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New Mexico (RMS)

New BLM Drilling Rule Could Put Wyoming Oil and Gas on Life Support - 18 April, 2024 07:30 AM

Explorer Article By Heather Saucier

Modular Oil Refineries Solve Efficiency, Environmental Problems

Refineries are some of the largest carbon emitters in the world, and making them greener is no simple task. Yet, an effort to do so is taking place in West Texas in the heart of the Permian Basin. Here, two operators have received state permits to build small, modular refineries to process the light, sweet crude from shale formations with emissions that are roughly 95-percent lower than those from the average Gulf Coast refinery. Taking advantage of their location – where oil is produced and its finished products are needed – these operators have capitalized on the opportunity to build their own refineries from scratch, complete with carbon capture technology, and become some of the cleanest refineries in the country.

Added on 01 February, 2023

Explorer Regions and Sections By Linda Sternbach

Franklin Mountains Field Trip Offers Clues to Unlocking Oil and Mineral Resources of West Texas

Many geologists have earned their field trip stripes in the Guadalupe Mountains in West Texas, but fewer have heard – and braved the dangers – of hiking the mysterious and mineral-rich Franklin Mountains north of El Paso. The Franklin Mountain region is a west-tilting series of horst blocks that became 5,000-7,200-foot tall mountains as a result of the Laramide orogeny. The sheer eastern escarpment exposes rocks dating from the Pennsylvanian down to 1.25-billion-year-old basement granite. It was a “field trip through time” focused on the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian and Devonian formations, representing more than 100 million years of geologic history.

Added on 01 June, 2022

Explorer Regions and Sections By Linda Sternbach

Southwest Section Explores ‘Resology’ at Midland Convention

The AAPG Southwest Section Convention explored a four-dimensional multiverse of geology and reservoirs, combining regional overviews with multi-scale measurements of rocks and sediments, and analyzing rocks in the fourth dimension of geologic time. The result is “Resology,” which general chair Ben Davis defines as “the study of geology and rock reservoirs at big and small scales.” He told conference attendees, “The goal of Resology is effective and efficient hydrocarbon production.”

Added on 01 June, 2022

Explorer President’s Column By Gretchen Gillis

Seeking Informed Dissonance

Listening to “Marcia Funebre” from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 as I write prompted me to think about what I have been hearing. Certainly, a wide range of emotions, from triumph and happiness to the misery of loss, along with beautiful dissonance. That’s why people listen to Beethoven again and again. Leaders are reminded repeatedly to publicly support decisions made by boards, even when they disagree. However, when decisions are made in an environment of misinformation, that best practice of publicly supporting decisions becomes insupportable.

Added on 01 April, 2022

Bulletin Article By Hugh Daigle,Kehua You,P. Kevin Meazell,Peter B. Flemings,Stephen C. Phillips,Yi Fang

Geochemical characterization and classification of crude oils of the Permian Basin, west Texas and southeastern New Mexico

Analysis of 50 oil samples indicate the presence of 5 genetic groups in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico. The results of the study have established a fundamental basis for developing play combinations, which embrace genetically similar oils.

Added on 21 December, 2020

Learn! Blog By Susan Nash

My Favorite Outcrop: Clara Abu

Welcome to a new series in the AAPG Learn! Blog entitled “My Favorite Outcrop.” In this series, we chat with geoscientists who tell us about their favorite outcrops encountered during their work in the field. Today we meet with Clara Abu, who is one of the founding members of the Salt Basins Technical Interest Group. One of her favorite outcrops was in Tusher Canyon, Utah, featured in the photo.

Added on 18 November, 2020

Explorer Historical Highlights By Jon Gluyas

The Emergence of the Helium Industry

Little more than a novelty when first discovered, helium has become a key commodity. It is used extensively in medical cryogenics, analytical and lab applications, breathing mixtures, as a lift gas, for arc welding, leak detection and, contrary to popular belief, only a little is used to inflate party balloons. There are few substitutes for helium and so, as its applications have become more common, demand has grown and supply is struggling to match demand.

Added on 01 January, 2019

Explorer Article By Michael Campbell

A History of the Energy Minerals Division of the AAPG

In 2017, AAPG celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding in Tulsa, Okla. This same year was also the 40th anniversary of the establishment the AAPG Energy Minerals Division. The EMD has evolved as an organization over the past 40 years to reflect the changes in the mix of resources fueling the world’s ever-increasing energy demand.

Added on 01 December, 2018

Explorer Emphasis Article By Ken Milam

Teaching the Teachers

Saudi Aramco’s “G-Camp” offers teachers hand’s-on training in geoscience education.

Added on 01 September, 2018

Explorer Division Column EMD By Wayne K. Camp

EMD's Plans for the Future

I am pleased to serve as president of the Energy Minerals Division for 2018-19. My main goals for this year are to provide frequent, easily accessible, relevant, high-quality technical content, and to improve our member engagement and communication with the regions, local societies and other geological associations.

Added on 01 August, 2018

Online e-Symposium

Wednesday, 5 March 2014, 12:00 a.m.–12:00 a.m.

Virtual Field Trip: Geology of the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Parks

Explore three of the great wonders of the geological world. Take a guided tour of classic geological sites on the Colorado Plateau.

Added on 11 December, 2013

Online e-Symposium

Friday, 27 March 2009, 12:00 a.m.–12:00 a.m.

The Many Faces of GIS: Oil and Gas Applications, New Directions, Careers

Join two GIS/geoscience experts Scott Sires and Gerry Bartz as they use information from the Teapot Dome Field in Wyoming (DOE/RMOTC program).

Added on 02 December, 2013

Webinar

Virtual Webinar

Thursday, 8 February 2024, 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.

In Search of the First Super-Predators of the Mesozoic, from Antarctica to Nevada

What if the blue whale wasn't the largest creature to have ever lived on Earth? Could the resurrection of ecosystems after the Permian-Triassic mass extinction have allowed ichthyosaurs to become the ultimate predators on our planet?

Added on 07 February, 2024

Online e-Symposium

Thursday, 23 July 2009, 12:00 a.m.–12:00 a.m.

3D Seismic Profiles of U.S. Shale Plays

As commodity prices have dropped, many shale plays have become uneconomical as statistical plays and have increasingly become recognized as geological plays demanding new insights from data.

Added on 02 December, 2013

Online e-Symposium

Tuesday, 16 August 2011, 12:00 a.m.–12:00 a.m.

Green River Shales: Geochemical Basin Study

The geochemistry of formation fluids (water and hydrocarbon gases) in the Uinta Basin, Utah, is evaluated at the regional scale based on fluid sampling and compilation of past records.

Added on 02 December, 2013

Online e-Symposium

Thursday, 16 February 2012, 12:00 a.m.–12:00 a.m.

Seismically Driven Characterization of Unconventional Shale Plays

This presentation describes a proven workflow that uses a standard narrow azimuth 3D seismic, conventional logs, image logs and core data to build five key reservoir properties required for an optimal development of shale plays.

Added on 11 December, 2013

Online e-Symposium

Thursday, 28 April 2011, 12:00 a.m.–12:00 a.m.

The Niobrara Petroleum System, a Major Tight Resource Play in the Rocky Mountain Region

The Niobrara Petroleum System of the U.S. Rocky Mountain Region is a major tight petroleum resource play.

Added on 02 December, 2013

Online e-Symposium

Thursday, 12 July 2012, 12:00 a.m.–12:00 a.m.

Shale Wells: Making the Engineering Fit What Geology Offers

This presentation will look at well placement vertically in the pay, well azimuth and well trajectory with explanations of how geology and post-depositional effects can make the difference between a successful well and a failure.

Added on 11 December, 2013

Online e-Symposium

Thursday, 9 December 2010, 12:00 a.m.–12:00 a.m.

The Bakken Petroleum System of the Williston Basin

The Mississippian-Devonian Bakken Petroleum System of the Williston Basin is characterized by low-porosity and permeability reservoirs, organic-rich source rocks, and regional hydrocarbon charge.

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