Senior Research Scientist Bob Hardage was recently awarded the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) Life Membership Award, which will be presented to him during the SEG's 2003 Annual Meeting in Dallas, October 26–31, 2003. The Life Membership Award is "…conferred upon persons who have voluntarily rendered exceptionally meritorious service to the Society, which is the unanimous opinion of the Honors and Awards Committee and the Executive Committee..." Congratulations, Bob! 06/27/03

On Friday, June 27, 2003, Dr. Julio Friedmann, a research scientist at the University of Maryland, presented a Visiting Scientist Lecture at the Bureau. The title of his talk was "Geological Carbon Sequestration: Geoscience Initiatives for a Macroenvirnmental Problem." [Abstract] 06/24/03

Almost 100 people attended the Reservoir Fluids Symposium co-sponsored by PTTC Texas Region and Core Laboratories at Core Lab's corporate headquarters in Houston, Texas on June 25, 2003. Dr. Bill McCain, Texas A&M Professor spoke on the five reservoir fluid types and their associated phase behavior patterns. Dr. Dave Bergman, BP America spoke on investigating the effects of oil-based drilling mud on fluid phase behavior. Dr. Lloyd Brown, ConocoPhillips introduced a multi-faceted approach to the task of solving flow assurance issues. Drs. John Zumberge and Kevin Ferworn, GeoMark Research, gave a presentation on integrating geochemical groupings and parameters in traditional engineering correlations that significantly improve predictive accuracy. 06/26/03

Research Scientist Sue Hovorka was in Bismarck, North Dakota, June 23–24, 2003, to serve on an expert review panel for the Weyburn CO₂ monitoring and storage project. This project is a major international effort to closely monitor an injection of CO₂ for enhanced oil recovery. The review panel is organized by the International Energy Agency Greenhouse Gas Programme [http://www.ieagreen.org.uk]. The Bureau, in collaboration with the GEO-SEQ project led by Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, is designing a similar monitoring experiment in the Houston area that will be conducted this fall. Click here for details on this project. 06/23/03

Shinichi Sakurai was recently elected as North America Regional Director for the Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA). He will hold this position for the 2003–2004 term and assumes his duties at the 44th Annual SPWLA Symposium that will be held in Galveston, Texas from June 22–25, 2003. Shinichi takes his place as one of six Regional Directors whose responsibilities include being a liaison with existing chapters and encouraging the creation of new chapters. 06/17/03

The Bureau's Summer Seminar Series continued on Friday, June 20 with a talk by David A. Johns, City of Austin, Hydrogeologist. The title of his presentation was "BARTON SPRINGS: IS IT CONTAMINATED? Stories Behind the Story" [Abstract] 06/19/03

Bureau researchers L. Frank Brown and Ramón Treviño traveled to Mexico recently to present posters at the 2003 Symposium of Biostratigraphy of the Petroleum Exploration of Mexico held in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, from June 19–21. The title of Frank's paper was "Developing High-Frequency Chronostratigraphic Basinal Frameworks Using Sequence Stratigraphy Calibrated with Internationally Accepted Isotopic and Biostratigraphic Ages, Corpus Christ Region, Texas." [Abstract] Ramón's poster was "Sequence Stratigraphy of Oligocene Frio and Anahuac Strata, Offshore Mustang Island, Texas: Calibrating High-Frequency Sequence Chronostratigraphy with International Biostratigraphy and Isotopic Ages." [Abstract] 07/09/03

On May 21–22 and June 17–18, 2003, Bureau researchers Jean-Philippe Nicot and Bridget Scanlon conducted two 2-day short courses titled "Fate and Transport" for scientists at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Topics included physical and chemical properties of contaminants, soil properties, engineered barriers, aquifer vulnerability, multiphase flow and remediation techniques, and transport models. 06/19/03

Bureau Director Scott Tinker and Associate Director Jay Raney were in Lincoln, Nebraska, June 15–19, 2003, to attend the annual meeting of the Association of American State Geologists. Highlights included attending the 2003 Division I College World Series baseball game between UT and Rice. 06/19/03

Director Scott Tinker, Associate Directors Jay Raney and Eric Potter, Latin America Coordinator Luis Sánchez Barreda, and UT Environmental Science Institute Director Jay Banner traveled to Villahermosa, Mexico June 9–11, 2003, and met with PEMEX Subdirector Ing. Adán Oviedo-Pérez to discuss future energy projects and with Subdirector Ing. Rogelio Morando Sedas to discuss future environmental research collaboration. 06/12/03

Dr. Steve Laubach presented a keynote address at the final colloquium in the series on naturally fractured rock formations sponsored by the International Francqui Chair in exact sciences. The topic of the presentation was "Fracture Characterization." The meeting was held in June at the Université de Liège, Belgium. 06/17/03

Director Scott Tinker presented a Best of AAPG talk at the EAGE (European Association of Geologists and Engineers) Convention in Stavanger, Norway, on June 5, 2003. The title of his presentation was “Upstream Technology for the Coming Natural Gas Economy.” Scott then traveled to Bergen and spent a day with Norsk Hydro to discuss Bureau research. 06/12/03

On June 3, BEG Researcher Ramón Treviño visited UT's Priscilla Pond Flawn Child and Family Laboratory to talk about rocks with Sandi Dillon's kindergarten and first grade class. The kids got to see examples of the three major rock categories, as well some fossils and crystals. Ramón had given his rock talk at the Child and Family Laboratory once before. The lab, a UT training/research program founded in 1927, provides developmentally based programs for children aged 18 months to 5 years. Ramón and other BEG scientistscontinue BEG's quest to illuminate the physical world for primary and secondary school children. Click here for the lab's Website. 07/01/03

Research Scientist Mike Hudec traveled to Utah June 1–6, 2003 to lead an AAPG Field Seminar titled "Salt and Extensional Tectonics in the Paradox Basin." The one-week trip examined salt structural styles, crestal fault geometries, and salt-related stratigraphic patterns in a transect across the Paradox Basin, Utah. Participants came from several vendor and exploration companiesinvolved in exploration in the Paradox, PriCaspian, and Jeanne D'Arc Basins, and the Gulf of Mexico. Mike also traveled to Perth, Australia, where he spent the week of May 17–24, 2003, visiting the offices of AGL Industrial Associate member Woodside Petroleum. Mike conducted a two-day short course in salt tectonics and spent several days with Woodside interpreters discussing salt structures in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Mauritania. 06/12/03

Senior Research Scientist Bob Hardage was the invited keynote speaker at the Lithology and Fluid Prediction Workshop at the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE) convention in Stavanger, Norway, on June 1, 2003. The title of his presentation was "Lithology and Fluid Prediction in Exploration: Think Vectors!" [Abstract] 05/30/03