Woodford Shale enclosed mini-basin fill on the Hunton Paleo Shelf. A depositional model for unconventional resource shales

The exploration of unconventional hydrocarbon resources of the Woodford Shale in Oklahoma (USA) has focused on characterizing this formation as an entirely open marine deposit. The impact of recognizing the enclosed mini-basin fill settings remains under-explored. To better understand these effects, I propose a detailed integrated study to highlight how these depositional variations occur. It is necessary to perform a workflow that involves multidisciplinary integration of geological, geochemical (both organic and inorganic) and geophysical characterizations to identify the characteristics of these deposits, how they vary vertically in the stratigraphic section of the Woodford Shale (internal variations in organic matter content and type; variability of the major heavy elements; and differences in mineralogy), and how they are laterally dissimilar by analyzing and comparing different Woodford locations in the Oklahoman petroleum provinces. The enclosed mini-basin fill settings occur locally in areas of thicker (gross thickness greater than 200 ft) and more organic-rich Woodford Shale (greater than 5.5 % on average of total organic carbon TOC). By understanding the context of regional sea-level fluctuations in the Upper Devonian time, it is observed that the Woodford Shale is deposited upon a pre-existent carbonate platform, where this platform was previously eroded by karstification or incised valley development during regional sea level drops at the pre-Woodford time. These karst/incised valley-forming processes formed a regional erosional unconformity, which allowed the development of sinkholes, pockets, and pods with more accommodation space for Woodford Shale sediment deposition in enclosed mini-basin fill settings. These erosional unconformities can be identified in outcrops, cores, well logs, and on 3D seismic data sets. I propose that the localized and discontinuous enclosed mini-basin fills settings represented silled constricted oceanic circulation with higher bottom-water euxinia (high free sulfur), which had better conditions for accumulation and preservation of clay and organic matter particles than did the well-circulated, open marine settings. I interpret that these depositional differences provide recognizable patterns in bed thickness and organic matter variations inside the Woodford Shale. I propose that areas in Oklahoma with thicker Woodford enclosed mini-basin fill settings are stratigraphical variations that could economically produce more oil and gas than other areas deposited under more open marine conditions or thinner enclosed mini-basin fill intervals. I capture these intervals by determining which ones contain more organic matter, more hydrogen, lower oxygen, more amorphous organic matter (more oil-prone than gas prone), the differences in paleo water chemistry (water column stratification, higher water salinity, higher levels of anoxia and euxinia). I recognize that these enclosed mini-basin fill geochemical characteristics are combined with the identification of enrichments in detrital quartz and relatively high depletions in the clay content of the lithofacies. The enclosed mini-basin fill deposits not only accumulate more organic matter but present different petrophysical and mechanical characteristics that, when modeled, simulated and compared with reported production, recover higher volumes of hydrocarbons under the standard unconventional petroleum industry operational practices

Unconventional gas shale assessment of La Luna Formation, in the central and south areas of the Middle Magdalena Valley Basin, Colombia

M.S.--University of Oklahoma, 2013Includes bibliographical references (leaves 166-187).The La Luna Formation, part of the South American upper Cretaceous sequence, has been recognized as one of the most important hydrocarbon source rocks in Colombian and Venezuelan basins. This formation is described as calcareous shale and limestone, black in color, with high foraminifera (Globigerina) content and calcareous and phosphate concretions. Outcrop studies were conducted in the southern part (OUTCROP A) and central part (OUTCROP B) of the Middle Magdalena Valley basin (MMVB) to assess the shale gas potential. La Luna Formation has been previously sub-divided into three members: upper, middle and lower, recognized respectively as Galembo (calcareous shales with limestone layers and nodules), Pujamana (claystone, mudstone, gray shale and cherts) and Salada (black shales, black mudstones, black calcareous claystone, black limestone layers and concretions with pyrite). Two major stratigraphic sections were measured, one in the OUTCROP B area with a total thickness of 1000 ft., and the other one in the south area of the basin at OUTCROP A 1200 ft. thick. Based upon 66 samples analyzed, total organic carbon (TOC) values range for the Galembo from 1.09% to 11.90% and for the Salada member from 2.15% to 11.90, Rock Eval pyrolysis data show the La Luna Formation is dominated by Type IIS kerogen, indicating oil and gas prone marine organic matter; thus, these members are excellent source rocks for hydrocarbons. The maturity of this formation increases towards the southeast. Liquid hydrocarbons will be more related to the northern and central part of MMVB and condensates and dry/wet gases will be more related to the southern MMVB areas. Biomarker analyses reveal variations in redox conditions and a predominant marine organic matter input with anoxic and hypersaline conditions for the Galembo and Salada members. The SEM analysis identified two major microfabric types in the Salada and Galembo member: 1) organic hash: most of the samples contain common organic matter and the mineral edges are very diffuse; and 2) organic clayey with sharp mineral edges and abundant calcite minerals. The porosity types associated with the Salada and Galembo member are porous floccules, intraparticle porosity, fecal pellet porosity and microchannel porosity. For the Galembo member the average total porosity is 8.5% and for the Salada member average total porosity is 8.11% for the samples analyzed. The observed facies association and biomarker analysis identified the depositional environment as shallow marine, middle shelf, in a transgressing sea. Four major third order stratigaphic cycles corresponding to the three La Luna Formation members deposition events are proposed. The the lower Salada member is characterized by a major transgression with a maximum flooding surface at Salada member top and a transgressive surface of erosion (TSE) towards the Salada - Pujamana members' boundary. The Pujamana member deposition was interpreted as a HST-TST regional regression, where the observed Pujamana - Galembo boundary corresponds to a third TSE and the Galembo member is mainly a transgression with fluctuations, which indicates that deposition of the Galembo member occurred during a sea level rise towards the La Luna Formation top progradational deposits. This primary assessment of the La Luna Formation indicates a good potential for a shale gas system, where good organic matter content is present, the formation has reached maturity levels for hydrocarbon generation and has relatively high porosity for oil and/or gas storage. The Salada and Galembo members are good candidates for an unconventional shale gas play, therefore these can be considered as separate operational units, with thicknesses in outcrop from 180-720 ft. for the Galembo member, for the Salada member thickness from 300-400 ft., and approximately 500 ft. of thickness for the transitional Pujamana member, which is very likely to be a possible lithological barrier between the upper and lower La Luna members

Unconventional gas shale assessment of La Luna Formation, in the central and south areas of the Middle Magdalena Valley Basin, Colombia /

M.S.University of Oklahoma2013Includes bibliographical references (leaves 166-187).The La Luna Formation, part of the South American upper Cretaceous sequence, has been recognized as one of the most important hydrocarbon source rocks in Colombian and Venezuelan basins. This formation is described as calcareous shale and limestone, black in color, with high foraminifera (Globigerina) content and calcareous and phosphate concretions. Outcrop studies were conducted in the southern part (OUTCROP A) and central part (OUTCROP B) of the Middle Magdalena Valley basin (MMVB) to assess the shale gas potential. La Luna Formation has been previously sub-divided into three members: upper, middle and lower, recognized respectively as Galembo (calcareous shales with limestone layers and nodules), Pujamana (claystone, mudstone, gray shale and cherts) and Salada (black shales, black mudstones, black calcareous claystone, black limestone layers and concretions with pyrite). Two major stratigraphic sections were measured, one in the OUTCROP B area with a total thickness of 1000 ft., and the other one in the south area of the basin at OUTCROP A 1200 ft. thick. Based upon 66 samples analyzed , total organic carbon (TOC) values range for the Galembo from 1.09% to 11.90% and for the Salada member from 2.15 % to 11.90, Rock Eval pyrolysis data show the La Luna Formation is dominated by Type IIS kerogen, indicating oil and gas prone marine organic matter; thus, these members are excellent source rocks for hydrocarbons. The maturity of this formation increases towards the southeast. Liquid hydrocarbons will be more related to the northern and central part of MMVB and condensates and dry/wet gases will be more related to the southern "MMVB areas. Biomarker analyses reveal variations in redox conditions and a predominant marine organic matter input with anoxic and hypersaline conditions for the Galembo and Salada members. The SEM analysis identified two major microfabric types in the Salada and Galembo member: 1) organic hash: most of the samples contain common organic matter and the mineral edges are very diffuse; and 2) organic clayey with sharp mineral edges and abundant calcite minerals. The porosity types associated with the Salada and Galembo member are porous floccules, intraparticle porosity, fecal pellet porosity and microchannel porosity. For the Galembo member the average total porosity is 8.5% and for the Salada member average total porosity is 8.11 % for the samples analyzed. The observed facies association and biomarker analysis identified the depositional environment as shallow marine, middle shelf, in a transgressing sea. Four major third order stratigaphic cycles corresponding to the three La Luna Formation members deposition events are proposed. The the lower Salada member is characterized by a major transgression with a maximum flooding surface at Salada member top and a transgressive surface of erosion (TSE) towards the Salada - Pujamana members' boundary. The Pujamana member deposition was interpreted as a HST-TST regional regression, where the observed Pujamana - Galembo boundary corresponds to a third TSE and the Galembo member is mainly a transgression with fluctuations, which indicates that deposition of the Galembo member occurred during a sea level rise towards the La Luna Formation top progradational deposits. This primary assessment of the La Luna Formation indicates a good potential for a shale gas system, where good organic matter content is present, the formation has reached maturity levels for hydrocarbon generation and has relatively high porosity for oil and/or gas storage. The Salada and Galembo members are good candidates for an unconventional shale gas play, therefore these can be considered as separate operational units, with thicknesses in outcrop from 180-720 ft. for the Galembo member, for the Salada member thickness from 300-400 ft., and approximately 500 ft. of thickness for the transitional Pujamana member, which is very likely to be a possible lithological barrier between the upper and lower La Luna members

Geography and ecology shape the phylogenetic composition of Amazonian tree communities

Aim: Amazonia hosts more tree species from numerous evolutionary lineages, both young and ancient, than any other biogeographic region. Previous studies have shown that tree lineages colonized multiple edaphic environments and dispersed widely across Amazonia, leading to a hypothesis, which we test, that lineages should not be strongly associated with either geographic regions or edaphic forest types. Location: Amazonia. Taxon: Angiosperms (Magnoliids; Monocots; Eudicots). Methods: Data for the abundance of 5082 tree species in 1989 plots were combined with a mega-phylogeny. We applied evolutionary ordination to assess how phylogenetic composition varies across Amazonia. We used variation partitioning and Moran\u27s eigenvector maps (MEM) to test and quantify the separate and joint contributions of spatial and environmental variables to explain the phylogenetic composition of plots. We tested the indicator value of lineages for geographic regions and edaphic forest types and mapped associations onto the phylogeny. Results: In the terra firme and várzea forest types, the phylogenetic composition varies by geographic region, but the igapó and white-sand forest types retain a unique evolutionary signature regardless of region. Overall, we find that soil chemistry, climate and topography explain 24% of the variation in phylogenetic composition, with 79% of that variation being spatially structured (R$^{2}$ = 19% overall for combined spatial/environmental effects). The phylogenetic composition also shows substantial spatial patterns not related to the environmental variables we quantified (R$^{2}$ = 28%). A greater number of lineages were significant indicators of geographic regions than forest types. Main Conclusion: Numerous tree lineages, including some ancient ones (>66 Ma), show strong associations with geographic regions and edaphic forest types of Amazonia. This shows that specialization in specific edaphic environments has played a long-standing role in the evolutionary assembly of Amazonian forests. Furthermore, many lineages, even those that have dispersed across Amazonia, dominate within a specific region, likely because of phylogenetically conserved niches for environmental conditions that are prevalent within regions

Mapping density, diversity and species-richness of the Amazon tree flora

Using 2.046 botanically-inventoried tree plots across the largest tropical forest on Earth, we mapped tree species-diversity and tree species-richness at 0.1-degree resolution, and investigated drivers for diversity and richness. Using only location, stratified by forest type, as predictor, our spatial model, to the best of our knowledge, provides the most accurate map of tree diversity in Amazonia to date, explaining approximately 70% of the tree diversity and species-richness. Large soil-forest combinations determine a significant percentage of the variation in tree species-richness and tree alpha-diversity in Amazonian forest-plots. We suggest that the size and fragmentation of these systems drive their large-scale diversity patterns and hence local diversity. A model not using location but cumulative water deficit, tree density, and temperature seasonality explains 47% of the tree species-richness in the terra-firme forest in Amazonia. Over large areas across Amazonia, residuals of this relationship are small and poorly spatially structured, suggesting that much of the residual variation may be local. The Guyana Shield area has consistently negative residuals, showing that this area has lower tree species-richness than expected by our models. We provide extensive plot meta-data, including tree density, tree alpha-diversity and tree species-richness results and gridded maps at 0.1-degree resolution

Geographic patterns of tree dispersal modes in Amazonia and their ecological correlates

Aim: To investigate the geographic patterns and ecological correlates in the geographic distribution of the most common tree dispersal modes in Amazonia (endozoochory, synzoochory, anemochory and hydrochory). We examined if the proportional abundance of these dispersal modes could be explained by the availability of dispersal agents (disperser-availability hypothesis) and/or the availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits (resource-availability hypothesis). Time period: Tree-inventory plots established between 1934 and 2019. Major taxa studied: Trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 9.55 cm. Location: Amazonia, here defined as the lowland rain forests of the Amazon River basin and the Guiana Shield. Methods: We assigned dispersal modes to a total of 5433 species and morphospecies within 1877 tree-inventory plots across terra-firme, seasonally flooded, and permanently flooded forests. We investigated geographic patterns in the proportional abundance of dispersal modes. We performed an abundance-weighted mean pairwise distance (MPD) test and fit generalized linear models (GLMs) to explain the geographic distribution of dispersal modes. Results: Anemochory was significantly, positively associated with mean annual wind speed, and hydrochory was significantly higher in flooded forests. Dispersal modes did not consistently show significant associations with the availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits. A lower dissimilarity in dispersal modes, resulting from a higher dominance of endozoochory, occurred in terra-firme forests (excluding podzols) compared to flooded forests. Main conclusions: The disperser-availability hypothesis was well supported for abiotic dispersal modes (anemochory and hydrochory). The availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits seems an unlikely explanation for the distribution of dispersal modes in Amazonia. The association between frugivores and the proportional abundance of zoochory requires further research, as tree recruitment not only depends on dispersal vectors but also on conditions that favour or limit seedling recruitment across forest types

1er. Coloquio de educación para el diseño en la sociedad 5.0

Las memorias del 1er. Coloquio de Educación para el Diseño en la Sociedad 5.0 debenser entendidas como un esfuerzo colectivo de la comunidad de académicos de la División de Ciencias y Artes para el Diseño, que pone de manifiesto los retos y oportunidades que enfrenta la educación en diseño en un contexto de cambio acelerado y rompimiento de paradigmas.El evento se realizó el pasado mes de mayo de 2018 y se recibieron más de 50 ponencias por parte de las profesoras y profesores de la División.Las experiencias y/o propuestas innovadoras en cuanto a procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje que presentan los autores en cada uno de sus textos son una invitación a reflexionar sobre nuestra situación actual en la materia, y emprender acciones en la División para continuar brindando una educación de calidad en diseño a nuestras alumnas, alumnos y la sociedad.Adicionalmente, se organizaron tres conferencias magistrales sobre la situación actual de la educación en Diseño y de las Instituciones de Educación Superior, impartidas por el Mtro. Luis Sarale, profesor de la Universidad Nacional de Cuyo en Mendoza (Argentina), y Presidente en su momento, de la Red de Carreras de Diseño en Universidades Públicas Latinoamericanas (DISUR), el Dr. Romualdo López Zárate, Rector de la Unidad Azcapotzalco, así como del Mtro. Luis Antonio Rivera Díaz, Jefe de Departamento de Teoría y Procesos del Diseño de la División de la Ciencias de la Comunicación y Diseño, en la Unidad Cuajimalpa de nuestra institución.La publicación de estas memorias son un esfuerzo divisional, organizado desde la Coordinación de Docencia Divisional y la Coordinación de Tecnologías del Aprendizaje, del Conocimiento y la Comunicación, para contribuir a los objetivos planteados en el documento ACCIONES:Agenda CyAD2021, en particular al eje de Innovación Educativa. Es necesario impulsar a todos los niveles de la División espacios de discusión orientados a reflexionar sobre el presente y futuro en la educación del diseñador, que contribuya a mejorar la calidad de la docencia y favorezca al fortalecimiento de los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje.Finalmente, extiendo un amplio reconocimiento a todos los miembros de la División que hicieron posible este evento, así como a todos los ponentes y participantes por compartir su conocimiento para que la División sea cada día mejor

Author correction: One sixth of Amazonian tree diversity is dependent on river floodplains

In the version of the article initially published, the affiliation of Edgardo Manuel Latrubesse was incorrect and has now been amended to Environmental Sciences Graduate Program-CIAMB, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil in the HTML and PDF versions of the article

Geography and ecology shape the phylogenetic composition of Amazonian tree communities

Aim: Amazonia hosts more tree species from numerous evolutionary lineages, both young and ancient, than any other biogeographic region. Previous studies have shown that tree lineages colonized multiple edaphic environments and dispersed widely across Amazonia, leading to a hypothesis, which we test, that lineages should not be strongly associated with either geographic regions or edaphic forest types. Location: Amazonia. Taxon: Angiosperms (Magnoliids; Monocots; Eudicots). Methods: Data for the abundance of 5082 tree species in 1989 plots were combined with a mega‐phylogeny. We applied evolutionary ordination to assess how phylogenetic composition varies across Amazonia. We used variation partitioning and Moran's eigenvector maps (MEM) to test and quantify the separate and joint contributions of spatial and environmental variables to explain the phylogenetic composition of plots. We tested the indicator value of lineages for geographic regions and edaphic forest types and mapped associations onto the phylogeny. Results: In the terra firme and várzea forest types, the phylogenetic composition varies by geographic region, but the igapó and white‐sand forest types retain a unique evolutionary signature regardless of region. Overall, we find that soil chemistry, climate and topography explain 24% of the variation in phylogenetic composition, with 79% of that variation being spatially structured (R2 = 19% overall for combined spatial/environmental effects). The phylogenetic composition also shows substantial spatial patterns not related to the environmental variables we quantified (R2 = 28%). A greater number of lineages were significant indicators of geographic regions than forest types. Main Conclusion: Numerous tree lineages, including some ancient ones (>66 Ma), show strong associations with geographic regions and edaphic forest types of Amazonia. This shows that specialization in specific edaphic environments has played a long‐standing role in the evolutionary assembly of Amazonian forests. Furthermore, many lineages, even those that have dispersed across Amazonia, dominate within a specific region, likely because of phylogenetically conserved niches for environmental conditions that are prevalent within regions

Mapping density, diversity and species-richness of the Amazon tree flora

Using 2.046 botanically-inventoried tree plots across the largest tropical forest on Earth, we mapped tree species-diversity and tree species-richness at 0.1-degree resolution, and investigated drivers for diversity and richness. Using only location, stratified by forest type, as predictor, our spatial model, to the best of our knowledge, provides the most accurate map of tree diversity in Amazonia to date, explaining approximately 70% of the tree diversity and species-richness. Large soil-forest combinations determine a significant percentage of the variation in tree species-richness and tree alpha-diversity in Amazonian forest-plots. We suggest that the size and fragmentation of these systems drive their large-scale diversity patterns and hence local diversity. A model not using location but cumulative water deficit, tree density, and temperature seasonality explains 47% of the tree species-richness in the terra-firme forest in Amazonia. Over large areas across Amazonia, residuals of this relationship are small and poorly spatially structured, suggesting that much of the residual variation may be local. The Guyana Shield area has consistently negative residuals, showing that this area has lower tree species-richness than expected by our models. We provide extensive plot meta-data, including tree density, tree alpha-diversity and tree species-richness results and gridded maps at 0.1-degree resolution