Sponge clasts in calciturbidites
At the recent IMAGE Conference in Houston, somebody told me that the Permian Basin in Texas is not only famous for its hydrocarbon resources, but also because the uplifted areas…
North America
Finding big fields by detecting the smallest element
“We are changing the world of exploration,” says Denis Krysanov from Heologic, when we meet on Teams. “I’m now planning on expanding Heologic’s operations in the United States,” he says.…
The value of seismic attributes and the value of having your own business
“We need this,” said a geoscientist from a major operator in Houston once Laurie Weston had finished one of her presentations as part of the Canadian SEG distinguished lecturer tour.…
Decoding slip with tension gashes
Tenson gashes are fractures in rocks formed under extensional stress, often filled with minerals like quartz or calcite. These features are key kinematic indicators in structural geology, revealing fault slip…
Sometimes an old well is better than a fancy new one
While there is always press around helium discoveries, companies that are actually producing it often go unnoticed. That doesn’t mean they don’t have interesting stories to tell. Canadian-based Thor Helium,…
The tech powering the future of geothermal energy
Geothermal energy, once overshadowed by other renewables, is entering a new era. Historically, its use depended on rare geological conditions: Underground heat, permeable rock, and natural water supplies — usually…
Cuba – the next hydrogen hotspot?
“I have concluded that this area should not be explored for oil, but for hydrogen instead. And I believe that the potential is colossal,” wrote Marcello Rebora in his email.…
Critical look at Fervo Cape Station data raises questions over sustainability
In September 2024, Fervo made public a pre-print containing plots and analyses for their Cape Station project in Utah. Although not nearly as detailed as the Blue Mountain dataset released…
The Athabasca oil sands
Recent governments in Canada have not been particularly supportive of the oil industry, which mainly concentrates in Alberta. Some people are even actively contemplating separation from the Canadian federation and…
A subsea tie-back to a subsea tie-back?
The name of the discovery may suggest that it is the most distal find in the Gulf of Mexico ever, but that is not the case. bp’s recently announced Far…
Flame structures
Outcrops remind us of the risks of applying a layer-cake approach to correlating well data. Turbidite lobes pinching out, channels abruptly transitioning to floodplain deposits or carbonate platforms only developing…
A surge in exploration for natural hydrogen
The global search for natural hydrogen is centered around a few hotspots, and the Timiskaming Graben in Canada is one of them. The graben is located on the Canadian Shield,…