomena of an acute shortage of graduates. It seems as if there will be no way to smooth out our curve and the boom and bust method of supplying our geological talent is a way of life that is here to stay.
One of the facts of life in the modern world of the exploratory geologist is the team work necessary to find oil o r gas. In the early days, it was often stated that this geologist found such and such a field and that one had these fields to his credit . Today, with geophysics of various kinds, and with many staff members contributing their portions, no one man is able to stand forth and claim the discoveries that pr ior generations were able to do. It i s something to be genuinely regretted because there i s a real ring of romance in the statement that "John Smith discovered Dry Gulch, Sandy Bayou, and Table Butte Fields for his company." One sees him as a knight in armor going out to joust with dragons and all so r t s of low characters with justice coming out on top in the finale. Modern day methods, with all their infinite variations, has robbed us of this illusion. We rue this passing of time.
. .Benjamin T . Simmons
TYPICAL OIL AND GAS FIELDS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS
If you have not yet bought your copy of this latest publication of the Houston Geological Society, do s o now! You may purchase it a t the Society's office, 234 Esperson Building, Houston 2, Texas, for $12.00 plus 244 tax, o r by adding 754 for postage and handling, it will be mailed to you. Order from the above address o r call FA 3-9309.
NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
JOE DeGUIRE has been promoted to Chief Geologist of George Mitchell & Associates.
FLOYD WILCOX has resigned from Texaco and has joined D. C. Chees - man in the Bank of the Southwest Building a s a consultant. Floyd's new number i s FA 3-2443.
AL RAASCH has been promoted f rom assistant a r e a geologist to a position of staff geologist in the evaluation group of Humble's Southwest regional office. BILL RYMAN, Humble's Houston a rea exploration geologist, has been trans- fer red to Durango, Colorado, a s distr ict manager. FRED ACKMAN will assume Bill's duties a s a rea exploration geologist.
STEVE KOVAC has been appointed dis t r ic t manager for the Cities Service Petroleum Co. a s a result of that company's acquisition of Columbian Carbon. Cities Service's new distr ict offices a r e in the San Jacinto Building and the phone number of CA 4-7591.
GEORGE ALCORN, formerly with Falcon-Seaboard Drilling Company, has opened his office a s a consultant geologist at 1310 F i r s t City National Bank Bldg. George's new phone number is CA 7- 1449.
J. L. DAVIDSON, JR. and par tner Bill W. Gibson have formed a new com- pany, Reservoir Analysis, Inc., specializing in co re analysis and mud logging. Both offices and lab a r e a t 637 San Jacinto Building, phone CA 7-0888.
BILL WOODHAM, a geophysicist with Paul F a r r e n Consulting Service for the past seven years, has opened his offices a s a geophysical consultant a t 1929 Chamber of Commerce Building. His phone number is CA 7-3926. Before going with Fa r ren , Bill was with various contract geophysical companies 12 years .
C. DONALD BEETH, Consulting Geologist and Seismologist, has moved his office to 1317 South Coast Building. His telephone number i s CA 7-9584.
JOHN F. BOYD announces that he has joined Edward A. Krieg & Associates, consulting geophysicists, with offices at 1805 Pere Marquette Building in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was supervisor with Tidelands Exploration Company in Houston and New Orleans for thirteen years. Previous experience includes s e r - vice with G. S. L., McCollum Exploration Company and Robert H. Ray Company.
Your editor, on behalf of the ent i re Houston Geological Society, would like to express to the many people who worked long and t i re less ly on the AAPG - SEPM - Midwestern SEG convention las t month, a vote of thanks. So many people did such a fine job and we're s o r r y we can't mention a l l of their names. How- ever, especially loud hurrahs! a r e due fo r W. A. (Tommy) Thomas, John Anderson, Claude Quigley, Jim Wheeler, A1 Raasch, and most certainly, the many members of the Auxiliary who decorated for par t ies and acted as host- e s ses . Everyone helped to make the convention the best ever . Thanks again!
STRATIGRAPHIC OIL AND GAS IN THE UPPER GULF COAST O F TEXAS
George C. Hardin, J r . and Frank R. Hardin will serve a s co-chairmen of a Houston Geological Society committee to prepare a paper with the captioned title for presentation a t the Convention of the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies in Shreveport, October 30-November 1, 1963. H.G.S. members will- ing to work on this paper should call one of the Hardins a t CA 7-5323.
A stratigraphic t r ap results from lateral variation in the lithology of the reservoir rock. Many so-called stratigraphic t raps result from a combination of structural closure and lateral variation in lithology. If the t r ap is located on a closed structure in such a way that it appears reasonable to assume that the reservoir would have been productive a s a result of structural closure if there were no lateral variations in lithology, then such a t rap i s considered to be primarily structural and will not be described in this paper. Production from the flanks of most piercement-type salt domes falls into this category.
Bender-Kuhlman, Montgomery County; Morgan's Creek, Polk County; North Moss Hill, Liberty County; South Lissie, Wharton County; and Port Acres, Jefferson County, constitute stratigraphic traps to be described in the paper. Anyone knowing of any other stratigraphic t rap in the Upper Gulf Coast that will qualify under the definition given above i s urged to call George o r Frank Hardin.
C O M I N G S O C I A L E V E N T S
GOLF TOURNAMENT
The Spring Golf Tournament for HGS will be held on May 10, 1963. Tenta- tively, the tournament will be played a t the sporty Riverbend Country Club golf course; we a r e awaiting official approval h-om that club.
Call Pat Biggs a t WA 8-2511 for reserved start ing times. If you wish, you may arrange your own foursome. More details will be given in the May h l l e t i n .
SPRING DANCE
Set aside the evening of May 17th for the HGS Spring Dance. Plan now to dance to the excellent music of Ed Gerlach's band in the swank and roomy ball- room of the new Sheraton- Lincoln Hotel. More information in the next Bulletin.
GEORGE MITCHELL ASSOCIATES I OTIS RUSSELL DRILLING CO.
-
CAMBE LOG LIBRARY MARINE GEOPHYSICAL
SERVICES CORP.
AAPG INSURANCE PROGRAM
M r . John Bremsteller, the Texas representative for the AAPG Group Insur- ance program, will be in Houston for a n indefinite period of time. He can be reached a t CA 7-2721 o r addressed a t P. 0. Box 731, Houston 1, Texas. Any members who have questions concerning the program may feel f r ee to contact him.
AAPG PRESIDENT'S AWARD
Peter G . Temple, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J. , and LeRoy J. Perry , Esso REP, Bordeaux, France, were named recipients of the AAPG Pres i - dent's Award, presented by Robert E . Rettger on March 26 a t the 48th annual meeting of the Association in Houston.
The award, consisting of a cert if icate and $100 in cash, i s given yearly to the author, o r authors, under the age of 35, whose ar t ic le in the Association's Bulletin of the previous year i s judged by the Medal Award Committee the most significant contribution to petroleum geology.
The i r ar t ic le "Geology and Oil Occurrence, Southeast Turkey, " in the Sep- tember 1962 issue of the Bulletin, presents briefly the sedimentary and tectonic history of this region. The reconnaissance s t ructura l and strat igraphic map- ping was ca r r i ed out by Temple and Perry, then in the employ of Esso Standard of Turkey, over a three-year period in the Toros Mountains and on the Syrian Plain.
Peter G. Temple is a native of Montreal, Quebec, where he attended McGill University, receiving the B.Sc. degree, with honors, in 1956. On graduation, he was employed by Standard Oil Co. (N. J. ) and was sent to Turkey a s a field geologist, where he me t Perry . From there, he was reassigned to Esso Hellenic, Greece. Now on leave f rom Standard, he is attending Princeton Uni- versi ty a s a graduate student.
LeRoy J. Perry was born in Brooklyn, N. Y ., and attended the University of California, Los Angeles, receiving the M. A. degree in 1954. F r o m 1951 to 1953 he was employed by the U.S. G. S . During 1954-55 he taught geology a t Pierce Junior College in Los Angeles. In 1955 he attended the University of Turin, Italy under a Fulbright Fellowship. His work with Standard began in 1957. Assign- ments have taken him to Turkey, Greece, and, since 1962, France, where he i s a member of the Regional Studies Group, Esso REP.
ADA OIL COMPANY I LANE WELLS COMPANY
CAMERON IRON WORKS I SEISMOGRAPH SERVICE CORP.
New Society Chartered for Petroleum Evaluation Engineers
There has long been a need for a Society which would bring together for their mutual benefit t h e specialists in petroleum evaluation englneering. To fulfill this need Mr. Harold Vance, Mr . William Hurst and Mr . H. F. Poyner, J r . , secured a charter from the State of Texas for a Society known a s "The Society of Petroleum Evaluation Engineers." The charter was issued by the Secretary of State of Texas on September 24, 1962.
This corporation was chartered under the Texas Non-Profit CorporationAct and i ts period of duration is perpetual. The corporation was organized exclu- sively for educational purposes and to promote the profession of petroleum evaluation engineering, to foster the spiri t of scientific research among its members, and to disseminate facts pertaining to petroleum evaluation engineer- ing among its members and the public.
The various technical associations, such a s the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, and even the requirements of engineering license laws, provide no measure of the experience and ability of an individual in petroleum evaluation. Therefore, a need for this specialized Society is self-evident.
Any person with a bachelor's or advanced degree in engineering o r geology and ten years' experience in the evaluation of oil and gas properties may qualify to become a member. The term "evaluation" a s used herein means an analyt- ical appraisal which resulted in the determination of the present worth of the future net income from an oil and/or gas property. Teaching of the subject of evaluation of petroleum properties in a college o r university of recognized standing shall be considered experience.
Persons with five years' experience in making use of petroleum evaluations in the investment field (either for himself or others), or in the lending of money wherein the evaluation of oil and gas properties i s used, may qualify a s an associate. These associates shall not be eligible to hold office nor can they vote on any issue connected with the conduct of the Society.
Those wishing to join the new society o r to learn more of its nature a r e asked to contact one of the following officers of the new group: Harold Vance, President; William Hurst, Vice President; or H. F. Poyner, J r . , Secretary- Treasurer .
- ANDERSON & COOKE
0
APACHE EXPLORATION CO.
BANK OF THE SOUTHWEST
A
PERNIE BAILEY DRILLING CO.
New Society for Independent Ear th Scientists
A group of Houston scientists have recently formed the Society of Inde- pendent Professional Earth Scientists, which will include Independent Geologists, Geophysicists, Paleontologists, Petroleum Engineers, and other Earth Scientists. Individuals who have freedom in the selection of clients a r e eligible for mem- bership provided they meet the required professional standards and qualifica- tions.
The f i rs t formal meeting of this Society was held in the Texas Room on the 10th floor of the Houston Club Building in Houston, Texas, on Tuesday, March 26th, a t 8:00 P.M. T h e r e was an open discussion of the purposes and objectives of the Society.
Anyone interested in more information about the Society i s invited to con- tact any of the following officers: Carleton D. Speed, President; Sam M. Pena, Vice President; C . H. Sample, Secretary; R . M. Beatty, T reasu re r ; Felix A. Vogel, J r . , Chairman of the Membership Committee; o r A. H. Wadsworth, Jr . , Vice Chairman. Jack Colle, Hershal C. Ferguson, and Kenneth L. Gow a r e a lso members of the Board of Directors.
Gulf Coast Section SEPM Publications
Gulf Coast Type Localities Descriptions, with strat igraphic sections and maps; reproduced by photo-offset, and punched for regular s i ze loose- leaf notebook.
Unit 1, 19 Localities - October, 1960 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2.50 Unit 2, 20 Localities - April, 1962 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.50
Field Tr ip Guidebooks
Oligoceneand Eoceneof Western Mississippi, Central Louisiana and Eastern Texas - October, 1957 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 .25
Middle Eocene of Houston County, Texas - May, 1961 . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.00
Little Stave Creek and Salt Mountain Limestone; Wilcox Eocene through Vicksburg Oligocene of Southwestern Alabama - November, 1962 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.00
Directory of Gulf Coast Micropaleontologists - September, 1960 . . . . . . . 1.25
Order from: Cambe Log Libriary 718 Milam Street Houston 2, Texas
(All pr ices postpaid. Please make checks payable to Cambe Log Library.)
SOME TRENDS IN GEOLOGICAL EDUCATION* By DeWitt C. Van Siclen
Department of Geology, University of Houston
Profound changes have been taking place in the education of geologists, and of the general public in geology. These changes may be viewed appropriately from the lengthy perspective of Historical Geology. This segment of the science, concerned a s i t i s with the development of our planet and of life upon it, provides provocative parallels between the past and the present.
Homo sapiens, variety geologist, currently occupies many environments in small numbers, but i s abundant only in the exploration function of the petroleum industry. As the demand for petroleum rose rapidly early in the century, and the discovery of oil reserves became the key to corporate success, an insatiable demand for petroleum geologists developed. This was the most favorable eco- logical niche ever opened to geologists, and the f i rs t that was really congenial for white-collar types. The result was a veritable population explosion, a s more and more schools turned out more and more geologists.
Geological education boomed; o r so it seemed at the t ime. Indeed it was nice business for the colleges, a s ever larger numbers of capable students were attracted, ever less rigorous education was demanded, and ever more practical training was substituted for education. And all the time more employers could scarcely wait to hi re more of the product a t ever higher salaries! We scarcely allowed geology majors to take their eyes off the "main chance" for courses in frivolous subjects like chemist ry and economics, and practically forbade wast- ing time with the humanities.
Perhaps even worse than our treatment of geology majors was the treatment accorded to others who wished simply to "window shop" in the sciences through taking introductory courses in Physical Geology and Historical Geology. These we ignored o r actually discouraged. The trend to ignore the interested public was nationwide, and extended even down into the high schools. In a New York high school of the 30's the writer had one semester of Physical Geology (camou- flaged a s Physiography), but a few years later this course was discontinued in the New York high schools, and the same thing happened a t about this time to s imilar courses throughout the country. As a result of this so r t of thing, the only contact the great majority of college graduates ever had with geology was when they fell and skinned their knees on the rocks. And of the few who did have some more constructive contact, most had i t in a highly diluted form a s part of a "general science" course, taught in most cases by a person with no substantial education whatever in geology. So it i s no wonder that the general public, including the educated public, knows little of geology o r geologists, and c a r e s less .
The boom in geological training, and the corresponding decline in geological
*Reprinted from ALDUS, a publication by the Friends of the Library, University of Houston, Houston, Texas.
education, could not continue forever. And it didn't. When the petroleum in- dustry's supply of investment dollars slackened in 1957, it suddenly became apparent that these were what supported the congenial niche s o happily populated by geologists. As the dollar supply dwindled the niche narrowed and became over-populated, and some of the inhabitants near the edge could not hold on. These fell onto the profane rocks of commerce and industry, where they now successfully trade real estate, sell machinery, etc.
This appalling experience did demonstrate that geologists could adapt them- selves to commerce and industry, a matter long questioned by the money- managers. And we in Houston (at least) know that a s a group they have been fine citizens. However, the experience did prove that some were deficient a s scientists. Many geologists were s o finely adapted to the narrow environment of the petroleum industry that they could not survive professionally, a s scientists o r engineers, in any other. Very few were able to transfer their talents successfully to the growing field of space exploration, where a geological back- ground could be very useful. This hurt!
Thus geologists, and especially the educators, were presented with a challenge. How can we meet the needs of the emerging "space age"? Long neglected recommendations that students of geology must secure a sound foun- dation in the basic sciences and mathematics were dusted off and placed into effect at almost all the colleges. This s o limited the hours students had for strictly geology courses that the principles of the science had to be emphasized, a t the expense of how-to-do-it material . That pleased the professors all right, but some students and employers do not like it because the Bachelor's is no longer a professional. degree, so the student must do a year or more of graduate work before being readily employable. At present a shortage of new graduates with the Master 's degree i s becoming apparent, s o employers a r e beginning to hi re the non-professional Bachelors for professional positions. It still remains to be seen whether the educators will be forced to retreat , o r whether the com- panies will adapt themselves to the new "scientific" education of geologists. They may adapt by recognizing a semi-professional level of employment for Bachelors, o r by training them systematically themselves, o r by encouraging these men to study on their own time for advanced degrees, o r by hiring only those with Master 's and Doctor's degrees.
With less students majoring in geology, and each of them taking fewer geology courses, the schools found that they, too, had a surplus of geologists. In fact, the surplus of geology teachers was larger proportionately than the surplus of oil geologists. This had an amazingly stimulating effect on the ability of learned professors to teach on the freshman level. The ability had been latent (although its existence had been questioned by some) but it did spring into action when the proper stimulus was applied. Enrollment in the introductory courses soared at almost all the schools; at the University of Houston the num- ber taking Physical Geology in the Fall semester has almost doubled in the last two years (from 116 to 210). The geology professors have now "discovered" the non-geology majors, and increasing numbers of the latter a r e discovering geology. And as a side effect, some of the smal ler schools that never offered courses in geology a r e beginning to do so.
At the other end of the educational road, graduate enrollments in geology have expanded a s Bachelors who otherwise would have sought industrial employ- ment decided to continue with advanced studies. This provided a most congenial outlet for professorial energies, and has produced the best-educated group of geologists ever to come out of the graduate schools. And the presence of more graduate students has led to the initiation of graduate programs in geology a t additional schools, especially a t the Ph.D. level where financial support seems to be readily available. However, the supply of new Bachelors graduates in geology appears too small to maintain the enlarged scale of graduate education much longer, although the decline has not yet been felt at the University of Houston (where graduate study in geology is directed entirely toward the Master of Science degree).
Another trend, most apparent at certain schools where the a r t of raising funds i s finely developed, i s that of extensive research, especially in the border a reas of geology. Thus financing is obtained from the AEC to study the geologic distribution of certain isotopes, from the ARPA to study the areal distribution of certain types of rocks, from the NIH to study ground-water conditions, etc. This has drawn many a faculty geologist out of his old ruts and thrown him into a new and stimulating world. When things settle down again this may prove to have been the most far-reaching effect of the recent "crisis in geology." And in i t lie the seeds for a new "crisis," which may affect most deeply the geology faculties.
The emerging major problem in the education of geologists (and of other scientists and engineers), is likely to be that of educational obsolescence. Today's advances in knowledge and technology a r e s o rapid that the professional man, especially the educator, must continually add significantly to his education throughout his entire lifetime. No longer can progress come through successive generations, even with early retirements. The "older" generations must con- tinually be "remodelled," if they insist on living s o long1 Although the better means by which the education of professional people and faculty members can be continued a r e not yet obvious, the problem i s becoming apparent and will have to be faced during this decade and solved within the next.
Corpus Christi Geological Society S p r i n g F i e l d T r i p
The Corpus Christi Geological Society's annual Spring Field Tr ip i s sche- duled for May 23-26 in the Ciudad Victoria and Ciudad Valles a reas of Mexico. Transportation will be by chartered a i r conditioned buses.
There will be a fee of about $50.00 which will cover transportation from Corpus Christi, lodging, guidebook and a l l except three meals. The number of persons will be limited to about 100, so advanced registration is necessary. Applications for registration must be in by May 15th and should be mailed along with a $10.00 deposit to: Bill Payne, Texaco, h c . , P. 0. Box 601, Corpus Christi;Texas. Registrants will be notified by mail of further details and exact cost of the tr ip.
The convention i s over - what a convention! town and the nation. The parties were fabulous
It was and i s the talk of the - the decorations out of this
world. It i s hard to belie& that approximately 290 ladies were able to plan and manage such a marvelous schedule of events.
Just called LaMerle Butler and she says the Houston Geological Auxiliary now has a membership of 665. We believe this se ts a record!
Geo-Wives held their March luncheon on the 20th a t the Geophysical Club, and the wig fashions were exciting. The April meeting will be at theGeophysica1 Club with a socia1 hour a t 11:OO. Hostesses will be Kathleen Hinson and Frances Leonard.
March was the month for three beautiful weddings. Elma a n d Hillard Carey's daughter, June, was married on March 1st to Robert Johnson at St. Luke's Methodist Chapel. Estelle and A1 Nance's son, John, was married to Betty Lou Tomlinson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs . John F . Tomlinson, on March 2nd a t the River Oaks Baptist Church. Ruby and Bob Duty's daughter, Rhetta, was marr ied on March 9th to Robert Krouse a t St. Luke's Methodist Church.
We a r e losing three of our most active members because of transfers. Joan and Bill Ryman, with Shell, have been transferred to Durango. Ceilia and Bob Swords, with Pan American, a r e moving to New Orleans. Lee and Charles Pirkey, Austral Oil, have left for Dallas. We will all miss them!
Vacation time i s here for Mildred and Harry Spoor. They a r e in Spain visiting with their son and his family.
Madrid and Henry Guest a r e looking forward to thereturn of their daughter, Mary, and husband, Chris Kaeppel, from Guam in July. He will begin his residency a t Hermann Hospital.
. . . Eunice Ervin
MILWHITE MUD SALES COMPANY
PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY Space for Professional Cards of Members
JOSEPH L. ADLER Geologist & Geophysicist
Bank of the Southwest Bldg. CA 2-7925
Houston 2, Texas
ALLEN & GlLKlSON Oil and Gas Consultants
Harris H. Allen and D. C. Gilkison 463 San Jacinto Bldg. CA 8-9329
Houston 2, Texas
E. J. BARRAGY
lndependent
3005 Buffalo Dr. Box 13287
Houston 19, Texas JA 8-5525
A. I. BARTOW
Geophysical Consultant
231 5 Watts Road
Phone MO 4-341 8 - MA 3-3306
R. M. BEATTY
Consulting Geologist
8 16 Esperson Bldg.
JOHN L. BIBLE BIBLE GEOPHYSICAL CO., INC.
Gravity - Magnetic Surveys Interpretations
236 Esperson Bldg. CA 2-6266 Houston 2, Texas
LESLIE BOWLING
Oil and Gas Consultant
536 California Bldg. JA 2-0432
New Orleans, Louisiana
WAYNE F. BOWMAN, SR.
lndependent Geologist
171 3 Niels Esperson Bldg CA 2-0279
Houston 2, Texas
ORVAL L. BRACE
Geologist
181 0 South Coast Bldg. CA 8-5404
Houston 2, Texas
IRA BRINKERHOFF
Petroleum Consultant
901 San Jacinto Bldg.
CA 4-2656
RALPH B. CANTRELL
Petroleum Geologist and Engineer
4005 Bellaire Boulevard
Houston 25, Texas MA 3-0471
GEORGE H. CLARK Petroleum Geologist
404 First City National Bank FA 3-1 187
Houston, Texas
STUART K. CLARK
Consulting Petroleum Geologist
1552 Esperson Bldg. CA 8-5 1 74
Houston 2, Texas
JACK COLLE Consulting Geologist and Paleontologist
91 1 San Jacinto Bldg. SU 2-4555 Houston 2, Texas CA 7-6266
PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY Space for Professional Cards of Members
RALPH E. DAVIS ASSOCIATES Consultants - Oil and Natural Gas
121 6 Niels Esperson Bldg. CA 4-7576
Houston 2, Texas
ERNEST A. ELWOOD, JR.
lndependent Geologist
3303 Mercer St. JA 9-3779
Houston 27, Texas
PAUL 'FARREN Geophysical Consultant
1528 Bank of the Southwest Houston (2) and
Geodata Building MO 7-33 1 7 5603 S. Rice Ave. (36)
HERSHAL C. FERGUSON
Consulting Geologist
1424 Esperson Bldg. CA 8-8444
Houston 2, Texas
JOHN F. FLANNERY
Petroleum Geologist
4006 Ella Lee Ln. MO 7-0534
Houston, Texas
HAROLD L. GElS Consulting Geologist
1238 Bank of the Southwest Bldg. CA 7-5317
Houston 2, Texas
KENNETH L. GOW Consulting Geologist
531 Texas National Bank Bldg. CA 4-6584
Houston 2, Texas
GRAHAM & POE Exploration Consultants
Foreign and Domestic 323-25 Westwick Bldg., MO 4-2457 381 0 Westheimer, Houston 27, Texas
MICHEL T. HALBOUTY Consulting Geologist Petroleum Engineer
lndependent Producer and Operator The Michel T. Halbouty Bldg.
51 11 Westheimer, Houston 27, Texas SU 2-2420
ED J. HAMNER
Consulting Geologist
51 04 Navarro Lane
SU 2-0732
GEORGE C. HARDIN, JR. FRANK R. HARDIN
Petroleum Geologists 71 1 First City National Bank Bldg. Houston 2, Texas CA 7-5323
HEBERT AND SERBER Geophysical, Geological Consultants
Seismic Review and Subsurface 2422 Bank of the Southwest Bldg. Houston 2, Texas CA 4-781 5
R. B. HOHLT Geological Consultant
Exploration Exploitation - Valuation 1825 Bank of the Southwest Bldg. Houston 2, Texas CA 2-0081
PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY Space for Professional Cards of Members
HOWARD HOUGH Consultant
1005-A First City National Bank Bldg. FA 3-7548
Houston 2, Texas
GENTRY KlDD Independent
81 3 Esperson Bldg. Houston 2, Texas
CA 7-8231
L. A. KlMES
Geophysical Consultant
422 San Jacinto Bldg.
CA 8-1012
C. T. MacALLlSTER
Geophysical Consultant
6327 Vanderbilt, Houston 5, Texas
MA 3-4181
GEORGE N. MAY & ASSOCIATES Consulting Geologists and
Paleontologists P. 0. Box 2052 Nat Mouton Bldg.
Lafayette, Louisiana - -
W. B. McCARTER C. E. McCARTER
Independents 1415 Sul Ross JA 9-1881
Houston, Texas
GEORGE I. McFERRON
Consulting Geologist
Room 5, 1973 W. Gray JA 2-2627
Houston, Texas
RAYMOND E. MlNG
Geologist
750 San Jacinto Bldg. CA 8-1 91 6
Houston 2, Texas
R. B. MITCHELL
Geologist
2801 First City National Bank Bldg.
Houston 2, Texas
JOHN C. MYERS Consultant in Oil, Gas and Sulphur
1207 Bank of the Southwest Bldg. CA 5-41 33 and CA 5-4559
Houston 2, Texas - -
WALTER J. OSTERHOUDT Consulting Geophysicist and
Geologist
P. 0. BOX 3182 CH 7-3769 Durango, Colorado
- - -
KENNETH DALE OWEN
Geologist
Esperson Building
Houston 2, Texas
SAM M. PEQA
Consultant Geophysicist
409-A N. Esperson Bldg. FA 3-8455
Houston 2, Texas
RAYMOND D. REYNOLDS Geologist
436 Bankers Mortgage Bldg. CA 7-5309
Houston 2, Texas
PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY Space for Professional Cards of Members
A. L. SELlG Geologist
1907 Bank of the Southwest Bldg. CA 4-9774
Houston 2, Texas
BENJAMIN T. SIMMONS
Consulting Geologist
601 C & I Life Bldg. FA 3-0493
Houston 2, Texas
FRED L. SMITH, JR. J. T. GOODWYN, JR. Consulting Geologists
1226 Bank of the Southwest Bldg. Houston 2, Texas CA 5-6656
HERBERT C. SMITH Consulting Geophysicist
and Geologist 320 Pinehaven Dr. OV 6-5153
Houston 24, Texas
CARLETON D. SPEED, JR.
Geologist - Oil Producer
71 1 Houston Club Bldg. CA 4-2523
Houston 2, Texas
H. C. SPOOR, JR. HARRY KlLlAN
Geologists
21 30 Tennessee Bldg. CA 4-9624 Houston 2, Texas
D. C. STALLWORTH, INC. Engineering and Geological Drafting
Surveying and Mapping Planimetering and Acreage Calculations
121 0 Bank of the Southwest Bldg. Houston 2, Texas FA 3-7343
S. BROOKS STEWART Geophysical Consultant
320 Bankers Mortgage Bldg. FA 3-4966
Houston 2, Texas
EDWARD B. STILES Consulting Geologist
10401 Memorial Drive CA 5-4005 - HO 5-8568
Houston 24, Texas
A. H. WADSWORTH, JR.
402 Texas National Bank Bldg.
CA 7-8151
Houston 2, Texas
J. C. WALTER, JR. Geologist and Petroleum Engineer
2202 Esperson Bldg. CA 7-1 246 Houston 2, Texas
Home Phone: HO 5-9773
GEORGE F. WATFORD GORDON R. HlNZ
Consulting Geologists
1420 Bank of the Southwest Bldg. Houston 2, Texas CA 7-6935 - -
JAMES A. WHEELER
Consultant
1910 Esperson Bldg. FA 3-161 8
Houston 2, Texas
6 N O T E S
THE FORT TRINIDAD "GLEN ROSE" FIELD* By Car l F . Pampe, The Pure Oil Company, Houston, Texas
I. LOCATION
The For t Trinidad Field i s located in eas tern Madison and south- western Houston Counties a t the south side of the East Texas Embay- ment, some 10 miles eas t of Madisonville, Texas, between Midway and Love lady.
Upper Cretaceous Dexter sand and Lower Cretaceous Georgetown lime production was established in 1953, but only the Lower Cretaceous section will b e discussed and the emphasis will be on the Glen Rose pays. Glen Rose l ime production was discovered in January, 1961, with the completion of the Pure-Moran #12 Bruton a s an oil well from the "C" zone with a potential of 264 BOPD on a 13/64" choke, TP 1200#. (Fig. 2) This well was drilled to tes t the producing sands of the Dexter (Woodbine) on the edge of the field and to evaluate the Lower Cretaceous limestone reservoir . There a r e now 26 "C" zone pro- ducers - 2 gas and 24 oil wells. In addition, one well has been completed a s a shut-in gas well in the "A" zone, 5 wells have been completed in the "B" zone, 6 wells have been completed in the upper part of the " D zone, and 10 wells have been completed in the "E" zone. The Edwards limestone has been tested in a number of wells and produces a small amount of oil in 3 wells on the Houston County side of the field, but none have had potentials approaching those in the Pullen Field to the East . Georgetown production has been extended to the west with the completion of the Caraway #1 Sherri l l a s a producer from the top par t of the Georgetown section. A production test of the Georgetown in the Pure- Moran #1 Adams-Maples on the southeast side of the field recovered oil at ra tes of 12 t o 20 bbls /hr on various chokes. Lower Cretaceous production occurs between 9 ,200 (Georgetown) and 11,000 ("D" - #1 Mora).
111. STRUCTURE
The For t Trinidad field i s located on the south flank of a low relief s t ruc- ture . (Fig. 2) Regional dip on all Cretaceous markers i s to t h e south- southeast with some evidence of r eve r sa l shown on the denser, shallow Base Austin control. The reversal shown on the Glen Rose "C" marker to the north and northwest of the field i s projected from Base of Austin and/or Woodbine data. Glen Rose production i s now limited to the south flank of this low relief nose trending southwest from Austonio to Midway. Structure will be important
*This paper was presented before the Houston Geological Society on January 14, 1963.
RA
YM
ON
D D
. RE
YN
OL
DS
S
IE
DIV
ISIO
N
1 D
RESSER
E
LE
CT
RO
NIC
S
0---
EL
EC
TR
O-T
EC
H N
ICA
L
LAB
S
UN
ITE
D C
OR
E, IN
C.
only in those reservoirs that may have water levels. No water problems have been found in the Edwards o r Glen Rose "B", but water i s reported in two down dip wells in the "C" zone, from the " D zone and from the "E" zone in the #1 E. P. Adams. Isopach maps of Lower Cretaceous intervals show regional thin- ning to the south and a very little increase in the rate of thinning in the produc- tive a rea . There may be a relationship between this thinning and the development of oolitic porosity but the absence of oolites in the dry holes on the Madison County side of the field lend doubt to this. In addition, there a r e no oolitic zones reported either on top o r on the flanks of the much sharper, more pronounced, Madisonville s t ructure to the southwest.
IV. STRATIGRAPHY
The Lower Cretaceous section from Buda to Rodessa is a se r i es of light brown to dark g ray brown limestones and dark gray to black calcareous shales. (Fig. 3) There i s no evidence of sand anywhere in this interval - not even as centers for oolites. All zones show numerous vertical and r a r e horizontal fractures with very little mineralization. These fractures a r e probably the result of tension inasmuch a s no faulting has been found in the productive por- tion of the section. Electric log correlations a r e excellent and thin limestone and shale units can be followed for many miles.
The - Buda i s a buff to brown, dense to finely crystalline, relatively pure, limestone. Shows of oil in vertical fractures a r e not uncommon but the zone has produced very little oil. The Buda is about 60 feet thick over the entire area .
The Georgetown limestone i s very similar to the Buda and it i s almost impossible to distinguish between the two in dril l cuttings. The productive zones may have slight inter-crystalline porosity with fractures providing the effective permeability. It is about 450 feet thick in this a rea . Both the Buda and Georgetown sections may give lost circulation problems.
The Kiamichi interval i s made up of a se r i es of dark grey, calcareous shales and thin dark shaly limestones. It varies in thickness from 15 to a s much a s 150 feet and is thickest in the producing a rea . It thickens at the expense of the underlying Edwards section, which is correspondingly thin.
The Edwards is picked a s the top of the f i rs t thick, well developed lime- stone below the Kiamichi. It probably should be called "Goodland" ra ther than "Edwards" inasmuch a s i t displays none of the electric log characterist ics of the type Edwards. It is a se r i es of dark grey brown, dense, argillaceous lime- stones and dark grey to black shales. No oolites have been found in the Edwards and it has no effective inter-crystalline matrix porosity. It may have zones with scattered fossils and fossil fragments, but there a r e not enough to give any porosity. Production is from a f racture system with more o r less mineraliza- tion along the f racture planes. The section varies in thickness from 275 feet in the Pure-Moran #12 Bruton to 490 feet in the Halbouty #1 Wakefield.
The Paluxy formation is a se r i es of dark grey to black calcareous shales and thin dark shaly limestones. No sands have been reported in this area . The thickness i s a uniform 150 to 160 feet over the a r e a studied.
GE
OD
AT
A
SE
RV
ICE
S,
INC
.
,,
GIN
TH
ER
, W
AR
RE
N A
ND
I
CO
MP
AN
Y
TH
E G
EO
PH
YS
ICA
L
DIR
EC
TO
RY
I G
UL
F P
RIN
TIN
G C
OM
PA
NY
The Glen Rose formation i s a se r i es of brown to dark grey brown, crys- talline to dense limestones and thin dark grey to black calcareous shales. Oolitic zones occur throughout the interval - with the exception of the "B" zone. These oolites a r e generally of fine to medium size, brown to dark brown with very thin to medium thick laminae. Actually, there i s a wide range of s ize and color in these oolites. There a r e instances of very small dark brown oolites with very thin laminae and in contrast some a r e large enough to be called piso- lites (these a r e comparatively rare) . No particular characterist ics of individual oolites have been noted that would help to recognize an individual zone, but there is a tendency for the oolites to become darker below the "C" zone and black oolites become fairly common. There i s also a possible correlation be- tween loss of porosity and the increase in black oolites. As might be expected, the best porosity i s developed in zones with light brown, medium sized oolites with relatively thick laminae. Some zones have only a few scattered fossil fragments and others may have a high percentage of fossils.
To date, production has been limited to the upper 750 feet of the Glen Rose, but there is no apparent reason why some of the lower oolite zones cannot be productive.
The oolitic porosity development i s shown to be elongated parallel to strike, although wide spacing of well control and the lack of down dip tests do permit other interpretations.
The "A" zone oolitic porosity development i s restricted to the Houston County side of the field and extends to the east of the main productive a rea . The Pure-Moran #1 W. H. LaRue i s the only well to be productive, although shows of oil and gas were recovered in tests on the east side of the field in the Pure- Moran #1 Maples, #1 Adams, #1 Maples- Little and the Pace #1 Bruton.
Production from the "B" zone, with the exception of the Snowden #1 Adams, i s a t present restricted to the Madison County portion of the field (Figure 4). This reservoir i s non-oolitic and produces only from fracture porosity. All wells have high gas oil ratios - 5000 to 9300 - 1, but do have good potentials and should have substantial reserves . Thin shaly zones in the productive interval make it very difficult to determine the exact pay thickness, but the 5 producers have a n average of 11 feet of Sonic porosity (7% o r more) and a maximum of 13 feet.
The "C" zone (the pay in the #12 Bruton discovery well) covers the greatest a rea of productive Glen Rose reservoirs . (Figure 5) It i s a well developed, sometimes very fossiliferous oolitic limestone reservoir with a s much a s 20 feet of porosity. There is sufficient well control to indicate an updip pinchout of the porosity and a possible limit to the west in Madison County, but the down dip wells on the south side of the field have the thickest porosities s o we have no limit established in this direction. Three wells, the Caraway #1 Sherrill, the Pace #1 Doan and the Pure-Moran-Parten#6 Seven J have tested non-commercial oolitic porosities near the base of the "C" zone. These zones are definitely not correlative with the main producing zone.
TID
EL
AN
DS
E
XP
LO
RA
TIO
N C
OM
PA
NY
1
TO
BIN
AE
RIA
L S
UR
VE
YS
JOH
N W
. ME
CO
M
U. 5.
OIL
OF
LO
UIS
IAN
A, IN
C. I
TR
ITO
N
DR
ILL
ING
CO
MP
AN
Y
PA
N G
EO
AT
LA
S
CO
MP
AN
Y
QU
l NT
AN
A
PE
TR
OL
EU
M C
OR
PO
RA
TIO
N
SC
HLU
MB
ER
GE
R
WE
LL
S
UR
VE
YIN
G
CO
RP
OR
AT
ION
-
TA
YL
OR
E
XP
LO
RA
TIO
N
CO
., I N
C.
HA
LL-SE
AR
S,
INC
.
HA
RR
ISO
N
EQ
UIP
ME
NT
C
OM
PA
NY
HO
US
TO
N
BLU
E
PR
INT
&
I S
TA
TIO
NE
RY
C
OM
PA
NY
0
JAD
E O
IL C
OM
PA
NY
The upper part of the " D zone i s productive in wells along the southeast side of the field in Houston County. (Figure 6 ) This i s well developed but thin (4 to 6 feet) oolitic limestone reservoir. Potentials a r e low and, therefore, it i s not good enough to be a primary objective. However, i t should repay com- pletion costs and give a modest return. The main part of the "D" zone is much thicker but to date it has not been productive. A core from this interval in the Pure-Moran #8 Bruton showed a well developed fossiliferous oolite with visible porosity, but only a show of oil and gas was recovered on a production test . The "D" zone oolites a r e generally darker in color and less uniform in size than those in the "C" zone.
The "E" zone has been tested in several wells and produces gas and dis- tillate from a well developed oolitic limestone. The oolites a r e generally smal ler and more uniform in s ize than those in either the "C" o r "D" zones. They a r e generally darker and have thinner laminae than the "C" zone oolites.
The zone outlines shown in Figures 4-6 a r e the "zero porosity" lines and not the extent of effective porosity thick enough to be productive. Not all of the wells within the outline will be productive.
It is important to note that, where production i s from oolitic limestones, a part of the effective permeability and porosity i s due to a network of hairline fractures. The great majority a r e vertical, but cores have shown a few that a r e horizontal. These small fractures normally have some mineralization but cores do show some with none within the limit of the sample. These may be mechani- cal fractures caused by the coring operation. This system of fractures must contribute materially to the effectiveness of the oolitic reservoirs, but we have been unable to do more than guess a t how much they add.
V. DRILLING AND COMPLETION
This has been a difficult a rea for drilling and subsequent completions. Lost circulation has been severe in the Wilcox, Woodbine, Buda-Georgetown, and Glen Rose " B sections. The soft, porous sands of the Wilcox a r e the f i rs t source of trouble, then the fractured sections of the lower zones can cause severe loss of mud and in some cases necessitate setting a protection string of casing. These multiple "trouble" zones make it advisable to wait a s long a s possible to set a protection string in order to cover the maximum number of the highly fractured intervals. It is redundant to say that it is "big trouble" when this protection casing has been s e t prematurely and other loss circulation zones a r e encountered deeper in the section - i t can and does happen1
Other than lost circulation, no special problems have been found in drill- ing, coring o r logging and 11, 500 foot wells can be completed in 45 to 60 days. It has become common procedure to block-squeeze before attempting to com- plete because of numerous instances of poor cement bonds and communication between pay zones. However, "headaches" begin to develop again after potential zones a r e perforated. In some cases the wells will flow and clean up immedi- ately after being perforated. In other instances mud acid is necessary to get the wells to flow. Finally, some zones take a treatment of regular o r retarded acid
to establish production. There seems to be no pattern to these problem zones o r areas , and it has been impossible to pick troublesome zones in advance.
The Glen Rose "C" zone oil is bright orange in color and ranges from 460 Gravity in the oil phase of the reservoir to 550 Gravity in the gas cap. It con- tains considerable paraffin and, a s a result, has a relatively high pour point.
Gravities a r e higher in the "B", "D" and "E" zones - i?om 52' to 60'. The "DM zone oil i s light orange and the "B" and "E" zone oils a r e a light yellow.
The Georgetown oil i s dark green and has the lowest gravity of the Lower Cretaceous crudes - 360.
The Edwards oil i s dark greenish brown and the gravity varies from 49' to 53O.
It i s our practice to run Induction-Electrical, Sonic and Micrologs on all wells and, in addition, to use Mud Log units from the Austin to total depth on wildcat wells. Mud logs a r e helpful because of the numerous gas shows en- countered all through the section.
When pay sections have mud gas readings substantially higher o r lower than a predicted value, i t should cause no undue excitement because there seems to be no definite correIation between the strength of the gas "kicks" and the final potential of the well. The important consideration i s to have some indication of gas in the interval. The Sonic log is the better tool for recording porosity but oolitic pay zones do have good Microlog indications.
The fracture porosity in the Georgetown, Edwards and Glen Rose "B" is indicated on the Sonic log but may not have enough mud cake to give Microlog separation. We have problems with the Sonic log in these same reservoirs because of the thin shaly zones they contain. If there i s no Mud log to show possible gas accumulation, it becomes a real gamble to test one of these porous zones. A matrix velocity of 23,000 f./s. has been used in a l l our Sonic porosity calculations, although a lower velocity would give values more in line with those f rom Core Analysis. The Oolitic pay zones normally have good Self Potential increases but there a r e several wells in the Madison County portion of the field that show very low Self Potential readings.
All of these inconsistencies make i t difficult to predict a zone's perform- ance before testing and it may be necessary to se t pipe and test some zones with only weak evidence from one o r more of the evaluation tools.
Thin pays and low per ac re foot recoveries a t depths of 10,000 feet make i t mandatory to develop the field on wide spacing. We have requested and been granted one year temporary field rules stipulating 320 ac re spacing for oilwells and 640 ac re spacing for gas wells in the Glen Rose "C" zone. These wells have a 400 BOPDallowable subject to proration and a maximum Gas Oil Ratio of 3,000 to 1 . Hearings before the Railroad Commission of Texas have been requested but no rules have been established for the other producing zones and they come
under the normal depth allowables. It was realized after only a few wells had been drilled that some type of p res su re maintenance would have to be started ear ly in the life of the field to prevent seve re re t rograde condensation. Equip- ment for a recycling plant i s now on order and opera tors a r e now unitizing their properties for p res su re maintenance on the "C" zone r e se rvo i r .
VI. RESERVES
It i s in trying to make a realist ic evaluation of the Economics of this field that the r ea l problems develop. Porosities and permeabilities a r e absurdly low for the potentials on these wells, indicating that fracturing adds a substantial "plus" to the productivity of the r e se rvo i r s . But how much does it add - 5% o r 5v0? We do not have the data a s yet to answer this question s o a realist ic es t i - mate must be made of p e r a c r e foot recover ies . The most acceptable figure to al l concerned i s about 50 bbls. p e r a c r e foot for the "C" zone. It i s immediately apparent that with pay zones less than 20 feet thick, wide spacing i s the only salvation for wells costing $250,000. A 15 foot pay would recover 240,000 bbls. of oil from a 320 a c r e spacing, which would allow a profit - but not a very large one. Such a margin will not support many d r y holes o r marginal wells. At the present s tage of development the "C" zone r e se rvo i r covers in excess of 25 square miles. Gas and distillate from the " B , "D" and "E" zones will add substantially to these field r e se rves , but to date their productive a r e a s a r e considerably sma l l e r than that of the "C" zone. Pressure maintenance in the "C" zone can very well double the ultimate recovery f rom this reservoir .
VII. SUMMARY
The Lower Cretaceous limestones in the Fort Trinidad Field produce oil and gas f rom both fractured and fractured, oolitic limestone r e se rvo i r s . The accumulation is in strat igraphic t raps on the south flank of a low relief s t ruc- tura l nosing. Porosities and permeabilities a r e low and the zones a r e thin, resulting in low p e r a c r e recover ies . However, the field already covers more than 25 square miles, s o the re a r e substanial r e se rves of oil and gas.
- ROBERT MOSBACHER
MEADOWS AND WALKER DRILLING COMPANY
NATIONAL BANK OF COMMERCE
M P S PRODUCTION COMPANY o ------- -
BAROID WELL LOGGING SERVICE
CARDINAL PRINTING CO., INC.
-- 0
BIG " 6 DRILLING COMPANY I CORE LABORATORIES, INC.
New Geological Highway Map of Texas
The Dallas Geological Society announces the recent publication of the new Geological Highway Map of Texas. This map i s beautifully colored depicting the age of outcropping rocks within the state. The geology i s superimposed on the Texas Highway Department's "Official Highway Travel Map." The type of rocks comprising these outcrops a r e shown and identified on the Generalized Chart of T ime and Rock Units of Texas .
This new 1963 edition includes on the reverse side a discussion of the geo- logical history of Texas, a North-South and East-West Cross Section, a Tectonic Map, and a Physiographic Map. The Geological Map of Texas i s designed to present the geology of Texas in a generalized manner for use by geologists a s well a s the general public a s a source of information and explanation of the rocks, soils , and land forms that may be observed throughout the state.
These maps a r e available for $1.00 folded o r $1.25 rolled, and may be obtained by sending a check o r money o rde r payable to the Dallas Geological Society, P. 0. Box 2867, Dallas 21, Texas.
George Hardin Presents Paper at Meeting of the Corpus Christ i Geological Society
The following is a shor t abs t rac t of a paper entitled "Gulf Coast 'Flexures ' and Contemporaneous Faults" presented by George C. Hardin, J r . , a t a noon meeting of the Corpus Christ i Geological Society on March 21, 1963:
In the Gulf Coast, the zone downdip f rom which r a t e of dip and thickening of sedimentary beds i s accentuated i s called a "flexure. " These so-called "flex- ures" affect most Cenozoic beds of the Gulf Coast geos yncline. Contemporaneous faults (faults along which movement was contemporaneous with sediment deposi- tion) coincide with most "flexures" affecting post-Eocene beds and accentuate the effect of the "flexure" on sedimentation.
The continental shelf of the Gulf of Mexico resulted from out-building. Deposition of sediments on the continental slope built the continental shelf sea- ward, and deposition of sediments ac ross the shelf break caused the "flexures. " The distance from the ancient shoreline to the "flexure" of a strat igraphic unit represents the width of the continental shelf during the t ime of deposition of the unit. Width of the present shelf of the Gulf of Mexico ranges from ten miles off the Mississippi delta to 140 miles off the coast of southwestern Louisiana. Dur- ing the Cenozoic, the width of the shelf ranged from a few miles to at least 80 miles.
Contemporaneous faults of regional extent occurred a t the locus of accen- tuated dips near the shelf break. The effect of these faults on sedimentation was such that logs of wells dri l led within the same regional fault block can be easily correlated for miles along str ike, whereas wells only a few thousand feet apart but in different regional fault blocks can be correlated only with great difficulty.
