OKLAHOMA CITY GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
TECHNICAL LUNCHEON
September 16, 2015
SPEAKER: JEREMY BOAK
Director of Oklahoma Geological Survey
“The Oklahoma Geological Survey: Hot Topics and Future Directions”
Oklahoma City Geological Society
10 NW 6th Street
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK73102
WEDNESDAY September 16, 2015
LUNCH 11:45am – 1:00pm
MEMBER COST $25.00
VISITOR COST $30.00
RESERVATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED Friday September 11, 2015 BY 12:00 NOON
The Oklahoma Geological Survey (OGS) has been at or near the hypocenter of the high visibility issue of induced seismicity in Central and North Central Oklahoma. Prominent aspects of this topic have included national figures like Harold Hamm and John Stewart, and open record requests, which have become a regular feature of the lives of OGS personnel. However, the work of the Survey has been focused on the more technically satisfying attempt to build seismic networks and gather and analyze data on the nature of earthquakes, faults, and wastewater disposal wells in the region to understand the connections among them. It was evidently not easy getting this work done while dodging Al-Jazeera and Bloomburg Business Week, but the OGS team got it done, and the recognition of the team has been national and encouraging.
This work led to the carefully worded position statement issued in April that acknowledged the connection between substantially increased disposal of waste water in the Arbuckle Formation and the basement on the one hand, and an ~500-fold increase in the number of earthquakes of magnitude >3.0 (Mm). Since that time, the seismicity appears to have continued, but the strain on OGS staff has eased as the burden shifts to the Corporation Commission and the actions likely to follow regarding underground injection. The first part of the talk will offer a perspective on the technical side of the issue from the new kid on the block.
The second part of the talk will put forward a few ideas about where the OGS may need to go in the next few years, once the shouting subsides on the latest issue, and before the next one surfaces. This part will be intended as a straw man, to incite some input from the nearest constituency of the OGS, the geoscience community.
Biography
Jeremy Boak started as Director of the Oklahoma Geological Survey in July 2015. He served as the Co-Chair of the Oil Shale Symposia, 2006-2015, a role he started as Director of the Center for Oil Shale Technology and Research (COSTAR) at the Colorado School of Mines. He was an environmental and nuclear materials project manager at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and manager for performance assessment of Yucca Mountain at the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) in Nevada. Dr. Boak was an exploration geologist at ARCO Oil and Gas, Inc., in Anchorage, Denver, and Bakersfield. He received his doctorate in Geological Sciences from Harvard University, for work on the 3.8 billion year old Isua supracrustal suite, West Greenland. He received AB and MS degrees from Harvard and an MS from the University of Washington, all in Geological Sciences. Dr. Boak is married to Anna Stafford, a petroleum geologist and oil finder, and has a stepson Chris who plans to return to school this year in engineering.
To make a reservation contact Michelle at the OCGS office by e-mail: mhone@ocgs.org Phone: 405/236.8086 x10, Mail: Oklahoma City Geological Society, 10 NW 6th Street, Oklahoma City, OK73102 OR CLICK HERE.
Attendance without reservation will not be possible. Reservations must be cancelled by September 11, 2015 at noon to avoid being charged. Thank you for your consideration.
PLEASE NOTE THE MEETINGS WILL BE HELD AT THE NEW OCGS BUILDING