How has the public's view of geologists changed since Sir Walter Scott wrote these words about the Edinburgh geologists who came to visit St. Ronan's well, a mineral well in the Scottish countryside? Not much, some would say. Where were your earliest concepts of geology and the work of a geologist formed? Mine were in the fifth grade. How old were you when you met your first geologist? The face I put to a geologist was that of my uncle, who happened to be in college majoring in geology at the time. I dare say nobody else in my class could name someone they knew who was a geologist. The point I'm trying to instill is that you may be the only geologist that anyone knows in your circle of friends, family, and acquaintances.We geoscientists are a small group, and each of us must deal with the public on some level at one or more points in our lives. Discussing your profession, letting people know what it is that you do for a living, and expressing your informed opinion on matters of the Earth are integral parts of being a professional. Reaching out to the public is a major area of focus for the Houston Geological Society, and one I intend to put emphasis on this year. Currently, the HGS hosts Energy Day at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, holds field trips and other events for Earth Science Week, and supports Scouts and Explorers. The HGS Environmental & Engineering Geologists group has a booth at the annual Earth Day festival. We also have an Academic Liaison that helps arrange speakers for classroom visits. I must say, the HGS does these activities well. But we are always in need of volunteers and, if you would like to get involved, please call one or more of our committee leaders and join up. New this year is the effort HGS is extending at the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching (CAST), the annual meeting of the Science Teachers Association of Texas. CAST is being held in Houston October 30-November 1, 2003 at the Reliant Center. Here we will compound our outreach efforts by exposing teachers to different aspects of geology through talks and field trips. The teachers then take their newly found knowledge, experiences, and enthusiasm back to their classrooms. I find this exciting because, after all, most of us, and most of the public, were introduced to geology through science classes in elementary school.We have several other new outreach plans this year. One includes remaking the old booth display into an educational display for local gem and mineral shows, scouting events, and the Robert A. Vines Environmental Science Center. Further along the educational line, the HGS, through a joint effort with the Geophysical Society of Houston (GSH) and the Houston chapter of the Society of Independent Professional Earth Scientists (SIPES), is trying to donate AAPG's Datapages to the M.D. Anderson Library on the University of Houston main campus. It will be accessible by students and professors through their campus computer system, and by the general public (including HGS members) at the library's computer terminals.We hope to have details available soon. Another outreach event includes HGS underwriting the student session at the GCAGS annual convention in Baton Rouge this month. Is there more that we can do? Undoubtedly. Let me hear your ideas! There are ample opportunities for you to discuss your profession with friends and family. It may  be more difficult for you to do so in front of a group. Elementary school classes are hardly ever a tough crowd, and most students are eager to learn something new from classroom visitors. The students are curious about science, are already thinking about how the world works, and contemplating what kind of job they want to have when they grow up. There are many ideas for classroom presentations on the AAPG and Earth Science Week web sites (http://www.aapg.org and http://www.earthsciweek.org). Call your local school and offer to talk to a class during Earth Science Week. I think you''ll enjoy the experience!

See the Press Release for details on the free Gemini reservoir-characterization software available from the Kansas Geological Survey.

A Message to Members of the Houston Geological Society from Craig Dingler, HGS President
The Houston Geological Society website is New and Improved! The new HGS website is at the same Internet address, but we have made many, many changes, with more to come. Simply go to http://hgs.org to experience the new website.
As a current member, you are pre-registered on the site. To log-in, with full member privileges go to the link below and enter in your email address:
http://hgs.org/en/users/forgotpassword.asp
The link will take you to a screen that asks for your username or email address. Enter the email address that we have on file for you and click "Send My Password." That should show you a confirmation screen that your initial user name and password have just been sent to you by email, as you requested. The email address in our records is the address where you received this email. Be sure you use the same email address we have in our records.
Members who did not receive this email don''t have their correct email address on file with us. In that case, they can call or email the office with their correct email address. Joan Henshaw and Lilly Hargrave can be reached at 713-463-9476 or by email at joan@hgs.org or lilly@hgs.org. They can make the change online quickly and the member can try again at his or her convenience.
If you want to change your email address in our records, you can do so after you log in by clicking on "Edit Record" near the top left corner of the screen you are looking at. It should be the screen at http://www.hgs.org/en/users/view.asp. You can get to your personal record any time you are logged-in by clicking "My Information" on the navigation bar.
So what''s new about the website?
As you will see, it has a dramatically new layout and many new interactive features. Members are able to change their own addresses, phone numbers, and other personal data, and post jobs or resumes on line. Committees will be able to update their own page and post meeting times, meeting minutes, even pictures of their members and activities, if they like. Soon we will offer you the opportunity to pay your dues and register for our monthly meetings and short courses, paying by credit card on-line if you choose to do so. The website will keep a personal record for you of all the events you have registered for, past and future. If you use Outlook for your calendar, you can tell the website to post an event to your calendar, on your PC!
This newsletter is one more example of the new features available. There are many, many more features that we will bring to your attention as we implement them, so check the website often. Explore, try new things, and let us know what you think about the site.
For questions about the website or help using it, fill out the "Contact Us" form on the left side of the website''s home page and our new webmaster, Dave Crane, will respond as soon as possible. You can also contact Dave at dave@hgs.org.
There will be a section on the website where Newsletters and updates like this one are stored in case you prefer not to receive them by email. Oh, yes, that''s yet another feature of the website; you can "opt out" of receiving emails and we will not send them to you in the future. But we promise to continue trying to reduce the number of emails we send to members because we now have this Newsletter as a way to consolidate everything in one place for easy reference.
I''m personally very excited about what we will be able to do for our members with this new software. These changes were initiated by my predecessor, Denise Stone and the other officers of the HGS last year. I commend them for their foresight and really appreciate all the hard work that the WebTeam has put into this project this year. But the WebTeam is not resting. Much more needs to be done. You will see them rebuild more of the information we had on the old site and implement many new features over the next few months.
Craig DinglerHGS President 2003-2004(281) 930-2394 cdingler@sprintmail.com

Texas State Geoscience Registration Bill

The Texas State Geoscience Licensure Bill, SB-405, was passed by the Texas House on April 26, 2001 and signed by the Governor May 11, 2001.

If you are interested in professional registration, check out the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists web site at www.tbpg.state.tx.us . You will find a listing of the board members, the Act and the rules governing the board’s activities. In addition, there is mailing list that will automatically advise you of any changes, such as the availability of registration forms.

HGS On-Line Forum Information

Click here to go to the HGS Forum and input your comments on the Texas State Geoscience Registration Bill.
How do I use a forum?

Past Notices and Related information
(Posted July 22, 2003) By: Craig Dingler, HGS President 2003-04
A message to fellow Houston Geological Society members: Greetings, everyone:
As a reminder, the due date is rapidly approaching for submitting applications to the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists (TBPG) during the grandfathering phase of licensing.
I urge everyone who has considered applying to review the “frequently asked questions” (FAQs) on the TBPG web site ( www.tbpg.state.tx.us/faq.htm ) to help determine if being licensed would benefit you, your career, and your professional growth. The licensing procedure is more stringent, and more expensive, after the grandfathering phase ends on August 31, 2003.
Applications are available from the TBPG website:www.tbpg.state.tx.us/forms.htm or by mail from the TBPG, P.O. Box 13225, Austin, TX 78711
I have also attached below a letter from Mr. Richard Howe, an HGS member, sent to Texans in the American Institute of Professional Geologists and the Association of Engineering Geologists. Mr. Howe brings up several good points that may factor in your decision.
Respectfully yours,Craig DinglerHGS President 2003-04
Dear Geoscience Colleagues:
During the 2001 legislative session, the Texas Geoscience Practice Act was passed. This legislation provided a mechanism to license geologists thereby granting them a legally recognized professional status in Texas. Licensing of geoscientists in Texas provides protection to the public by requiring geoscientists working in the arena of public health and safety to possess a level of education and expertise that qualifies them for such practice. It keeps unqualified people from performing geoscientific work that could adversely impact the public and that could leave the geoscience profession with a black eye. The licensure act also protects the geoscience profession by preventing or limiting encroachment into our areas of expertise by other professions.
The licensure act established a “grandfather” period extending from September 01, 2002 to August 31, 2003 wherein geoscientists possessing a geoscientific education and more than five years of experience could become licensed without taking the exam. The August 31st deadline for applying for licensure is fast approaching.
If you plan to get your license, you need to have your application and other required information into the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists by this date. Otherwise, you will have to take an exam in order to obtain your license.
As I understand, only 57% of all examinees pass the National Association of State Boards of Geologists (ASBOG) “fundamentals of geology” examination. This group includes both first time and multi-time test takers. The 57% pass statistic for this exam has been constant since October 1992. The pass rate for the “principles and practice” exam - normally taken after 5 years of professional experience - is only slightly better than the “fundamentals of geology” exam.
The Texas Board has selected to use the ASBOG (National Association of State Boards of Geology) examinations for Texas applicants. This helps provide a national level of commonality between states and makes it easier for a geologist to obtain a license in another ASBOG member state. The examination uses a multiple-choice style and is designed to test the candidate’s general level of geology. Questions are based upon the results of a national task analysis, thus the examination is designed to test fundamental geologic principles and skills that are directly related to the public practice of geology. A selection of sample questions from the “Candidate’s Handbook” are presented below:

1. . According to the Unified Soil Classification, a soil described as a GW is a (an):
   
   
   
   1. well-graded gravel or gravel-sand mixture, with no or little fines
      
   2. poorly graded gravel or gravel-sand mixture, with no or little fines
      
   3. coarse clayey gravel
      
   4. organic silt of low plasticity
   
   
2. Which one of the following minerals dissolves into soluble ions without residue?
   
   
   
   1. kaolinite
      
   2. pyrite
      
   3. selenite
      
   4. orthoclase
   
   
3. A map at the scale of 1:24,000 compared to a map at the scale of 1:62,500 is:
   
   
   
   1. smaller scale map
      
   2. a larger scale map
      
   3. larger scale or smaller scale dependent upon the units of measurement
      
   4. larger scale or smaller scale dependent upon the ground area shown
   
   
4. A phaneritic igneous rock composed of orthoclase, oligoclase, biotite, hornblende, and quartz is:
   
   
   
   1. monzonite
      
   2. syenite
      
   3. latite
      
   4. granodiorite
   
   
5. An aerial photograph taken with a camera having a focal length of 6 inches flying 10,000 feet above the datum has a scale of:
   
   
   
   1. 1:10,000
      
   2. 1:20,000
      
   3. 1 inch = 10,000 feet
      
   4. Scale cannot be determined from the data given.

A PowerPoint Presentation Developed by Andrea Reynolds, Jennifer Burton, Amy Sullivan and Andrea Brown --  shown at the 2003 CAST meeting in Houston
The "geologic history" of the HGS
Geologists in the field
Where do oil and gas come from?
Knowing where to drill
Coring: taking rock from the Earth
Oil production and refining
Look what petroleum can do

Principles that underlie the upcoming hands-on workshop on “personal” adaptive skills created by CAREER PARTNERING and sponsored by the Houston Geological Society to be presented in May. See page 25.
New Career Patterns
Restructuring of the oil and gas industry over the last two decades has led to a restructuring of the E&P workforce. The flattening and downsizing of organizations has ended the concept of career paths and replaced it with the new concept of career patterns. Personal career planning today and corporate workforce development need to be based on these new patterns of employment. People in the oil and gas industry are Independent Employees, Dependent Employees, self-employed Free Agents, or unemployed and underemployed Outlanders. Over the past two decades many Dependent Employees have been laid off so that the ranks of Free Agents and Outlanders have greatly increased in the overall workforce. In order to staff their projects corporations need to tap all four-career patterns to compete successfully (Figure 1).
Although most new hires from colleges and universities start their careers as Dependent Employees, many desire to move swiftly toward independence. Virtually all major oil and gas companies, and some large service companies, have instituted new programs to smooth the transition from school to work in order to recruit and retain employees, and to maximize their value by shortening the “apprentice,” or so-called “onboarding” period. Some of these programs also will be successful in “bonding” employees to the company, and some may not, but all will have the result of creating a workforce pool of technically proficient, more independent employees. Scenarios of the future suggest the likelihood that most E&P professionals in the United States will be Independent Employees or Free Agents. Dependent employment may only continue to thrive in government agencies, universities, and in overseas national oil and gas companies.
The message for both individuals and organizations is clear. Technical skill is necessary, but not sufficient, for long-term success in the oil and gas industry. Both individuals and organizations need the speed and innovation that results from high levels of independence, connectedness, and foresight. There are many Outlanders who have good, even superior and unique, technical skills, but they remain underemployed or unemployed. They have not yet developed the adaptive skills that can allow them to reconnect to the mainstream of the industry. Most of these people failed to anticipate the magnitude of change that swept over them. Although some are quite creative, they lack the skills to transform innovation to the marketplace, and most fail to realize and appreciate how they are personally positioned in their profession; e.g., how they are perceived in the minds of their potential clients, employers, and peers.
Attributes of Independence
Independent Employees and Free Agents are characterized by having both the excellent technical and adaptive skills necessary to exercise choice. Independent Employees can choose to bond and remain with a single employer, or they can move from one company to another as the uncertain industry landscape shifts around them. Free Agents have the freedom to choose their clients, their work style, their location, and the amount of time they will invest in their profession. Independent professionals can choose the career pattern or sequence of career patterns in which they will work, and every professional who masters the skills of anticipation has the chance to choose which alternative future they will pursue.
All professionals working in the industry have a high level of technical competence, regardless of the “pattern” of their employment. The skills that distinguish Independent Employees and Free Agents from Dependent Employees and Outlanders are most often their non-technical, Adaptive Skills. To remain competitive, now and in the future, everyone will need to acquire and practice these skills to an advanced level of competency.
Case History
A major oil company laid off a petroleum engineer. Although he had always done a good job as a professional, he was totally unprepared for life outside the corporation. In an effort to sustain income, he “hung out his shingle” as a consultant. In his years with the corporation he had not developed his own image and reputation, nor had he built a large network of external contacts. As a result he had trouble getting work, and when he did get work it was not of his own choosing. Assignments offered him were trouble-shooting engineering problems in some of the most difficult and unpleasant locations in the world. It took him five years to develop his own image and reputation for quality work that allowed him to begin to influence the choice of his work. He began to achieve the kind of success he wanted by building his name recognition associated with quality work, by building an effective, personal “structure of connectedness,” and by defining his niche and anticipating the need for his specific engineering expertise. Today he has a steady clientele of domestic companies who rely on him to monitor processes and solve problems in specific engineering functions consistent with his expertise.
Career-Building, Adaptive Skills
All petroleum professionals share a few critical needs: 1) to maintain a high level of technical excellence, 2) to take responsibility for their own careers, and 3) to build their own personal and professional influence throughout their careers. As professionals mature, more is expected of them. Whether it is called experience, insight, or the ability to get things done, everyone needs to develop a set of strategies that shows how he or she adds value to every project, and every employer or client, at every stage of their career. And the time span over which this process takes place is being compressed-the process is accelerating. The critical adaptive skills that make this possible are the skills of becoming independent and connected, and anticipating the future. The most fundamental of these skills is connectedness (Figure 2).
Connectedness.
Well-connected individuals have literally many thousands of people in their personal network of contacts, and can get the answers to difficult questions or access to critical information with far less than “six degrees of separation.” Most people in the petroleum industry have relatively small networks and have spent little time and effort in the development of their personal “structure of connectedness.” In the last century, corporate employees were discouraged from having large networks outside their own company lest security be breached. In this century, dominated by alliances, information flow, and shared, knowledge-based technology, being connected both inside and outside a company is essential. In this environment, it is advantageous, for both individuals and organizations, to encourage the construction of large, interconnected webs of contacts across all kinds of organizational, discipline, generational, gender, ethnic, and national boundaries. And more importantly, individuals will need to develop and practice the skills of maintaining, expanding, and USING their network to extend their abilities and influence. After all, the goal is to access information rapidly and effectively for one’s employer. The path to mastery of these skills, however, is neither easy nor obvious. Many people seem to believe that a network is used only during a job search. Au contraire! It should not be surprising to see connectedness become a measure of performance and personal value in the corporate structure at some point in the near future. Professionals who can bri

Introduction
As a result of new technology, the Greater Rocky Mountain Region (GRMR) has been the home to more giant fields “discovered” in the last 10 years than any other major US onshore province.
What’s more, it is one of only two provinces that have been growing in production during that time. Rocky Mountain and San Juan basin gas production has grown continuously (Figs. 1, 2). Note the major anticipated growth in new tight gas fields with increasing price (Fig. 3).
Although recent advances in all technological aspects of exploration and exploitation have been important in this renaissance, equally important is the geologic setting in which abundant, extremely rich source rocks for both gas and oil are liberally distributed throughout under-explored provinces.
Summary
The GRMR is a large, geologically heterogeneous area that contains numerous basins and uplifts. Although it contains a wide variety of structures generated at different times, those generated in the Lower and Upper Tertiary are commercially the most significant.
Numerous oil-prone and gas-prone source rocks and prospective reservoirs are present, and these have contributed to the presence of a large number and variety of petroleum systems. Productive and prospective reservoirs include a spectrum of carbonates and sandstones that contain matrix porosity and permeability, as well as fracture-type and coalbed methane reservoirs.
Several investigating entities have estimated the potential for future producible hydrocarbon discoveries to be 10.4 to 15.4 billion bbl of petroleum liquids and 192 to 260 tcf of gas. Of particular significance to further exploration and development potential are a class of unconventional accumulations associated with pervasive regional hydrocarbon saturation, a general absence of movable ground water, and the presence of either abnormally high or low fluid pressures. These accumulations may be dynamic and transient in nature and commonly occur in low-permeability or fractured reservoirs associated with mature source rocks in the deeper parts of typical Rocky Mountain basins.
Petroleum systems present in the Cretaceous and Lower Tertiary section will be major contributors to future hydrocarbon production, and gas will be of particular importance because of the large number of coal measures present. Gas generated by thermal or bacterial processes is present in coal beds and nearby sandstone reservoirs. Exploration and development opportunity is present in regions associated with confirmed high-generation-capacity source rocks but with little established production.
Most of the eight so-called “discoveries” of the 1990s represent hydrocarbon accumulations known through prior exploration. They had little economic significance until the development of geologic understanding, drilling, evaluation, and completion technology rendered them economically viable.
These eight giants have been developed by:

• Being “rediscovered” and exploited by new technology
  
• The merger of isolated coalbed methane deposits into giant fields
  
• The development of central basin gas deposits and their eventual merging into giant fields.

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) first initiated its merit geology badge program in 1911, one of less than 30 available badges. As of January 2003, there were 120 merit badges covering a wide range of skills and interests. Geology has been represented in various forms since the program’s beginning. The Mining merit badge evolved into Rocks and Minerals, which then became the Geology merit badge. In 2001, 16,334 geology merit badges were earned for a total of 377,703 since the badge’s inception ( www.scouting.org/factsheets ).
Merit badges are periodically reviewed and revised. Some are discontinued or replaced with one or more new merit badges.
Mining Merit Badge
The Mining merit badge, initiated in 1911, had only four requirements:

1. Know and name 50 minerals
   
2. Know, name, and describe the 14 great divisions of the earth’s crust (according to Geikie)
   
3. Define watershed, delta, drift, fault, glacier, terrace, stratum, dip; and identify 10 different kinds of rock
   
4. Describe methods for mine ventilation and safety devices.

As geoscientists, we strive to understand Earth’s history using a multitude of data having ranges of resolution that vary by orders of magnitude. From continuous outcrops to individual cores and cuttings, rock material provides us with crucial information that can be utilized in many ways. The geologic samples of today will continue to provide crucial information to help answer tomorrow’s questions. For instance, enhancement of natural gas production from unconventional sources such as tight gas sandstones, coalbed methane, black shales, and deep-basin reservoirs will continue to benefit greatly from analysis and integration of cores taken in crucial areas. Geologic sequestration of CO2 is a new field of investigation that is making use of cores originally collected for completely different purposes.
With so much new technology available, many companies are taking fresh looks at old, perhaps underdeveloped fields. Holding the reservoir or seal in your hands may provide insight into a new and different stratigraphic interpretation of your reservoir or provide a better understanding of the complicated production history of a particular field. Whether used for mapping new infill locations or designing tertiary recovery projects, cores play an integral role in the construction of any 3-D model of the reservoir. Cores also allow for the accurate calibration of electric log response to the true rock properties of the reservoir or seal. In the field of environmental geology, cores have proved invaluable for properly characterizing and mapping aquifers and pollution plumes. In an industry that is becoming increasingly more dependent on seismic, one cannot forget that rock material provides the ground truth. Many crucial and high-dollar business decisions are based on seismic data alone, but integrating seismic attributes with the geologic information derived from the rocks can significantly reduce risk factors. The utilization of available rock material simply makes good business sense.
The University of Texas, Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) has taken ownership of a world-class core and sample repository right here in Houston, Texas. Most of the cores, samples, and cuttings at the repository were acquired privately by industry and are now available to the public for the first time. The BEG Houston Research Center (HRC) was originally built and operated by Amoco, then subsequently acquired by BP, before being donated to the BEG in late 2002. The HRC provides space for viewing and describing core and cuttings as well as conference rooms for teaching or collaboration; these amenities come with the added convenience of having the rock materials stored onsite.
Integration of rock material into our projects is a true challenge, a challenge that is compounded by the fact that our industry faces some critical decisions regarding the „ preservation and proper curation of this invaluable material. With the ever-decreasing presence of research centers in industry, it is typically necessary to travel to a distant warehouse to find and describe cores and cuttings of interest, sometimes describing the material in a parking lot! The Houston facility’s well-lit core viewing room has ample layout space, complete with rolling tables and microscopes.
The complex also has additional office and laboratory space as well as two conference rooms equipped with modern projection systems. All interior space, including the core warehouse, is air-conditioned. The lighted, climate-controlled warehouse was designed for curation of geologic materials and has wide aisles that allow easy access for forklifts to move materials. Elevated loading docks, specialized storage for frozen core, and basic rock preparation equipment (including rock saws and equipment for making thin sections) make the HRC well-designed for storage, easy access of materials, and research.
The Houston Research Center strives to be the flagship public-sector core and sample repository in the United States. Just the physical facilities alone have been valued at $5.5 million. The facility includes more than 12 acres of land, 108,000 square feet of warehouse and office space, machinery, equipment, furnishings, and the BP donation also includes $1.5 million in cash, a significant start toward creating an endowment that will allow the Houston facility to operate well into the future. The HRC houses more than 277,000 boxes of core samples and 280,000 boxes of rock cuttings. This generous donation adds to the existing BEG core and cuttings collections housed in Austin and Midland. The Austin Core Research Center currently houses more than 390,000 boxes of core and 265,000 boxes of cuttings, and the Midland Core Research Center has more than 224,000 boxes of core and 275,000 boxes of cuttings. The BP donation brings the BEG holdings to a total of more than 1.7 million boxes of geologic material available for public use. The BEG is committed to increasing its collection of cores and other rock material; if you are aware of rock material that could be donated please call the Houston Research Center.
The creation of the HRC comes on the heels of a movement to improve the preservation of geoscience data by several Federal agencies and other organizations and individuals that recognize the value and importance of rock material. In fact, a recent National Research Council (NRC) report on the preservation of geoscience data makes a strong recommendation for quick action to prevent this critical material from being lost or destroyed (“Geoscience Data and Collections: National Resources in Peril” found at the website: http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10348.html) and (see guest editorial by R. Sneider on page 11 ). The NRC study concludes that most of the state geological surveys have only limited space available for additional material and that many of the core and cuttings collections nationwide are at risk of disposal.
One mission of the BEG is to preserve invaluable geoscience data at risk of being „ destroyed or lost. The BEG is committed to the proper, permanent curation of geoscience material, as well as providing easy, convenient access to the data for industry, academia, and other researchers. In recognition of the BEG’s commitment to the preservation of geoscience data, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) provided the Houston Research Center with a generous grant to cover first-year operating expenses. As a follow-up to the NRC report, the National Science Foundation (NSF) recently sponsored a workshop in which the academic research community addressed the issues of long-term storage and curation of valuable scientific research materials. NSF is currently considering a proposal for the Houston Research Center to house hard-rock cores and samples from NSF-funded research projects.
The BEG complex is located at 11611 West Little York Road on the west side of Houston, six miles north of I-10 and two miles south of U.S. Highway 290, and it is easily accessible from any of Houston’s major freeways. A list of available core and cuttings is posted on the BEG’s Website ( www.beg.utexas.edu ). There are modest fees for laying out cores and cuttings in the viewing room; however, the ultimate goal for the Houston facility HRC is to create an endowment that would allow the user fees to be discontinued, resulting in a true public core library. The facility is also available for core workshops, seminars, and classes, and is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Contact Beverly Blakeney DeJarnett ( bev.dejarnett@beg.utexas.edu or 713-896-6740) or Laura Zahm ( laura.zahm@beg.utexas.edu or 713-896-8560) for additional information or scheduling. Beverly and Laura specialize in sedimentology and stratigraphy and can assist visiting scientists with core

On May 16, the GeoWives will have the last meeting of the year. This will be a business meeting and election and installation of officers. Thanks to Mae Barclay this meeting will be a luncheon at the Houston Club (Milam and Rusk downtown). For details, call Mae Barclay or Dolores Humphrey.

This time last year it was with excitement and yes, I’ll admit, with some trepidation as well, I began my tenure as President. It has been a wonderful year and we’ll be closing with our Annual Meeting on May 22, 2003 as a new slate of officers will be introduced. Our program, “International Extravaganza,” will include members of HGA modeling fashions brought back from living or traveling in foreign countries, a performance of international dancers, and a buffet luncheon. This event will be held at the Houston Racquet Club and chaired by Sara Nan Grubb, Delores Humphrey, and Hellen Hutchison.
What has made our year flow so easily, has been the dedication, cooperation, and hard work of our Board members and members of our committees. I sincerely thank all of you.
Special thanks go to the following:
Sandra Pezzetta - our First Vice President, for her creative planning of our parties.Winona LaBrant Smith - for her impeccable reporting of our minutes.Linnie Edwards - for collecting dues and working to increase our membership, hosting a Board meeting in her home, and assisting with SOS.Janet Steinmetz - for keeping us well informed on our finances.Gwinn Lewis - for all her time spent putting our Yearbook together and being so generous opening her home to us for the April Board meeting and tea.Kathryn Bennett and Jan Eads - for getting our Eclectic Logs to us.Jeanne Cooley and Beverly Van Siclen - for sending out cards to members who were ill or suffered the loss of a loved one and also providing us with name tags.Edie Frick - for helping cover our news in the HGS Bulletin.Pat Hefner - for putting out the Eclectic Log and doing a bang-up professional job.Pat Burkman - our Historian and Photographer, who made us laugh while recording all our “doings.”Millie Tonn - for never seeming to get tired of all my questions, serving as Parliamentarian and helping out at SOS.Daisy Wood - for her indefatigable work on Game Day, one of our more popular events.Our Directors - Edie Bishop, Mildred Davis, Mary Harle, and Millie Tonn.Please extend Betty Alfred, my successor, all the support each and every one of you gave to me. I have no doubt that the HGA will continue to be a source of fun, support, and camaraderie.Our membership drive is ongoing so please work on its expansion.
It has truly been an honor to serve as your President and I will treasure the memory.

Evidence is mounting that the Earth is encircled by subtle necklaces of interconnecting, generally latitude-parallel faults. Many major mineral and energy resource accumulations are located within or near the deeply penetrating fractures of these “cracks of the world.” Future exploration for large petroleum occurrences should emphasize the definition, regional distribution, and specific characteristics of the global crack system. Specific drill targets can be predicted by understanding the local structural setting and fluid flow pathways in lateral, as well as vertical conduits, detectable through patterns in the local geochemistry and geophysics.
The faults in the cracks of the world fracture system typically move in transcurrent (strike-slip) motions that are tied to plate tectonics. One of the dynamic driving forces in plate tectonics derives from revolutions about the Earth’s rotational axis. Familiar plate tectonic driving mechanisms, such as mantle convective overturn or gravitational trench-pull, become second-order driving forces that are subordinate to the Earth’s spin axis. The scale of the kinematic reference frame thus shifts from crustal plate motions to motions between spheres (that is, lithosphere-asthenosphere differential rotations).
At a more local scale, introduction of magma and hydrothermal fluids into the global “crack system” commonly is coincident with kinematic activity in the faults. Indeed, analysis of mineral and chemical fractionation patterns produced during sequential introductions of the hot fluids offers new tools for kinematic and dynamic analysis of the global-scale fracture system. Particularly important are lateral compositional patterns in the mineral zone artifacts of hydrothermal plumes. These lateral patterns reflect motion related to the strike-slip kinematics and inject a new laterality and conceptual opportunity into exploration for commodities deposited by the ascending hydrothermal plumes. The global scale and interconnected nature of the strike-slip fault system in both continental and oceanic crustal materials first became apparent from a regional geotectonic study of Mexico.
The Mexico “Mega-Shear” System
A recent tectonic synthesis of Mexico ore deposits and tectonics has implications for worldwide giant petroleum accumulations and resulted from the incorporation of new constraints related to the regional geographic distribution of crustal oxidation states. Oxidation state is an indicator of oxygen fugacity-essentially the amount of oxygen available for reaction in the Earth’s crust. It is as fundamental an Earth property as magnetics or gravity and can be measured directly by the ferric/ferrous ratio in rock or inferred from the whole-rock mineralogy or commodity (element) present. Regional crustal oxidation state patterns shown on the oxidation state map of Mexico (Figure 1) were based on ferric/ferrous ratios, mineral assemblages, and geochemistry from about 2900 plutons and mineral systems. 1
Petroleum accumulations of all sizes throughout the globe correlate with source and reservoir rocks of low oxidation state where ferric-ferrous ratios are equal to or less than 0.6. In the Mexico region, over 500 additional oil and gas field occurrences were used to constrain crustal oxidation state. Petroleum occurrences can regionally coexist with other‚ commodities (such as diamond, gold, and tin, antimony, mercury, lithium, and tantalum) that require low oxidation states for their stability throughout the source-transport-deposition process. Consequently, maps of the regional crustal oxidation state in any particular area are useful as a regional exploration tool for petroleum and many metallic commodities.
The Mexico oxidation state map produced a striking zig-zag pattern (Figure 1). When this is combined with an oxidation state map for the western United States, a southeastward offset of the inferred Cambrian craton edge is apparent. It extends for some 3500 km from Cajon Pass west of Los Angeles, CA, to Guatemala City, Guatemala. The southeastward offset is accomplished on west-northwest-striking fault elements that form a giant, country-wide shear system referred to as the Mexico “mega-shear”. The well-known “Texas zone” forms the northernmost structural element of the shear system and the Motagua/Polochic fault system forms the southernmost element. Fault elements within the shear system are defined by sharply telescoped oxidation state gradients, where at least two levels of oxidation state are crossed in very short distances, on the order of 30-50 km. A similar pattern was found for the inferred Cambrian craton edge, which comprises offset segments of north-northeast-striking zones of telescoped oxidation states.
The overall pattern confirms the “Sonoran mega-shear” concept originally proposed by Anderson and Silver (1979). The sense of displacement of the inferred Cambrian margin is along an approximately N50W trend, sub-parallel to the trace of the proposed mega-shear. Individual offsets, however, occur along east-west- to west-northwest-striking, apparently deep-seated fault zones that traverse the entire country of Mexico and adjacent areas. If the 3500-km offset is restored and the Gulf of Mexico is closed, Mexico and northern Central America form a southward-pointed mega-peninsula that fits neatly to the coast of northwestern South America, west of Columbia and Ecuador. This reconstruction elegantly removes the long-known “Bullard-fit problem.”
West-northwest-striking fault offsets are also apparent on the gravity map of the Gulf of Mexico (Sandwell and Smith, 1995) on a northeast-trending regional high that has similar characteristics to incipient mid-ocean rifts. For this reason, we believe this north-northeast-trending gravity high was a mid-ocean ridge during the original opening of the Gulf of Mexico. Numerous west-northwest trending transform faults offset the ridge crest along trends similar to those in the present Gulf of California (Figure 1).
The mega-shear system is not confined to the country of Mexico and adjacent regions. Individual fault elements in the Mexico mega-shear extend outward into the Pacific Basin, where they link with the Pacific oceanic fracture system between 18°N and 42°N. A similar, even more dramatic connection is achieved when the Mexico mega-shear system is extended to the east-southeast, where it links, structural element for structural element, with the central Atlantic fracture system between the equator and a latitude of 18°N (Figure 2). In both the Pacific and Atlantic ocean basins, the oceanic ridge system displays an apparent left offset of some 3500 km, in accord with the offset on the Mexico mega-shear system.
The specific offsets in the Atlantic Basin and their presumed Mexican analogs are particularly indicative of a linkage. At the southern end of the Atlantic transform/ ‚ shear system, large apparent left-lateral offsets of the Atlantic mid-ocean ridge along the Romanche fracture system match well with large offsets of the inferred Cambrian craton edge along the Motagua/Polochic/Cayman trough fault system from its initial position in the Chortis block of Nicaragua-Honduras. This large offset is matched by several minor 50- to 100-km offsets in both the central Atlantic and Mexico mega-shear. About two-thirds of the way northward into both systems, another large offset occurs at the Guinea fracture zones in the Atlantic and the Monterrey-Parras fracture system in north-central Mexico. A series of smaller offsets occurs until the northernmost offset of about 150 km (Barracuda fracture in the Atlantic and the central portion of the Texas zone in southwestern Arizona and southeastern California).
The Mexico

Editors note: This article was written by Apollo 17 lunar module pilot and geologist Harrison Schmitt. It appears here in an abbreviated form. The entire text and additional photos can be found at www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-350/ch-14-1.html Also see: www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-350/toc.html for more Apollo articles.
First I want to share a new view of Earth using the corrected vision of space. Like our childhood home, we really see the Earth only as we prepare to leave it. There are the basically familiar views from the now well-traveled orbits: banded sunrises and sunsets changing in seconds from black to purple to red to yellow to searing daylight and then back; tinted oceans and continents with structural patterns wrought by aging during four and a half billion years; shadowed clouds and snows ever-varying in their mysteries and beauty; and the warm fields of lights and homes, now seen without the boundaries in our minds.
Again like the childhood home that we now only visit-changing in time but unchanged in the mind-we see the full Earth revolve beneath us. All the tracks of man’s earlier greatness and folly are displayed in the window: the Roman world, the explorers’ paths around the continents, the trails across older frontiers, the great migrations of peoples. The strange perspective is that of the entire Earth filling only one window, and gradually not even doing that. No longer is it the Earth of our past, but only a delicate blue globe in space. With something of the sadness felt as loved ones age, we see the full Earth change to half and then to a crescent and then to a faint moonlit hole in space. The line of night crosses water, land, and cloud, sending its armies of shadows ahead. We see that night, like time itself, masks but does not destroy beauty. In sunlight, the sparkling sea shows its ever-changing character in the Sun’s reflection, in varying hues of blue and green around the turquoise island beads, and in its icy competition with polar lands. The arcing, changing sails of clouds, following whirling, streaking pathways of wind, mark the passage of the airy lifeblood of the planet.
The revolving equatorial view concentrates our attention. There is the vast unbroken expanse of the Indian Ocean, south of the even more vast green and tan continent of Asia. In another complete view there are all of the blending masses of greens, reds, and yellows of Africa from the Mediterranean to the Cape of Good Hope, from Cap Vert to the Red Sea. Then we see across the great Atlantic from matching coast to matching coast. Scanning all of South America with one glance, we seemingly cease to move as the planet turns beneath us. And then there is the South Pacific. At one point only the brilliant ranges and plains of Antarctica remind a viewer that land still exists. The red continent of Australia finally conquers the illusion that the Earth is ocean alone, becoming the Earth’s natural desert beacon. When at last we are held to our own cyclic wandering about the Moon, we see Earthrise, that first and lasting symbol of a generation’s spirit, imagination, and daring. That lonesome, marbled bit of blue with ancient seas and continental rafts is our planet, our home as men travel the solar system. The challenge for all of us is to guard and protect that home, together, as people of Earth.
A NEW VIEW OF THE MOON
What will historians write many years from now about the Apollo expeditions to the Moon (Figure 1 )? „ Perhaps they will note that it was a technological leap not undertaken under the threat of war; competition, yes, but not war. Surely they will say that Apollo marked man’s evolution into the solar system, an evolution no longer marked by the slow rates of biological change, but from then paced only by his intellect and collective will. Finally, I believe that they will record that it was then that men first acquired an understanding of a second planet.
What then is the nature of this understanding. How did the visits of Apollo 15, 16, and 17 to Hadley-Apennines, Descartes, and Taurus-Littrow relate to it (Figure 2 )? The origins of the Moon and the Earth remain obscure, although the boundaries of possibility are now much more limited. The details of the silicate chemistry of the rocks of the Moon and Earth now make us reasonably confident that these familiar bodies were formed about 4.6 billion years ago in about the same part of the youthful solar system. However, the two bodies evolved separately.
As many scientists now view the results of our Apollo studies, the Moon, once formed, evolved through six major phases. Of great future importance is the strong possibility that the first five of these phases also occurred on Earth, although other processes have obscured their effects. Thus, the Moon appears to be an ever more open window into our past.
The known phases of lunar evolution are as follows:

• 
  
• The existence of a melted shell from about 4.6 to 4.4 billion years ago.
  
• Bombardment to form the cratered highlands from about 4.4 to 4.1 billion years ago.
  
• The creation of the large basins from about 4.1 to 3.9 billion years ago.
  
• A brief period of formation of light-colored plains about 3.9 billion years ago.
  
• The eruption of the basaltic maria from about 3.8 to about 3.1 billion years ago.
  
• The gradual transition to a quiet crust from about 3.0 billion years ago until the present.

During the nearly three years that I have been a volunteer (and current Chairman) for the HGS Personnel Placement Committee, I have frequently been asked questions concerning the geoscience job market-most often, the “who, what, and where?” While I really don’t consider myself an expert on the subject by any means, I felt that the 479 positions listed on the HGS Job Listings website during 2002 (a record year for ads) would be a natural source for information. Therefore, to be able to provide answers for those questions to a more widespread membership, and also to get a glimpse into the most recent trends, I have extracted and analyzed some of the available information from the website for this article.
From all of the available data, I narrowed the analysis down to six significant criteria. The “Who” can be found in :

1. Job Categories, and
   
2. Ad Submitters;
   the “What” is covered in the

3. Minimum Experience Levels,
   
4. Job Status, and
   
5. Minimum Education Requirements;
   and finally, the “Where” will be covered in the

6. Job Location.

On March 13, 2003, the Geo-Wives will travel to Huntsville to see the much larger than life statue of the General/ Senator/President and the Sam Houston Memorial Museum Complex. The museum includes his Woodland Home and law office on their original sites and his Steamboat Home, where he died. There will be lunch on the Square, and, of course, we hope to have time to shop. Our thanks are extended to Linnie Edwards and Martha Lou Broussard for planning this day.

by Jan Stevenson, President Our annual Game Day was held at the Junior League on February 24, 2003. It was another successful event headed by Daisy Wood. Bridge, bunco, and chickenfoot dominoes were enjoyed, Sara Nan Grubb presented us with an informal showing of rodeo fashions, and many prizes were bestowed. Attendees were instructed to “GO TEXAN” and did they ever! Last, but surely not least was the delicious buffet we were provided.
A reminder about our March event-“Beauty By Bus-A Guided Tour of Houston’s Fine Arts” with lunch at Patrenella’s. This event will take place on March 18, 2003. Members will be getting further details by mail. If any nonmember would like to join us, contact Linnie Edwards 713-785-7115 or Mary Harle at 713-782-7864.
Our membership drive is ongoing so if any HGS spouse is interested in joining our auxiliary, please contact Linnie Edwards, Membership Chairman.

The critical well in the field development needs a fracture design. What do you need to know to generate a good design? How do you generate the design? This paper presents an overview of the information, where to find it, and how to use it to generate a fracture design.
Information NeededReservoirThe most important reservoir information to know is permeability. This can be obtained from pressure build-up (PBU) tests, nodal analysis matches, and core measurements. Current reservoir pressure and the original reservoir pressure can be obtained from direct measurement after perforating or measured from PBU analysis. A high-permeability well might be designed with a tip screen-out (TSO) whereas a low-permeability well would need a long, low-conductivity fracture.
Reservoir porosity can be obtained from log measurements or core testing. The geological setting of a play will yield its drainage area, pressure transitions, and potential tectonic problems. Bottomhole temperature is measured from logs. Production fluids (oil, gas, water) and their saturations can be calculated from logs and from core data.
The geology of the play has a major effect on fracture design. Faults, unconformities, natural fractures, and other geological features can have major effects on the fracture design. Ignoring this information can have disastrous results.
Reservoir Fluid Properties The reservoir wetting phase (oil or water wet) can be determined from core information or inferred from production in the same reservoir. The gas gravity and percentage of impurities such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and hydrogen sulfide can be obtained from a reservoir sample sent to a fluid lab. Oil gravity can be determined from laboratory measurement of fluid samples. The production yield (gas per barrel or barrel per mcf) can be measured or estimated from other known reservoirs in the area.
Rock Properties Some type of lithology log is critical to identify the formation layering (sand, silt, shale, etc.) which is usually a gamma ray, or possibly SP. The Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio of the rock can be determined from core laboratory measurements. Modulus can also be obtained from a calibrated dipole sonic log. Sieve analysis of core samples from the producing interval yields data about possible fines movement for “soft” formations. “toughness” (or “apparent toughness”) controls the tip pressure required for fracture propagation. This is a complex variable that must be measured from field mini-frac testing.
Wellbore and Production Information If a well is deviated, a deviation profile can be obtained from its deviation survey. If the zone is offshore, water depth is needed to calculate zone stresses. The existing casing size and drilling bit size must be known to choose perforating charges with the proper hole-size and penetration for the proppant size and concentrations planned to be pumped. The work string size must be sized for the planned pump rates for the stimulation treatment. The production string must be sized for the expected production rates as determined by a reservoir simulator, nodal analysis, or company policy. Production line pressure or the suction pressure for the compressor and the associated temperature are needed for an estimation of the production rates the reservoir will produce. Any other facilities information that could hinder the potential production, such as pipeline or separator size, must be known.
Developing a Geo-Mechanical ModelStress Profile
A stress profile can be generated from historical data or by knowing the pressure profile for the zones and using the relation in Equation 1, where sCL is the in-situ stress or the fracture closure stress, OB is the weight of the overburden, which is typically between about 0.85 and 1.1 psi/foot-of-depth, n is Poisson’s ratio, typically between 0.2 and 0.3, PRes is reservoir pressure, and T is any tectonic in-situ stress effects. (1) See hardcopy for equation
A dynamic value for n can be determined from dipole sonic logs, and thus a stress log generated. Unfortunately, the log does not measure in-situ stress due to T, thus, log data MUST be corrected with field-measured in-situ stresses.
Fluid Loss Information Leak off or fluid loss is a function of formation permeability, reservoir temperature, and the viscosity (and wall building) characteristics of the fracturing fluid. A fluid loss profile can be generated from core testing, previous field experience, or estimated from published equations. Generally, a “final” value for fluid loss in a particular formation ‚ (with a particular fluid) MUST come from field, mini-frac testing.
Fracturing Materials-Fluid and Proppant There are many choices of fracturing fluids and proppants. A fracturing fluid should be chosen on the basis of reservoir permeability as well as temperature and wettability of the formation. The fluid chosen should not yield an efficiency of less than 10%. If the efficiency is less than 10%, a system with better fluid loss control should be selected.
The fluid should be tested with a Fann 50 with the chemicals from the field area as well as the local source water used. Breaker schedules should be developed and tested in the laboratory, and confirmed in the field.
The proppant is selected based on the “effective proppant stress,” availability in the field, and price. Major considerations for proppant selection are formation permeability and the “need” for fracture conductivity. This dependence on desired fracture conductivity, kFw, and formation permeability can be seen from dimensionless conductivity, FCD: where a desirable FCD is ALWAYS greater than 2.
Proppant stress can be calculated with Equation 3 where D is incremental stress due to the propped fracture width. D is usually small (200 to 400 psi) but can be significant in some cases such as TSO treatments in a moderate permeability, “hard” rock. Pwf is bottomhole flowing pressure. (3)See hardcopy for equation
Wellbore Information Well deviation is important to know. The stress calculation is based on TVD depth. Perforations scheme for the well also depends on the wellbore deviation and fracture type. Work string size can dictate potential pumping rates, and should be considered prior to choosing a fracturing fluid.
Example A company drilled a rate-acceleration well in a partially depleted, low-water-drive gas reservoir. The reservoir is a large anticline structure and is bounded on one side with a fault. Reservoir information can be found in Table 1. A core was taken in the first well and tested, yielding a modulus of 1.0 ¥ 106 psi in the sand and 1.5 ¥ 106 psi in the shale. Poisson’s ratio in the sand was 0.25. The core showed the sand was not friable, so fines were not expected to be an issue. The well was located far from the fault, and was a non-deviated hole with 7-in. casing set to TD. It was logged with a triple combo log (see Fig. 1). A previous frac showed there were no tectonic effects (i.e., a “normal” closure stress).
The sand stress was calculated to be 4,743 psi at the top of the pay zone with a fracture gradient of 0.59 psi/ft. The shale was calculated to have a closure stress of 4,886 psi at a depth of 7,856 ft. with a fracture gradient of 0.62 psi/ft.
A 30 lb/1000 gal low-guar gel system was chosen from the results of the previous frac, yielding a leakoff of 0.003 ft3/min, thus yielding an efficiency of 20% after a 7,000-gallon mini-frac.
The proppant chosen for the job was an economical ceramic proppant. The price of the local sand and ceramic proppant were about the same, but the ceramic proppant yielded much higher conductivity numbers at the given stresses, and thus less was needed for the equivalent conductivity.
The available information was placed into an analytical production model, which determined the optimum fracture length was found t

Casing Drilling* consists of downhole and surface components that provide the ability to use normal oil field casing as the drill string so that the well is simultaneously drilled and cased.7,8 Casing Drilling provides certain obvious improvements in operational efficiency, such as eliminating most of the pipe tripping that is required with the conventional drilling process. Putting the technology into application in south Texas
Conoco has had a sustained, multi-rig, development program in the Lobo field of South Texas since the mid-1990s. Drilling efficiency using conventional techniques has improved to the point where additional gains are difficult to achieve. Drilling with casing was implemented as a potential way to provide a step change to drilling performance in this mature field. The Casing Drilling process has proved to significantly reduce the in-hole trouble time below the low value that was already obtained and has demonstrated the ability to further reduce drilling costs.
The first two phases of the Lobo Casing Drilling program were conducted with a dual-purpose (Casing Drilling/conventional drilling) rig. After drilling 22 wells, the Lobo Casing Drilling program is being expanded by replacing this rig with three new Casing Drilling rigs designed to further optimize Casing Drilling performance. The first of these rigs is on location and the other two will begin operations by the end of January 2003.
Lobo cost reductions needed
ConocoPhillips produces about 520 MMCFD of natural gas from the Lobo trend in South Texas and has had a sustained, multi-rig, development program there since 1997. By 2001, ten rigs were being employed to drill about 160 wells per year, but the drilling efficiency was stagnated with an average 10,500 ft well taking about 19.2 days from spud to rig release. Drilling efficiency using conventional techniques had been improved to the point where additional gains were difficult to achieve.
Further cost reduction was dictated by the need to develop smaller and smaller reservoirs. It became clear that a new approach was needed to provide any chance of achieving significant well cost reduction. A specific goal was adopted to reduce drilling costs sufficiently to make reservoirs smaller than 1.0 BCF economical. The ability to develop reservoirs this size would extend the development potential for several years as the untapped reservoir size becomes smaller and smaller in the highly faulted Lobo field.
Stuck pipe and lost circulation are the most consistent contributors to the trouble events for Lobo wells. These two items accounted for about 75% of the trouble time in 2000 and 2001 (Fig. 1), while well control and a failure to successfully run the 7-in. casing were also significant in 2001 and 2000, respectfully.6
Drilling with casing was identified in early 2001 as a technology that could potentially solve these problems and provide a step change in drilling performance in the mature Lobo field. Tesco’s Casing Drilling system was selected to evaluate the potential impact of drilling with casing on Lobo drilling economics. Three-phase trial program A three-phase program to test the Casing Drilling program was undertaken in the Lobo trend:
Phase 1-Five pilot wells that had simple drilling conditions were drilled within the Lobo trend. Performance on these five wells steadily improved and matched that of conventional drilling by the time the fifth well was completed.
Phase 2-Additional wells drilled proved that Casing Drilling could eliminate the formation-related trouble time experienced with conventional rigs. This allowed additional wells to be drilled that would otherwise be uneconomical. The wells were not drilled trouble-free, but the trouble was associated with the mechanical equipment limitations shown in Fig. 2. These mechanical problems can be fixed, as opposed to the formation ‚ related problems that are encountered when drilling with conventional rigs.
Phase 3-The third phase Lobo Casing Drilling program has been initiated by bringing in the first of the three new rigs to begin full-scale implementation of Casing Drilling at Lobo. The remaining two rigs will be operational by the end of January 2003. These 15,000 ft. rigs are designed to optimize the Casing Drilling process, but can also drill with drillpipe. They have an increased hook load rating, much better mobility for intra-field moves, a reduced footprint, better fuel efficiency, and a semi-automated casing handling system.
Overcoming lost circulation
Conventional drilling is deemed uneconomical in areas because of the high probability of dealing with stuck pipe and lost circulation-either recovering from them or setting extra casing to prevent them. Lost circulation is the most severe problem that occurs in drilling Lobo wells and is a contributing factor to the next most serious problem-stuck pipe. One would normally expect lost circulation to be a potential problem with Casing Drilling because the smaller annular clearance between the casing and borehole wall increases the frictional pressure losses, thus increasing the ECD. In fact, what has been found is that Casing Drilling significantly reduces lost circulation. One of the main benefits of Casing Drilling that appeared in phase one of the program was that no lost circulation events occurred.
On the surface it might seem that Casing Drilling would not be a good option for these wells because the casing could get stuck before reaching casing point. Committing to use the Casing Drilling process and making optimum use of it requires some re-thinking of issues related to risk. The proven experience of reducing lost circulation and stuck pipe coupled with the fact that well control is much safer when the well can be circulated with pipe on bottom makes a compelling argument that Casing Drilling should be the first choice for drilling these difficult zones.
The case of well 14
The location for well 14 was specifically chosen to test the theory that Casing Drilling reduces lost circulation. This location was surrounded by three conventional wells drilled recently. Each of these wells had trouble related to lost circulation as shown in Figure 3.
All three of the conventionally drilled wells experienced severe lost circulation that could not be cured with LCM pills and required cementing off the loss zone. The first well lost full returns while drilling with 8.7-ppg mud and the losses could not be cured with conventional LCM pills. Eventually the well required two cement plugs before a decision was made to set casing at 6,917 ft. rather than try to drill ahead to the intended casing point of 8,000 ft. with 150-bbl/hr losses. Once the casing was set, a leak-off test indicated that the formation was not strong enough to reach TD without setting a liner.
A similar situation occurred with the second well, except the 7-in. casing reached only 5,145 ft before requiring a liner. In this case, losses again occurred while drilling below the liner.
The third well reached the normal casing point with the 7-in. casing, but not without difficulty. The well was drilled to casing point and the BHA became stuck on a wiper trip while fighting lost circulation. The continued lost circulation impeded the fishing operation and the well was sidetracked.
The Casing Drilling rig was moved to a location between these three wells. Provisions were made to drill ahead blind if lost circulation was encountered. The well was drilled with no particular changes to normal Casing Drilling operating practices. No significant lost circulation was encountered, even while drilling with 10.5-ppg mud. The BHA was retrieved and the 7-in. casing was cemented in place at the normal casing point of 8,103 ft. The Casing Drilled well required 10 days to drill to 7-in. casing point and cement the casing as compared to the first offset which required 19 days

2002 Member RemembrancesBarr, Jim LOctober 11, 2002Barton, Robert H.April 28, 2002 Conley, Charles W. "Chuck"September 6, 2002 Esch, Hanspeter A.April 29, 2002Etter, Evelyn MaryMarch 4, 2002Garrett, Howard L.January 17, 2002Hilton, Harold V. Sr.November 11, 2002 Hooks, James E. "Jim"September 11, 2002 Hough, Stephen F.July 4, 2002Lewis, Ray C.March 15, 2002Link, Martin HansJuly 2, 2002Pierson, Jack N.January 18, 2002Schafer, SidneyJune 15, 2002Jim L. Barr passed away October 11, 2002. Jim earned a BS in Geology from The University of Kentucky in 1963 and a MS in Geology from the University of Cincinnati in 1975. Jim was employed by Pennzoil, including both domestic and international operations. Following that, he worked with Geoquest, teaching 3D workstation techniques around the world. Most recently, Jim was employed by Halliburton as geological manager for a large gas field in Siberia. Jim was an Active member of the HGS. A memorial donation will be made to the HGS Undergraduate Scholarship Fund.Robert H. Barton died April 28, 2002, at the age of 70. Bob served his country during the Korean Conflict in the U.S. Army and graduated in 1953 from Brooklyn College with a BA in Geology. He later earned his Doctorate Degree in Geology from the University of Minnesota. After retiring from Tenneco in 1989 Bob founded his consulting company, Spectra Resources, Inc. He was a member of the HGS, AAPG, and AIGP. A donation will be made to the American Heart Association. Charles W. "Chuck" Conley passed away September 6, 2002 at the age of 77. Mr. Conley served in the US Navy during World War II. He received a B.S. degree in Physics in 1964 and a B.S. in Geophysics in 1966, both from The University of Tulsa. After retiring from Phillips and Conoco, Mr. Conley was active with his own consulting business. He was an active member of both the HGS and the GSH. A memorial donation will be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Houston. Hanspeter A. Esch, 65, of Houston, passed away on April 29, 2002, after a long illness. He was born in Germany and attended the Free University of Berlin, graduating with a PhD in 1964. He joined Amoco in 1964 and worked with them in Germany, UK, and at their Research Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. From 1971 to 1981 he was employed by Deminex and worked during that period in Germany, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Egypt. From 1981 to 1984 he joined Amoco again where he handled Africa and the Middle East for the New Ventures Department. From 1984 till 1988 he was President and CEO of International Oil and Gas Corporation (jointly held by the German energy companies Preussag AG and Deilmann AG) in Houston. During 1988 and 1989, the Earth Sciences and Research Institute (ESRI) at the University of South Carolina engaged him as Research Professor. During the period 1989 - 1993 he was an Exploration Manager with VEBA OEL in Germany, responsible for its Kazakhstan venture. From 1994 till he fell ill he was petroleum consultant, involved in various exploration projects in the MiddleEast. A memorial donation will be made to the HGS Undergraduate Scholarship Fund. Evelyn Mary Etter, 53, of Houston, passed away Monday, March 4, 2002 after a lengthy illness. Evelyn was born in Philadelphia on June 13, 1948 and attended Rutgers University at Camden, New Jersey, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology. In 1976, she received her Master of Science degree in Geology from the University of Kentucky. After moving to Houston, she worked many years in the petroleum industry and was a long-standing member of the Houston Geological Society. Evelyn was active with many conservation and nature-preservation organizations. A memorial donation will be made to Rutgers University.Howard L. Garrett passed away January 17, 2002. He attended the Colorado School of Mines, receiving a Geological

The climate change debate is rapidly reaching its end among scientists. New scientific evidence demonstrates a very strong correlation between variations in incident solar radiation and variability of the Earth’s orbit, and climate change. Better understanding of climate history, trends, and rates of change, and more accurate correlation of proxy information with natural processes provide a much clearer picture of natural climate change than has been available heretofore.
The emerging scientific picture establishes that orbital and solar variations are primary drivers of Earth’s climate on both long and short time scales, ranging from 11 years to 100,000 years, with possible greenhouse gas overprint, although no greenhouse overprint has yet been measured.
Despite these advances, political rhetoric continues to champion the human climate control hypothesis.
The debate has been fueled by the fundamental disagreement between observations and measurements (data) and computer models (mathematical constructs). Mathematical models are approximations derived from assumptions. Even the most sophisticated mathematical model is primitive when compared to the natural systems they purport to replicate.
Any mathematical model must be able to explain, or at a minimum not conflict with, all of the scientific data. The politically correct, current climate models cannot explain much of the scientific data from observation and measurement.
The popular greenhouse model that led to the Kyoto Protocol requires climate change to progress in sequence, with early lower troposphere heating and warming occurring at the poles. However, the National Academy of Science could not find significant warming in the lower troposphere. The latest measurements of Antarctic climate show that the main part of the continent is cooling, not warming, and has been cooling for some time. The changes occurring in Antarctic ice shelves are the expected post-glacial natural phenomena. These problems alone should have suggested to climate modelers that there are serious problems with the assumptions in their models, and that there might be alternative explanations that actually fit data and observations.
Recorded human history has documented huge global climate change over the last several thousand years. Perhaps the most apparent and best known is the coupled Medieval Climate Optimum (MCO) and the following Little Ice Age (LIA), ending about 1850. Tree ring data correlate with human historical data. Arguments that global warming is causing greater severe storm frequency abound, but new studies show that there are fewer severe weather phenomena.
Scientific evidence does not support the theory that carbon dioxide levels drive climate over human history. Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration lags climate change by 300-600 years throughout the last three glacial terminations, thus de-linking carbon dioxide concentration from climate change. Longer-term synthesis of geological history shows natural variability in temperature well in excess of any projected human changes. The popular and politically correct computer models have failed to replicate past climates over historical time spans during which both warming and cooling have occurred.
The more scientifically acceptable alternative hypothesis that accounts for the present state of global warming is that orbital and solar variability are the most significant drivers of climate, and that greenhouse gases, while important for maintaining the stability of climate and moderating external forcings, are not responsible for most climate variability. This hypothesis encompasses all climate change data.
The correlation of climate change with solar variability (inextricably linked to orbital variations) ‚ has been clearly demonstrated by extensive scientific analysis. In addition the predictability of solar variability has led to better prediction of La Nina and El Nino events, and validates statistical projections for climate.
What does it mean? It means that climate is changing, as it always does, in both directions and at all time scales, and that humans must adapt to the changes. While global warming may accentuate sea level rise, there is no solution for the problem, only mitigation. If climate turns cold, as it surely will, effects on agriculture will be significant. Feeding the growing global population may become a major problem, just as rising sea levels will inexorably inundate low-lying land.
The human greenhouse theory of climate control claims that by changing human lifestyles that generate greenhouse-gases, climate change can be stopped, yet no proposal now before the public, especially the Kyoto protocol, will accomplish that feat.
There is no doubt that natural climate change is occurring. In the context of a rapidly expanding global population clustered along the shorelines of the world, substantial damage will occur during warming phases if we don’t plan appropriate mitigation. Because climate change is natural, we must adapt to the changes as they take place. We must worry now how we will feed the burgeoning global population during a future cold period.
The solar/orbital variations can not be made to go away by the United States transferring its wealth to third world countries. Social agendas can no longer hide behind inaccurate computer models of climate. The task before us is not how to fix the climate, but how to manage population growth and mitigate the effects of natural climate change on people.
Climate changes naturally, all the time, warmer or colder, at all time scales, and at varying amplitudes. We cannot control global climate, but we can start helping people adapt to natural variability.
Some Suggested Readings:
Bluemle, John P., Joseph Sable, and Wibjorn Karlen, 2001, Rate and Magnitude of Past Global Climate Changes: in, Gerhard, Lee C., William E. Harrison, and Bernold M. Hanson, eds., 2001, Geological Perspectives of Global Climate Change: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Studies in Geology #47, Tulsa, OK, p. 193-212.
Bond, Gerard, Bernd Kromer, Juerg Beer, Raimund Muscheler, Michael N. Evans, William Showers, Sharon Hoffmann, RustyLotti-Bond, Irka Hajdas, Georges Bonani, 2001, Persistent Solar Influence on North Atlantic Climate During the Holocene: Science, Vol. 294, Issue 5549, 2130-2136, December 7, 2001
Davis, John C., and Geoffrey Bohling, 2001, The Search for Patterns in Ice-Core Temperature Curves: in Gerhard, Lee C., William E. Harrison, and Bernold M. Hanson, eds.,2001, Geological Perspectives of Global Climate Change: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Studies in Geology #47, Tulsa, OK, p. 213-230.
Doran, Peter T., John C. Priscu, W. Berry Lyons, John E. Walsh, Andrew G. Fountain, Diane M. McKnight, Daryl L. Moorhead, Ross A. Virginia, Diana H. Wall, Gary D. Clow, Christian H. Fritsen, Christopher P. McKay, and Andrew N. Parsons, 2002, Antarctic climate cooling and terrestrial ecosystem response: Nature, v. 415, p. 517-520, 31 Jan 2002.
Esper, Jan, Edward R. Cook, Fritz h. Schweingruber, 2002, Low-Frequency Signals in Long Tree-Ring Chronologies for Reconstructing Past Temperature Variability:Science, v. 295, p. 2250-2253. (See also: Mann and Hughes’ critique and Cook and Esper’s response, Science, v. 296, p. 848-849.)
Fischer, H., M. Wahlen, J. Smith, D. Mastoianni, and B. Deck, 1999, Ice Core Records of Atmospheric CO2 Around the Last Three Glacial Terminations: Science, v. 283, p.1712-1714.
Hoyt, D. V., and K.H. Schatten, 1997, The Role of the Sun in Climate Change: Oxford University Press, New York, 279 p.
Lamb, H. H., 1995, Climate, History, and the Modern World: 2nd Ed., Routledge, NY, 433 p.
Mann, M. E., R. S. Bradley, and M. K. Hughes, 1999, Northern Hemisphere Temperatures During the Past Millennium: Inferences, Uncertainties, and Limitations: Geophysical Re

Our first party of the year took place at the Lakeside Country Club. For this exhilarating event, “ The Victorian Lady Fashion Show,” we need to thank chairpersons Lois Matuszak and Dene Grove. They did a fantastic job of coordinating activities leading up to the raffle of a Victorian doll and exciting door prizes. The HGA wishes to thank Transaction In Oil & Gas and Victoria’s Secret for donating the lovely door prizes.
The December Holiday program is scheduled for Thursday, December 5, 2002. Guest and HGA members are invited to the Brae’Burn Country Club to enjoy a Holiday Music Program to be given by The Joyful Noise with choir director Sally Lowrey. Following lunch, Beverly Smolenski will entertain us at the piano. The chairpersons for this event are Gwinn Lewis and Katherine Bennett. This should be a great time to meet friends and enjoy the gaiety of the Holiday Season.
Geowives News
The Geo-Wives will meet on Tuesday, November 19 in the party room of Woodway Place II, 651 Bering Drive. Representatives of Child Advocates will give the program. They will explain how they help in legal cases that involve children. A Hospice representative will present the last part of the program. Gentlemen are welcome. There will be a light lunch at 12:00 noon. Reservations are $10:00. Please send your check to Jan Stevenson at 1219 Campton Court, Houston, TX. 77055

The Geo-Wives will meet on Tuesday, November 19 in the party room of Woodway Place II, 651 Bering Drive. Representatives of Child Advocates will give the program. They will explain how they help in legal cases that involve children. A Hospice representative will present the last part of the program. Gentlemen are welcome. There will be a light lunch at 12:00 noon. Reservations are $10:00. Please send your check to Jan Stevenson at 1219 Campton Court, Houston, TX. 77055

Shortly after the Spanish conquistadors first interacted with the Aztec culture, they were given four samples of raw green jade. An Aztec emissary told Cortés that these stones were the most precious items in the entire Aztec treasury and should be sent directly to the Spanish King Charles V. However, the Spanish lusted after gold and not stones; this caused the demand for jade to cease. There was an approximately 400-year interval in which the source of Mesoamerican jade was not known. In the 1950s, a Guatemalan tomato farmer led William Foshag to a site in the Motagua river valley and showed him green jade similar to that commonly used in Aztec and Maya cultures. However, the source of the blue-green jade used by the Olmec (a Mesoamerican formative culture) remained a mystery until recent work by a group of geologists and archeologists, as reported in the New York Times and Houston Chronicle on April 22, 2002.
Jade is a common name for a rock almost entirely made of either nephrite (a type of amphibole) or jadeite (a sodium-rich pyroxene). Nephrite jade is more common and was used extensively in early Chinese jewelry and sculpture. Jadeite jade (or jadeitite) is much more rare as it only occurs in 8 to 10 localities around the world with prime commercial jadeitite produced in northern Myanmar (formerly Burma). It typically is hosted in serpentinite as either veins or tectonic blocks. Jadeitite precipitates from seawater in subduction zones (Johnson and Harlow, 1999). Jadeitites typically occur with other high-pressure, low-temperature rocks such as eclogites (a garnet pyroxene rock) and blueschists (predominantly a glaucophane-bearing rock). Often jadeitite occurrences are associated with strike-slip fault zones. The processes that form jade are still being deciphered to understand how it is exhumed back to the Earth’s surface and what causes the extensive range of colors including white, black, mauve, lilac and numerous shades of green including the blue-green found only in Olmec artifacts.
Geologists and archeologists seeking jadeitite concentrated their exploration in the northern Motagua River valley where there are abundant outcrops of serpentinite (e.g., Harlow, 1994). This valley is the trace of the Motagua fault, a left-lateral, strike-slip fault that has up to 1,200 kilometers of offset and separates the North American plate from the Caribbean plate. Previous studies and commercial exploration only found jadeitite as either alluvium or as dismembered tectonic blocks hosted by serpentinite. Substantial erosion partly associated with Hurricane Mitch in 1998 revealed blue-green jadeitite boulders and serpentinite outcrops 10 kilometers south of the Motagua valley. Local farmers began collecting the material, but the Guatemalan jade market preferred green material for creating jewelry and replicas of Mayan artifacts, so, Montagua Valley jadeitite was not used in commercial pieces. Russell Seitz found an unused piece in a jade shop in Antigua, Guatemala and was subsequently shown the location for this jade. He contacted Dr. George Harlow of the American Museum of Natural History to confirm this was indeed jadeitite. He then invited Harlow, Dr. Karl Taube, an archeologist from University of California at Riverside, and myself to see the locality. In March 2001, we spent 10 days looking at various sites to confirm ancient jade workings as well as the geologic setting of the jadeitite. We were also taken to a site in the Sierra de las Minas Mountains well north of the Motagua fault zone. There was a dry stone trackway that led directly to the jadeitite locality. It is not known how old this trackway is and whether it has any relation with ancient cultures. Future archeological studies will hopefully determine this and whether or not Olmec or Mayan cultures took material from this site for jade working. While we were there, we were told that jadeitite was being found south of the Motagua valley. Another trip occurred in June to verify this fact. The results of these two trips are discussed in Seitz et al. (2001).
Subsequent to our discovery, we found that Richard Mandell, a retired sports historian, also found pieces that are similar to Olmec blue jade during his interactions with farmers in Guatemala in 1999. Also, a local jade entrepreneur and archeologist, Mary Lou Ridinger, found pieces in 1987 that may be similar to Olmec blue jade. None of these findings, however, was reported in either geologic or archeological publications.
In addition to jadeitite, the serpentinite hosts other high-pressure metamorphic tectonic blocks. To the south of the Motagua fault, these blocks are typically eclogites and blueschists. In contrast, the tectonic blocks in serpentinite north of the Motagua fault are garnet-amphibolite rocks that form by retrogression of eclogite. This implies that the two sides of the fault have different subduction histories. We do not know if this is caused by a change in plate tectonic setting with time or whether these different blocks just represent different events in one relict subduction zone. In addition, there are albitites (rocks composed mostly of albite feldspar with some white micas) on both sides of the Motagua fault. These are presumed to form in a similar manner to jadeitite but at lower pressures and temperatures in the relict subduction zone. Thus, the rock suites hosted in the serpentinite give us a sampling of many different levels from exhumed subduction zone(s).
Plans are now being made for future geologic studies to constrain the pressure-temperature for formation of jadeitite, eclogite, and blueschist formation (both north and south of the Motagua fault); geochronology of jadeitite formation; and accessory minerals in the jadeitite from north and south of the fault. The latter study will help relate the jadeitite in outcrop to various artifacts. We hypothesize that the accessory minerals vary between different outcrops and thus can be used to “fingerprint” the jade in artifacts. Dr. Hans Avé Lallemant of Rice University will also study these jadeitites and their host serpentinite to determine how they were exhumed back to the surface from the relict subduction zone. Archeological studies will try to determine when the material was mined at various locations by the different Mesoamerican cultures.
Biographical Sketch
Virginia Sisson is a Research Scientist in the Department of Earth Science at Rice University. She earned a BA in geology at Bryn Mawr College, and both an MS and PhD at Princeton University in metamorphic petrology. Her focus continues to be on metamorphism and tectonics. For over 15 years, she has worked in southern Alaska doing fieldwork, geochronology, geochemistry and petrology on the accretionary margin looking at the effects of Paleogene ridge subduction. She also has done similar studies in northern Venezuela with Dr. Hans Avé Lallemant on determining the maximum depth of burial and exhumation of two subduction related compexes. This research led to the current studies on jade beginning with a field excursion to Myanmar (formerly Burma) two years ago.
References cited:
Harlow, G. E. (1994) Jadeitites, albitites and related rocks from the Motagua Fault Zone, Guatemala. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, v. 12, p. 49-68.
Johnson, C. A., and Harlow, G. E. (1999) Guatemala jadeites and albitites were formed by deuterium-rich serpentinizing fluids deep within a subduction zone. Geology, v. 27, p. 629-632.
Seitz, R., Harlow, G. E., Sisson, V. B., and Taube, K. E. (2001) Formative jades and expanded jade sources in Guatemala. Antiquity, v. 75, no. 290, p. 687-688.
Guatemalan field party guide, Carlos Gonzales, by a big boulder of jade that was uncovered in Hurricane Mitch.
Figures:
Figure One: Guatemalan fi

By the time you read this we have already been transported to the nineteenth century at our first event of the new season. At Lakeside Country Club on September 10, J’Nean and Kim of “The Victorian Lady” presented us with a parade of Victorian clothing and hats from 1854 to 1912 along with a demonstration of the customs and etiquette practiced by ladies of that era. Members and guests enjoyed a bountiful buffet as well.
We welcome our new members Sally Blackhall, Arlene Falchook, Frances H. Scherer, Geralyn Smitherman, Denise Stone (HGS President), Betty Sullivan, and Elizabeth Wilson. We urge the spouse of any HGS member to become a part of the Auxiliary. Those interested, please call Linnie Edwards, Membership Chairman, at 713-785-7115 for information.
Linnie Edwards, Edie Frick, and Dene Grove were pleased to help out the HGS with registration at the TechnoFest at the Westchase Hilton on August 8, 2002.
Please circle this date, December 5, because you won’t want to miss our Holiday Luncheon at Brae Burn Country Club, where we will be entertained by the Joyful Noise Choral Group led by Sally Lowrey, followed by Beverly Smolenski at the piano.

An Interval velocity profile is usually used to predict pore pressure especially where existing calibration well data are scarce (Fig. 1) . However, using seismic velocity to predict pore pressure in a proposed well location is not the only decisive answer. The velocity changes in the shale (i.e., low-permeability beds) are result of compaction disequilibrium and additional secondary petrophysical alterations, such as cementation and diagenesis. In addition to these aforementioned factors, subsurface pressure profile development in shale and sand is greatly impacted by the basin geological setting, pressure decay process, and the presence of hydrocarbon.
The mistake of assuming there is immediacy between the pressure in the sand and the interbedded shale leads to serious drilling and exploration assessment problems. Understanding the geological setting of the explored basin, compartmentalization, and the expected hydrocarbon pressure are essential to establish this relationship. The structural setting of a prospect and the fault plane lithology juxtaposition play a substantial role in pressure differential distribution in sand vs. shale. On the structural crest, the pore pressure in the sand usually exceeds the predicted pore pressure in the shale. The presence of hydrocarbon, especially gas, frequently leads to a significant increase of the reservoir pore pressure relative to the pore pressure estimated in the seal shale.
To establish this relationship and foresee the pore pressure shifts between seals and reservoirs, several issues should be considered:

• Pressure decay, sedimentation rate and aging
  
• The geological setting
  
• Centroid effect due to the structural relief
  
• Hydrocarbon presence.

It is an honor and my pleasure to be serving as President of the HGA for the coming year. We have a great board and expect a productive and fun-filled year.
Please fill out a membership form as soon as possible as our directory deadline is July 15, 2002. Invite a new member or two to join us and share the lovely times we will have.
We look forward to your participation in the year to come.
Jan Stevenson2002-2003 HGA President

We have a wonderful new board for GeoWives and we are looking forward to a very interesting, fun year with many good meetings. We thank last year’s board for all the great times they gave the group.
Mary Jean Pawley2002-2003 GeoWives President

Our year has been terrific one, yet it is rapidly drawing to a close. But before we bid it farewell, we will have one last bash. Our Annual Meeting scheduled for May 7, 2002, at 11:00 a.m., will include an informal style show and luncheon at the Racquet Club. There will be models from the HGA and musical entertainment by one of our own members-Laima Gaizutis. Chairing this event will be Sara Nan Grubb, with the able assistance of Margaret Jones and members of their committee. Also included is the business meeting when new officers for the upcoming year are announced and introduced.
One more time-Membership! We need to expand our membership. Let’s all work on bringing this about in the coming year.
What has helped make our year go so well has been the talents, hard work, and contributions of our Officers, Board members and members of our various committees. Special thanks go out to the following:

• Ann McFarlan, our First Vice President, for planning our parties
  
• Anne Rogers, for an excellent job serving as our Secretary, along with serving as Party Chairman for The Great Caruso
  
• Margery Ambrose, for her effort in collecting our dues on time and trying to increase our membership
  
• Jackie Smith, for a fine job being our Chief Financial Officer
  
• Winona LaBrant Smith, for her time spent putting together our year book
  
• Gwinn Lewis, for a super job as Editor of the Eclectic Log
  
• Kathryn Bennett, for providing a wonderful service sending out cards and notes to our members who were ill or had experienced the loss of a love one, as well as designing neat name tags for our parties
  
• Susan McKinley, our media specialist, who earned special kudos for covering our news in the HGS Bulletin
  
• Janet Steinmetz, for a great job chairing the Jazz Brunch last September
  
• Daisy Wood’s, for her flair for party planning, making GAME DAY a very enjoyable event
  
• Helen Thomas, our Historian/Photographer, for working diligently recording us for posterity
  
• Lois Matuszak, for a first class job serving as our Parliamentarian; and last but not least,
  
• Linnie Edwards, who gets an extra big Thank You for mailing the Log.

Thanks to all the GeoWives officers and volunteers for a wonderful year. Our theme was “Expanding Horizons” and I can say with confidence that we succeeded. Plan to attend our final event of the year, a business meeting, followed by a luncheon at the Junior League at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 16. Please join us in May, or any time in the next program year. You are always welcome.
Alice Cook, GeoWives President

Since becoming a consultant in the petroleum field, I have been asked by petroleum geologists facing layoffs and mergers whether they should explore the possibility of becoming a university professor. This paper summarizes what I tell them, but the reader is advised that some of my commentary (1) may appear a bit jaded, (2) may be out of date because I left a faculty position in 1993, and an executive directorship of an academic marine consortium in 1996, and (3) is based on a career in research universities because I never taught in a small liberal arts college.  Nonetheless, I maintain contact with people in academe and such conversations update my perceptions.
All candidates for faculty positions must have earned a PhD.  I then remind industry geologists that their possibly idyllic views of academic life and responsibilities also should have changed considerably.  The principle reasons for these changes are funding issues in higher education and how faculty, programs and colleges within a university are evaluated by administrators, particularly when funds are tight. 
BOTTOM LINE FACT:
The principle guideline for evaluating individual faculty performance, departments and colleges is represented by the following formula:
                                               E = ($CNF)X + $Og   (1)
Where    E = Effectiveness of either individual faculty, department, or college
              C = Credit hours per course
              N = Number of students enrolled in a course
              F = Tuition fee rate per credit hour for each course
              X = Number of courses taught in an academic year
              Og = Overhead for University Campus generated from research grants a
                            professor wins for personal research, or aggregate overhead of all
                            faculty in department or college.
Administrators view faculty, departments and colleges as highly effective if E is greater than 80 percent of the annual state (or endowment) budget appropriated for salary or program costs; acceptable if E ranges from 70 to 80 (but don’t get complacent because things can wrong quickly); and concerned or oversized if E ranges from 60 to 70. A faculty member or a department faces strong pressure or even closure if E falls below 60 percent.
So, the message is clear.  Faculty members will survive as a professor if they raise lots of grants with lots of overhead for the university coffers, or teach a lot of classes with large student enrollments.  In reality, faculty are required to undertake and publish research, so they must develop a constant multi-tasking, juggling act.  A professor is viewed as a profit center by university administrators, no different from a petroleum geologist in industry.  As one friend put it, deans expect “money in and publications out”.
Consequently,  professors are under strong pressure to raise grants and keep E respectable.  Thus the collegial comfortable life of college campuses in the 1970’s and early 1980’s has evaporated. Faculty have less time for students and for casual conversations than in the past.  Moreover, because of lack of time to talk with students, career counseling and mentoring has declined, and in some instances, has fallen out of favor due to work load and campus-wide political climate. 
Accountability standards have increased also, partly in response to federal funding mandates after the “overhead scandals” of the late 1980’s.  Thus faculty time is also devoted to completing more forms accounting more for one’s time, and responding to countless memoranda.  Ignoring accountability requests is fraught with risk.
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR
A university faculty member works and functions as an independent contractor.  Thus no job description exists; courses are staffed by the department head; and one pursues whatever research one wishes to conduct (as long as it brings in grant funds).  It also means that whenever the university asks a faculty member to do something “extra” or new, it provides a negotiating opportunity to request things from one’s department head so one can keep one’s research program functional, and be successful within the framework of the new assignment.
THE INTERVIEW
If a prospective faculty members are invited for an interview, it is absolutely critical to determine institutional criteria for promotion, including a tenure promotion. Be sure to ask everyone you meet during a campus visit to see if the response is consistent
During interviews, it is critical to ask about teaching loads, availability of office and lab space, starter funds for research equipment, internal grants, sabbatical leave policies, local schools (if one has children), local cost-of-living index, housing, and housing financial assistance (if the campus is located in a super expensive area like the New York City area or California).  All are legitimate questions.  Also know what is needed in costs and space to develop your proposed program and be sure to ask if and how the university can provide it as part of your appointment.
ADVANCEMENT TO TENURE AND PROMOTION
When ready for advancement to tenure (usually at the Associate Professor rank