AAPG 2018 Annual Meeting—Highlights from NBMG

“NBMG geologists Mike Ressel and Chris Henry presented posters about the Eocene Elko Formation, Elko Basin, and oil potential in northeast Nevada at the American Association of Petroleum Geologists 2018 Annual Convention and Exhibition in Salt Lake City.  Chris’ poster was about the regional setting and geographic extent of the Elko Formation and basin. Mike’s poster was prepared with his graduate student Elizabeth Hollingsworth and grew out of their work on the geology of the southern Carlin trend, where many rocks previously mapped as Paleozoic conglomerates turn out to be Eocene.  Consulting geologists Jerry Walker and Bill Ehni, along with Chris Henry, also displayed core from Noble Energy’s recent drilling in the Elko Basin at the meeting.  Noble drilled four wells to depths of 9,100 to more than 11,000 feet and produced oil from two wells.  Although Noble backed away from exploration because of low prices at the time, their work demonstrates significant oil potential in the Elko Basin.  Noble submitted core and cuttings from these wells to the Bureau, which curates them at the Great Basin Science Sample and Records Library under a program with the Nevada Division of Minerals.  Showing the Noble – Elko core was part of AAPG’s overall “Core Like Never Before” display at the meeting, which presented core from lacustrine hydrocarbon plays worldwide.  We thank the Utah Geological Survey and Utah Core Research Center for extensive help in transporting and displaying the core.  Along with lots of talks and posters, the meeting had numerous exhibits including a spectacular showing of dinosaur skeletons by the Natural History Museum of Utah.  Chris’ grandson Vaughn thought the dinosaurs were great.” (from Chris Henry)

Poster by Elizabeth R. Hollingsworth, Michael W. Ressel, and Christopher D. Henry (Abstract 2857261)
Early Coarse Clastic Deposition in the Western Elko Basin, Piñon Range, Northeastern Nevada: Implications for Basin Evolution and Petroleum Potential
http://data.nbmg.unr.edu/public/freedownloads/misc/posters/Hollingsworth_etal_AAPG_2018May20poster.pdf

Poster by Christopher D. Henry (Abstract 2857031)
The Eocene Elko Basin and Elko Formation, NE Nevada: Paleotopographic Controls on Area, Thickness, Facies Distribution, and Petroleum Potential
http://data.nbmg.unr.edu/public/freedownloads/misc/posters/HenryAAPGPoster_20180530.pdf

View photos of the AAPG 2018 Annual Convention and Exhibition here. 

View core and cuttings at GBSSRL:
If you would like to view the Noble core—or any core or cuttings located at NBMG’s Great Basin Science Sample and Records Library, please contact David Davis for an appointment:
Phone: 775-682-8767
Email: ddavis@unr.edu