AAPG Distinguished Lecturer: Dr. Juergen Schieber

Dr. Juergen Schieber from Indiana University will speak at 3:30 PM, April 30, in  Haley 2182. Please mark this on your calendars.  I encourage everyone to attend what will be an outstanding seminar. The abstract of Dr. Schieber’s talk and a brief biographical sketch are provided below. Additional information can be found at http://www.shale-mudstone-research-schieber.indiana.edu/.

Presentation Abstract-

The rock record is dominated by shales and mudstones, but the understanding of the processes by which these sediments are transported and deposited is changing in significant ways.  Whereas quiet settling in low energy environments used to be the “conventional” perspective, we know now, for example, that muds can accumulate as floccules in bedload at flow velocities that would suffice for bedload transport of sand.  Insights like these suggest that the geologic record of mudstones is in urgent need for re-examination, and that with further experimental work we may eventually arrive at a comprehensive understanding of mudstone sedimentology. A higher level of understanding fine grained sediments is the “next step” for making meaningful progress in the study of basin fills, climate archives, and energy resources.

Flume studies provide a physical basis for interpreting sedimentary structures in shales, and that in turn leads to greatly improved EOD assessment in shale successions. As shale fabrics become meaningful, it also becomes apparent that depositional mode has a direct impact on the developing sedimentary fabric, shale microstructure, and initial pore development. High resolution petrography shows that primary pore structures may partially survive burial and can be critical to the permeability and producability of unconventional reservoirs.  In that context, flume studies not only open up new avenues of inquiry for depositional processes and microfabrics, but also provide alternative scenarios of carbon burial and the origin of unconventional hydrocarbon resources.

Shale studies will be a focus of sedimentary geology research for the foreseeable future. We have decades of work ahead of us.

Biographical Sketch-

Dr. Juergen Schieber is a specialist on shales. Published extensively (117 papers, 20 guidebook chapters, 2 books, 251 conference abstracts), he is also an invited lecturer at universities in the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia; at research organizations, industry short courses, and symposia. His research interests include: Basin Analysis and Sedimentology, Sedimentology of Shales, the Genesis of Black Shales and Sediment hosted Mineral Deposits, Evolution of the Belt Basin and the Devonian basins of the eastern US, Geochemistry of Sediments, Planetary Geology and sedimentary geology of Mars. He is a member of the science team that currently explores the geology of Gale Crater on Mars with NASA’s Curiosity rover.

His research is characterized by a holistic approach to shales, and consists of an integration of field studies (facies, stratigraphy) and lab studies (thin sections, electron microscopy, and geochemistry) in order to understand the various factors that are involved in the formation of shales. A key focus point is the experimental study of shale sedimentology via flume studies and related experimental work. Funding for this research is provided by government agencies (NSF, DOE, NASA), foundations (Petroleum Research Fund), and industry via the Indiana University Shale Research Consortium (ExxonMobil, Anadarko, Marathon, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Wintershall, Whiting, Statoil) and separate research agreements (Schlumberger/TerraTek; Pioneer Natural Resources). He consults on matters pertaining to shale sedimentology, shale fabric and pore structure, and also teaches short courses on shale sedimentology and facies analysis, as well as microscope based petrography.

Dr. Schieber received his B.Sc. in Geology from the University of Tübingen, Germany, in 1978, and his Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Oregon in 1985. His dissertation is titled “The Relationship between Basin Evolution and Genesis of stratiform Sulfide Horizons in Mid-Proterozoic Sediments of Central Montana (Belt Supergroup).”