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METHODS AND
A P P L I C AT I O N S I N
PETROLEUM AND
MINERAL
E X P L O R AT I O N A N D
ENGINEERING
GEOLOGY
METHODS AND
A P P L I C AT I O N S I N
PETROLEUM AND
MINERAL
E X P L O R AT I O N A N D
ENGINEERING
GEOLOGY
Edited by
SAID GACI
Sonatrach-Algerian Petroleum Institute (IAP), Boumerdes, Algeria
OLGA HACHAY
Institute of Geophysics Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg, Russia
ORIETTA NICOLIS
Facultad de Ingenierı́a, Universidad Andres Bello, Viña del Mar, Chile
Elsevier
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Contents
List of contributors .....................................................................................xiii
Section 1 Petroleum exploration
1 Review chapter on petroleum exploration section .....................................3

Said Gaci
Geochemistry .............................................................................................. 3
Unconventional reservoirs ......................................................................... 3
New technologies ....................................................................................... 3
Approaches and numerical methods ........................................................ 4
References ................................................................................................... 8
Further reading ........................................................................................... 8
2 Microseeps as pathfinder and regional filtering tool in

petroleum exploration .......................................................................................11
Steven A. Tedesco
2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 11
2.2 Migrating hydrocarbon theory .......................................................... 12
2.3 Sampling............................................................................................. 13
2.4 Case histories ..................................................................................... 16
2.5 Keota Dome ........................................................................................ 16
2.6 Dolley and Sawbuck Fields................................................................ 23
2.7 Eland Field .......................................................................................... 27
2.8 Moore-Johnson Field ......................................................................... 32
2.9 Discussion........................................................................................... 36
References ................................................................................................. 36
3 Correlation of stable carbon isotope, reflectance, and total

organic carbon that help provide a new stratigraphic framework
for defining Desmoinesian and Atokan sediments in the Denver
and Cherokee basins in the Mid-continent United States ......................39
Steven A. Tedesco
3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 39
v
vi Contents
3.2 Geology............................................................................................... 40
3.3 Denver Basin....................................................................................... 43
3.4 Stable carbon isotope ........................................................................ 51
3.5 Arrow Canyon Snaky Canyon ........................................................... 51
3.6 Discussion of carbon isotopes .......................................................... 53
3.7 Pyritization data.................................................................................. 58
3.8 Conclusions ........................................................................................ 60
References ................................................................................................. 61
4 A review about recent seismic techniques in

shale-gas exploration .......................................................................................65
Mohammed Farfour, Said Gaci, Mohammed El-Ghali
and Mohamed Mostafa
Key points.................................................................................................. 65
4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 65
4.2 Anisotropy of shale-gas reservoirs ................................................... 66
4.3 Seismic methods and properties of gas-bearing shale................... 67
4.4 Example from Boonsville field, Fort Worth Basin ........................... 72
4.5 Conclusions ........................................................................................ 79
References ................................................................................................. 79
5 Evaluation of the pilot waterflood at Arikaree Creek Field

case study for enhancing oil recovery from a low temperature
hydrothermal unconventional carbonate reservoir ...................................81
Steven A. Tedesco
5.1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 81
5.2 Geology............................................................................................... 83
5.3 Seismic interpretation and results .................................................. 102
5.4 Production history............................................................................ 102
5.5 The waterflood hearing ................................................................... 107
5.6 Results and discussion .................................................................... 111
References ............................................................................................... 114
6 Analysis of production and geology of unconventional

Mississippian carbonate reservoirs in the Mid-continent
of the United States .........................................................................................117
Steven A. Tedesco
6.1 Introduction ...................................................................................... 117
Contents vii
6.2 Geology............................................................................................. 118

6.3 Harper County, Kansas .................................................................... 121
6.4 Conclusions ...................................................................................... 130
References ............................................................................................... 130
7 Study of nonlinear acoustic processes inside a cracked rock

influenced by dynamical loading.................................................................133
Veniamin Dryagin
7.1 Introduction ...................................................................................... 133
7.2 Acoustic emission in crack porous medium .................................. 134
7.3 Nonlinear induced acoustic emission research in core ................ 137
7.4 Nonlinear induced acoustic emission research in borehole......... 144
7.5 Conclusions ...................................................................................... 147
References ............................................................................................... 148
8 Applications of shear waves in modern seismic technology:

overview and examples..................................................................................151
Mohammed Farfour and Said Gaci
8.1 Introduction ...................................................................................... 151
8.2 S-wave information from P-wave AVO analysis
and inversion .................................................................................... 152
8.3 S-wave from indirect prediction to direct measurement
and interpretation............................................................................. 156
8.4 Shear wave applications: examples from world basins................ 162
8.5 Discussion and conclusion .............................................................. 164
References ............................................................................................... 165
9 The low-velocity zone in the crystalline crust of the NW

Black Sea shelf as a potential regional methane trap
of the thermobaric type...................................................................................169
Valery Korchin and Oleg Rusakov
9.1 Introduction ...................................................................................... 169
9.2 Materials and method...................................................................... 170
9.3 Discussion and conclusions ............................................................ 175
References ............................................................................................... 181
viii Contents
10 Peculiarities of convection and oil maturation in 3D porous

medium structure............................................................................................183
Yurie Khachay and Mansur Mindubaev
10.1 Introduction ...................................................................................183
10.2 Model and the boundary problem ...............................................184
10.3 Numerical results and discussions ..............................................187
10.4 Conclusions ...................................................................................187
Acknowledgment .................................................................................. 188
References ............................................................................................. 188
11 Empirical mode decomposition-based approaches for

predicting velocity well logs in a petroleum reservoir .......................189
Said Gaci and Mohammed Farfour
11.1 Introduction ...................................................................................189
11.2 Theory ............................................................................................190
11.3 Results and discussion .................................................................196
11.4 Conclusions ...................................................................................199
References ............................................................................................. 200
12 New bidimensional empirical mode decomposition-based

seismic attributes...........................................................................................203
12.1 Introduction ...................................................................................203
12.2 One-dimensional empirical mode decomposition .....................204
12.3 Bidimensional empirical mode decomposition ..........................205
12.4 Instantaneous amplitude ..............................................................205
12.5 Application to Algerian seismic data ...........................................206
12.6 Conclusions ...................................................................................210
References ............................................................................................. 211
13 Local regularity investigation of well logs from an Algerian

tight reservoir..................................................................................................213
Said Gaci and Orietta Nicolis
13.1 Introduction ...................................................................................213
13.2 Theory ............................................................................................214
13.3 Well log measurements ................................................................218
13.4 Regularity analysis applied to well log data ...............................219
Contents ix
13.5 Multifractal analysis applied to well log data .............................222

13.6 Conclusion .....................................................................................225
References ............................................................................................. 225
Section 2 Mineral exploration
14 Review chapter on mineral exploration section ...................................231

Orietta Nicolis
References ............................................................................................. 234
15 Precambrian lithospheric evolution of the

Fennoscandian Shield ...................................................................................237
Nikolay Sharov and Linata Sviridenko
15.1 Introduction ...................................................................................237
15.2 Seismic heterogeneities of the lithosphere.................................237
15.3 Geologic structure of the lithosphere ..........................................242
15.4 Mantle and crustal processes in the Earth’s
crust formation ..............................................................................247
15.5 Conclusions ...................................................................................253
Acknowledgments ................................................................................ 253
References ............................................................................................. 253
16 Connection of magneto acoustic emission parameters with

conditions of magnetite deposits formation............................................257
Igor Glukhikh, Viktor Ivanchenko and Sergey Ivanchenko
16.1 Introduction ...................................................................................257
16.2 Object of research .........................................................................258
16.3 Discussion and qualitative interpretation of the results.............264
16.4 Conclusions ...................................................................................270
References ............................................................................................. 272
17 On characterizing anisotropies of the radioactive sources

from airborne gamma-ray data using bidimensional empirical
mode decomposition: a case study from Algeria ..................................275
17.1 Introduction ...................................................................................275
17.2 Theory ............................................................................................276
x Contents
17.3 Regional geology ..........................................................................278

17.4 Results and discussion .................................................................278
17.5 Conclusions ...................................................................................283
References ............................................................................................. 283
18 Statistical analysis of geological faults for

characterizing mineral deposits.................................................................285
Orietta Nicolis
18.1 Introduction ...................................................................................285
18.2 The box counting fractal dimension ............................................287
18.3 Fractal analysis of Chilean faults..................................................287
18.4 Conclusions and further developments ......................................292
References ............................................................................................. 292
19 Wavelet-based fractal and multifractal analysis for detecting

mineral deposits using multispectral images taken by drones .........295
Orietta Nicolis and Cristian Gonzalez
19.1 Introduction ...................................................................................295
19.2 Wavelet-based fractal dimension estimation..............................297
19.3 The multifractal analysis...............................................................298
19.4 Application to a multispectral image taken by a drone .............300
19.5 Application of the wavelet-based fractal and
multifractal analysis ......................................................................300
19.6 Conclusions and further developments ......................................305
References ............................................................................................. 305
Section 3 Engineering geology
20 Review chapter on engineering geology section..................................311

Olga Hachay
20.1 Active monitoring of the structure and state of massif
rocks of various content ...............................................................313
References ............................................................................................. 315
Contents xi
21 Account of rock massif hierarchic heterogeneity by deep

mining using explosions...............................................................................317
Olga Hachay, Andrey Khachay and Oleg Khachay
21.1 Introduction ...................................................................................317
21.2 Development of a mathematical model using the results
of active and passive geophysical monitoring ...........................319
21.3 Algorithm of inverse problem solution of 2-D diffraction
of linear polarized elastic transversal wave for n-layered
medium with hierarchic elastic inclusion....................................323
21.4 Algorithm of inverse problem solution of 2-D diffraction
of linear polarized elastic transversal wave for n-layered
medium with hierarchic stressed inclusion ................................326
21.5 Conclusion .....................................................................................329
References ............................................................................................. 330
Further reading ..................................................................................... 331
22 The similarity of the possible reasons for manifestation of

earthquake sources of explosion types and dynamic
phenomena in rock shock mines ...............................................................333
Olga Hachay, Valentin Pogrebnoy, Oleg Khachay
and Margarita Malosieva
22.1 Introduction ...................................................................................333
22.2 Results and discussions................................................................336
22.3 Conclusion .....................................................................................344
References ............................................................................................. 345
23 Use of the hardware-software complex device “register”

for study of seismic dynamic characteristics of
engineering buildings ...................................................................................347
Lev Senin, Tatiana Senina, Michail Voskresenskiy
and Gennadiy Parigin
23.1 Introduction ...................................................................................347
23.2 Hardware-software complex “Register-SD” ...............................348
23.3 Practical application of the complex on the example of
studying seismic dynamic characteristics of a part of
the building of the Institute of Geophysics (Ekaterinburg) ........350
23.4 Conclusions ...................................................................................356
References ............................................................................................. 357
xii Contents
24 Tidal motions of potential unstable rock massif at the

vicinity of Toktogul hydroelectric power plant ......................................359
Batyr Manzhikov
24.1 Introduction ...................................................................................359
24.2 Object and methods of research ..................................................360
24.3 Results............................................................................................365
24.4 Conclusion .....................................................................................369
References ............................................................................................. 369
25 New method of defining the geotechnical parameters from

CSEM (controlled source electromagnetic method)
monitoring data at the 15th May City, Egypt ...........................................371
Magdy Attya, Olga Hachay and Oleg Khachay
25.1 Introduction ...................................................................................371
25.2 Surface geology ............................................................................372
25.3 Stratigraphy ...................................................................................373
25.4 Concepts and models ...................................................................373
25.5 Results and discussions................................................................380
25.6 Summary and conclusions ...........................................................386
References ............................................................................................. 387
Index........................................................................................................... 389
List of contributors
Magdy Attya National Research Institute of Astronomy and

Geophysics (NRIAG), Cairo, Egypt
Veniamin Dryagin Company “Intensonik,” Ekaterinburg, Russia
Mohammed El-Ghali Earth Sciences Department, Sultan
Qaboos University, Oman
Mohammed Farfour Earth Sciences Department, Sultan
Qaboos University, Oman
Said Gaci Sonatrach-Algerian Petroleum Institute (IAP),
Boumerdes, Algeria
Igor Glukhikh Institute of Geophysics UB RAS, Yekaterinburg,
Russia
Cristian Gonzalez Faculty of Engineering, Andres Bello
University, Calle Quillota, Viña del Mar, Chile
Olga Hachay Institute of Geophysics Ural Branch of Russian
Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg, Russia
Sergey Ivanchenko Ural Federal University, Yekaterinburg,
Russia
Viktor Ivanchenko Institute of Geophysics UB RAS,
Yekaterinburg, Russia
Andrey Khachay Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
Oleg Khachay Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
Yurie Khachay Institute of Geophysics, UB RAS, Ekaterinburg,
Russia
Valery Korchin S.I. Subbotin Institute of Geophysics of NASU
(IG), Kiev, Ukraine
Margarita Malosieva Institute of Seismology NAN KR, Bishkek,
Kirgizstan
Batyr Manzhikov Laboratory for modeling energy-saturated
environments, Scientific station of the Russian Academy of
Sciences, Bishkek city, Kyrgyz Republic
xiii
xiv List of contributors
Mansur Mindubaev Institute of Geophysics, UB RAS,

Ekaterinburg, Russia
Mohamed Mostafa Earth Sciences Department, Sultan Qaboos
University, Oman
Orietta Nicolis Facultad de Ingenierı́a, Universidad Andres
Bello, Viña del Mar, Chile
Gennadiy Parigin Institute of Geophysics Ural Branch of
Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg, Russia
Valentin Pogrebnoy Institute of Seismology NAN KR, Bishkek,
Kirgizstan
Oleg Rusakov S.I. Subbotin Institute of Geophysics of NASU
(IG), Kiev, Ukraine
Lev Senin Institute of Geophysics Ural Branch of Russian
Tatiana Senina Institute of Geophysics Ural Branch of Russian
Nikolay Sharov Institute of Geology, Karelian Research Centre,
RAS Academy of Sciences, Petrozavodsk, Russia
Linata Sviridenko Institute of Geology, Karelian Research
Centre, RAS Academy of Sciences, Petrozavodsk, Russia
Steven A. Tedesco Running Foxes Petroleum Inc., Centennial,
CO, United States; Atoka Inc., Centennial, CO, United States
Michail Voskresenskiy Institute of Geophysics Ural Branch of
Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg, Russia
Review chapter on petroleum
1
exploration section
Said Gaci
Sonatrach-Algerian Petroleum Institute (IAP), Boumerdes, Algeria
Geochemistry
Chapter 2, Microseeps as pathfinder and regional filtering
tool in petroleum exploration. Steven A. Tedesco
Chapter 3, Correlation of stable carbon isotope, reflectance,
and total organic carbon that help provide a new stratigraphic
framework for defining Desmoinesian and Atokan sediments in
the Denver and Cherokee basins in the Mid-continent United
States. Steven A. Tedesco
Unconventional reservoirs
Chapter 4, A review about recent geophysical techniques in
shale gas exploration. Mohammed Farfour, Said Gaci, Mohammed
El-Ghali, and Mohamed Mostafa
Chapter 5, Evaluation of the pilot waterflood at Arikaree
Creek Field case study for enhancing oil recovery from a low
temperature hydrothermal unconventional carbonate reservoir.
Steven A. Tedesco
Chapter 6, Analysis of production and geology of unconven-
tional Mississippian carbonate reservoirs in the Mid-continent
of the United States. Steven A. Tedesco
New technologies
Chapter 7, Study of nonlinear acoustic processes inside a
cracked rock influenced by dynamical loading. Veniamin
Dryagin
Chapter 8, Applications of shear waves in modern seismic
technology: overview and examples. Mohammed Farfour and
Said Gaci
Methods and Applications in Petroleum and Mineral Exploration and Engineering Geology.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-85617-1.00002-3 3
© 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
4 Chapter 1 Review chapter on petroleum exploration section
Approaches and numerical methods

Chapter 9, The low-velocity zone in the crystalline crust of
the NW Black Sea shelf as a potential regional methane trap of
the thermobaric type. Valery Korchin and Oleg Rusakov
Chapter 10, Peculiarities of convection and oil maturation in
3D porous medium structure. Yurie Khachay and Mansur
Mindubaev
Chapter 11, Empirical mode decomposition-based approaches
for predicting velocity well logs in a petroleum reservoir. Said Gaci
and Mohamed Farfour
Chapter 12, New bidimensional empirical mode decomposition-
based seismic attributes. Said Gaci and Mahamed Farfour
Chapter 13, Local regularity investigation of well logs from
an Algerian tight reservoir. Said Gaci and Orietta Nicolis
In Chapter 2, Microseeps as Pathfinder and Regional
Filtering Tool in Petroleum Exploration, Tedesco discusses the
aid of microseeps in petroleum exploration. As shown in previ-
ous research (Tedesco, 1995), the use of surface geochemistry
can enhance the probability of success from 10% to 60%.
Surface geochemistry offers valuable information regarding the
presence or absence of hydrocarbons in the soil strata that have
migrated from the subsurface. However, it is noteworthy to
underline that the presence of a surface geochemical anomaly
does not always forecast a productive discovery, but hydrocar-
bons are generally encountered. Surface geochemistry provides
very helpful exploration information when combined with col-
lected data inferred from subsurface and seismic methods.
Following on previous researches (Tedesco, 2010; Heckel, 2013)
on Middle Pennsylvanian Marmaton, Cherokee, and Atoka Groups
in the Mid-continent United States, Tedesco in Chapter 3,
Correlation of Stable Carbon Isotope, Reflectance, and Total
Organic Carbon That Help Provide a New Stratigraphic Framework
for Defining Desmoinesian and Atokan Sediments in the Denver
and Cherokee Basins in the Mid-continent United States, demon-
strates that stable carbon isotope, total organic carbon, and degree
of pyritization (DOP) data can be used to sketch a chronostrati-
graphic correlation and paleoenvironmental reconstruction for
these sedimentary rocks. DOP results suggest that the Atoka and
Middle Marmaton were deposited under oxic to suboxic conditions,
while the upper Cherokee and lower Marmaton represent euxinic
environments where they were sampled.
Shale gas has become an increasingly significant source of
natural gas in the world. It is one of the most popular uncon-
ventional hydrocarbon types. In contrast with conventional
Chapter 1 Review chapter on petroleum exploration section 5
resources, shale gas reservoirs are very extensive, with low

values of porosity and permeability. In addition, they are associ-
ated with high anisotropy, which considerably impacts seismic
signatures of gas-bearing shales. In this regard, sophisticated
seismic prospecting techniques have been developed to take
over this particular shale gas property. Chapter 4, A Review
About Recent Geophysical Techniques in Shale Gas Exploration,
reviews the latest techniques in acquisition, special data proces-
sing, interpretation techniques, and reservoir characterization
workflows and presents a case study from the Barnett shale res-
ervoir, located in South Texas, United States.
Chapter 5, Evaluation of the Pilot Waterflood at Arikaree Creek
Field Case Study for Enhancing Oil Recovery From a Low
Temperature Hydrothermal Unconventional Carbonate Reservoir,
showcases a case history of reservoir management and planning of
the Arikaree Field located in Denver Basin. The field produces from
a low-temperature hydrothermal dolomite reservoir presenting a
high variability in porosity, permeability, and continuity. Discovered
in 2012, the field underwent conversion of some of the existing pro-
ducers to injectors. The waterflood pattern failed because many fac-
tors that were known before flooding, such as no effective bottom
seal, extensive fracturing and faulting throughout the reservoir,
water chemistry issues, and compartmentalization of the reservoir,
were not taken into account. This experiment showed the unsuit-
ability of implementing a waterflood in low-temperature dolomite
reservoirs that are highly fractured and compartmentalized.
In Chapter 6, Analysis of Production and Geology of
Unconventional Mississippian Carbonate Reservoirs in the Mid-
continent of the United States, a case study taken from unconven-
tional Mississippian carbonate reservoirs, located in Oklahoma and
Kansas, Mid-continent United States, is discussed. Production data
and geology aspects related to these regional unconventional
resources are analyzed. The unsatisfactory results obtained gener-
ally from drilled wells are explained by the underappreciation of
some negative reservoir characteristics (such as under-pressure
exploitation causing problems with fracture stimulation) and the
high variability and discontinuity of the Mississippian reservoirs
geology characterized by a system with a predominance of water
compared to fluids (oil and gas); this factor makes it difficult to
predict the stratigraphy and reservoirs properties of the
Mississippian carbonates. The results in these reservoirs present an
insightful case study illustrating the unavailability of ample data to
determine the viability of resource plays before drilling wells.
Chapter 7, Study of Nonlinear Acoustic Processes Inside a
Cracked Rock Influenced by Dynamical Loading, developed by
V. Dryagin, addresses the results of a seismo-acoustic emission

occurring in a porous geological medium under external influ-
ences. It also discusses acoustic emission arising in core sam-
ples from reservoirs of oil fields as well as in boreholes. The
suggested research demonstrates that this emission is wide-
scale in amplitude and frequency. In addition, the regularity of
the emission processes exhibits discrete spectra of signals anal-
ogous to oscillations of nonlinear coupled oscillators. The spec-
tra obtained show special characteristics for each type of rock.
To conclude, the analysis of these emission processes can pro-
vide valuable information on the filtration-capacitive properties
of productive reservoirs presenting a fractured porous type.
Chapter 8, Applications of Shear Waves in Modern Seismic
Technology: Overview and Examples, presented by M. Farfour
and S. Gaci, showcases the different applications of shear waves
in understanding and characterizing hydrocarbon reservoirs
across basins worldwide. First a historical overview on wave
technology is given. Then basic notions on S-wave technology
and its main applications for hydrocarbon reservoir characteri-
zation are discussed, and its latest worldwide applications are
underlined to demonstrate the benefits of this technique.
Recently, experiments showed that S-wave can be extracted
from P-wave data recorded by conventional single component
geophones, when S-wave recordings are not available.
Chapter 9, The Low-Velocity Zone in the Crystalline Crust
of the NW Black Sea Shelf As a Potential Regional Methane Trap of
the Thermobaric Type, discusses a potential regional methane trap
of the thermobaric type, specifically the low-velocity zones (LVZs)
in the crystalline crust of the NW Black Sea shelf. These anomalies
have been identified by previous seismic studies conducted on this
region in the crystalline crust at depths of 7 20 km (Baranova
et al., 2011). They are associated with high porous rocks in the
faults, which may contain hydrocarbons in upwelling deep fluids.
However, their corresponding low seismic velocity values cannot be
explained by their tectonic process and the concentration of hydro-
carbons in these domains (Korchin, 2013). To better understand
this issue, research was conducted to describe in general terms how
the multidirectional effect of temperature and pressure can form
these LVZs (Rusakov and Korchin, 2015). The contribution of
Chapter 9 is to develop a complete thermobaric process for the for-
mation of the LVZs in the crystalline crust on the NW Black Sea
shelf at depths, appropriate for migration and localization of inor-
ganic methane. This mechanism is constructed using information
on seismic cross sections, geothermal models, and petrophysics of
high pressures and temperatures.
The assessment of the prospectivity of oil and gas in a sedi-

mentary basin is not based only on geological and geophysical
studies but also integrates the thermal influences on the matura-
tion of the organic matter (Galushkin, 2007). It is worth noting
that the heterogeneity of permeability distribution of the reservoir
rock and the convection structure result in temperature heteroge-
neity and different degrees of maturity for the oil source.
Chapter 10, Peculiarities of Convection and Oil Maturation in 3D
Porous Medium Structure, presents numerical simulations in two
and three dimensions of free convection in order to analyze the
effect of convection on the estimated volume of the parent rock
that has undergone catalysis and the amount of oil formed. It is
also demonstrated the key role of the convection in a porous
medium, and the most effective operating conditions can be com-
puted for each structure of the deposit.
In Chapter 11, Empirical Mode Decomposition-Based
Approaches for Predicting Velocity Well Logs in a Petroleum
Reservoir, S. Gaci and M. Farfour present empirical mode
decomposition-based techniques for predicting velocity
well logs in a petroleum reservoir. The basic idea is to forecast
S-wave velocity (Vs) logs from P-wave velocity (Vp) logs using
a supervised learning model, specifically multiple-layer percep-
tron artificial neural network whose output is the predicted Vs
values at the different depths, while the inputs are logs derived
from different decomposition techniques: empirical mode decom-
position (EMD), ensemble empirical mode decomposition
(EEMD), and complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition
(CEEMD) combined with the Hölderian regularity-based fine-to-
coarse reconstruction (HR-FCR) algorithm (Gaci, 2017). Obtained
results demonstrate that the combination of CEEMD and HR-FCR
algorithm provides the most efficient technique for predicting Vs
logs from Vp logs.
In previous research in seismic interpretation (Gaci, 2018),
the EMD-based methods have been used successfully to
derive seismic attributes. In this regard, Chapter 12, New
Bidimensional Empirical Mode Decomposition-Based Seismic
Attributes, suggests seismic time-frequency analysis based on
the bidimensional empirical mode decomposition (2D-EMD).
The 2D-EMD method decomposes a bidimensional signal into
intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) (or modes) (Nunes et al., 2003).
Application on Algerian seismic datasets illustrates that mean-
ingful attributes, explicitly instantaneous Hilbert spectral ampli-
tude attributes, extracted from the calculated IMFs, help
identify subtle hydrocarbon traps that cannot be detected by
the conventional attributes.
In Chapter 13, Local Regularity Investigation of Well Logs

From an Algerian Tight Reservoir, S. Gaci and O. Nicolis intro-
duce multifractals to analyze the scaling properties of well logs
recorded within an Algerian tight reservoir. This study consists
of investigating the local singular behavior of data by using
multifractional and fractal techniques. The results demonstrate
that the suggested technique might bring additional informa-
tion to understand the reservoir.
References
Baranova, E., Yegorova, T., Omelchenko, V., 2011. Discovery of a waveguide in
the basement of the NW Black Sea shelf from the results of the
reinterpretation of the DSS material along profiles 25 and 26. Geophys. J. 6,
15 28. (in Russian).
Gaci, S., 2017. A novel model to estimate S-wave velocity integrating Hölderian
regularity, empirical mode decomposition, and multilayer perceptron neural
networks, Chapter 12. In: Gaci, S., Hachay, O. (Eds.), Oil and Gas Exploration:
Methods and Application. American Geophysical Union, pp. 181 200.
Gaci, S., 2018. Time-Frequency Attributes Based on Complete Ensemble
Empirical Mode Decomposition. Leading Edge.
Galushkin, Y., 2007. Modeling of sedimentary basin and estimation their Oil and
gas potential. Moscow: Nauchniy Mir. p. 456. (in Russian).
Heckel, P.H., 2013. Pennsylvanian stratigraphy of Northern Midcontinent
Shelf and biostratigraphic correlation of cyclothems. Stratigraphy. 10 (1 2),
3 39.
Korchin, V., 2013. Thermobarics of Crustal Low Velocity Zones (a New Scientific
Hypothesis). LAP Lambert Academic Publishing, p. 280. (in Russian).
Nunes, J.C., Bouaoune, Y., Delechelle, E., Niang, O., Bunel, P., 2003. Image
analysis by bidimensional empirical mode decomposition. Image Vis.
Comput. 21 (12), 1019 1026. 2003.
Rusakov, O., Korchin, V., 2015. Origin and localization of abiogenic methane in
the crystalline crust of the northwestern Black Sea. In: Materials of the 4th
All—Russian Conference on Deep Origin of Oil “Kudryavtsev’s Reading”, CGE,
CD (in Russian).
Tedesco, S.A., 1995. Surface Geochemistry in Petroleum Exploration. Chapman
and Hall, New York, p. 206, ISBN 978-1-4615-2660-.
Tedesco, S.A., 2010. The petroleum potential of the Pennsylvanian age Atoka and
Cherokee age carbonaceous shales in the Denver basin. AAPG Search and Discovery
#90106 AAPG Rocky Mountain Section, Durango, CO 13 16 June 2010.
Further reading
Burner, K., Smosna, R., 2011. A Comparative Study of the Mississippian Barnett
Shale, Fort Worth Basin, and Devonian Marcellus Shale, Appalachian Basin.
U.S. Department of Energy. DOE/NETL-2011/1478.
Chopra, S., Castagna, J.P., 2014. AVO. Society of Exploration Geophysicists.
Dryagin, V., Ivanov D., Nigmatullin D., Shumilov A., 2014. Seismoacoustic
emission of a productive formation in the technology of detection and
extraction of hydrocarbons. Geophysics (4), 54 59. (in Russian).
Ensley, R.A., 1984. Comparison of P- and S-wave seismic data: a new method for
detecting gas reservoirs. Geophysics. 49, 1420 1431.
Far, M., Hardage, B., 2014. Interpretation of fractures and stress anisotropy in
Marcellus Shale using multicomponent seismic data. 2, 4, SE105 SE115.
Gaci, S., Zaourar, N., Hamoudi, M., Holschneider, M., (2010) Local regularity
analysis of strata heterogeneities from sonic logs. Nonlin. Process. Geophys.,
17, pp. 455 466. Available from: www.nonlin-processes-geophys.net/17/455/
2010/doi:10.5194/npg-17-455-2010.
Mazullo, S.J., Wilhite, B., 2015. New insights into lithostratigraphic architecture
of subsurface lower to middle Mississippian Petroliferous Strata in Southern
Kansas and Northern Oklahoma, AAPG, Search and Discovery Article 51198.
Ouenes, A., 2012. Seismically driven characterization of unconventional shale
plays. 37, 18 24.
Price, B., Grammer, M., 2015. Sequence stratigraphic control on distribution and
porosity evolution in cherts in the mississippian of the mid-continent, AAPG,
Search and Discovery Article 51123.
Suriamin, F., Pranter, M.J., 2017. Stratigraphic and facies control on porosity and
pore types of Mississippian limestone and chert reservoirs. AAPG, Search and
Discovery Article #11058, 30 September 3 October, Oklahoma City, OK.
Tedesco, S.A., 2012. The Pennsylvanian Desmoinesian mudstone and carbonates
reservoirs in Southern Denver Basin, Amer. Assoc. Petro. Geologists, Search
and Discovery Article #90156r2012 AAPG Rocky Mountain Section Meeting,
9 12 September 2012, Grand Junction, CO.
Tedesco, S.A., 2014. Integrated approach using subsurface geology,
aeromagnetics, surface geochemistry and 3-D seismic in discovering new
conventional reservoirs. AAPG, search and discovery article #41494. In: AAPG
International Conference & Exhibition, 14 17 September, Istanbul, Turkey.
Tedesco, S.A., 2015. Seismic interpretation of the Arikaree Creek Field, Denver
Basin, Lincoln County, Colorado, potential new play type in the Denver Basin,
AAPG, search and discovery article #10790. In: Mid-Continent
Section Meeting in Tulsa, 4 6 October, OK.
Vilchinskaya, N., Nikolaevsky, V., 1984. Acoustic emission and spectrum of
seismic signals. Izvestiya of the Academy of Sciences, USSR. Ser. Physics of
the Earth. No 5. pp. 91 100. (in Russian).
Watney, W.L., 2015. A maturing Mississippian lime play in the mid-continent
a perspective on what we know and need to know. AAPG, search and
discovery article 80445.
Wendt et al., 2009. Wavelet leader multifractal analysis for texture classification.
Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. Image Proc. (ICIP), pp. 3829 3832.
Microseeps as pathfinder and
2
regional filtering tool in
petroleum exploration
Steven A. Tedesco
Atoka Inc., Centennial, CO, United States
2.1 Introduction
The history of oil is the history of civilization. Macroseeps
have been part of a variety of cultures and societies for a few
thousand years (Fig. 2.1). The use of oil from visible seeps
has provided local forms of energy for lighting, sealing
agents for waterproofing, and medical applications. They
can be active in terms of bubbling of gases or movable oil
such, as the La Brea tar pits in California, or as immobile
and residues.
The mechanism for each seep and source is dependent
upon local tectonic, migration, and petroleum-accumulation
history. Eighty percent of the largest fields in the world are
believed to have associated macroseeps. The mechanism for
macroseeps is ongoing fluid migration from the petroleum
accumulation along open faults and fractures until reaching
an outlet at the surface. The driving mechanism of fluid migra-
tion is due to fluids and gases going toward the area of least
pressure.
Microseeps are detectable only by using laboratory or
mobile detectors that report in the parts per million (ppm) or
parts per billion (ppb) range. The sensitivity of the detectors is
critical to the ability to determine the presence or absence of
microseepage. The detection of hydrocarbons in micro levels
is exasperated because lighter hydrocarbons, which are the
most mobile, can be subject to rapid variations of concentra-
tions at sample sites. The primary medium for detecting these
hydrocarbons is in the soil strata on land and sediments on
the sea floor.
Methods and Applications in Petroleum and Mineral Exploration and Engineering Geology.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-85617-1.00003-5 11
© 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
12 Chapter 2 Microseeps as pathfinder and regional filtering tool in petroleum exploration
Figure 2.1 Naturally occurring oil seep near McKittrick, California, United States (Wikipedia, 2020).
2.2 Migrating hydrocarbon theory

The process by which hydrocarbons migrate to the surface
for macroseeps is well accepted and documented in the litera-
ture as moving up along open faults and fractures from a source
at depth. Fluids will generally always move within any basin or
reservoir from the area of highest pressure to area of lowest
pressure (advection). The same concept applies for micro
amounts of petroleum and other fluids and gases seeping to the
surface (Tedesco, 1995). The actual mechanism is not under-
stood, but it is not by permeation or diffusion, as the rate of
movement through time with these processes would be insignif-
icant (Tedesco, 1995). The mechanism of transport from trap to
the surface has been proposed to be colloidal, advection, or
bubble processes (Tedesco, 1995; Etiope, 2015). These processes
all define that a fluid or gas migrates from higher to lesser pres-
sure subject to changes in temperature, Eh, pH, fluid and rock
composition, and pore and fracture networks. There is little, if
any, experimental data that demonstrates the actual transport
mechanism (Etiope, 2015).
The migrating hydrocarbons (Fig. 2.2) cause a variety of
changes both in the subsurface and in the shallow soil strata
(Tedesco, 1995). The changes seen in the rock section are
increases in magnetic, silica, and carbonate minerals. Changes
in the Eh, pH, and conductivity in soil result in the
Chapter 2 Microseeps as pathfinder and regional filtering tool in petroleum exploration 13
Figure 2.2 Theory of migrating hydrocarbons.
accumulation or removal of trace metals or uranium and

daughter products in areas where there is a reducing environ-
ment. Halogens (specifically iodine) react with migrating hydro-
carbons and form iodoorganic compounds that are deposited in
the soil (Tedesco, 1995). In the subsurface, iodine and other
halogens are typically present in oil field brines (Tedesco, 1995).
Carbonate minerals, under the right Eh and pH conditions, are
deposited and trap volatile hydrocarbons as inclusions in the
soil. Magnetic minerals form under certain pH and Eh condi-
tion in the soil and the rock strata. Petroleum-consuming
microbes can thrive in the presence of hydrocarbons (Davis,
1967). Many of these changes can be quantified by laboratory
analysis.
2.3 Sampling
Measuring all these changes in the soil starts with the col-
lection of a sample from the soil using a variety of simple
sampling tools. The collection methods on land vary from

sampling at the surface to drilling core holes to a specified
depth to collect material for analysis. Offshore sampling of the
ocean itself for leaking hydrocarbons or using piston cores
extracted from the sea floor are standard methods that will not
be discussed here.
Soils are highly variable around the world, and the composi-
tion locally is controlled by temperature, time, climate, rainfall,
and source material from bedrock below or material trans-
ported into an area (McCarthy, 2006; Retallack, 2008; Buol et al.,
2011). Fig. 2.3 is a generalization of the soil strata and soil orga-
nization defined by McDonald et al. (1990), Soil Survey Staff
(1992), Isbell (2002), and Studyblue (2017). The R or D horizon
is the lowest defined horizon that is partially weathered bedrock
at the base of the soil profile. Unlike the overlying strata, R hori-
zons are composed largely of bedrock that has been decon-
structed into smaller pieces and can be moved by hand
(Nikiforoff, 1931; Isbell, 2002; IUSS Working Group WRB, 2014).
Figure 2.3 Soil strata—R, C, B,

A, O and E horizons
(Studyblue, 2017).
R soils formed in situ exhibit strong similarities to the bed-

rock layer (McDonald et al., 1990; Soil Survey Staff, 1992;
Isbell, 2002).
The overlying C horizon (Fig. 2.3) are sediment, saprolite,
unconsolidated bedrock, and other geologic materials which are
commonly noncemented (Nikiforoff, 1931; Isbell, 2002; IUSS
Working Group WRB, 2014). This layer accumulates the more
soluble compounds leached from the overlying A and B that
have been redeposited in the C horizon. These compounds can
be silica, carbonates, salts, and anhydrites. Contained within
these compounds are petroleum inclusions, trace and major
metals.
The B horizon (Fig. 2.3) reflects the chemical or physical
alteration of parent material (Nikiforoff, 1931; Isbell, 2002; IUSS
Working Group WRB, 2014). This layer, through a process of
illuviation, accumulates iron, clay, aluminum, and organic com-
pounds. Root and bioturbation are found in part if not all of
this horizon. The B horizon is commonly referred to as the
“subsoil.” In humid regions, B horizons are the layers of maxi-
mum accumulation of materials such as silicate clays, iron (Fe)
and aluminum (Al) oxides, and organic material. Accordingly,
this layer is also referred to as the “illuviated” horizon or the
“zone of accumulation.” In addition, it is defined as having a
distinctly different structure or consistency than the horizon(s)
above and the horizon(s) below. The B horizon may also have
higher chroma than the A horizon. In arid and semiarid regions,
calcium carbonate or calcium sulfate may accumulate in the B
horizon.
The A horizon (Fig. 2.3) results from a combination of soil
bioturbation and surface processes that winnow fine particles
from biologically mounded topsoil (Nikiforoff, 1931; Isbell,
2002; IUSS Working Group WRB, 2014). The “E” or eluviated
horizon (Fig. 2.3) is most commonly used to label a horizon
that has been significantly leached of clay, iron, and aluminum
oxides, which leaves a concentration of resistant minerals, such
as quartz, which is found in sand and silt size. These are present
only in older, well-developed soils and generally occur between
the A and B horizons (Isbell, 2002; IUSS Working Group WRB,
2014). The E horizon often has a pale color that is generally
lighter in color than either the horizon above or below it. E hori-
zons are commonly found in soils developed under forests but
are rare in soils developed under grasslands.
The C, B, A, and E layers may be referred to collectively as
the “solum” (McCarthy, 2006; Retallack, 2008; Buol et al., 2011).
The layers, R or D, below have no collective name but are
distinct in that they are noticeably less affected by surface soil-

forming processes.
The sampling methods typically used for collecting helium,
soil gas, carbonates, and trace and major elements are probes.
The thickness of the individual soil horizons cannot be deter-
mined unless direct measurements of specific horizons in the
stratum and drilling defines the top of bedrock. Iodine, trace
and major elements, and radiometric samples are all collected
in the A horizon. The E horizon is generally avoided for sam-
pling. Despite variations in zones collected from different soil
horizons, numerous examples in the literature establish the
robust nature of the methodology. In some cases, the actual
changes in vegetation has led to new field discoveries, such as
the Patrick Draw Field in Fremont County, Wyoming (Lang
et al., 1985).
2.4 Case histories

Case histories presented here reflect the relatively rapid
migration, changes of the microseepage through time, and how
salts and anhydrites do not impede vertical migration. How
much petroleum is accumulated at depth does not equate to
the intensity or areal size of a surface geochemical anomaly.
Within each case history the data presented next to the sample
location on the figures is in ppm.
2.5 Keota Dome

The Keota Dome in Washington Country, Iowa, Forest City
Basin, United States (Fig. 2.4) is a Precambrian erosional rem-
nant that created a topographic high and allowed successive
Paleozoic rocks to be deposited and draped across (Hase and
Koch, 1968). Natural gas is stored in the St. Peter Sandstone
(Fig. 2.5) at 1000 ft (300 m) which has uniform reservoir porosity
and permeability (Fig. 2.6). Underground storage facilities are
used to hold large quantities of natural gas for heating and
industrial use in the winter months. The facility goes through a
cycle of buildup of natural gas in the underground reservoir, fol-
lowed by withdrawal until spring. The working gas capacity of
the St. Peter Sandstone at the time was 10 BCF and is presently
6 BCF (FERC, 2012).
A series of iodine and soil gas geochemical surveys were
done in 1988 and 1989. The operating pressure of the facility is
unknown. The Keota structure lies on the edge of the Forest
Figure 2.4 Location of the Keota Dome, in Washington County, Iowa, on the border of the Illinois and Forest City
basins, United States (Nations On Line, 2017).
City Basin which has a natural 0.34 psi pressure gradient per
foot. The native pressure at 1000 feet (300 m) within the
St. Peter reservoir would be approximately 340 psi. Injecting
10 BCF gas causes both displacement of reservoir water and
over pressuring within the reservoir that provides additional
energy to allow petroleum molecules to migrate through the
overlying strata to the surface. When the pressure is reduced by
gas withdrawal, vertical migration lessens or ceases.
The St. Peter reservoir in the Keota Dome is barren of hydro-
carbons and is a freshwater aquifer (Olcott, 1992). There is a
thin oil reservoir above the St. Peter Sandstone, known as
Figure 2.5 Southeast Iowa

stratigraphic column (IGS,
2004). The sandstone where
the gas is stored is highlighted
in gray.
Figure 2.6 Structural configuration on the St. Peter sandstone. The injection and withdrawal wells are in circles
and circles with laterals only in the left or right direction. The steep side of the structure on the south side of
section 17, southwest of section 16 and west side of section 21 indicates major faulting in a northwest-southeast
direction. The negative numbers represent the subsea value of the top of the St. Peter Sandstone in feet. Wells
without values never reached the St. Peter Sandstone.
Starved Rock Member, which is part of the Platteville strata

(Fig. 2.5) that has produced less than 100 barrels of oil from the
Keota Dome.
The survey’s purpose was to understand how fast hydrocar-
bons migrate and how fast the changes can be seen in the soil.
Hydrocarbon and iodine surveys were carried out from summer
of 1988 to the spring of 1989. One hundred and sixty-three sam-
ples were collected on a1320-foot (400 m) center grid for iodine,
and 27 samples on a 2680-foot (800 m) centered grid for soil gas
(Fig. 2.7). The surveys were repeated an additional three times

at different dates. The land use at the time was to grow corn
and soybeans; the upper one meter or less of the soil is turned
twice a year. The survey’s sample locations were six-meter
radius within each sample site (pre-GPS). The iodine samples
were collected within the upper 1 - 2 in (2.5 5 cm) of the soil
air interface. The soil gas samples were collected from 7 feet
(2 m) depth from the soil-surface interface.
The first surface geochemical survey was carried out in the
summer of 1988, followed by surveys at 3-month intervals in
the fall and winter and then in the spring of 1989. Fig. 2.7 indi-
cates the location of the gas storage facilities injection and
withdrawal wells (blue). The cycle is repeated every year.
Figure 2.7 Location of samples

at the Keota Dome. The
sampling was repeated four
times over a 10 month period.
The numbers next to each well
represent the subsea value of
the top of the St. Peter
Sandstone in feet. Wells
without values never reached
the St. Peter Sandstone.
Figure 2.8 Iodine surveys for one year. Key to the classed post is ever increasing circle size and the intervals are:
0 to 0.5 ppm, 0.6 to 1.0 ppm , 1.1 to 1.5 ppm, 1.6 to 2.0 ppm, 2.1 to 2.5 ppm, 2.6 to 3.0 ppm, 3.1 to 3.5 ppm and 3.5 to
12.0 ppm. The structure on top of the St. Peters Sandstone is indicated at 10 foot contour interval. The results of
the four periods indicate change through time as gas is injected to the structure and then withdrawn.
Figs. 2.8 and 2.9 demonstrate the changes in iodine and pro-
pane (C3) throughout the year.
Interpretation of any surface geochemical data relies on both
experience and having a significant number of samples to
Figure 2.9 Propane surveys for one year. Key to the classed post is ever increasing circle size and the intervals
are: 0 to 0.05 ppm, 0.06 to 0.1 ppm, 0.11 to .015 ppm, 0.16 to 0.2 ppm and 0.21 or greater. The structure on top of
the St. Peters Sandstone is indicated at 10 foot contour interval. The results of the four periods indicate change
through time as gas is injected to the structure and then withdrawn.
determine background data or normal soil conditions as well as

anomalous levels of any chemical compound being analyzed
for. In most of the soils around the United States and Canada
iodine background levels are less than 1.0 ppm (Tedesco, 1995).
Table 2.1 The mean, median, and standard deviation of the iodine and soil gas (propane C3)
for the four surveys collected at the Keota Dome area, Washington County, Iowa, United
States.
Iodine Iodine Iodine Iodine C3 (ppm) C3 C3 C3

(ppm) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm) Summer (ppm) (ppm) (ppm)
Summer Fall Winter Spring Fall Winter Spring
Mean 1.3 2.1 1.7 1.3 2.7 9.0 13.9 2.8
Median 1.1 1.4 1.2 1.1 1.1 7.0 5.0 1.0
Standard 0.6 1.4 1.1 0.5 4.2 9.9 15.9 3.9
deviation
Soil gas in areas of hydrocarbon microseepage, depending on

the detection limits of the analytical equipment, typically
ranges from identify C1 to C6. Methane (C1) is typically not used
to define areas of hydrocarbon microseepage as it has numer-
ous biological sources as well as thermally matured hydrocar-
bons (Tedesco, 1995). Ethane (C2) and propane (C3) rarely have
biological sources, so they could be indicators of microseepage
(Tedesco, 1995).
Atypical method of determining area of anomalous areas
versus background is to use a standard deviation above
the average or median. The four surveys’ mean, median, and
standard deviations are presented in Table 2.1. Figs. 2.8
and 2.9 clearly indicate the changes through time of iodine
and propane (C3). The anomalous area is termed an apical
anomaly. An apical anomaly directly lies over the geological
or geophysical target (Tedesco, 1995). The rate of vertical
migration from the St. Peter Sandstone to the soil section
cannot be determined as there is approximately 3 months
time between each survey.
2.6 Dolley and Sawbuck Fields

The Dolley Field is in sections 16, 22, and 23 of Township 6
North, Range 61 West Weld County, Colorado, Denver Basin,
United States (Fig. 2.10) and produces from the D sandstone
(Cretaceous). The initial iodine survey was done prior to the dis-
covery of the field in December 1990 (Fig. 2.11A) and had only
80 samples. The exploration geologic concept was that the main
D channel system associated with the original adjacent
Greasewood Field may have crevasse splays that developed into
Figure 2.10 The location of the Dolley and Sawbuck fields in the Denver Basin, Colorado, USA (reprinted with
permission of Promap Corp.). The map indicates the various oil and gas fields. The Wattenberg Field to the west of
the Sawbuck and Dolley fields and produces from numerous pay zones. The elongated area on the west side of
the map is the Precambrian outcrop.
Figure 2.11 The iodine surveys related to the Dolley Field, Township 6 North Range 61 West, Weld County,
Colorado Denver Basin, United States. See the text for discussion of the figure.
the more near shore or marine depositional environments to the

west. The original anomalous seismic area thought to be where
the crevasse splay was present based on 2D data is indicated in
Fig. 2.11. The Greasewood Field was one of the first oil fields
found in the Denver Basin at 6700 feet (2000 m) and produces
from a D channel that is both a stratigraphic and structural trap
(Lavington, 1941). In Fig. 2.11A the iodine anomaly is associated
with the production as presently defined, and several dry wells
have been drilled in the background area of the survey.
Fig. 2.11B is the iodine survey with 261 samples on a 528-foot
(160 m) centered grid that was done in January 1991 just prior to
the discovery well being completed. The anomalous area is less
definitive compared to the survey in Fig. 2.11A. The mean is 0.7,
median 0.6, and the standard deviation 0.7 ppm iodine.
The Dolley Field discovery well produced from the D sand res-
ervoir that was at 6600 6900 feet (2000 2100 m) and less than
6 feet (2 m) thick. A third survey, Fig. 2.11C was done in April 1991,
with 345 samples collected on 528-foot (160 m) centered grid, a
mean of 1.1, median of 0.9, and standard deviation of 0.5 ppm.
The survey in Fig. 2.11C indicates the strong relationship
between the first three wells drilled, and the anomalous area is
still consistent with the previous two surveys.
In February 1994, a fourth survey (Fig. 2.11D) was done that
encompassed a larger area involving 926 samples, of which only
a portion are presented here. The survey has a mean of 1.0, a
median of 0.8, and a standard deviation of 0.6 ppm iodine; it was
on a 528-foot (160 m) and in some areas on 1320-foot (400 m)
centered grid. The survey in Fig. 2.11E indicates that the anoma-
lous area has degraded as production has drawn petroleum from
the reservoir, reducing the amounts of hydrocarbons migrating
to the surface. The iodine survey also indicates the limitation of
surface geochemistry in that it cannot definitively define the
actual boundaries of the petroleum accumulation (Fig. 2.11E).
The overall outline of the anomalous area through time, while
relatively repeatable, indicates variations in iodine ppm that rep-
resent real-time changes in the amount of iodine present at any
sampling spot. In addition, all four surveys indicate from subse-
quent drilling that the anomalous area is both an apical and a
halo anomaly. A halo anomaly is defined as the anomalous area
found on the edges of the geologic or geophysical target, and the
top of the target lacks anomalous results (Tedesco, 1995). An api-
cal anomaly is the anomalous area that overlies the geological or
geophysical target (Tedesco, 1995).
The Sawbuck Field is located in sections 4, 8, and 9
of Township 2North Range 58 West, Washington County,
Figure 2.12 Iodine survey over the Sawbuck Field Township 2 North, Range 58 West, Washington County,
Colorado, Denver, USA. Before and after drilling wells are indicated.
Colorado, Denver Basin, United States (Fig. 2.10) and has pro-
duced minor amounts of oil from the D sand (Cretaceous) at
less than 6200 feet (1800 m). The intention of the iodine sur-
vey was to determine if there was potential for hydrocarbons
at two locations that were about to be drilled (Fig. 2.12). A
total of 252 samples samples were collected, on a 528-foot
(160 m) centered grid; iodine data had a mean of 0.6, a
median of 0.6, and a standard deviation 0.5 ppm iodine. Of
the two wells drilled postsurvey, one was dry and the other an
uneconomic producer that made 14,500 barrels of oil from
the D sand before being plugged. The iodine survey demon-
strated the usefulness of surface geochemistry in screening
an area and determining whether hydrocarbons may or may
not be present. In this survey’s case, it was clear that any oil
accumulation present was small and likely uneconomic.
2.7 Eland Field

The Eland Field, located in Township 139North Range
97West, Stark County, North Dakota, Williston Basin, United
States (Fig. 2.13) was discovered in 1995. It produces from
Mississippian age Waulsortion age marine-cemented microbial
boundstones and skeletal grainstones with local stromatactis
structures (Longman and Cumella, 2016) at approximately
10,000 feet (3000 m). The Eland Field has recovered over 35
Figure 2.13 Location of the Eland Field in the Williston Basin, United States. Source: Modified from Pitman, J.K., Price, L.C.,
LeFever, J.A., 2001. Diagenesis and Fracture Development of the Bakken Formation, Williston Basin, USGS, Prof. Paper 1653, 24p.
MMBO and is projected to recover an additional 71 1 MMBO

(Knudsen et al., 2009). The field was discovered using a limited
number of 2D seismic lines and close proximity to a previously
discovered Lodgepole mound. The iodine survey was done

shortly after the discovery well and represents sample spacing
on a 1320-foot (320 m) centered grid. The overlying strati-
graphic section above the Eland Field has several salt and anhy-
drite beds that, based on literature, should constrain vertical
migration (Fig. 2.14).
Figure 2.14 Stratigraphic section for the Williston Basin (LeFever and LeFever, 2005).
The survey collected 876 samples, with the iodine data indi-
cating a mean of 1.2, median of 0.9, and standard of 1.0 ppm
(Fig. 2.15). The majority of the anomalous areas are associated
with existing production and what later become the Eland Field
Complex. Background data cover most of the survey area
(Fig. 2.15). There is an anomalous area in the southwest part of
the map indicating potentially another hydrocarbon target at
depth. The anomalous area in relation to the Eland Field
Complex is a combination of apical (anomalous area overlying
the reservoir) and halo (anomalies associated only with the
edges of the reservoir). Postsurvey drilling is indicated in
Fig. 2.16, and there is a good correlation between well results
and the iodine survey.
Figure 2.15 Eland complex iodine survey at the time of drilling (black color).
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Torbu came up to me. "You're a stranger around Bar-Ponderone.
Cagu said you was okay. You worked me over pretty good ... and I
got no hard feelin's; that's the breaks. But don't try to start no trouble
here. We got our Code and our Brotherhood. We look out for each
other; that's good enough for us. Owner Qohey ain't no worse than
any other Owner ... and by the Code, we'll stand by him!"
"Listen to me," I said. "I know the history of Vallon: I know what you
were once and what you could be again. All you have to do is take
over the power. I can lead you to the ship I came here in. There are
briefing rods aboard, enough to show you—"
"That's enough," Torbu broke in. He made a cabalistic sign in the air.
"We ain't gettin' mixed up in no tabu ghost-boats or takin' on no
magicians and demons—"
"Hog wash! That tabu routine is just a gag to keep you away from the
cities so you won't discover what you're missing—"
"I don't wanna hafta take you to the Greymen, Drgon," Torbu growled.
"Leave it lay."
"These cities," I ploughed on. "They're standing there, empty, as
perfect as the day they were built. And you live in these flea-bitten
quarters, jammed inside the town walls, so the Greymen and
renegades won't get you."
"You wanna runs things here?" Mull put in. "Go see Qohey."
"Let's all go see Qohey!" I said.
"That's something you'll have to do alone," said Torbu. "You better
move on, Drgon. I ain't turnin' you in; I know how you felt about Cagu
gettin' killed and all—but don't push it too far."
I knew I was licked. They were as stubborn as a team of mules—and
just about as smart.
Torbu motioned; I followed him outside.
"You wanna turn things upside-down, don't you? I know how it is; you
ain't the first guy to get ideas. We can't help you. But we got a legend:
someday the Rthr will come back ... and then the Good Time will
come back too."
"What's the Rthr?" I said.
"Kinda like a big-shot Owner. There ain't no Rthr now. But a long time
ago, back when our first lives started, there was a Rthr that was
Owner of all Vallon, and everybody lived high, and had all their lives
... it's kind of like a hope we got—that's what we're waitin' for through
all our lives."
"Okay," I said. "Dream on, big boy. And while you're treasuring your
rosy dreams you'll get your brains kicked out, like Cagu." I turned
away.
"Listen, Drgon. It's no good buckin' the system: it's too big for one guy
... or even a bunch of guys ... but—"
I looked up. "Yeah?"
"... if you gotta stick your neck out—see Owner Gope." Abruptly Torbu
turned and pushed back through the door.
See Owner Gope, huh? Okay, what did I have to lose?
I stood in the middle of the deep-pile carpet in Gope's suite, trying to

keep my temper hot enough to supply the gall I needed to bust in on
an Owner in the middle of the night. He sat in his ceremonial chair
and stared at me impassively.
"With your help or without it," I said, "I'm going to find the answers."
"Yes, good Drgon," he said, not bellowing for once. "I understand. But
there are matters you don't understand."
"I understand too much," I snapped. "Do you remember Cagu?
Maybe you remember him as a newman, young, handsome, like a
god out of some old legend. You've seen him live his life. Was it a
good life? Did the promise of youth ever get paid off? And what about
yourself? Don't you ever wonder what you might have been ... back in
the Good Time?"
"Who are you?" asked Gope, his eyes fixed on mine. "You speak Old
Vallonian, you rake up the forbidden knowledge, and challenge the
very Powers...." He got to his feet. "I could have you immured, Drgon.
I could hand you to the Greymen, for a fate I shudder to name." He
turned and walked the length of the room restlessly, then turned back
to me and stopped.
"Matters stand ill with this fair world," he said. "Legend tells us that
once men lived as the High Gods on Vallon. There was a mighty
Owner, Rthr of all Vallon. It is whispered that he will come again—"
"Your legends are all true. You can take my word for that! But that
doesn't mean some supernatural sugar daddy is going along and bail
you out. And don't get the idea I think I'm the fabled answer to
prayers. All I mean is that once upon a time Vallon was a good place
to live and it could be again. Your cities and roads and ships are still
here, intact. But nobody knows how to run them and you're all afraid
to try. Who scared you off? What broke down the memory-recording
system? Why can't we all go to Okk-Hamiloth and use the Archives to
give everybody back what he's lost—"
"These are dread words," said Gope.
"There must be somebody behind it. Or there was once. Who is he?"
Gope thought. "There is one man pre-eminent among us: the Great
Owner, Owner of Owners: Ommodurad by name. Where he dwells I
know not. This is a secret possessed only by his intimates."
"What does he look like? How do I get to see him?"
Gope shook his head. "I have seen him but once, closely cowled. He
is a tall man, and silent. 'Tis said—" Gope lowered his voice, "—by his
black arts he possesses all his lives. An aura of dread hangs all about
him—"
"Never mind that jazz," I said. "How can I get close to him?"
"There are those Owners who are his confidants," said Gope, "his
trusted agents. It is through them that we small Owners learn of his
will."
"Can we enlist one of them?"
"Never. They are bound to him by ties of darkness, spells, and
incantations."
"I'm a fast man with a pair of loaded dice myself. It's all done with
mirrors. Let's stick to the point. How can I work into a spot with one of
these big shots?"
"Nothing easier. A driver and piper of such skills as your own can
claim whatever place he chooses."
"How about bodyguarding? Suppose I could take a heavy named
Torbu; would that set me in better with a new Owner?"
"Such is no place for a man of your abilities, good Drgon," Gope
exclaimed. "True, 'tis a place most close to an Owner, but there is
much danger in it. The challenge involves the most bloody hand-to-
hand combat, second only to the rigors of a challenge to an Owner
himself."
"What's that?" I snapped. "Challenge an Owner?"
"Be calm, good Drgon," said Gope, staring at me incredulously. "No
common man with his wits about him will challenge an Owner. He is a
warrior trained in the skills of battle. None less than another such may
hope to prevail."
I smacked my fist into my palm. "I should have thought of this sooner!
The cooks cook for their places, the pipers pipe ... and the best man
wins. It figures that the Owners would use the same system. But
what's the procedure? How do you get your chance to prove who can
own the best?"
"It is a contest with naked steel. It is the measure and glory of an
Owner that he alone stands ready to prove his quality against the
peril of death itself." Gope drew himself up with pride.
"What Owner can I challenge? How do I go about it? What's the
procedure?"
"Give up this course, good Drgon—"
"Where's the nearest buddy of the Big Owner?"
Gope threw up his hands. "Here, at Bar-Ponderone. Owner Qohey.
But—"
"And how do I call his bluff?" I asked.
Gope put a hand on my shoulder. "It is no bluff, good Drgon. It is long
now since last Owner Qohey stood to his blade to protect his place,
but you may be sure he has lost none of his skill. Thus it was he won
his way to Bar-Ponderone, while lesser knights, such as myself,
contented themselves with meaner fiefs."
"I'm not bluffing either, noble Gope," I said, stretching a point. "I was
no harness-maker in the Good Time."
Gope sat down heavily, raised his hands, and let them fall. "If I tell
you not, another will. But I will not soon find another piper of your
worth."
CHAPTER XV
Gaudy hangings of purple cut the light of the sun to a rich gloom in
the enormous, high-vaulted Audience Hall. A rustling murmur was
audible in the room as uneasy courtiers and supplicants fidgeted,
waiting for the appearance of the Owner.
It had been two months since Gope had explained to me how a
formal challenge to an Owner was conducted, and, as he pointed out,
this was the only kind of challenge that would help. If I waylaid the
man and cut him down, even in a fair fight, his bodyguards would
repay the favor before I could establish the claim that I was their
legitimate new boss.
I had spent three hours every day in the armory at Rath-Gallion,
trading buffets with Gope and a couple of the bodyguards. The thirty-
pound slab of edged steel had felt right at home in my hand that first
day—for about a minute. I had the borrowed knowledge to give me all
the technique I needed, but the muscle power for putting the
knowledge into practice was another matter. After five minutes I was
slumped against the wall, gulping air, while Gope whistled his sticker
around my head and talked.
"You laid on like no piper, good Drgon. Yet have you much to learn in
the matter of endurance."
After surviving two months of Gope's training I felt ready for anything.
Gope had warned me that Owner Qohey was a big fellow, but that
didn't bother me. The bigger they came, the bigger the target....
There was a murmur in a different key in the Audience Hall and tall
gilt doors opened at the far side of the room. A couple of liveried
flunkies scampered into view, then a seven-foot man-eater stalked
into the hall, made his way to the dais, turned to face the crowd....
He was enormous: his neck was as thick as my thigh, his features
chipped out of granite, the grey variety. He threw back his brilliant
purple cloak from his shoulders and reached out for the ceremonial
sword one of the flunkies was struggling with; his arm was like an oak
root. He took the sword with its sheath, sat down, and stood it
between his feet, his arms folded on top.
"Who has a grievance?" he spoke. The voice reverberated like the

old Wurlitzer at the Rialto back home.
This was my cue. There he was, just asking for it. All I had to do was
speak up. Owner Qohey would gladly oblige me.
I cleared my throat with a thin squeak, and edged forward, not very
far.
"I have one little item—" I started.
Nobody was listening. Up front a big fellow in a black toga was
pushing through the crowd. Everybody turned to stare at him, there
was a craning of necks. The crowd drew back from the dais leaving
an opening. The man in black stepped into the clear, flung back the
flapping garment from his right arm, and whipped out a long polished
length of razor-edged iron. It was beginning to look like somebody
had beaten me to the punch.
The newcomer stood there in front of Qohey with the naked blade
making all the threat that was needed. Qohey stared at him for a long
moment, then stood, gestured to a flunky. The flunky turned, cleared
his throat.
"The place of Bar-Ponderone has been claimed!" he recited in a shrill
voice. "Let the issue be joined!" He skittered out of the way and
Qohey rose, threw aside his purple cloak and cowl, and stepped
down. I pushed forward to get a better look.
The challenger in black tossed his loose garment aside, stood facing
Qohey in a skin-tight jerkin and hose; heavy moccasins of soft leather
were laced up the calf. He was magnificently muscled but Qohey was
bigger.
Qohey unsheathed his fancy iron and whirled it up overhead, made a
few practice swipes. He handled it like it was a lady's putter. I felt
sorry for the smaller man, who was just standing, watching him. He
really didn't have a chance.
I had got through to the fore rank by now. The challenger turned and I
saw his face. I stopped dead, while fire bells clanged in my head.
The man in black was Foster.
In dead silence Qohey and Foster squared off, touched their sword
points to the floor in some kind of salute ... and Qohey's slicer
whipped up in a vicious cut. Foster leaned aside, just far enough,
then countered with a flick that made Qohey jump back. I let out a
long breath and tried swallowing.
Qohey's blade flashed, cutting at Foster's head. Foster hardly moved.
Almost effortlessly, it seemed, he interposed his heavy weapon
between the attacking steel and himself. Clash, clang! Qohey hacked
and chopped ... and Foster played with him. Then Foster's arm
flashed out and there was blood on Qohey's wrist. A gasp went up
from the crowd. Now Foster took a step forward, struck ... and
faltered! In an instant Qohey was on him and the two men were
locked, chest to chest. For a moment Foster held, then Qohey's
weight told, and Foster reeled back. He tried to bring up the sword,
seemed to struggle, then Qohey lashed out again. Foster twisted,
took the blow awkwardly just above the hand guard, stumbled ... and
fell.
Qohey leaped to him, raised the sword—
I hauled mine half way out of its sheath and pushed forward.
"Let the man be put away from my sight," rumbled Qohey. He lowered
his immense sword, turned, pushed aside a flunky who had bustled
up with a wad of bandages. As he strode from the room a swarm of
bodyguards fanned out between the crowd and Foster. I could see
him clumsily struggling to rise, then I was shoved back, still craning
for a glimpse. There was something wrong here; Foster had acted
like a man suddenly half-paralyzed. Had Qohey doped him in some
way?
The cordon stopped pushing. I tugged at the arm of the bodyguard
beside me. "What's to be the fate of the man?" I asked.
"They're gonna immure him."
"You mean wall him up?"
"Yeah. Just a peep hole to pass chow in every day ... so's he don't
starve, see?"
"How long—?"
"He'll last; don't worry. After the Change, Owner Qohey's got a
newman—"
"Shut up," another bruiser said.
The crowd was slowly thinning. The bodyguards were relaxing,

standing in pairs talking. Two servants moved about where the fight
had taken place, making mystical motions in the air above the floor. I
edged forward, watching them. They seemed to be plucking
imaginary flowers.
I moved even farther forward to take a closer look, then saw a tiny
glint.... A servant hurried across, made gestures. I pushed him aside,
groped ... and my fingers encountered a delicate filament of wire. I
pulled it in, swept up more. The servants had stopped and stood
watching me, muttering. The whole area of the combat was covered
with the invisible wires, looping up in coils two feet high.
No wonder Foster had stumbled, had trouble raising his sword. He
had been netted, encased in a mesh of incredibly fine tough wire ...
and in the dim light even the crowd twenty feet away hadn't seen it. I
put my hand on my sword hilt, chewed my lower lip. I had found
Foster ... but it wouldn't do me—or Vallon—much good. He was on
his way to the dungeons, to be walled up until the next Change. And
it would be three months before I could legally make another try for
Qohey's place.
I would have to spend that time working on my swordplay, and hope
Foster could hold out. Maybe I could sneak a message—
A heavy blow on the back sent me spinning. Four bodyguards moved
to ring me in, clubs in hand. They were strangers to me, but across
the room I saw Torbu looming, looking my way....
"I saw him; he started to pull that fancy sword," said one of the
guards.
"He was asking me questions—"
"Unbuckle it and drop it," another ordered me. "Don't try anything!"
"What's this all about?" I said. "I have a right to wear a Ceremonial
Sword at an Audience—"
"Move in, boys!" The four men stepped toward me, the clubs came
up. I warded off a smashing blow with my left arm, took a blinding
crack across the face, felt myself going down—another blow, and
another: all killing ones....
Then I was aware of being dragged, endlessly, of voices barking
sharp questions, of pain.... After a long time it was dark, and silent,
and I slept.
I groaned and the sound was dead, muffled. I put out a hand and
touched stone on my right. My left elbow touched stone. I made an
instinctive move to sit up and smacked my head against more stone.
My new room was confining. I felt my face ... and winced at the touch.
The bridge of my nose felt different: it was lower than it used to be, in
spite of the swelling. I lay back and traced the pattern of pain. There
was the nose—smashed flat—with secondary aches around the
eyes. They'd be beautiful shiners, if I could see them. Now the left
arm: it was curled close to my side and when I moved it I saw why: it
wasn't broken, but the shoulder wasn't right, and there was a deep
bruise above the elbow. My knees and shin, as far as I could reach,
were caked with dried blood. That figured: I remembered being
dragged.
I tried deep-breathing; my chest seemed to be okay. My hands
worked. My teeth were in place. Maybe I wasn't as sick as I felt.
But where the hell was I? The floor was hard, cold. I needed a big
soft bed and a little soft nurse and a hot meal and a cold drink....
Foster! I cracked my head again and flopped back, groaned some
more. It still sounded pretty dead.
I swallowed, licked my lips, felt a nice split that ran down to the
bristles. I had attended the Audience clean-shaven. Quite a few hours
have passed since then. They had taken Foster away to immure him,
somebody said. Then the guards had tapped me, worked me over—
Immured! I got a third crack on the head. Suddenly it was hard to
breathe. I was walled up, sealed away from the light, buried under the
foundations of the giant towers of Bar-Ponderone. I felt their crushing
weight....
I forced myself to relax, breathe deep. Being immured wasn't the

same as being buried alive—not exactly. This was the method these
latter-day Vallonians had figured out to effectively end a man's life ...
without ending all his lives. They figured to keep me neatly packaged
here until my next Change, thus acquiring another healthy newman
for the kitchen or the stables. They didn't know the only Change that
would happen to me was death.
They'd have to feed me; that meant a hole. I ran my fingers along the
rough stone, found an eight-inch square opening on the left wall, just
under the ceiling. I reached through it, felt nothing but the solidness of
its thick sides. How far along the other open end was I had no way of
determining.
I was feeling dizzy. I lay back and tried to think, but everything
remained fuzzy.
I was awake again. There had been a sound. I moved, and felt
something hit my chest.
I groped for it; it was a small loaf of hard bread. I heard the sound
again and a second object thumped against me.
"Hey!" I yelled, "listen to me! I'll die in here. I'm not like the rest of you;
I won't go through a Change. I'll rot here until I die. Do you hear
me?..."
I listened. The silence was absolute.
"Answer me!" I screamed. "You're making a mistake...!"
I gave up when my throat got raw. I felt for the other item that had
been pushed in to me. It was a water bottle made of tough plastic. I
fumbled the cap off, took a swallow. It wasn't good. I tried the bread; it
was tough, tasteless. I lay and chewed and thought. As a world-saver
I was a bust. I had come a long long way and now I was going to die
in this reeking hole. I had a sudden vision of steaks uneaten, wines
undrunk, girls unhad, and life unlived. And then I had another
thought: if I never had them was it going to be because I hadn't tried?
Abruptly I was planning. I would keep calm and use my head. I
wouldn't wear myself out with screams and struggles. I'd figure the
angles, use everything I had to make the best try I could.
First, to explore the tomb-cell. It hurt to move but that didn't matter. I
felt over the walls, estimating size. My chamber was three feet wide,
two feet high, and seven feet long. The walls were relatively smooth,
except for a few mortar joints. The stones were big: eighteen inches
or so by a couple of feet. I scratched at the mortar; it was rock hard.
I wondered how they'd gotten me in. Some of the stones must be
newly placed ... or else there was a door. I couldn't feel anything as
far as my hands would reach. Maybe at the other end....
I tried to twist around: no go. The people who had built the cage knew
just how to dimension it to keep the occupant oriented the way they
wanted him. He was supposed to just lie quietly and wait for the
bread and water to fall through the hole above his chest.
That was reason enough to change positions. If they wanted me to
stay put I'd at least have the pleasure of defying the rules. And there
just might be a reason why they didn't want me moving around.
I turned on my side, pulled my legs up, hugged them to my chest,
worked my way down ... and jammed. My skinned knees and shins
didn't help any. I inched them higher, wincing at the pain, then braced
my hands against the floor and roof and with all my strength forced
my torso toward my feet....
Still no go. The rough stone was shredding my back. I moved my
knees apart; that eased the pressure a little. I made another inch.
I rested, tried to get some air. It wasn't easy: my chest was crushed
between my thighs and the stone wall at my back. I breathed
shallowly, wondering whether I should go back or try to push on. I
tried to move my legs; they didn't like the idea. I might as well go on.
It would be no fun either way and if I waited I'd stiffen up, while
inactivity and no food and loss of blood would weaken me further
every moment. I wouldn't do better next time—not even as well. This
was the time. Now.
I set myself, pushed again, I didn't move. I pushed harder, scraping
my palms raw against the stone. I was stuck—good. I went limp
suddenly. Then I panicked, in the grip of claustrophobia. I snarled,
rammed my hands hard against the floor and wall, and heaved—and
felt my lacerated back slip along the stone, sliding on a lubricating
film of blood. I pushed again, my back curved, doubled; my knees
were forced up beside my ears. I couldn't breathe at all now and my
spine was breaking. It didn't matter. I might as well break it, rip off all
the hide, bleed to death; I had nothing to lose. I shoved again, felt the
back of my head grate; my neck bent, creaking ... then I was through,
stretching out to flop on my back gasping, my head where my feet
had been. Score one for our side.
It took a long time to get my breath back and sort out my various
abrasions. My back was worst, then my legs and hands. There was a
messy spot on the back of my head and sharp pains shot down my
spine, and I was getting tired of breathing through my mouth instead
of my smashed nose. Other than that I'd never felt better in my life. I
had plenty of room to relax in, I could breathe. All I had to do was
rest, and after a while they'd drop some more nice bread and water in
to me....
I shook myself awake. There was something about the absolute
darkness and silence that made my mind want to curl up and sleep,
but there was no time for that. If there had been a stone freshly set in
mortar to seal the chamber after I had been stuffed inside, this was
the time to find it—before it set too hard. I ran my hands over the wall,
found the joints. The mortar was dry and hard in the first; in the
next.... Under my fingernail soft mortar crumbled away. I traced the
joint; it ran around a twelve-by-eighteen-inch stone. I raised myself on
my elbow, settled down to scratching at it.
Half an hour later I had ten bloody finger tips and a half-inch groove
cut around the stone. It was slow work, and I couldn't go much farther
without a tool of some sort. I felt for the water bottle, took off the cap,
tried to crush it. It wouldn't crush. There was nothing else in the cell.
Maybe the stone would move, mortar and all, if I shoved hard
enough. I set my feet against the end wall, my hands against the
block, and strained until the blood roared in my ears. No use.
I was lying there, just thinking about it, when I became aware of
something. It wasn't a noise exactly. It was more like a fourth-
dimensional sound heard inside the brain ... or the memory of one.
But my next sensation was perfectly real. I felt four little feet walking
gravely up my chest toward my chin.
It was the cat, Itzenca.
CHAPTER XVI
For a while I toyed with the idea of just chalking it up as a miracle.
Then I decided it would be a nice problem in probabilities. It had been
seven months since we had parted company on the pink terrace at
Okk-Hamiloth. Where would I have gone if I had been a cat? And
how could I have found me—my old pal from Earth?
Itzenca exhaled a snuffle in my ear.
"Come to think of it, the stink is pretty strong, isn't it? I guess there's
nobody on Vallon with quite the same heady fragrance. And what with
the close quarters here, the concentration of sweat, blood, and you-
name-it must be pretty penetrating."
Itz didn't seem to care. She marched around my head and back
again, now and then laid a tentative paw on my nose or chin, and
kept up a steady rumbling purr. The feeling of affection I had for that
cat right then was close to being one of my life's grand passions. I
couldn't keep my hands off her. They roamed over her scrawny
frame, fingered again the khaffite collar I had whiled away an hour in
fashioning for her aboard the lifeboat—
My head hit the stone wall with a crash I didn't even notice. In ten
seconds I had released the collar clasp, pulled the collar from
Itzenca's neck, thumbed the stiff khaffite out into a blade about ten
inches long, and was scraping at the mortar beyond my head at fever
heat.
They had fed me three times by the time the groove was nine inches
deep on all sides of the block, and the mortar had hardened. But I
was nearly through, I figured. I took a rest, then made another try at
loosening the block. I stuck the blade in the slot, levered gently at the
stone. If it was only supported on one edge now, as it would be if it
were a little less than a foot thick, it should be about ready to go. I
couldn't tell.
I put down my scraper, got in position, and pushed. I wasn't as strong
as I had been; there wasn't much force in the push. Again I rested
and again I tried. Maybe there was only a thin crust of mortar still
holding; maybe one more ounce of pressure would do it. I took a
deep breath, strained ... and felt the block shift minutely.
Now! I heaved again, teeth gritted, drew back my feet, and thrust
hard. The stone slid out with a grating sound, dropped half an inch. I
paused to listen: all quiet. I shoved again, and the stone dropped with
a heavy thud to the floor outside. With no loss of time I pushed
through behind it, felt a breath of cooler air, got my shoulders free,
pulled my legs through ... and stood, for the first time in how many
days....
I had already figured my next move. As soon as Itzenca had stepped
out I reached back in, groped for the water bottle, the dry crusts I had
been saving, and the wad of bread paste I had made up. I reached a
second time for a handful of the powdered mortar I had produced,
then lifted the stone. I settled it in place, using the hard bread as
supports, then packed the open joint with gummy bread. I dusted it
over with dry mortar, then carefully swept up the debris—as well as I
could in the total darkness. The bread-and-water man would have a
light and he was due in half an hour or so—as closely as I had been
able to estimate the time of his regular round. I didn't want him to see
anything out of the ordinary. I was counting on finding Foster filed
away somewhere in the stacks, and I'd need time to try to release
him.
I moved along the corridor, counting my steps, one hand full of bread
crumbs and stone dust, the other feeling the wall. There were narrow
side branches every few feet; the access ways to the feeding holes.
Forty-one paces from my slot I came to a wooden door. It wasn't
locked, but I didn't open it. I wasn't ready to use it yet.
I went back, passed my hole, continued nine paces to a blank wall.
Then I tried the side branches. They were all seven-foot stubs, dead
ends; each had the eight-inch holes on either side. I called Foster's
name softly at each hole ... but there was no answer. I heard no signs
of life, no yells or heavy breathing. Was I the only one here? That
wasn't what I had figured on. Foster had to be in one of these
delightful bedrooms. I had come across the universe to see him and I
wasn't going to leave Bar-Ponderone without him.
It was time to get ready for the bread man. I groped my way into one
of the side branches; Itzenca at my heels. With half a year's
experience at dodging humans behind her, she could be trusted not
to show at the crucial moment, I figured. I had just jettisoned my
handful of trash in the backmost corner of the passage when there
was a soft grating sound from the door. I flattened myself against the
wall.
A light splashed on the floor; it must have been dim but seemed to
my eyes like the blaze of noon. Soft footsteps sounded. I held my
breath. A man in bodyguard's trappings, basket in hand, moved past
the entry of the branch where I stood, went on. I breathed again. Now
all I had to do was keep an eye on the feeder, watch where he
stopped. I stepped to the corridor, risked a glance, saw him entering a
branch farther down the corridor. As he disappeared I made it three
branches farther along, ducked out of sight.
I heard him coming back. I flattened myself. He went by me, opened
the door. It closed behind him. Darkness, silence and despair settled
down once more.
The bread man had stopped at one cell only—mine. Foster wasn't
there.
It was a long wait for the next feeding but I put the time to use. First I
had a good nap; I hadn't been getting my rest while I scratched my
way out of my nest. I woke up feeling better and started thinking
about the next move. The door creaked, and I did a fast fade down a
side branch. The guard shuffled into view; now was the time. I moved
out—quietly, I thought, and he whirled, dropped the load and bottle,
and fumbled at his club hilt. I didn't have a club to slow me down. I
went at him, threw a beautiful right, square to the mouth. He went
over backwards, with me on top. I heard his head hit with a sound like
a length of rubber hose slapping a grapefruit. He didn't move.
I pulled the clothes off him, struggled into them. They didn't fit too well
and they probably smelled gamey to anybody who hadn't spent a
week where I had, but details like these didn't count anymore. I tore
his sash into strips and tied him. He wasn't dead—quite, but I had
reason to know that any yelling he did was unlikely to attract much
attention. I hoped he'd enjoy the rest and quiet until the next feeding
time. By then I expected to be long gone. I lifted the door open and
stepped out into a dimly lit corridor.
With Itzenca abreast of me I moved along in absolute stillness,
passed a side corridor, came to a heavy door; locked. We retraced
our steps, went down the side hall, found a flight of worn steps,
followed them up two flights, and emerged in a dark room. A line of
light showed around a door. I went to it, peered through the crack.
Two men in stained kitchen-slave tunics fussed over a boiling
cauldron. I pushed through the door.
The two looked up, startled. I rounded a littered table, grabbed up a
heavy soup ladle, and skulled the nearest cook just as he opened up
to yell. The other one, a big fellow, went for a cleaver. I caught him in
two jumps, laid him out cold beside his pal.
I found an apron, ripped it up, and tied and gagged the two slaves,
then hauled them into a storeroom.
I came back into the kitchen. It was silent now. The room reeked of
sour soup. A stack of unpleasantly familiar loaves stood by the oven.
I gave them a kick that collapsed the pile as I passed to pick up a
knife. I hacked tough slices from a cold haunch of Vallonian mutton,
threw one to Itzenca across the table, and sat and gnawed the meat
while I tried to think through my plans.
Owner Qohey was a big man to tackle but he was the one with the
answers. If I could make my way to his apartment and if I wasn't
stopped before I'd forced the truth out of him, then I might get to
Foster and tell him that if he had the memory playback machine I had
the memory, if it hadn't been filched from the bottom of a knapsack
aboard a lifeboat parked at Okk-Hamiloth.
Four 'if's' and a 'might'—but it was something to shoot at. My first
move would be to locate Qohey's quarters, somewhere in the Palace,
and get inside. My bodyguard's outfit was as good a disguise as any
for the attempt.
I finished off my share of the meat and got to my feet. I'd have to find
a place to clean myself up, shave—
The rear door banged open and two bodyguards came through it,
talking loudly, laughing.
"Hey, cook! Set out meat and wine for—"
The heavy in the lead stopped short, gaping at me. I gaped back. It
was Torbu.
"Drgon! How did you...." He trailed off.
The other bodyguard came past him, looked me over. "You're no
Brother of the Guard—" he started.
I reached for the cleaver the kitchen-slave had left on the table,
backed against a tall wall cupboard. The bodyguard unlimbered his
club.
"Hold it, Blon," said Torbu. "Drgon's okay." He looked at me. "I kind of
figured you for done-for, Drgon. The boys worked you over pretty
good."
"Yeah," I returned, "and thanks for your help in stopping it. You claim
to believe in the system around here. You think it's a great life, all fair
play and no holds barred and plenty of goodies for the winner. I know,
it was tough about Cagu, but that's life, isn't it? But what about the
business I saw in the Audience Hall? You guys try not to think about
that angle, is that it?"
"It was the Owner's orders," said Blon. "What was I gonna do, tell him
—?"
"Never mind," I said. "I'll tell him myself. That's all I want: just a short
interview with the Owner—minus the wire nets."
"Wow ..." drawled Torbu; "yeah, that'd be a bout." He turned to Blon.
"This guy's got a punch, Blon. He don't look so hot but he could swap
buffets with the Fire Drgon he's named after. If he's that good with a
long blade—"
"Just lend me one," I said, "and show me the way to his apartment."
"I didn't like the capers with the wires, neither did most of the boys.
We're Brothers of the Guard," said Torbu. "We ain't got much but we
got our Code. It don't say nothing about wires. If we don't back up our

Methods and Applications in Petroleum and Mineral Exploration and Engineering Geology Said Gaci Full Chapter

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Methods and Applications in Petroleum

and Mineral Exploration and

For Information on all Elsevier publications

Publisher: Candice Janco

Section 1 Petroleum exploration

1 Review chapter on petroleum exploration section .....................................3

2 Microseeps as pathfinder and regional filtering tool in

3 Correlation of stable carbon isotope, reflectance, and total

4 A review about recent seismic techniques in

5 Evaluation of the pilot waterflood at Arikaree Creek Field

6 Analysis of production and geology of unconventional

6.2 Geology............................................................................................. 118

7 Study of nonlinear acoustic processes inside a cracked rock

8 Applications of shear waves in modern seismic technology:

9 The low-velocity zone in the crystalline crust of the NW

10 Peculiarities of convection and oil maturation in 3D porous

11 Empirical mode decomposition-based approaches for

12 New bidimensional empirical mode decomposition-based

13 Local regularity investigation of well logs from an Algerian

13.5 Multifractal analysis applied to well log data .............................222

Section 2 Mineral exploration

14 Review chapter on mineral exploration section ...................................231

15 Precambrian lithospheric evolution of the

16 Connection of magneto acoustic emission parameters with

17 On characterizing anisotropies of the radioactive sources

17.3 Regional geology ..........................................................................278

18 Statistical analysis of geological faults for

19 Wavelet-based fractal and multifractal analysis for detecting

Section 3 Engineering geology

20 Review chapter on engineering geology section..................................311

21 Account of rock massif hierarchic heterogeneity by deep

22 The similarity of the possible reasons for manifestation of

23 Use of the hardware-software complex device “register”

24 Tidal motions of potential unstable rock massif at the

25 New method of defining the geotechnical parameters from

Magdy Attya National Research Institute of Astronomy and

Mansur Mindubaev Institute of Geophysics, UB RAS,

Approaches and numerical methods

resources, shale gas reservoirs are very extensive, with low

V. Dryagin, addresses the results of a seismo-acoustic emission

The assessment of the prospectivity of oil and gas in a sedi-

In Chapter 13, Local Regularity Investigation of Well Logs

2.2 Migrating hydrocarbon theory

Figure 2.2 Theory of migrating hydrocarbons.

accumulation or removal of trace metals or uranium and

sampling tools. The collection methods on land vary from

Figure 2.3 Soil strata—R, C, B,

R soils formed in situ exhibit strong similarities to the bed-

distinct in that they are noticeably less affected by surface soil-

2.4 Case histories

2.5 Keota Dome

Figure 2.5 Southeast Iowa

Starved Rock Member, which is part of the Platteville strata

(Fig. 2.7). The surveys were repeated an additional three times

Figure 2.7 Location of samples

determine background data or normal soil conditions as well as

Iodine Iodine Iodine Iodine C3 (ppm) C3 C3 C3

Soil gas in areas of hydrocarbon microseepage, depending on

2.6 Dolley and Sawbuck Fields

the more near shore or marine depositional environments to the

2.7 Eland Field

MMBO and is projected to recover an additional 71 1 MMBO

discovered Lodgepole mound. The iodine survey was done