I work with Charlie Kerans and Jerry Lucia in the Reservoir Characterization Research Laboratory Industrial Associate research program at the Bureau. Our objective is to understand and capture geometries we observe in outcrop and project that knowledge into what we can't see in the subsurface. Using terrestrial scanning lidar (light detection and ranging) instruments, we have acquired digital outcrop data in North America, South America, Asia, Iberian Peninsula, Arabian Peninsula, and the British Isles. The strength of this technology is that it allows us to directly capture outcrop geometries and observations from the rocks and greatly speeds the computer modeling aspects of stratigraphic analysis for fluid flow modeling.

The April 2003 and June 2003 issues of the AAPG Explorer highlighted some of our work.

B.A. Geology, Miami University, May 1995

M.S. Stratigraphy, Miami University, August 1998

Ph.D., in progress, Geology, The University of Texas at Austin

Research Geologist, ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company, Houston, Texas, 1998–2000

Janson, Xavier, Kerans, Charles, Bellian, J. A., and Fitchen, William, 2007, Three-dimensional geological and synthetic seismic model of Early Permian redeposited basinal carbonate deposits, Victorio Canyon, west Texas: AAPG Bulletin, v. 91, p. 1405–1436.

Bellian, J. A., Kerans, Charles, and Jennette, D. C., 2005, Digital outcrop models: applications of terrestrial scanning lidar technology in stratigraphic modeling: Journal of Sedimentary Research, v. 75, no. 2, p. 166-176 [PDF]

Bellian, J. A., Jennette, D. C., and Gutiérrez, Roberto, 2003, Dual-purpose geologic analysis using airborne and ground-based lidar, coastal southern California: quantitative 3-D characterization of modern coastal erosion and ancient reservoir architecture (abs.): American Association of Petroleum Geologists Annual Convention Official Program, v. 12, p. A11-A12.

Bellian, J. A., Kerans, Charles, and Playton, Ted, 2003, Textural mapping with lidar and real-time kinematic GPS on the flow-unit scale: an example from the Pipe Creek early Albian rudist buildup, Central Texas (abs.): American Association of Petroleum Geologists Annual Convention Official Program, v. 12, p. A12.

Jennette, D. C., Wawrzyniec, T. F., Fouad, Khaled, Meneses-Rocha, J., Holtz, M. H., Sakurai, Shinichi, Talukdar, S., Grimaldo, F., Muñoz, R., Lugo-Rivera, J. E., Barrera, D., Williams, C., Escamilla, A., Dutton, S. P., Ambrose, W. A., Dunlap, D. B., Bellian, J. A., and Guevara, E. H., 2002, Play-element characterization of the Miocene and Pliocene Veracruz Basin, southeastern Mexico: Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies Transactions, v. 52, p. 441-453.

Bellian, J. A., Jennette, D. C., Kerans, Charles, Gibeaut, J. C., Andrews, J. R., Ysseldyk, B., and Larue, D., 2002, 3-Dimensional digital outcrop data collection and analysis using eye-safe laser (LIDAR) technology (abs.): American Association of Petroleum Geologists Annual Convention Official Program, v. 11, p. A16.

Beaubouef, R. T., Rossen, C., Zelt, F. B., Sullivan, M. D., Mohrig, D. C., Jennette, D. C., Bellian, J. A., Friedmann, S. J., Lovell, R. W., and Shannon, D. S., 2000, Deep water sandstones: Brushy Canyon Formation, West Texas: 2000 AAPG Continuing Education Course Note Series 40.

Jerome A. Bellian
Research Scientist Associate
Bureau of Economic Geology
The University of Texas at Austin
University Station, Box X
Austin, Texas 78713-8924
E-mail:
Telephone: 512-471-8920