Development of an Updated Hydrostratigraphic Framework for the Texas Gulf Coast Aquifer System
Wednesday, October 17, 2012: 2:50 p.m.
Steven C. Young, Ph.D., PG, PE
,
INTERA Inc., Austin, TX
Thomas Ewing, Ph.D., PG
,
Frontera Exploration Consultants, San Antonio, TX
Paul Knox
,
Baer Engineering, Austin, TX
Scott Hamlin, Ph.D.
,
Bureau of Economic Geology, Austin, TX
Daniel Lupton
,
INTERA Inc., Austin
The presentation discusses results from a multi-year project to update the hydrogeologic framework of the entire Texas Gulf Coast Aquifer System. The project was funded by the Texas Water Development Board to refine aquifer layer boundaries and layer properties to better capture hydrogeologic variability for improved simulation of groundwater availability. Approximately 1500 geophysical logs were analyzed to define stratigraphy and lithogy. The Gulf Coast Aquifer System consisted of the following nine geological formations: Beaumont, Willis, Lissie, Upper Goliad, Lower Goliad, Upper Lagarto, Middle Lagarto, Lower Lagarto, and Oakville. The mapping approach focused on identifying two key types of chronostratigraphic surfaces: erosional unconformities and marine flooding surfaces. The approach constrains the correlations in the fluvial section by: (1) incorporating microfaunal age control from offshore wells; (2) correlating marine flooding-event shales in the lower part of the Miocene to help establish general structure; (3) following marine shales (marker beds) as far landward as possible; and (4) tying key marker beds to outcrop formation boundaries using genetic and sequence stratigraphic concepts. Loop-tying within the cross section grid and reference to deeper mapped structure horizons from the professional literature provides added quality assurance. For each geologic formation, sand percent maps and depositional facies maps were generated.
Steven C. Young, Ph.D., PG, PE, INTERA Inc., Austin, TX
Steven Young has 30 years of experience in characterizing and modeling groundwater systems. Young completed his graduate studies at Stanford University and the University of Waterloo. His expertise includes developing groundwater models and applying parameterization estimation methods to improve the predictive accuracy of groundwater models. He has worked extensively in the Texas Gulf Coast Aquifer System for the last 10 years.
Thomas Ewing, Ph.D., PG, Frontera Exploration Consultants, San Antonio, TX
Thomas Ewing has a B.A in Geology from Colorado College, an M.S. in Geochemistry from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from the University of British Columbia. He has held numerous notable offices including President of AAPG Division of Professional Affairs (2007-2008), President of AAPG Energy Minerals Divisions (1999–2000), Chairman of Publications Committee AAPG Energy Minerals Division (2000-2002), and President of South Texas Geological Society (1990-1991), and General Chairman of 1996 GCAGS Convention (1993-1996).
Paul Knox, Baer Engineering, Austin, TX
Paul Knox is a Consulting Geologist for Baer Engineering with 26 years of subsurface characterization experience that includes regional and field-scale stratigraphic analysis using geophysical well logs and 3-D seismic data, and depositional analysis using cores. He has a B.S. and M.S. in Geology from California State University in Long Beach. His professional focus is the understanding of sedimentary architecture as it impacts subsurface fluid flow. He has accumulated more than 10 years of experience in subsurface analysis of Tertiary sediments of the Texas Gulf Coast.
Scott Hamlin, Ph.D., Bureau of Economic Geology, Austin, TX
Scott Hamlin is a Research Scientist Associate at the Bureau of Economic Geology with over 27 years of experience in the field of hydrostratigraphic and depositional environment interpretation. His areas of expertise include sedimentary geology, stratigraphy and basin analysis, hydrocarbon reservoir analysis, groundwater flow modeling, GIS, geostatistics, and computer analysis of geologic systems. Hamlin has 27 years of experience with the sequence stratigraphy and depositional environments of the deposits making up the Gulf Coast Aquifer.
Daniel Lupton, INTERA Inc., Austin
Daniel Lupton has a B.S. in Resource and Environmental Studies (Geology emphasis) from Texas State University and an M.S. in Hydrogeology from the University of Texas at San Antonio. His research and professional experience ranges from stratigraphic correlation of oil and gas prospects to evaluation of groundwater and surface water systems and encompasses both field and numerical techniques. Much of Lupton’s experience has involved evaluations of groundwater basins to quantify local-, intermediate-, and regional-flow regimes. He co-developed a method for evaluating areas of recharge and discharge based on correlations of naturally occurring features.
