B U L L E T I N

HOUSTON GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Houston, Texas

Volume 3, No. 9

May 1961

OFFICERS

. .......... ....................... President William A Gorman F A 3-0346 1st V i c e President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Philip R . Allin ............. C A 5-0111

........ 2nd V i c e President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Benjamin T . Simmons F A 3-0493 . . . . . . . . . Secretary ....................... Clark Edgecomb. Jr WA 8-2511

. . . . . . . . . . . ....................... . Treasurer Thomas M Burke C A 5-0331

Carey Croneis Shirley L . Mason

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEMEN

Edd R . Turner. Jr., Ex-Officio Ben F . Morgan

Marion S . Roberts

COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN

STANDING COMMITTEES

Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Publications .................... Technical Program ...............

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Awards & Loans Personnel Placement ............. Public Relations ................ Research & Study ................

...................... Boy Scout ................... Entertainment

............... Bruce Forney FA 3-0367 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Philip R Allin C A 5-0111

. ........ Benjamin T Simmons F A 3-0493

................. Jack Colle C A 7-6266

................. A.G. Starr C A 5-4411 . . . . . . . . . . Ira N Patterson. J r C A 5-4411

. ........... William R Walton C A 7-4371 . ........... Lowell K Mower J A 4-8628

............. . Roy M Rhodes RI 7-1300

SPECIAL COMMITTEES

Ballot .......................... Convention Preparation ........... Distribution o f Publications ....... Engineers Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Exhibits G.C. A . G.S. A.A.P.G. : ..............

Foreign Papers .................. Library & Academic Liaison ......

..................... Membership Preservation o f Samples & Cores ... Remembrance ................... Transportation .................. Advisors t o Museum o f Natural

H i s tory ...................... CGAGS Representative ...........

. ........... M Stephen Kovac C A 3-4645 ............... W.A. Thomas C A 2-9721

................ I.W. Norman C A 3-4901 . .......... Kenneth A Payne C A 5-3040

.......... Howard Schoenike MO 5-7079

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B Otto Pixler J A 4-6381 . ........... Richard B Hohlt C A 5-0517 . . . . . . . . . George C Hardin. J r M 0 7-5601

........... . Judd H Oualline C A 8-6321 . . . . . . . . Charles W Stuckey. J r J A 9-4821

......... John L.P. Campbell WA 8-5311 . . . . . . . . . Carleton D Speed. J r C A 4-2523

................. E.W. Buck C A 8-5161 Fred M . Schall. Jr ........... C A 2-9481

. ........... Wendell L Lewis C A 3-4901

T H E B U L L E T I N

THIS MONTH

VOLUME 3 NUMBER 9

Meeting Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2

I tems f r o m Ed i to r ' s Desk .. ... ..... .. . .... . ... .. . .. ... . Page 4

News of Members ..................................... Page 6

Committee Repo r t s . ... . . .. . ... .. . . . ... ..... ... . . . . .... . Page 7

News of Other Societies . .. . ... . .. .. .. .... . . ... . . . . . . .. . Page 10

GeoScience Notes ...................................... Page 15

On the Distaff Side .... . .... .. . ..... .. . . . .. . . .... .... .. . Page 23

T H E B U L L E T I N O F T H E HOUSTON GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Office -234 Esperson Bldg. - Houston 2, Texas - F A 3-9309 Subscription Price $3.00 per year.

Published monthly, September to June by

CARDINAL PRINT ING AND L E T T E R SERVICE, INC.

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W.R. Canada, Mobil Oil Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CA 8-0541

Ass't. Editor . . . . . . . . . Arthur S. Dickinson, Lion Oil Co. . . . . . . . . . CA 3-401 1

Managing Editor . . . . . . Neil E. Hanson, MPS Production Co. . . . . . . CA 4-7871

M E E T I N G N O T I C E

Volume 3, No. 9

NINTH REGULAR MEETING - MAY 8

The ninth regula r meeting of the 1960-1961 yea r wil l be held on Monday evening, May 8, 1961, on the 10th f loor of the Houston Club. The soc ia l hour wi l l begin a t 5:15 p.m., dinner a t 6:00 p.m.

Another t ' local f i e lds t ' p r o g r a m wil l be p resen ted by four speake r s , covering the f ie lds l i s ted below. A s imi l a r p rog ram presen ted a t the January meet ing was enthusiast ical ly received by a capacity audience.

1) Wm. F. Cooke, J r . - West Bernard Gas Area , Wharton County Mr . Cooke graduated f r o m the Missour i School of Mines in 1935

and went to work f o r Sun Oil that s a m e year . In 1943 he left Sun f o r the Atlantic Oil Co. and became d is t r i c t geologist i n Houston. In 1952 Bill f o rmed a par tnersh ip of Anderson & ~ o o k e and en te red the production end of the business . The f i r m ' s f i r s t success fu l gas production was in the Wes t Bernard a r e a i n 1952.

2) Ph i l F. Mar tyn - The Milton Field, H a r r i s County, Produced Before Discovery, by Roy F. Beery, Jr . of the J. S. Abercrom-

bie Co. and Ph i l F. Martyn. Ph i l i s one of our valued m e m b e r s , having s e rved in many offices of the Houston Geological Society, including the presidency i n 1936. Ph i l graduated f r o m the Mis sou r i School of Mines. He ha s worked f o r the Houston Oil Company, the J. S. Abercrombie Company, and has been consulting f o r a number of yea r s .

3) J a m e s 0. Lewis , J r . - Midfields F ie ld , Matagorda County, Tex. Mr. Lewis graduated f r o m the Universi ty of Kentucky in 1948

and immediately went to work f o r the Magnolia Pe t ro l eum Co. In 1950 he became assoc ia ted with P a t Rutherford inHous ton , and in 1955 he became a consultant, a s ta tus that h e holds to this date.

4) Thomas D. Ba rbe r - P o r t Acres and P o r t Arthur F ie lds Tom graduated f r o m Texas Chr i s t i an Universi ty i n 1940 with a

B.A. deg ree and h e remained i n school until 1942 to f u r t he r e a r n a M.S. degree in geology. After a span in the s e rv i ce , Tom went to work fo r Stanolind in 1946. In 1959, he became Manager of Explorat ion f o r M. T. Halbouty, a position he holds a s of this date .

The annual Student Awards presentat ions wil l be made to outstand- ing geological s tudents of the Houston a r e a ' s univers i t ies . See page 8.

JUNE MEETING

A p rog ram on two Louisiana f ie lds will be p resen ted a t the June 12 meeting. J ack Shi r ley wil l speak on the Rayne F ie ld , and F r a n k Hard in wil l speak on the Thornwell Field.

SPECIAL NOON MEETING - MAY 18

A spec ia l luncheon meet ing wil l be held a t the Rice Hotel on Thu r s - day, May 18, a t 12:OO noon to h e a r P r o f e s s o r Roland Brinkmann, who i s a n A.G.I. sponsored speaker . H e wil l ta lk on "Salt Diap i r s of Spain in Germany. 'I L a s t s u m m e r he took our member Gordon Atwater on a tour of the s a l t s t r u c t u r e s of Spain. Mr . Atwater i s ve ry enthusiast ic about Dr. Brinkmann a s a speaker and about his subject . The Geophy- s i c a l Society of Houston ha s been invited to join us fo r this meeting.

A fu r t he r notice of this meet ing with a r e s e rva t i on c a r d wil l be for thcoming.

D A N C E T O M U S I C BY

Buddie rock's Orchestra

MAY 19, 1961

Rice Hotel, Houston $ 10.00 Per Couple Including Set -ups

SPONSORED BY

HOUSTON GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

(See page 5 to find out where to make your r e s e rva t i ons . )

The Bulletin welcomes to its "Space P r o g r a m " Dr. Shirley L. Mason and his a r t ic le on "Informal Geology. " We agree , we even heart i ly endorse Dr . Mason's statement that "but for off-the- cuff, in- fo rma l discussion of tentative ideas, our local - - our HGS - - Bulletin provides the best medium. "

Has nothing published in AAPG, in GCAGS, o r the Bulletin - - o r any other scientific publication s o s t i r r e d your imagination or i r r i ta ted your professional complacency that you, also, would wish to "carp" about it in pr in t in your Bulletin?

If you can find nothing to pra ise or to cr i t ic ize in l i t e ra ture , how about manuscripting some of your own and let us print i t . Do you know of any other occurrences , such a s "Erosional Channel in the Middle Wilcox nea r Yoakum, Lavaca County, Texas" contributed by Wm. V. Hoyt in the Vol. IX Transact ions of GCAGS? What about occurrences of such isolated and sha rp basin-like depressions a s the "Beaumont Basin", s o often r e f e r r ed to inspeaking but inadequately or not recently described. What about the occurrences of llcontemporaneous" o r "de- positional" o r "syndep" faults in the Pre-Eocene?

Are there some examples of "contemporaneous" o r lldepositionallt o r "syndep" faults upthrown to the coast o r s t r iking oblique to the alignment of the Hardins1 fault t rend of Te r t i a ry Age? Are there not examples of conspicuous up to the coast faults or fault t rends of con- side rable magnitude?

Do you have some unique geological phenomena to repor t to your Bulletin that would be of in te res t to your fellow geologists? Use the space in this Bulletin.

FINAL PROGRAM SET FOR MAY 19

The last of a s e r i e s of i l lustrated talks by local geologists a t the University of Houston will be presented May 19, 1961 in Room 202 of the Science Building a t 7:30 P .M. DeWitt Van Siclen announces that a l l HGS member s a r e cordially invited.

Schedule fo r May i s a s follows:

May 5 Dr. J. J. Martinez Humble Oil & Refining Go.

Paleomagnetism

May 19 Speaker to be announced (P l ease ca l l University of Houston Geology Department Office a t CA 4-1681, Ext. 408.)

HGS SPRING DANCE

Don't be a mean old m a n - take your ever- lovin ' to the Spring Dance, May 19, a t the Rice Hotel Grand Ballroom. Tickets a r e selling fas t a t only $10.00 a couple. Make your reserva t ions now with one of the following:

Marion Hooks Floyd Wilcox Bob Newman Dusty Rhodes Art Dickinson Be r t David Ar t Rusk Joe DeGuire H. G. S. Office

Union of California Texaco Mobil Oil P.G.A. C. Lion Oil Consultant P. G. A. C. Chris t ie . M & M 234 Espe r son Bldg.

LAST CALL FOR PAPERS FOR GCAGS

If you plan to presen t a paper a t the GCAGS meeting, October 25- 27, in San Antonio, please notify A r t Dickinson at CA 3-4011, Ext. 280, immediately.

SUMMER JOBS FOR STUDENTS

We a r e reminded that this i s the season when college students a r e seeking s u m m e r jobs, preferably related to the i r field of study. Stu- dents in geology can help in a wide range of oil company work, and m e r i t spec ia l considerat ion f r o m the influential m e m b e r s of HGS. P r o - f e s s o r s a t the local universi t ies rece ive a number of inquir ies f r o m students, one of which we a r e passing along because, although fa i r ly specialized, i t i s quite typical.

"I a m a senior geology student a t the University of T e x a s . . admit ted f o r graduate study in Geology (a t the Universi ty of Houston) th i s fa l l s e m e s t e r . My . . reques t i s f o r a s s i s t ance in obtaining work during the s u m m e r months, and throughout m y graduate study if possible . . I would like t o work with a . . Paleontology lab, . . o r in any of the (other) geological f ie lds . "

F o r fur ther information about this man, and o thers a t the U of H, p lease ca l l DeWitt Van Siclen t he r e a t extension 3 8 6 .

THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH

The difference between a geological genius and an idiot i s 23 feet of sa tura ted sand.

5

CLAUDE D. PRESSLER, fo rmer ly associated with Slick Oil Cor- poration, ha s opened h i s office a s a consultant and petroleum geologist a t 461 San Jacinto Building. CA 8-7068.

GEORGE C. HARDIN, JR. and h i s b ro ther , FRANK R. HARDIN, have opened petroleum geological consulting offices a t 711 F i r s t City National Bank Building, CA 7-5323. George was fo rmer ly Manager of Oil and Gas In te res t s , Michel T . Halbouty, while F r a n k was a s so - ciated with Aus t r a l a s Dis t r ic t Geologist a t Lafayette, Louisiana.

ART DICKINSON has returned f r o m the AAPG Convention in Den- ver with a ca se of Coors which wil l be available t o HGS member s - a can at a t ime on a f i r s t come f i r s t s e r v e basis - pr ice $10.00 a can.

DAVID A. HINERMAN has re turned t o the staff of the Union Texas Natural Gas Corporat ion f r o m h i s f o r m e r duties a s Dis t r ic t Geologist in the Texas Gulf Coast Distr ic t .

The following m e m b e r s who have been hospitalized a r e now con- valescing a t home: PAUL WEAVER, COPE JENSEN, and ROBERT F. BALSLEY. Bob i s now living in Bay City.

JIM McGUIRT, Aus t ra l Oil, i s confined t o h i s home because of i l lness .

I t ' s a g i r l f o r the RICHARD G. GUERREROS! Baby Rever ie Ann was born on Apri l 10. Mr. G u e r r e r o i s with Cecil V. Hagen.

Word h a s just been received of the death of our m e m b e r s JAMES V. KELLEY and GLEN R. NEIGHBORS. They were engaged in field work in I r a n f o r Union Texas Natural Gas Corp. when the i r char te red plane apparent ly c r a shed into a mountain about 150 mi l e s south of Teheran. It i s a t r ag i c loss to the i r famil ies , f r iends and assoc ia tes .

The Society lost one of i ts distinguished m e m b e r s i n the death of Dr. Roy R. Morse. An obituary wil l appear in a l a t e r Bulletin.

Schlumberger Well Surveying Corporat ion has moved i t s Southwest Area offices to new qua r t e r s a t 1108 F i r s t City National Bank Building. The Southwest Area, under direct ion of ALAN MORAZZANI a s Area Manager, includes Schlumberger 's South Texas and Texas Gulf Coast Divisions, extending f r o m the Rio Grande Valley to the Louisiana bor - de r . C. F. SCHWAB is ass i s tan t to Mr . Morazzani and R. K. THIES is Senior Sa les Engineer . Included in the move t o the new qua r t e r s i s the computing cen te r f o r a l l d ipmeter logs made in this a r e a .

Offices of the Texas Gulf Coast Division, supervis ing operations f r o m Wharton and Matagorda Counties northward, r e m a i n in the Bank of the Southwest Building. Division offices f o r South Texas a r e located in Corpus Chris t i . Mr. Morazzani suggests that Houston represen ta - t ives of companies with i n t e r e s t s in the region covered by the South Texas Division can best be s e rved by calling direct ly to the new a r e a office on a l l questions relat ing to s e rv i ce s in that Division.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

NOMINATING COMMITTEE

The following have been submit ted a s candidates for the pr incipal offices of the Houston Geological Society for the Society yea r 1961-1962.

F o r Pres ident :

George C. Hardin, J r . DeWitt C. Van Siclen

F o r F i r s t Vice Pres ident :

Henry F. Fowler Benjamin T. S immons Char les W. Stuckey, Jr.

F o r Second Vice Pres ident :

Thomas M. Burke Henry C. Dean E. H. Rainwater

F o r Sec re t a ry

J ames W. Alewine Lewis 3. Hubka, 3 r . Horace C. Steele

F o r T r e a s u r e r :

Morad Malek- As lani George W. Murphy Ceci l R. Rives

F o r Advisory:

W. R. Canada W. F. Cooke, Jr . R. L. Denham Henry G. Guest

Consulting Pe t ro l eum Geologist Geology Department, Univ. of Houston

Gulf Oil Corporat ion Consulting Geologist

Union Oil Co. of California

John W. Mecom Tennessee Gas T ransmis s ion Co.

Shel l Development Co.

Sinclair Oil & G a s Company United Producing Company Humble Oil & Refining Co.

Tennessee Gas T ransmis s ion Co. Colorado Oil & Gas Corporat ion

Lion Oil Div. of Monsanto Chemical Co.

Mobil Oil Co. Anderson & Cooke

Humble Oil & Refining Co. Schlumberger Well Surveying Corp.

BOY SCOUT COMMITTEE

Bill Todd - Brown has been asked by the Beaumont Geological Society t o talk before that group May 9 about the field t r i p and Boy Scout act ivi t ies sponsored by the Houston G,eological Society.

The act ivi t ies of the Boy Scout Committee, under the chairmanship of Lowell K. Mower, and of a l l the other Society member s and o thers who apply the i r effor ts i n bringing geology and the ea r th sc iences to the Boy Scouts and instruct ing them in the i r m e r i t badge t raining and tes t s , i s one of the mos t worthwhile civic contributions and good public re la - tion jobs that the geologist can do for h i s profession.

Please read again Mr. Mower's report on "Boy Scouts1' in your March Bulletin, page 7, or if you have mislaid it, please note that there is a need for more Geology Merit Badge Counselors and call W. L. Vineyard, OL 4-6428, to offer your service.

STUDENT AWARDS . .

Mr. Jack Colle, Chairman of the Awards Committee, announces that the Annual Student Awards will be conferred a t the meeting on May 8th. This i s a n important event a t which the Society recognizes five outstanding studente whose names a r e presented by the faculty of each of the five universities in the Society's area. The award provides for a year's membership in the Society and the sum of $50.00 to each student.

The Houston Geological Society welcomes as new members the following distinguished young geologists:

MARY KATHRYN JARRELL University of Houston

IRA H. CRAM, JR. Rice University

JERALD EDWARD McQUEEN The University of Texas

RUDOLPH B. SIEGERT A. & M. College of Texas

MARCUS E. MILLING Lamar State College

of Technology

NEWS. . . . . . . . .

G.S.H.

The next meeting of the Geophysical Society of Houston will be a joint meeting with the Houston Geological Society on May 18 a t noon in the Crystal Ballroom of the Rice Hotel. The program will concern salt domes of Spain.

The Annual Meeting - - and final meeting of the season - - i s to be a picnic a t the Briar Club on Friday, May 26th, from 4 to 7 p.m. Guest speaker for the picnic will be Dr. John Woods of Atlantic, National President of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, and several Silver Awards will be given to geophysicists who have been 25-year members of S.E.G.

S. E.P. M. FIELD TRIP

A one-day field t r ip will be sponsored by the Gulf Coast Section of S.E.P.M. covering the Middle Eocene of Houston County, Texas, on Saturday, May 13, 1961. The caravan of private ca r s will form at 8:00 A.M. headed north on FM 227 in the town of Ratcliff in eastern Houston County. No lunch will be provided, but a stop for lunch will be made in Crockett.

Formations to be studied: Yegua (non-marine), Crockett or Cook Mountain (mostly marine), Sparta (non-marine), Weches (marine), and Queen City (non-marine). Type localities of the Weches and Crockett Formations and the Hurricane Lentil (L. Crockett) will be visited. Marine macro- and microfossils can be obtained from the Weches and Crockett formations. Non-marine microfossils a r e present in some of the other beds. Emphasis will be placed on the stratigraphy and depo- sitional history of the area.

Registration Fee: $5.00 ($3.50 to students and faculty members). This includes guidebook but does not include lunch. Extra copies of the guidebook will be available for $3.25 on the trip. Guidebooks will not be sent out prior to the trip. They will be sent postpaid after the t r ip to those who pre-register but find themselves unable to attend.

Make your reservation before May 5, 1961, with R. P. Zingula, Humble Oil & Refining Co., P. 0. Box 2180, Houston 1, Texas. Make checks payable to Gulf Coast Section, SEPM.

Ratcliff is located a t the junction of FM 227 with Texas Hwys. 7 and 103; approximately 30 miles west of Lufkin, and 20 miles east of Crockett. It i s 140 miles north of Houston, 135 miles east of Waco, 175 miles southeast of Dallas, and 135 miles southwest of Shreveport.

PAN GEO ATLAS CORP.

POINDEXTER EXPLORATION COMPANY

__-----

POPE GEOPHYSICAL COMPANY

PRECISION EXPLORATION COMPANY

RESEARCH EXPLORATIONS, INC.

---- 0 ----

ROBERT H. RAY COMPANY

SOUTHWESTERN INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS CO.

---- 0 ----

TAYLOR EXPLORATION CO., INC.

---- 0 ----

TEXAS GAS EXPLORATION CORPORATION

---- 0 ----

TEX-TUBE, INC.

---- 0 ----

TIDELANDS EXPLORATION COMPANY

---- 0 ----

EDGAR TOBlN AERIAL SURVEYS

SUPPORT YOUR BULLETIN ADVERTISERS

L. L. RIDGEWAY COMPANY

RINEHART OIL NEWS COMPANY

ROGERS GEOPHYSICAL COMPANY

OTIS RUSSELL DRILLING COMPANY

SCHLUMBERGER WELL SURVEYING CORP.

SEISMOGRAPH SERVICE CORPORATION

WELEX, INC.

APACHE EXPLORATION CO., INC.

INDEPENDENT EXPLORATION COMPANY

WILSON SUPPLY COMPANY

HOUSTON BLUE PRINT & STATIONERY COMPANY

THE GEOPHYSICAL DIRECTORY

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY Space for Profeszional Cards of Members

R. P. AKKERMAN Geologist EXPLORATION Engineer

Review of Subsurface Data

3425 Bradford Place MA 3-4327 Houston 25, Texas

E. J. BARRAGY lndependent

3005 Buffalo Drive Box 13277

Houston 19, Texas

JOHN L. BIBLE Gravity-Magnetic Surveys

Interpretations

1045 Esperson Bldg. Houston 2, Texas

JOHN W. BYERS Consulting Geophysicist

5427 Lotus PA 3-4674

Houston, Texas

RALPH B. CANTRELL Petroleum

Geologist & Engineer

4005 Bellaire Blvd. Houston 25, Texas

LESLIE BOWLING Oil & Gas Consultant

503 California Bldg.

New Orleans, Louisiana

JACK COLLE Consulting Geologist

& Paleontologist 91 1 San Jacinto dldg.

Houston 2, Texas

PAUL FARREN Geophysical Consultant

1528 Bank of the Southwest Bldg. FA 3- 1356

Houston 2, Texas

HERSHAL C. FERGUSON Consulting Geologist

142 1 Esperson Bldg. CA 8-841 9

Houston 2, Texas

HAROLD L. GElS Consulting Geologist

21 23 Bank of the Southwest Bldg.

Houston 2, Texas

JOHN R. GRAHAM, JR. Consulting Geologist

331 1 West Alabama Ave., Suite 103

Houston 6, Texas - - -

HUBERT GUYOD Well Logging Consultant

P. 0. Box 13243

Houston 19, Texas

GENTRY KlDD lndependent

81 3 Niels Esperson Bldg.

Houston 2, Texas

B. J. "Bill" LADAS Drafting Base Maps Surveying

Lease Checks

Texas & Louisiana Bldg. CA 4-1 21 5 Houston 2, Texas

C. T. MacALLlSTER Consulting Geophysicist

6327 Vanderbilt

Houston 5, Texas

GEORGE N. MAY & ASSOCIATES Consulting Geoldgists

& Paleontologists

Nat Mouton Bldg. CE 4-3379 Lafayette, Louisiana

W. B. McCARTER C. E. McCARTER

Independents '

1415 Sul Ross Houston, Texas

R. B. HOHLT Geological Consultant

Exploration-Exploitation-Valuation 241 1 Bank of Southwest Bldg.

CA 2-0081 Houston 2, Texas

R. B. MITCHELL lndependent

1418 First City National Bank Bldg.

Houston 2, Texas

JOHN C. MYERS Consulting Geologist

1207 Bank of the Southwest Bldg.

Houston 2, Texas

WALTER J. OSTERHOUDT Exploration Geophysicist

& Geologist

P. 0. Box 3 182 Durango, Colorado

SAM M. PENA Consulting Geophysicist

952 hiellie Esperson Bldg. CA 8-8505

Houston 2, Texas

C. H. SAMPLE Consulting Geologist

404 Esperson Bldg. FA 3-9997

Houston 2, Texas

FRED L. SMITH, JR. J. T. GOODWYN, JR. Consulting Geologists

1226 Bank of the Southwest Bldg; Houston 2, Texas

A. H. WADSWORTH, JR. Geologist

402 Texas National Bank Bldg.

Houston 2, Texas

DAVIS M. WALLACE lndependent

1625 Bank of the Southwest Bldg.

Houston 2, Texas

J. C. WALTER, JR. Geologist-Petroleum Engineer

2202 Esperson Bldg. CA 7-1 246

Houston 2, Texas

GEORGE F. WATFORD G. R. HlNZ

Consulting Geologists

833 Bankers Mortgage Bldg. Houston 2, Texas CA 7-6935

JAMES A. WHEELER Consulting Geologist

151 4 Esperson Bldg.

Houston 2, Texas

HERBERT E. WILLIAMS Geologist Oil Producer

1420 Esperson Bldg.

Houston 2, Texas

KILROY COMPANY OF TEXAS, INC.

ADA OIL COMPANY

---o---

ANDERSON AND COOKE

CAMERON IRON WORKS, INC.

PERNIE BAILEY, DRILL1 NG CONTRACTOR

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED

MICHEL T. HALBOUTY

BIBLE GEOPHYSICAL COMPANY, INC.

--- *----

BIG "6" DRILLING COMPANY

HOUSTON NATURAL GAS CORPORATION

---- 0 ----

HUMBLE OIL & REFINING CO.

JOHN W. MECOM, INDEPENDENT

SUPPORT YOUR BULLETIN ADVERTISERS

BANK OF THE SOUTHWEST

---- o---

BAROID WELL LOGGING SERVICE

---- 0 ----

BERG GEOPHYSICAL COMPANY

-- ----- DOWELL DIVISION OF

THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY

---- 0 ----

GINTHER, WARREN AND COMPANY

BLAKEYS LOG SERVICE

BREWSTER-BARTLE DRILLING COMPANY, INC.

HARRY T. BRYANT DRILLING, LTD.

ROBERT MOSBACHER

QUINTANA PETROLEUM CORPORATION

TEXAS GULF SULPHUR COMPANY

MOUES

Abstract: Gravity and Magnetics for the Geologist and Geophysicist, by Dr. L. L. Nettleton*

To a grea t many petroleum exploration people the words "geophysics " and "seismograph" a r e almost synonymous and there i s a tendency to forget that other methods have their uses in petroleum exploration. While it is t rue that seismograph operations consume some 90 per cent of the total geophysical expenditures the other methods have a definite and useful place in the total exploration picture.

This talk reviews briefly the fundamental principles of gravity and magnetic methods and outlines the geological problems in which they a r e applicable.

The gravity method has had very wide application but the in terpre- tation of resu l t s is s t i l l rather largely limited to outlining "anomalies " by inspecting o r by some s o r t of numerical operation (such a s a second derivative calculation), then running seismograph lines over the large proportion of the anomalies . Careful consideration of the fundamentals, particularly the geological fac tors involved in the sources of density contrasts , the application of quantitative fac tors , and the relation to other geophysical or geological data, can lead to grea t improvement in the utility of such surveys. This talk was i l lustrated with examples of various types of gravity anomalies and their interpretation. Also a brief outline of the possibilities and limitations of airborne gravity measurements was included.

The magnetic method and part icularly i ts airborne variation can be very useful in general reconnaissance. Recent developments in in- strumentation have lead to a degree of detai l and dependability in the recordings which permi ts quantitative analysis of such surveys to a much higher degree than was possible f rom point-to-point measu re - ments made on the ground. It is now possible to determine the thick- ness of the sedimentary section very reliably and in many a reas to outline s t ruc tura l dis turbances and locate faulting involving the base- m e n t rocks. Examples were i l lustrated showing applications of geological interpretat ion such a s basement involvement in thrust move- ment,

(See illustrations - page 16.)

*Presen ted before the Society, April 10, 1961

15

Informal Geology - Comments evoked by Frank & George Hardin ' s a r t ic le on Contemporaneous Faults in the Feb rua ry Bulletin of the AAPG .

This recent and most welcome discussion of regional phases of Gulf Coast geology by the Hardins ref lects cur ren t thinking on our r e - gional problem. Thinking about this , one rea l izes the desirabi l i ty of geologic discussions on a m o r e informal basis. Living in a l a rge city mitigates against the "bull sess ions" on geologic ideas that s t imulate m e n in sma l l e r towns. It i s t r ue that published mater ia l comes c loser t o represent ing cur ren t thinking than when Wallace 's compilation of Gulf Coast s t ruc tu ra l fea tures , that had been fami l ia r to us f o r years , was hailed nationally a s a major contribution but mourned locally fo r the mistake that destroyed the t e r m "Tepetate Structure. " A l a rge pa r t of this progress i s due to the efforts of the G.C.A.G.S. to keep improving the Transact ions, encouraging authors t o s t ick their necks out on our regional problems. In the AAPG, Max Bornhauser has been the mos t daring and, by that token, the mos t useful to us. In ca se s like these, there can be a question whether geologists elsewhere could mi s - take hypotheses fo r theories o r even facts . This possibility of mislead- ing tends to make one cautious in a national publication. The Trans - actions have the advantage of being regional, but fo r off-the-cuff, informal discussion of tentative ideas, our local Bulletin provides the best medium.

As an example, this s e e m s the place for r emarks on minor phases of the Hard insTpape r that intrigued o r bothered one geologist. To bring them up in a m o r e fo rma l publication would be properly objected to a s long-winded carping about detai ls - and that on shaky ground! Here , however, they may st imulate something; a rereading of the HardinsT paper; a squib giving bet ter ideas in a la te r Bulletin; a li t t le mild pro- fanity; o r . . . . . something.

Having heard the t e r m "depositional fault" m o r e often than "con- temporaneous faul trT, the Hardins ' decision i n favor of the lat ter t e r m was of interest . The fac t that the i r reasoning was good and will be general ly accepted does not keep this f rom being the better of two un- sat isfactory t e r m s . These faults a r e not depositional, save in the remote s ens e that the weight of deposition favored gulfward slumping. Nor a r e they contemporaneous. Using the t e rm, one would wri te: "The Eocene fault to the north and the Pl iocene fault to south a r e contempo- raneous faults! " The necessary descript ive t e r m cannot be implied by e i ther half of it ; nor a r e we Germans to come up with a n aggregate word like "contemporaneouswithdeposition. I' One might do like Grabau and f r o m 'synchronous with deposition' coin a word like "syndep. I t

People might not know what it meant , but a t l eas t they would not be confused.

Deposition i s grea te r on the downthrown side of these faults. In most a r e a s , this alone s e e m s to account for the g rea t e r thickness, but there a r e places where i t may not even be the dominant factor . Born-

hauser , in his a r t i c l e on Gulf Coast Tectonics, postulated that the poorly consolidated, saturated sediments of our Ter t ia ry , being plastic, thickened downslope by flowage. In a fault block such a s that shown between Palacios and Pheasant on the Hardins1 Figure 3 , where Middle and Lower F r i o beds thicken for five miles in a regionally up-dip direction, the thickness relationship would s eem to be governed to a major extent by flowage.

Another handicap in national publication i s the desirabi l i ty of simplification and brevity. The resu l t s of these may be misleading. No one could object t o the position of the line on Figure 2 of the Hardins ' paper a s being the "approximate updip (Northwestward) l imit of common occurrence of contemporaneous faults. However, a definite and mi s - taken impress ion of s t ruc tu ra l uniformity i s introduced by drawing the longer. southwest portion a s a s e r i e s of connecting faul ts , calling it "Vicksburg (Oligocene) Flexute. and labelling the par t f rom the Rio Grande to Matagorda Co.. "Sam Fordyce - Vanderbilt Faul t Zone. I' (The following statements a r e based on data available three yea r s ago. Data f rom la te r drill ing may necessi tate some revision. ) The change in formation thickness of the two sides of the Sam Fordyce fault i s unique in magnitude for our a r e a , with the Vicksburg changing f rom a few hundred feet on one s ide of what may be a single fault plane to s eve ra l thousand feet on the other . In charac ter i s t ic fo rm, it appears to be res t r ic ted to the Rio Grande Embayment. Northeast of that a r ea , the line t rends along faults where the F r i o thickens abruptly but not on that enormous scale . F a r t h e r northeast th ru southern H a r r i s County, it i s drawn where the steadily increasing Vicksburg thickness changes f rom a r a t e of 20 ft. per mi le to slightly over 40 ft. per mile: s o mark - ing a Vicksburg "hinge line. " Following into wes tern Louisiana there i s downdip thinning of the Vicksburg, and before the end of the line i s reached, in Acadia Pa r i sh , the Vicksburg i s ent i rely missing. There- fo re to r ead any uniformity of faulting o r flexing into this i s a mistake.

After taking advantage of informality to ca rp about implied detai ls of a map that i s co r r ec t in what it i s supposed to i l lustrate , it i s only fa i r to use the other advantage and present vulnerable hypotheses. One of these i s that the long, coastal, gravity minima, part icular ly well developed thru Matagorda and Brazoria counties, represent sal t r idges of a continuity not maintained in Louisiana: that the presence of these ridges may be the reason for the development of the "flowage" fault blocks along their back slopes a s contrasted with the more normal "hinge-line" faults of Louisiana, where sa l t of apparently grea te r thickness did not r i s e in such l inear fashion. No guess i s offered a s to whether differences in thickness o r local differences of ti l t o r r e s i s t - ance a r e responsible f o r the formation of sal t r idges in one a r e a and not in another.

The other hypothesis at tempts an explanation of the presence of numerous up-to-the-coast faults in our Cretaceous and their r a r i t y among the regional faults of our Ter t ia ry . They a r e a l l normal faults and so s e rve to increase the distance between points on ei ther side.

In both cases the lengthening i s , in part, to relieve tension due to flex- ing. Whereas under those conditions the faults paralleling the flexure might dip either direction, i t i s postulated that the Tertiary blocks actually moved coastward a t the same time, necessitating down-to-the- coast faults. This movement, here blamed on the lack of resistance to the front of the continental slope, was apparently lacking in the Creta- ceous. There the lengthening needed for flexing was as well provided by up-to-the-coast faults a s by the others.

. . . . Shirley L. Mason

Scientific Progress , The Universities, and The Federal Government: Statement by the President's Science Advisory Committee. The White House, Washington, D. C., Nov. 15, 1960.

Most of us a r e aware that this i s an age of science, that the promi- nent position America holds among nations is due to the excellence of its scientists and technologists. Also we, a s scientists o r engineers, know that continued progress must be built on continued and expanded basic and applied research. Where and how this research can best be done is pointed out in this 33-page booklet which can be obtained from the U.S. Government Printing Office for 15 cents.

There is a statement by President Eisenhower: "I hope i t (the Report) will be favorably received and widely studied by everyone in our national community concerned with the advancement of scientific knowledge through basic research and with the education of young scientists.

The report i s filled with significant facts and recommendations, and i t i s difficult to briefly describe the report without omitting impor- tant facts. P a r t one points out the urgent need for scientific progress. Then the Committee makes a strong case for keeping together basic research and graduate education. They point out that industrial re- search laboratories and some government projects employing many research scientists must be separated from the universities, but that al l of these should keep close contact with the universities where future scientists a r e being trained. The scientists in these laboratories should take an active part in the training of the scientists insofar a s possible.

The barr ier between pure and applied science has mostly disap- peared, and the committee states: IWe do not believe in any artificial separation between basic and applied research o r between science and engineering. The fact that a scientific advance is useful does not make i t unscientific. It i s argued that graduate students in science need contact w i t h research scientists, that students become scientists through association with scientists who have experience in basic re- search.

The role of the federal government in basic r e sea rch and graduate education is pointed out, and greatly increased financial aid to the uni- vers i t ies is recommended. Already in 1957-58 the Fede ra l share in research in the universities was about 70 per cent. However, much of this was "purchase of services", which did not direct ly pay for basic r e sea rch or graduate education. This type of aid will not solve such problems a s the urgent need for more and better oceanographers and oceanographic research . "Whether the quantity and quality of basic r e sea rch and graduate education in the United States will be adequate o r inadequate depends pr imar i ly upon the government of the United States. ' I

Some of the many specific conclusions of the Committee a re :

1. Excellence deserves support. "Mediocre r e sea rch is gen- e ra l ly worse than use less , and the same may probably be said of teaching. 'I

2. Additional centers of excellence a r e urgently needed. It is pointed out that there may be only 15 o r 20 f i r s t - r a t e academic centers of science today.

3. Graduate education needs expansion.

4. The financing of graduate education needs continued and flexible reinforcement.

5. The need for improved facilities is urgent.

6. New re sea rch laboratories for special fields should be at- tached to universi t ies whenever it is practicable, and universities should make full educational use of such facilities.

7. Scientists outside universities can be fruitfully connected to graduate education.

8. University faculties must be strengthened.

The reviewer agrees that this report , and many others which deal with the problem of training scient is ts , should be studied by a l l who profess to be scient is ts or engineers. Also, he strongly believes that a l l of us in industr ial work should take an active pa r t i n the academic field by helping to t ra in geoscientists.

. . . . E. H . Rainwater

(Ed. Note: We acknowledge grateful thanks to "Raineytl for the contributions he has made to the Bulletin - in this i ssue a s well a s many past i ssues . On the following pages a r e two other reviews by him of Government publications. )

The Science Doctorates of 1958 and 1959, their Numbers, Character- is t ics , and Employment. Prepared for the National Science Foundation by the National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council. Available f rom the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office. P r i c e 25 cents.

This 28-page booklet presents many important facts , mainly in the form of tables and char ts , about the production of doctorates in the 1950's. postdoctorate plans, potential employers of new science docto- ra te holders, and geographic factors in production and employment of new scientists. Some of the highlights of the repor t a re :

1. The number of science doctorates awarded in 1959 reached an all-time high of more than 5300 (Chemistry 1,062, psychology 81 1, engineering 705, physics 502, mathematics 301, e a r t h sciences 235). There were only 180 doctorates in geology in 1959.

2. T h e number o f doctorates i n geology increased ra ther steadily during the 1950's while some other sciences had grea ter fluctuations.

3. About 3 out of 4 new doctorate holders in 1958 and 1959 had definite job commitments around the t ime of graduation.

4. Universities and colleges a r e the potential employers of the largest number of new doctorate holders, though only 44 percent of the physical scientis ts plan such employment.

5. The Middle Atlantic, Eas t North Central, and Pacific s tates a r e the la rges t producers and employers of new doctorate holders; the Southern s ta tes employ m o r e new doctorates than they produce.

6. 93 percent of the doctorate degrees in the sciences a r e awarded to men.

7. The following states produce most of the doctorates in geol- ogy: Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, California. P e m s ylvania, and Michigan.

. . . . E. H. Rainwater

Scientific and Technical Personnel in American Industry: Report on a 1959 Survey. P repa red for the National Science Foundation by the U.S. Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics. Available f rom the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, price 45 cents.

This 66-page report presents many facts, mainly in the fo rm of tables and charts , on the scientis ts and engineers employed in private industry. Some of the highlights of the survey a re :

1. American industry employed approximately 800,000 scien- t i s t s and engineers in January, 1959. About 80 percent of these were engineers .

2 . The a i r c r a f t , e lec t r ica l equipment, chemical, and machinery industr ies employed the most scient is ts and engineers , mainly in r e s e a r c h and development.

3 . Between January 1958 and January 1959, employment of scient is ts and engineers increased by 5 percent, but employment of geologists and geophysicists declined 4 percent during that period.

. . . . E. H. Rainwater

We have heard complaints f rom the ladies that they never get to see the Bulletin, and therefore m i s s the ladies ' news.

If you wish to keep your Bulletin a t the office, please clip the page opposite and take it home to your wife.

"Music in the Springtime" i s the theme chosen by Mrs . John (Pau- line) Inkster and he r committee for the Business Meeting and Brunch of the Houston Geological Auxiliary to be held on May 10 a t Braeburn Country Club. All Auxiliary member s a r e requested to make their reservat ions early.

R. M. (Dusty) Rhodes, J r . . Houston Geological Society enter tain - ment chairman, i s working on t icket sa les for the dance to be held a t the Rice Hotel Grand Ballroom on the 19th of May. Mrs . E a r l (Maxine) F r y has been busy with h e r committee planning the decorations .

An enthusiast ic crowd left April 22 via special c a r s on the Burling- ton Railroad to attend the A. A. P. G. Convention in Denver. Among those enjoying the t r i p i n addition to Transportat ion Chai rman Carleton D. Speed, J r . and wife, Marvel, we re the J. A. Culbertsons, Paul F a r r e n s , Aubrey Rabensburgs, Glen Baders , R. E . Hackbarths, J a m e s Quigleys, HGS Pres iden t W. A. Gorman and wife, Sylvia, J. W. Ink- s t e r s , Robert Moehlmans, E . F. Strat tons, R. B. Hohlts, Wayne Bow- mans, Hi l la rd Careys, Jack Colles, Ray Lewis, and E . H. Rainwaters . Flying up were Wayne and Elizabeth Jones, the Philip Allins, Tom Halls. Chester Sappingtons, and the Kenley Clarks.

David and Helen Hedley drove up to Denver and a r e returning via Santa Fe .

Mr. and Mrs.Wm. A. Thomas recent ly returned f rom a week of r e s t and quiet a t Pad re Island.

Virginia Edgecomb- is back f r o m a Florida vacation and what a sun-tan she brought back!

The Sidney Schafers have just gotten back f rom a shor t s tay a t the i r f a r m in Arkansas.

"B" and Hi l la rd Hinson had lots of help celebrat ing the i r 25th wed- ding anniversary a t Sagewood Country Club on Tuesday evening, April 18th.

Mer le and Dan White made a flying t r i p to Nashville, Tennessee to vis i t with daughter, Peggy, who i s a student a t Vanderbilt University. They a r e now back in Houston and a r e busy building a new home in W illowick.

Our deepest sympathy goes to Mrs . Glen (Ann) Neighbors and Mrs . James (F rances ) Kelley and their chi ldren in their t rag ic loss .

The Geo-Wives me t at the Geophysical Club on Apri l 19. Mrs . Robert C. Brenner , the ret i r ing president , had a shor t business meet- ing a f t e r bridge and lunch. The off icers fo r 1961-62 were introduced a s follows: Mrs . W. H. Russel l , Pres ident ; Mrs . E. E. Dawson, J r . 1st Vice Pres ident ; Mrs . R. W. Snyder, 2nd Vice Pres ident ; Mrs . W. M. Curt is , Jr . , Secre ta ry , and Mrs . W. P. Goodson, Jr.. T r e a - s u r e r . This has been another successful and enjoyable year for a l l of the Geo-Wives.

. . .Edna P e a r l e Smith

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