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Global Climate Change: Panel Agrees:"In 10 Years We Will Know"
by Martin M. Cassidy
On Friday, September 25, 1999, a distinguished panel of eight scientists (Table 1), all active in research on global climate change, met at the Houston Club under the sponsorship of the Houston Forum to present a reasoned scientific discussion about global climate change. The half-day panel discussion was a welcome relief from the strident cries of special pleaders on either side of the question of global warming.
Ed Powell, Houston Forum leader, turned the meeting over to Dr. David R. Legates to moderate. He stated that the objective of the meeting was to present what is known and the limits of accuracy of the data that we have. During the morning session, four general topics were discussed:
September, 1999Seminars, Short Courses, and Field Trips
HGS Course: Super Networking
Class canceled, only 8 people signed up. The class will be offered again Saturday, October 23. Click here for details.
September, 1999HGS Meetings
Environmental / Engineering Dinner Meeting
Introduction to DRIS—Deep Remediation Injection System
HGS Dinner Meeting
"Subsalt Exploration in the Deepwater Foldbelts of the Gulf of Mexico: Regional Analysis of a Giant Petroleum System"
International Dinner Meeting
Chronostratigraphy, Sedimentary Facies, and Architecture of Tectono-Stratigraphic Sequences within a Miocene Rift, Gulf of Suez, Egypt
Morgans Bluff Field began its journey to discovery as Nibletts Bluff Prospect; conceived from interpretation of residual gravity data in 1979. A strong gravity maximum was noted in the area, which was dip (south) directed. More importantly the anomaly was atypical of the maxima-minima geometry relationship observed in the trend area. A fault was interpreted across the widest point of the maxima (E-W) and a target area was identified covering approximately 1,200 acres on the downthrown (southern) side of the fault. The lead area was in equal parts east and west of the Sabine River. Widely spaced Hackberry trend production was known from the area at Rose City, Starks, and N E Edgerly Fields. The elusive updip Hackberry sands just below intermediate pipe around 8,000 feet were the prospect objectives. With great enthusiasm my geophysical coworker, Gil Eppich and I set about checking for available seismic data in an attempt to apply some science to the concept. The available "big oil company" data in the area was virtually uninterpretable. As you might suspect we bought it anyway because it just needed "reprocessing". In fact an alternate version of deconvolution processing did a great job of cleaning up the data. With a great deal of effort a leasable prospect was born.
After much discussion it was determined that the initial test would be drilled on the Powell Lumber Company lease west of the Sabine. In 1981 the final log run of the Sandefer # 1 Powell Lumber Company well indicated a dry hole with no Hackberry sand. After the initial disappointment we started thinking about what to do next. A major company seismic crew was shooting 2-D data in the area. Gil Eppich contacted the crew chief and ask if he could borrow the crew long enough to shoot a north-south line through the well. The crew chief responded "no problem we were going to shoot it anyway". We only had to grant a permit and pay half the cost of the line to get the data. This was great! We now had new data and a chance to figure out where we went wrong. It appeared we had drilled the high side of a buried fault. We now knew the sands were further south and most likely developed half way between the initial test and the Mobil # 1 St.Ls. 6089 well in Louisiana which cut about 600 feet of the target sands.
With a substantial lease position remaining and a new interpretation we went to the street to sell an interest in a second test as our available joint venture funding would not be used to fund all the well cost. A second dry hole on the same prospect would be hard to explain to the same set of partners. If some third party felt the well was drillable we would all feel better about the risk (i.e." misery loves company "). Reducing the well cost through promotion would also allow the spreading of available drilling dollars into other prospects. This time the drill site was to be east of the Sabine on a Louisiana State lease. The location could be reached by drilling barge up the river. Only one railroad bridge (not opened in about forty years) would have to be rotated to gain access. After numerous presentations it was clear no one wanted to participate in the drilling of a Hackberry wildcat in this area. We began to suspect no one wanted to drill a Hackberry well - ever, anywhere! Without a new partner the probability of causing a second well to be drilled looked bleak. Due to eminent lease expirations it became clear that the project could not be salvaged. A new strategy was conceived "if we can''t sell this thing maybe we can give it away for a call on half the deal in a later joint venture program"? Contact was made with one of my earlier major company mentors. He had formed a company and was making a play in the area, some leasehold had already been acquired. His play was based on a major Yegua nose with a related low relief Vicksburg closure; in addition a Frio age Hackberry channel was interpreted crossing the area with a northeast to southwest trend. We presented our Nibletts Bluff Prospect data and he agreed that if he reconstructed the prospect he would offer half to Sandefer Oil & Gas upon completion of additional technical work and leasing. He completed his portion of the deal and offered participation. The prospect as presented was not considered competitive with others in inventory or being considered at the time. Participation (much to my later regret) was declined.
Morgans Bluff Prospect was placed with Celeron. The history from rejection of participation by Sandefer Oil & Gas and acquisition by Celeron is sketchy due to my lack of involvement. I understand their reason was to round out their budget and use a rig which would be used to drill another prospect in the area. The discovery well, Celeron # 1 Powell Lumber Co. was drilled during September 1985 and found 13 feet of net Hackberry gas condensate pay (by log) which later tested as an oil well. The well was drilled using a drilling barge, which reached the location, by transport up the Sabine River. At March 1, 1999 the field contains 14 productive wells with an average of 100 feet of pay and has produced 11 MMBO with 18.6 BCF of associated gas. The reservoirs( at least two based on different pressure regimes) are interperted as deepwater deposits with high porosities and permeabilities. The field which covers about 600 acres is being produced under pressure maintainance by salt water injection. At this point in the letter the basic story of discovery of Morgans Bluff Field is completed. Recent history, however, and its relationship to past events,will demonstrate why one should never give up while they still have an undiscovered field in their head.
As mentioned earlier it appeared the prospective area would extend into Louisiana. Prior to discovery of Morgans Bluff Field and subsequent to the failed effort to cause a second wildcat to be drilled on Nibletts Bluff Prospect a Houston company (one of many who viewed the proposal) leased a portion of the expired Louisiana lease block. There was some personal satisfaction taken from the fact that someone thought enough of the idea to drill a well. It may be presumptuous to assume that exposure of the prospect had anything to do with the test. Their location was staked and drilled within 1,500 feet of the second test proposed for Nibletts Bluff Prospect. Their effort resulted in a dry hole.
In 1995 efforts to cause a well to be drilled to extend Morgans Bluff''s productive area across the Sabine into Louisiana were renewed. By this time new 2-D data was available which clearly defined the extension of the originally proposed fault into Louisiana. Morgans Bluff Field (now ten years old) was also indicative of what might be expected across the river. This time the renamed Heritage Prospect was shown as an open acreage idea and therefore had limited exposure. These efforts did not yield results. The most common reason for rejection was sand risk, which is of course a generic reason for avoiding the Hackberry.
In the winter of 1996-''97 a proprietary 3-D survey was acquired over the area. A recently drilled well (Neuman # 1 S. L. 15155) had its surface location on the Texas side of the Sabine and was directionally drilled into Louisiana (about a one-mile kick). The well encountered about 250 feet of Hackberry sand and has about 90 feet of pay.The accumulation is seperated from Morgans Bluff Field by a structural saddle. This wells bottom hole location is 500 feet south of the old proposed location for the second wildcat test of Nibletts Bluff Prospect.
It is now clear that the original target area interpreted from residual gravity data was a fairly accurate geographic description of the two productive areas. Gravity data, in my opinion, is an underutilized tool in exploration lead generation. Perhaps this topic will be the subject of another "letter" for the HGS Bulletin or web site.
The observations and recollections presented
September, 1999Seminars, Short Courses, and Field Trips
HGS Course: Super Networking
Class canceled, only 8 people signed up. The class will be offered again Saturday, October 23. Click here for details.
July, 1999HGS Meetings
3rd Annual HGS Summer Technofest
Description:
The HGS is inviting companies to come and share their new technologies and research. There will be finger foods and a cash bar. People attending this function will be snacking, drinking, and viewing the latest in technology and research. Come and enjoy this great annual summer event!
For a list of the companies represented, Click here.
June, 1999Seminars, Short Courses, and Field Trips
Tomball College's Rocky Mountain National Park Expedition
North American Explorationists Group
Clastic Depositional Systems Symposium"From Alluvium to the Abyss"
with featured papers and posters presenting the latest concepts in the application of clastic depositional models to hydrocarbon exploration and production
USGS Symposium Natural Resources and Hazards:Challenges for the Twenty-First Century
A symposium in recognition of the many contributions to the earth sciences made by Michel T. Halbouty
RMAG Conference: The Future of Coal Bed Methane in the Rocky Mountains
There were no seminars, courses or field trips offered by the HGS during June and July, 1999.
June, 1999HGS Meetings
International Dinner Meeting
Modern Workflows for the International Explorationist, with Examples from SE Asia and Benin, West Africa
May, 1999Seminars, Short Courses, and Field Trips
Career Decision Workshop: In order to solve a problem, you need to describe it. This workshop adds the words to describe it.
SIPES seminar You're On Your Own, Kid or Becoming a Successful Entrepreneur(Helping the Self-Employed to Survive)
May, 1999HGS Meetings
Highlights of the Forthcoming 1999 Offshore Technology Conference
HGS Dinner Meeting
"Low Resistivity, Low Contrast Pays"
HGS Environmental / Engineering Section Dinner Meeting
"Fate and Transport Computer Modeling: An Important Tool in Evaluating Environmental Contamination"
"The First Three Years of Starting-up a Geological Consulting Practice"
George D. Klein
SED-STRAT Geoscience Consultants, Inc., P.O. Box 42188, Houston, TX, 77242-2188.
(281) 937-9483; Fax: (281) 937-9456; E-mail: gdklein@sedstrat.com
(NB. This is text version of a paper presented at the SIPES-DPA Career Transition Workshop, Monday, April 12, 1999, San Antonio, TX)
INTRODUCTION
Nearly four years ago, I worked as an Executive Director of a Marine Science Consortium in New Jersey with a left to the end of my contract. As the job continued, I realized that this position was a very bad match, so I met with the Board of Trustees, and asked not to have my contract renewed in exchange for certain considerations that were given.
Having consulted part-time during my earlier career as a Research Professor, I decided to become a full-time petroleum geology consultant. This article covers many of the things I learned during the first three years of operations and reviews both the excellent advice and guidance I received from many people, all listed in the acknowledgments. Some included a large network of former classroom students as well as MS and PhD students who I supervised.
The first person I met for advice was my accountant who explained to me that it if I was still in business in three years, likely I would make it (hence the title of this paper). Nearly 75 percent of businesses fail within two years. Thus the first three years are critical. When he opened his accounting firm, he did some part-time work like teaching community college accounting, while getting his practice underway. In three years he develop a core repeat client group with plenty to do.
Next, I met with the Consortium banker who had become a good friend. He provided solid advice about rearranging my finances so I could get started. I also gave him my resume because his bank financed petroleum projects and asked him to forward it to their asset branch for possible work. He did and I got work from that contact.
Perhaps the most critical step was to attend the 1996 Annual meeting of AAPG in San Diego. There, I met with many people, and started marketing my services. The advice I received there was invaluable and most turned out to be true. Since working as a Consultant, additional things were added, which I include below. That AAPG meeting was an energizer because of the support and encouragement I received, and in retrospect, I noticed many of the "new" consultants at the recent annual meeting in San Antonio were similarly energized.
CRITICAL THINGS TO GET STARTED
1). New consultants MUST buy a PC (if they don’t have one) and open a personal e-mail account IMMEDIATELY. Literally, you cannot do without it. 90 percent of my correspondence is by e-mail!. Bill Gates, in a recent Time magazine interview, considered this to be the number one megatrend in business in the next century.
2). If you are going to be a consultant, you will have to undergo a CHANGE IN MINDSET REGARDING WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO. You are now an individual entrepreneur responsible for every facet of your activities. You are in control and Accountable to yourself and your clients.
3). Your CAREER OBJECTIVES will change now that you are a consultant. What is it?:
To Serve the NEEDS of a client by finding them new and by-passed oil and gas
reserves to ADD VALUE to their Corporate or Personal Assets.
CONSULTANTS ECONOMICS 101!!!!!
Before reading further, please be advised I am NOT a financial planner. Everything I write in this section should be checked with your accountant and your financial planner. It is for guidance only and represents what I experienced.
1). Personal reserves. A prominent hydrogeological consultant told me that it is essential that one has funds on hand totaling six months living expenses in reserve, if possible, to survive as a consultant. He explained he just finished a large two-year contract and now had to start all over marketing for new clients and did not know when the next project would start. This is part of a consultants’ life and to make it between contracts, this reserve is critical.
2). Savings rule. When I taught at the University of Illinois, I did an exit interview with graduate students I supervised. One item I reviewed was finances, knowing they were getting the largest pay checks at age 24 or 28, that they had ever seen. I advised them to set aside an emergency savings fund of 10 % of their take-home pay, bank it, leave it alone and build it up to their annual salary base. Keep increasing the ceiling as salary went up. Never touch it. Keep saving. Additional savings should be used to buy a house, car or invest more assertively. Were you so advised? If so, you have added reserves.
One of these students was let go by his company after four years in 1992. He survived on his emergency funds for 18 months and had money left over when he found a new job. He is now doing very well with his new employer and rebuilt his reserves.
3). During your first year as a consultant, you can expect to finance your business operations before seeing income. Luckily it will be sooner. In most cases it will, but one needs to plan for a year of front-ending business expenses.
4). While Executive Director of the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium, our Chairman of the Board was the late Frank H. Wheaton, President of Wheaton Glass, the largest glass manufacturer in the world. At lunch before a board meeting one day, he was asked by a Board member who had known him a long time: "Frank, What is the Secret to your Business Success"?
FRANK’S REPSONSE: "NEVER SPEND MORE THAN YOU MAKE".
(and that’s all he said).
5). How to implement Frank Wheaton’s Advice?
As a consultant, you will have to make a variety of decisions about expenditures to follow that advice. Do you rent an office or work from your house? Will you pay as you go to meet expenses or get corporate credit cards or charge accounts? Do you buy or lease equipment?
There is no right or wrong answer that is universal. You decide with the answer to the following BOTTOM LINE Question:
How Much Expense Can YOU Handle, and How Quickly Can You Pay For it?
6). Banks.
As a consultant, I recommend opening business accounts with local banks rather than a supersized megabank. Local banks tend to be more accommodating and helpful and it is easier to meet key people there.
Nevertheless, no matter where you bank, you must watch them like a hawk! This is particularly true with fees.
It is also critical to learn to negotiate with a bank from strength (remember they really don’t want your house, car, computer, or pets). If you foresee problems, take the initiative. Don’t wait until it is too late. Propose solutions that are doable up front so it makes it easier for them to help you if problems arise, and reach a successful outcome.
When I taught in universities, I always told students up front that they were likely to see problems in handling their course work load before any faculty member does. By the time the faculty became aware of it, it is too late. If they had classroom problems, I encouraged them to take the initiative to see me so they can be addressed quickly. It works the same when dealing with banks!
One key thing I learned is NEVER to be afraid to contact the head office to get involvement if you find your banker lacks critical knowledge or ski
April, 1999Seminars, Short Courses, and Field Trips
Career Decision Workshop: In order to solve a problem, you need to describe it. This workshop adds the words to describe it.
Internet Job Hunting and Networking for Geoscientists
April, 1999HGS Meetings
HGS Dinner Meeting
"Balanced Filled Lakes Worldwide: Insights for Optimum Source Character and Distribution In Brazilian Continental Margin Basins"
HGS Environmental / Engineering Section Dinner Meeting
Title of talk
International Dinner Meeting
The paleo-Volga delta and lacustrine sequence stratigraphy of the South Caspian basin
March, 1999Seminars, Short Courses, and Field Trips
SIPESSociety of Independent Professional Earth Scientists1999 Annual Meeting and Seminar
Petroleum Geology in the Southern Midcontinent: A Workshop
March, 1999HGS Meetings
Joint HGS/GSH Dinner Meeting
"About Geophysics, Geology, and Regional Hydrocarbon Systems A Discussion that Contrasts the Gulf of Mexico with Northeastern Venezuela"
HGS Environmental / Engineering Section Dinner Meeting
Title of talk
February, 1999Seminars, Short Courses, and Field Trips
HGS Continuing Education Committeein cooperation with GeoGraphix(GESU) presents:GES: The Basics - 1 Day Course
Tectono-stratigraphic Evolution of NE Mexico: outcrop analogues for onshore and offshore Gulf of Mexico Mesozoic exploration and production.
February, 1999HGS Meetings
HGS Dinner Meeting w/HAPL
Loma Vieja Field: Structural Geology and Related Velocity Fault Shadow in the Upper Wilcox (Fandango) in S. Texas
HGS Environmental / Engineering Section Dinner Meeting
"Location and Depth Determination of Buried Ferro-Magnetic bodies in Environmental Site Assessments Using Euler''s Homogeneity Equation"
International Dinner Meeting
Post-Rift Hydrocarbon Systems, Greater Amazon Mouth, Brazil: Transition from Shelf to Basin and Source Distribution Controls
January, 1999Seminars, Short Courses, and Field Trips
Sequence Stratigraphy Core Workshop:Concepts and Applications to Oil and Gas Exploration and Production
An Introduction to Geostatistical Reservoir Characterization
Aronow, Saul
May 16, 1998
Branson, John W.
June 12, 1998
Carsey, J. Ben, Jr.
March 30, 1998
Cernock, Paul John
March 15, 1998
Cratsley, Dennis Wayne
May 9, 1998
Crawford ,Frank C.
December 5, 1998
Hayes, James Frederick
June 23, 1998
Fritz, Duane C.
March 2, 1998
Gardemal, J.M. "Micah"
July 21, 1998
Johansson, Folke C.
November 28, 1998
Raible,Leonard John "Len"
October 19, 1998
Simnacher, Faroy "Roy"
October 5, 1998
Sneed, Edmund David
January 8, 1998
Stevenson, W. L. "Steve"
February 7, 1998
Hutchison, Tom G.
July 1, 1998
Wendling, Neil A.
May 22, 1998
Woodside, Philip R.
August 15, 1998
Saul Aronow died May 16, 1998 at the age of 73. Dr. Aranow received a B.S. from Brooklyn College in 1945, an M.S. from the University of Iowa in 1946, and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 1955, all in Geology. Dr. Aronow was a Professor of Geology at Lamar University for 37 years, inspiring hundreds of students to seek professional careers in geology. He was especially well known for his field trip leadership as the expert on Pleistocene-age geology of the Gulf Coastal Plain of Texas. A donation will be made to the Department of Geology at Lamar University.
John W. Branson died June 12, 1998. Mr. Branson graduated from Kansas State University in 1941 with a B.S. in Geology and from Oklahoma in 1948 with a M.S. in Geology. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1941-1945. Mr. Branson was a Consulting Geologist and a member of the AAPG. A donation will be made to the Undergraduate Scholarship Fund of the HGS.
J. Ben Carsey, Jr. died March 30, 1998 at the age of 64. Mr.Carsey was a 1956 graduate of the University of Texas with a B.S. in Geology. He worked as a consulting Geologist and was a member of the AAPG and the HGS. A donation will be made by the HGS to the American Cancer Society in his memory.
Paul John Cernock died March 15, 1998 at the age of 55. Mr. Cernock graduated from DePauw University in 1964 and from Texas A&M in 1970 with a Masters and a Doctorate in Geological Oceanography. He started his career with Texaco in New Orleans. Dr. Cernock was the founder, President, and CEO of Reservoirs, Inc. and an active member of the HGS and AAPG. A donation will be made to the YMCA of Greater Houston Camping Services.
Dennis Wayne Cratsley died May 9, 1998 at the age of 50. Mr. Cratsley was a 1971 graduate of Youngstown State University with a B.S. in Geology and a 1975 graduate of LSU with a M.S. in Marine Science. In his career as an Exploration Geologist, he worked for Amerada Hess, ODECO, Texas Eastern, the MMS, and most recently, Petrobras America. A donation will be made to the Undergraduate Scholarship Fund of the HGS.
Frank C. Crawford died December 5, 1998, at the age of 73. Mr. Crawford received a B.S. in 1948 from Centenary College and a M.S. in 1950 from LSU, both in geology. Well known in the geological profession, Mr. Crawford was an active member of the HGS, a member and past vice-president of the AAPG, a member and past president of the Shreveport Geological Society, and an honorary member and past president of the New Orleans Geological Society. He most recently worked as the president of Crawford and Associates. A donation will be made to St. Paul's Episcopal Church in New Orleans.
Duane C. Fritz died March 2, 1998 at the age of 65. Mr. Fritz graduated from Texas Tech University in 1953 with a B.S. in Petroleum Geology. He served as President of D.C. Fritz & Associates and was an active member of the HGS. A donation will be made to the Building Fund of the Northwest Bible Church.
J.M. "Micah" Gardemal died July 21, 1998 at the age of 34. Mr. Gardemal graduated in 1986 from the University of Southwestern Louisiana with a B.S. in Geology and in 1989 from the University of North Carolina with a Masters in Geology. He began his career with Amoco and most recently was a Senior Geologist with BHP Exploration. Mr. Gardemal was a member of the HGS and the AAPG.
January, 1999HGS Meetings
HGS Dinner Meeting
Preserving geology in reservoir modeling; a prectical application of stochastic modeling in heterogeneous reservoirs
HGS Environmental / Engineering Section Dinner Meeting
"TITLE RESEARCH: Unraveling the Environmental Record"
International Dinner Meeting
The Western End of the Jebilet High Atlas System, the Onshore and Offshore Essaouira Basin (Morocco), and the Virtually Unexplored Cap Tafelnay Folded Belt
Chester A, BairdHGS President 1980-81During my term, I remember mostly the people I met and worked with, especially the strong support I received from the HGS Executive Board and membership. During my term, the constitution and bylaws were changed to establish the office of president-elect instead of two vice presidents and the emeritus class of membership. These changes were approved following recommendations from a study committee composed of Tony Reso, Dean Grafton, and Jack Cofle-all HGS past presidents
1980-81 was part of those times recalled as the good old days in our industry. Many companies began bringing their staffs to Houston as a base for work in other parts of the country and throughout the world. Companies encouraged their geologists to join and participate in the HGS. Field trips were well attended and numerous.
HGS Guest Night at Hacienda D'Los Morales was an evening of high drama for me and Second Vice President Peggy Rice. While more than 600 guests proceeded through the evening's activities of the cocktafl hour and dinner buffet, we anxiously awaited our speaker, Allen Fiksdal from the State of Washington Department of Natural Resources. He was flying in from Seattle, but was yet to arrive. However, like the U.S. Cavalry, he made it just in time, while dessert was being served. We slapped a Tex-Mex plate down in front of him, he wolfed it down while we loaded his slide carousel, and Peggy and I relaxed and sat back with the rest of the guests to listen to a splendid talk on the hot topic of last year's eruption of Mt. St. Helens. My only regret from the evening is that we didin' keep the bar open during dinner.
William BishopHGS President 1981-82Bulletin ImprovesProblems with meeting attendance were addressed during my term, as policies were established for taking reservations by name and billing the no-shows. We also tried meeting with the same speaker at different locations. The formation of an international group began, with the HGS International Group co-founded by Carolyn Ross and me the next year. The group existed as a moderated group for two years. I gave three papers on Tunisia, Iraq and Malta, which set a record for the group.
The Research and Study committee was reactivated under Chairman Claude Rust and they began work on a field studies volume. Despite my rosy prediction that "it should be in print next year," the book, which contains 93 field studies, was not actually published until September 1987.
The election of Dick Bishop as Bulletin editor was probably HGS's best appointment. He took what Tony Reso had improved on from little more than a newsletter and established the forerunner of the Bulletin's current format. In addition to the increased technical content and features that improved member communications, the Bulletin was issued on schedule!
Peggy RiceHGS President 1982-83Good Times in the Oil IndustryDuring my term as president of HGS, we were still enjoying good times in the oil industry, although consequences of the downturn were beginning to be felt. Even so, membership grew from 4,100 to 4,400 during that year. Meeting attendance was good, and member participation through committees was high.
Looking back, I believe the most significant aspect of my term was the diversity of interests that was developing. The International Explorationists group was founded, and the Environmental Committee became much more active. Now these groups and two others have their own monthly meetings, in addition to the dinner and luncheon meetings of the entire society.
Also during this period, an ad hoc committee was appointed to study the need for an undergraduate scholarship fund. The fund was later approved, and coupled with the existing Calvert Memorial Scholarship Fund, it has provided much needed assistance to many deserving students.
During all the ups and downs in the industry, the society's strength has been its many members who donate countless hours to carry out the work required to make HGS the best of the local societies.
Matthew W. DauraHGS President 1983-84Computer Applications Committee,Scholarship Fund CreatedDuring the 1983-84 HGS year, the Executive Board approved the formation of the Computer Applications Committee, as proposed by Chuck Iglehart. Wayne Wiese was appointed chairman of this committee. The board also approved Bill Peeble's suggestion to publish a cross-index of expired company names. Some company names had been lost in the recent rash of buyouts and mergers, which made tracking down well records difficult.
This was also the year that the HGS turned over management of its publication sales to Earth Enterprises in Austin. Up to this time, the society had dealt with the storage of the publications as well as keeping track of inventory and sales, which was a time-consuming task.
The last major piece of business during my administration was approval by the board for the formation of the Undergraduate Scholarship Fund, as proposed by Don Scherer.
HGS dinner meetings were at several Galleria-area hotels and cost $18. Luncheon meetings were at the Meridian Hotel downtown (now the Doubletree) and cost $14. One luncheon meeting was at the Sheraton-Lincoln Hotel on Polk Street downtown, but the hotel closed soon after that.
The bylaws were changed in 1981 to create the office of president-elect, which I held during Peggy Rice's presidential term. This change was made to give the incoming president more time to prepare. In effect, Peggy Rice and I were elected president at the same time.
Gerald A. "Jerry" CooleyHGS President 1984-85Membership Hits 5000, T Boone Pickens SpeaksMembership climbed to 5,000 members during my term, so it was critical to modernize the HGS office under the guidance of the Computer Applications Committee. Records previously kept by hand in the bedroom-size office at Four Star Printing were now managed using a state-of-the-art IBM PC-AT. Other HGS activities of note were the establishment of 25- and 50-year membership awards and a $5000 donation made to the Museum of Natural Science to help it acquire the spectacular Sams mineral collection. HGS published the company name cross index, and work began on Oilfields of Southeast Texas and Building Stones of Houston.
I caught a lot of flak over the speaking invitation to T. Boone Pickens, then of Mesa Petroleum. Despite the controversery, his speach "Shareholders: Key to the Petroleum Industry's Future" drew a large turnout of more than 500, which overflowed the Galleria-area venue.
I was the first geophysicist elected HGS president: "Geophysicists get the blame for the dry holes; Geologists get the credit for the finds." In addition to computerizing HGS record management, during my presidency I tried to increase the participation of the newer, younger members in the society. Attending meetings is not just to learn about the topic, but to meet one's fellow geologists, to support career development, and to establish mentoring relationships.
Chuck NollHGS President 1986-87During my year, being HGS president was one of the best jobs in the world in the worst of times. During this period of low oil and gas prices, a near depression in the geological job market, and the lack of investment dollars for independents, HGS geologists offered their time and service to our organization in record numbers. My vision was that the society would respond to the needs of our members, and be only a "phone call away" for our "society of geological friends." Unlike the AAPG during that year, the HGS membership declined only 7%.
My proudest of
History of the International Explorationists Groupby Denise Stone and Carolyn Miracle Ross
The International Explorationists Group is a vibrant and active subgroup within the Houston Geological Society with over 400 members. It is dedicated to the special interests of the international exploration community in the Houston area, and is the largest group of its kind in the United States. The purpose of the group is threefold; to provide professional and social events during which members can get acquainted with others in international operations, to keep its members informed on general international activities, and to present technical talks on the geology and geophysics of various basins of the world.
The group was founded September 30, 1982 when Carolyn Miracle Ross wrote to then President Peggy Rice proposing the formation of a subgroup within the society that would be dedicated to international exploration. The proposal was accepted by the president and HGS board and Carolyn Ross was asked to organize and manage the group, and to serve as its first chairman. In order to determine the degree of interest in this new group, a marketing survey was designed and mailed to all vice-presidents and managers of exploration in all compa- nies engaged in international exploration in Houston. It was anticipated that the group would appeal not only to geologists, but to geophysicists, exploration managers and perhaps others, such as negotiators, involved in international activities. The survey indicated that some 300 people had an interest in participating. These people were about evenly divided between geologists and geophysicists, only about 40% of them were members of HGS.
William F. Bishop was enlisted to run the group and serve as moderator of the meetings through May 1984. Speakers were recruited and the first meeting was held in March 1983, with 210 persons in attendance. A committee composed of Moin Hussein (tickets), Hadi Khoja and later, W. David Wyman (meeting arrangements and logistics), and Nancy Dring (publicity) was formed to help with the details of the meetings. Carolyn Ross served as chairman of the group until September 1985, when it was turned over to Johann Christian Pratsch. In September 1986, W. David Wyman took over as chairman. Following Dave's transfer to Denver, Peter A. Emmet assumed the chairmanship from December 1986 to September 1988, after which Denise Stone was chairman until 1990. Pifiar Yjlmaz having directed the technical program 1988-90, took on the chairmanship as well for 1990-92. Thomas A. Tucker served as chairman until 1994. Edward C. Loomis served as the 1994- 95 chairman, and John Jordan from 1995-97. Martin Cassidy is the current chairman.
In an effort to improve service to both overseas and stateside members, the AAPG has anxiously looked to the group for ideas on international publications, educational programs, field seminars and conventions. Questionnaires from AAPG testing the viability of specific ideas and issues have been mailed to active members of the group. Responses have provided both useful feedback for AAPG's long term planning and helped in defining a broader more international role of what has typically been thought of as an American association. A very cooperative relationship between AAPG's International Development office, and the chairman of the AAPG International Liaison Committee, Nahum Schneiderman, has developed and is expected to continue.
History of the Environmental & Engineering Geology Committeeby Craig M. Dingler
The origin of the Environmental Committee can be traced back to the mid-seventies when several members of the HGS interested in environmental topics started to meet informally. Under then HGS President Ben Sorrel, Jim Stone headed up the first informal committee to work with the Houston Citizen's Environmental Coalition. Martin Sheets arranged several field trips during that period to view the effects of surface faulting and subsidence. This group evolved into an ad hoc committee, experiencing changes in participants and the meeting format. The committee's importance was underscored when past HGS President James 0. Lewis became chairman in the late seventies.
The Environmental Committee was established as a standing committee of the HGS in 1984 with Diana Dale serving as the first chairperson. The committee was charged with keeping the Society appraised of important matters concerning the maintenance, use, and possible damage to the surface and subsurface environments in the Houston area. Dr. Dale was instrumental in leading field trips to review the environmental geology of East Harris County.
Sheryl I.entini served as chairperson in 1988-89, and it was during her term that the registration of geologists concept was first brought before the Texas legislature. The committee has been educating HGS members on the significance of this bill ever since.
During the late 1980s and into the 1990s, changing federal and state regulations concerning treatment of the environment and the corresponding expansion of employment opportunities rekindled interest in environmental geology. Arlin Howles was chairman in 1989-91. Numerous local environmental field trips in the late 1980s organized by Robert Rieser, chairman from 1991-93, were instrumental in building interest in the committee. The group expanded to include geologists, geophysicists, hydrologists, civil engineers, and other professionals working in the environmental and engineering geology professions. Ralph Taylor, chairman from 1993-95, was instrumental in organizing the Superfiind Sites of Harris County and Wetlands field trips, arranging informal short courses on air monitoring and soils, and bringing in an exceptional list of dinner speakers.
Topics in environmental geology are diverse, and our meetings and seminars reflect current case studies, research, and regulatory affairs being worked on by HGS memmbers and others in the community.
History of the North American Explorationists Groupby Charles Sternbach
In 1990, Andrew Lattu created the Permian Basin and Mid-Continent Group which would become the North American Explorationists Group of today. Originally the premise was to sponsor technical talks for Houston-based geologists who worked Permian Basin and Mid-Continent areas. In 1992, Clint Moore (then HGS vice-president) recommended expanding the scope of the group as restructuring had resulted in transfer to Houston of many professionals working diverse areas of North America. Past Chairmen Chuck Buzby and James Cearley became important leaders in greatly expanding this group to continental-wide scope. Today our themes include: exploration and exploitation, large fields, unconventional reservoirs, new technology, and application of 3D seismic to geologic problems. We explore the entire domestic U.S. (outside of the Gulf Coast) and Canada. As a result of this group, the Houston geological comniunity is regularly provided the opportunity to attend talks and posters on East Texas, Oklahoma, Permian Basin, Utah, Michigan, Colorado, Williston Basin, Texas, Illinois, and Wyoming. We established ourselves as truly North American Explorationists with inclusion of Canadian talks. U.S. exploration is expanding into Canada and we will keep abreast of this trend. Our goal is to provide members of the Houston Geological Society with more opportunities to review high quality geological work in areas of North America and to ultimately help you improve your company's probability of success.Steve Levine recently served as chairman of this group expanding the program to include half day symposiums. The current chairman is Carl Steffenson.
History of the Emerging Technology Committee
The Emerging Technology Committee was initiated in th
The HGS held a Technical Symposium as a 75th anniversary event on March 31, 1998 at the Marriott Galleria Hotel and Exhibition Center. Over 400 attendees heard 30 speakers during four half-day sessions discuss the geology and business of petroleum exploration and development.
The idea for a symposium was conceived last year by then HGS president Jim Ragsdale and his board members as a means to help celebrate the society's diamond anniversary. Although commemorating the last 75 years, we decided that the symposium should focus on the future rather than dwell on the past. That led us to our symposium theme, "Countdown to the 21st Century."
The symposium included three forward-looking technical meeting topics: Macroeconomics of Oil and Gas, Emerging Technology, and Deepwater Exploration.
Macroecononiics of Oil and Gas was held in a morning session. Presentations attempted to predict the supply and demand of hydrocarbon products into the 21 st century and the resulting forecasts for the future of the petroleum industry. A strong list of speakers from exploration companies, academia, and industry analysts representing financial firms gathered for this session.
Emerging Technology was held in an afternoon session. A variety of interesting papers from several different fields including engineering, geophysics, and geochemistry were presented in this session.
Deepwater Exploration included both morning and afternoon presentations. Speakers represented major and independent oil companies, academia, and service conipanies. Topics included both domestic and international examples, and ranged from detailed field studies to basinwide 'de geological analysis. All of the papers shared a common geological analysis. All of the papers shared a commmon thread in that they reported on bathymetric deepwater areas and/or the exploration potential of those areas.
I believe that all of the sessions and the papers support- ed the symposium theme, "Countdown to the 21st Century." We had judges in each session grade the presenta- tions using standard AAPG style judging forms. The paper judged to be best was by John M. Armentrout of Mobil Technology Company titled "Depositional Setting of Turbidite System Fields (Mio-Plio-Pleistocene), Gulf of Mexico."
The luncheon keynote speaker, NASA astronaut James F. Reilly, made a fantastic presentation about his recent space shuttle mission (January 1998) and had the audience in stitches with his anecdotes. Many attendees commented to me after the symposium that they particularly enjoyed his presentation.
The Technical Symposium turned out to be a successful event for the society. A large amount of the credit goes to the people that served on my committee and handled a lot of the "details." These individuals include William K "Bill" Peebles (publication), Eric Carlton (registration and student volunteers), Doug Selvius (arrangements), and Dean Grafton (Awards). Joan Henshaw was also extremely helpful with the mail-out and numerous other tasks.
It was the air-conditioning! That was the foundation for the big boom growth of Houston in 1950 when it became the most air-conditioned city in the world. It was the stimulus for many corporations to move their headquarters to Houston. Among those companies were Continental Oil, Prudential Insurance, Mobil Oil, Gulf Oil, Texaco Oil, Tidewater Associated and Sunray MidContinent. Ethyl Corporation opened a new $50 million plant on the ship channel in 1952. And, of course, Humble Oil & Refining Company was already well established in Houston.
The census of 1950 made Houston the 14th biggest city in America with a population of 596,163. Five years later, in 1955, there were 475,000 motor vehicles registered in Harris County, and 8,000 of them were air-conditioned. Naturally, the oil company related people numbered in the thousands. The geologists had already started the Houston Geological Society in 1923 and held monthly luncheons, with membership increasing at a terrific speed.
In 1950, the wives of these men were dreaming of their own organization. Mrs. Ralph Cantrell, or Charlie, tells the story... "Mrs. Jack Colle, or Olga, Mrs. Robert Behrman, or Gen, and I with a few other Houston Geological Society wives gathered around my dining room table and hand wrote the invitations on plain notebook paper. On May 5, 1950 at 10:00 a.m. at the Women's Club on Westmorland Street, there was a discussion meeting about getting an auxiliary organization started. We sent invitations to every member of the Houston Geological Society. A couple of the HGS men came to this meeting and gave us $25.00 to help us get started and we bought a lot of stamps."
"At this meeting, we set up some temporary officers. I was made temporary chairwoman and we appointed a secretary and a nominating committee with another group to work on our By-Laws."
"In September we met at the Ye Olde College Inn and talked about our plans for the Auxiliary. We elected officers and Mrs. John D. Marr, or Kathryn, was our first president, and I don't remember who the other officers were. We decided to charge $5.00 yearly dues and made everyone stand in line to sign the book and pay their money. The line circled the Ye Olde College Inn, with several hundred women signing up."
The HGS Newsletter dated December 10, 1951 states that the group changed its name from "Houston Society of Geologist's Wives" to the the "Houston Geological Auxiliary." The HGS had 812 members at the time, and the HGA had 415.
"By 1958 there were 750 members," Mrs. Cantrell continued. "That year we decided to start the newcomers group to help new people get acquainted in a smaller group before joining the larger meeting. Well, I could go on and on..."
The newcomers group was originally referred to as the "Quaternary" group (in geological terms, "most recent"), and changed its name a year later to "Geo-Wives."
The following women are HGA charter members who are still current members:
Past Presidents of the Houston Geological Auxiliary +Mrs, John D. Marr** 1950-51 Mrs. Ralph Cantrell 1951-52 +Mrs. A. L. Selig** 1952-53 +Mrs.RoyEBennett(MarvolSpeed**) 1953-54 Mrs. A. Knox Tyson** 1954-55 +Mrs. Hillard Hinson** 1955-56 Mrs. Harold Voight (Merle White**) 1956-57 Mrs. R. G. Behrman, Jr. 1957-58 +Mrs. Harold N. Fisk** 1958-59 +Mrs. Lawrence J. Vittrup 1959-60 Mrs. Edward J. Smith, Jr.** 1960-61 +Mrs. Donald I. Gahagan** 1961-62 Mrs. Phillip B. Wogan (Inez Broussard**) 1962-63 +Mrs. Phillip R. Allin 1963-64 Mrs. Ray C. Lewis 1964-65 Mrs. Owen B. Wood 1965-66 Mrs. James A. Wheeler** 1966-67 Mrs. Paul Farren 1967-68 Mrs. Thomas D. Barber 1968-69 Mrs. R. Jack Chambers Colle** 1969-70 Mrs. 0. G. Lundstrom 1970-71 Mrs. Polly Turner** 1971-72 Mrs. J. D. Bartell 1972-73 Mrs. Dee Russek Williams 1973-74 +Mrs. Jack 0. Colle 1974-75 Mrs. Hal H. Bybee** 1975-76 Mrs. George E. Gordon 1976-77 +Mrs. John W. Inkster** 1977-78 Mrs. Robert J. Schrock 1978-79 Mrs. James G. Floyd 1979-80 Mrs. Andrew B. Bacho 1980-81 +Mrs. Nancy S. Rust 1981-82 Mrs. Wiley B. Harle 1982-83 Mrs. William E Howell 1983-84 Mrs. Jeffrey V. Morris 1984-85 Mrs. Louis A. Newitt 1985-86 +Mrs. Clyde Harrison** 1986-87 Mrs. Richard S. Bishop 1987-88 Mrs. John H. Hefner 1988-89 Mrs. C. E. Trowbridge 1989-90 Mrs. Stewart H. Folk 1990-91 Mrs. James B. Bennett 1991-92 Mrs. James 0. Lewis 1992-93 Mrs. Richard Steinmetz 1993-94 Mrs. Glenn Allen 1994-95 Mrs. P. W. f. Wood 1995-96 Mrs. Charles Edwards 1996-97 Mrs. Bill R. Payne 1997-98 (Note: + deceased, ** HGS member husband deceased)
Geo-Wives Past Presidents
The Houston Geological Society held its 75th Anniversary Gala the evening of June 13, 1998 at the Petroleum Club. More than 250 people attended the black-tie affair, enjoying the company of fellow geologists and the sweeping vista from the 43rd floor of the Exxon Building.
A giant ice carving of the society's logo greeted attendees at the entrance. Each member received a special 75th anniversary lapel pin at the registration desk, and then continued toward the Explorer Room to enjoy hors d'oeuvres and cocktails. Along the hallway, bottles of wine engraved with the 75th anniversary logo were on prominent display as part of a silent auction and raffle benefiting the HGS undergraduate and graduate scholarship funds. Also on view were framed letters of congratulations to the society from Governor George Bush and U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson.
Photographs and memorabilia spanning 75 years of HGS and industry events were on prominent display in the Explorer Room. A unique photo of the Lucas gusher at Spindletop, enlarged from an original glass slide, set the mood of the evening. Candid photos from past HGS events, a brief listing of the HGS history, a list of past HGS presidents, and other interesting items were arranged on easels throughout the room. Another ice sculpture graced the hors d'oeuvres table. Two television monitors played a special video of President Jeff Lund giving a tour throught he new HGS office followed by candid photos of prominent HGS members.
Dinner tables in the ballroom were decorated with black, floor length tablecloths draped by silver lam6. The centerpieces were three-foot tall oil derricks with white orchids and silver bear grass gushing from the top! On each dinner plate was a box containing a chocolate disk with the HGS special anniversary logo printed on it in white chocolate.
In opening remarks, President Jeff Lund and Past-President Jerry Cooley presented to AAPG President-Elect and former HGS President Dick Bishop an enlarged and framed photograph of attendees at the 1924 AAPG annual convention in Houston. That convention was the primary reason for the creation of the Houston Geological Society in the summer of 1923, and so the photo's special significance, linking the two societies' historic roots. Sixteen other past-presidents attending the soire then joined Lund, Cooley, and Bishop in front of the lectern for a group photograph and a special champagne toast to the society.
The most discriminating palate was satisfied with an exquisite three-course dinner consisting of tournedos of beef with bearnaise and Bordelaise sauce, asparagus with honey-glazed carrots, and au gratin potatoes. Dessert was a fabulous three-dimensional piece of art: a chocolate derrick filled with white chocolate mousse on chocolate sauce in the shape of Texas. The derrick, of course was conveniently centered over where Houston would be! It certainly satisfied even the most savvy sweet tooth!
The silent auction continued through dinner. The magnum of Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon signed by the vintner drew the highest bids, with Bob Ardell having the final winning bid of $1260. Together, the silent auction and raffle raised nearly $2500 for scholarship funds.
The Family Tree, a very versatile band, provided lively music. Surprisingly agile senior members of the society put younger ones to shame with their contagious enthusiasm for dancing! The party continued past midnight until the last stragglers were urged gently to the door, with some sporting the centerpiece derricks on their heads! This event will undoubtably go down in HGS history as one of its greatest social occasions. Congratulations to gala chairman Greg Gregson and his committee for organizing such a fine celebration! Make plans for the 100th anniversary party!
A publication such as this takes a lot of work, and a lot of workers to bring it all together. Special thanks are due to many Members and other individuals. Linda Sternbach, 1997-98 Bulletin editor, started everything off by getting HGS Executive Board approval for this project. The Bulletin staff began work on this issue in the fall of 1997, with a brainstorming session in the new HGS office. Linda first thought of the idea of interviews with past presidents. Her husband Charles, HGS vice-president at the time, came up with the theme "Leadership, Discovery, and Technology." Victor Schmidt conceived the great idea of a time line. With these and other tidbits, Linda figured we could have a 40 page special issue, with half of that being ads to pay for it. We left that meeting with high hopes!
The timeline was a group effort. Elsa Kapitan-White sent me a timeline Schlumberger had developed for their exhibits, and Charles Sternbach found another timcline in David Yergin's The Prize. Elsa worked up some text and rummaged through Schlumberger archives for photos which Amy Green was kind enough to copy and send to us. I added a few facts, and Deb Sacrey shared her computer file of annual significant HGS events (taken in part from past directories). Greg Gregson, while planning for displays at the 75th Anniversary Gala, got Jerry Cooley to show him his photo collection. I tagged along one Saturday afternoon as they sifted through slides and photos with Matt Daura, and Jerry was kind enough to let us borrow many. He also helped us put names to a lot of those faces! Danielle Frost at Manzanita Alliances is the creative genius who put the timeline, and the rest, all together in a layout.
John Suman, our founding president's son, was very kind to my early inquiries about his father and very generously loaned me photographs. Dean Grafton attended one of our meetings and calmly and gently instilled some guidance to our efforts. Past-presidents and distinguished members of the HGS kindly responded to our inquiries. Elsa, working around becoming a new mother, managed to get quite a few interviews. Charles Revilla interviewed some of our Honorary Life Members. Annette Mather worked her magic with the advertising. Joan Henshaw, HGS secretary, served as "communications central." Andy Link and Michael Dumont did yeoman work in proofreading. We put everything together and at the end of July had a 48 page issue that looked pretty good, but something about it just wasn't right. So, we pushed back the publication date and renewed our efforts for some more interviews, some more photos, and some more data. Jeff Lund and Sandi Barber offered some useful ideas and arranged for extra funding. General Hardy came through with some information on the Undergraduate Scholarship Fund, John Adamick on the 21st Century Symposium, and Naomi Watson talked to Charlie Cantrell about the formation of the HGA. The result is this 80 page booklet. In 25 years we will be celebrating our 100th anniversary and our history will evolve into a big book, I promise!!
Each year the society participates in many functions to benefit both the community and the profession. This work is taken on by numerous HGS volunteers who give their time and efforts freely.
Community ServicesThe Academic Liaison Committee makes presentations to junior and senior high school students. The committee provides speakers with slides, rocks, minerals, fossils, maps, and cross sections. In addition, the committee judges science fairs sponsored by the schools and other organizations. There is an ever increasing demand for more speakers.
The Explorer Scouts Committee operates two Explorer Scout Posts sponsored by the HGS - The Northwest Post 2004, and the Southwest Post 2005. At present, about 40 students between the ages of 15 and 18 are active in these. Central to the program is career interest, and students interested in the geologic and oceanographic sciences attend lectures and field trips to various work locations to gain insights into possible careers. Scouts also participate in camping trips to locations of geologic and environmental interest. As part of the Sam Houston Area Council of the BSA (Boy Scouts of America), the posts enjoy many regular activities held by the scouting organization. Additionally, the Explorer Scout Post Leaders and Advisors (HGS members) serve as references for the scouting organization in geologic matters.
The Museum of Natural Science Liaison Committee is responsible for involving and enriching our membership through the programs of the museum and the society. HGS has a Special Advisor position with the museum. This position has been supplemented by the separate committee that finds ways to involve our membership in volunteer efforts at the museum and provide geoscientific advice to the museum when and where appropriate. Traditionally, at least one society function per year is held at the museum for our general membership to attend and reacquaint themselves with the many exhibits.
Professional ServicesThe Continuing Education Committee evaluates the education needs of the membership and organizes programs to meet those needs. Emphasis is placed on presenting low cost, high quality state of the art programs on timely topics. This committee has been averaging six to eight short courses per year, and most of these are one-half to one day long.
The Personnel Placement Committee helps unemployed geoscientists find permanent, contract, and consulting positions in energy, environmental, and academia. This committee is quite busy since organizing placement advertisements on the HGS Internet web page.
The Library Committee acts as liaison between HGS and the Houston Public Library (HPL). Our goal is to help HPL become a comprehensive geologic library including logs, maps, journals, atlases and reference books. The chairperson recommends geologic materials that become avail- able to HPL by donations as well as those that are for purchase. On occasion the committee donates funds for equipment or publications necessary to upgrade the Business, Science, and Technology Department of HPL. Committee members also help HGS members find wanted geologic information. Houston Geological Auxiliary (HGA) volunteers also help the Library Committee in organizing materials, especially the many well logs.
The purpose of the Government Affairs Committee is to inform our members of the activities of government at the national and state levels and how this activity affects all practitioners of the earth sciences. This includes reporting on pending and proposed legislation and the specific rule making activities of government agencies. Having this information will allow our members to encourage state and national legislators to pass legislation that is logical, appropriate and beneficial to the nation and our profession. As such, the State Registration and Licensing Committee was recently folded into the Government Affairs Committee. The committee is responsible for review, monitoring, and reporting the professional efforts pertaining to the state registration of geologists to the membership. Both during the creation and passage of a state registration law, as well as henceforth after its establishment, this committee will communicate all issues regarding state registrations and/or licensing in a timely manner. Although state registration of geologists is still somewhat Controversial, the HGS board has consistently strongly advocated the creation of such a law and this committee serves as its informed and knowl- edgeable resource on the subject. The committee is intended to continue to function as an
The HGS established the Undergraduate Scholarship Fund during Matthew Daura's presidency in 1983-84, with the long-term objective of funding at least one junior/senior level scholarship per year at six local universities.
The organizers of the fund anticipated the award amount to be $1,000.00 per academic year, with $500.00 distributed per semester. HGS gave the first two scholarship awards in December 1984.
These competitive awards are for full-time undergraduates carrying the normal academic load as a bonafide geol- ogy major with a 3.0 cumulative grade point average. Besides scholastic ability, the applicants must be in need and show evidence of high moral, ethical standards and conduct. Eligible students are selected from Rice University, the University of Houston, Lamar University, University of Texas, Texas A&M, Stephen F. Austin University, and, added in 1997-Sam Houston State University. The application process includes completed forms, transcripts of all college work, and three letters of recommendation with at least one being from an instructor or academic advisor during the past year of study.
The driving force that funds the undergraduate scholarships began in February 1985 with the incorporation of the Houston Geological Society Foundation. Its original trustees were Merrill Haas, chairman; Hugh Hardy, vicechairman; Richard Scattolini, secretary; Fred Haston; and Donald Scherer. In July 1985 the IRS determined that the foundation qualified for tax-exempt status as a nonprofit Section 501(c)(3) organization for charitable, scientific, or educational purposes.
To build a financial base, the foundation solicited funds through articles in the HGS Bulletin, inclusions in dues statements, and fund-raising activities during HGS luncheons. The foundation has awarded scholarships annually from funds coming from private donations, corporate donations, interest from the HGS Academic Fund savings account and the foundations own savings account, and also contributions from the Houston Geological Auxiliary.
Accomplishments of the Foundation:
