December 1979

BULLETIN

Volume 22 Number 4

HGS DECEMBER CALENDAR Thmrd.y,D.oukr41119(ddntLumh.onWIvllnevrlth8n) W N k h . y H o ( d ~

Aleunder Stuart A.roclato Edbr, Fortune W y the Oll Compank Are Comlng Up Dry In Public Rdutlona" Socirl W d - 1 l : W AM, Luncheon and Meeting-12 Noon k a a ~ t l o n s ( td .pho~ only, 77l-TI#) m w l b. made or cancelled by Mon-

Pwld.nt Fint Vice Preeidmt S.cond Vlce Prarrident -w Tnmulm Exmxtive Committeemen Exeaitivs, Committe%men Emxthm GomrnMeemen ExrcurSre Cornmittbemen Put PrsrEdent

A&mlc Llaison Adwtlsing Awards and Student Loan Bdlot Boy Scout Bullrtln Conthruing Education Dimctoy Entwtnlnmsnt Enrironmenbtl Envlrortmental Publication E x h l b Field Wudim Field Trlp Flnance H Warlcal Ll bmry Membership Namlnstirtg Penannel Placament Publlations Pu bllcation Sales Publlc Relations Renwmbmncg6, Resslrrch Study Course Spsrdal Publications Technical Program Tramportstion

-.. - .. t *, -

HOUSTON GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY *IL'

Suite 6-1, 806 Main Street Houston, Texas 77002

223-9309

EXECUTIVE BOARD

WIUIam A Fowler, Phillips Petroleum Company C M r A. Balrd, Dow Chemical, USA

WWllam F. Birhop, Tenneco Oil Company Psggy J. R i m Conoco, Inc.

M t t W w W. Dawa, Transcontinental and Pipeline Corp. Roberl W. Bybe, Exxon Company USA

Donald H. Cummlngs, Getty Oil Company J a m A. Ragadale, Blocker Exploration Company

Charlea E. Trowbrldgr, Consultant Jeffery V. Morris, Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Corp.

COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN

L o u k Durham, Shell Oil Company, Fred Baker, Great Western Drilling Company,

Ron Harlan, Oxy Petroleum Inc.. Eral M. Sutton, Lomax Exploration Company,

Jeny Sides, Hanover Petroleum Corp., Greg Bumr, Cities Service Company,

S. Camllle Yarbrough, Transco Exploration Company, Bruce E. Archlnal, Houston Oil 8 Mineral Corp.,

Dl& Hughwt, Ada Inc., Donna F. BaHn, Houston Oil 8 Minerals, Corp.

Dan E. Dugwn, Kirby Exploratlon Company Jim McMurrey, Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp.

Arlhur R. Troell, Franks Petroleum Company,

J.lrmLbwmk EWyn YWRs w, Camultslnt

John H. Hslner, a x o n Company USA, Jettory V. Mowlr, Transcontinental Gas Pipe Llne Corp..

Rldwfd Gulf 011 Company Ch- A. Batrd, Dow Chemlcal USA,

Chvkr K. OvWm, Amom Productkm Company, F m k ClWwbd, Transcontinental (krs PLw Cotp,

W d t ~ A. Boyd, Columbia Gas Development Company Ocott J. Lydnger, Delta Drilling Comp.ny

Dorlr M. CWb, Robsrtron R8~11wch U.S., inc. WllUam F. W h o p , Tenneco Oil Company,

DaM M. mk6ton, Womap Peppard-Souder,

SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVES

Adwsor, Museum of Natural Sclence Edd R Turner, Getty 011 Company 658-9361 GCAQS Repreaentatlve Doem QmMm, Cities Service Company 6299700 QCAG8 Alternate hffq V. Yorrk, Tranocontlnental Gm Pipelins Carp. 871-2502 AAPG Delegate Cha~rman Jam- E. Werner, Miller & Lents Ltd., 65143455 AAPG Group insurance John Bmnwteller, Insurance Consultant 668-0610

HOUSTON GEOLOGICAL AUXILIARY OFFICERS

Prwident Prcddmt-Elwt First VI- Reaidant (Social) Second Vic+Pmidentl (Memberrrhip) Third VicsPrsaident (HGS Representative) *-ry Tracuurer

Mrs. James G. (Gknna) Floyd 467-8248 Mrs. Andrew B. (Norm Jean) Bacho 494-9247

Mrs. Donald H. (Carotyn) Cummkrgr 437-9644 Mrs. John D. (Edie) FrCdr 784-4642

Mn. Jeffery V. (Sylvia) Mmdr 774-0636 Mrs. Larry L. (Nomu) Jones 497-3857

Mrr. Tlmothy F. (Barbara) Brown 780-4194

PRESIDENTS COMMENTS WHY SANTA CLAUS QUIT THE OIL BUSINESS

Most folks don't know it, but Santa Claus was one of the real old-timers in the oil patch. He got started back in Pennsylvania, working in the oil fields to fill that 364-day slack season of his. After roughnecking a while, he went into the supply business. There he made a name for him- self in oil tools when he came up with the first Christmas Tree, even though-as every geologist knows-Santa Claus couldn't possibly be an engineer.

When he got tired of oil tools, he went into drilling. He was a good driller; so popular with the other hands that they all wanted to be just like him. That was the start of the Santa Claus profile you still see among some old-time tool pushers. Being strong on keeping holidays himself, he was the first to do his drilling during the week and leave the weekends and holidays to the geologists and loggers, a custom still flourishing among drilling crews.

After pushing tools for awhile, Santa got his own rig. It wasn't long before he started taking a few deals on the side. His operations grew until he became a wildcatting independent; and what a wildcatter he was! Who do you think found the Christmas and the Christmas Day fields? Then there's Holliday, Holiday Creek and Holly, not to mention Joy and Blessing and Good Luck along with such Christmas staples as Kidd, Dance and Trees and seasonal items like Winters, Jack Frost and Winter Garden. Even Santa's reindeer got in on the act, with Rudolph and Vixen, Antler and Horn, and Red Deer and Deer Park.

Santa even dabbled in geology. Ever wonder who named the Christmas Sand? Or why the first log patterns used to define sand facies were called "Christmas Trees" and "Carrots"-the very things folks leave for St. Nick on Christmas Eve? When you get right down to it, there aren't many parts of the oil business where Santa hasn't left his mark.

Santa always had some dealings with government. He'd filed his permits, surveys, and plugging reports like everybody else. He thought force pooling and unitization were good ideas. He liked it when the Commission pro- rated production to keep prices up. He even wrote his Con- gressman to keep import quotas on cheap foreign oil. Other things he didn't like: regulated gas prices; environ- mental and safety regulations; paper work.

When the shortage came, Santa offered to help his country, but the government didn't want anyone who knew the oil business working on the problem, in case they might help the industry, or even the country. Then he thought he'd help on his own by finding more oil, but ever- ywhere he turned he ran into more regulations and price controls and delays and paperwork and folks telling him it was his fault they had to wait in line for expensive gas for their three cars, pickup, boat, motor home, and RV. One day while filling out in triplicate page 73 of a form applying for a hearing for a permit to drill for $6.00 a barrel oil with $50.00 a barrel drilling costs, Santa's pencil broke and tore the paper. Santa finally blew his top. He jumped up, shout- ing "I'd rather give it away" and went back to the North Pole.

Merry Christmas William Fowler President

SOCIETY CALENDAR FOR JANUARY January 7, 1980 HGS Evening Meeting Rice Faculty Club James Lee Wilson, Univ. of Mich.

"Plate Tectonic Influences on Carbonate Platform and Bank Development"

January 30, 1980 HGS Luncheon Meeting Holiday Inn - C. C. Christina and K. G. Martin Medical Center "You Ain't Seen Nothing Until

You've Seen the Tuscaloosa"

MEMBERSHIP PHOTO-DIRECTORY The H.G.S. will be publishing a photo-directory of its

1979-80 membership. If you have a 2x3" black and white photo of yourself that you would prefer used in the direc- tory, print your name on the back and send it to:

Bruce E. Archinal Houston Oil & Minerals Corporation Texas Division 242 The Main Bldg. 1212 Main Houston, Texas 77002

No photographs will be returned. Please don't submit a color photo or photos other than 2x3". For those who don't have current photographs, there will be photographers at our luncheon and evening meetings through March to take your pictures. I would like to urge each member to please make an effort to send in a photo or attend one of the meetings and be photographed, so that our photo- directory will be a high quality publication without numer- ous blank spaces next to individuals names.

An order blank can be found elsewhere in the Bulletin to reserve your copy of the photo-directory.

URANIUM GEOCHEMISTRY GAMMA-RAY SPECTROMETRY SHORT COURSE

Another in the series of short courses begun in 1969 is scheduled for December 10-1 5, 1979. Laboratory and field demonstrations will be included. Special attention will be given to synthesizing the recent advances in uranium exploration and mining techniques including discussions concerning the use of uranium decay products as tracers. A limited number of Student Scholarships are available for qualified enrolled seniors. The registration fee for the five day course is $600.00.

Course Directors: Dr. J. A. S. Adams Dr. Wen H. Huang

For Details Contact: Prof. J. A. S. Adams

Dept. of Geology Rice University

Houston, Tx 77001 (71 3) 520-6436

PRICE SCHEDULE-HGS MEETING Whitehall Hotel

Luncheon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$9.00

Reservations-771-7738 Please make reservations for the Wednesday noon meeting by the preceding Monday noon.

Houston Geological Society Bulletin, December 1979

NOON MEETING-DECEMBER 6, 1979

ALEXANDER STUART-Biographical SketchAlexander Stuart was bornin San Francisco in 1950but was raised in the Chi-cago area. He graduatedfrom Princeton in 1972with an A.B. in English,and received his M.BAfrom Harvard BusinessSchool in 1975. FollowingHarvard, he accepted aresearch assistantship atHarvard's InternationalSenior Manager's Programin Switzerland, and for oneyear he traveled across

- Europe interviewing topofficers of European and American companies.

He joined Fortune in 1976, and arrived in Houston inDecember 1977 to open the magazine's first Southwesterneditorial office. Says Stuart, "Some mail I receive refers tome as the "Houston Bureau Chief" for Fortune, but that's amisnomer. I am the bureau. both Chief and Indian."

A sampling of his articles for Fortune magazine relat-ing to the petroleum industry include: "Superior Oil CranksUp its Cash Flow Machine," April 24, 1978; "CitizenConnally-the Businessman You Never Knew," July 31,1978; "That Very Interesting Dance in the BaltimoreCanyon," Sept. 11, 1978; "A Bad Start on Natural Gas,"Feb. 12, 1979; "Does Anyone Really Need R. R. A.," June18, 1979; and, "The Rough Road to Making Oil and GasFrom Coal," Sept. 24, 1979.

WHY THE OIL COMPANIES ARE COMING UP DRY INPUBLIC RELATIONS (No abstract available)

MEXICAN OIL SOURCE ROCKS MAYEXTEND TO OFFSHORE U.S. EAST COAST;WORTH TESTING

The great oil-bearing reef complex of the Reforma andCampeche shelf provinces of Mexico can be traced-withthe exception of a few gaps-northward through the Gulfof Mexico and along the Atlantic continental margin of theUnited States, offering an attractive target for testing for oilpotential, according to Dr. H. William Menard, director ofthe U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.

The most favorable location for testing the oil potentialof the reef in United States waters is in the Mid-Atlanticlease area about 140 miles offshore of the New Jerseycoast, Menard said.

Menard suggested that the testing could be accomp-lished by industry under permit or lease from the Federalgovernment or through use of the Federally ownedresearch vessel, the GLOMAR EXPLORER.

"We estimate," Menard said, "that the reef complex inthe Mid-Atlantic region contains 1 to 6 billion barrels ofrecoverable oil, with the whole Atlantic reef trend contain-ing 2 to 15 billion barrels of recoverable oiL"

Menard cautioned, however, that there were many geo-logic uncertainties about the reef complex and its potentialthat could only be resolved by exploratory drilling. Despite

Houston Geological Society Bulletin, December 1979

these uncertainties, the odds for a significant discovery"seem acceptable," Menard said.

The USGS director's remarks about the oil potential ofthe Atlantic continental margin were made today (August30, 1979) before the Presidential Ener~y TechnologySeminar in Atlanta, Ga.

Menard said that oceanographic and marine geologicresearch has revealed that the great "petroliferous" fossilreef off the Mexican coast appears to occur intermittentlyinto the Gulf of Mexico, but is almost continuous off theAtlantic coast from Florida to Canada.

Menard said the reef is largely of Jurassic age (about100 million to 140 million years old). The top of the reefcomplex, he explained, is under about 6,000 feet of waterand another 6,000 feet of sedimentary rock, and is roughly20,000 feet thick and 15 miles wide. The reef, he added, isbordered by thick layers of "promising" source rocks.

"The principal uncertainty," Menard said, "is whetherthe reef was elevated above sea level and thus uniformlyweathered into an optimum reservoir for storage and rapiddevelopment. Another uncertainty is whether conditions inJurassic time were suitable for the maturation of oil.

"If the reef were elevated above sea level and partiallyeroded," Menard said, "very large productive fields are pos-sible. If the hydrocarbons in the source rocks were neverheated enough, there may be no oil at aiL"

Menard said that estimates of resources in undrilledregions are made by comparing the geology and geologichistory with those of very similar regions that have beendrilled. "By this means, we estimate that the reef complexoff the Mid-Atlantic lease area contains 1 to 6 billion bar-rels of recoverable oil," he said.

"The small side of the estimate," Menard said,"assumes reef characteristics like some oil fields in Texas;the larger estimate assumes conditions more like those inMexico. With the same uncertainties, we estimate thewhole Atlantic reef trend contains 2 to 15 billion barrels ofrecoverable oil.

"We estimate," Menard said, "that oil in these quanti-ties could be produced at $15 to $20 per barrel includingtransportation to shore.

Menard said that exploration costs for the wells are$150 million to $200 million. He suggested that the pro-gram could be voluntary by oil companies as part of the\Continental Offshore Stratigraphic Test (COST) drillingprogram. At the other extreme, he added, the governmentcould carry out exploration preliminary to leasing.

"While the exploration, leasing, and production inchout into deeper waters," Menard said, "oceanographers arein a position to continue their exploratory reconnaissanceof deeper water.

"The GLOMAR EXPLORER," Menard said, "is a shipwith the general capability, after modification, to drill safelyin oil and gas-prone regions at great depth. It belongs tothe U.S. government and lies relatively idle for lack of anysuitable project, and scientists in government and in uni-versities are proposing to use it to explore continental mar-gins and small ocean basins. By their estimates, about $70million and 2 to 4 years would be required to prepare theship and begin operations. Thus, the United States, usingthe GLOMAR EXPLORER, has the ability to make the firsttests of the oil prospects of deeper parts of the reef in1982-84.

2

PROFESSIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL NEWS

ALL PROFESSIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL NEWS MAY BE PHONED OR SENT TO MRS. VIRGINIA LEE BICK, TELEPHONE, 840-9562 or 961-0406, OR MAILED TO 2534 YORKTOWN. SUITE 156, HOUSTON, 77056. ARTICLES TO BE PUBLISHED IN OUR FEBRUARY ISSUE SHOULD BE SENT TO HER BY DECEMBER 10th.

Rex. E. Olsen has been promoted to Exploration Supervisor of the Northern Region of Home Petroleum. Mr. Olsen was previously Rocky Mt. District Geologist. He was first employed as a geologist by Exxon Oil Company. Mr. Olsen is a graduate of California at Berkeley with a B.S. in Geology. He is married and has one child. He is a member of HGS and AAPG.

Jeff McCartney has opened an office for Solar Petroleum Corporation as their Exploration Manager at 2000 West Loop South, Suite 990. Solar Petroleum is a subsidiary of Texas United Corporation, and a sister company of United Salt and Texas Brine Corporation. This company will be for the sole purpose of generating prospects. (Telephone Number 877- 1777) Mr. McCartney formerly was a Senior Geologist with Pamale Corporation. Hestarted his career with Cities Service in 1970. He is a graduate of Georgia State University. He is married and has two children. He is a member of HGS and AAPG.

Sam Pepplatt, former Exploration Manager of Ladd Petroleum, is starting Horizon Exploration Company for Horizon Petroleum, a crude oil trading company, at Two Allen Center. (telephone number 654-8026). Mr. Peppiatt is Vice President and will be building the company. His career began with Texaco. His degree is in Geology from Kansas State. His wife is named Janetand he hastwochildren. He isa member of APGS, AAPG and HGS.

Kenneth A. Jones has accepted a position with Natomas North America, as a senior geologist in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mr. Jones was previously a geologist with Southland Royalty in Houston. He started his career with Anadarko Production Company in Liberal, Kansas in 1971. He is a graduate of University of Texas at Arlington. Mr. Jones is married and has two children. He is a member of HGS and AAPG.

Balrd Petrophyslcal Group (Telephone 988-5300) has moved from 8552 Katy Freeway to 6131 Corporate Drive, Houston, Texas, 77036. This move provides the company with expansion space for its PRE/SEIS seismic data processing center. Mr. Thomas A. Toschlog formerly of Western Geophysical was appointed Vice President of Data Processing. Mr. George S. Gerlach formerly of Litton Resources Systems was appointed Vice President of Marketing. Mr. Robert A. More was promoted to Senior Staff Geophysicist.

Mr. Walter Sapp, Ill, formerly of Oceanonics, Inc. has joined Baird Petrophysical Group as Marine Geologist. Mr. John Murray, formerly of Gulf Oil joined as Senior Analyst.

Jackson, Mississippi, September 13, 1979. James D. Harper, Ill, president of First Energy Corporation an- nounced the opening of an oil and gas exploration office in Houston, Texas. The offices will be located at One Allen Center, Suite 605. Mr. J. B. Cox, formerly Chief Geologist with Transco, Inc. has been appointed Division Exploration Manager. Mr. Vlnce Vodlcka, previously Senior Landman in

Jackson, has been promoted to Division Land Manager. The Houston office will be responsible for exploration in Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas and Louisiana. First Energy Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of First Mississippi Corporation.

The appointment of Robert W. (Bob) Earp, Jr. as president of Subsurface Disposal Corporation was announced by Dean W. Osmun, board chairman. Manrln E. Smlth has been elected Vice President-technical director and A Curtls Eade treasurer of SDC, a consulting wastewater management firm specializing in all aspects of waste disposal. The Subsurface Disposal offices and laboratory are located at 5555 West Loop South, in Bellaire. It also recently opened offices in Dallas.

George Hardln, who will take early retirement from Ashland next year, will re-enter the consulting business. George has acquired a 4000 square foot building at 1115 Barkdull and woud like to rent the extra space to other independent geologists or petroleum geologists. If you are interested give him a call at 654-3311.

Charles A. Brlnkley has joined the' Houston staff of Maralo, Inc., a subsidiary of M. Ralph Lowe, Inc., as Explo- ration Manager for company-wide operations. Maralo, Inc., has offices in Midland and Houston, Texas. Headquarters offices in Houston are located at 4600 Post Oak Place, Suite 307, Houston, Texas 77027, Telephone (713) 622- 5420. Mr. Brinkley, formerly with General Crude Oil Com- pany, Mobil-GC Corp., and Texaco, Inc., has 20 years' experience in the oil and gas industry.

The Mathematical Geologlsts of the Unlted States (MGUS), a regional organization of the International Asso- ciation for Mathematical Geology, has undertaken a project of producing a directory of geoscientists working with computers, mathematics, and statistical methods. A June 1, 1980 publication date is planned and all contributors will receive a free copy of the directory. Additional information can be obtained by writing: Dr. John C. Butler, Department of Geology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004 (7443866).

The 4,250 acre Round Lake Wilderness Study Area in North-Central Wisconsin located about 25 miles south of the Wisconsin-Michigan border in Price and Vilas Counties has low mineral potential according to a joint USGS and Bureau of Mines report. Relative inaccessibility of the area and long distances to markets makes the deposits of peat, sand and gravel unattractive to development. While the area lies within the belts of volcanic rocks that have yielded several economically important massive sulfide deposits elsewhere in northern Wisconsin, geochemical and geo- physical surveys show no indications of such deposits in the study area. Copies of the report are available for $4.00 from the Open File Services Section, Branch of Distribu- tion, USGS, P. 0. Box 25425, Federal Center, Denver, Colorado. 80225.

ENERGY SAVING TIP If public transportation is available in the area where you

live, take advantage of it. You'll save the energy and money that the gasoline consumed by your car would represent. You'll save your own energy as well.

3 Houston Geological Society Bulletin, December 1979

1979 GCAGS CONVENTION

By any standard of measurement, the 1979 GCAGS Convention in San Antonio was a success. President Edward C. Roy, Jr., General Chairman George His, their committees, and the host society, the South Texas Geolog- ical Society, are to be complimented for once again staging an excellent convention. There were good papers on a var- iety of subjects in the technical sessions and a number of interesting and enjoyable events were scheduled for the ladies.

The total registration of 3205 is broken down as fol- lows: 2075 geologists, 1060 spouses, and 70 students. The 1060 spouses was somewhat over the number anticipated. I am advised that those wives who did not receive their com- plimentary briefcases will receive them at a later date through the mail.

The current financial health of GCAGS is excellent and the treasurer for the 1979 Convention projects a modest surplus after all convention related expenses are paid. Bill Tucker of Houston is the current Finance Chairman of GCAGS and he has done an admirable job of managing the fiscal affairs.

One current problem is an unnecessarily large inven- tory of Transactions from previous annual meetings. The new president will appoint a 3 man committee to study this inventory problem and it will be charged to deliver a firm recommendation to the Executive Committee at its next meeting in April 1980. Another associated problem is the fact that the Comprehensive Index of GCAGS papers and the Bibliography of Gulf Coast Geology are both 10 years out date. I believe that both these volumes will be brought up to date in the not too distant future.

A very worthwhile program of GCAGS is the Financial Aid to Students Program. This program is now in its third year of operation. The Executive Committee voted to increase the total annual money for this program from $5000 to $7500 with the maximum allowed any one student to remain at $750.

In another Executive Committee action, the application of the Baton Rouge Geological Society, Inc. for member- ship in GCAGS was approved. This society was just recently organized and has 98 members plus 15 student members.

The Executive Committee approved a request from the South Texas Geological Society for a loan of $2000 to assist this society in a publication venture.

The 1980 GCAGS Convention will be in Lafayette, La. October 15-18. Marvin Muenforth is the General Chairman. The first call for papers has been issued and if you contem- plate presenting a paper, I strongly urge you to contact the Program Chairman immediately. The Lafayette Geological Society expressed some concern over housing. To date, they have only 750 rooms committed (as opposed to 1650 rooms in San Antonio) but they hope to eventually have 1200 rooms in the Lafayette area. Some registrants will probably be accommodated in private homes. A word to the wise, if you plan to attend, return your housing applica- tion immediately upon receipt.

The newly elected officers for the 1979-80 fiscal year are: President, Frank Harrison, Jr. of Lafayette; Vice Presi- dent, Paul M. Strunk of Corpus Christi; Secretary, Jack W. Shirley of Lafayette; and Treasurer, Robert A. Anderson of Lafayette.

It has been a personal privilege for me to have served as your representative on the GCAGS Executive Commit- tee this past year. Jeffery V. Morris will assume this job January 1, 1980. If you have any questions or comments about GCAGS affairs, please feel free to contact either one of us. See you in Lafayette in 1980.

DEAN GRAFTON

NOTICE The Transactions of the 1979 GCAGS Convention are

now available at $22.50 each. They may be ordered from: University of Texas, Department of Geology, P. 0. Box 7909, Austin, Texas 78712. Your check, payable to GCAGS, must accompany the order. Transactions from the previous 28 conventions are also available. Call Ms. Bernita Shrader, 512-471-5172, for price information on Transactions or other GCAGS publications.

17th INTERNATIONAL COASTAL ENGINEERING CONFERENCE IN AUSTRALIA SCHEDULE FOR MARCH 1980

Australia's Institution of Engineers, through its National Committee on Coastal and Ocean Engineering, will host the 17th International Coastal Engineering Con- ference in Sydney, Australia March 23-27, 1980.

Engineers specializing in Coastal Engineering from all over the world will gather to exchange information on tech- nical advances and progress in the science.

Conference subjects include: wind, current and wave action; tidal, storm surge and tsunami analysis and effects; estuary and inlet behaviour; sedimentation problems in coastal areas, coastal morphology; design criteria of coas- tal structures; environmental impact of coastal engineering works; dispersion and diffusion phenomena; aspects for designing recreational facilities; and progress in measuring methods and instrumentation.

Participants are welcome to submit papers on these subjects with a maximum length of twenty minutes.

Technical and social tours, presentation of papers and discussions, receptions and a banquet will comprise the conference program. A special guests' program including sightseeing and shopping will augment the program.

In addition, participants are encouraged to visit other parts of Australia before and after the conference.

For further information on the 17th International Coas- tal Engineering Conference, contact: The Conference Man- ager, 17th ICCE, the Institution of Engineers, Australia, 11 National Circuit, Barton, Australia 2600. To obtain informa- tion on Australia, contact the Australian Tourist Commis- sion, Distribution Center, P. 0 . Box A-1, Addison, Illinois 601 01.

The Craggy Mountain Wilderness Study Area in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina has no metallic and little nonmetallic mineral resources, according to a USGS and Bureau of Mines report. Only submarginal resources of kyanite, garnet and building stone are indi- cated. Copies of the report, #78-1091, are available for $4.50 from the Open Field Services Section, USGS, P. 0. Box 25425, Federal Center, Denver, Colorado, 80225.

Houston Geological Society Bulletin, December 1979

Lithograph panorama by William Henry Holmes of Vishnu's Temple in the Grand Canyon of Arizona. The view of the spectacular butte extends southwest from Cape Final toward Grandview Point on the south rim, about 11 miles distant.

GEOLOGIC ART EXHIBITED AT SMlTHSONlAN

More than 40 original works of geologic art by William Henry Holmes (1846-1933), considered the finest scientific landscapes of the American West drawn during the 19th century, was on public display at Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., from Sep- tember 15 to November 11, 1979.

Holmes' wash drawings, water colors, and pencil sketches, many published as woodcuts or lithographs, were important supplements to photographs by William Henry Jackson and other photographers of the territorial surveys of about 100 years ago in increasing the nation's awareness of the nature and beauty of the vast American West.

The display of geological panoramas, was a coopera- tive effort by Smithsonian and the U.S. Geological Survey in recognition of the Survey's centennial year. The USGS- the nation's largest earth science agency-was established on March 3, 1879.

Holmes came to Washington, D.C. from his native state of Ohio in 1871 to continue his formal education in art. His potential as a scientific illustrator was recognized by Smithsonian experts who refined his talents and directed his energies toward scientific subjects.

In 1872, Holmes began a career that would encompass six decades of service in art, science, and administration.

As geologist-artist with the Hayden Survey-one of four federal surveys of the 1870's that preceded the establish- ment of the U.S. Geological Survey-Holmes created pano- ramas from field sketches principally to illustrate geology and topography described in texts and on maps. His pano- ramas conveyed information on the rocks, structure, and shape of the land that no camera could have recorded.

Holmes joined the U.S. Geological Survey in 1880, one year after the agency's establishment, again as a geolog/st- artist, and concentrated on the geology of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado Plateau. He served with the Sur- vey until 1889, supervising the preparation of all published illustrations, and training the next generation of geologic artists. His career continued in important scientific and administrative posts in anthropology, archeology, and art, with the Bureau of American Ethnology, the Field Museum of Natural History, the University of Chicago, Smithson- ian's U.S. National Museum (now Natural History), and as a member of the National Academy of Sciences and Cosmos Club. His career culminated in the directorship (1920-1932) of what is now the National Collection of Fine Arts.

Included among the panoramas depicted in the Holmes exhibit were views of the peaks, terraces, and canyons of Yellowstone and the Teton Mountains in Wyoming and Montana; the temples and towers of Zion in Utah; and the canyons, plateaus, and buttes of the Grand Canyon country in Arizona.

Houston Geological Society Bulletin. December 1979

POTENTIAL FOR LARGE EARTHQUAKE IN ALASKA SPURS NEW STUDY

A "seismic gap" in southern Alaska, where scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Inte- rior, and the Lamor~t-Doherty Geological Observatory, Columbia University, believe a large earthquake with a Richter magnitude of 8 or more is likely within the next several decades, will be targeted for special study, the USGS announced.

Dr. H. William Menard, director of the USGS, has for- mally communicated the Survey's concern to state officials in Alaska and other federal officials. "The general potential for large earthquakes in southern Alaska has been well known," Dr. Menard said, "but recent events and studies increasingly suggest that the area surrounding Cape Yakataga is an especially likely site for a large earthquake and therefore deserves intensified attention."

The center of the Yakataga seismic gap lies along the Gulf of Alaska, about 150 miles southeast of Valdez. Such seismic gaps are isolated locked segments along major faults where recent significant earthquakes and the asso- ciated movement have not occurred, although such move- ment and activity have occurred along adjacent segments of the fault. Few people live within the 150-mile-long, 100- mile-wide gap area from Icy Bay to Kayak Island. A great earthquake (Richter Scale magnitude 8 or more), however, could produce potentially damaging ground motion over an area as large as 30,000-square miles.

"At this point no one can predict when the next large earthquake wil occur within the gap," Menard said. "Most of the scientists involved agree, however, that a large earth- quake is more likely to occur within this gap than within the adjacent regions.

"Indeed, experts judge that the earthquake could occur anytime and is likely within the next 2 to 4 decades. In con- trast, it appears unlikely that the region could escape the occurrence of a large earthquake for as long as 100 years," Menard said.

The USGS convened a special panel of experts from within and outside the USGS to consider the available evi- dence. While individual members of the panel disagreed with some details of the interpretation, they all agreed with the overall concept as outlined by Lamont and USGS scientists.

"Based upon this general consensus and concern, we will intensify our studies within this complex geologic set- ting," Menard said, "to develop insight into the processes that precede major earthquakes. This understanding may be useful in better predicting when and where such quakes will occur in Alaska and elsewhere."

The Yakataga region of coastal Alaska was first identi- fied as a seismic gap a decade ago by Lamont scientists who noted the lack of recent large earthquakes along this one segment of an otherwise active plate boundary fault zone.

"During the last few months more and more evidence has accumulated that one or more large earthquakes are probable within the gap," said Dr. Robert Wesson, chief, Office of Earthquake Studies, USGS National Center, Res- ton, Va., "Lamont scientists have developed a more detailed history of seismicity in the area and USGS scient-

ists have investigated the geologic setting and monitored current earthquake activity in an effort to understand the geological features and processes that are likely to cause future major earthquakes in the region.

"Moreover, the scientists believe the recent large St. Elias earthquake (magnitude 7.71 on February 28, 1979) on the eastern margin of the gap indicates the high level of unrelieved strain in the region," Wesson said.

The Yakataga gap lies along the fault boundary between two large plates of the earth's crust-the Pacific and North America plates-that are converging and col- liding at a rate of about 2 inches per year. "As these two giant plates are pushed slowly together, a tremendous amount of elastic strain builds up within them," Wesson said. "Somehow this elastic strain must be released, possi- bly by some slow movement, but more likely by the plates suddenly sliding past one another. It's this sudden slippage a long the p la te boundar ies that produces large earthquakes.

"Along the Yakataga seismic gap, however, there have been no major strain-releasing earthquakes since 1899," the USGS spokesman said. "As a result, as much as 16 feet of strain have accumulated in the past 80 years. The Febru- ary St. Elias earthquake relieved strain only in a small region on the margin of the gap.

"If the amount of potential future slip estimated from either plate tectonic data or the February earthquake were to be released today over the entire Yakataga seismic gap, as is judged fully possible, an earthquake in excess of mag- nitude 8 would be generated," Wesson said. "In summary, sufficient elastic strain already seems to have accumulated to generate a large and potentially destructive earthquake."

Wesson said other interpretations are possible but are considered less likely, based on what is known about past earthquakes in Alaska and around the world. These alter- nate interpretations include:

A significant part of the strain accumulation might be relieved through processes such as slow fault creep or rock folding without earthquakes.

Strain might continue to accumulate for another cen- tury or more to the threshold of an extremely large earthquake, similar in size to the 1964 Good Friday earthquake in the Anchorage area.

Strains throughout the region might be released more gradually through a sequence of earthquakes near to but less than magnitude 8 and similar to the St. Elias earthquake.

Ongoing USGS studies in the region will be intensified beginning in June to develop a more detailed understand- ing of the potential for large earthquakes and to observe the processes leading up to them. These studies will include an expanded network of seismograph, strainmeter, tiltmeter, and strong-motion monitoring stations; geodetic leveling and trilateration networks; and detailed geologic investigations of faults and coastal landforms, including under-water precision bathymetric and subbottom acoustic profiling if possible. As part of the USGS Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, a significant portion of the studies will continue to be carried out through grants and contracts with universities and other institutions such as Lamont-Doherty.

Houston Geological Society Bulletin, December 1979 6

REPORT CONFIRMS GAS POTENTIAL OFF NEW JERSEY

Results of a deep stratigraphic test well drilled on the slope of the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) off New Jersey indicate a potential for gas, according to a U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior, report.

According to the report, potentially good reservoir sandstones and organic-rich source rocks occur at depths below 14,100 feet.

The report-being placed on open-file for public inspection-summarizes geological, geophysical, and engi- neering data obtained from the COST (Continental Off- shore Stratigraphic Testj) No. 8-3 well. The well, located about 93 statute miles southeast of Atlantic City, N.J., is the first deep well to penetrate the U.S. Atlantic slope. Drilled in 2,686 feet of water by the drill ship Ben Ocean Lancer, the well reached a total depth of 15,820 feet. Dril- ling began on October 9, 1978, and was completed on Jan- uary 25, 1979.

Working under a USGS permit, Chevron USA Inc., drilled the well for ten other expense-sharing oil companies for evaluating the petroleum potential and possible drilling hazards in deep-water areas in preparation for OCS lease sale No. 49 held on February 28, 1979. Under the terms of the permit, the USGS received all data from the well and the information was used to evaluate the acreage offered in order to determine the acceptability of bids received in the lease sale.

Officials of the USGS Conservation Division, which is responsible for the government's pre-sale tract evaluations and for the supervision of oil and gas operations in the OCS, emphasize that the test well was intentionally drilled away from any subsurface feature that might be a potential hydrocarbon "trap." Such "off-structure" tests are not drilled for the purpose of encountering oil or gas; rather they help determine if the rocks penetrated have the poten- tial for generating and producing petroleum which may be trapped in nearby geological structures.

The COST No. 8-3 well probably penetrated Pleisto- cene, Pliocene and upper Miocene age (about 25 million to 1 million years old) rocks during the first thousand feet of drilling, although no samples were obtained. Below, 3,800 feet, the well encountered about 3,300 feet of mudstone, claystone, and minor amounts of clayey limestone and silt- stone of Early Tertiary age (about 25-65 million years old); about 2,700 feet of mudstone, siltstone, and minor sand- stone of Late Cretaceous age (about 65-100 million years old); about 3,700 feet of sandstone, shale, and minor car- bonate rocks of Early Cretaceous age (about 100-135 rnil- lion years old); and about 3,400 feet of sandstone, limestone, and shale of Late Jurassic age (about 135-150 million years old).

The petroleum potential of the strata ranges from poor in the upper part of the section to good in the lowest part. The best potential for hydrocarbon generation occurs below 14,100 feet where the section contains sufficient reservoir rocks and thermally mature organic matter. A sig- nificant show of gas was encountered in a sandstone inter- val from 15,744 to 15,752 feet, which was announced by the USGS on January 18, 1979, in keeping with COST well reg- ulations. Sections penetrated by the well above 14,100 feet contain sufficient reservoir rocks and organic matter but

lack the thermal maturation necessary for hydrocarbon generation.

The COST No. 8-3 well not only provided geological information, but also operational experience for future dril- ling operations in deep waters of the Atlantic slope. The total cost of the well was approximately $12 million. Of the 109 days spent on site, about 30 percent of the time was spent in actual drilling and the remainder for operational procedures such as logging, testing, and changing bits. Weather did not cause any lengthy delays, and no serious drilling problems were encountered.

The report includes operational and drilling engineer- ing data, lithologic descriptions, biostratigraphic studies, correlations with other Atlantic coast wells, interpretations of depositional environments, seismic velocity analyses, geophysical interpretations, core analyses, geochemical analyses, interpretation of petroleum potential, and envir- onmental considerations.

Microfiche and black and white paper copies of the report may be obtained from the Open-File Services Sec- tion (OFSS), Branch of Distribution, U.S. Geological Sur- vey, Box 25425, Federal Center, Denver, Colo. 80225 (telephone: 303-234-5888). Copies of logs, charts, and other material pertaining to the COST No. 8-3 well may be obtained at the National Geophysical and Solar-Terrestrial Data Center, NOAA/EDS, Code D 621, Boulder, Colo. 80303, (telephone: 303-499-1000, ext. 6542).

ATLANTIC OCEAN

i (, 2,0 4p

M m 84 p q2 ,

UonletWS contours show depth m meters(m)

U S Dcpartmenl ol the Internor Geolog~cal Survey

Houston Geological Society Bulletin, December 1979

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA "BULGE" STILL A GEOLOGICAL PUZZLE

Three years after its discovery and completion of a massive measurement project, the huge land uplift, or "bulge," astride a section of California's San Andreas fault continues to present a geological puzzle, according to scientists of the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.

The bulge extends from near Point Arguello eastward to the Arizona border, a distance of about 360 miles, and is about 90 miles wide between Bakersfield and Los Angeles. Thus, the total uplift area is about 32,400 square miles. The center of the uplift is in the western part of the Mojave Desert about 40 miles north of Los Angeles. The bulge has undergone mysterious episodes of uplift and collapse, with some portions having risen as high as 18 inches.

After its discovery by a team of USGS scientists early in 1976, the bulge became a subject of interest and con- cern because of the implications of the uplift and its changes in shape with respect to future earthquakes in southern California. Scientists noted that similar uplifts have preceded large earthquakes in other parts of the world. At the same time, however, the scientists noted that not all large earthquakes were preceded by uplifts.

Dr. Robert 0. Castle, of the USGS Office of Earth- quake Studies at Menlo Park, Calif., and leader of the Sur- vey team that discovered the uplift, said that an unprecedented releveling project was carried out in 1978 aimed at capturing a static "stop-action" picture of the rapidly changing features of the huge land swell.

The releveling project was carried out by 36 teams totaling more than 300 specialists from the USGS, the National Geodetic Survey and from several California state, county, and Los Angeles metropolitan area agencies. "The project was undertaken," said Castle, "to get a better understanding of the past and present crustal changes in the area of the uplift in order to examine possible associa- tions of those changes with historic earthquakes in the region. This, in turn, might provide clues to the occurrence of future earthquakes in the region."

The project, Castle said, provided important informa- tion about the changing form of the bulge, substantiating earlier indications that it changes its shape and size rather rapidly. "But," Castle said, "the episodes of uplift and eol- lapse continue to present a geological puzzle, and the implications of these changes to future earthquakes in southern California remain obscure."

Castle said that preliminary analyses of the releveling data indicate that the bulge, which rose more than 12 inches over a huge part of southern California between 1959 and 1974-reaching peaks of 18 inches north of Palm Springs, and about 14 inches near Palmdale-has, since 1974, dipped toward the north.

"The 1978 leveling," Castle said, "which was much more extensive than surveys in 1976, indicates that the northern part of the entire feature has subsided more than the southern part. For example, the area near Bakersfield, on the northern flank of the uplifted area, has subsided below its 1959 level.

"We now have a better picture of the uplifted area than before," Castle said, "because the earlier picture was

i clouded by the fact that previous surveys were conducted

I Houston Geological Society Bulletin, December 1979

in small pieces, many tied together after months or years during which tectonic movement may have taken place, making the changes in form difficult to recognize.

"The mass of data from the 1978 project has been compared with data obtained from the leveling done in 1976 and 1974," Castle said. "Comparisons will eventually be made with all the leveling data available for the region, some going back to the end of the 19th century. ~ h e s e comparisons should enable us to gain a much more accu- rate picture of the changes in the bulge through time.

"Meanwhile, however, questions about whether the bulge may be a precursor to a large earthquake cannot be answered," Castle said. Certainly, the great areal extent of the bulge, the amount of elevation changes within it, and its location along a segment of the San Andreas fault where considerable energy has been collecting, are mat- ters of concern.

"If released in a single earthquake," Castle said, "the stored energy could yield a seismic event as large as the great earthquake of 1857 which was centered along the San Andreas fault north of Los Angeles and had a magni- tude estimated at about 8.0 on the Richter Scale. On the other hand, the energy could be dissipated in a series of earthquakes of somewhat lower magnitudes occurring throughout a wide area over many years.

"To emphasize the uncertainties about the bulge," Castle said, "it could even subside without any accompany- ing earthquakes; the episodes of uplift and subsidence may be part of a generally cyclic process unrelated to an earthquake occurrence."

DRILLERS TO TAP 2 GAS FORMATIONS WITH SINGLE WELL

Drillers in Trumball County, Ohio are attempting to extract natural gas from two different geological formations simultaneously, using a single borehole. If successful, the test could be a significant step in effectively tapping uncon- ventional gas reserves in theshale regions of theeastern U.S.

Working under a $289,000 contract with DOE, Tetra Tech, Inc., a Houston energy management firm, will drill five wells in Farmington Township in northeast Ohio, over the next 36 weeks. Each well will pass through the Devonian black shale and into a deeper zone known as the Clinton Sands. Both formations contain natural gas which is pres- ently unrecoverable by conventional means.

Once the wells are completed, high-pressure water will be pumped into each of the subsurface formations to hydraulically fracture the shale and open pathways for the gas to flow back to the well simultaneously from both zones.

In regions of Ohio where the shale is rich enough and sufficiently permeable to produce gas, the dual production method is equivalent to discovering another reservoir with- out drilling a second hole.

The field activity on all five wells is expected to be com- pleted in 36 weeks, and final results are expected late this year. Production rates from both zones will be monitored for the next five years.

A new shaded relief map of Missouri that uses 3-D effect to show topographic features is now available from the USGS. Copies of the map may be purchased for $2.00 from the Branch of Distribution, USGS, Box 25286, Federal Center, Denver, Colorado, 80225

INCHES

2or 15 - 1974

10 -

5 - 7 1 978

1959 NORTH

TOP: General area of southern California "bulge, " totaling more than 32,000 square miles, centered north of Los Angeles in western Mojave Desert. Dashed contour, roughly, shows zero elevation changes between 1959and 1974. Solid contour encloses area uplifted more than 8 inches in 1974. BOTTOM: Exaggerated vertical profile across axis of the bulge showing changes in observed elevations since 1959. The axis line extends from Bakersfield on the north to a tide guage on the coast south of Los Angeles.

9 Houston Geological Society Bullet~n, December 1979

SATELLITE IMAGES MAY HELP LOCATE URANIUM

A promising new technique that uses satellite images to help locate uranium is being tested in a regional study of the Powder River Basin in northeastern Wyoming and sou- theastern Montana by U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior, scientists.

The technique, involving the analysis of Landsat satel- lite images, was successfully used to map sedimentary rocks that have a particular relationship to known uranium deposits in a 5,000-square-mile area of the basin in 1977. The new study, expected to be completed later this year, will focus on a 50,000-square-mile area covering the rest of the basin where uranium deposits are suspected.

Dr. Gary Raines, a USGS geologist at the Survey's Central Region headquarters, Denver, Colo., and a pioneer in developing the technique, said, "The satellite images can be processed to show a particular vegetation pattern which, combined with linear surface features, appears to be associated with concentrations of uranium.

"Although my studies to date have focused on the rela- tions between vegetation and geology, the mineralogical implications are even more important," Raines said. "If we can show that a significant correlation exists between vegetation patterns seen on satellite images and geology controlling the location of particular mineral deposits, a major shortcut in the lengthy and costly mineral explora- tion process could result.

"The technique does not pinpoint the locations of ura- nium or other minerals," Raines emphasized. "It may, how- ever, be able to provide part of the geologic information needed in all mineral exploration activities and thus help target areas with high mineral potential." He cautioned, however, that the technique is still in the developmental stage and that widespread applicability of the technique has not been demonstrated.

A medium density vegetation growth pattern is asso- ciated with uranium in the southern Powder River Basin. The vegetation there, mostly sagebrush, is transitional between areas of high vegetation cover associated with sandy bedrock, and areas of low vegetation cover asso- ciated with clay-rich bedrock. Through a complex 12-step enhancement process, satellite images indicate plant chlo- rophyll concentration over broad land areas. Raines can interpret these images in terms of vegetation density and relate this density to bedrock geology and, theoretically, to the favorability for uranium.

According to Raines, ground water has been leaching uranium from the basin for thousands of years. He says the ground water flows slowly through the basin until it encounters particular geologic conditions, such as exist in the transitional vegetation density area. Uranium is precipi- tated from the ground water in these transitional areas, and over the years, deposits of uranium may build up there. The transitional areas, besides their particular vegetation patterns, are also associated with geologic structures expressed as lineaments on the Earth's surfaces. These lin- eaments are long, linear features of the landscape that are especially apparent in the satellite images. The coinci- dence of the two satellite criteria, medium vegetation den- sity and lineaments, makes an especially strong case for possible uranium occurrence there.

"We also need to investigate how this technique could work for exploration for other minerals, as well as for ura- nium, in other parts of the U.S.," Raines said. "Each area of the U.S. represents a kind of geologic puzzle that scientists are working to piece together. In a sense, we have put many of the puzzle pieces together in the Powder River Basin and can, therefore, have a better understanding of how one piece relates to another. In this case, our knowl- edge is bringing us one step closer to tangible results."

While the new technique uses satellite images to indi- rectly determine subsurface geologic conditions through interpretations of vegetation patterns, USGS remote- sensing specialties have also used such images to target parts of the U.S. for exploration of oil, gas, copper, and other minerals by identifying previously unmapped geo- logic structures. Additionally, the imagery is being used to inventory water and impoundment areas, provide informa- tion for land use planning, and evaluate range conditions in the western U.S., as well as monitor strip mines and their reclamation.

The Survey's EROS (Earth Resources Observation Systems) Data Center, established in 1971 near Sioux Falls, S.D., provides copies of Landsat images and other remotely sensed data, as well as a variety of professional services to further the understanding and use of remotely sensed data. Information on the availability of images can be obtained by writing User Services, EROS Data Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Sioux Falls, S.D. 27198.

GEOPRESSURED NATURAL GAS WELL SUCCESSFULLY DRILLED IN SOUTH TEXAS

Two years of tests by the Department of Energy will measure the extent and energy potential of the world's first geopressured-geothermal well 40 miles south of Houston near Chocolate Bayou field, Brazoria County, Texas.

The project is part of a DOE program designed to test the geopressured geothermal area along the Texas Gulf Coast for the production of hot brine and methane (natural gas) dissolved in the water. The project will determine thefeasibil- ity of separating the natural gas from the water and using the hot water and pressure to produce electric energy. The pro- ject started in July 1978, and the testing program will go on for at least two years. Cost of the project is estimatedto be $12 million.

The Pleasuant Bayou 2 well was drilled by General Crude Oil Company to a total depth of 16,500 feet. The test was conducted by the Department of Energy and The Univer- sity of Texas as part of a research program on the viability of producing thermal water to generate energy through heat- exchange and/or flow pressure. A preliminary 24-hour test of the well was completed on July 10. It was conducted at the predetermined flow rate of 2,500 barrels of hot saline water per day with a flowing tubing pressure of 4,508 pounds per square inch. Following the flow test, the well was shut in with a pressure at the surface of approximately 4,570 pounds per square inch. The initial tests on the well indicated a possible flow of 30.000 bpd at 14,644 to 14,704 feet. Temperature was about 300°F and methane gas content measured 20 to 25 cubic feet of gas per barrel of water. (One barrel isequal to 42 gallons.) The gas is to be removedfrom the brine by pressure reduction, then reinjected into shallower deposits through one or more injection wells. Detailed testing is expected to further refine the temperature data and the gas-to-water ratio.

Houston Geological Society Bulletin, December 1979 10

GEOTHERMAL HEAT SOURCE FOUND

A more than three mile-deep wedge-shaped body of magma under The Geysers-Clear Lake area in California appears to be the heat source responsible for the area's geothermal system, according to scientists of the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.

The discovery solves a geologic puzzle: determining the source for the huge amount of heat at the site of the world's largest geothermal electric power plant, located about 100 miles north of San Francisco. The plant gener- ates about 600 megawatts of power, with an electric capac- ity expected to double during the next three years. The source and nature of the giant "furnace" that is producing sufficient steam to drive over a dozen turbines has been a matter of speculation for many years.

The existence of a magma chamber with a core of "severely molten" rock located directly under Mt. Hannah in The Geysers area, was revealed by studies of recorded seismic waves that travel through the chamber from distant earthquakes. The presence of a magma chamber under Mt. Hannah was first suspected by Roger Chapman, a Califor- nia state geologist, in 1966, based on gravity studies which showed a mass deficiency under the mountain.

In a recent Science article, H. M. lyer, D. H. Oppenhei- mer, and T. Hitchcock, of the USGS Office of Earthquake Studies at the Survey's western region center at Menlo Park, Calif., said that although USGS scientists have located and delineated magma bodies using seismological techniques in other volcanic areas such as Yellowstone National Park, Wyo., and Long Valley, Calif., the study at The Geysers marks the first such study ever made in a commercially producing geothermal area.

lyer said the field observations of the phenomenon at The Geysers area could have "profound implications" in understanding geothermal reservoirs.

lyer said that when the scientists looked at the seismic waves from very distant earthquakes (teleseisms) recorded

by a dense network of seismographs operated by the USGS to monitor the seismically active area, they found some highly unusual occurrences.

"The waves that had traveled under the steam- production zone at The Geysers and the volcanic zone to the north and east of it," lyer said, "were found to have slowed down considerably, and changed drastically in appearance.

"We collected and analyzed data from about 50 earth- quakes from different parts of the world recorded at The Geysers area," lyer said, "and supplemented the data base from the Survey's seismic network by operating portable field seismic stations.

"Using computer-modeling techniques," lyer said, "it was shown that the seismic waves were slowed down on an average by about 15 percent under about a 380 square mile area comprising The Geysers steam-production zone and the Clear Lake volcanic field. The slowing down of seismic waves was even more dramatic-25 percent or more-in core regions under Mt. Hannah and the steam-production field.

"We know," lyer said, "that hot, partially molten rock can slow down seismic waves. Also, recent studies have shown that fractured rocks with pore spaces filled with steam-as one would expect to find under The Geysers- can slow down seismic waves significantly. Therefore, we concluded that the seismic waves are slowed under the vol- canic field by a large body of partially molten rock, and under the geothermal production zone by a highly frac- tured steam reservoir underlain by magma."

lyer said the approximate depth of the low-speed zone is about 9-12 miles. He said, however, that more detailed studies are needed to determine more accurately the size and velocity structure inside the magmatic body and to make a complete model of the geothermal system at The Geysers.

Cross-section through The Geysers steam-production area and the Clear Lake volcanic field in California show- ing a tentative model of the body which slows down seismic waves dramatically. The core region (heavily shaded) under Mt. Hannah where wave speeds decrease by as much as 25 percent may indicate the presence of intensely hot rocks in a severely molten state (magma). Under the steam-production zone, a combination of the effects of the steam-reservoir and magma may contribute to the low seismic speeds.

11 Houston Geological Society Bulletin. December 1979

BULLETIN COMMITTEE

EDITOR

GREG BURNS, Cities Service Co., PO Box 27570, Houston Texas 77027, Ph. 850-6193

ASSOCIATE ED1 TOR

JOAN CARLSON, City Exploration Co., 4801 Woodway, Suite 480 West, Houston, Texas 77056, Ph. 965-0881

ASSISTANT ED1 TORS

KIM DOUD. Mesa Petroleum Co., 601 Jefferson Ave., Hous- ton, Texas 77002, Ph. 659-8585

SUSAN CONGER, Gulf Research and Development Co., 11 11 1 S. Wilcrest. Houston, Texas 77099, Ph. 778-51 29

ADVERTISING

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HOUSTON GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY The Houston Geological Society was founded in 1923

and incorporated in 1975. Its objectives are to stimulate inter- est and promote advancement in geology for thisarea, to dis- seminate and facilitate discussion of geological information, to enhance professional interrelationships among geologists in thearea, and to aid and encourage academic training in the science of geology.

The Bulletin is published monthly except July and August. Subscription price for nonmembers is $10 per year. Single copy price is $1 50. Claims for nonreceipt in the con- tiguous U.S. should be made within 2 months of the date of issue; claims from elsewhere within 4 months.

Communication about manuscripts and editorial mat- ters should be directed to the Editor. Inquiries concerning advertising rates should be directed to the Advertising Chair- man. Applications for membership in the Houston Geologi- cal Society may beobtained from the Society office, 806 Main Street, Suite B-1, Houston, Texas 77002.

COVER PHOTO

Karst features in the Ellenburger Formation (Ordovician) at Max Staecke Dam. Marble Falls. Texas. Photo courtesy of Susan Conger.

NEW MEMBERS BAKER. PHILLIP D. District Superintendent Champlin Petroleum Co. Two Allen Center Houston. Tx. 77002 654-2503

BAUR. GAYLE G. Geophysicist Cities Service Company P. 0. Box 27570 Houston. Tx. 77027 850-61 71

BERTHOUD JR. CHARLES E. Jr. Geologist Vanderbilt Resources Corp. 1300 Main St. W1300 Houston. Tx. 77002 654-8771

BRADSHAW, MICHAEL K. Exploration Geologist Conoco Inc. P. 0. Box 2197 W2928 Houston. Tx. 77001 9652504

BRENNAN, MICHAEL W. Geologist Oxy Petroleum Inc. P. 0. Box 2247 Houston, Tx. 77001 840-3472

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ELLIS, WILLIAM R. Area Manager Trensco Exploration Co. P. 0. Box 1396 Houston. Tx. 77001 871-2433

EPSTEIN. SAMUEL A. Exploration Geologist Cities Service Company P. 0. Box 27570 Houston, Tx. 77027

FOWLER. RUTH A. Geological Technician Phillips Petroleum P. 0. Box 1967 Houston. Tx. 77001 790-7740

HAMILTON. MARK Geologist Terra Resources 3800 Buffalo Spdwy W300 Houston. Tx. 77098 960-1 040

HAMILTON. JOHN R. Sr. Exploration Geologist Dow Chemical U S A P. 0. Box 4322 Houston. Tx. 77210 9763830

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KING. HARRY J. Area Geologist Conoco Inc. P. 0. Box 2197 Houston. Tx. 77001 9652873

Houston Geological Society Bulletin, December 1979

LINEMAN, ALTON L. President Linco 1060 San Jacinto Bldg. Houston. Tx. 77002 2250582

LOCKHARD. MICHELE Geologist Rio Bravo Oil Company 1717 St. James PI. W300 Houston. Tx. 77056 9W1491

MADDEN. VICKI Paleontologist Assistant Shell Oil Co. 3836 Bellaire Blvd. Houston. Tx. 77025 663-2336

MANDRY. ANTHONY J. Sr. Geologist Natural Gas Pipeline Co. AM P. 0. Box 283 Houston, Tx. 77001 621-9030

MANOOGIAN. PETER A. Geologist Amoco Production Company P. 0. Box 3092 Houston. Tx. 77001 652-8465

MOORE. SCOTT Geologist Transco Exploration Co. P. 0. Box 1396 Houston. Tx. 77001 871-2443

MURPHY. JAMES M. Geophysical Supervlsor Phillips Petroleum Co. P. 0. Box 1967 Houston. Tx. 77001 79Q-7626

MUTH. DAVID P. Geophysicist Texaco Inc. 4800 Fournace Bellaire. Tx. 77401 66C8000

MICKNISH. JOHN M. Retainer Smith Petroleum Co. 4601 Woodway Houston, Tx. 77056 9659790

OWEN. PRENTICE R. Sr. Petroleum Engineer Trunkline Gas Company P. 0. Box 1642 Houston. Tx. 77001 664-3401

PELTON. PETER J. Area Geologist Conoco Inc. P. 0. Box 2197 Houston. Tx. 77001 9651 284

PERLMAN. SETH L Stalf Geologist D'Appolonia Consulting Eng. 9700 Richmond Ave. W140 Houston. Tx. 77042 784-5070

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POWERS. ANITA M. Geologist Cities Service Company P. 0. Box 27570 Houston, Tx 77027 850-61 94

SANDT, JAMES E. Exploration Geologist Williams Exploration 16855 Northchase Dr. W400 Houston. Tx. 77060 4458324

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We know and understand your prohdon. Contact ua today, we are the m o p k PmMem *hen" for today's growing needs.

We Offer

Plans w

Tax-Deferred Retirement Savirgs Plans Call Cynthia Johnson for

Information or Presentation

R. P. AKKERMAN Geologist EXPLORATION Engineer

CONSULTANT Revlew of Subsur7ac.a Dam

3425 Bradford Place -4327 Houston. TexM 77025

HARRIS H. ALLEN OHmdOuCommnt

PAUL H. ALLEN, JR. Conaultlng Oeologist 1418 C L I Bulldlng

Hourton. T e x u 77002

GUS 6. BAKER Energetics. Inc.

Gulf C-1 ExplorHlon

614 SOUTHWEST TOWER At 707 McKinney

Hwaton. Texas 77002 Ph. (713) 7580308

BALLARD ENTERPRISES

JACK W. BALLAAD w p n y a a ~ CDIlwlum

VlRalNlA LEE BlCK Y m b l m -

--Q.ao(p.

JOHN D. BREMSTELLER

MPQSEQ Qmup h#urma Plrn HQS - Group C m a r Insurance Plm Phonu: Buainew: BekOBlO 1218 C 6 I Building B m l n w : 751-0269 Hwslon. Tax- Realdance: =%.! 77002

WAYNE 2. BURKHEAD cMSu/Ihg o.orc9hl

713 Rocky River Houston, Toxn 77066

Ph. 71W62l-9077

T. WAYNE CAMPBELL PAUO-DATh lNG

CONSULTING PALEONTOLOGIST AND QMLOQlSl

6619 FLEUR De LIB DRIVE NEW ORLEAW. LOUISIANA 70124

(504) 4W-3711

PETE W. CAWTHON, JR. r m M Y E ( Y P C T *

GEORGE CLARK Petroleum Geologlat

201 Gordon Dr. Ph. 544-0257 Crockett. Texas 75835

GENEOS PETE COKINOS

JACK COLLE JACK COLLE & ASSOC. CoRBulllng QOdOgls~ 6 PslsontoMgllm

Jack Ccile (622-06S6) J. G. Ward (407-7288)

+ W. F. COOKE, JR. RIESIDENT

d c c o OIL f GAS CO.

On, Brtar Dale Ct. (713) 622-7070 Howlon. Texas 77027

JACK W. CRAIG CMlsulllng Geologist

1412 C a I Building Houston. T e w TI002

713iB52-4880

DONALD P. DEOEN mrrrmm o.010(1*(

BILL J. DORRELL

P. 0. Box W66 1 120-0 Coolidge Bhrd. dfayelta. In. 70505 (318) 234-2517

John 8. Dudu. Ph.D. CONaJLntm DMCOGIST

QC CUS. UUIIUY. UONlTE

WARD P. ELLISON moLooDr

PAUL FARREN Geophyalcal Consultant

Qmdata Buildlng 887-33 1 7

56U3 5. Rice Ave. (77081)

FORNEY a c o m p w v Oil 6 Gaa Pmpt%nen

Exploration Conaultlng CHARLES M. FORNEY

PaoMOMQO*(

P. 0. Box 2W.e Ca- - Tu. 76403

PAMALE PETROLEUM COMPANY 011 6 OY Proam."

@ WILLIAM Y. FREW MOunonuuuOll

J O S E P H N. G R A G N O N P R L S D t l i T

GRAGNON CONSULTING N C 1410 Arnercana Bldg -13~652.3837 Houston Texas 17002

HOWARD W. KIATTA Petroleum Geologrst

S u ~ t e 1750 - Suuth Tower l'ennzml Place

Houston. Texas 77002

Hub (71,iI 2:37-9198 I<eh, t71:31 771-6064

R O B E R T 0. MITCHELL Petroleum Exploratlon Geology

EL C A I Y A P I O 1 7 S A N LOREN20 .AS PALMkS G I A N CANARIA

1918 WINROCI

T E l 2 8 6 1 0 1 9 1 APT LOB

ERWIN E. GRIMES OILIGAS EXPLORATION

Phone 1-512-896-5996

GRIMES RESOURCES. INC P 0 BOX 403 ISCOVERY OIL CORPORATION KERRVILLE. TX 7802

Steven R. Gustlson

PETROLEUM GEOLOGIST P 0 Box 923

PRYOR OKLAHOMA 74381 (918) 825 2691

MICHEL T. HALBOUTY Consultw! Geologlst

and Petroleum Englneer

Independent Producer and Operator

-ELEPHONE THE HALBOUTY CENTEF

713) 622-1 130 5100 WESTHEIMER -WX (910) 681-4599 HOUSTON, TEXAS 77056

Clyde E. Harrlson O'Donohoe 8 Harrlson Explora t~on Company

1212 MAlN STREET SUITE 850 - THE MAIN BLDG

17131 656-8115 HOUSTON TEXAS 77002

DAVID A. HINERMAN CONSULTING GEOLOGIST

D O M E S T I C - I N T E R N A T I O N A L

5916 Valley Forge Houston. Texas 77057 (713) 782-0082

WILLIAM E. HUMPHREY Pet ro l eum Exp lo ra t l on Consu l t an t

Suite 700

2200 South Post Oak Road OfflCe 713/622-9700 Houston, Texas 77056 Home 713/444-8180

LARRY L JONES PII6S1DLNI

8552 K A T Y FRWY SUITE 154

I P A R T A N PETROLEUM CORPORATION

HOUSTON TEXAS 77024 713,464-0709

PETROMARK MINERALS. INC

DANIEL F. LINDOW Houston Manager

1020 SOUTHWES- TOWER Bus 654-8093 707 McK~nney Rer 462-6215 H O U E ~ O ~ . Texas 77002

OFFICE 889 HOUSTON CLUB BUILDING HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002

227-2552

0. G. LUNDSTROM GEOLOGIST

RES 3614 ABERDEEN WAY HOUSTON, TEXAS 77025

664-4397

GEORGE N. MAY G E O R G E N. M A Y and A S S O C I A T E S

Consulting Geolog~sts and Paleantolog~sts P 0 BOX 51858 011 Center Stallon

Lafayette, Loulslana 70505 (318) 234-3379

ROBERT H. MAYSE Houston Plpe Llne Company

Vlce Prer lden l - Energy Resources

1121 Americana Buildlng Houston, Texas 77002 713/654-6684

W. B. McCARTER C. E. McCARTER

Independents

2522 Hazard 523-5733 529-1881

Houston. Texas 77019

FRANK S. MILLARD CONSULTANT

Well Log lnterpretatlons-Semlnars

10211 Holly Spr~ngs. Houston. Texas 77042 Tele (713) 782-8033

R. B. MITCHELL Geolog~sl

2301 F ~ r s t C ~ t y Natlonal Bank B ldg

Houston, Texas 77002

652-2192

EVELYN WlLlE MOODY

SUBSURFACE STUDIES TECHNICAL PAPERS

( 856 THE MAIN BLDG OFF 713-654-0072 1212 MAIN ST RES 713-528-0917

[HOUSTON. TEXAS 77002 CERTIFIED It 3540)

I. K. NICHOLS Petruleurn Geologlst

41 Stdl Forest Drwe Houston, Texas 77024 Phone: 782-4970

C. E. NICHOLS Geophyslc~st

41 Stlll Forest Drwe Houston Texas 77024 Phone 782-4970

E L W l N M. P E A C O C K CONSULTING GEOPHYSICIST

910 C 6 I BUILDING 713-652-5014 HOUSTON. TEXAS 77002

HENRY H. PHILLIPS Paleontologrcal Consultant

PALEONTOLOGIC. BIOSTRATiGRAPHlC AND GEOLOGIC INTERPRETATIONS

7507 Lnaen (7131 645-1 109 Houston. Texas 77012

RICHARD L. PORTER Petroleum Geologfst 8 Explorat~on Consultant

5538 Hidalgo Street

Ph 713-871-0611

Houston Texas 77056

LEO PUGH

Gul f Coast Geo Data Co rp

Selsmlc - Gravlty Data 1109 AMERICANA BLDG.

Houston. Texas 77002 (713) 652-3879

JOSEPH G. PUTMAN Ill

Oil 8 Gas Interests

1514 Plne Gap

444-3546 Houston. Texas 77090 658-0601

GEOPHYSICS DEVELOPMENT

O. J. RAUSCHENBACH OIL AND GAS CONSULTANT

I 7255 Ciarewood, Sulte 343 Offlce 713 988-177 Houston, Texas 77036 Residence 713 774-399

RAYMOND D. REYNOLDS

708 Main Street Sulte 436 P 0 Box 2256 HOUBIO~ Texas 77002 ~ufkln Texas 74901

227-7633 713-634-4752

CECIL R. RIVES Prudent la l Drilllng Company

5433 Westhelmer. Sulte 620 Houston. Texas 77056

1 O f P o 621-7330 Re* Phone 467-9894

Off. 461-3060 Res. 468-5695

JOHN A. RUGGLES Geolog!cal Consullanl

Town 8 Country MEMBER Professwnal Butldcng UlOO

AAPG SlPES 10405 Town 8 Country Way AIPG. GSA Ho~ston, Texas 77024

MARTIN M. SHEETS Consultant Energy Environment

Petroleum Geothermal Actlve Surface Faults Subsldency

1973 W. Gray. S u ~ t e 4 Houston, Texas 77019 713-523-1975

HARRY H. SISSON CONSULTING GEOPHYSICIST

MEMBER 10105 TOWN 6 COUNTRY WAY

SUITE l W IAMO HOUSTON. TEXAS 77024

I FRED L. SMITH, JR.

I Of f~ce 659-5757 1014 C 8 1 Bulldlng Res 468-7300 Houston. Texas 77002

ROY 0. SMITH EXPLORATION CONSULTANT

Bell Murphy and Associates, Inc.

212 Texas Bank 8 Trust Tower Telex 77-500s 161 Savoy Drive (71 3) 780-242C ouston, Texas 77036

MERLIN J. VERRET l 2 r ? . , d * ~ , , ~

lelta Energy Resources, Inc 1002 Country Club Road .ake Charles. Louisrana 70601 (318) 477.1477

CRAMON STANTON Oil 8 Gas Consultant

5906 Bermuda Dunes Dr~ve Houston. Texas 77069

444-0965

WILLIAM C. WAGNER

Consulting Geophysmst

824 Capltal Towers ackson. M~ss~ss~ppi 39201 (601) 355-545t

S. BROOKS STEWART C o n s u l t i n g G e o p h y s i c i s t

910 C81 B u ~ l d ~ n g 1006 M a m

Houston. Texas 77002 (713) 652-5016

J. C. WALTER, JR.

Geologrsl and Perroleurn Engrneer

242 Marn Bldg 651 -3800 Houslon, Texas 77002

E. H. STORK, JR. Consultmg Paleonlologrst and Geologisl

B!oslral,graphy-Paleo ecology Geolog~c lnlerprelal~ons

181 1 C8I Bwldlng Houston Texas 77002

Off (713) 652-5026 Res (713) 466-9064

A. D. WARREN ANDERSON. WARREN 8 ASSOCIATES, INC

11526 Sorrenlo Valley Road San Dlego Cal~fornla 92121

(714) 755 1524 Cable M8cropaleo San Olego

I f 1

L --

1 J

B 1 --

1. Ltthologic Analysis 1. Well cuttlngs

2 Depos~tlonal Environments 2. Cores 3 Reservoir Potential 3 Fleld Samples

S O ~ T H W E S T TOWER 4 Stratlgraphlc Model~ng 4. Logs PRESIDENT HOUSTON TEXAS 77002 l9OBA Lamar Tower Telephone (713) 965-961 VAN DYKE COMPANY (713) 658-1199 TELEX 762200 2929 ~ ~ f f a l o speedway ~ ~ ~ ~ t ~ ~ , T~~~~ 770!

W. L. TIDWELL

CERTIFIED PETROLEUM GEOLOGIST

SU~TE 450 6200 SAVOY 0 713-977-8625 HOUSTON. TEXAS 77036

George F. Watford President

2200 HOUSTON NATURAL GAS BUILDING HOUSTON. TEXAS 77002 713-658-8413

CHARLES E. TROWBRIDGE CONSUL7NG GEOLOGIST

714 C 8 1 BUILDING Office (713) 652-503 IOUSTON, TEXAS 77002 Residence 468316

JAMES A. WHEELER

Sui te 821 C 8 I Bui ld ing Houslon. Texas 77002 1713) 651-9595

HAROLDVANCE Petroleum Investment Counselor Petroleum Evaluatron Engrneer

1429 Bank of the Southwest Bldg Houston. Texas 77002

GENE VAN DYKE

JAMES M. WILSON Geopnyscal Conrullant

Ofllce 7131658 8346 Home 7131856-2375 Wlll~s Texas

808 The Ma~n Bldg H O U S ~ O ~ Texas

mmam mmmm mmDm - Nelson B. Yoder President -- - BIO L~thostrast~graphy Workong wlth

I WGM INC. MINING AND GEOLOGICAL CONSULTANTS Metallics / Nonmetallics 1 Solid Fuels

0 Mmerais Reconnaissance 0 Feaslblllty Stud~es

0 Property Evaluations 0 Preproduction and M ~ n e Management

0 Geophysics 0 Loglst~cs

1300 Main, Suite 539 1101 West 7th Avenue Houston. Texas 77002 Anchorage, Alaska 99501 (71 3) 658-0754 (907) 276-5004 Telex 77-5754 Telex 090-25263

"DUNDON O f LONDON "

L Y O N S P E T R O L E U M , I N C .

SHREVEPORT. LOUISIANA I GENE HILL IARD DICK DAVENPORT

G. F. AEENDRDTH BILL WATSON

I I LAFAYETTE. LOUISIANA

md EXECUTIVE GROUP search consultants

Robert Adlar, C.E.C. Sr. Search Consultant

3701 K~rby Dr~ve Sulte 758 Houston Texas 77098 (713)526-9090

DOW CHEMICAL U.S.A. OIL & GAS DIVISION HOUSTON, TEXAS

400 WEST BELT SOUTH P. 0. BOX 4322 (713) 978-2971

Midland, Texas - Walnut Creek, California

Lafayette, Louisiana - Mt. Pleasant, Michigan

L & P PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Complete Management of Residential Property In Southwest Houston

Pogo Producing Company I? 0. Box 2504

900 Southwest Tower Houston, Texas 77001

Rocky Mountain Division Mid-Continent Division PO. Box2211 PO. Box 1148

First of Denver Plaza First City Bank Tower Denver. Colorado 80201 Oklahoma City, Oklahomo 73101

(303) 572-3739 (405) 236-4192

5ei5 rnograph S~roico Corporation A S U B S I D I A R Y OF R A Y T H E O N C O M P A N Y

I Box 1 590 Tu lsa , Okla. 741 02 (91 8) 627-3330

DISTRICT OFFICES AND DATA PROCESSING CENTERS

HOUSTON MIDLAND DENVER

i

I --. NEW SERVICES

GEOCHEMISTRY Hydrocarbon Source Bed Evaluation

BIOSTRATIGRAPHY M~cropaleontology, Palynology

WELL SITE GEOLOGY STM Geochemical Lab 121 15 Self Plaza Suite 214, Dallas, Texas 75218 21 4-328-8549

I

~ Robertson Research (U.S.) Inc. I

i ~ A n a t v ~ c a t and &an&aCta* y Sew k c &

P e t r o l e u m G e o c h e m i s t r y , B i o s t r u t i g r a p h y , S e d i m e n t o l o g y M u l t i - C I i e n t R e p o r t s

Greenbriar Square 16730 Hedgecroft 0 Suite 306 0 Houston, Texas 77060 Tel: (713) 445-4587

SERVICES

GEOLOGISTS Exploration & Exploitation

Opportunities On & Offshore Texas & Louisiana Three years or more experience

900 Town & Country Lane Houston, Texas 77024 (713) 461-5500

Professional Placement Services

GEOPHYSICAL A SUBSID IARY SERVICE OF INC. TEXAS I N S T R U M E N T S

I N C O R P O R A T E D

I

Telephone: (71 3) 494-9061

Bullding #1 Ma~l ing address: 12201 Southwest Freeway P.O. Box 2803 Stafford, Texas 77477 Houston, Texas 77001

Geological Information Centers Petroleum Information Corporation serves Houston with two geological information centers. Standard services include:

0 w e l l logs

0 completion cards for southeastern states 0 production reports

0 maps

4150 W e s t h e ~ m e r Petroleum Information, 326 Entex B u ~ i d ~ n g - -

Corporation A Subs~diary of A C N~elsen Company

H o u s t o n , Texas 77028

77 3/658-9573

f Bios tra tigrap hers

PALEONTOLOGY PALEOECOLOGY PALYNOLOGY SOURCE ROCKS NANNOFOSSILS THIN SECTIONS

W W FAIRCHILD C R PICKETT

5933 BELLAIRE BOULEVARD 0 HOUSTON. TEXAS 77081 0 (713) 665-8686

South Texas Div. Office 3801 Kirby Building, Suite 456

AC-713/529-5S95

K E P L l N G E R and Associates. Inc. INTERNATIONAL ENERGY CONSULTANTS

Oil, Gas, Coal, Uranium, Minerals, Geothermal Engineering, Geological, Geophysical

HOUSTON 3200 Entex Buildmg

Houston, Texas 77002 TULSA (713) 651-3127

320 So. Boston Suite 320 Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103

(91 8) 587-5591

DENVER Suite 2361 Anaconda Tower

555 17th Street Denver. Colorado 80202

KgA. I NC. MINERALS MANAGEMENT

TOTAL CONCEPT OIL & GAS MANAGEMENT SERVICE

OIL & GAS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT - DRILLING & COMPLETION ENGINEERING COMPLETE LAND AND ACCOUNTING SERVICES

LADD PETROLEUM CORPORATION GAS & OIL EXPLORATION

Texas Gulf Coast & N.E. Texas

2121 Sage Rd. Suite 300

Ph: 713-629-8111 A n Equal Oppor tun~ ty Employer M I F

Listed o n the A m e r ~ c a n Stock Exchange

Ticker Symbol: MNL)

[B WESTERN GEOPHYSICAL Litton

10,001 R~chrnond Avenue, P 0 Box 2469, Houston, Texas 77001

Telephone 713 789-9600 Cable WESGECO Telex 762406

qkodaia SERVICE INC. 5603 South Rice Avenue Houston, Texas 77081

G. J . Long Paul Farren

Dresser Atlas wireline services. a

for total competence, total confidence, total capabilities.

CONTACT YOUR DRESSER ATLAS REPRESENTATIVE

601 JEFFERSON, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77005 71 3I784-6Oll

DRESSER ATLAS DIVISION, DRESSER INDUSTRIES, INC.

MORGAN J. DAVIS Petroleum Consultant

1100 Milam Building, Suite 4601 Houston, Texas 77002 Office 71 3-656-4438

Residence 713-651-0209

HOUSTON OIL &

MINERALS CORPORATION

242 The Main Building, 1212 Main Street Houston, Texas 77002

Ana YS s. Comprehensive technical

Engineering and Geological Consulting Services Reservoir Engineering Studies Reservoir Simulation Studies Enhanced Recovery Processes Geological Services Reserve and Evaluation Studies Drilling and Production Services Computing and Software Services Logistic and Product Utilization Studies

9821 Katy Freeway. Suite 6-6, Houston. TX 77024 (713) 467-9467

Conventional and Sidewall Core Analysis Special Core Analysis

Reservoir Fluid Analysis Geochemical 1 Source-Bed Evaluation

361 5 Gulf Freeway, Houston, TX 77023 (713) 223-41 93

Hydrocarbon Well Logging Basic and Computerized Units

8570 Katy Freeway, Houston, TX 77024 (713) 932-8757

A SCHLUMBERGER COMPANV

Corporate Headquarters The Analysts Inc 4120 D D~rectors Row Houston Texas 77092 Telephone 713 686 5516 . Telex 76 2683

RALPH E. DA VIS ASSOCIATES, INC. C o n s u l t a n t s

P e t r o l e u m and N a t u r a l G a s

500 Jefferson Bui ld ing-Sui te 2031 Houston, Texas 77002 713-659-8835

R. BREWER & CO., INC. Houston

ATWATER, CARTER, MILLER & HEFFNER

Consultrng Geologrsts and Enyrneers

424 Whitney Bank Budding New Orleans, Louisiana 70130

(504) 581-6527

SIDNEY SCHAFER & ASSOCIATES

Geophysical Consulting

Offshore Gravity Data

THE GEOPHYSICAL DIRECTORY

THE OIL AND GAS DIRECTORY

HOUSTON, TEXAS 77019

PHONE 713 529-8789 2200 WELCH AVENUE

Worldwide experience in gravity, magnetics, and photogeology 1 EXPLORING

PEL-TEX

THE GULF COAST

OIL CO., INC. PhotoGravity Company

a division of berry industries corporation 1 1 1100 MILAM HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002 SUITE 3333 713-658-8284

7000 Regency Square Blvd., Suite 130 , Houston, Texas 77036

NORTH AMERICAN ROYALTIES, INC.

OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION

HOUSTON DISTRICT, Suite 2630 Two Allen Center, Houston, Texas 77002, (713) 751-0034

World's largest independently owned geophysical contracting

and processing firm

Fritz P Kronberger Vice President, Corporate Geophysical Marketing

P.O. Box 36928, Houston, Texas 77036 713/789-6020

H. J. GRUY & ASSOCIATES, INC. Petroleum Consul tants

2500 Tanglewilde, Suite 150 2501 Cedar Springs Rd. Houston, Texas 77063 Dallas, Texas 75201 (71 3) 785-9200 (214) 742-1421

BOLT ASSOaATES 1%. 205 WILSON AVE NORWALK. CONN 06854 (203) 853-0700 TELEX 94-0310

J. M. Sides A. B. Thorn

hanover petroleum corporation 2121 Sage Road

Suite 220 Houston, Texas 77056

Go Wireline Services

Contact: REGIONAL MARKETING OFFICE (Houston) - 7131759-1830

1

J. R. Butler and Company OIL AND GAS CONSULTANTS

Suite 130. 4605 Post Oak Place, Houston, Texas 77027

Telephone 71 3/627-7180 Telex: 910 881 4408

Affiliated with GeoQuest International, Inc. I

BIG "6" DRILLING COMPANY

1228 Bank of the Southwest Houston, Texas 77002

W. H. Smith, President 652-5896

C. B. Benge, Jr., V.P.-General Manager

THE STONE OIL CORP. GULF COAST OIL & GAS EXPLORATION

3801 K / R B Y D R I V E , S U / T E 544 H O U S T O N , T E X A S 77098

K A R L H. ARLETH B. W. KIMMEY (713) 5 2 6 - 8 7 3 4

EXETER EXPLORATION COMPANY 2300 Lincoln Center Building Denver, Colorado 80264 J. Allen Gardner, President (303) 623-51 41

GeoQuest International, Inc. EXPLORATION CONSULTANTS

Suite 130, 4605 Post Oak Place, Houston, Texas 77027 Telephone 7131627-7180 Telex 910 881 4408

Affiliated with J.R. Butler and Company

GULF COAST REPRESENTATIVE Trio Exploration Consultants 21 7 Southwest Tower Houston, Texas 77002 (713) 659 9410 Frank Lovett res. 371 -3444 Harry M. Perry res. 371-7272 W. E. Belt, Jr. res. 494-2026

PRUDENTIAL DRILLING COMPANY 5433 Westheimer, Suite 620

Houston. Texas 77056

pet rophysiis, inc.

Ofc. Phone 621-7330 CECIL R. RIVES Res. Phone 467-9894

Joe H. Smith President

3000 Weslayan, Suite 34O/Houston, Texas/(713) 850-9361

Schlumberger Well Services

1300 Main, Suite 1209 Houston, Texas 77002

Texas Coast Division 658-8300

SIERRA PRODUCTION COMPANY 1400 Capital National Bank Bldg.

Houston, Texas 77002

Byron F. Dyer James P. Blackstone

OPERATING CO., INC. FIVE GREENWAY PLAZA EASTISUITE 1704

HOUSTON, TEXAS 77046

TELEPHONE (713) 626-3300

C. F. BROWN, JR.

MICHAEL McKENZlE

mapco IIC.

* EXPLORATION OIL & GAS

Suite 2680 Two Allen Center Houston, Texas 77002 (713) 659-3060

PEPPARD-SOUDERS (L ASSOCIATES--

GEOLOGY * ENGINEERING . GEOPHYSICS

Da I las Denver Houston 1 idl land

CAVALLA ENERGY EXPLORATION CO.

JAMES A. McCARTHY President

HERMAN L. SMITH Vice President 600 Jefferson Bldg. Suite 508

Houston, Texas 77002 713/652-0907

PETER R. FRORER Vice President

Corpus Christi Houston

OIL AND GAS RESERVES, INC.

TELEDYNE EXPLORATION

5825 Chlmney Rock Road. P 0. Box 36269. Houston. Texas 77036

713/666-2561

Mldland / New Orleans / Denver / Calgary

305 San Jacinto Building Houston, Texas 77002

(71 3) 225-2325

Land and Geological Services

BURNETT PERSONNEL CONSULTANTS

"The Professionals"

U'e S p c ~ i a l i z c in Finding People Who b'ind Oil & Gas

Our Business is quite similar to your profession. Whether you are a Geologist, Geophysicist, Petro- leum Engineer, Landman, in a Staff Position, or Management, you are part of a team Finding and Developing Oil and Gas Reserves.

At Burnett Personnel Consultants, we are professionals also. Our Profession is finding people who find oil and gas. We are from the oil industry and havetechnical expertise and knowledgeof your profession. We pride ourselves on working with our applicants on a professional basis, and our applicants are presented on a confidential basis to our client comanies. We are not a resume mail-out service.

Our automated file retrieval system insures your consideration for positions compatible with your backgrouond and desires. If You Prefer, we will discuss an opportunity with you prior to our presentation to the employer. Whether you are actively searching for a new opportunity or only desire to keep on top of the job market, Call orMail us a Resume Today. It pays to be represented by the Professionals who are on top of the job market.

ALL POSlTlONS FEE: P A I D

Suite 194.1 7 13/629-9450 Houston, Texas 77056

NL Baroid Logging Systems reduce drilling costs. Baroid offers a wide range of logging services that reduce drilling costs, increase drilling efficiency and minimize drilling hazards. Baroid Logging Systems include Mud Logging Service (MLS), Applied Drilling Technology (ADT), and Computerized Applied Drilling Technology (CADT).

MUD LOGGING SERVICE includes all the instruments and facilities needed to provide the following information: Baroid ppm LOG direct determi-

nation of methane and total gas in mud total combustible gas and methane in drill cuttings liquid hy- drocarbons (CG+) in cuttings oil fluorescence in mud and cuttings drilling rate lithology record of

mud pit level drilling mud proper- ties - record of other data pertinent to drilling operations daily log of all data composite log of data on com- pletion of well all equipment housed either in a skid-mounted doghouse or trailer.

APPLIED DRILLING TECHNOLOGY provides all of the information obtained in Baroid's Mud Logging Service and utilizing the latest in- strumentation and automatic record- ing devices, detects and plots: "d" exponent (normalized drilling rate) connection gas casing fill-up

during trips pump pressure casing pressure mud weight and viscosity shale density shale factor inter-

com with driller.

COMPUTERIZED APPLIED DRILLING TECHNOLOGY provides all the infor- mation obtained in Baroid's MLS and ADT Services and by means of an on-site digital computer: weight on bit rotary speed rotary torque mud weight depth differential

mud resistivity mud temperature flow rate; and records on strip

charts: formation drillability cost per foot lagged differential mud temperature and mud resistivity

pore pressure.

Your Baroid Logging Systems representative can help you select the service best suited to your needs. NL BaroidINL Industries, Inc., PO. Box 1675, Houston, Texas 77001. (713) 527-1 100.

TIXIER TECHNICAL CORPORATION P. 0 . BOX 25247

HOUSTON, TEXAS 77005 - Well Log Studies -

M. P. TIXIER, PRES. (713) 523-1066

Continental Laboratories Hydrocarbon Well Logging

16830 Barker Springs Road, #407 Houston, Texas 77084 (7 13) 492-6330

HOUSTON GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP PHOTO-DIRECTORY

The Houston Geological Society will be publishing a photo-directory of its 1979-80 membership in the Spring of 1980. Order now to assure that you'll receive a copy. Prepubli- cation price to members is $5.00; price to members after April 1, 1980 will be $10.00. Price to nonmembers is $15.00. These prices are F.O.B., Cardinal Printing. Add $1.50 per direc- tory ordered for mailing. Send an Order Form with your remittance to:

Houston Geological Society Attn: Vicki King

806 Main St. Suite B-1 Houston, Texas 77002

ORDER FORM

Houston Geological Society Membership Photo-Directory:

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SUITE 6-1, 806 MAIN STREET HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002

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Houston, Texas Permit No. 5872

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SPECIALISTS IN HYDROCARBON GEOCHEMISTRY

0 Hydrocarbon Source Rock Evaluation

0 Crude Oil - Source Rock Correlation Crude Oil Characterization

0 Geochemical Surface and Subsurface Prospecting

0 Biostratigraphic Services 0 Depositional Facies Analysis

0 Contract Laboratory Services