New Ways to Learn from EGI: Thematic and Project Videos Available

New Ways to Learn from EGI: Thematic and Project Videos Available


Home to leading experts in the fields of geology, geophysics, geochemistry, and engineering, EGI is your source for high-quality, scientific and engineering research in pursuit of the answers to the pressing questions our industry faces. The Coronavirus pandemic and shutdowns have highlighted the need for flexibility across all our forms of communication as we continually work to deliver the information and services you need. Early in the lockdown period when the University and member companies alike began limiting or prohibiting in-person meetings, EGI looked to ways of expanding the vehicles through which we share information with members and the public. In May of this year we introduced the first of what is a growing body of video presentations highlighting the thematic, project, and service expertise available at EGI. The currently available videos include an EGI Oceans Introduction and Overview, EGI Chronostratigraphic Capabilities, Capabilities of the EGI Bratislava Laboratory, Carpathian Mountain…

Read More
image, publication cover, geology, AAPG, shale image

New Research Publication from EGI India Research Consortium


Results Highlight Value of Long-standing Collaborations AAPG Bulleting cover; August 2020. Cover image by Dr. Mateen Hafiz. Hot off the press! EGI is pleased and proud to share the publication of a recent paper on India shales by EGI staff and affiliate scientists. The publication, “Source potential and reservoir characterization of the Cambay Shale, Cambay Basin, India: Implications for tight gas and tight oil resource development,” appears in the August 2020 issue of AAPG Bulletin. This collaborative effort is the culmination of sustained research focusing on the Cambay Shale in the Cambay Basin, western India, led by the research team at Jammu University, including Affiliate Scientists Dr. Ghulam Bhat, Dr. Mateen Hafiz, Dr. Naveen Hakhoo, and Dr. Waquar Ahmad, in collaboration with Dr. Bindra Thusu, Dr. Jonathan Craig – EGI Board Chair and Eni S.p.A Senior Vice President for Exploration, and EGI Research Associate & Adjunct Associate Professor Dr. Sudeep…

Read More
photograph, Can Creek Utah

EGI Carbon Management Group Selects Site for Cleaner-production Test Well


Zephyr Energy Site chosen for Paradox Basin Test Well in DOE backed project to test optimization analyses for more focused, efficient, and less environmentally impactful oil production strategies EGI’s Carbon Management Group confirmed this month that it had selected a site for a vertical stratigraphic test well as part of its ‘Improving Production in the Emerging Paradox Oil Play’ project. The project is led by PI and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Dr. Brian McPherson, in collaboration with other departments at the University of Utah and the Utah Geological Survey. The project is sponsored by the US Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory. The group selected a site in the northern Paradox Basin leased by Zephyr Energy. The site represents a strongly favorable location with an existing well pad and a high-quality subsurface 3D seismic dataset. The final site selection for the project comes after several months of…

Read More

On-line Presentations and Events are Gaining Momentum


As the world has begun to adapt to the new reality of virtual meetings and education delivery, EGI and the energy industry have stepped-up to meet the challenge as well. As the new realities of remote working and virtual events has taken hold over the last six months, webinars, virtual conferences, and online learning have accelerated in both quantity and quality. EGI is encouraged by the flexibility and engagement our staff, partners, and customers have shown, and we look forward to continuing to enhance the value of membership in EGI as we all navigate the opportunities and challenges in on-line engagement. Recent highlights in virtual presentations and events Tony Doré, EGI Global Chief Scientist in London, UK, delivered a presentation at the on-line Subsurface Energy Webinar – Transition to Clean Growth on June 10. Tony’s timely presentation is titled “Petroleum, Geoscience and the New Energy Reality” and is available for…

Read More
image, illustration, ship on stormy sea, speaker photos

Weathering the Storm


Weathering the Storm GeoCareers Presentation to the Geological Society of America with Reginal Spiller EGI Affiliate Scientist Reginal Spiller presented in June in a Geological Society of America GeoCareers webinar to help GSA members and participants navigate, and succeed in, the current oil and gas crisis. GSA noted “‘Weathering the Storm’ is a framework presentation and discussion that attempts to put in perspective the severity of the current 2020 energy crisis and what one might do now to plan for the future. Reginal and co-presenters Michael Carroll [formerly EGI member Hunt Oil] and John Leftwich shared their experiences in a historical look back about what they did to survive the previous storms.” A recording of the webinar is available to GSA members, and the presentation slide-deck is available to all. The recording of the webinar can be found in the GSA Webinar Library. Reg’s long career and unparalleled experience is…

Read More
image, presentation slide

Petroleum Geoscience and the New Energy Reality


As countries around the globe went into pandemic lockdown, virtual classes, meetings, and presentations came roaring to the forefront for both industry and academic outreach and dissemination activities. Among those at the front of the curve was EGI’s Global Chief Scientist, Tony Doré, based in London, UK. On June 10, Tony delivered a presentation at the on-line Subsurface Energy Webinar – Transition to Clean Growth presented by ReFINE at the University of Newcastle. His timely presentation is titled “Petroleum, Geoscience and the New Energy Reality” and is available for all to view at here on our website under Videos or at the conference website. Tony’s presentation offered insights on the future of the global petroleum industry, with attention to topics including “world energy consumption, climate change and scenarios for different development paths,” with consideration for the question of “what we, as scientists and engineers, can do to meet the challenge…

Read More
image, poscast

FORGE Project Outreach & Education Offerings


New Utah FORGE Geothermal Publication The August 2020 issue of AAPG Explorer features an article by Utah FORGE Managing PI Dr. Joseph Moore. The article, The Utah FORGE: An International Laboratory for Advancing Enhanced Geothermal Development, is available online to AAPG subscribers at explorer.aapg.org. In the News: Checking in on the Utah FORGE project: ThinkGeoEnergy interview with Joseph Moore Learn more about the current state of the Utah FORGE project, its opportunities and challenges and the road ahead from this interview with Joe Moore, Principal Investigator with the project. New Video & Podcast: Geothermal Resources Lecture Series In the first installment of the Utah FORGE Geothermal Lecture Series EGI Research Professor and FORGE Project Technical Expert on Geology and Geochemistry, Dr. Stuart Simmons, introduces viewers to renewable energy in the 21st century. The lecture (linked below) highlights conventional geothermal resources and the basic concepts of heat transfer, enthalpy and power…

Read More
image, map, geology, Mexico, yellow, journal cover

New Publication from EGI Fellow and Ph.D. Candidate Carlos Vega Ortiz


EGI is pleased to Congratulate Mr. Carlos Vega Ortiz on his recent publication “Analysis of mineralogy and porosity on a carbonaceous mudstone of the Pimienta Formation, western margin of the Tampico Misantla Basin, Mexico” in the Mexican Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin. Carlos is from San Marcos, Hidalgo, Mexico. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering with the dissertation topic “Applications of mass transport in micro- to nanoporous media: Characterization of CO2 sequestration in Coalbed Methane and Carbonaceous Mudstones.” Carlos is the recipient of the National Hydrocarbon Grant by Mexico’s National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT) and the Ministry of Energy (SENER). Through this scholarship, Carlos completed the Masters in Petroleum Engineering at the University of Utah. He is continuing for a Ph.D. under the mentorship of Dr. John McLennan. He has previous experience in the oil and gas industry for 11 years as reservoir evaluation engineer,…

Read More
photograph, people, men, headshot, professional

Two EGI Staff Receive Principal Investigator Designation


EGI is pleased to congratulate Dr. Dhrupad Beti and Dr. Palash Panja for recently receiving Principal Investigator (PI) designation. In recognition of their long association with EGI and their current and future work in the areas of data science, geochemistry and sustainability, University of Utah Vice President for Research, Dr. Andrew Weyrich confirmed the designations early this month. EGI Data Science Post-Doctoral Fellow Dr. Dhrupad Beti In addition to current projects, including the EGI Oceans South Atlantic Source Rock Reclassification project (I 01350), Dr. Beti is working on a project sponsored by EGI member Chevron that is headed by Associate Professor Dr. Lauren Birgenheier in the Department of Geology and Geophysics, as well as further research proposals. EGI Research Scientist Dr. Palash Panja Dr. Panja is currently working on the Science-informed Machine Learning for Accelerating Real Time Decisions in Subsurface Applications (SMART) Initiative sponsored by DOE/NETL. The University of Utah…

Read More

Anatomy of A Comet: NEOWISE


By Dr. Bryony Richards On Friday March 27, 2020, astronomers on the NEOWISE (Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) mission discovered a comet that would become the brightest in the northern hemisphere in almost a quarter century. Over the following weeks, comet NEOWISE, full name C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE), would not only become a spectacle for the thousands of scientists and photographers following it with specialized equipment, but it would become so bright that it would be visible to the naked eye and amaze millions across the northern hemisphere. Comet NEOWISE made its closest approach to the sun (its perihelion) on Friday July 3rd, within 29.4 million miles of the sun, inside the orbit of mercury. I had been lucky enough to previously ‘photograph’ (even though it turned out as a green speck) a comet, the memorably named 252P Linear, but had never before purposefully set out to document a comet.…

Read More

EGI Staff & Affiliate Scientist Publication Updates Q2–Q3 2020


EGI Scientists are active researchers, publishing and presenting not only through cost-shared research at EGI, but in peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences and presentations, and professional organizations. Waquar Ahmed Hafiz, Mateen & Hakhoo, Naveen & Bhat, G. & Kanungo, Sudeep & Thusu, Bindra & Craig, Jonathan & Ahmed, Waquar. (2020). Source potential and reservoir characterization of the Cambay Shale, Cambay Basin, India: Implications for tight gas and tight oil resource development. AAPG Bulletin. 104. 1707–1749. 10.1306/03162017174. Pranay Asai Panja, Palash & Asai, Pranay & Velasco, Raul & Deo, Milind. (2020). Pre-processing Protocol for Nonlinear Regression of Uneven Spaced-Data. 12. 23-37. 10.32732/jmo.2020.12.1.23. Ghulam Bhat Hafiz, Mateen & Hakhoo, Naveen & Bhat, G. & Kanungo, Sudeep & Thusu, Bindra & Craig, Jonathan & Ahmed, Waquar. (2020). Source potential and reservoir characterization of the Cambay Shale, Cambay Basin, India: Implications for tight gas and tight oil resource development. AAPG Bulletin. 104. 1707–1749. 10.1306/03162017174. Jonathan…

Read More

Message from the Director


Amidst these very unusual events and trying times, we want to assure you that EGI is open for business and here for your company as you navigate work, life, and business under truly once in a lifetime circumstances.  Though we all are working via telecommuting under direction of the University of Utah, our scientists and staff continue to pursue the research and services that support your business and are available to assist. As you consider your company’s needs during this time, we remind you that as an EGI member, you have exclusive access to EGI’s unparalleled report and data library via EGIconnect, as well as group and sole sponsored projects, dedicated peer assists, and remote-learning training opportunities. Please note that there have already been, and may still be, postponements or cancelations of scheduled events hosted by EGI as well as outside events where EGI engages with our members and guests.  Among…

Read More

RESCHEDULED – Transform Margins Workshop: Smolenice, Slovakia


New Dates 14–17 December 2020 The current coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic that is surely affecting all of us, forces us to make the decision to postpone the Transform Margins Workshop originally scheduled for 18–20 May 2020 in Smolenice, Slovakia. Due to the recent events the Workshop will be rescheduled for 14th–17th  December 2020. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this change. We sincerely hope you will be able to reschedule your travel arrangements and join us in December. Details on the focus and content of the Workshop remain available at https://transformmargins.com/. If you have any questions and comments regarding this update, do not hesitate to contact Marína Molčan Matejová in Bratislava. Preliminary Agenda Transform Margins Workshop & Field Excursion Arrive December 14 – Depart December 17 Registration Open to All Invited Guests Tuesday, December 14: Transportation provided from the Vienna, Austria airport to Smolenice Castle Conference Center. This drive from Vienna to…

Read More

New Collaboration for Brazil-Gabon Conjugate Margins


EGI is pleased to announce that the Energy & Geoscience Institute has initialized a collaboration between the Energy & Geoscience Institute at the University of Utah (EGI) and Le Directeur Général des Hydrocarbures Gabon (DGH-Gabon) for conducting a geoscientific investigation (pertaining to source rock geochemistry) for hydrocarbon exploration research. The specific goal of the investigation is to improve the current understanding of the source rock potential and associated organic matter end-member distribution of the Brazil-Gabon conjugate margins for the pre-salt section. The collaborative agreement was solidified after EGI Senior Affiliate Scientist and Head of African Relations, Mr. Reginal Spiller, met with the new Gabon Energy Minister, Vincent de Paul Massassa in Houston in March.  EGI is grateful for Mr. Spiller’s expertise and the strong relationships that he has built in helping to further the research in this compelling region. Mr. Spiller is also the President and CEO of Azimuth Energy Investments…

Read More

New Data & Services Coming to iCORDS™


In the coming weeks, EGI will be releasing a plan for new data and services available to iCORDS™ subscribers, enhancing iCORDS™ offshore capacity, and adding new onshore data and services. iCORDS™ is a product of the University of Utah’s Energy & Geoscience Institute and offers an integrated databank and research tool for research as varied as worldwide petroleum and environmental geoscience to climate and marine science. EGI scientists and software developers ensure that iCORDS™ presents comprehensive quality data in a user-easy product for members. Below is a sample of the new data and service iCORDS is working on. Future Onshore Data & Services at iCORDS™ EGI scientists, software developers, subject matter experts aim to expand the data and services of iCORDS™ to serve best the needs and interest of the members. During 2020–2022, the following will be added to iCORDS: Onshore petroleum source-rock data for North America, Central-South America, Africa, Middle…

Read More
Location Map

New EGI OCEANS Project in Development: Mediterranean Sea | New Analyses and Evaluation


In the coming weeks, the EGI OCEANS team will be offering a newly developed research project for consideration and investment by interested member companies. The new project, EGI Oceans: Mediterranean Sea| New Analyses and Evaluation of Source Rock Systems on IODP samples using organic geochemistry, palynofacies, unified stratigraphy, and paleoenvironment, will utilize the proven methodology supported by over 10 major EGI corporate members in the Atlantic Margin EGI Oceans projects (South Atlantic - 101276,  Central & North Atlantic - I01229, South Atlantic Reclassification - I01350). A full project proposal is In Development and will be available for consideration in May 2020.  For early details, questions, or expressions of interest, please contact project co-PI Eiichi Setoyama. Image: Location map showing Mediterranean DSDP, ODP, and IODP sites for prosed new EGI OCEANS Mediterranean Sea project. Click on the image above for a larger view. Read More