Stone's Notes

This conversation with Jonathan Banks, research associate at the University of Alberta, is about geothermal reservoirs in Alberta.  The discussion focuses around his scientific paper “Deep-Dive Analysis of the Best Geothermal Reservoir for Commercial Development in Alberta: Final Report”.  Some highlights include hot Devonian reefs.  

Which municipal districts have geothermal potential in Alberta?  What are some of the uses of geothermal energy?  How do you calculate the geothermal potential of a reservoir?

May this exchange serve to expand your geological knowledge on the go.

For more information go to www.stoneconsulting.info

Banks, J., (2017). Deep Dive Analysis of the Best Geothermal Reservoirs for Commercial Development in AB: Final Report. University of Alberta, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences & Alberta Innovates.

This conversation is with Juli Rohl, scientist and facilitator at the energy futures lab.  We’ll be discussing the LEAD Project: Leveraging our Energy Assets for Diversification, a recent report by Marla Orenstein and Juli Rohl with help from core team members.   Some highlights include discussing solutions to regulation issues start up solar and geothermal companies face.

What are the roadblocks to allow entrepreneurs to utilize existing oil and gas infrastructure sites for new development?  What is the current regulation and how would one go about acquiring a wellsite for surface diversification such as solar today?   How do you protect landowners? A solution to these key issues is put forward in a short but impactful draft bill, Juli shares a high level overview of what it says.    

May this exchange serve to expand your geological knowledge on the go.

For more information go to www.stoneconsulting.info

Citation: Orenstein M. and J. Rohl (2021). The LEAD Project: Leveraging our Energy Assets for Diversification. Energy Futures Lab, Calgary, AB.

This conversation with  Ron Broadhead, emeritus principal petroleum geologist at New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, is about helium.  We’ll be discussing helium exploration with some references to the research paper by Ronald Broadhead titled “Helium in New Mexico – geologic distribution, resource demand, and exploration possibilities”.  Some highlights include discussing which reservoirs are ideal for helium production.  

What are the main uses and demand for helium?  Which reservoirs are ideal for helium production? How does helium compare to other gases?

May this exchange serve to expand your geological knowledge on the go.

For more information go to www.stoneconsulting.info

Citation: Broadhead, R.. “Helium in New Mexico—geologic distribution, resource demand, and exploration possibilities.” (2005). 

This conversation with  Claude Rezk, P. Eng, MBA,  PMP is about methods to determine horizontal fracture effectiveness.  It is based on Shaoyoung Yu and Claude Rezk's engineering article titled “Coupling Analytical and Numerical Methods to Assess Performance and Stimulation Efficiency in Multi-Stage Fractured Horizontals.”   Some highlights include discussing ways to tell if the initial production results reflect the true geology or if there could be some issues with the fracture.

Can simulation models be used to make decisions about milling out a wellbore?  How do you ground truth the models?  What inputs are required for the models?

May this exchange serve to expand your geological knowledge on the go.

For more information go to www.stoneconsulting.info

Citation: Yu, Shaoyong , and Claude Rezk. "Coupling Analytical and Numerical Methods to Assess Performance and Stimulation Efficiency in Multi-Stage Fractured Horizontals." Paper presented at the SPE Unconventional Resources Conference, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, February 2017. doi: https://doi.org/10.2118/185027-MS

This conversation with  Shahin Dashtgard, earth science professor at Simon Fraser University, is about tropical cyclones and how they are recorded in the rock record.  It is based on 7 years of research and knowledge published in 5 papers - including Shahin E. Dashtgard, Ludvig Löwemark, Romain Vaucher, Yu-Yen Pan, Jessica E. Pilarczyk, and Sébastien Castelltort's recent publication “Tropical cyclone deposits in the Pliocene Taiwan Strait: Processes, examples, and conceptual model”.  Some highlights include discussing how the stages of a tropical cyclone are preserved in the sediments. 

What are tropical cyclones and how are they different than hurricanes, typhoons, tropical depressions, and tropical storms? What are the depositional characteristics of a tropical cyclone?  What do tropical cyclones look like in a strait?

May this exchange serve to expand your geological knowledge on the go.

For more information go to www.stoneconsulting.info

Citation: Shahin E. Dashtgard, Ludvig Löwemark, Romain Vaucher, Yu-Yen Pan, Jessica E. Pilarczyk, Sébastien Castelltort. (2020). Tropical cyclone deposits in the Pliocene Taiwan Strait: Processes, examples, and conceptual model. Sedimentary Geology (405) 105687, ISSN 0037-0738, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2020.105687.

This conversation with  Marco Veniere is about the geomechanical properties in the Duvernay.  It is based on Marco Venieri, Per Pedersen, and David Eaton’s recent publication “Predicting unconventional reservoir potential from wire-line logs: a correlation between compositional and geomecahnical properties of the Duvernay shale play of western Alberta Canada”.  We also incorporate elements from the previous paper by Marco Venieri, Ronald Weird, Scott McKean, Per Pedersen, and David Eaton’s scientific article titled “Determining elastic properties of organic-rich shales from core, wireline logs, and 3-D seismic: A comparative study from the Duvernay play, Alberta, Canada”.  Some highlights include discussing how spectral gamma ray and pulsed neutron spectroscopy to reveal elastic properties. 

What does Young's Modulus and Poisson’s Ratio correlate to geologically in core, seismic, and logs?  How do Spectral Gamma Ray and Pulsed Neutron Spectroscopy reveal elastic properties?

May this exchange serve to expand your geological knowledge on the go.

For more information go to www.stoneconsulting.info

Citation: Venieri, M., Pedersen, P., Eaton, D. (2020). Predicting unconventional reservoir potential from wire-line logs: a correlation between compositional and geomecahnical properties of the Duvernay shale play of western Alberta Canada. AAPG Bulletin (November 2020). 10.1306/10262019042

Venieri, M., Weird, R., McKean, S., Pedersen, P., Eaton, D. (2020). Determining elastic properties of organic-rich shales from core, wireline logs, and 3-D seismic: A comparative study from the Duvernay play, Alberta, Canada. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering (84) 103637, ISSN 1875-5100

This conversation with Guy Plint is about the Cretaceous Dunvegan Stratigraphy. It is based on Guy Plint's scientific article  titled “Nonmarine sequence stratigraphy: updip expression of sequence boundaries and systems tracts in a high-resolution framework, Cenomanian Dunvegan Formation, Alberta foreland basin, Canada."

How important are Dunvegan allomembers?  Which systems tracts are significant?  What is a lemon drop?  What's next in the Dunvegan?

May this exchange serve to expand your geological knowledge on the go.

For more information go to www.stoneconsulting.info

Citation: Plint, McCarthy, Faccini. (2001). Nonmarine sequence stratigraphy: Updip expression of sequence boundaries and systems tracts in a high-resolution framework, Cenomanian Dunvegan Formation, Alberta foreland basin, Canada. AAPG Bulletin, V. 85, No. 11 (November 2001), P. 1967-2001.

This conversation with Chris Podetz is about the Cardium Formation. It is based on Chris Podetz and Jeffrey Horton's scientific article  titled “Cardium Shoreface Oil: A Comparison of Production Areas."

How has development of the Cardium changed over time?  What are the strengths of the Pembina, Willesden Green, Ferrier, and Wapiti Cardium fields?  What are the average completion, production, and geology statistics in each area?  

May this exchange serve to expand your geological knowledge on the go.

For more information go to www.stoneconsulting.info

Citation: Podetz, C. and Horton, J. (2018, July 25). Cardium Shoreface Oil: A Comparison of Production Areas. Discovery Digest 2018 (07), pp1-49.

This conversation with Ross Crain is about integrated petrophysics. It is based on Ross Crain's online textbook titled “Crain's Petrophysical Handbook."

What is the one tip geologists need to implement for better petrophysical models?  Should mineral models be used in more formations?  When is your petrophysical model complete?

May this exchange serve to expand your geological knowledge on the go.

For more information go to www.stoneconsulting.info

Citation: Crain's Petrophysical Handbook by E.R. (Ross) Crain, P.Eng., online at www.spec2000.net, 2019.

This conversation with Tyler Hauck is about a regional study utilizing stratigraphy to identify halite dissolution within the Devonian, and its effect on the sub-cretaceous unconformity and deposition of the overlaying McMurray Formation. It is based on Tyler Hauck, Jesse Peterson, Ben Hathway, Matthias Grobe, and Kelsey MacCormack’s scientific article titled “New insight from regional-scale mapping and modelling of the Paleozoic succession in northeast Alberta: Paleogeography, evaporite dissolution, and controls on Cretaceous depositional patterns on the sub-cretaceous unconformity."

What is the importance of the halite dissolution scarp and it's updated location?  How does the underlying Devonian Keg River Formation and Prairie Evaporite Formation effect the overlying Cretaceous McMurray Formation deposition?  Which stratigraphic markers are utilized to understanding the Athabasca Basin?

May this exchange serve to expand your geological knowledge on the go.

For more information go to www.stoneconsulting.info

Citation: Tyler E. Hauck, Jesse T. Peterson, Ben Hathway, Matthias Grobe, Kelsey MacCormack; New insights from regional-scale mapping and modelling of the Paleozoic succession in northeast Alberta: Paleogeography, evaporite dissolution, and controls on Cretaceous depositional patterns on the sub-Cretaceous unconformity. Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology ; 65 (1): 87–114.