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By MARLAN DOWNEY

BULLETIN Paper Still Carries Weight

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With wisdom provided by 50 years of hindsight, perhaps we can benefit by another look at the status of geologic science a half-century ago.

All the published papers carried the weight of authority that publication in the BULLETIN bestows; some were great; some now look like nonsense.

As wisdom is an acquired trait, perhaps a review of the past may make us better geologists in the future.

"Geological Aspects of Abnormal Reservoir Pressures in Gulf Coast Louisiana," by George Dickinson; AAPG BULLETIN Vol. 37, #2, 1953.

"Dangerously abnormal pressures occur commonly in isolated porous reservoir beds in thick shale sections developed below the main sand series. Their locations are controlled by the regional facies change in the Gulf Coast Tertiary province, and they appear to be independent of depth and geologic age of the formation.

"The high pressures are caused by compaction of the shales under the weight of the overburden, which is equivalent to approximately one pound per square inch per foot depth."

Anyone remember what a significant paper this was? It provided a well-documented geologic basis for understanding the physics of excessive pressure caused by rapid sediment loading on the fluids contained in discontinuous sands.

I had several classes under Dickinson in the late 1950s, and admired him.

I remember being called out of his class for a brief meeting with a Shell accountant to discuss my first expense account. He pointed out that the idea of a table of expenses (by categories and dates) ... was that the rows of figures ought to total exactly the same as the columns of figures. Close ... wasn’t acceptable.

"M.T. Halbouty, independent geologist, presented 'New Exploration Possibilities on Piercement Type Salt Domes, Boling Salt Dome, Wharton County, Texas,’ before the Houston Geologic Society, May 11, 1953."

I’m sure that was another great Halbouty paper; Mike is fighting cancer now in his usual tenacious manner ... and I think you should send him a letter, to remind him of the affection in which he is held by our profession. (The address is Halbouty Energy, 5100 Westheimer Road, Suite 500, Houston, TX 77056-5507).