Induced Seismicity and High-Pressure Injection at the World's Deepest Disposal Well, Paradox Valley, CO

Abstract
As we enter the 21st century, we are growing increasingly concerned about the limits of our fossil fuel resources that are driving the world's economies. In fact, among a series of problems we face in the new century, potential energy shortages loom as the most serious problem the world is facing. Without energy, there will be shortages in the availability of fresh water. Without fresh water, there will be food shortages, which in turn will increase poverty, impact the environment and on and on with one crisis after another. Increased use of renewable energy resources plus a hydrogen economy, will reduce the depletion rate of our fossil resources used in power generation and provide a new source of fuel for transportation. Significant converging trends have begun to enhance the penetration rate of renewable technologies in the world market. These trends include: growth in world energy demand, specially in developing countries; global environmental awareness; need for energy security; the availability of cost effective technology options, and finally increasing business interest in the world energy section.

In this talk we will review briefly the outlook of world and US natural gas, oil and coal capacities. We will then present the status of four renewable energy technologies. These include wind power, solar thermal electric power and photovoltaics, energy from biomass, and geothermal sources of energy. A brief mention will be made for the rationale of a hydrogen economy. Finally, we will mention the importance of hybrid systems aimed at a third of the world's population, in rural and remote areas, that do not have access to the electric power grid. It is hoped that the ensuing discussion will explore the role geophysicists can play in meeting these challenges

Biography
Shortly after receiving his Ph.D. degree in Aerospace Sciences from Princeton University, Dr. Touryan joined Sandia National Laboratory (US Atomic Energy Commission) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He served there 15 years, first as a research scientist, then a supervisor and finally as Manager of Aerophysics and Alternate Energy. Some of his work dealt with the development of reentry vehicle aerodynamics, projects in nuclear reactor safety and the theory of fusion reactors.

In 1978 he joined the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI), of the US Department of Energy, first as Assistant Director of Research, and finally as Deputy Director of the Institute. From 1981 to 1991, he worked in several high technology companies, helping to commercialize renewable energy technologies. During this period, he served as adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico and the Colorado School of Mines. In addition to teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in engineering and physics, Touryan advised Masters and Ph.D. candidates in their dissertations.

At present, Dr. Touryan is Chief Technology Analyst in the Technology Deployment Support Office at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado (formerly SERI). In addition, he directs all Department of Energy projects in the former Soviet Union, including on the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Armenia, aimed at development of non-military applications for defense technologies, including renewable technologies (solar, wind, biomass, geothermal and hydrogen). In July 1997, Dr. Touryan received the Distinguished Service Award from the Federal Laboratory Consortium, Mid-Continent Region, and the Midwest Research Institute Outstanding Performance Award for his work with the Former Soviet Union in technology transfer. Dr, Touryan is also assisting the American University of Armenia as Vice President of R&D (pro bono).

Dr. Touryan is an active member of several engineering and scientific professional societies. In 1981, Dr. Touryan received the first Energy Systems Award of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). In 1986, he was presented with the Distinguished Service Citation by the Ministry of Higher Education of the Armenian SSR for lectures given and research work done at the Yerevan State University and the Polytechnic Institute, as a Fulbright Scholar. He has over 70 publications and is the author of two books and holds several patents. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the State Engineering University of Armenia, Colorado Christian University of Denver. He served on the Board of Trustees of World Vision U.S. from 1991 to 2001.

Dr. Touryan was born in Beirut, Lebanon and did his undergraduate work in engineering at the American University in Beirut. He has various levels of proficiency in Armenian, English, French, Russian, Arabic and Spanish. He has two daughters and a son, all married, and lives with his wife near Denver, Colorado. His oldest daughter just completed her Ph.D. in biotechnology at Univ. of Washington, Seattle. His son and daughter-in-law are Ph.D. candidates at U.C. Berkeley (cognitive psychology and vision sciences).

Abstract
In today's society, energy is as important as food and water. Energy is the key for the overall socio-economic development that must take place for developing nations to reach the standard of living of the developed nations. The current fossil-based system is finite and cannot support even the current population's needs, let along a future even larger population. Identifying and building a sustainable energy system is perhaps one of the most critical issues that today's society must address. Replacing our current energy carrier mix with a sustainable fuel is one of the key pieces in that system. Hydrogen as an energy carrier, primarily derived from water, can address issues of sustainability, environmental emissions and energy security. This talk will discuss sustainable energy systems and discuss barriers and possible pathways for the implementation of hydrogen into the energy infrastructure.

Biography
John A. Turner, Ph. D., is a Principal Scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. He received his B.S. degree from Idaho State University, his Ph.D. from Colorado State University, and completed a postdoctoral appointment at the California Institute of Technology before joining the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in 1979. His research is primarily concerned with enabling technologies for the implementation of hydrogen systems into the energy infrastructure. This includes direct conversion (photoelectrolysis) systems for hydrogen production from sunlight and water, advanced materials for high temperature fuel cell membranes, and corrosion protection for fuel cell metal bipolar plates. Other work involves the study of electrode materials for high energy density lithium batteries and fundamental processes of charge transfer at semiconductor electrodes. His monolithic photovoltaic-photoelectrochemical device has the highest efficiency for any direct conversion water splitting device (>12%). He has twice received the Midwestern Research Institute President's Award for Exceptional Performance in Research. In addition, he has received the Hydrogen Technical Advisory Panel award for Research Excellence, and an Outstanding Mentor Award from the US Department of Energy for his work with undergraduate students. He is the author or co-author of over 70 peer-reviewed publications in the areas of photoelectrochemistry, batteries, general electrochemistry and analytical chemistry.

Abstract
The Colorado River, a major agricultural and potable water source, has excess salinity. As part of the Colorado River Salinity Control Project, the US Bureau of Reclamation's Paradox Valley Unit (PVU) extracts brine-saturated water from the local aquifer using 9 shallow wells along the Dolores River, Paradox Valley, (remote) southwestern Colorado. After treating, it high-pressure injects the brine through the world's deepest, continuously-operating disposal well 4.3 to 4.8 km below the surface. Injecting at rates between ~800 and ~1,300 l/min, PVU has emplaced over 4x106 m3 of fluid and induced more than 4,000 surface-recorded seismic events since inception in 1991. Between 1991 and 1995 PVU ran a series of tests to qualify the well for an EPA deep-well disposal permit and, with the granting of the permit in 1995, began round-the-clock injection in 1996. Since 1991 the injection has induced seismicity which is recorded on a local seismic network, the Paradox Valley Seismic Network (PVSN). PVSN has 15 stations which covers an area of 5500 km2. The PVSN data are continuously telemetered to the Federal Center for event detection, archiving, and analysis. The PVU seismicity separates into two distinct, source zones: the principal zone (>95% of the events), an asymmetric region surrounding the injection well to a maximum radial distance of ~3+ km, and a secondary zone, an ellipsoidal zone ~2.5 km long and centered ~8 km northwest of the injection well. The expansion of these zones has stabilized since mid-1999, ~3 years after the onset of round-the-clock injecting. Within the principal zone, hypocenters align in distinct, linear patterns showing the at-depth stratigraphy and the faults and fractures of the local Wray Mesa fracture and fault system. The primary faults of the Wray Mesa are aseismic, striking in the direction of the maximum principal stress, with one or more faults, probably, act as fluid conduits from the injection well to the secondary seismic zone. Individual seismic events do not discernibly correspond with short-term, measurable injection parameters; however, a 0.5 km2 region immediately to the northwest of the injection well shows a swarm-like response to large-scale changes in injection rate and the surpassing of a threshold injection pressure. Focal mechanisms of the induced events are consistent with simple double-couple strike-slip moments and sub-horizontal extension to the northeast. In addition, the fault planes are consistent with principal stress directions determined from borehole breakouts. More than 99.9% of the PVU seismicity is below human detection (~M 2.5). However, approximately fifteen events have been felt locally with the largest being magnitudes M 4.3, M 3.6, and M 3.5. Because of these three events (i.e., seismic risk), and because of injection economics (i.e., maximizing brine disposal), PVU has altered injection parameters 3 times from the original 1996 parameters. These changes have result in ~1,100 events/year, in the early years of round-the-clock injecting, to as low as ~60 events/year in recent years, with only a minor reduction in brine volume disposed.

Biography
Dr. Kenneth D. Mahrer has had a varied career. Presently he contracts to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Seismotectonic Group at the Denver Federal Center. Before coming to the Bureau, he worked at 3 research institutes (Stanford Research, Southwest Research, and Denver Research), taught at 5 Universities (University of New Mexico, Southern Methodist University, University of Denver, Seoul National University, and Montana Tech), worked in private industry, consulted, worked for himself, and drawn unemployment. Dr. Mahrer holds bachelor's (Miami University) and master's (University of Colorado) degrees in physics and a Ph.D. in geophysics (Stanford University). Following his Ph.D., he won NATO and NSF postdoctoral fellowships in material science and engineering to the University of Sheffield (England) and to Northwestern University. In 1998 he began authoring a column on technical writing, THE WRITER's BLOCK, for the Society of Exploration Geophysicists' journal THE LEADING EDGE. In addition to his Bureau responsibilities, he teaches technical writing short-courses in both academe and private industry. To date, he has presented his courses on 3 continents.

Abstract
Currently, we lack the capability to generate three-dimensional (3-D) pictures of the Earth's subsurface portraying distributions of water and related properties. Such 3-D pictures are necessary to improve our ability to understand and manage groundwater resources that are fundamental to the quality and viability of human life on the Earth. Existing monitoring and characterization technologies can cover only a small fraction of the subsurface, and their outputs cannot be used to reliably evaluate current and future drought and other water-related conditions. We are taking on the challenge of developing a pilot system for subsurface simulation and imaging at the basin scale. A basin, though large, is the appropriate unit for water resources management issues. To predict natural and human-induced impacts requires detailed knowledge, throughout the basin, of the natural variability of geologic formations and their characteristics at scales ranging from small (meters) to large (kilometers).
"Seeing" into the basin requires significant scaling up and integration of current high-resolution methods of subsurface characterization (e.g., hydrologic and geophysical tomography). In turn this will demand unprecedented levels of computation and information processing that call into question the very feasibility of the task. Moreover, current methods that rely on locally induced artificial stimuli (e.g., pumping at wells and ground penetrating radar) would be much too costly and slow to provide dense coverage over a basin-size region. To overcome these barriers, we are exploring the concept of exploiting natural stimuli as naturally occurring and large-scale hydraulic or geophysical tomographic surverys, supported with modeling, simulation and other near real-time, networked information fusion technologies. Naturally recurring stimuli, such as lightning, storms, floods, and earthquakes, can provide a sufficiently varied distribution of excitations in time and space to obtain the requisite basin responses. Innovative approaches to model calibration will be developed to continually re-interpret these responses to gain increasing confidence in the evolving basin characterization. Innovative simulation methods will exploit the heterogeneous properties of the subsurface models to focus resources in relation to computational demands, and adapt to dynamically changing conditions. We are proposing to develop: 1) extensive, spatially-distributed, non-invasive, smart sensor networks to gather massive geologic, hydrologic, and geophysical data; 2) stochastic information fusion methods based on dynamic tomographic surveys (similar to the CAT scan of medical renown but very different due their model-intensive nature); 3) spatially-explicit dynamic models of the subsurface to support such iterative information fusion; and 4) asynchronous, parallel/distributed, adaptive algorithms for rapidly simulating and forecasting the states of a basin at high resolution.

Biography
Dr. Yeh is presently a professor in the Department of Hydrology and Water Resources at the University of Arizona. He teaches stochastic methods in subsurface hydrology, hydrological transport processes, advanced subsurface hydrology. He also has organized and managed many national and international conferences and short courses on characterization, monitoring, and prediction of the vadose zone for the last 18 years for scientists, engineers, and geologists from private consulting firms, national laboratories, and various federal agencies. He has 20 years of experience with stochastic and numerical modeling of effects of heterogeneity on flow and solute transport in the vadose zone and aquifers. He pioneers stochastic analysis of effects of spatial variability on unsaturated flow; conditional simulations and inverse modeling of flow and transport processes in variably saturated media. Furthermore, he pioneers the development and validation of the successive linear estimator, and its application to hydraulic, and electrical resistivity tomography and stochastic fusion methods (assimilating neutron probe, electrical resistivity, and core sample measurements) to imaging the heterogeneity of the subsurface. Visit www.hwr.arizona.edu/yeh for details.

Abstract
Three-dimensional ground-penetrating radar mapping examples from a number of archaeological sites around the world will be discussed including sites in Japan, Peru, Bolivia, Portugal and Jordan. An emphasis will be on amplitude analysis and data processing techniques for maximum resolution of buried archaeological features.

Biography
Larry Conyers is an associate professor of anthropology at University of Denver. He received BS and MS degrees in geology and geophysics and MA and PhD degrees in Anthropology. His specialty is near-surface geophysics for archaeological mapping, with an emphasis in ground-penetrating radar. His 1997 book titled Ground-penetrating Radar: An Introduction for Archaeologists will soon be updated by a 2004 book called Ground-penetrating Radar for Archaeology, which will be published in October of 2004.

Abstract
The purpose of this presentation is to outline the simulation approach and to demonstrate the use of a new completions simulator for mutilateral (ML) wells. In addition to the overall well productivity computed for a given heal or junction pressure, the local pressure drop and flow rate in the near wellbore region, into the wellbore and along the completion are also computed. The primary input data for the simulator are imported reservoir data , ie, gridded permeability and saturations, PVT data, etc. The ML well path configuration (3D position in the reservoir) is specified by importing [deviation surveys] or interactively by selecting coordinates for the laterals and the junction position. The modeling allows multiple completion types for all laterals and can accommodate configurations of all types of multilateral completions and junction configurations.

This tool is an important step to improve petroleum engineers' ability to provide well productivity and income estimates for ML business case analysis. The use of the simulation is illustrated by means of an example of a ML installation in the Gas Province of the Troll Field in the North Sea. Results are presented for the inflow profile, 3-phase flow rates and pressure drops across and along the main bore and a lateral.*) In particular, the use of inflow control devices is investigated. The well is located in a thin oil zone and the inflow control devices are intended for delaying the break through of gas from the gas cap. In this study the simulator is used to determine the optimal configuration of the inflow control devices along the main bore and the lateral.

Biography
Prof. Martin received a BASc ME University of Toronto 1967, MS ME California Institute of Technology in 1968. and Dr-Ing Institute for Hydrodynamics Karlsruhe 1974

Bill was on the faculty of the Mechanical Engineering Department of the University of Toronto from 1974 to 1981 where he was Associate Professor with tenure when he accepted a position to join Petro Canada's newly formed R&D Center in Calgary in 1982. At Petro Canada he headed up a Production Engineering research and technical services group that worked with aspects of drilling and production related to heavy oil and offshore frontier developments in eastern Canada.In 1986 Bill joined Norsk Hydro's R&D Center in Bergen Norway where he held various management positions over 10 years including VP Research. In 1996 Bill joined a small Norwegian petroleum engineering consulting company providing services and technologies in drilling, production and reservoir engineering where he was responsible for technology development, marketing and strategy development. In 2002 Bill was appointed Professor and Director of Petroleum Engineering at the Petroleum Institute.

Bill has several patents for multiphase flow measurement systems and has published papers in the areas of fluid mechanics.

Abstract
The oceans and shallow seas cover over two thirds of the Earth's surface. The use of electromagnetic methods to explore the subjacent crust had been dismissed by many geophysicists trained in land based methodologies because of the presence of the surface layer of highly conductive salt water. It is true that some methodologies do fail but others can be devised to take advantage of the marine environment. I will trace my own conversion
to marine methods over the past 30 years, from basic theory through
experimental design to applications ranging from mid-ocean ridge tectonics and gas hydrate assessment to shallow sediment characterization. I shall also try to offer some explanation for the unexpected rise in interest in marine electromagnetics for petroleum exploration. Are companies like OHM, currently worth in excess of $100 million, likely to succeed? Can basic electromagnetics, as is carried out for decades by the mining industry, be combined with seismic style processing to produce major advances in offshore geophysical exploration?

Biography
Nigel Edwards received his first degree from the Royal College of Science, London in mathematics and physics and his doctorate from Cambridge University in geomagnetism where he held the Royal/Dutch Shell Open Scholarship. He joined the University of Toronto in 1972 and is currently a Professor of Physics. He has been a visiting professor at the University of Tokyo, a visiting research fellow at the Australian National University and a Green scholar at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. He is a former president of the Canadian Exploration Geophysical Society (KEGS) and an associate editor of Geophysics. Apart form his general interest in all electromagnetic methods and their applications and he concentrates his research on novel techniques for gas hydrate exploration.

Abstract
Internal multiples have traditionally been considered noise in seismic data. As such, there are many methods used to attenuate them, one class of which involves modeling and then substracting the multiples from the data. Through a series approach to modeling the seismic wavefield, we find that this subtraction is actually a third (rather than first) order approximation to a subsurface image. Rather than subtracting the multiples directly from the data, however, we propose subtracting the multiples in the image domain. Since common image gathers (CIGs( are flat, they illustrate the redundancy of seismic data; we hope to exploit this redundancy in the adaptive subtraction of the multiples from the primaries. Since our method results in two image gathers, one consisting of both primaries and multiples and the other consisting of only multiples, these two image gathers can be used together to improve knowledge of the subsurface. In this way information from the multiples can be used rather than discarded in the imaging process. This Information can also be useful in global seismology where the multiples may sample regions of the earth that the primaries do not.

Biography
Alison Malcolm received her BSc in geophysics from the University of British Columbia in 2000. While at UBC she worked as a research assistant on Lithoprobe (a Canada-wide Earth science research project) and also completed an undergraduate thesis on non-uniform ffts. In CWP, Alison has worked on both data regularization and multiple attenuation. In the summer of 2002, she began a continuing collaboration with scientists at Total through an internship in Pau, France. Alison also continues to work on multiple scattering problems in the Physical Acoustics Laboratory (PAL). Alison’s research interests are in imaging, scattering and mathematical geophysics.

Abstract
One of the distinctive features of mode-converted waves is their asymmetric moveout (i.e., PS-wave traveltime may not stay the same if the source and receiver are interchanged) caused
by lateral heterogeneity or elastic anisotropy. If the medium is anisotropic, the moveout asymmetry contains valuable information for parameter estimation that cannot be obtained from pure reflection modes. I will show that the asymmetry attributes can be estimated using a generalization of the ``PP+PS=SS'' method, which is designed to replace reflected PS modes in velocity analysis with pure (non-converted) SS-waves.

The critical importance of including the PS-wave asymmetry attributes in anisotropic velocity analysis is demonstrated on a physical model that includes a TTI (transversely isotropic with a tilted symmetry axis) layer. Multicomponent 2D seismic lines are acquired in the symmetry-axis plane. PP and PS data are processed using the modified PP+PS=SS method to obtain the pure S-wave reflection traveltime as well as the time and offset asymmetry attributes of the PS-wave. The asymmetry attributes are combined with the pure-mode NMO velocities
and zero-offset traveltimes to estimate the medium parameters. The inverted model is validated by comparison with the results of a transmission experiment. If the TTI model is formed by obliquely dipping fractures, the estimated anisotropic parameters can be inverted further for the fracture orientation and compliances.

Biography

Pawan Dewangan received the Bachelor of Science in Geology and Master of Science degree in Exploration Geophysics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India. While a student at the Indian Institute of Technology, Pawan received a silver medal for being
top of the department and the P.K. Bhattacharya Memorial Award for the best outgoing student. His current research interest is in anisotropy, multi-component data processing, and fractured reservoir characterization using VSP data.

Abstract
When a salt body of uniform density is located at a depth where the sedimentary density is equal to the salt density within a depth interval, a region of salt referred to as a nil zone exists. Within this region, salt has zero density contrast and therefore has no contribution to surface gravity data. Because of this relation, gravity inversion algorithms typically produce poor (if any) resolution within the nil zone. A second effect on gravity data likewise occurs when a salt body straddles a nil zone. Density contrast reverses sign as the depth increases, and therefore part of the gravity anomalies due to the top and bottom portions of the salt cancel out. Consequently, a portion of the salt body is invisible to the surface gravity data. In effect, that portion of the salt forms an annihilator. Inversion allowing continuous density values will in general produce a model that has little resemblance to the true structure. The data are satisfied by intermediate density values.

To overcome difficulties associated with nil zones, I use a binary formulation that enables one to incorporate the density contrast values, a strength of non-linear interface inversion, while retaining the flexibility and linearity of density (cell based) inversion. The difficulty of the binary formulation, however, lies in the discrete nature of the density contrast. Because the variable can only take on discrete values, 0 or 1 for sediment or salt respectively, derivative-based minimization techniques are no longer applicable. In this presentation, I will first review the methodology of the binary problem for gravity inversion and discuss solutions by genetic algorithm, simulated annealing, and a hybrid optimization algorithm. I will illustrate the formulation using a 2½D gravity problem with a large number of unknown parameters, and a variable background density profile producing a nil zone. I will also illustrate the role of different weighting parameters in the binary formulation and discuss how they are used for nil zone resolution.

Biography

Rich Krahenbuhl is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Geophysics at the Colorado School of Mines. He earned a B.S. in geophysics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Following his stint at UCSB, Rich volunteered as a geophysics intern at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on Kilauea Volcano, where he helped locate underground lava-tubes using EM methods, monitored a water well within the volcano caldera, and modeled the caldera density distribution using gravity method. Rich currently works on inversion of gravity data using a binary formulation for salt body imaging with Professor Yaoguo Li in the Center for Gravity, Electrical, & Magnetic Studies (CGEM). Additional research projects while attending CSM include geophysical modeling of willemite deposits, and application of geophysics to the Ludlow Massacre site to aid in archaeological studies.

Abstract
Current practice in magnetic interpretation and inversion involves making an assumption about the remanent magnetization of a subsurface target. This assumption presumes that the remanent magnetization is either in the direction of the current inducing field or has weak strength, thus not changing the total magnetization direction greatly from the inducing direction. This assumption is valid in a variety of settings. However, there are many environments, such as in mineral exploration, crustal studies, and archeological investigations, where this assumption is violated.

The method that I have developed utilizes quantities having a weak dependence on magnetization direction, thus overcoming the restrictions imposed by the current assumption. Two quantities, the total gradient of the magnetic field and the amplitude of the anomalous magnetic field, are inverted to construct distributions of effective susceptibility. Each quantity gives different details about subsurface targets. I will illustrate the method using synthetic and field examples.

Biography

Sarah Shearer received her Bachelors degree in geophysical engineering from the Colorado School of Mines in 2002. As an undergraduate, she worked on the North American Magnetic Anomaly Database as a member of the U.S. Geological Survey Crustal Imaging and Characterization Team. Returning to CSM for a Masters degree, Sarah works with other members of the Center for Gravity, Electrical and Magnetic, Studies (CGEM). Over the summer of 2003, she interned with Marathon Oil Company in Houston, TX where she worked with gravity inversion over salt bodies in the Gulf of Mexico. She has been a teaching assistant for various undergraduate courses and spent a year in a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded teaching experience in a middle school science classroom. Recently, Sarah served as the Applied Science Education Program Chair for the 2004 Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) Annual Meeting.

Abstract
Industry has put a great deal of effort into "seeing" below salt with the seismic reflection method. In many ways, these efforts have succeeded, leading to hydrocarbon discoveries below salt formations in the Gulf of Mexico and other places around the world. However, there are still many areas where our best seismic efforts do not result in sufficiently accurate images to make the right interpretation. Sometimes this is as simple as not being able to see a prospect at all. Sometimes the prospect is "visible" but details of the reservoir architecture are
not interpretable.

I count four main reasons why our ability to image below salt is impaired. First, and maybe most important is the "illumination problem". Salt is a highly distorting acoustic lens, strong enough to create shadow zones" where we cannot send and/or receive reflected acoustic
energy with our acquisition geometry. Usually the second most important problem is that of constructing an accurate velocity model. The challenge there is to predict/estimate velocities in the sediments below salt where traditional methods of velocity estimation, even those based
on prestack depth migration, fail. Third, even in these days of fast computers and wave equation migration, we still often have difficulty seeing steep dips. This leads to difficulty seeing targets that truncate against steep salt flanks and to difficulty defining the geometry of the
salt itself. Finally, we often have significant difficulty removing multiple reflections, especially those generated between the surface of the Earth and other strong reflectors such as top and base salt.

I'll illustrate these problems and describe some of the strategies used to attack them.

Biography: John Etgen

1990-1999 Amoco Production Research Co. Tulsa OK

1999-present BP (Various names for the technology organization, NOT including Research....)

Most of my professional life has been spent searching for bigger, better, faster ways of using the wave equation to process seismic data. I was involved in the early days of massively parallel computing; that was a lot of fun. Credit John Scales for getting me interested in things like the Connection Machine. Too bad most of the good ideas from that era have died. Currently, about half of my time I spend coding up crazy ideas of my own, half my time
coding up other people's crazy ideas, and the last half of my time answering questions about what we're going to do in the future so someone can put it on a spreadsheet.

 

Abstract
Gerry Nix will discuss the status and opportunities of geothermal energy, with emphasis on the transition from the application of hydrothermal energy to the development and application of enhanced geothermal systems. Existing applications of geothermal energy use hydrothermal energy, where hot water or steam is extracted from the earth and the thermal energy is used to drive a steam cycle or a binary cycle power plant. A hydrothermal system requires a geologic structure that is hot, has free water, and has fractures for flow of the water. These are possibly limited in nature. An enhanced geothermal system is where a controllably fractured reservoir is engineered in hot rock, and external water is injected, heated and extracted to power a binary conversion plant to produce electricity. Given proper lithology, sufficiently inexpensive drilling, a good understanding of the rock mechanics, good fracturing techniques and innovative conversion cycles – enhanced geothermal systems could potentially supply a significant portion of the electrical requirements of the United States, with geothermal power plants across much of the Nation. The discussion will address a number of areas ranging from exploration to drilling to conversion, with emphasis on technical challenges and opportunities. Environmental aspects will also be discussed

Biography
Gerry Nix is a chemical engineer by training, and manages the NREL Geothermal Energy Program with emphasis on Energy Systems Research and Testing. He has more than 35 years of experience in industry and in federally funded research and development. Gerry spent 11 years with DuPont in research, development, and consulting, and has been with NREL for 25 years in renewable energy research and development. He has a professional engineering degree in petroleum-refining engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota. He is a registered professional engineer.

Abstract
The decade of the nineties forced dramatic changes on the international petroleum industry. Companies were forced to acquire one another or merge. Companies were forced to change their exploration focus. New technologies allowed companies to shrink their workforces. The ramifications of these actions continue to be felt within the companies and now we see evidence at the gasoline pump and in our heating bills.

What were the business events that forced the upstream majors to change, to look in new geographic areas for oil including in their competitors’ inventories? In order to understand the events, we develop an exploration and production inventory model to understand the dynamics of the industry. Using the model, we address several contributing events, including improved access to previously “off-limits” regions of the world, ever increasing costs of finding and developing, new technologies, the natural depletion of North American fields and environmental obligations. These events altered the character of the companies’ exploration portfolios, forcing radical changes in reserve replacement strategies.

With guidance from the model, we speculate on the short-term future of the industry. Where will new reserves and production come from? Is the international industry reaching old age or will there be jobs for new graduates? Will new technologies make a difference in quantity and price? Does the U.S. domestic oil and gas industry have a future?

Biography
Larry Chorn is an Associate Professor of Petroleum Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. Prior to joining the department in 2003, he was a reserves, finance, and economics consultant to more than 20 petroleum companies in North and South America, Europe and Asia. His corporate experience includes ten years with Atlantic Richfield Corporation as a Principal Research Engineer and twelve years with Mobil Oil Corporation.

During the 1990’s he was Mobil’s E&P Economics and Valuation Advisor with responsibilities including reserves system quality control and analysis, new business development economics, long-range strategic planning system enhancements, and competitor analysis.

Professor Chorn teaches undergraduate Petroleum Economics and three graduate courses (Economics of Investment Under Uncertainty, Uncertainty in Subsurface Estimation, and Real Options in the Petroleum Industry.) He is directing six master degree candidate research programs and consults for the industry. He earned a Bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University and a Master and PhD degrees from the University of Illinois-Urbana, all in Chemical Engineering