aipg and new horizons in oil & gas conference 2012€¦ · resources of the black hills and...

Geology and Natural Geology and Natural Resources of the Black Hills Resources of the Black Hills

and Adjoining Basinsand Adjoining Basins

AIPG and New Horizons in Oil & Gas ConferenceAIPG and New Horizons in Oil & Gas Conference

20122012Rapid City, Rapid City,

South DakotaSouth Dakota

September 22-26, 2012September 22-26, 2012

ProgramProgram

Program Rapid City, SD 2012.indd 1Program Rapid City, SD 2012.indd 1 9/5/2012 2:04:02 PM9/5/2012 2:04:02 PM

-American Geosciences Institute (AGI)-Association for Women Geoscientists

-Baroid Industrial Drilling Products-Cambridge University Press-Intertech Environmental &

Engineering , LLC-Kennedy/Jenks Consultants

-Old Dead Things, LLC-RESPEC

-South Dakota School of Mines & Technology

-South Dakota School of Mines & Technology - Student Organizations

-WDI Systems, Inc.

-All Copy Products-First Bank

-Liberty Mutual Insurance-NASA South Dakota Space Grant

Consortium-Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau

-Rockware, Inc.-The Wright Group

Alaska MinnesotaCalifornia MissouriFlorida OhioGeorgia VirginiasIllinois-Indiana WisconsinKentucky

Exhibitors

Sponsors

AIPG Section Sponsors


2012 AIPG and New Horizons in Oil & Gas Conference 1

Table of Contents

Table of Contents ............................... 1

Welcome and Acknowledgements .. 2-3

Daily Schedule ................................ 4-5

Program at a Glance ........................ 6-7

Hotel Floor Plan .............................. 8-9

Technical Session Schedule ......... 10-19

Conference Abstracts ....................... 21

Notes ............................................... 92

Welcome to Rapid City,

South Dakota


Welcome!

2012 AIPG and New Horizons in Oil & Gas Conference2 2012 AIPG and Neeeeew Hw Hw Hw Hw Horiizonzons is in On Oil il & G& G&& as as ConConferferencencceee22

Welcome From AIPG’s South Dakota Section

The organizing committee and the South Dakota AIPG Sec-tion would like to welcome each of you to Rapid City, the Black Hills, and the 49th Annual American Institute of Pro-fessional Geologist’s Meeting. This year, the AIPG meeting is held in conjunction with the 2012 New Horizons in Oil and Gas Conference which will bring together petroleum geologists and engineers from across the United States who are engaged in developing technology to tap unex-plored and underexplored hydrocarbon resources. All ses-sions are open to all registrants, thus providing enhanced opportunities for AIPG members to meet and network with those individuals working in the petroleum industry.

We have planned to provide an interesting meeting agenda to satisfy all attendee’s, whether your expertise is hydrol-ogy, geology, minerals, engineering, petroleum, or one of numerous other geoscience specialties. There are ex-citing fi eld trips that will run both pre- and post-meeting, stimulating technical sessions, a specialty workshop, and a student poster competition. We have also arranged for a number of guest trips that will run during the meeting. Please consult the conference schedule for trip times and locations, and other information regarding those trips.

Many people have worked diligently for several years to plan this meeting, including many of the AIPG headquar-ters staff . I extend my thanks to Cathy Duran, Wendy Da-vidson, and AIPG Executive Director Bill Siok. At SDSMT, I would like to thank Dr. J. Foster Sawyer, who is the meeting Co-Chair and Mr. Tom Durkin, South Dakota Section Presi-dent. Both have worked tirelessly on the technical sessions and fi eld trips. The successful merging of the New Horizons Conference with the AIPG Annual Meeting is due to the dil-igence and patience of Dr. Alvis Lisenbee, who has worked side by side with the AIPG planning committee. It has been a pleasure to work with all of you.

Again, welcome to all attendee’s to this exciting confer-ence. I hope you all have a rewarding experience as you partake of the many conference off erings and tour through the beautiful Black Hills. I look forward to personally wel-coming you all at the opening session.

Sincerely;Larry D. Stetler, Ph.D., CPG, Professor of Geological Engineering, Immediate Past-President of the South Dakota AIPG Section, 49th Annual Meeting Co-Chair


2012 AIPG and New Horizons in Oil & Gas Conference

Welcome!

3

New Horizons Oil and Gas Conference8th Annual Meeting

The Organizing Committee and the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology welcome you to our eighth an-nual conference on oil and gas activities in the northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. The focus of the con-ference continues to be petroleum activities as they aff ect the Williston, Powder River and Denver-Julesburg produc-ing basins. This year we have an excellent group of partici-pants discussing CO2 sequestration, regional development related to on-going and potential future petroleum-indus-try activities in South Dakota, issues related to hydraulic fracturing and new petroleum exploration activities in the region. In addition, there is an interesting short course on natural fractures in strata and a fi eld trip in the northern Black Hills to visit exposures of strata which act as reservoir and source rocks in the adjacent basins.

The scope of the conference is much greater this year due to coordination of eff orts with the national meeting of the American Institute of Professional Geologists. As a result, for the fi rst time the meeting will be held away from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology campus at the Ramkota Hotel -- Best Western. The AIPG conference will bring geoscientists from across the nation to the Black Hills and off ers many additional sessions of general geo-logical interest. The options for fi eld trips related to a broad range of geological features present in the Black Hills are greatly expanded this year by presentations for a national audience with interests beyond the petroleum arena.

We hope your stay in Rapid City is an enjoyable one and that you leave the joint conference with fresh ideas, new contacts and friends and a greater appreciation of the place of petroleum in the regional and national story.

Sincerely;Alvis Lisenbee, MEM, SDSM&T, SD

Badlands, SD - Photo by Larry Stetler

20201212 AIAIPG PG andandnd NeNew Hw Horiorizonzonss is in On Oilil & GG& as as ConConferferencence 33

New Horizons Oil and Gas Conference8th Annual Meeting

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Daily Schedule

2012 AIPG and New Horizons in Oil & Gas Conference4

EventSaturday

September 22Sunday

September 23

Registration7:00 am-5:00 pmConvention Ctr II Foyer

7:30 am-5:00 pmConvention Ctr II Foyer

Breakfast(open to all registrants)

7:00 am-9:00 amSylvan II Room

Morning Break(open to all registrants)

10:00-10:30 amSylvan II Room

Lunch (open to all registrants)

12:00-1:30 pmSylvan II Room

Afternoon Break

(open to all registrants)

3:00-4:00 pmSylvan II Room

Reception (open to all registrants)

6:30 pm-8:30 pm

Purchased Field Trips and Guest

Trips

See page 6 for Details


1880 Train - Photo Courtesy of Rapid City CVB



Daily Schedule

5

EventMonday

September 24Tuesday

September 25

Registration7:00 am-5:00 pmConvention Ctr II Foyer

7:00 am-4:00 pmConvention Ctr II Foyer

Breakfast(open to all registrants)

7:00 am-9:00 amConvention Ctr IIFoyer

7:00 am-9:00 amConvention Ctr IIFoyer

Technical Sessions


8:00 am-5:00 pm(see pg 10 for the detailed schedule)

8:00 am-5:00 pm(see pg 16 for the detailed schedule)

Exhibits Open(to all

registrants)

9:00 am-5:00 pmConvention

Center II Foyer

9:00 am-3:30 pmConvention

Center II Foyer

Morning Break(open to all registrants)

10:00-10:30 amConvention Ctr II

10:00-10:30 amConvention Ctr II

Lunch (open to all registrants)

12:00-1:00 pmRushmore RoomBill Harden, Communications Director, Sanford Underground Research Facility

12:00-1:00 pmRushmore RoomKeynote SpeakerVince Matthews,CO State Geologist

Afternoon Break


3:00-3:30 pmConvention Ctr IIFoyer

3:30-4:00 pmConvention Ctr IIFoyer

Movie “Switch”Feature Length

Documentary on Global Energy


4:00-5:30 pmPactola & Sheridan

Purchased Field Trips and Guest

Trips




Program at a Glance


SaturdaySeptember 22

SundaySeptember 23

RegistrationConvention Center II Foyer7:00 am-5:00 pm

RegistrationConvention Center II Foyer7:30 am-5:00 pm

AIPG Executive Committee Meeting (open to all registrants) Sylvan I8:00 am-12:00 noon

Short Course — Natural Fractures in Hydrocarbon ReservoirsSylvan I8:00 am-4:00 pm

*Guest Trip — Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns Tour and Mt. Rushmore9:00 am-3:00 pm

*Field Trip — Eocene & Oligocene Geology and Paleontology of the White River Badlands8:00 am-6:00 pm

AIPG Advisory Board Meeting (open to all registrants) Sylvan I1:00 pm-4:30 pm

*Field Trip — Precambrian Geology and Mineralogy of Classic Pegmatite Localities in the Black Hills8:00 am-6:00 pm

AIPG 2012-2013 Joint Executive Committee Meeting & Business Meeting (open to all registrants) Sylvan I4:30 pm-5:00 pm

*Field Trip — Paleofloods and Hydrogeology of the Black Hills:40th Anniversary of the 1972 Rapid City Flood8:00 am-6:00 pm

Journey Museum, Food, and “Journey Into Space”Journey Museum (all welcome w/ additional $18 fee)If you do not have transportation, meet in the lobby for a van ride to the museum5:00 pm-9:00 pm

*Field Trip — Devils Tower & the Bear Lodge Mountains: Laramide Plutons and Mineralization in the No. Black Hills Uplift, WY8:00 am-6:00 pm

*Guest Trip — Homestake Mine Tour and Deadwood9:00 am-5:00 pm

Welcome Reception — Exhibit Area Open Convention Center II Foyer(complimentary for all registrants)6:30 pm-8:30 pm

* All trips will depart and return to the Ramkota Hotel outside of Convention Center II.

6



Program at a Glance Monday

September 24Tuesday

September 25Wednesday

September 26RegistrationConvention Ctr II Foyer7:00 am-5:00 pm

RegistrationConvention Ctr II Foyer7:00 am-4:00 pm

*Field Trip — Reclamation at Active & Closed Heap Leach Gold Mines in the Black Hills7:30 am-6:00 pm

AIPG Past President’s Breakfast (by invitation)Jeff erson Room7:00 am-8:30 am

AIPG Foundation MeetingBadlands Room7:00 am-9:00 am

Technical Sessions (see Technical Session Schedule pg 10)8:00 am-5:00 pm

Technical Sessions (see Technical Session Schedule pg 16)8:00 am-5:30 pm

*Field Trip —Gold Mineraliza-tion in the Black Hills8:00 am-5:30 pm

*Guest Trip —The 1880 Train, Keystone, SD & Mt. Rushmore8:00 am-5:00 pm

*Guest Trip — SDSM&T Paleontology Research Lab & Museum of Geology Tour8:30-11:00 am

Exhibits Open —Convention Center II Foyer9:00 am-5:00 pm

Exhibits Open — Convention Center II Foyer9:00 am-4:00 pm

*Field Trip — Paleozoic and Mesozoic Reservoir Rocks of the Norther Black Hills Uplift8:00 am-6:00 pm

*Field Trip —Tour RESPEC’s Materials Testing Lab3:00 pm-5:00 pm

*Guest Trip — Prairie Berry Winery Tasting1:30 pm-4:00 pm

SD AIPG Section Meeting (open to all registrants)Jefferson Room5:00 pm-6:00 pm

Movie - “SWITCH” Documentary on Global Energy (open to all registrants)Pactola & Sheridan4:00 pm-5:30 pm

*Field Trip — Engineering Geology of the Black Hills and I-90/Hwy 79 Development Corridor8:00 am-6:00 pm

AIPG Awards, Dinner and Entertainment (all welcome w/ additional fee)Washington 6:00 pm-8:30 pm

7


Hotel Floor Plan




Hotel Floor Plan

9


Technical Sessions


Plenary Session

• Larry Stetler/Foster Sawyer, AIPG Conference Co-Chairs

• Robert A. Wharton, Ph.D., President, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology

• Alvis L. Lisenbee, Ph.D., South Dakota School of Mines & Technology

• Barbara Murphy, AIPG President• Tom Durkin, AIPG SD Section President

CO2 Sequestration• Moderator - Steve O’Rourke9:00- Introduction9:10 Steve O’Rourke

9:10- Carbon Storage and Utilization Technologies 10:00 on the Path to Commercialization Wayne Rowe, Schlumberger Ltd.

Anthropocene and Ethics• Moderator - Gary Haag, U.S. Forest Service9:00- Humans as Geomorphic Agents: 9:30 Anthropogenic Deposits Achieve Mappable Status

Robert Stewart, ARCADIS U.S., Inc., CT

9:30- The New Jersey Site Remediation Reform10:00 Act’s Licensed Site Remediation Professional’s Ethics and Practice Issues David Abbott Jr., AIPG Ethics Committee, CO

Environmental• Moderator - Joanne Noyes, SD Geological Survey9:00- Secondary Containment 9:30 Bob Beck, New Pig Corporation, Tipton, PA

9:30- Surface Geophysical Investigation at a Buried10:00 Drum Disposal Site David Heidlauf, ENVIRON International Corporation, IL

Session A - Pactola & Sheridan

Monday, September 24, 2012 8:00 am-9:00 am



Session B - Sylvan I & II

Session C - Legion I & II



Technical Sessions

11

Poster Session

Hydrothermal Alteration and Gold Mineralization in Biotite Zone Host Rocks at Homestake Mine in Lead, SDAndrew Armstrong, SD School of Mines & Technology

Groundwater Recharge Estimates for the Powder River and Williston Structural BasinsKatherine Aurand, SD School of Mines & Technology

Vessigny Beach Sand Composition and Provenance Implications, Southern TrinidadCoreyn Goddard, York College

Sampling Plants for Heavy Metals on Pine Ridge Reservation, South DakotaArmando Hernandez, SD State University., Oglala Lakota College

Sampling White River Water for Heavy Metals, Western South DakotaDaniel Johns, Presented by Armando Hernandez andJoanita Kant, SD State University

A Resource Inventory of Selected Outcrops Along the White Clay Fault in Southwestern South DakotaLilly Jones, Oglala Lakota College

Sampling Wild Roses and Soils for Heavy Metals along White River on and near Pine Ridge Reservation, South DakotaJoanita Kant, SD State University

Hydrocarbon Potential of the Niobrara Formation on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, South DakotaKelsey Marzolf, SD School of Mines & Technology

GIS Application to Stratigraphic? Petroleum Analysis, Along the Powder River Basin-Big Horn Uplift MarginMatthew Morton, SD School of Mines & Technology


Poster Session Presentations - Pactola & Sheridan

Poster Presenters will be Available at their

Posters During the Morning Break

Pactola & Sheridan 10:00 am-10:30 am


Technical Sessions


Poster Session

Investigation of the White Clay Fault as Part of a New STEM Education Program at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South DakotaKristina Proietti, SD School of Mines & Technology

Multi-Phase Fluid Flow Simulation Assisted Exploration and Production of Hydrocarbons from the Niobrara Formation in the Northern Great PlainsSubodh Singh, Sinte Gleska University

Evaluation of the Tyler Formation, Williston Basin, Southwestern North DakotaIvana Stevanovic, SD School of Mines & Technology

Mapping and Stratigraphy of the White Clay Fault in South West Shannon County, South DakotaGrace Sumption, SD School of Mines & Technology

Architecture of the Cretaceous Niobrara Shale and Geometric Relationships of the Chadron Dome with the Adjacent Laramide-Age Structures, Nebraska, South Dakota and WyomingMichael Tekle, SD School of Mines & Technology

Field Camps off ered by Black Hills Natural Sciences Field Station at South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyNuri Uzunlar, SD School of Mines & Technology

Grain Size Characteristics and Erosion in Fossil-Bearing Strata at Badlands National ParkMinwei Zhang, SD School of Mines & Technology


Poster Session Presentations - Pactola & Sheridan

Poster Judging will Take Place

During the Afternoon Break

Pactola & Sheridan 3:00 pm-3:30 pm



Technical Sessions

13

Monday, September 24, 2012 10:30 am-12:00 noon

CO2 Sequestration• Moderator - Steve O’Rourke10:30- Using Carbon Dioxide as a Geothermal Heat11:00 Mining Fluid to Pay for Its Geologic Sequestration Martin Saar, Ph.D. University of MN

11:00- Geologically Sequestered Carbon Dioxide as11:30 a Geothermal Heat Mining Fluid -- Applications and Opportunities Jimmy Randolph, Ph.D., University of MN

11:30- Heat Flow and Subsurface Temperatures in 12:00 South Dakotanoon Will Gosnold, Ph.D., University of ND

Mining / Economic Geology• Moderator - Kelli McCormick, SDSM&T10:30- Dewey-Burdock In-Situ Recovery Project,11:00 Southern Flank of the Black Hills Uplift James Bonner, Powertech (USA), Inc., CO

11:00- Rare Earth Elements (REE) Deposits in NM11:30 Virginia McLemore, NM Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, NM

11:30- New Concepts in Exploration for 12:00 Stratabound Mineral Deposits in the Paradoxnoon Basin, Utah and Colorado Chester Wallace, Windy Point Exploration, CO




Earth & Mars• Moderator - Tom Durkin, NASA Space Grant Consortium10:30- Erosion Rates at Badlands National Park11:00 Larry Stetler, SDSM&T, SD

11:00- Eight Months to the Field Site: NASA Mars 11:30 Science Lab Thomas Durkin, NASA South Dakota Space Grant Consortium, SDSM&T, SD

11:30- Silver Cliff Volcanic Center: New Evidence of12:00 a Violent, Unique Calderanoon Jessica Kinninger, Pikes Peak Community College, CO

Luncheon Keynote Speaker-Bill Harlan, Communications Director, Sanford Underground Research Facility

Rushmore Room 12:00 noon-1:00 pm


Technical Sessions


Impact of Regional Oil & Gas Development in SD• Moderator - Ben Snow, President-Rapid City Economic Development1:00- National Perspective1:30 Matt Koch, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Institute for 21st Century Energy

1:30- South Dakota Perspective2:00 Governor’s Offi ce of Economic Development

2:00- Rapid City/Black Hills Perspective2:30 Ben Snow, Rapid City Economic Development

2:30- North Dakota Perspective3:00 Vicki Steiner, Director-North Dakota Oil Producing Counties

Energy and Development• Moderator - Foster Sawyer, SDSM&T1:00- Reevaluation of the Tyler Petroleum System,1:30 North Dakota Timothy Nesheim, ND Geological Survey, ND

1:30- Defi ning the Three Forks Formation, 2:00 Williston Basin, South Dakota Michelle Ozarowski, SDSM&T, SD

2:00- Technology and Eff ects of Guar Gum 2:30 Processing on Global Fracturing Operations in the Oil and Gas Industry

Subodh K. Singh, Sinte Gleska University, SD

2:30- Evaluation of Gas Hydrates Using Seismic3:00 Velocity Indicator Swapnil Shrimal, University, India

Mining / Economic Geology• Moderator - Perry Rahn, SDSM&T1:00- New Topics in Critical and Strategic Minerals1:30 James Burnell, Colorado Geological Survey, CO

1:30- Origin of the Icebox Nugget2:00 Perry Rahn, SDSM&T, SD

2:00- Geology and Development of the Rosemont 2:30 Copper Project Jeff Cornoyer, Rosemont Copper Company, AZ

2:30- Blushing Geology3:00 Sarah Chadima, Geological Survey Program, SD




Monday, September 24, 2012 1:00 pm-3:00 pm



Technical Sessions

15

State Geologists and Oil and Gas Commissioners Perspective

• Moderator - Foster Sawyer, SDSM&T3:30- Renewed Interest in the Alliance Salt Basin4:00 William H. Sydow, Director, Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission

4:00- South Dakota’s Oil and Gas Potential and4:30 Data Availability Through an Interactive Map Derric Iles, State Geologist, South Dakota Geological Survey

4:30- TBA5:00

Environmental Geology• Moderator - Joanne Noyes, SD Geological Survey3:30- Hydrostatic Tank Testing in a Drought:4:00 A Battle for Water Rights Todd Knause, Stanley Consultants, IA

4:00- Methodology for Testing Shale Creep Around4:30 Proppant Jay Nopola, RESPEC, SD



Monday, September 24, 2012 3:30 pm-5:00 pm


Technical Sessions


Tuesday, September 25, 2012 8:00 am-10:00 am

Session A - Pactola & SheridanHydraulic Fracturing

• Moderator - Ahmad Ghassemi, Ph.D., Texas A&M Univ. 8:00- Panel Discussion on Hydraulic Fracturing9:30 • Mike Lee, SD Department of Environment and Natural Resources • Ahmad Ghassemi, Ph.D., Texas A&M University • Kathy Fay, Environmental Protection Agency (Denver) • Jordan Cieszobka, Gas Technology Institute • Gerry Baker, Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission

9:30- Some Geomechanics Aspects of 10:00 Unconventional Reservoir Stimulation Ahmad Ghassemi, Texas A&M University

Hydrology / Water Quality• Moderator - Derric Iles, SD Geological Survey8:00- Pine Ridge Reservation Irrigable Lands: 8:30 Estimating Water Needs for Agricultural Purposes on the Pine Ridge Reservation Joni Tobacco, Oglala Lakota College, SD

8:30- Long-Term Groundwater Optimization of the9:00 Monitoring Program at the Stringfellow Superfund Site, Riverside, California Mark Rogers, Kleinfelder, CA

9:00- Sediment Yield and Dam Capacity in the9:30 Great Lakes Watershed: Field Methods, Preliminary Results of Sediment Core Dating and Application to Contaminated Sediment MNA Sites John Barkach, Great Lakes Envir. Center, MI

9:30- TAKE THIS OUT OF THE BALLPARK - 10:00 Geology and Environmental Remediation of the New Twins Ballpark Site Kate Kleiter, American Engineering Testing, MN




Technical Sessions

17

Environmental Geology• Moderator - Larry Stetler, SDSM&T8:00- Successful Implementation of Adaptive 8:30 Management for the Restoration of a Watershed in Southeastern Tennessee Impacted by Copper Mining Tom McComb, Barge Waggoner Sumner and Cannon, Inc., TN

8:30- Using Detailed Characterization of 9:00 Aqueous and Matrix Diff usion Contaminant Distribution and Fracture Networks to Improve Understanding of Solute Transport in Fractured Sedimentary Rock Site

Daniel St. Germain, ARCADIS U.S., Inc., NJ

9:00- Diagnostic Environmental Parameter for 9:30 Diff erentiating Sources of Water and Gases John Oneacre, Ground Water Solutions, TX

9:30- Successful Off Base Cleanup of 10:00 Trichloroethene in Groundwater, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota Joe Odegaard, Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD


Tuesday, September 25, 2012 8:00 am-10:00 am

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Technical Sessions


Hydraulic Fracturing• Moderator - Ahmad Ghassemi, Ph.D., Texas A&M Univ.10:30- Precision Wellbore Placement11:00 Justin Bolt, Gyrodata, Inc.

11:00- Jordan Cieszobka12:00 Gas Technology Institute



Tuesday, September 25, 2012 10:30 am-12:00 noon

Structural Geology / Geologic Mapping• Moderator - Nuri Uzunlar, SDSM&T10:30- General Geologic Evolution of the Black Hills11:00 Uplift, South Dakota, Wyoming & Montana

Alvis Lisenbee, SDSM&T, SD

11:00- Accessing Two Centuries of Science, Through 11:30 the U.S. National Geologic Map Database David Soller, U.S. Geological Survey, VA

11:30- The National Geologic Map Database 12:00 Project’s Adventures in Managing Old Fossilsnoon and Geologic Names Nancy Stamm, U.S. Geological Survey, VA

Luncheon Keynote Speaker-Dr. Vince Matthews, Colorado State Geologist, Colorado Geological Survey

The Global Scramble for Natural Resources—Its Potential Impact on America

Rushmore Room 12:00 noon-1:00 pm

Movie “Switch” Feature Length Documentary on Global Energy

Pactola & Sheridan 4:00 pm-5:30 pm

Dinosaur Park- Photo Courtesy of Rapid City CVB



Technical Sessions

19

Technology-Based Resource Plays: Northern Rockies and Great Plains

Moderator - Larry Anna, Anna Geoscience1:00- Resource Evaluation of the Williston Basin1:50 Larry Anna, Anna Geoscience

2:00- Integration of Geology, Source Rock 2:30 Geochemistry, Geophysics, and Engineering, at Sanish Field (Middle Bakken and Three Forks), Mountrail County, North Dakota

Mark Sonnenfeld, Whiting Petroleum Corp.

2:30- Shale Reservoir Properties from Digital Rock3:00 Physics

Paul Ching, Director, Ingrain, Inc.

3:00- Bakken Shale3:30 James Taylor, Noble Energy Inc.

3:30- TBA4:00

Engineering Geology• Moderator - Larry Stetler, SDSM&T1:00- Geologic Hazards in and Near Denali 1:30 National Park Alaska

Paul Metz, University of Alaska Fairbanks, AK

1:30- Biaxial Horizontal Swelling Strains in2:00 Pennsylvanian Rocks of the Appalachian Plateau in Response to Moisture Adsorption Monte Hieb, WV Offi ce of Miners’ Health, Safety & Training, WV

2:00- Discontinuity Characterization Using LiDAR2:30 at the Sanford Underground Research Facility at the Former Homestake Mine Henok Tiruneh, SDSM&T, SD

2:30- Conceptual Design of Siphon Wells for 3:00 Dewatering of the Jumbo Dome Surface Coal Mine, Usibelli Coal Mines, Healy Alaska

Paul Metz, University of Alaska Fairbanks, AK

3:00- Candidate Conservation Agreements and 3:30 Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances: Tools for Dealing with Species in Limbo Kenneth Carothers, Cardno ENTRIX, TX



Tuesday, September 25, 2012 1:00 pm-3:30 pm


Abstracts


2012 Geology and Natural Resources

of the Black Hills and Adjoining Basins

Conference Abstracts(Alphabetical According to

Lead Presenter)

Conference Presented by

American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG)

New Horizons in Oil & GasAIPG South Dakota Section

New Horizons in Oil and Gas



Abstracts

21

THE NEW JERSEY SITE REMEDIATION REFORM ACT’S LICENSED SITE

REMEDIATION PROFESSIONAL’S ETHICS AND PRACTICE ISSUES

David M. Abbott, Jr., CPG, AIPG Ethics Committee Chairman and Consulting Geologist, Denver, CO

The 2009 New Jersey Site Remediation Reform Act creates the Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) title. New Jersey’s LSRP program provides an interesting example of the expansion of professional licensing and licensing’s impacts on professional practice. The LSRP’s “highest priority in the performance of pro-fessional services shall be the protection of public health and safe-ty and the environment.” In achieving this goal, the LSRP must notify the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) of all material activities on a site for which the LSRP has been retained. Eff ectively, the DEP becomes a co-client with the private client who hires the LSRP.

The Site Remediation Reform Act allows for the exercise of profes-sional judgment, which is good. But what happens when profes-sional judgments disagree? How broad is the professional judg-ment allowance? These disagreements/confl icts of interest can occur between the LSRP and the DEP staff , although the DEP staff has the fi nal say in such cases. Confl icts can also arise between the LSRP and other experts, who may be LSRPs, retained by adjacent landowners, buyers or sellers, landlords or tenants, fi nancial insti-tutions, and in co-mingled plume disputes. Another issue is that remediation technologies and practices and contaminant detec-tion limits evolve over time. Can a previously completed site re-mediation be re-opened as a result? In addition, LSRPs face some specifi c confl ict of interest provisions, including a prohibition on employment by a fi rm conducting the actual remediation work.

Immediate environmental concern situations where immediate threats to the public’s health and safety are perceived to exist can also be an issue. How “immediate” is “immediate”? For example, how fast is a contaminant plume moving? There can be diff ering opinions. SRLPB Complaint 003-2011 provides an example. In this case the complaint concerned a proposed residential devel-opment on land where lead shot from a former skeet range was present. While there was no question that lead in concentrations greater that allowed by the DEP’s standards was present, there was no evidence that the lead was moving around or beyond the property and so there was no immediate environmental concern.

New Jersey’s LSRP program is in the process of being fully imple-mented and there are no fi rm answers to the questions raised. As answers are provided through practice or litigation, expect signifi -cant impacts on professional site remediation practice in New Jer-sey and potentially in other jurisdictions as well.


Abstracts


PETROLEUM GEOLOGY AND RESOURCE EVALUATION OF THE WILLISTON BASIN

Lawrence O. Anna, CPG, Anna GeoScience, Inc.

Petroleum geology and resource evaluation of the Williston Basin is best understood using a total petroleum system model, which includes mapping the distribution of potential source rocks and known petroleum accumulations and determining the timing of petroleum generation and migration. The method focuses on source and reservoir rock stratigraphy, timing of tectonic events and the confi guration of resulting structures, formation of traps and seals, and burial history modeling.

Six major stratigraphic sequences, each bounded by major uncon-formities can be distinguished within the more than 16,000 feet of Phanerozoic rock in the basin. There are nine separate petroleum systems within major stratigraphic sequences, six of which are in the carbonate Paleozoic sections, and three in the clastic up-per Paleozoic, Cenozoic, and Mesozoic sections. In the Paleozoic section each system consists of numerous cycles of source, reser-voir, and seal strata providing numerous petroleum accumulation targets. Each cycle is usually tens of feet thick, but may be more. Migration from source rocks can be internal or lateral within the source beds, a contiguous reservoir or nearby carrier bed—dis-tances can be extensive. Vertical migration occurs but is limited in extent, except along the Cedar Creek anticline trend.

Although the basin is not considered to be a foreland type, it is structurally complex, with numerous major and minor structures, although net off sets on faults are small. As a result, infl uence of paleostructure on sedimentation is refl ected by lithofacies dis-tribution and thickness patterns resulting from the presence of numerous types of structures. Recurrent movement of basement blocks occurred periodically, resulting in a variety of deposition en-vironments and subsequent folding of overlying strata.

Production from conventional reservoirs has had a celebrated his-tory in the basin, and unconventional or continuous reservoirs, such as the Bakken, have recently added signifi cant resources. Other continuous reservoirs, such as Ordovician Winnipeg shale and Pennsylvanian Tyler/Heath shale may add resources to the basin in the future.

Production history plots indicate that the basin has gone through several production cycles for oil and gas; cumulative production (2012) is 3,340 million barrels of oil (MMBO) and 3,400 billion cubic feet of gas (BCFG) with most of the production from the Bakken Shale, Mississippian Madison Group and Ordovician Red River For-mation reservoirs.



Abstracts

23

HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION AND GOLD MINERALIZATION IN BIOTITE ZONE HOST

ROCKS AT HOMESTAKE MINE IN LEAD, SOUTH DAKOTA

Andrew E. Armstrong, Dr. Colin J. Paterson, Rapid City, SD

The Homestake gold mine, until its closure in 2002, produced in excess of 40 million ounces of gold during its 125 years of min-ing. A petrographic and geochemical study has been undertaken in the biotite zone of the Homestake mine to discern the nature of the hydrothermal reactions that occurred between the Home-stake Iron Formation and the hydrothermal fl uids that permeated through it along shear zones at approximately 1.73 Ga. Samples of intensely-altered and background Homestake Formation were selected for comparison from the Sanford Underground Science and Engineering Lab core archive in Lead. Typical mineral assem-blages in background Homestake Formation consists of anhedral fi ne-grained chlorite with blue birefringence, fi ner-grained car-bonates, fi ner-grained biotite, long slender grains of grunerite and fi ne-grained quartz. Heavily altered samples typically have larger more euhedral matted crystals of chlorite with green bire-fringence, coarser carbonates, and coarser biotite as well as larger grains of quartz. Altered samples may also have a small amount of muscovite. SEM analysis of was performed to acquire chemical compositions of individual grains of minerals for use in determin-ing possible alteration reactions. Bulk rock major and minor ele-ment analyses were also performed on the samples to constrain the chemical interactions that led to precipitation of the gold. The 51 element aqua regia analysis shows in altered samples there are signifi cant increases of Ag, Al, As, Au, Bi, Ca, Ga, Ge, Li, P, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, Te, V and depletions of Ba, Be, Cs, Cu, Hg, K, La, Mg, Mo, Rb, and Sn compared to background samples. The major el-ement analysis via XRF shows increases of Al2O3, CaO, and Na2O and depletions of SiO2, and K2O in altered samples compared to background samples.


Abstracts


GROUNDWATER RECHARGE ESTIMATES FOR THE POWDER RIVER AND WILLISTON

STRUCTURAL BASINS

Katherine R. Aurand, SA, [email protected], Rapid City, SD, Andrew J. Long, MEM, [email protected]

Groundwater recharge will be estimated as part of a project initi-ated by the U.S. Geological Survey to construct a conceptual mod-el and water budget for the lower Tertiary and Upper Cretaceous aquifer system in the Powder River and Williston structural basins. The study area covers about 75,000 mi2 in parts of Wyoming, Mon-tana, and North and South Dakota. These aquifers are the shal-lowest and typically most accessible primary aquifers within the two structural basins. Prolifi c natural gas and coal production in the Powder River structural basin and oil production in the Willis-ton structural basin will require trillions of gallons of water from this aquifer system over the next 15 years. Increasing demands for irrigation, industry, domestic, and municipal uses in this region will also aff ect the groundwater availability. Determining how the aquifer system will respond to these depletions is important for regional water management.

A numerical soil-water-balance (SWB) model based on a modi-fi ed Thornthwaite-Mather approach is being used to estimate recharge to the aquifer system. The inputs for the SWB model include daily precipitation and temperature data, land-use clas-sifi cation, soil type, and surface-water fl ow direction. The sources and sinks of water within each grid cell are determined by the SWB model based upon the input data. Recharge is calculated as the diff erence between the change in soil moisture and the fl ow rates of sources and sinks. The model is being run on a daily time-step over a 31-year period (1980-2010). Site-specifi c recharge esti-mates, such as the water-table fl uctuation method, will be used to validate the results. Monthly recharge to the aquifer system will be recorded and incorporated into a conceptual model generaliz-ing the water budget of the aquifer system within each structural basin.



Abstracts

25

SEDIMENT YIELD AND DAM CAPACITY IN THE GREAT LAKES WATERSHED: FIELDMETHODS, PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF

SEDIMENT CORE DATING, AND APPLICATION TO CONTAMINATED

SEDIMENT MNA SITES

John Barkach, MS, CPG, CHMM, Great Lakes Environmental Center, Farmington Hills, MI, [email protected], Dennis McCauley, Chris Turner, and Mike McCauley, Great Lakes Environmental Center, Traverse City, MI

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is tasked with main-taining the navigability of the waters of the United States. Within the Great Lakes, there are over 100 federal harbors or federally maintained navigation channels. The USACE spends approximate-ly $20 million to $40 million annually to remove approximately 2 to 4 million cubic yards of sediment that accumulates in Great Lakes harbors and navigation channels each year.

The USACE has observed that the sediment yield in Great Lakes watersheds has increased by nearly an order of magnitude from the mature, closed forests in pre-European settlement to the agriculture-dominated watersheds of today. Despite this large increase in sediment production, relatively little sediment is de-livered to Great Lakes harbors. This is due to the impoundment of sediment behind a network of 4,943 dams in the Great Lakes watershed.

During 2010, the USACE and Wayne State University (WSU) began a three year project to estimate the sedimentation rates in Great Lakes watershed impoundments and to calibrate a basin-wide model to estimate the remaining storage capacity behind dams that are tributary to federal-maintained harbors and channels. To collect data to support this eff ort, 10 impoundments were selected for study. Great Lakes Environmental Center, Inc. and WSU imple-mented the fi eld work that involved: vibracore sediment sampling, a bathymetric survey of the impoundment, velocity transects of streams that feed each impoundment, as well as surface water sampling to evaluate total suspended solids. The sedimentation rates in each impoundment are being evaluated using three ap-proaches:

Continued on next page


Abstracts


SEDIMENT YIELD AND DAM CAPACITY IN THE GREAT LAKES WATERSHED: FIELDMETHODS, PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF

SEDIMENT CORE DATING, AND APPLICATION TO CONTAMINATED

SEDIMENT MNA SITES(Continued)

1. Determination of the sedimentation rate of an impound-ment by dating sediment cores using Cesium 137 (137Cs) and Lead 210 (210Pb).

2. Evaluation of sediment accumulation via analysis of historic bathymetric maps versus current bathymetric maps created using an M-9 RiverSurveyor.

3. Evaluation of sediment transport modeling.

Of the 110 cores that have been collected, WSU has completed dating of 40 sediment cores that were collected from 8 of the 10 impoundments. Preliminary review of the 210PB and 137Cs data re-veals that the calculated sediment accumulation rates are typically similar. The sedimentation rates of individual impoundments will be used to fi ne tune the sediment transport models being devel-oped by the USACE and WSU. In particular, the preliminary results of the 210Pb and 137Cs sediment core dating show wide application at contaminated sediment sites where impacted sediments will be managed in-place.



Abstracts

27

PRECISION WELLBORE PLACEMENT

Justin Boltz, Gyrodata, Inc.

When Gyrodata fi rst introduced high accuracy gyro surveying to the industry some thirty years ago, its value as an improvement to safety was immediately embraced by companies operating off -shore fi elds where well collisions could, and have, resulted in trag-edy. Today with the advent of pad drilling operations on land the anti-collision problems, long experienced off shore now have to be dealt with in the onshore environment. This coupled with an in-creasing drive to drill more productive, rather than cheaper wells, is leading to an increased demand for accurate wellbore surveys that have a proven level of quality for Precision Wellbore Place-ment. A quality survey and drilling program improves reservoir and earth model knowledge, which will ultimately aff ect the calcu-lation of reserves in place. Accurate survey also ensures safe future operations when it is necessary to drill close to or even intercept the original well. In addition, a well planned and correctly executed program utilizing both gyro and magnetic instruments will ensure there is no possibility of gross errors being introduced into data.

This presentation will look at the history and development of well-bore survey and drilling technology and will show what the state of the art is today. Fundamentals of the instruments operation will be explained. And we will look at some pitfalls to be avoided when developing a survey and drilling program.

Scenic Photo Courtesy of Rapid City CVB


Abstracts


DEWEY-BURDOCK IN-SITU RECOVERY PROJECT, SOUTHERN FLANK OF THE

BLACK HILLS UPLIFT

James A. Bonner, MEM, Powertech (USA) Inc., Greenwood Village, CO

In 1951, uranium was fi rst discovered on the southern fl ank of the Black Hills Uplift in Lower Cretaceous fl uvial sandstones of the Fall River and Lakota Formations (Inyan Kara Group). This resulted in a fl urry of prospecting and exploration activity across southwestern South Dakota and northeastern Wyoming. By the mid 1950’s, the Edgemont Mining District had been established. Uranium and va-nadium ore was produced from shallow underground and surface mines and processed in a mill located at Edgemont, SD. An esti-mated 1.6 million pounds of uranium was mined before operations ceased in 1968.

In the mid 1970’s, renewed exploration in this region began tar-geting deeper extensions of the previously-mined areas. The Ten-nessee Valley Authority (TVA) acquired a major land position and completed nearly ten thousand exploratory drill holes in the over-all region. TVA initiated mine planning for a large underground op-eration within the Edgemont District, but this eff ort stopped with the collapse of the uranium industry in the early 1980’s.

Today, the district is once again active with the Dewey-Burdock In-Situ Recovery Project entering its fi nal mine permitting stage. The geologic setting of the District is ideal for such a project. Ura-nium mineralization is present in typical U.S. sandstone roll- front type deposits. The deposit’s uranium grades are quite favorable, as shown in the latest technical reports on the project, which identify 11.2 million pounds of Indicated and Inferred uranium resources averaging 0.20% U3O8. The host sandstones within the Inyan Kara Group have measured permeabilities in the 1-3 darcy range and are confi ned by hundreds of feet of overlying Cretaceous marine shale and by shale of the underlying Jurassic Morrison Formation. Laboratory tests on cores of the mineralization demonstrate that the deposit is amenable to leaching with a benign oxygen and car-bon dioxide lixiviant. Restoration of the ground water and surface operations will leave the area essentially as it was before mining.



Abstracts

29

NEW TOPICS IN CRITICAL ANDSTRATEGIC MINERALS

Jim Burnell, MEM, Colorado Geological Survey, Denver, CO

In the world of critical and strategic minerals, new developments in technology and geopolitics serve to swing the interest in new di-rections from year to year. While concern remains in “technology metals” such as gallium, germanium, indium and tellurium, atten-tion has moved to a new suite of mineral commodities.

Reports from the U.S., the European Union, and Great Britain have placed the spotlight on tungsten, antimony, graphite, beryl-lium and fl uorspar. The utility of these fi ve, their price escalation and the perceived limitations in their upstream supply have made them topics in the commodities world.

U.S. tungsten consumption has been growing at an average of 20% per annum. To date, much of our tungsten supply has been derived from recycled scrap but demand threatens to outstrip sup-ply. More than 80% of raw supply originates in China. Prices have increased because China has imposed a stiff export tariff and en-acted a tight export quota.

The U.S. suff ers an 80% import dependence on antimony. While we recover some of this metal from the recycling of lead-acid bat-teries, China boasts reserves far greater than the rest of the world combined. Price has increase substantially because of Chinese supply interruptions.

Graphite has been the hottest topic in the industrial minerals world. This formerly mundane product has benefi ted from tech-nological developments that promise to expand the demand well beyond supply. The U.S. currently produces no graphite. In a recur-ring theme, China is the leading producer. The price for the most valuable forms of graphite - especially the large fl ake type-has in-creased 50% in the last year.

Beryllium is unusual in that the U.S. is a leading producer. Demand has increased in the last few years, but beryllium’s uses in new technologies are predicted to expand that demand signifi cantly in the coming years.

Fluorspar is another industrial mineral for which the U.S. was for-merly a leading producer. Now most of the supply originates in China and Mexico. A disturbing feature of the fl uorspar supply is that estimates of China’s known reserves predict that they will be exhausted in seven years.

These fi ve strategic minerals once again point out the importance of revitalizing mineral exploration and production eff orts in the United States.


Abstracts


CANDIDATE CONSERVATION AGREEMENTS AND CANDIDATE CONSERVATION

AGREEMENTS WITH ASSURANCES: TOOLS FOR DEALING WITH SPECIES IN LIMBO

Kenneth R. Carothers, BS, Senior Consultant for Cardno ENTRIX , Austin, TX

Throughout the country in our quest to become energy indepen-dent, oil and gas exploration and production is at an all time high. Much of this recent success can be attributed to the exploitation and advancement of hydraulic fracturing technologies. But this enthusiasm has also brought questions and numerous concerns for the safety and wellbeing of our population and environment. The purpose of this presentation is to examine some of the envi-ronmental constraints and considerations during the permitting process of these oil and gas activities (also applicable to mining activities). Two environmental considerations in particular are the development of Candidate Conservation Agreements (CCA) and Candidate Conservations Agreements with Assurances (CCAA). CCAs and CCAAs are developed within a legal framework through which an individual landowner or an industrial entity can protect their long-term project objectives through voluntary consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Development of a CCA or CCAA ultimately facilitates the conservation of proposed and can-didate species (and species likely to become candidates), while allowing for project objectives to continue even after these can-didate species become listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).



Abstracts

31

BLUSHING GEOLOGY

Sarah Chadima, CPG, Geological Survey Pgm, Vermillion, SD

The cosmetic and beauty products manufacturing industry ex-pects revenue to reach $54.9 billion dollars in 2012; of which $10.2 billion dollars (18.6%) is attributed to cosmetics. In 2005, the aver-age age at which a female began using beauty products was 17; to-day it is 13.7. Young women ages 12-24 currently out-buy all other age groups in the cosmetic and skin care product market.

In October 2010, the Geological Survey Program, South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, began partic-ipating in a variety of educational outreach events targeting teen-age girls in eastern South Dakota. The goals of these events are to make young female students aware of the varied careers available in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and to encourage them to pursue math and science classes in mid-dle school and high school. Regardless of audience size, hands-on science activities are strongly encouraged at these events.

An applied geology, booth-style program was developed and called Minerals & Makeup – what’s in your Beauty Care Products?. The girls fi rst explore a variety of rocks and minerals placed next to products that use that particular rock or mineral. For example, a fi st-sized sample of pumice is placed by a jar of foot scrub, large clear calcite rhombohedra are near a tube of natural toothpaste, and a glass jar with raw petroleum is adjacent to a vial of Vaseline®. Second, each girl has the opportunity to make powdered blush from talc, kaolinite, iron-oxides, and muscovite. These powdered rocks and minerals are mixed in Ziploc® bags, applied to the cheeks with cotton balls, and - with many giggles - the results are viewed in a hand mirror.

Time after time, girls respond with surprise to this simple activ-ity. Make-up, and its origins, fi t the motto of the Women In Mining Education Foundation, “If it isn’t GROWN, it has to be MINED.” Although no evaluation surveys have been completed, this hands-on activity has been well received. The number of requests for this presentation/activity has increased each year (including repeat requests). Approximately 530 students were reached during the 2010-2011 school year, and approximately 820 were reached dur-ing the 2011-12 school year. At an upcoming festival called “It’s All about Science” in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, organizers plan for attendance numbers approaching 5,000 people. This festival has a much broader mission: the mission of developing and supporting a science-centric community.

This simple activity provides one more opportunity for geologists to encourage girls in STEM. This activity can easily engage girls in science during their teenage growth; a time of self-exploration and self-awareness, image and confi dence building, education and socialization. Women have made tremendous progress in edu-cation and the workplace during the past 50 years, yet much can still be done to encourage girls in science. As globalization makes the world smaller, we must press on for the education of all minds for sustainable global development.


Abstracts


GEOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ROSEMONT COPPER PROJECT

Jeff Cornoyer, MEM, Rosemont Copper Company, Tucson, AZ

Rosemont Copper Company will set a high standard for sustain-able mining practices, including using solar power, consuming less than half the water as traditional mines with fi ltered tailings, and reclaiming the site as permanent open space by revegetating with concurrent reclamation throughout the life of the mine. Rosemont Copper has completed feasibility engineering and is in the process of fi nal engineering and permitting leading to the development of the Rosemont copper-molybdenum-silver deposit, with fi nal per-mits expected in December 2012. The deposit is located approxi-mately 25 miles southeast of Tucson, Arizona, on the east fl ank of the Santa Rita Mountains. Mining in the area predates the turn of the 20th century, and in 1879, U.S. Congress declared the area the Rosemont-Helvetia Mining District. At the time, mining was lim-ited to high grade veins from underground workings. More recent interest has been focused on the development of lower grade, broadly distributed mineralization amenable to open pit mining. Original drilling and geologic work was conducted by Anaconda and its Anamax joint venture, with subsequent work by ASARCO. Rosemont Copper Company purchased the property in 2005 and has continued to evaluate the deposit and its potential for devel-opment. The Rosemont deposit consists of copper-molybdenum-silver mineralized skarns related to a quartz-monzonite porphyry intrusion. Host rocks to the intrusion consist of Paleozoic and Me-sozoic carbonate and clastic sediments. Surrounding the intrusive contact, the carbonates and clastics were metasomatically altered to various calcsilicate skarns and hornfels. Mineralization associ-ated with the intrusion and host rock alteration consists of broadly distributed disseminations and veinlets of sulfi des, primarily born-ite and chalcopyrite. Following the mineralization event, the de-posit was subjected to faulting. Interestingly, the complex faulting in the deposit area has left only minor scattered remnants of the intrusive stock for a “rootless” intrusion, leading to much debate over time. Erosion has sculpted the current confi guration of the deposit area, accompanied by near surface weathering and oxidi-zation, which has resulted in a small amount of oxide mineraliza-tion in the clastic Mesozoic cover.




Abstracts

33

GEOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ROSEMONT COPPER PROJECT

(Continued)

Rosemont Copper Company has conducted extensive resource drilling and metallurgical test work, leading up to a Feasibil-ity Study in 2007 that demonstrated positive economic viability. Since that time further work by Rosemont was used to complete an Updated Feasibility Study in 2009. In early 2012, a drilling program was completed for an additional 2012 Feasibility Study update and expanded the Rosemont resource and reserve. The updated mineral reserve includes 266 diamond drillholes total-ing 342,707 feet with 667.2 million tons of sulfi de ore averaging 0.44% copper, 0.015% molybdenum, and 0.12 ounces per ton sil-ver. Total resource contains 919.3 million tons of 0.41% copper, 0.014% molybdenum, 0.11 ounces per silver and 63.4 million tons of oxide ore averaging 0.17% copper. The project is planned as an open pit mine to provide 90,000 plus tons per day of sulfi de ore to a crushing-grinding-fl otation facility to produce both a copper and molybdenum concentrate, with average production of 243 plus million pounds of copper for a 21 life of mine. Rosemont Copper Company is continuing with detailed engineering and permitting of the project with an anticipated production startup in early 2013. The Rosemont mine will be a signifi cant U.S. copper producer and will have a positive economic impact of over $19 billion dollars into the Arizona economy over the life of the mine, provide 2100 local jobs and create over $128 million per year of county, state, and federal tax revenue.


Abstracts


EIGHT MONTHS TO THE FIELD SITE:NASA MARS SCIENCE LAB

Thomas V. Durkin, CPG, NASA South Dakota Space Grant Consortium, Rapid City, SD, [email protected]

Curiosity stuck the landing! On August 5, 2012, after an eight-month, 352-million mile journey through space, NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft carrying the 1,982-pound SUV-sized exploration rover named Curiosity landed successfully on the surface of Mars. During a nail-biting, seven-minute de-scent through the thin Martian atmosphere, the MSL spacecraft performed a fi rst-ever, multi-staged, precision landing sequence that slowed the spacecraft from its entry speed of 13,200 mph to a soft, touchdown landing of almost 0 mph. The precision landing maneuvers employed bold new techniques that enabled the selec-tion of a smaller target landing site (a 12x4 mile ellipse) and much heavier payload than were possible for any previous Mars mission.

The overarching science goal of MSL’s mission is to assess whether the landing area has ever had, or still has, environmental condi-tions favorable to microbial life in terms of habitability and pres-ervation in the rock record. The primary mission is scheduled to last for at least one Martian year; just under two Earth years. MSL builds on the extensive geological information collected by NASA’s highly successful Mars Exploration Rover Mission that consists of two golf-cart sized rovers Spirit and Opportunity, one of which is still operating after eight years! Unlike solar-powered Spirit and Opportunity, Curiosity carries a radioisotope power sys-tem that generates electricity from the heat of plutonium’s radio-active decay. This power source gives the mission its operating lifespan of at least one Martian year, while providing signifi cantly greater mobility and operational fl exibility, enhanced science pay-load capability, and exploration of a much larger range of latitudes and altitudes than was possible on previous missions. Unlike ear-lier rovers, Curiosity carries equipment to gather rock and soil sam-ples, process them, and distribute them to onboard test chambers inside analytical instruments.

Curiosity landed at the foot of a layered mountain inside a 96-mile diameter crater (Gale Crater.) The mountain, Mt. Sharp, rises about three miles above the crater fl oor; higher than Mount Raini-er rises above Seattle. Mt. Sharp is not simply a rebound peak from the asteroid impact that excavated Gale Crater. A rebound peak may be at its core, but the mountain displays hundreds of fl at-lying geological layers indicative of a much more complex history over billions of years. Twice as tall as the sequence of colorful bands ex-posed in Arizona’s Grand Canyon, the layered geology of Mount Sharp appears to result from changing environments of deposition and erosion. The portion of the crater fl oor where Curiosity landed has an alluvial fan likely formed by water-carried sediments.

Selection of Gale Crater was made after more than 100 scientists considered over 30 possible landing sites. The Gale Crater landing site is so close to the crater wall, that it would not have been con-sidered safe if the mission weren’t using NASA’s improved landing precision.



Abstracts

35

VESSIGNY BEACH SAND COMPOSITION AND PROVENANCE IMPLICATIONS,

SOUTHERN TRINIDAD

Coreyn Goddard, SA, Aihab Zaben, and Rodrigue PayenDepartment of Earth and Physical Sciences, City University of New York -York College, Queens, NY [email protected]

Trinidad is situated on the northern edge of the South American plate, but close to the southern boundary of the Caribbean plate. Current research includes sample collection and subsequent labo-ratory work at York College (CUNY). Preliminary laboratory work includes grain size analysis, heavy mineral separation, and chemi-cal analysis by XRF. Sieve analysis data indicate that the sediments are well sorted, having an average standard deviation of 0.43 phi, with a near symmetrical distribution (average skewness -0.10). The sediments are leptokurtic, predominately medium to fi ne-grained sand (average Mean 1.24 phi). Initial heavy mineral sepa-ration reveals that sand is composed predominately of minerals of low specifi c gravity, such as quartz and feldspars. These minerals comprise 91-99%, by weight, of the sand grains. Traditional heavy mineral separation shows the presence of hornblende, zircon, epi-dote, pyrite, tourmaline, glauconite, magnetite and garnet. Such composition might indicate that the provenance is in close prox-imity to a mixed igneous, metamorphic, and reworked sedimenta-ry source. Studies of recent geological map data have shown that surfi cial terrain is of sedimentary origin. Based on this, one might discern that the provenance of these coastal deposits is from the South American continent via the Orinoco River. In addition, trace amounts of heavy ultrastable minerals having well-rounded shape indicating that some, if not all of the sand, was reworked from old-er Tertiary and Quaternary marine and barrier island sediments. Trace elements such as Zr, Cu, Ni, Ti, Cr, and Ba also suggest win-nowing of sediments by hydraulic sorting and ultimate enrichment of these elements in the sand. The deposition and winnowing of sand on the barrier island is apparently in equilibrium condition.


Abstracts


HEAT FLOW AND SUBSURFACE TEMPERATURES IN SOUTH DAKOTA

Will Gosnold, Ph.D., University of North Dakota

Surface heat fl ow in South Dakota varies from 20 mW m-2 in the northeastern Black Hills to 140 mW m-2 in south central South Da-kota. Heat fl ow determined from 152 heat fl ow sites throughout the northern Great Plains averages 58 ± 9 mW m2 and is normal for tectonically stable continental crust. The anomalously low and high heat fl ow regions in South Dakota span areas of 30,000 km2 and 40,000 km2 respectively and are due to phenomena in the up-per crust. The low heat fl ow region in and east of the Black Hills is due to downward groundwater fl ow in permeable sedimentary rocks. The region of anomalously high heat fl ow in south central South Dakota is explained by heat advection in gravity-driven groundwater fl ow in confi ned aquifers. The high heat fl ow anom-aly coincides with a -45 mgal Bouguer gravity anomaly and it has been suggested that the high heat fl ow is caused by anomalously high radioactive heat production in a granitic batholith complex. However, analysis of heat fl ow and gravity anomalies due to the same body indicate that the heat production contrast necessary to cause the heat fl ow anomaly is too large by a factor of 4 and would have caused melting at mid-crustal levels. An alternative explanation for the gravity anomaly is a thickened lower crust due to thermally induced phase change at the Moho. This explanation is consistent with 400 m of uplift that has occurred during the late Tertiary in the region containing the heat fl ow and gravity anoma-lies.



Abstracts

37

SURFACE GEOPHYSICAL INVESTIGATION AT A BURIED DRUM DISPOSAL SITE

David Heidlauf, CPG, Ryan Keeler, and Art Fromm, CPG, Chicago, IL

A multi-phase surface geophysical investigation was conducted at a large, capped, buried drum disposal site. In excess of 100,000 drums of pesticide manufacturing waste were disposed of in waste disposal trenches in three general disposal areas during a ten year period in the 1960’s and 1970’s. The waste disposal trenches were created using a bull dozer in generally sandy soils along ridge top areas. The waste disposal areas were formally capped in 1980 with an earthen materials consisting of a grading layer, a two-foot compacted clay cap, and a six-inch topsoil layer. The landfi ll caps were further upgraded in 1997 with geo-composites to conform to RCRA landfi ll capping standards. A discovery last year of a his-torical, low altitude aerial photograph from the late 1960’s or early 1970’s of an empty trench located outside of the known buried drum wastes / capped landfi ll disposal areas was the genesis to initiate site surface geophysical investigation.

A combination of EM conductivity, magnetometry, and ground penetrating radar methods were employed over 24 acres of known capped waste disposal areas and 13 acres of adjacent, uncapped areas. The objectives of the surface geophysical inves-tigation were to identify the locations of buried drum trenches un-derlying, along the periphery, and outside of the landfi ll’s current RCRA geo-composite caps. The surface geophysical investigation was conducted in an iterative fashion and totaled 40 days of in-fi eld data collection over a ten month period. A series of test pits, test trenches, and soil borings were also conducted to confi rm the lateral edge of existing landfi ll caps and to verify the locations of suspected buried drum trenches both underlying and outside of the site’s existing RCRA geo-composite caps.

The surface geophysical investigation was successful in the identi-fi cation of an approximate 105-foot long by 15-foot wide suspect buried drum trench corresponding with the location of the empty trench identifi ed on the late 1960’s to early 1970’s low-altitude aerial photograph, which is located outside of the landfi lls’ exist-ing capped area. The presence of buried drum waste at this loca-tion was confi rmed with a soil boring drilled through the suspect buried drum trench location. Future site remedial plans include construction of a RCRA composite cap over this uncapped buried waste drum trench.



Abstracts


SURFACE GEOPHYSICAL INVESTIGATION AT A BURIED DRUM DISPOSAL SITE

(Continued)

The surface geophysical investigation was also successful in the identifi cation of approximately 2,100 feet of lateral landfi ll cap boundaries where buried drum trenches extended outside the lim-its of the existing landfi ll caps. Future site remedial plans include constructing cap extensions for those areas where buried drum trenches extend outside the limits of the existing caps.

Finally, surface geophysical investigation was successful in map-ping the locations of approximately 3.3 linear miles of buried drum trenches underlying the existing landfi ll caps. The location of the buried drum trenches have been used to site the locations of soil vapor extraction remediation wells for a one-acre pilot test reme-diation area as well as in the development of a soil vapor extrac-tion conceptual remedial design for the remainder of the capped landfi ll disposal areas.

Crazy Horse Memorial - Photo Courtesy of Rapid City CVB



Abstracts

39

SAMPLING PLANTS FOR HEAVY METALS ON PINE RIDGE RESERVATION,

SOUTH DAKOTA

Armando J. Hernandez, South Dakota State University, Oglala Lakota College, Brookings, SD

A student intern sampled plant tap roots from Astragalus racemo-sus (creamy poison vetch) to detect heavy metals levels near the tribal landfi ll on Pine Ridge Reservation in southwestern South Dakota in June 2012. The project is part of a joint service-learning class exercise between South Dakota State University (SDSU) and Oglala Lakota College (OLC), where the student has dual enroll-ment. Samples were subjected to microwave digestion and induc-tively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) in the Water and Environmental Engineering Research Center labo-ratory at SDSU to estimate levels of certain heavy metals: arsenic (As), barium (Ba), selenium (Se), and uranium (U). The results are presented, including the implications of prevailing winds near the landfi ll and their association with ash from burning at the site. The sampling is part of the OSSPEEC project: OLC, SDSU, and SDSMT (South Dakota School of Mines and Technology) Pre-Engineering Education Consortium, partly funded by National Science Founda-tion grants.

Key words: heavy metals, ICP, plant roots, Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota


Abstracts


BIAXIAL HORIZONTAL SWELLING STRAINS IN PENNSYLVANIAN ROCKS OF THE

APPALACHIAN PLATEAU IN RESPONSETO MOISTURE ADSORPTION

Monte Hieb, WV Offi ce of Miners’ Health, Safety & Training, Oak Hill, WV

Study of moisture-induced swelling strains in Pennsylvanian rocks of the Appalachian Plateau in West Virginia reveals a 2:1 biaxial horizontal deformation oriented NW-SE. Oriented slabs of coal mine roof rocks collected across West Virginia in the spring of 2012 were dry-sawed to size, air-dried to stability, then monitored for moisture changes and deformation in the horizontal plane for one wetting cycle, followed by one drying cycle. The primary purpose was to determine if moisture-induced biaxial horizontal strains occur in Appalachian Basin rocks, and if so could they be used as a surrogate to estimate the direction of the maximum horizontal in-situ stress, as has been reported by various researchers over the years for certain Michigan Basin rocks. Biaxial swelling strains ori-ented NW-SE were observed in the West Virginia rocks, however alignment agrees more closely with mapped face cleat trends in underlying coal beds than with the direction of the present maxi-mum in-situ stress, suggesting that the mechanisms controlling moisture-induced swelling strains form early in the tectonic his-tory of the host rocks. Shale rocks rich in clay exhibit the strongest and most rapid biaxial swelling strains, with siltstones and sand-stones being generally less reactive. The testing methods used are simple and inexpensive and the results off er insight into the biaxial nature of moisture-related stress in mine roof and fl oor rocks, and also may have application for shale gas development as a means to better predict the biaxial orientation of swelling strains from water injection and their eff ects on induced fracture networks.



Abstracts

41

SAMPLING WHITE RIVER WATER FOR HEAVY METALS IN WESTERN

SOUTH DAKOTA

Daniel A. Johns, South Dakota State University, Presented by Armando J. Hernandez and Joanita Kant, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD

In a collaborative service-learning exercise between South Dakota State University (SDSU) and Oglala Lakota College (OLC), a stu-dent intern sampled White River water samples at six bridge sites from near Belvidere to Oacoma in western South Dakota in June 2012. Samples were processed in the SDSU Water and Environ-mental Engineering Research Center laboratory through micro-wave digestion and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) to detect levels of selected heavy metals: arsenic (As), barium (Ba), selenium (Se), and uranium (U). Results are presented and compared to samples taken by another stu-dent on other segments of the river during the same month and year. The research is part of a continuing, pre-engineering educa-tion consortium (known as OSSPEEC), between OLC, SDSU, and SDSMT (South Dakota School of Mines and Technology), partially funded by grants from the National Science Foundation.

Key words: heavy metals, ICP, White River water, South Dakota


Abstracts


A RESOURCE INVENTORY OF SELECTED OUTCROPS ALONG THE WHITE CLAY FAULT

IN SOUTHWESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA

Lilly Jones, James Sanovia, SA, Hannan LaGarry, Ph.D.,Oglala Lakota College, Rapid City, SD

The White Clay Fault, located in southwestern South Dakota, formed after the Laramide orogeny (65mya) that resulted in the uplift of the Black Hills in western South Dakota and eastern Wyo-ming.

Many of the outcrops along the White Clay Fault are part of the Eocene-Oligocene White River Group (37-26.9 mya), an accumu-lation of nonmarine sediments composed primarily of tuff aceous mudstones and silty claytones with lesser amounts of kaolinitic sandstones, lacustrine limestones and gypsum (LaGarry, 1998; LaGarry and LaGarry, 1997). These rocks also consist of volcanic ash from eruptions in the southwestern United States (Larson and Evanoff , 1998).

The White Clay Fault lies at the outer boundary of the Black Hills uplift. After the fault formed, the erosion of overlying materials exposed outcrops of Late Cretaceous Niobrara chalk that formed between 145.5-65.5 mya, at a time when this region was covered by the Western Interior Seaway. The Niobrara Formation consists of chalk and limestone interbedded with marls and shale (Locklear and Sageman, 2008).

This poster records a geological and paleontological resource in-ventory for two selected outcrops that are within a short walking distance of each other along the White Clay Fault. Outcrops on the downside of the fault belongs to the Peanut Peak member of the White River Group, while the outcrops on the upside of the fault belong to the Niobrara Formation; a diff erence of 60 million years. Few fossils were found at the White River Group site, however, the Niobrara chalk site is very fossiliferous. We were able to record the presence of numerous invertebrates as well as marine reptiles and sharks.



Abstracts

43

SAMPLING WILD ROSES AND SOILS FOR HEAVY METALS ALONG WHITE RIVER

ON AND NEAR PINE RIDGE RESERVATION, SOUTH DAKOTA

Joanita M. Kant, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD

Sampling of wild rose plants and immediately adjacent soils was conducted in 2011 and 2012 on and near Pine Ridge Reservation in southwestern South Dakota, along with one non-reservation site in northwestern Nebraska. The purpose was to evaluate the levels of heavy metals in the plants and soils and to compare the detect-ed levels of arsenic (As), barium (Ba), selenium (Se), and uranium (U). The plants included four species of wild roses, all of which of-ten hybridize in their natural settings: Rosa acicularis, Rosa arkan-sana, Rosa blanda, and Rosa Woodsii. The 2011 sampling included sites distributed throughout the reservation, while the 2012 sam-pling included sites only on the banks of the White River at ma-jor bridges on the reservation, and one site in nearby Nebraska. Plants and soils were processed using microwave digestion and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) in the Water and Environmental Engineering Research Cen-ter laboratory and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota. The results will be presented at the 49th Annual Confer-ence of the American Institute of Professional Geologists in Rapid City, SD, in September 2012.

The research is part of a multi-year project known as OSSPEEC. It is a collaborative venture where the letters represent Oglala Lakota College, South Dakota State University, and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Pre-Engineering Education Consortium, sponsored in part by grants from the National Science Foundation. Future research will include continuation of comparing detected levels of heavy metals in several traditionally edible fruits, in soils, and in White River sediment and water, on and near Pine Ridge Reservation, including sites within the World War II gunnery range.

Key words: heavy metals, ICP, wild roses, soils, Pine Ridge Reser-vation, White River, South Dakota


Abstracts


SILVER CLIFF VOLCANIC CENTER: NEW EVIDENCE OF A VIOLENT, UNIQUE

CALDERA

Jessica C. Kinninger, Pikes Peak Community College, Colorado Springs, CO, Robert J. Odien, Ph.D., MEM

The Silver Cliff Volcanic Center (20-35MA) of Custer County, Col-orado is located in the Wet Mountain Valley, and is east of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and west of the Wet Mountains and the Rosita Hills volcanic area. Previous studies designate the Wet Mountain Valley as a tectonic basin related to the Rio Grande Rift System. This tectonic action gave rise to the Tertiary felsic volcanic activity at Silver Cliff , that transects the surrounding Precambrian metamorphics. In the late 1800’s, silver deposits that resulted from hydrothermal mineralization due to the volcanic activity produced numerous economically profi table mining ventures and gave the area its name.

Prior structural evidence and current fi eld work give credence to a hypothesis concerning the violence of the volcanic sequences in Silver Cliff and the presence of a uniquely weathered obsidian dome. Although the extant features of the caldera are heavily eroded, geomorphologic studies indicate the area to be consistent in structure and associated rock types with those of a caldera. A complex system of ring faults, in addition to the presence of miner-alization, vents, and abundant breccia pipes are indicative of a cal-dera encompassing an area of eight square miles. Evidence of the violent nature of the Silver Cliff Volcanic Center was noted in previ-ous studies that describe more than a thousand feet of pyroclastic debris and ash. This tephra is preserved in the two grabens that bound the rim to the west (trending southwest) and south (trend-ing southeast). Based upon preceding geologic investigations, the conclusion can be reached that these down-dropped areas were caused by subsidence and then subsequently fi lled with material that resulted from either a fl ank collapse, phreatic (gas driven, as opposed to magmatic driven) eruptive sequence, or most likely, both. Late stage rhyolitic domes suggestive of potential magmatic resurgence are prominent in the White Hills area near the north-ern boundary of the caldera. Not previously noted, however, is the existence of a centrally located obsidian dome containing a multi-tude of extraordinary megaspherulites (ranging from 1 to 3 meters in diameter) that demonstrates a weathering process not present on this scale anywhere else in Colorado. Due to the high viscosity of obsidian prior to cooling, this dome would denote the source to underlie the extant structure. The result of this study coupled with previous investigations leads to the proposal that the Silver Cliff Volcanic Center be renamed as the Silver Cliff Caldera.



Abstracts

45

TAKE THIS OUT OF THE BALLPARK - GEOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION OF THE NEW TWINS

BALLPARK SITE

Kate Kleiter, P.G., CPG, American Engineering Testing, Inc., St. Paul, MN

The new Twins Ballpark Site was formerly a parking lot covering over 20 feet of urban fi ll polluted with petroleum, heavy metals and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)--a classic inner city “Brownfi elds Site”. The pollution resulted from the historical industrial activities that occurred on the properties. Detailed en-vironmental and geotechnical assessments were conducted prior to “breaking ground” to characterize the environmental and geo-logical site stratigraphy. These activities were performed by a va-riety of consultants hired by Hennepin County. Over 250,000 cubic yards of polluted urban fi ll soils were remediated for disposal at local landfi lls during building of the new home for the Twins. This talk will focus on the steps taken to ensure that the stadium was built safely on clean land.

Twins Ballpark Site Before Photo

Twins Ballpark Site After Photo


Abstracts


HYDROSTATIC TANK TESTING IN A DROUGHT: A BATTLE FOR WATER RIGHTS

Todd Knause, CPG, P.G., Stanley Consultants, Coalville, IA

When applying for an Industrial Groundwater Transfer permit, Ne-braska Administrative Code requires completion of a Hydrologic Evaluation Report to assist the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in evaluating potential impacts on the surround-ing groundwater aquifer and surface water bodies. The Hydrologic Evaluation requires a feasibility study of all possible sources of water. Possible options are to be evaluated for their applicability, either individually or in combination, to the specifi c site conditions and surrounding settings with respect to eff ectiveness, imple-mentability, and cost. Applicable or Relevant and Appropriate Re-quirement (ARARs) to local, state or federal statutes that pertain to the protection of human health, life, and the environment are also to be considered as part of the evaluation process.

In 1955, a 10 million gallon above ground storage tank (AST) was constructed at a facility near Greenwood, Nebraska. At that time, a permit application was approved to pump approximately 500 gallons per minute of groundwater for 14 days from a nearby well to test the tank. Since then, cracks developed in the AST and the well has collapsed leaving both inoperable. The cracks have been repaired and the tank is ready for tightness testing. However, a water source is not readily available and hydrostatic testing is the only practical way to test the integrity of an AST of this size. Approximately 7 million gallons of water are needed to conduct a hydrostatic test on the AST at a time when the region is in an ongoing drought which has resulted in a moratorium on new well permits and restrictions on surface water appropriation.



Abstracts

47

GENERAL GEOLOGIC EVOLUTION OF THE BLACK HILLS UPLIFT, SOUTH DAKOTA,

WYOMING AND MONTANA

Alvis L. Lisenbee, MEM, [email protected]; Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, SD School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD

The Black Hills, the most centrally located mountain range in North America, are the structurally most elevated portion of a broad, asymmetric, doubly plunging anticline. The uplift extends for 375 kilometers from southeastern Montana to the northwest-ern corner of Nebraska with a maximum width of 140 kilometers. Although present within the northern prairies of the U.S.A., this is the eastern-most uplift of the Laramide orogeny. Rock exposures in the canyon walls and adjacent plains reveal a geologic history extending from the latest Archean to Recent.

The Precambrian core exposed in South Dakota contains two-mica granite (1.7 Ga) intruded into multiply deformed, latest Archean/Proterozoic schist and metamorphosed basalt, iron-formation and greywacke. These units are the roots of a northerly trending range of Himalayan size, located at the western margin of the Trans-Hudson Province at its boundary with the Wyoming Archean Prov-ince. This range formed during Neo-Proterozoic consolidation of the North American craton.

The Precambrian range was eroded to a plain by late Cambrian and through much of the Phanerozoic the area was located in the southern Williston basin, along the north fl ank of the Trans-conti-nental arch. Strata deposited here are:

• Paleozoic marine limestone, dolomite and sandstone;• Mesozoic clastic strata of marine and continental origin, in-

cluding shale and sandstone of the Western Interior Creta-ceous Seaway;

• Cenozoic continental clastic deposits and a group of early Tertiary plutons which extend across the central portion of the uplift.

Paleocurrent indicators in sandstone deposited in the adjacent Powder River basin indicate that Laramide uplift began at the K/T boundary, with the surface rising initially from near sea level and ultimately reaching a structural relief of approximately 2,100 me-ters. The uplift is separated from the Powder River basin by major monoclines and smaller, west-vergent folds are present across the uplift. Both structural growth and erosion had ceased by the latest-Eocene/Oligocene, as shown by the angular unconformity at the base of channel and fl ood plain deposits of this age which radiate outward across the eastern fl ank of the uplift. These units comprise the White River Group, as seen in the Badlands region east of the uplift.


Abstracts


HYDROCARBON POTENTIAL OF THE NIOBRARA FORMATION ON THE

ROSEBUD INDIAN RESERVATION, SOUTH DAKOTA

Kelsey Marzolf and J. Foster Sawyer, CPG, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, Rapid City, SD

The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), and the U.S. Department of Energy are collaboratively supporting tribal community-based energy research through the American Indian Research and Education Initiative (AIREI). Funding has been pro-vided through this initiative to support investigation of the poten-tial for hydrocarbon production from the Niobrara Formation on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in south central South Dakota. The Niobrara Formation in this area occurs at a depth of approxi-mately 1,300-1,600 feet in a region known as the Kennedy Basin. Current production from the Niobrara Formation occurs from the Powder River and Denver-Julesburg basins to the west and south-west, respectively. The basin margin setting of the Rosebud Indian Reservation and historical gas shows in the Niobrara Formation in this area suggest the potential for hydrocarbon production.

Newly available data from recent geothermal test holes will be uti-lized in conjunction with existing well logs and other information to generate isopach and structure contour maps of the Niobrara Formation. Geochemical analyses of fi eld samples from exposures in adjacent areas will be completed as part of the investigation. In addition, Petrel software recently donated to the South Da-kota School of Mines & Technology by Schlumberger Ltd. will be employed for reservoir modeling to further refi ne generation of prospective drill locations. Existing subsurface geologic maps, cor-relation diagrams, lineaments from satellite imagery, geophysical investigations, and other resources also will be included in the in-vestigation.

This investigation has the potential to provide a clean, reliable, af-fordable energy source to the people of the Rosebud Indian Reser-vation. It also will promote STEM (science, technology, engineer-ing, and math) education, and it has the potential to impact the socio-economic status through economic stimulation and genera-tion of new job opportunities on the Reservation.



Abstracts

49

THE GLOBAL SCRAMBLE FOR NATURAL RESOURCES—

ITS POTENTIAL IMPACT ON AMERICA

Dr. Vince Matthews, Director, Colorado Geological Survey

During the 1990s, China and India were unleashed from Communist and Socialist regimes respectively. During the fi rst decade of the 21st Century, China’s GDP grew at more than 10 percent per year and India’s at 7-9 percent. Both are drastically increasing their use of all natural resources. Although China has large resources of its own, they are in-suffi cient to fi ll the internal demand.

Because the world’s mineral and energy resources are be-ing strained to supply these exploding economies, the price of nearly every natural-resource commodity dra-matically escalated between 2003 and 2008. Not only did the price of commodities increase, but the competition to simply obtain a share of these natural resources became in-tense. From cement, to petroleum, to fertilizer, to strategic metals; the scramble for a piece of the worldwide pie is in a state the world has never known. As world commodities such as oil reach their peak ability to produce and begin to decline, the world travels into unknown territory. Econom-ic conditions since 2008 created dramatic volatility in com-modity prices for natural resources. The U.S. is being, and will be, signifi cantly aff ected by this new world disorder.

As America looks increasingly to alternative energy sourc-es, we may not escape the import problem. Many of the current alternative energy technologies use a variety of imported mineral commodities, especially rare earths. The country’s vulnerabilities to foreign sources of strategic mineral commodities are only beginning to be recognized.


Abstracts


THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT FOR THERESTORATION OF A WATERSHED IN

SOUTHEASTERN TENNESSEE IMPACTEDBY COPPER MINING

Tom McComb, MEM, and David Winter, Barge Waggoner Sumner and Cannon, Inc., Nashville, TN

Adaptive Management is defi ned as a structured, iterative process of decision making in the face of uncertainty, with an aim to re-duce uncertainty over time via system monitoring. In lieu of the CERCLA RI/FS process, adaptive management presented a path forward at a complex site using incremental steps to speed up the remediation process. The site, the North Potato Creek Watershed located in the Copper Basin, Polk County, Tennessee, was the loca-tion of mining and mineral processing between 1850s and 1980s. Open roasting of sulfi de ore during the late 1800s devegetated the basin allowing for massive soil erosion. Subsequent mining opera-tions resulted in acid mine drainage, impacted benthic-macroin-vertebrate communities, and braided stream channels.

OXY USA (Glenn Springs Holdings, Inc.), EPA, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation agreed in 2001 to use adaptive management to determine the extent and scope of removal actions to be performed for the restoration of the North Potato Creek watershed. The agreement required restora-tion of the biological integrity of North Potato Creek; however, it did not prescribe a specifi c remedy or an explicit timetable for completion. The remedial actions have not included the removal of all potential contaminant sources, but focused on the remedia-tion of high impact source areas. A key component of the adap-tive management was comprehensive base-fl ow and storm-fl ow surface-water monitoring and biological performance monitoring. The monitoring activities have documented the reduction in load-ing of base-fl ow and storm-fl ow acidity and metals, a reduction in the magnitude of the fi rst fl ush during storm-water events, and improvements in the benthic-macroinvertebrate communities. Diff erent phases of the project had unique intermediate goals: 1) Initial Actions – Elimination of potential human health exposures, 2) Secondary Actions – Removal actions in acid generating source areas, 3) Tertiary Actions – Removal of secondary sources of acid generation and metals and the reconstruction of impacted stream reaches, 4) Final Actions (Ongoing) - Improvement of stream and stream bank habitats and the remediation of small sources of acid generation and metals.




Abstracts

51

THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT FOR THERESTORATION OF A WATERSHED IN

SOUTHEASTERN TENNESSEE IMPACTEDBY COPPER MINING

(Continued)

Using adaptive management, the removal actions were initiated earlier than possible if the project had been conducted using the typical CERCLA RI/FS model. With the CERCLA RI/FS model all the site data would have been collected during a lengthy remedial investigation and all the remedial actions would have been deter-mined during a feasibility study and selected during the ROD. With adaptive management, the initial actions and secondary actions did not require signifi cant data collection or planning prior to their implementation. Additionally, the process of monitoring the im-pact of the initial remedial phases to select and design subsequent removal actions led to better scoping of removal actions and to a reduction in time required for the completion of restoration activi-ties.


Abstracts


RARE EARTH ELEMENTS (REE) DEPOSITS IN NEW MEXICO

Virginia T. McLemore, CPG, New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM, [email protected]

Our society is currently demanding more environmental-friendly technologies like solar panels and wind turbines for electricity, batteries, and electric cars. Other technologies are being devel-oped like water purifi cation, desalination, carbon capture and storage, and even better light bulbs and they all require nontradi-tional minerals and elements in their manufacture. Elements such as cerium, samarium, neodymium, ytterbium, and 13 others are known collectively as rare-earth elements (REE) and are required in many of these technologies as well as other products, such as magnets used to drive many of our motors, cell phones, televi-sions, and computers.

Deposits of rare earth elements (REE) are found in New Mexico, but they have not been important exploration targets in past years because demand has been met elsewhere. However, with the projected increase in demand and potential lack of available REE production from China, the New Mexico deposits are being re-examined for their potential.

REE-Th-U veins are found in the Gallinas, Caballo, Capitan, and Cornudas Mountains and Laughlin Peak-Chico Hills. A small amount of bastnaesite, a REE mineral, was recovered during pro-cessing for fl uorite from the Gallinas Mountains. Four types of deposits are found in the Gallinas Mountains: epithermal REE-F veins, Cu-REE-F veins, REE-F breccia pipes and iron skarn depos-its; all are associated with Tertiary alkaline to alkalic-calcic igneous rocks. Alteration includes brecciation, silicifi cation, chloritization, and fenitization. District zonation is defi ned by Cu-REE-F (±Pb, Zn, Ag) veins that form center of the district, surrounded by REE-F veins. Carbonatites are inferred at depth by the presence of feniti-zation, carbonatization of the breccias, presence of REE and simi-larity of the intrusive rocks and mineralization to areas with known carbonatites. Resources amount to at least 537,000 short tons of 2.95% total REE (not NI-43-101 compliant; Schreiner, 1993). Drill-ing is required to identify a better resource estimate.




Abstracts

53

RARE EARTH ELEMENTS (REE) DEPOSITS IN NEW MEXICO

(Continued)

The Cornudas Mountains consist of ten larger sills, plugs, and lac-coliths and smaller dikes and plugs of phonolite, syenite, and other alkaline igneous rock that intrude relatively fl at-lying limestones and other sedimentary rocks of the Hueco Limestone and Bone Spring Limestone (Permian). The abundant rare mineralogy in the Cornudas Mountains suggests that the area has potential for undiscovered deposits of rare earth elements, niobium, and zirco-nium. U.S. Borax sampled and drilled in the Chess Draw area (up to 0.06% total rare-earth oxides, 10-1400 ppm Nb, 10-3000 ppm Zr, 230-13,000 ppm F). An analysis of a dike contained 1235 ppm Ce, 700 ppm La, 270 ppm Nd, and 242 ppm Y. Additional geophysical and geochemical studies followed by drilling are required to prop-erly assess the resource potential.

Other types of REE deposits are found in New Mexico. Carbon-atites are found in the Lemitar and Chupadera Mountains, Laugh-lin Peak-Chico Hills, Lobo Hill, and Monte Largo (Sandia Moun-tains). Disseminated Y-Zr deposits in syenite are found at Pajarito Mountain, Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation near Ruidoso. In 1990, Molycorp, Inc. reported historic resources of 2.7 million short tons grading 0.18% Y2O3 and 1.2% ZrO2 as disseminated eudialyte. Two additional deposit types have potential for REE in New Mexico: Cretaceous heavy mineral, beach-placer sandstone deposits and pegmatites. Exploration is ongoing in the Lemitar, Gallinas, and Cornudas Mountains.

Many challenges face these industries in supplying REE elements. REE have to be mined and they have environmental issues that will be identifi ed and addressed. Most REE deposits are associ-ated with radioactive waste material, which will require special handling. Are there enough REE in the pipeline to meet the de-mand for these technologies and other uses? Future development of these green technologies will be challenging and demand more research in many fi elds.


Abstracts


CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF SIPHON WELLS FOR DEWATERING OF THE JUMBO DOME

SURFACE COAL MINE, USIBELLI COAL MINES, HEALY ALASKA

Paul Metz, Ph.D., CPG, P.G., Professor of Geological Engineering, Department of Mining & Geological Engineering, College of Engineering and Mines, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, Raymond C. Brooks, Undergraduate Student, Department of Mining & Geological Engineering, College of Engineering and Mines, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK

The Jumbo Dome Surface Coal Mine is a proposed new mining area within the Usibelli Coal Mines at Healy Alaska and is under preliminary design and permitting. The Tertiary coal-bearing se-quence of the Nenana Coal Field is forcefully intruded a 800,000 year old diorite pluton. The coal-bearing sequence includes con-glomerates, coarse to medium-grained sandstones, siltstones, shale and multiple coal seams with a maximum thickness of 1870 feet at the type section. Approximately 200 feet of coal-bearing section is included in the proposed mine plan. The coal-bearing sequence dips away from the intrusive and is partially covered by a thick (up to 100 feet) of intrusive rubble. Jumbo Dome is ap-proximately 4500 feet in elevation and was subjected to late Pleis-tocene to Holocene glacial activity. Three cirques surround the intrusive and a rock glacier is present above the upper end of the proposed mine area. The rock glacier is composed of boulders up to 20 feet in diameter with most ranging from four to six feet. The boulder train below the rock glacier extends well into most of the proposed mine area 2500 feet below the dome. Limited vegeta-tion consisting of alder and willows occurs at the margins of the boulder train.

Test wells drilled through the two major coal seams at the lowest elevation of the mine area are artesian with heads up to fi fty feet. There is no major surface drainage system in the proposed mine area. The interior region of Alaska is a semi-desert with annual precipitation of approximately 12 inches in the mine area. Most of the precipitation occurs as snowmelt and appears to be entirely infi ltrating the coal-bearing sequence and the boulder train in the mine area. A siphon well system has been undergone conceptual design to provide a cost eff ective method for dewatering the pro-posed mine area and reduce the potential for slope failures in the mine.



Abstracts

55

GEOLOGIC HAZARDS IN AND NEAR DENALI NATIONAL PARK ALASKA

Paul Metz, Ph.D., CPG, P.G., Professor of Geological Engineering, Department of Mining & Geological Engineering, College of Engineering and Mines, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK

Denali National Park which is located in the central Alaska Range hosts over 400,000 visitors per year. The Park is accessed via the George Parks Highway and the Alaska Railroad. The Park contains the highest peaks in the Alaska Range including Mt. McKinley, the highest peak in North America at 20,320 ft. and the mountain with the greatest local relief in the world. The Alaska Range is cur-rently experiencing rapid uplift at approximately one centimeter per year. There is also signifi cant horizontal movement along the Denali Fault, a strike-slip fault system with over 300 miles of right-lateral off set. The Hines Creek Strand of the fault system strikes nearly east-west at the entrance of the Park. East of the Park en-trance the fault system strikes southeast and west of the entrance it strikes southwest thus the entrance at the large oroclinal bend in this regional fault system.

On October 19, 1947, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake with an epicen-ter approximately 30 miles to the northeast of the Park entrance triggered major landslides in the area resulting in major damage to the Alaska Railroad. The event predated the Parks Highway and the major facilities outside the Park entrance by 26 years. The landslides included slope and toe failures in the Moody Clay and other glacial lake sediments; toe and base failures in highly sheared metamorphic rocks; planar slides in more competent schist units; and wedge failures and topples at the contacts of ba-saltic dikes with the steeply dipping foliation of the schist units. Wahrhaftig and Black (1958a, 1958b) provide evidence for a large rotational slide located near the Garner Station of the Alaska Rail-road that predate the 1947 event. Removal of the toe and base of the large failure by the down-cutting of the Nenana River has re-sulted in continued movement on the rotational slide and well as on large rotational slides recently identifi ed near the Denali Park entrance. These newly defi ned slides have resulted in the defor-mation of the Parks Highway, the highway brides across the Ne-nana River and Kingfi sher Creek, and some of the major hotels and other structures near the Park entrance.

Prior to the November 3, 2002 magnitude 7.9 earthquake with an epicenter 100 miles to the east on the eastern extent of the Haines Creek strand, the seismic hazards in the Park entrance area were considered minimal. Delineation of the large rotational slides at the Park entrance along with the recent seismic data suggests that facilities in the area are under-designed for seismic and landslide hazards.


Abstracts


GIS APPLICATION TO STRATIGRAPHIC/ PETROLEUM ANALYSIS, ALONG THE POWDER RIVER BASIN -- BIG HORN

UPLIFT MARGIN

Matthew Morton, [email protected], Alfred Garraff a, Andrew Clift, Ivana Stevanovic, SA, Foster Sawyer, CPG, and Alvis L. Lisenbee, MEM, Dept. of Geology and Geological Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, SD; Jenkins, Creties, DeGolyer and MacNaughton

In northeast Wyoming and the southeastern corner of Montana, the 190 km-wide Powder River Basin is both a major watershed and a geologically complex structural basin separating the Big Horn uplift in north-central Wyoming from the Black Hills uplift in western South Dakota. Following retreat of the Western Inte-rior Cretaceous Seaway at the end of the Cretaceous Period, the Laramide-age, asymmetric basin evolved to include a thickness of approximately 5,450 meters of Cambrian through Tertiary strata. Along the structurally complex Big Horn uplift-Powder River ba-sin margin, where structural relief is 8,000 meters, there is a great potential for economic resources in the form of oil, gas, and coal.

The present study, conducted chiefl y by graduate students at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, is a pilot examina-tion to assess the economic potential and geologic signifi cance of several oil producing rock formations including units such as the Tensleep Formation, the Frontier Formation, and the Parkman Sandstone along the western basin margin in the Buff alo-Sheridan region. The study utilizes well log data obtained from the Wyo-ming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission’s (WOGCC) online da-tabase. Using the API number, data for each well are placed into a macro-enabled Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. The spreadsheet, in turn, is used to organize and reconcile formation naming conven-tions into common, uniform nomenclature. Well-log data are com-piled into a geodatabase for use in the ESRI ArcGIS software pro-gram. The program is then used to prepare isopach and structural contour maps as well as stratigraphic diagrams, “bubble maps”, etc., which pinpoint oil resource locations and production, as well as the structural and stratigraphic character of each formation.



Abstracts

57

REEVALUATION OF THE TYLER PETROLEUM SYSTEM/S, NORTH DAKOTA

Timothy Nesheim, North Dakota Geological Survey, Bismark, ND

The Tyler Formation represents the early Pennsylvanian section in North Dakota’s Williston Basin. The Tyler consists of marine to fresh water shale and mudstone with varying amounts of lime-stone and localized sandstone intervals. Previously, the Tyler For-mation has been described as a self-sourcing, self-producing inter-val in which the organic-rich shale intervals have generated oil that accumulated in permeable sandstone bodies.

Primarily an oil play, over 85 million barrels of oil has been pro-duced from the Tyler Formation in North Dakota to date. Nearly all of the Tyler oil production has been from vertical wells in south-western North Dakota. These wells targeted localized lenticular bar-type sandstone bodies which sometimes have permeability values >100 millidarcies.

Over 50 years of exploration and fi eld development for permeable sandstone reservoirs using vertical well technologies has likely fully developed the Tyler as a traditional, vertical play. However, recent technological advances (i.e. horizontal drilling, multi-stage hydraulic fracturing) have made extraction of oil and gas from low permeability rock intervals possible. These new technological ad-vances reopen “mature” petroleum systems (i.e. the Tyler system) for continued exploration.

Recent work by the North Dakota Geological Survey suggests that there are two Tyler petroleum systems. In southwestern North Da-kota, where the southern Tyler petroleum system is located, the upper Tyler section consists of interbedded organic-rich shales and limestones. The organic-rich shale intervals may have been depos-ited in fresh to brackish water settings and consist of 1-12 wt. % Total Organic Carbon (TOC). RockEval data and thermal modeling indicate these southern Tyler shale intervals have undergone in-tense oil generation. Oil produced from the southern petroleum system tends to be very waxy with 30-40% paraffi n. Core analysis data reveals that the limestone intervals in the upper Tyler section often have porosities of 2-7% and permeabilities of <0.1 millidar-cies and oil saturation values of 60-80%. These upper Tyler lime-stones may be possible horizontal well targets.



Abstracts


REEVALUATION OF THE TYLER PETROLEUM SYSTEM/S, NORTH DAKOTA

(Continued)

In the central portions of the Williston Basin of west-central North Dakota, where the northern Tyler petroleum system is found, the Tyler section consists of mostly shale and mudstone. Previously reported paleontological data combined with core observations suggest that several marine transgression-regression events oc-curred during the deposition of the Tyler Formation. Greyish green mudstones (possible paleosols), sometimes capped by very thin coals, represent the culmination of each regression. Three black marine shale intervals with 3-30 wt. % TOC mark the height of the transgressions. RockEval data, thermal modeling, and shale resis-tivity values reveal the organic-rich, marine shales are thermally mature in the deeper parts of the basin. A limited amount of oil has been produced from this northern petroleum system, which dif-fers from oils of the southern system in that it only contains 4-8% paraffi n.

Custer State Park - Photo Courtesy of Rapid City CVB



Abstracts

59

METHODOLOGY FOR TESTING SHALE CREEP AROUND PROPPANT

Jay Nopola, CPG, RESPEC, Rapid City, SD

Propped fractures in shale often close over time because of de-formation of shale and embedment of proppant. This process reduces the fracture width thereby lowering permeability. The most favorable proppant selection should not only consider initial permeability, but also consider permeability as a function of time over the life of the well. This determination begins with the de-velopment of a constitutive model to defi ne the time-dependent deformation of shale.

Most previous works that have investigated viscoplasticty in shale have used triaxial compression tests that are allowed to creep only a few hours or, more rarely, a few days. Short duration creep tests may only capture the transient phase, or may provide a misrepre-sentation of the subsequent steady-state phase. A longer duration creep test (i.e., 30 days) is considered a more accurate represen-tation of the time-dependent behavior of shale. RESPEC has per-formed long-term creep tests on shale and analysis of the results is ongoing. Preliminary results suggest that creep of shale can be defi ned using a power law function of time. The Munson-Dawson constitutive model is therefore currently considered a potential fi t for the initial laboratory data.


Abstracts


SUCCESSFUL OFF BASE CLEANUP OF TRICHLOROETHENE IN GROUNDWATER

ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, SOUTH DAKOTA

Joe Odegaard, Ellsworth AFB, SD

Multiple groundwater contaminant plumes aff ecting drinking wa-ter and irrigation wells were found on and near Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB) in the 1980’s. The base was consequently added to the National Priority List under Superfund in 1990. A trichloroethene (TCE) plume extending 4.5 miles east-southeast from the base was delineated in follow up studies. TCE contamination was in a shal-low unconfi ned aquifer that overlies up to 800 feet of Pierre Shale. The depth to groundwater in this area generally ranges from 10 to 30 feet. This shallow groundwater was used by landowners for domestic water supply, irrigation, and stock-watering purposes.

Pump and treat remedial systems were installed in the groundwa-ter contaminant plumes near the base boundary. These were later optimized, and in-situ reductive treatment (IRT) was implement-ed. A total of 41 IRT zones were injected with WesBlend (a mixture of molasses and dechlorinating bacteria) in eight plumes on the base. These IRT zones are successful at reducing TCE concentra-tions in the eight on-site plumes and, coupled with the pump and treat systems, eff ectively cut off TCE migration at the base bound-ary.

A potable water supply from Ellsworth AFB was provided to resi-dents east of the base within a geographic buff er zone around the area of known groundwater contamination. Each landowner who connected to the system agreed to water use restrictions until the groundwater was cleaned up to the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 5 parts per billion (ppb). There were approximately 85 private wells identifi ed within the buff er zone and over 100 agreements were executed. The off base water supply system was changed to the City of Box Elder in 2007.

The off base plume has undergone monitoring since discovery. Groundwater concentrations had dropped to below 10 ppb in 2010. Nearby ranchers requested restoration of some water uses for irrigation. Water uses were restored after a risk assessment in-dicated all but drinking water could be safely used. Thirty monitor-ing wells are now sampled annually. A steady decrease in the size and concentration of the plume has been observed since the sam-pling program was implemented, and in March 2012, all off base monitoring wells had TCE concentrations below the MCL.




Abstracts

61

SUCCESSFUL OFF BASE CLEANUP OF TRICHLOROETHENE IN GROUNDWATER

ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, SOUTH DAKOTA

(Continued)

As a result of groundwater clean-up eff orts at Ellsworth AFB, the off base TCE plume has been reduced in size and concentration, and some water use restrictions have been lifted. Landowners are now able to install new wells and use existing wells to safely use the local groundwater for irrigation, swimming, and livestock watering. These actions have provided protection to the residents from exposure to the TCE contamination while allowing benefi cial use of the groundwater. Once the 5 ppb MCL has been reliably met, the remaining groundwater restrictions on drinking water will be removed.


Abstracts


DIAGNOSTIC ENVIRONMENTALPARAMETERS FOR

DIFFERENTIATING SOURCES OF WATER AND GASES

John W. Oneacre, CPG, Ground Water Solutions, Ltd., Houston, TX

The rapid development of unconventional energy resources has brought new supplies of gas into the marketplace. However, along with this development of unconventional energy resources, claims of ground water contamination from hydraulic fracturing have been made by well owners, environmental groups, a documentary fi lm producer, and researchers. Historically, extensive sampling and analysis of private water wells have not occurred. Well own-ers understandably may be surprised to discover the types and amounts of naturally occurring constituents in their drinking wa-ter. Additionally, many private wells can have inherent problems with well construction, and maintenance. For example, a poor sur-face seal can allow infi ltration of surface water contaminants such as coliform bacteria. Sulfate reducing bacteria can be the source of hydrogen sulfi de, imparting the notable “rotten egg” odor. Well owners may mistakenly assume that these well issues are due to outside infl uences such as hydraulic fracturing. Although the hy-draulic fracturing process has never been shown to cause ground water contamination in nearly seventy years of application, prob-lems associated with drilling, cementing, and fl uid management can aff ect ground water. The challenge for hydrogeologists is to use sound scientifi c approaches to determine whether constitu-ents in ground water are naturally occurring or infl uenced by other factors. This presentation will identify specifi c parameters that hydrogeologists can use to help diff erentiate sources of water and gases. Specifi c parameters that can help diff erentiate sources include isotopes such as δ2H and δ13C, and δ18O, noble gases in-cluding helium and argon, mole fractions, gas wetness fraction, and various ratios such as the methane/ethane + propane ratio.



Abstracts

63

DEFINING THE THREE FORKS FORMATION, WILLISTON BASIN, SOUTH DAKOTA

Michelle Ozarowski, SA, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, Rapid City, SD

The Three Forks Formation is currently being analyzed both strati-graphically and lithologically in the Williston Basin of South Da-kota. Recent production from the Three Forks as an oil reservoir in the Williston Basin is driving this work. In North Dakota and east-ern Montana, the Three Forks is a reservoir for Bakken shale oil and may have also intrinsically generated oil.

The Williston basin is an intracratonic sedimentary basin, part of an embayment along an ancient seacoast, which experienced sev-eral fl uctuations in sea level. During the Late Devonian, the Three Forks Formation was deposited in a shallow, nearshore marine environment along this ancient seacoast. The Three Forks Forma-tion overlies the Duperow Formation and underlies the Englewood Formation in South Dakota and primarily consists of dolomitic mudstone and siltstones. In North Dakota, the Bakken Formation overlies the Three Forks. Establishing how the Bakken and Engle-wood relate will assist in determining the oil potential of the Three Forks in South Dakota.

Existing well logs and historic oil and gas permit fi les from the South Dakota Geological Survey’s oil and gas database (www.sd-denr.net/sdoil) and the private collection of Dr. John P. Gries at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology are being used to defi ne the Three Forks Formation in the Williston Basin of South Dakota. Existing cores and extensive cuttings are also being uti-lized for petrologic analysis. Stratigraphic correlation of the Three Forks Formation across the Williston Basin of South Dakota, the lithology, upper and lower boundaries, and the extent of the Three Forks are being determined.


Abstracts


SECONDARY CONTAINMENT

Beth Powell, New Pig Corporation, Tipton, PA

With the most recent revision to the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure rule now in eff ect, this presentation will explain applicability, list plan requirements and answer questions about the SPCC rule. Drilling, workover and production facility require-ments and options will be explained. Beyond the Federal Clean Water Act requirements, secondary containment for drilling and hydro fracturing has become a requirement under Pennsylvania Act 13 of 2012. It is also considered a Best Management Practice within the rest of Appalachian shale plays. Practical and newly de-veloped multi-stage containment options will be reviewed. Areas of concern and containment testing options will be discussed, in-cluding passive and active secondary containment for temporary and permanent installations.

Devils Tower - Photo Courtesy of Rapid City CVB



Abstracts

65

INVESTIGATION OF THE WHITE CLAY FAULT AS PART OF A NEW STEM EDUCATIONPROGRAM AT THE PINE RIDGE INDIAN

RESERVATION, SOUTH DAKOTA

Kristina Proietti, SA and J. Foster Sawyer, CPG, [email protected], [email protected], South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, Rapid City, SD

Three educational institutions in South Dakota are collaborating on an innovative approach to STEM education for Native Ameri-can students titled Oglala Lakota College – South Dakota State University – South Dakota School of Mines & Technology Pre-Engineering Education Collaborative (OSSPEEC). The program is designed for Native American students to acquire their basic engineering training as freshmen and sophomores at Oglala La-kota College, after which they will transfer to the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology or South Dakota State University as juniors for completion of their engineering degree. A signifi cant component of the OSSPEEC program consists of “project-based service learning” approaches in which students identify critical needs within their local communities and then design engineering solutions and work as a team to address the problems or issues. Service learning projects address topics that include water qual-ity investigations, sustainability of natural resources, green energy alternatives, engineering construction projects, and other projects related to natural resources and infrastructure in reservation com-munities.

The White Clay Fault is approximately forty miles in length, trends northwest-southeast, and there is approximately 1,800 feet of displacement associated with the structure. The fault occurs pri-marily in southwestern Shannon County, South Dakota, where it is transected by the White River, and the southeastern portion of the fault extends into northern Nebraska. Detailed geologic map-ping of this signifi cant structural feature is an excellent hands-on project for OSSPEEC students who learn to interpret and map ge-ology and to build comprehensive map projects with a geographic information system. An additional project associated with this mapping activity is focused on investigating the possible eff ects of this major structural feature on local ground water fl ow paths and on surface water in the White River. There are signifi cant concerns at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation regarding potential contami-nation from a uranium mine upgradient within the White River watershed, and communities on the Reservation will benefi t from these projects through better understanding of the mechanics of their hydrologic systems. Geologic and hydrologic data resulting from these activities also will be useful for other purposes such as source water protection and better characterization of natural re-sources.


Abstracts


ORIGIN OF THE ICEBOX NUGGET

Perry H. Rahn, CPG, Department of Geology & Geological Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology,Rapid City, SD, [email protected]

In 2010 Charles Ward discovered a large gold nugget approxi-mately 10 miles southwest of Rapid City. The nugget was found in a hand-dug excavation in the bottom of Rockerville Gulch, an ephemeral gully. The prospectors sold the specimen to Chris John-son who brought it to South Dakota School of Mines and Technol-ogy for analysis. The specimen is subrounded and consists of mas-sive gold in a quartz matrix. I determined the total weight to be 164 gm, and the total volume to be 22 cm3. Assuming the density of gold to be 19 gm/cm3 and the density of quartz to be 2.65 gm/cm3, the specimen contains 123 gm (3.96 troy ounces) of gold.

The gold placers in Rockerville Gulch were mined in the 1880s. Water for the placer diggings was scarce, and a 17-mile fl ume was constructed to carry water from Spring Creek. The diggings are lo-cated in a narrow canyon and adjacent terraces. The bedrock is the Mississippian Pahasapa (Madison) Limestone (Rahn, 1987). The Cambrian Deadwood Formation crops out approximately 2,000 ft to the west, upstream of the primary placer diggings in Rockerville Gulch. Here the basal Deadwood conglomerate is a paleoplacer and was also extensively mined in the 1880s. No known gold veins occur in the Precambrian rocks in the upstream drainage, so the original source of the Rockerville Gulch placer gold must be the basal Deadwood conglomerate.

The occurrence of paleoplacer gold in the basal Deadwood con-glomerate still begs the question: where is the Precambrian source of the gold? If the gold provenance is to the west it certainly would have been discovered since the Precambrian rocks are well ex-posed. Norton (1974) suspects the source is to the east, in rocks covered by sedimentary strata. From the following evidence, the source may be very close: (1) the auriferous Deadwood Formation basal conglomerate only occurs in a very limited area, (2) the Ice-box Nugget is not rounded to any degree; it’s shape indicates a very limited travel distance, and (3) in the Deadwood Formation basal conglomerate near Nemo, heavy iron-rich nuggets are typi-cally found within a limited distance of the Precambrian outcrops of the basal iron formation. In summary, the Precambrian source of the placer gold in Rockerville Gulch is most likely east of the auriferous Deadwood conglomerate outcrops, perhaps only 0.5 miles away.



Abstracts

67

GEOLOGICALLY SEQUESTERED CARBON DIOXIDE AS A GEOTHERMAL HEAT

MINING FLUID -- APPLICATIONSAND OPPORTUNITIES

Dr. Jimmy B. Randolph, and Dr. Martin O. Saar University of Minnesota

Recent geotechnical numerical modeling has shown that geother-mal heat can be effi ciently mined by circulating carbon dioxide through deep, naturally permeable rock formations. This method, called CO2 Plume Geothermal (CPG), targets the same geologic reservoirs that are suitable for saline aquifer CO2 storage or en-hanced oil/hydrocarbon recovery (EOR).

Previous studies have focused on CO2-based heat mining from saline aquifers for the purpose of electricity generation, whereas here we present new research that analyzes other potential CPG applications. For instance, EOR operations that use CO2 fl oods provide excellent opportunities for economically-favorable geo-thermal energy recovery, assuming suffi ciently-high subsurface temperatures, because the majority of costly infrastructure (i.e., wells) is in place. Moreover, the subsurface characteristics that make a site suitable for conventional hydrocarbon recovery -- a moderately permeable reservoir overlain by a low-permeability capping feature -- help ensure that fl uid can be circulated for heat extraction while preventing unfavorable CO2 migration. While heat extraction from the CO2 + water/brine + hydrocarbon EOR production stream can be challenging, the value of heat and/or power production in off setting EOR fi eld operating costs and ex-tending fi eld lifespan can be signifi cant.


Abstracts


LONG-TERM GROUNDWATER OPTIMIZATION OF THE MONITORING

PROGRAM AT THE STRINGFELLOWSUPERFUND SITE, RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA

Mark Rogers, CPG, Kleinfelder, Irvine, CA

Since 2004, Kleinfelder has been supporting the remedial investi-gation/feasibility (RI/FS) study of the 5 mile long perchlorate plume associated with the Stringfellow Superfund Site in Riverside, Cali-fornia. As part of the FS, Kleinfelder developed a groundwater fate and transport model of the perchlorate plume. In 2011, Kleinfelder was contracted to perform a long-term groundwater monitoring optimization (LTMO) of Stringfellow’s monitoring program. The Site well network consists of over 300 monitoring / extraction wells completed into alluvium, and weathered and competent bedrock.

The LTMO scope includes 1) optimizing the monitoring program using qualitative analysis; 2) optimizing the monitoring program using quantitative analysis; and 3) preparing a Field Sampling Plan. Qualitative analysis includes development of a decision tree matrix to assess the wells required to optimally assess the nature and extent of groundwater impacts and to evaluate sampling and analytical protocols. Quantitative analysis includes temporal and spatial statistical methods using Monitoring and Remediation Op-timization System (MAROS, version 2.2). The LTMO provided rec-ommendations to streamline the monitoring program by reducing costs, and improving program’s eff ectiveness in assessing tempo-ral and spatial objectives.

This project demonstrates the integration of site knowledge, groundwater modeling, and optimization analysis methods.



Abstracts

69

CARBON STORAGE AND UTILIZATION TECHNOLOGIES ON THE PATH TO

COMMERCIALIZATION

Wayne Rowe, Schlumberger, Ltd.

Geological sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2) as a climate change mitigation technology will have to be done on a very large scale - it will become an industry as large as the current oil and gas one. But carbon capture & storage (CCS), as a commercially viable business, is clearly some way off . Nevertheless, it is certainly not too early for governments to help lay the foundations for it. The US Department of Energy’s Carbon Sequestration Regional Part-nership program, for example, has been funded since 2003 with the express goal “to develop the infrastructure and knowledge base needed to place carbon storage and utilization technologies on the path to commercialization.”

Schlumberger created its Carbon Services business in 2005 and had already been funding research and development projects re-lated to CO2 for at least fi ve years previously. Our eighty-plus years of developing technology for the oil and gas industry, places us in a good position to contribute to, and benefi t from, a future CCS industry. In the current fi nancial climate, the attraction of utilizing CO2, rather than ‘just’ storing it away, is strong, and the terminol-ogy CCUS - ‘U’ for ‘Utilization’ is very much in vogue. CCUS is often used synonymously with CO2-EOR, enhanced oil recovery, and the technology synergies with sequestration are obvious.

It’s clear, though, that if geological storage of CO2 is to be required on a grand scale then CO2-EOR projects alone will not be enough, if only because the opportunities to do them are limited both in absolute size and also in timespan. The potential of the right geo-logical formations, to store really signifi cant amounts of CO2 will be critical. Our focus in Carbon Services has been to support proj-ects which develop an understanding of saline formations as natu-ral resources for permanent geological storage.


Abstracts


USING CARBON DIOXIDE AS AGEOTHERMAL HEAT MINING FLUID TO PAY

FOR ITS GEOLOGIC SEQUESTRATION

Martin Saar, Ph.D., University of Minnesota

Carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and sequestration (CCS) has been proposed as a means to reduce the concentration of this green-house gas in the atmosphere to counteract global warming. Unfortunately, high CCS costs typically render this process eco-nomically unfeasible. However, CO2 can serve as a high-effi ciency geothermal heat mining fl uid to generate electricity. This elec-tricity can then be used to power the CO2 injection pumps of the CCS operation while revenue from excess electricity would off set or neutralize the carbon capture costs at the fossil-fueled power plant. If yet more electricity is generated, sales would result in ad-ditional profi ts. Consequently, this CO2-Plume Geothermal (CPG) technology would result in a CO2 sequestering geothermal power plant with a negative carbon footprint. Such a geothermal power plant would preserve freshwater resources, and, due to its high ef-fi ciency, which allows utilization of lower-temperature resources, compared to water, allow expansion of regions worldwide where renewable geothermal energy can be economically mined.



Abstracts

71

EVALUATION OF GAS HYDRATES USING SEISMIC VELOCITY INDICATOR

Swapnil Shrimal, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, India

Natural gas hydrates are solid crystals consisting primarily of wa-ter and methane formed at high pressure and low temperature. They occur in permafrost and deep water basins around the world. Gas hydrates are mostly recognized by identifying an anomalous refl ector known as Bottom Simulating Refl ector (BSR) in seismic data based on its characteristic feature. BSR is a high amplitude refl ector approximately parallel to the sea fl oor which results from the strong acoustic impedance contrast between the gas hydrate bearing sediments above the refl ector or underlying sediments containing free gas. BSR follows a thermobaric surface rather than a structural or stratigraphic interface and hence it is normally observed to crosscut the other refl ectors. The presence of gas hy-drates in sediments makes the latter impervious and hence trap free gas underneath. Several approaches have been developed for the quantitative assessment of gas hydrates based on seismic tomography, waveform inversion, Amplitude versus off set (AVO) inversion, AVO attributes coupled with rock physics or eff ective medium modeling. Seismic attributes like refl ection strength, blanking, instantaneous frequency and attenuation can be used to detect if BSR is not identifi ed on seismic section. Pure gas hydrates have much more higher seismic velocities than that of host sedi-ments and hence presence of gas hydrates increases the seismic velocities, whereas free gas below the hydrate bearing sediments decreases the velocities. Thus seismic velocity estimates derived through AVO modeling provides an excellent tool for evaluating gas hydrates and free gas across a BSR. The eff ectiveness of this approach is discussed in this paper.

Key Words: Gas Hydrates, Bottom Simulation Refl ector, acoustic impedance, seismic velocity, AVO modeling, Indicator


Abstracts


TECHNOLOGY AND EFFECTS OF GUAR GUM PROCESSING ON GLOBAL FRACTURING

OPERATIONS IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

Dr. Subodh K. Singh, Sinte Gleska University, Mission, SD, Prabhat Malviya, Purshottam Sharma, Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur, India, J. Foster Sawyer, CPG, SD School of Mines & Technology, Rapid City, SD

The utilization of fracturing in oil and gas wells has revolutionized the oil and gas industry in areas such as the Williston Basin and around the world. Guar gum is one of the primary constituents that are utilized in the process of fracturing, and it currently is in high demand as an agriculturally based, environmentally friendly additive that is used to thicken fracturing fl uids. There also is no eff ective substitute for guar in the fracturing process at the pres-ent time.

Due to current drought conditions in the United States and India, the scarcity of both water and guar gum are causing companies to limit fracturing operations and are negatively aff ecting profi t margins due to a ten-fold rise in the price of guar in the last two years. A number of variables are aff ecting this spike in guar prices; however, potential technological upgrades during the processing of guar can signifi cantly curtail costs and help to ensure future sup-plies.

Guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba), also called cluster bean, is a le-guminous crop. It originated from the Indian sub-continent, and it is a drought tolerant crop that is grown in arid climates as well as semiarid/semi-irrigated regions. It also is grown with limited suc-cess in the United States, South Africa, Brazil, Zaire and Sudan. In-dia is the world leader in the production of guar (80% of the world production), where it is grown in the northwestern regions of the country encompassing the states of Rajasthan (with 70% of the In-dian production), Gujarat, Haryana and Punjab. Production of guar seeds in India is about 1,000,000 tons per year and production of guar gum is approximately 300,000 tons per year.

At present guar is the most expensive agricultural commodity at the global level due primarily to its use in fracturing operations in the oil and gas industry. Guar gum is extracted from the endo-sperm of guar seeds and is composed mainly of galactomannan. The extraction of guar gum in India is performed primarily by small scale operations using traditional technology and machinery that results in large losses of the fi nished product. These processing techniques and equipment could greatly benefi t from additional research and technology transfer that would result in increased re-covery and production of a much higher quality product. Through improvements in the processing techniques alone, the guar indus-try could save billions of dollars and could have a signifi cant eff ect on the global supply of guar for the oil and gas industry.



Abstracts

73

MULTI-PHASE FLUID FLOW SIMULATION ASSISTED EXPLORATION AND

PRODUCTION OF HYDROCARBONS FROM THE NIOBRARA FORMATION IN THE

NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS

Dr. Subodh K. Singh, Sinte Gleska University, Mission, SD, Dr. J. Foster Sawyer, CPG, Kelsey Marzolf, SD School of Mines & Technology, Rapid City, SD

Sinte Gleska University (SGU) is a tribally controlled institution of higher education located on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in south central South Dakota. The primary focus of Sinte Gleska University’s Multi Phase Fluid Flow Simulation Program is to ex-plore the development of oil and gas in this area by the use of high performance computation facilities at SGU. This project also seeks to stimulate new industrial opportunities in south central South Dakota and thereby can help meet the present and future employ-ment needs of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, as well as addressing criti-cal energy issues faced by the nation.

It is well documented that there is a possibility of oil and gas pro-duction in the Williston and Kennedy basins in South Dakota from units such as the Niobrara Formation, but the development of pro-ducing fi elds in South Dakota is expensive and diffi cult due primar-ily to unavailability of data. Oil companies are often reluctant to take large risks to develop fi elds in underexplored areas. By using the data available in existing logs and by collecting new data, we can apply multi-phase fl uid simulation to identify strategic loca-tions for test drilling and production of hydrocarbons.

Through the use of community engagement, we will strengthen the research component of some of our STEM (science, technolo-gy, engineering, and math) programs with the help and support of regional main stream institutions such as the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. SGU will also enhance the research capac-ity that we currently have and we will broaden our focus by ventur-ing into the fi eld of energy resources which holds numerous po-tential benefi ts for the indigenous people of the Northern Plains.

This project will:1. Initiate multi-phase fl uid modeling 2. Create a more relevant data base for our prospective drilling

targets and for cooperation with companies in the oil and gas industry

3. Create a more responsive computer science degree program at SGU

4. Expand the current research based STEM programs at SGU, and

5. Improve land use by providing better opportunities both in terms of revenue and employment opportunities


Abstracts


ACCESSING TWO CENTURIES OF SCIENCE, THROUGH THE U.S. NATIONAL GEOLOGIC

MAP DATABASE

David R. Soller, Nancy R. Stamm, Christopher P. Garrity, and Robert S. Wardwell, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA

The USGS and the Association of American State Geologists are mandated by Congress to provide a National Geologic Map Data-base (NGMDB, http://ngmdb.usgs.gov/) of standardized, spatial geoscience information. In this partnership, collaboration occurs with the private sector, universities, and geological survey agen-cies in other countries.

At the NGMDB website, users can browse and query the U.S. Geo-logic Names Lexicon (GEOLEX) and the Geoscience Map Catalog (containing citations and links to >89,5000 publications by >630 publishers, many containing GIS data and map images), and obtain access to the source information wherever it resides. The NGMDB project is now redesigning the underlying database and the Web interface in order to improve access to a wider array of geoscience information. We are focusing on creating, managing, and deliver-ing scanned images of geologic maps, the U.S. Geologic Names Committee notes and index card catalogs, and unpublished pale-ontologic and other reports. Some of this material is from the 19th

century, and represents a fascinating and informative resource for future scientifi c studies.



Abstracts

75

USING DETAILED CHARACTERIZATION OF AQUEOUS AND MATRIX DIFFUSION CONTAMINANT DISTRIBUTION AND FRACTURE NETWORKS TO IMPROVE

UNDERSTANDING OF SOLUTE TRANSPORT IN FRACTURED SEDIMENTARY ROCK SITE

Daniel J. St. Germain, CPG, Fair Lawn, NJ, Jeff rey J. Frederick, CPG, Kenneth J. Goldstein, Shane McDonald, CPG, Diana Cutt, and Chuck Williams

During a United States Environmental Protection Agency hydro-geologic investigation at a former industrial park in the Newark Basin of New Jersey, groundwater contaminated with PCBs, TCE, and its daughter products was discovered in a fractured sedimen-tary rock aquifer. An extensive, multi-phased site characterization was completed using the Discrete Fracture Network approach that focuses characterizing dual porosity systems in fractured sedimentary rock where matrix diff usion plays an important role in contaminant storage, fate, and transport.

This investigation included characterization of the fracture net-work using FLUTe® depth-discrete measurements of permeabil-ity (K profi ling), borehole geophysics, hydrophysical logging, and intra-borehole fl ow testing. This evaluation focused on FLUTe® K profi ling that identifi ed individual fracture depth and fl ow (transmissivity) characteristics which were then used to estimate fracture apertures by applying the Cubic Law to depth-discrete transmissivity values which provided a log normal distribution. Groundwater migrating through the fracture network was charac-terized with the installation and sampling of 12 traditional bedrock monitoring wells and 22 FLUTe® multi-level groundwater monitor-ing systems. The bulk hydraulic conductivity and mass fl ux was characterized with Integrated Pumping Tests. The characteriza-tion of contaminant mass and distribution in the bedrock matrix was completed by rock core VOC/PCB sampling and analysis. Samples of bedrock cores were collected at two foot intervals and analyzed to determine the amount of mass that has adsorbed into the matrix of the bedrock.

The objective of this detailed characterization approach was to understand the solute transport by advection and diff usion in both the fractures and low permeability matrix blocks. This information was critical to understand advective groundwater transport and matrix diff usion of VOCs and PCBs.



Abstracts


USING DETAILED CHARACTERIZATION OF AQUEOUS AND MATRIX DIFFUSION CONTAMINANT DISTRIBUTION AND FRACTURE NETWORKS TO IMPROVE

UNDERSTANDING OF SOLUTE TRANSPORT IN FRACTURED SEDIMENTARY ROCK SITE

(Continued)

This presentation will summarize the techniques used to estimate fracture apertures; provide the log normal distribution of aper-tures and how these compare with the other lines of evidence such as bulk hydraulic conductivity from the pumping tests; and present a methodology to determine which fractures conduct the most groundwater fl ow and the largest proportion of contaminant mass. The locations (depth) of the dominant interconnected high fl ow fractures will be compared to the matrix diff usion chemical distribution to confi rm the role and importance of understanding both the location of the interconnected high groundwater fl ow fractures and mass distribution in the bedrock matrix.



Abstracts

77

THE NATIONAL GEOLOGIC MAP DATABASE PROJECT’S ADVENTURES IN MANAGING

OLD FOSSILS AND GEOLOGIC NAMES

Nancy R. Stamm, David R. Soller, Randall C. Orndorff , MEM, and Bruce R. Wardlaw, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA

“I want my data found, and used.” This sentiment is commonly ex-pressed by paleontologists who anticipate that their data and in-terpretations can be useful for new science and mapping. Because much of this information is contained in their unpublished notes and records, it is critically important to work closely with these sci-entists to identify the authoritative version of each piece of infor-mation, and then to present it on the Web, clearly and in a manner that preserves the author’s intent. This can be done by providing scans of the paleontologist’s records, supported by simple geo-graphic and text searches. We have begun to do this, as a com-ponent of the National Geologic Map Database (NGMDB). When this information becomes available, paleontologists and geologic mappers will be able to access the original biostratigraphic data more readily than is possible today, thereby expanding its use and value for science.

GEOLEX, a standard reference for the Nation’s stratigraphic no-menclature has been available online since 1998. Over the last few years we focused on redesigning this database and merging it with the NGMDB’s Geoscience Map Catalog, thereby greatly expand-ing its utility. During this time of apparent hiatus, data has been continuously compiled, and updates will be made later this year. With that update, we’ll begin to provide links to ~250,000 scanned images of the U.S. Geologic Names Committee notes and index card catalogs. These images are being managed as part of the NGMDB’s archive of scanned images, which also includes geologic maps and reports dating back to the 19th century. In addition to effi ciencies gained with a single data management system, this has the important benefi t of linking the publication with the un-published information behind it, thereby providing context and insight.


Abstracts


EROSION RATES AT BADLANDSNATIONAL PARK

Larry D. Stetler, CPG, Professor of Geological Engineer-ing, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD, [email protected]

Erosion research at six locations throughout Badlands National Park have revealed diff erential rates of erosion dependent upon precipitation amounts, slope angle and aspect, and particle size of sediments in the bedrock. Bedrock formations consisted of fossil-bearing Cretaceous sedimentary units having variations in sand-silt-clay content. Research sites included instrumenting slopes with erosion pins, measurement of precipitation via tipping-buck-et gauges, collection of eroded sediment via sediment trays at the base of slopes, and 3D photogrammetry of slopes. Lidar scan-ning was also used at one site. Laboratory analysis have included wet-sieving of bedrock materials, laser sizing of particles, and numerical analysis of erosion pin and 3D data. Initial results have indicated that physical sediment characteristics controlled erosion rates and that precipitation, although an important factor and a primary driver, was subsequent to particle size. In general, bed-rock units having fi ner-grained materials eroded slower than those slopes consisting of more sandy materials, with clay content being the critical factor. Observations also indicated diff erential rates of erosion on a single slope where degradation and aggradation oc-curred simultaneously along the slope based on slope topography and possibly precipitation intensity. Net erosion rates appeared to vary across the study region although all areas have eroded. Maxi-mum degradation of up to 14 mm from a single precipitation event have been recorded. An annual average erosion rate appears to be highly variable, depending primarily on formation and precipita-tion, where long-term rates will depend on yearly climatic patterns and continued monitoring at the instrumented sites. These results will be used by Park paleontologists as a tool for fossil site moni-toring procedures.

Badlands, SD - Photo Courtesy of Rapid City CVB



Abstracts

79

EVALUATION OF THE TYLER FORMATION, WILLISTON BASIN, SOUTHWESTERN

NORTH DAKOTA

Ivana M. Stevanovic, SA, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD

The Williston Basin is a large oval-shape intracratonic sedimentary basin in southern Saskatchewan, eastern Montana, and western North and South Dakota, extending about 764 km north-south and 480 km east-west. The Tyler Formation within the Williston Basin, has produced over 84 million BBLS over the past 50 years (Nesheim, 2012), out of estimated 3 billion BBLS reserve, and is considered to be its own hydrocarbon source and reservoir. Sturm (1987) has divided the Tyler into upper and lower stratigraphic units, and interpreted them to be a progradational delta plain, suc-ceeded by a barrier island and bar system. Present hydrocarbon production is obtained from the channel and delta complexes. It has been suggested that Tyler oil has its source in the Tyler shale (Williams, 1974). The high paraffi n content in the Tyler oil (over 37%), suggests a type I kerogen and possible lacustrian environ-ment which has yet to be determined geochemically.

The present study use samples taken from cores in six counties (Slope, Stark, Golden Valley, Billings, Dunn, and McKenzie) in southwestern North Dakota at the Wilson M. Laird Core and Sam-ple Library in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The cores were sampled with every change in lithology at uneven intervals, crushed for x-ray diff raction of the mineral component and future geochemi-cal analyses, as a fi rst step in evaluating the Tyler Formation. The geophysical logs from the wells where the cores were taken were correlated with adjacent wells in SmartSection and a map of Tyler Formation with appropriate information was generated in GeoGrphics. The future research will include the geochemical analyses, primarily rare earth elements (REE), trace elements, and total organic content, as well as biomarkers, atomic ratios of hy-drogen/carbon, oxygen/carbon, and maturity by using pyrolysis, inductively-coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Thin sections from the cores will be examined for microsedimentary structures, porosity and permeability. The data from the geochemical analy-sis, thin sections and the geophysical logs will be used to model potential drilling sites using Schlumberger’s Petrel® simulation software.

Utilizing rare earth elements, trace elements and total organic content in innovative and standardized geochemical techniques coupled with the computer modeling will enhance our under-standing of the depositional environments, source and reservoir rocks, and petroleum migration pathways, which will enable for better drilling decision making.


Abstracts


HUMANS AS GEOMORPHIC AGENTS: ANTHROPOGENIC DEPOSITSACHIEVE MAPPABLE STATUS

Robert A. Stewart, Ph.D., CPG, LEP, Senior Geologist, ARCADIS U.S. Inc., Manchester, CT, [email protected]

Humans are now the paramount agent of geomorphic change on Planet Earth. On a global scale, house building, mining, road build-ing, dredging, agriculture and other human processes now move a mass of earth comparable to that of rivers, glaciers, wind, wave action and slope processes. Moreover, human activity also rivals the constructive action of plate tectonics.

In his 1981 commentary on this situation, W. S. Fyfe stated “Be-cause of increasing population, human activity has become a dominant process modifying the continents and their environment. Understanding the new environmental stresses includes studies of interface processes on all scales. The present scientifi c eff ort is inad-equate and is not providing the data necessary for rational decision-making in critical areas, such as global energy production, land use, and resource development.” 1

Thirty years after the publication of Fyfe’s paper, Hooke (2012)2

re-examined the problem and reached essentially the same con-clusion, paraphrasing the popular curse “The present is an unusual time in Earth’s history.”

The widespread by-products of landscape modifi cations are an-thropogenic soils on disturbed earth materials. Historically, such soils were commonly grouped into the categories of “made land,” urban land, or undorthents for the purpose of soil mapping by the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) and subsequently the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). By 1995, the NRCS had established the International Committee for Anthropogenic Soils (ICOMANTH), whose task is to improve soil classifi cation schemes for a globally complex array of anthropogenic deposits.

Anthropogenic deposits present new challenges for the education of new geologists, and to the practice of professional geologists. Such deposits are often polluted, mandating health and safety precautions, and access may be problematic due to occurrence on commercial or industrial land. Nonetheless, disturbed earth ma-terials may be suffi ciently commonplace and extensive to warrant mapping as soil series and geologic formations. Understanding anthropogenic deposits is now essential to the practice of geology.

This presentation will illustrate the historical research needed to establish the origin and overall stratigraphy of selected anthropo-genic deposits, their mappable properties on a regional scale, and details revealed through test borings and test pits.




Abstracts

81

HUMANS AS GEOMORPHIC AGENTS: ANTHROPOGENIC DEPOSITSACHIEVE MAPPABLE STATUS

(Continued)

Examples include (1) mining operations (tailings dams and leach pads); (2) hydraulic fi ll used to create developable land in a tidal setting; and, (3) manufactured soil serving as a highway founda-tion.

1Science, July 3, 1981 v. 213, pp. 105-110. 2h t t p : / / s e r c . c a r l e t o n . e d u / v i g n e t t e s / c o l l e c t i o n / 3 6 3 1 5 .html,accessed July 6, 2012, which modifi es the predecessor Con-tribution 22 to The University of Maine Climate Change Institute, accessed January 15, 2012.


Abstracts


MAPPING AND STRATIGRAPHY OF THE WHITE CLAY FAULT IN SOUTH WEST

SHANNON COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA

Grace Sumption, OSSPEEC Program, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD

During the summer of 2012, the Northwest trending White Clay Fault in South West Shannon County is being mapped. The end product is expected to produce 1:24,000 geologic maps of the Slim Buttes, Slim Buttes SW, and Pine Ridge SW quadrangles. An accompanying stratigraphic column will be prepared, which will explain the geologic time span that occurred in this area. Stream gauges in the White River have shown that there has been stream fl ow loss. The White Clay Fault in SW Shannon County has been suspected to be a component of the fl ow loss. Our major plan is to fi nd exactly where the White River is losing water, and where the water may be coming back up, if it is. Identifying where loss-zones are is important to understand structure and groundwater fl ow interaction. Therefore, mapping the area around the White Clay Fault and White River is part of the greater groundwater proj-ect. Understanding where certain formations are will help to know where the fault leads, if there are possible subsidiary faults, if there is groundwater, and where it is going. We are beginning to see the fault may have quite a few subsidiary faults, and may even be ori-ented slightly diff erently than past maps. We also have seen a pos-sibility of multiple times where the fault has had great movement.



Abstracts

83

ARCHITECTURE OF THE CRETACEOUS NIOBRARA SHALE AND GEOMETRIC

RELATIONSHIPS OF THE CHADRON DOME WITH THE ADJACENT LARAMIDE-AGE

STRUCTURES, NEBRASKA, SOUTH DAKOTA AND WYOMING

Micheal Tekle, [email protected] and Alvis L. Lisenbee, MEM, [email protected]; Depart-ment of Geology and Geological Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City,SD

In the region of the common boundary of Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming, three Laramide uplifts (Hartville on the west; Black Hills on the north; Chadron in the southeast) and one basin (Den-ver- Julesberg in the south) converge. The geometry of these fea-tures is revealed by structure contours on the upper contact of the Niobrara Shale, utilizing information derived from well logs avail-able in the on-line data bases of the Nebraska Oil and Gas Conser-vation Commission, the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Com-mission and the South Dakota Geological Survey. Well data were compiled into a GIS data base, the elevations for individual wells plotted at 1:250,000 scale and the resulting values contoured by hand and then digitized.

The asymmetric north end of the Denver-Julesberg basin is sepa-rated from the east fl ank of the Hartville uplift along the NE-trend-ing, Wheatland-Whalen fault zone. The fault zone is interpreted to continue to the northeast, separating the Chadron dome from the southern limit of the Black Hills uplift. Laramide structural relief is greater than 5,000 feet and portions of the fault system were reactivated after deposition of the Oligocene-Miocene Arikaree Formation. The eastern limb of the basin shares a long, continuous dip slope with the Chadron structure.

Although the Hartville and Black Hills uplifts have exposed Pre-cambrian cores, the Chadron structure, with the form of a large dome, lies unconformably beneath a younger cover of the Eocene-Oligocene White River Group. The dome is approximately 100 miles in diameter, centered near the small town of Hay Springs and structural relief, compared with the axis of the Denver-Jules-berg basin, is approximately 6,000 feet, an amount less than that of the other two uplifts. The Niobrara is removed from the crest of the dome across a distance of approximately 25 miles and Jurassic strata underlie the Tertiary cover there.



Abstracts


ARCHITECTURE OF THE CRETACEOUS NIOBRARA SHALE AND GEOMETRIC

RELATIONSHIPS OF THE CHADRON DOME WITH THE ADJACENT LARAMIDE-AGE

STRUCTURES, NEBRASKA, SOUTH DAKOTA AND WYOMING

(Continued)

The northwest one-quarter of the dome is indented by an en ech-elon train of southerly plunging, west-vergent folds forming the southern limit of the Black Hills uplift. The common boundary of the uplifts, a structural low along the extension of the Wheatland-Whalen fault zone, underlies the trend of the White River area for much of its length, west of the town of Chadron. Based upon highly variable well spacing, elongated structural highs along this trend suggest either east-northeast-trending anticlines or positive fl ower structures. The overall geometry of a structural low, anti-clines or positive fl ower structure and the en echelon folds forming the southern limit of the Black Hills uplift, is suggestive of a com-ponent of right slip on the Laramide aged boundary.

Homestake Gold Mine, Open Cut, Lead, SD-Photo by Larry Stetler



Abstracts

85

DISCONTINUITY CHARACTERIZATION USING LIDAR AT THE SANFORD

UNDERGROUND RESEARCH FACILITY AT THE FORMER HOMESTAKE MINE

Henok Tiruneh, Larry Stetler, CPG, Geology and Geological Engineering Department, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Zbigniew Hladysz, Mining Engineering and Management Department, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD

The Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), that is pro-posed at the former Homestake Gold Mine in Lead, South Dakota will host a number of research and experiments related to science and engineering. For this purpose the 4850 level was selected as one of the primary campus locations and large excavations were constructed alongside with the existing drifts. A detailed geotech-nical investigation has been done at the Davis Campus, consisting of the new large excavations and old drifts, to characterize the rock mass as exposed on the walls. As part of the study scanning was performed using Z&F Imager 5006h terrestrial LiDAR scanner for the purpose of virtual mapping and future excavation model-ing. Also a high resolution digital image was taken while collecting LiDAR data points. Benefi ts of using this type of data collection system include ease of operation, ability to collect data in inac-cessible areas, short data acquisition time relative to manual data collection and most importantly pertinent rock mass data can be collected in much greater detail. This LiDAR data set is currently being used to characterize and study the discontinuity properties of the rock mass. Maptek 3D modeling software packages such as Vulcan 8.1.4 and I-Site Studio 3.5 are used to collect discontinu-ity properties directly from the 3-D model. Characterization of the discontinuities (mainly focusing on persistence and continuity) for the Davis Campus is currently an ongoing topic of research. Pre-liminary results for the main Davis Chamber access drift are com-pleted and are presented. Output from this ongoing research can be used as an input into 3D discontinuum models to predict the likely behavior of the excavated walls. Moreover it can serve as a permanent database for future references.


Abstracts


PINE RIDGE RESERVATION IRRIGABLE LANDS: ESTIMATING WATER NEEDS FOR

AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES ON THE PINE RIDGE RESERVATION

Joni Tobacco and Jason Tinant, Math and Science De-partment, Oglala Lakota College, Pine Ridge, SD, [email protected]

Quantifi cation of water resources in the Missouri River basin is of signifi cant interest to Tribes, Federal Agencies, and States. Fed-eral law holds that creation of a reservation implies the respective Tribes’ right to a suffi cient amount of water in order to fulfi ll the purpose(s) of the reservation, including agriculture. Determining the quantity of water required for agricultural purposes typically requires determining how much reservation land could be used for agriculture. We quantifi ed a portion of the agricultural needs by estimating the maximum irrigation for the greater Pine Ridge Reservation (e.g. the Practicable Irrigable Acreage) using ArcGIS and Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) data. Practicable Irrigable Acreage (PIA) refers to the area of land on which an irrigable crop can be grown. The Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) data for Ben-nett, south Jackson (formerly Washabaugh), and Shannon Coun-ties were used to determine whether an irrigable crop could be located on a particular soil type. A SSURGO database includes two components: 1) a database of productive uses for the various soil types within the county, and 2) 1:24,000 digital soil maps for the county. We queried the databases, using Microsoft Access, to de-termine which irrigable crops could be grown for each soil type. In each of the three counties, and for each irrigable crop, we added a fi eld to our SSURGO shapefi le that denotes the estimated irri-gation amount required for the recommended soil type. Irrigation needs are determined by eff ective precipitation, which is a func-tion of precipitation and evaporation rate. Average values for a region of the country (eastern Colorado) with a climate similar to that of the Pine Ridge Reservation were used. For each soil type, we selected the greatest recommended irrigation requirement to create the fi nal data column showing the maximum irrigation amount. Using various commands in ArcGIS, the acreage for each of the soil polygons was calculated. This was then multiplied by the recommended irrigation amount to determine the maximum acre-feet of irrigation water needed for each soil polygon within the Pine Ridge Reservation boundaries.



Abstracts

87

FIELD CAMPS OFFERED BY BLACK HILLS NATURAL SCIENCES FIELD STATION AT

SOUTH DAKOTA SCHOOL OF MINES AND TECHNOLOGY

Nuri Uzunlar, [email protected], Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD

The Black Hills Natural Sciences Field Station (BHNSFS) is a co-operative program formed by a consortium of colleges and uni-versities from several states that off ers a variety of fi eld courses with both geology and geological engineering programs. The con-sortium comprises Geology and Geological Engineering faculty and staff from: SDSM&T; University of Mississippi; University of North Dakota; and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee that are in-volved in instruction and development of each summer’s projects. SDSM&T serves as the host institution and provides transcripts of credits to the enrollee’s parent institution.

The traditional summer fi eld camp is a fi ve week long, intense program aimed at preparing students for professional geologic experiences. It is delivered from two separate facilities, one in the Black Hills (South Dakota) from a beautiful log lodge along Sand Creek, in eastern Wyoming, and a second from the town of Taskesti along the North Anatolian fault approximately 200 km east of Istanbul, Turkey. At both locations the courses maintain a strong emphasis on basic fi eld applications. The preparation of well-written reports based on fi eld descriptions supplemented by research on the web or through published documents is strongly emphasized. The fi ve week long engineering fi eld camp is off ered from campus in Rapid City.

The environmental geology fi eld camp off ered from Rapid City provides students with an intense three week fi eld and laboratory experience. The course has been designed to enhance education and training for geological, environmental, and civil engineering students as well as geological and environmental science students.

The BHNSFS also off ers an amazing opportunity in the midst of the culturally rich Himalaya, adjacent to the world’s tallest mountain; Mt Everest during the spring climbing season. Inten-sive hands-on experiences include hill slope processes, geological mapping, glacial geology, and fl uvial processes.



Abstracts


FIELD CAMPS OFFERED BY BLACK HILLS NATURAL SCIENCES FIELD STATION AT

SOUTH DAKOTA SCHOOL OF MINES AND TECHNOLOGY

(Continued)

The volcanology fi eld camp explores Iceland from the south coast where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge comes ashore to the highlands near the focus of the Iceland mantle plume. Students study basaltic and rhyolitic lava fl ows, tephra characterization, phreatomagmatic features, subglacial volcanism, volcano monitoring (with Iceland-based researchers) and geothermal power.

The BHNSFS in collaboration with the Institute for Ocean Man-agement at Anna University in Chennai, India off ers an additional camp which is designed to provide students and participants with an intense three-week training in coastal environmental issues including mangrove ecology, coastal biogeochemistry, and wa-ter quality, integrated with hard rock geology and a comparative study of tsunami-impacted and un-impacted coastal ecosystems. The fi eld camp is based in the beautiful Andaman Islands.

Custer State Park - Photo Courtesy of Rapid City CVB



Abstracts

89

NEW CONCEPTS IN EXPLORATION FOR STRATABOUND MINERAL DEPOSITS IN THE

PARADOX BASIN, UTAH AND COLORADO

Chester A. Wallace1, MEM, Jon P. Thorson2 and David C. Jacobs3, 1Windy Point Exploration, LLC; Morrison, CO, [email protected], 2Consulting Geologist; Denver, CO, [email protected]; 3GeoGrande Consulting; El Prado, NM, [email protected]

Stratabound mineral deposits are distributed in a predictable manner in ancient sedimentary basins. A key to locating strat-abound mineral deposits is to decipher fl uid-migration systems in ancient sedimentary basins. In the Paradox Basin, which contains U, V, Cu, Ag, Au, and PGM occurrences, brine- and oil-migration pathways are preserved in diagenetically altered strata. Migration pathways, which are confi ned to structural compartments, can be mapped in subsurface drill-hole data and in surface exposures, and these pathways lead to the most likely sites or stratabound min-eral deposits.

Metal-bearing oil-fi eld brine, oil, and gas are generated together from organic source rocks in deep and warm parts of subsiding sedimentary basins. These fl uids are expelled from great depths into permeable migration pathways, and migration of basinal fl uids is confi ned by impermeable layers (seals). Because oil-fi eld brine is warm, reduced, and acidic, it is chemically reactive and the brine alters strata through which the brine migrates. Perme-able strata are permanently modifi ed by migrating fl uids, and sec-ondary porosity caused by chemical destruction of minerals and mineral cements by alteration diagenesis enhances permeability along migration pathways.

Oil-fi eld brine gathers metals from hydrocarbon source rocks in a predictable sequence. During subsidence of sedimentary basins, temperatures increase, formation water becomes more saline, inorganic and organic coordination compounds (acids) form, and metals leach from metal-bearing, organic sediment into the brine. The metals leach into brine in a specifi c order determined by the thermodynamic behavior of metal ions under increasing tempera-ture conditions. The order of leaching metals is summarized by Metal-Maturity Windows.



Abstracts


NEW CONCEPTS IN EXPLORATION FOR STRATABOUND MINERAL DEPOSITS IN THE

PARADOX BASIN, UTAH AND COLORADO(Continued)

The main metals that characterize Metal Maturity Windows are: 1) U-V (Th); 2) Cu-Ag (Ba); 3) Au-PGM; 4) Pb-Zn (Ba); and 5) Co-Cu-Au. During subsidence of a sedimentary basin, the “conveyor belt” of warm brine contains diff erent metal concentrations as the fl uid migrates away from source rocks toward basin edges. Pre-cipitation mechanisms in permeable host strata result mainly from redox (oxidation-reduction) chemical reactions.

Mapping migration pathways, plus identifi cation of structures that controlled late-stage fl uid migration, permits location of the most likely sites to contain stratabound mineral deposits. In the Para-dox Basin, low-temperature Metal-Maturity Windows dominate because the basin was not buried deeply enough to bring source rocks into the high temperature regime. Coupled with 3-D seismic data, these process-predictive methods can be eff ective explora-tion tools and these methods can be applied to all ancient, oil-pro-ducing sedimentary basins in the world.



Abstracts

91

GRAIN SIZE CHARACTERISTICS AND EROSION IN FOSSIL-BEARING STRATA

AT BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK

Minwei Zhang and Larry D. Stetler, CPG, [email protected]; [email protected], De-partment of Geology and Geological Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD

Erosion data collected were collected at six fossil-bearing loca-tions across Badlands National Park and have been analyzed for mass erosion correlated to on-site precipitation records and grain-size characteristics of the bedrock formations. Bedrock at the sites consists of Oligocene White River Group rocks, specifi cally the upper-most Chadron Formation or the Brule Formation. Twenty-four bedrock samples from the Badlands were air-dried and pro-cessed using a wet sieve and laser particle analyzer. Seven sieve sizes were used ranging from No. 230 to No. 850, or from 63 to 10 μm. The laser particle analyzer was used to size the particles that passed the 10μm screen and down to below 1 μm. Results were reported as volume-averaged mean diameter, number-averaged mean diameter, and area-averaged mean diameter. Across the Badlands, grain size varied loosely based on formation the sample was from. The fi nest-grained bedrock was from the Peanut Peak member of the Chadron Formation which consisted of gray-green mudstone with 91% of the material passing the No. 850 screen. Conversely, the coarsest material was from the Scenic member of the Brule Formation which consisted of gray silty sandstone with 41% of the material passing the No. 850 screen. Bulk erosion rates follow roughly the grain-size data in that units having more sandy material produce more mass erosion that those units consisting of mudstone.


2012 AIPG and New Horizons in Oil & Gas Conference 92

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Notes


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