Summary
The Bureau Economic Geology is planning a new initiative to create an integrated depositional and stratigraphic synthesis of the Permian Basin. This synthesis will result in an integrated data base of geological, geophysical and petrophysical information that will provide fundamental data and information to guide future exploration and development of the remaining hydrocarbon resources in the Permian Basin. We are currently soliciting the involvement of industry groups who desire to benefit from this program.

Background
The Permian Basin is the largest oil and gas basin in the US with 23 billion barrels of mobile oil remaining in existing reservoirs and a projected 3.5 billion barrels of undiscovered oil and NGL resources. Key to recovery of these resources is knowledge of and ready access to existing geological data in an integrated and synthesized database. Such a synthesis will provide needed fundamental stratigraphic and reservoir specific data in a readily accessible and useable format. These data will decrease the risk and increase the efficiency of companies currently active in the Basin and form the basis for new engineering approaches and completion practices.

Program Overview
Funding for the program is expected to come from a mixture of federal, public, and private industry sources. The key deliverable will be a comprehensive GIS (ARC/INFOª) database of regional structure maps, depositional systems maps, facies maps, cross sections, core descriptions and data, outcrop descriptions and sections, reservoir data, and an extensive bibliographic database. This will be supported by a written synthesis of depositional history, stratigraphy, facies, structural history, and reservoir development in the Permian Basin. Seismic sections will also be included to illustrate major geologic features and depositional relationships.

The long range goals of the program are to complete a synthesis of the entire Paleozoic. Short term targets are negotiable; initial candidates include the Devonian chert play, the Devonian/Mississippian basin-center shale play, the Leonardian platform carbonates play, and the Leonardian/Wolfcampian deep-water slope/basin play.

Industry Sponsorship and Involvement
Industry partners will receive priority delivery of all deliverables and will be consulted on project goals and deliverables. Partnerships will be offered for one-, two-, or three year periods.

Who Should Attend
Exploitation and exploration managers interested in gaining a competitive edge on other companies exploring and developing Permian Basin oil and gas resources. Geologists, geophysicists, and engineers who desire comprehensive, integrated, geological data sets and models of the Permian Basin to aid in exploiting the remaining resource.Managers, scientists, and engineers interested in geological support for their reservoir characterization, exploitation, and exploration operations.

Presenters
Steve Ruppel: Ph.D. in geology. Twenty-nine years' experience in carbonate sedimentology and stratigraphy, including three years with Chevron and 21 years at the Bureau.. Active in Permian Basin since 1985 and has expertise in several reservoir successions, including the Silurian and Devonian, San Andres, Grayburg, and Clear Fork.

Charlie Kerans: Ph.D. in geology. Twenty-two years' experience in carbonate sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy. Director of the Reservoir Characterization Research Laboratory at the Bureau of Economic Geology since 1987. Has carried out research in Ellenburger, San Andres, Grayburg, Pennsylvanian, Wolfcampian, and Leonardian reservoir successions and analogous outcrops.

Bob Loucks: Ph.D. in geology. Thirty-one years' experience in carbonate sedimentology and stratigraphy. Twenty years in industry with Mobil and Arco focusing on carbonate and clastic depositional systems worldwide. Special interest in karst systems in Paleozoic rocks. Senior Research Scientist at the Bureau of Economic Geology since 2000.

Eric Potter: M.S. in geology. Twenty-five years with Marathon in exploration and technology positions. Exploration experience in most US basins. Seven years leading Marathon's exploitation and exploration efforts in the Permian Basin. Three years at BEG as Associate Director with responsibility for the overall energy research program.