Investigative technologies for Alaska geology

Alan Bailey

Petroleum News

On May 31, in conjunction with the 2019 Alaska Oil and Gas Association Conference, the state Geologic Materials Center and the Alaska Geological Society are holding a technical breakout session in the GMC in Anchorage. The focus of the session will be the potential for new investigative technologies and machine learning systems to better assist geologists and resource companies to meet the challenges of interpreting Alaska geology. Entry is free and lunch will be provided.

In the morning, starting at 9:30 a.m., there will be a series of talks covering a range of topics, from the use of newly available 3-D seismic data for a better understanding of Nanushuk-Torok oil reservoirs, to the use of machine learning from shallow soil samples in the prediction of potential reservoirs. Topics also include the automated scanning of fine-scale rock properties and the automated logging of rock properties in the Nanushuk.

In the afternoon there will be presentations of rock cores in the GMC collection, including cores from the Nanushuk formation at Umiat, and from wells in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. There will also be an opportunity to tour the GMC, which holds a massive collection of rock samples and other geologic material, mostly acquired in conjunction with resource development in the state.

Further information is available from the GMC.

- ALAN BAILEY