FRACTURESTUDIES - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Certified Petroleum Geologist

John has specialized in understanding naturally-fractured reservoirs since 1981, and to further that work founded FractureStudies LLC with Scott Cooper in 2008. In an effort to help others with similar interests John and Scott wrote the "Atlas of Natural and Induced Fractures in Core," published by Wiley and Sons, 2018. John earned an undergraduate degree, with a double major in geology in anthropology, from Oberlin College in 1972, after which he ran off to Morocco to teach English and learn Arabic with the Peace Corps. In Morocco, he met a group of geologists from the University of South Carolina, where he earned an M.Sc. with a thesis describing a Moroccan Triassic rift basin. After earning that degree John worked for the USGS in Louisiana and New Mexico from 1975 to 1977, leaving to pursue a Ph.D. at Princeton University where he studied the Nubian Sandstone in Libya and Cretaceous strata in Montana, graduating in 1981. He then joined Sandia National Laboratories where he was the geologist for the tight gas Multiwell Experiment in the Piceance basin. John worked as a geologist at Sandia Labs from 1981 to 2007, doing fractured-reservoir studies in areas ranging from Alaska to Algeria, to Texas. During that time, he served as the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Elected Editor from 2001-2004. More recently he was elected as president of the AAPG and served in that capacity during 2009-2010, supporting the local affiliated societies and the advancement of the geosciences in their application to hydrocarbon-related problems. John's presentations and published papers on natural and induced fractures in reservoirs range geographically from the Lisburne Limestone in Alaska to the Shaikan Anticline in Kurdistan. These papers and presentations have been awarded several AAPG Levorsen and Jules Braunstein awards. He has worked closely with the oil and gas industry on problems involving reservoir dimensions and in situ permeability, receiving regular doses of reality while gaining extensive hands-on experience with core analysis and fieldwork. John has led field trips, presented core workshops, and taught short courses for the industry-oriented geologic community. His work has been practical, aimed at improving the understanding of fracture-controlled reservoir permeability to enhance fluid extraction. John is also a commercial pilot and flight instructor, and has ferried aircraft across the U.S. in both directions east-west, as well as north-south. Education 1981, Ph.D., Geology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 1975, M.Sc., Geology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 1972, B.A, Double major in Geology/Anthropology, Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio Experience 2008-present, Partner, FractureStudies LLC, Edgewood, NM 2007-present, Geological Consultant, and flight instructor: Geoflight LLC, Edgewood, NM 1981-2007, Distinguished Member of Technical Staff, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Job Titles:

• Certified Petroleum Geologist

Scott first started working on naturally-fractured reservoir issues in 1993. In 2008, he partnered with Dr. John Lorenz forming FractureStudies LLC, a consulting company focusing on naturally fractured reservoir-characterization issues in sandstones, carbonates and shales around the world from Alaska throughout the continental USA to Brazil, North Africa and Iraq. Data from these projects provided Scott and John the opportunity to co-author the "Atlas of Natural and Induced Fractures in Core" and "Applied Concepts in Fractured Reservoirs" which are designed to help geologists log, characterize and recognize the relative importance of each fracture type on reservoir production. Earlier in his career as a Senior Member of the Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories (a U.S. Department of Energy facility) Scott worked on numerous government and industry-supported energy-related research projects. Scott received a B.S. in geology from the South Dakota School of Mines and a M.S. in geology from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. His thesis work involved characterization and modeling of natural fractures in strata at Teapot Dome, a basement-cored anticline in central Wyoming. The database developed from that work continues to be used as a teaching tool in various industry fracture-modeling programs. Detailed descriptions and links to Scott and John's numerous projects, published papers, open-file reports, short courses, core workshops, fieldtrips, webinars and the new Atlas are available on our website (www.fracturestudies.com). Education 2000, M.S., Geology, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM, Advisor: Dr. Laurel Goodwin, Thesis: Deformation within a Basement-Cored Anticline: Teapot Dome, Wyoming 1997, B.S., Geology with highest honors, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD, Advisor: Dr. Alvis Lisenbee, Senior Thesis: Gas/Fluid Evolution and the Formation of Rhyolite Dike associated Breccia Margins at the Homestake Gold Mine, Lead, South Dakota Experience 2008-present, Partner: FractureStudies LLC, Edgewood, NM 2008-present, Consultant: Cooper Geological Consulting LLC, Tijeras, NM 1999-2008, Senior Member of Technical Staff: Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 1997-2000, Research Assistant: Fractured Reservoirs, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Dr. Teufel 1995, Teaching Assistant: Mining Surveying, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Dr. Ashworth 1993, Research Assistant: Hydrologic fluid flow modeling of fractured carbonates, Dr. Islam and Dr. Cheema 1979-1992, Manager, assistant manager, ranch hand and trout wrangler: Trout Haven, Trout Haven Ranch and Crystal Cave Park Inc., Black Hills, SD Memberships American Association of Petroleum Geologists Society of Petroleum Engineers Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists Albuquerque Geological Society Roswell Geological Society Wyoming Geological Association